Thais should be wary of foreign-aided ‘democracy trap’

Your editorial was right in saying that Thailand today risks advancing into a political tragedy in the same order of magnitude as the October 6, 1976 Thammasat University massacre.
Most literate Thais believe our country’s politicians are the worst kind who always put themselves before their country. Meanwhile the Thai military, bad and corrupt as it may be, is not equally bad because it can still be relied on to protect the country’s borders, as well as bring the country back to normalcy whenever it has reached a political dead-end.
On Saturday, as the leader of a newly formed political party reported to police on sedition charges, he raised a three-finger salute, supposedly to reach out to his supporters across the country.
The three-finger salute is well known among young people as the one used in the movie “The Hunger Games” to send a hidden message for the people to rebel against their leader. (Older Thais who want to know what’s going on would be wise to follow the trends and the news closely.)
Showing up in support of the party leader on Saturday were representatives from a dozen or so foreign countries and organisations. Whether these foreign representatives came voluntarily, or were invited by the party leader, is still a mystery.
This is unprecedented, as diplomatic protocol dictates that foreign governments and organisations avoid being seen as trespassing on their host country’s internal affairs.
Hence, peace-loving Thais must be careful not to fall into the trap being laid by certain elements!
Vint Chavala