When Thaksin should say nothing at all

Still, Thailand’s impasse can do without the sort of remarks he made during the interview. Granted, Thaksin is human, and his patience has its limits, but interviews like that can never find their way to the hearts of his enemies. Thaksin failed to turn the other cheek, to put it mildly, and in the process contributed to the mockery towards his “olive branch”.

It was quite a lengthy interview that addressed several hot topics, so this article will deal with some specifics only. This autopsy is meant to let Thaksin know what should and should not be expressed if one really wants to reach out to all foes. Here are the glaring points of the interview:

He remains absolutely bitter. So, the question is, can bitter men advocate peace? Thaksin told Thai Rath he had done everything he could to get people join his “reform” forum except sending “flowers, candles and incense sticks” to his enemies when they were invited. No, Thaksin, you have not done “everything”. You have not even tried to be a gracious host.

Worse still, he provokes. There are parts in the interview that must have made his rivals clench their fists rather than think about sitting at a negotiating table. “Why are they so afraid of me?” Thaksin asked at one point. “Have you ever read Ramakien (the Thai version of the Ramayana)?” he boasted at another. “They couldn't kill Tosakan because he removed his own heart and kept it elsewhere. I’m invincible [as long as I’m] overseas. Let me go home then.”

And it went on and on. The rubber planters’ protest involved intoxicated teenagers and was politically motivated. Top state officials visited him before “transfer windows” because “I’m well-connected”. The claim that the Thai crisis will end if he stops are nonsense. The crisis will end only when “people really start to have a dialogue with me and stop trying to beat me”.

There were glimpses of a sensible Thaksin. He said, quite rightly, that the Thai crisis was very much a result of fears that “the winner will take all”, whereas in democratic politics it should be “the winner takes the responsibility”. The flashes of rationality, however, were often followed swiftly by remarks like, “If I stop, will you stop being bad boys, too?” or “I know everything, including a plan to take this government out before October 8.”

Admirers cheered and opponents’ jaws dropped over one particular statement. Trying to explain why he was advocating political reform, Thaksin said, “We can’t leave our children in this complex political situation.” If that is a spot-on comment, his “I only pity my sister for being in a politics where no rules are ever respected” will not help our children that much.

Interestingly, he admitted that the Bt2 trillion borrowing plan could have been split into annual bits and carried out through normal budgetary channels. But Thaksin repeated claims that enacting a law to empower the Finance Ministry go to borrow massively in one would make crucial infrastructure development “more consistent”.

Thaksin’s interview lacks the very thing needed to support the peace, reform or reconciliation process. Whatever he called it, Thaksin did not back it up with the most important element. From what Thai Rath published, he did not show the slightest remorse, and that’s why many people who opted to shun the conspicuous forum will not regret their decision. The other side takes all the blame, just as it holds him responsible for the crisis. The interview doesn’t change anything; all it has done is reinforce the deadlock.

If this reform exercise is a time-buying tactic, then the interview may have served some purposes. But if Thaksin is serious about creating a new Thailand for the next generation, what was published will need a lot of editing if it is to be highlighted in the history book as a catalyst for change.

True reconciliation is about saying the hardest word. And the one who wants it most will have to say it first. Without “I’m sorry. I was wrong on many things”, calls for peace don’t matter much. If the whole “reconciliation” talk is just a game, Thaksin’s interview has confirmed it as such. If it is not, well, the only advice for him is that if he can’t say those key words, perhaps he shouldn’t say anything at all.