Only one small matter omitted. There was a political impasse simply because the Thai army would not allow the dispersal of Suthep and his gangsters. To say that the army had its hand forced is patent nonsense.The government was destroyed as a result of the conspiracy between the pdrc the Democrats the courts and the army itself.
That is a fact and the international community knows it.
quote: “Hopefully, the new model will reflect the King’s middle path ideology.”
sure ?
what do the word thai mean ? – FREE ?
realy ?????
in the first place a coup is also against thai law ┬з113 – right ? – so how can it be a good coup ?
– and why never a coupmaker is made responsible for breaking thai laws ?
– why coupmakers become Privy council ?
– what kind of democracy do you have ?
they overthrow a elected government and make elections impossible –
isn┬┤t it the same then allways had been ?
Whenever it started to become more democratic – a coup was made so the network royal oligarchy was able to keep its power
Think about it:
– 83 years of “democracy” in Thailand with a monarch as “constitutional” head
– 18 coups
– now the 19th Constitution will be written
– more like half the time ruled the military
– massacre
– restriction of human rights
– whenever someone is telling the truth – he is suppressed immediately
this is DEMOCRACY?
a ” middle path ” your king is never gone – he allways take it all – and teached his ppl to be sufficcient…..
things in thailand will only change when there is noone above the law – and you have equal rights
a coup in thailand is a “normal” thing in thailand
– SO SAD , BUT TRUE !
There’s not a lot of intellectual substance in this article. But yes – the junta deserves benefit of the doubt for having defused what was becoming an increasingly violent, polarised situation. Any nationalist military would have done the same. Even moderate Red Shirts have said Prayuth should be given time to see what he can do. So far, it seems to me, he is doing well. But there is still the issue of the radicals, on both sides. In the long-run Isarn separatism – of which I’ve long warned – could re-emerge, even stronger. To forestall this, Prayuth should – when the time is right – bring in some measure of de-centralisation, along lines proposed by former PM Anand.
“Now almost a month after the coup, tight restrictions on the public and media censorship has substantially decreased.”
They can’t be serious about this! It’s illegal to eat sandwiches outside of the shop where you bought them, it seems to be illegal to read certain novels in public and you get detained when you salute with three fingers.
Most opposition against the “intervention” is silenced through signed agreements with the threat of further detainment (…sorry “invitation to meditate”)
This coup is different to the one 2006 in regard to the fact that the military saw the last coup as too soft and tries now a harder approach. They seem to confuse conciliation with repression.
…and after Suthep’s latest revelations we know now that it was a fait accompli since 2010.
Yes, lets ignore that military actions/inactions were a contributing factor in creating the sense of ‘political turmoil’, and ignore the fact was it was not necessary to do a coup to stop the turmoil.
That the military chose a coup over securing safe elections (allowing political parties to present reform proposals and the people to vote on them) suggests this coup was NOT about genuine & fair reforms, and more about trying to bring the knockout blow that the last coup failed to deliver.
Well, I guess time will tell.
Personally, I have difficulty seeing the army as a neutral bystander reluctantly stepping in to stop the chaos. Suthep’s claim that he’s been working with Prayuth for several years to topple the government suggests otherwise.
My outlook is not rosy at all. I see the army forcing through a constitution that will ensure the army has considerable leverage on whatever government is next elected. I think the coup has taken Thailand a long, long way from the democratic path.
I find so much in the country which I really admire, and which the ‘west’ could learn form, but I just see truly awful times ahead.
Thanks Tonny, an interesting read. I thought the evidence for Prabowo’s direct involvement in instigating the riots was more concrete, but the background you have presented is as compelling.
Excellent article. What you describe is what people living in Thailand really experience. General Prayuth is either a cunning PR man or we really see a change here.
If the path is persued and generally supported then we may have a middle path into the future
I would like to apologize with Danau Tanu for the tone of my previous comment. I don’t agree with the psychoanalytical approach, but this doesn’t give me the right to slam the article as ridiculous. The quality of the article is not under discussion. And after all, as it was pointed out by Samuel Martin, my conclusion was not very different. The only difference is that I consider a good quality the ability to adapt to different audiences. Second, I believe that changing a political view, in different historical periods, in an index of authenticity just because it’s the world that is changing and it needs always new interpretations and answers.
About the Ken Ward’s comment, I don’t think that the episode of bullying mentioned by Prabowo is relevant from the historical point of view: it happened among teenagers and as such it can happen also today, in 2014.
saya akan lebih setuju jika presidenya prabowo wakilnya JOKOWI. atau sebliknya ..dibanding harta ora jasa..tapi say ahanyalah manusia biasa juga belum tentu bener ,kebenaran hanya pada Tuhan.tapi Tuhan pun menguji kepada umatnya untuk memilih jalan yg mau dia tempuh,maka kita perlu minta petunjuk Tuhan dalam memilih apapun yg belum kita ketahui ,,salam Indonesai
Is there any chance we could have less polemics, less vitriol and instead have more genuine attempts at analysis, on these – and other NM – threads ? These are highly complex, often opaque, situations we are discussing. The culture, politics, history, etc. is very different from our own (i.e. “our” being Western). It is a major intellectual exercise – most times, if not every time – simply to work out what is REALLY happening : and this no doubt also true for those with the highest qualifications for discusssing these subjects, of which I am far, far further down the knowledge-chain. I would find it more enlightening (which is all I seek), if there was less verbal warfare resembling the WOD, and instead more concentration on FACTS.
