Where are we headed if they manage to oust Mr T?
I know that the Ratchadam-noen demonstrators are against Thaksin, but I still don't know what they are "for". Even if they succeed in cleansing us of all that Thaksin stands for, what will they replace his values with? Where are they leading us to?
If they say that they’ll replace Thaksin’s values with “true democracy”, then let’s test them against former prime minister Anand Panyarachun’s Seven Pillars of Sustainable Demo-cracy as our benchmark.
On rule of law and accountability, for example, will they bring the military under the rule of law by amending the emergency decree, which legalises any act that the authorities take so long as it’s done under order?
On political tolerance and freedom of expression, will they accede to our beloved King’s wish that “Charges against those accused of lese-majeste should be dropped, and those held in jail for lese-majeste should be released”, for “the use of the lese-majeste law ultimately damages the monarchy”? On decentralisation, will they give major regions like the deep South and North the same rights as Bangkok, and form them into special administrative zones?
Since both the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties have been united in studiously avoiding these key pillars, I think the demonstrators will turn their backs on them also, so will we be changing one bunch of anti-democrats for another?
Where are our pied pipers leading us? Shouldn’t we know?
Burin Kantabutra
