A clean coup to let democracy rise on tyranny’s bones

My letter was not about the coup, but rather a response to the letter “What has improved since the coup?” published on April 17. When I wrote, “All functioning democracies start with the actions of people like Prayut”, I first of all meant in his civilian position and as an honest man.

Democracy took root in the countries where it today functions through idealistic, educated, honest, mostly well-off people who were not democratically assembled but overthrew a pre-democratic, self-serving regime. How else can you kick-start democracy from a non-democratic past or from a democracy that has turned dictatorial? I am talking about democracy founded by honest civilians with the integrity of history on their side, sometimes helped by the military, sometimes by a public uprising, a revolution, a government in exile, a civil war or other ways.

Coups are not desirable, but sometimes they are the only way to get rid of dictatorial rule or efforts at democracy that have gone astray. The outcome of Thailand’s most recent coup smells more democratic than the previous ones, and even more promising and cleaner than the recent failed attempts at democracy by the two biggest parties, which cost many people their lives or health. 

A Johnsen