Thaksin chose the wrong quote

With due respect to Thaksin, I do not believe his Thai translation of Baron de Montesquieu’s quote on tyranny practised under the shield of the law has relevance for Thailand. The meaning of the “shield” here is not that of using the law tyrannically, but of using the armour or brand of the law and the name of justice to prolong tyrannical rule. Venezuela now more closely fits the words of Montesquieu.
Thaksin’s translation shows contempt for the Thai courts and judicial process in implying that General Prayut’s government can intervene in our judicial system. It was ironic for Thaksin to quote Montesquieu, who is credited as the father of the separation of powers – the principle of governance by checks and balances. He believed that a country should be ruled under three branches – the legislature (parliament or Congress) to make the laws, executive branch (government) to govern, and the judicial branch (courts) to render justice. None of these branches is allowed to transgress on the jurisdiction of the others. It is this basic principle that underpins the success of the United States, where dictatorial power is discouraged – as the president is now experiencing. In Thailand, our last breathing space is that our justice system is still relatively independent despite many attempts to taint this branch.
Vint Chavala’s letter of yesterday (“Boonsong ‘torn apart by hungry lions’, says friend”) reminded me of a group of student friends urged by one leader to jump fully-clothed into a pool to celebrate their graduation. After counting to three, all jumped in except the leader. I would love to be a fly on the wall at the newly occupied state-run residence of Boonsong and others, to hear how they feel towards their two former leaders – Yingluck and Thaksin. 
We might compare their actions with that of Winston Churchill, who urged Britain to fight “by sea, land and air” against the imminent threat of invasion by Nazi Germany. Sir Winston never backed down from that pledge. Neither did King George VI, when he was asked to move to Canada, while another monarch in Europe did leave his country and literally lost his crown.
Songdej Praditsmanont