A battle between open-minded and the closed in outlook

The first few months after the coup, people appeared to be willing to trade liberty for peace and order after months of political turmoil that had the nation deadlocked.

That may no longer be the case as the Prayut government enters the second phase of its road map to democracy – preparation of a new charter. Many believe discerning voices must be liberated and no longer suppressed if the new constitution is to have any chance of lasting.

A series of events that had occurred over the past month demonstrated hypocrisy and confusion in the junta’s political approach during this second stage.

Members of key government bodies has been urging the public to engage and speak their minds while others, at the same time, appear more intent of sealing people’s lips and suppressing freedom of expression.

Both the Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC) and National Reform Council (NRC) have established subcommittees to collect public opinion on national reform and drafting the new constitution.

Presidents of both institutions have invited the public to engage with them.

But at the same time the junta has maintained their “security game”. Early this month they reminded people that political gatherings of more than five people are still strictly illegal and that offenders will be prosecuted, especially in Pheu Thai’s support base regions in the North and Northeast.

In September, the authorities stepped in and stopped a march from Surat Thani to Bangkok by activists calling for energy reform to be undertaken by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Last week the junta ordered the shutdown of a public forum on “Thailand and Inequality” that focused on land reform because the junta feared some speakers may provoke different ideas on land reform to those being proposed and undertaken by the junta.

Military officers then intervened over a television programme at Thai PBS, which resulted in the suspension of TV host Nattaya Wawweerakup from her show “People’s Voices Must Be Heard before Reforms”.

And while political parties are asked for opinions on national reform, members of their parties have still not been allowed to meet to debate key issues.

Despite several calls from various sectors of the society to lift martial law, PM General Prayut insisted it remains necessarily for security reasons.

And these are just some examples. Given that these actions seem to be conflicting, what is their true agenda?

The junta looks to have found itself caught in trying to balance their conservative approach with a liberal one, which was never anything but a zero sum game.

But I would argue they are missing the point entirely, at this significant period of national history. This is not a battle between the conservative and liberal, nor it is a battle of pro- and anti-Thaksin Shinawatra camps.

Thailand’s current political battle is the open-minded versus those with more closed minds.

With regards to discerning opinions and angry voices, the former will see it as welcoming while the latter see these as a threat to security.

The former are willing to accept and embrace new ideas and change, as an opportunity for a lasting constitution, national reform and reconciliation.

The latter will still look at it as a threat to national stability and are more comfortable with old way of things.

Junta’s “12 core values” ordered to be recited daily by students demonstrated their closed minds and conservatism. Neither the government nor the junta should spoon-feed children these “values” because children should be encouraged to think for themselves, by developing critical and rational thinking.

The same applies to our society, especially at a time when opinions are needed to help draft the new constitution and nation reform. Freedom of expression should be liberated, with public opinions put above the junta’s opinion of the public.