Seatbelt time again for Thai politics?

Thailand’s political rivals have been able to agree on only one thing – the country has a false democracy. Apart from that they would rather die rather than be seen agreeing with their opponents. When red-shirts and “Pitak Siam” protesters flex their muscles during the upcoming censure debate, they will proclaim themselves as builders of true democracy and label their enemies as the destroyers. This kind of ideological confrontation may be good for a political system. Anywhere but Thailand, that is.

And here comes the moment again – calm before a storm. Everyone could be on the edge of their seats in a matter of days, if they aren’t already familiar with chronic political anxiety. The country is cursed to be continuously held hostage to political fights. The deep divide has gone beyond debating who is right and who is wrong; it only tells us that no ideal really represents interests of everyone. A victory for one side or defeat for the other only means a change of guard or a shift of vested interests from one side to the other. To drag “democracy” into it is just a stretch of a political course that badly misunderstands itself.

Pitak Siam, a “new” anti-government group described by new Pheu Thai leader Charupong Ruangsuwan as “old wine in an old bottle with a new cork”, wants to “freeze” what it decries as twisted democracy. The government side and its red-shirt backers call the campaign a thinly-veiled attempt to vilify and then overthrow Thailand’s political system. There have been calls for tough national security measures to be imposed against Pitak Siam.

The reversal of roles no longer raises our eyebrows. When one side has power, “freedom of expression” can become a “threat to national security”. When you are out of power, it’s rebellion with a cause, not mindless terrorism. It has been switching back and forth for some time now in Thailand. Democracy’s name has been exploited by everyone – from those who least understand it to those who know it well and can make the best or most vicious use of it.

Red-shirt leaders have vowed to steer away from Pitak Siam protesters. We can see that as a short-term piece of good news or we can feel disheartened by the continued refusal of both rival political camps to engage each other in constructive dialogue. The only place where the red shirts – or more specifically their representatives – can meet their opposite numbers formally is Parliament, but nothing constructive has ever come out of it. Who’s to blame is just a question that will drag the national strife on and on.

Make no mistake, there must be true democracy advocates on both camps. They have been just overshadowed by democracy pretenders whose action has contributed to Thailand’s regression rather than progression. If the planned charter rewrite is not really for democracy, many of those opposed to it will also have a hard time proclaiming themselves as democratic as well.

The planned political gatherings and censure debate will simply ensure there’s no end is in sight for Thailand’s political winter. The vicious circle of political tension, violence and then a short break is not going to go away easily. Successive leaders from Thaksin Shinawatra, Samak Sundaravej, Somchai Wongsawat, Abhisit Vejjajiva to Yingluck Shinawatra all harboured false hope that constitutional reform could solve the problems, or security forces could rein in politically angry crowds, or winning an international propaganda warfare would keep opponents at bay. 

Truth is, unless sincere reconciliatory steps are taken, the vicious circle will never break. And nobody, especially the government, should have delusions about Thailand’s political reality. The situation remains as fragile as before and immediately after the 2010 bloodshed, which was followed by a short spell of “peace” and then tension, which is increasing now.