EU criticism brings government back to reality

Just when the junta was floating on cloud nine from the recent trip to the United Nations, where Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha rubbed shoulders with world leaders – although some have claimed the snapshot of him chatting with US President Barack Obama was somehow staged – the European Union Parliament brought the country’s rulers back to harsh reality this week with a critical resolution slamming Thailand’s human rights abuses.

The non-binding resolution also called on the military government to return the country to civilian rule. The motion was passed 581-to-35 with 35 abstentions.

The resolution said Thailand’s human rights situation had deteriorated since the military seized power in May 2014 through a coup and demanded that the government “lift repressive restrictions on the right to liberty and the peaceful exercise of other human rights”.

“Thailand must hear very clearly a strong demand on part of the European Parliament that democracy must be reinstated there, which the country deserves,” said Polish Vice President of the EU Parliament Ryszard Czarnecki. 

“We should not only monitor the situation in Thailand up close, we should indicate that our economic cooperation may actually be hinged on Thailand’s cooperation with human rights,” he said.

As expected, the Thai Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment, with the usual spin that sounded like a broken record – that the EU parliamentarians misunderstood Thailand’s commitment to preserving international norms and protecting human rights.

“Thailand respects and is committed to international obligations on human rights, as well as clings to the road map toward an election,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said.

These were more or less the points that Prayut reiterated at the recently concluded UN General Assembly. 

They sound good on paper or when spoken by a national leader – although some would argued that Prayut can work on how to better deliver a speech or just basic communication skills.

Like it or not, the future between Thailand and the EU will be somewhat uncomfortable in the coming months as Thailand takes up the position as Asean-EU Coordinator. 

But what irritates Thai government officials the most is that the EU parliamentarians have a point. Thailand’s talk of respecting human rights is not matched by actions on the ground. 

Our leaders talk a good game in the international setting. But all good foreign policy begins at home. This means match your words with deeds.

The EU Parliament called on the government to lift repressive restrictions on the right to liberty and called on Thai authorities to overturn convictions and sentences for politically charged crimes – to release individuals and media operators who have been sentenced or charged for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression or assembly.

These exercises are your basic building blocks of democracy. And if the the military regime can’t understand this very simple notion, there isn’t much hope for Thailand’s democracy.

Just think about it. The people who are writing the ground rules for the future of Thailand’s democracy can’t even tolerate simple criticisms from the public and the media, much less a group of student activists. 

Going after a Thai Rath cartoonist and Matichon reporters for citing a report by the BBC about an allegedly staged photo op between Prayut and Obama is just plain absurd.

The excuse for summoning these individuals is that their attitude needed to be adjusted. 

But the people in the EU Parliament, as well as many free-loving folks in Thailand, don’t see it that way. 

And if the Thai bureaucrats and diplomats are unable to make these foreign lawmakers understand or see things their way, then there will be consequences. 

Our trade representatives should note the point about how these ongoing abuses could damage Thailand’s trade relations with the EU. 

All of these potential hazards could be avoided if junta leaders just put their egos aside, and if our diplomats and bureaucrats can find the courage the tell these top brass that their mindset is outdated – that they need to grasp a few things such as international norms and respect for differences of opinion.