A Thai Social Democrat Party becomes an imperative

The current attempt at political reconciliation will likely be followed by the kind of upheaval that has repeatedly divided Thai society and laid waste the arena of politics and governance. A new group, the Project for a Social Democracy (PSD), is advocating the formation of a new, more inclusive, political party to move beyond upheaval through genuinely addressing differing needs. 
What is social democracy? An ancient Confucian maxim has it that the purpose of the state is the welfare of the people. Most modern nations agree, and countries like Thailand have a long record of promoting the general welfare, for example through the health system and rural development. Social democracy demands even more robust welfare, with the state guaranteeing such services as universal access to quality health care, together with high quality education accessible to all, free and affordable through the university and post-graduate levels. Ideally, there is a minimum wage sufficient for a dignified life with enough resources and free time for education and sports. Childcare, maternity leave and a living income for the elderly are guaranteed. 
At the same time a business-friendly environment is maintained so that enterprises, from SMEs to large corporations, may flourish. Welfare measures, including education, ensure a healthy workforce, a population less prone to crime and upheaval, and a broad base of informed consumers making ethical choices driving the economy. Regulations not only limit the ability of companies to exploit workers and consumers but also create a space for non-destructive market competition. The goal is a flourishing market economy that serves the needs of all and reduces wealth inequality while growing overall GDP.
Whose welfare is to be guaranteed? For social democracy, the answer is simple: everybody, regardless of ethnicity, language, location, religion and so on. The Thai public health system is a good example, with quality, affordable health care accessible literally to all at clinics and hospitals throughout the country. There are also private hospitals for those who desire and can afford a more luxurious experience, maintaining a market for care and for insurance.
“Everybody” includes multiple languages and cultures with differing needs and aspirations. Each must be respected equally. That does not mean admiring their exotic costumes and cuisine – every group is exotic to every other. Rather, each must be heard, their needs addressed and their strengths incorporated. Equal does not mean same. Such respect would include, for example, education and government affairs conducted in the local language, meaning that Thailand enforces the social and cultural rights it officially agreed to with the UN International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. That implies a need for policy covering domestic anti-racial discrimination, torture and disappearances, and a pluralistic language policy recognising regional and local languages.
What if the state fails in its purpose, say with substandard public education, favouring some ethnic-linguistic groups over others, or unfair regulations favouring a corporation owned by a politician’s brother-in-law? The Confucians did not have a good response to that. What Thailand has experienced is different segments of the population enforcing mob rule and undermining the rule of law, forcing governments that fail to attend to their needs out of office.
Nonetheless, this can be seen in a positive light: people are beginning to demand a voice in government. It is a glimmering of democracy, and democracy is the social democratic solution. At the least, if an elected government fails to safeguard the welfare of large segments of the population, it risks being voted out of office. Moreover, the people can elect principled representatives who represent their various interests, advocating and negotiating on their behalf within government.
Democracy, and especially social democracy, depends on rights guaranteeing that all segments, no matter how small, are able to participate, making their needs and disappointments known publicly. Freedom of expression is one such right, ensuring no segment is silenced when it loses the vote – today’s minority may be tomorrow’s majority. 
That means that anyone must be able to criticise politicians, agencies and corporations without fear of reprisal. Essentially, needs cannot be met if not expressed. Failures cannot be corrected if not revealed. Free expression also provides avenues for different segments of the population to interact, discussing and discovering their differences and similarities and seeking resolution to conflict. This also means academic freedom in Thai universities and a profound reform of defamation laws.
Another right ensured by social democracy is the right to organise labour unions, giving workers a voice at the company level in their own working conditions and wages. This partially exists in Thailand, but a successful social democratic model is the workers’ council, with workers participating in workplace management, giving them a personal stake in the company, thus boosting productivity and loyalty.
As Dr Atipong Pathanasethpong, PSD Working Group spokesperson, puts it, “A Social Democrat Party understands big businesses need government support to be truly responsible. Social Democracy will drive Thailand’s products up the value chain, by incrementally reducing human rights abuses and corruption through promoting unionisation together with dialogues and partnerships with human rights NGOs and the International Labour Organisation.”
There must be active debate about how to implement these ideals, through SDP local and national forums. The Project for Social Democracy envisages a crowd-funded Foundation for a Social Democracy which will support a Social Democrat Party, indeed any party embracing social democrat ideals and the spirit of cosmopolitanism that Thailand, especially Bangkok, embodies. Efforts would be within an international human rights framework and underpinned by unselfish patriotism.
Social democracy seeks a high quality of life for all in the context of a capitalist economy. It has successfully done so in several European countries, bringing political stability along with vibrant, growing economies while revitalising national politics. With little adaptation, social democracy can work in Thailand, too. Thailand deserves this kind of solidarity, unity and future.

Stephen Evans is a published Buddhist Studies scholar and a member of the Project for a Social Democracy’s Working Group.
Kanchit Patanapoka is a long-time labour activist and social democrat.