Im fully aware that in the little yellow tinted bubble world in which you exist, any kind of hysterical accusation spouted off by a yellow shirt during an unsubstantiated rant or a hissy fit equates, in your mind, to the automatic guilt of the accused.
However for the rest of us, who possess more complex thought patterns and are therefore able to comprehend and appreciated the concept of innocent until proven guilty, the only redundancy of note in this thread is your ability to contribute a degree of balanced, thoughtful and intelligent discourse to support your own case.
The first word “If” is a redundancy in your poster Jaidee, when discussing the guilt of Thaksin during his megalomanic police extrajudicial exhortations to expedite his anti-drugs wars with black-murder-lists sans due process.
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Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
Only one small matter omitted. There was a political impasse simply because the Thai army would not allow the dispersal of Suthep and his gangsters. To say that the army had its hand forced is patent nonsense.The government was destroyed as a result of the conspiracy between the pdrc the Democrats the courts and the army itself.
That is a fact and the international community knows it.
Condemnation of the coup
It appears everyone is talking “reform” – but NOBODY in the junta, or junta-heavily-censored media, etc. is talking INCLUSION. If there is no inclusion – Isarn will eventually secede. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Reforms-must-be-holistic-and-comprehensive-30237340.html
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
quote: “Hopefully, the new model will reflect the King’s middle path ideology.”
sure ?
what do the word thai mean ? – FREE ?
realy ?????
in the first place a coup is also against thai law ┬з113 – right ? – so how can it be a good coup ?
– and why never a coupmaker is made responsible for breaking thai laws ?
– why coupmakers become Privy council ?
– what kind of democracy do you have ?
they overthrow a elected government and make elections impossible –
isn┬┤t it the same then allways had been ?
Whenever it started to become more democratic – a coup was made so the network royal oligarchy was able to keep its power
Think about it:
– 83 years of “democracy” in Thailand with a monarch as “constitutional” head
– 18 coups
– now the 19th Constitution will be written
– more like half the time ruled the military
– massacre
– restriction of human rights
– whenever someone is telling the truth – he is suppressed immediately
this is DEMOCRACY?
a ” middle path ” your king is never gone – he allways take it all – and teached his ppl to be sufficcient…..
things in thailand will only change when there is noone above the law – and you have equal rights
a coup in thailand is a “normal” thing in thailand
– SO SAD , BUT TRUE !
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
“Strategic” in stopping the protests? I’d say the protests were strategic in causing the coup. Suthep already let that horse out of the barn.
“Like Arab Springs, too..”
Education a strong foundation?
Oh the SET has risen? ( is this a lie, who knows? )
Please continue shopping…. Please continue watching TV ….Please continue…Please con..
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
There’s not a lot of intellectual substance in this article. But yes – the junta deserves benefit of the doubt for having defused what was becoming an increasingly violent, polarised situation. Any nationalist military would have done the same. Even moderate Red Shirts have said Prayuth should be given time to see what he can do. So far, it seems to me, he is doing well. But there is still the issue of the radicals, on both sides. In the long-run Isarn separatism – of which I’ve long warned – could re-emerge, even stronger. To forestall this, Prayuth should – when the time is right – bring in some measure of de-centralisation, along lines proposed by former PM Anand.
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
Is this an answer to an IELTS writing test question?
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
“Now almost a month after the coup, tight restrictions on the public and media censorship has substantially decreased.”
They can’t be serious about this! It’s illegal to eat sandwiches outside of the shop where you bought them, it seems to be illegal to read certain novels in public and you get detained when you salute with three fingers.
Most opposition against the “intervention” is silenced through signed agreements with the threat of further detainment (…sorry “invitation to meditate”)
This coup is different to the one 2006 in regard to the fact that the military saw the last coup as too soft and tries now a harder approach. They seem to confuse conciliation with repression.
…and after Suthep’s latest revelations we know now that it was a fait accompli since 2010.
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
Yes, lets ignore that military actions/inactions were a contributing factor in creating the sense of ‘political turmoil’, and ignore the fact was it was not necessary to do a coup to stop the turmoil.
That the military chose a coup over securing safe elections (allowing political parties to present reform proposals and the people to vote on them) suggests this coup was NOT about genuine & fair reforms, and more about trying to bring the knockout blow that the last coup failed to deliver.
I hope I am proven wrong.
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
Well, I guess time will tell.
Personally, I have difficulty seeing the army as a neutral bystander reluctantly stepping in to stop the chaos. Suthep’s claim that he’s been working with Prayuth for several years to topple the government suggests otherwise.
My outlook is not rosy at all. I see the army forcing through a constitution that will ensure the army has considerable leverage on whatever government is next elected. I think the coup has taken Thailand a long, long way from the democratic path.
I find so much in the country which I really admire, and which the ‘west’ could learn form, but I just see truly awful times ahead.
Prabowo and his anti-Chinese past?
Thanks Tonny, an interesting read. I thought the evidence for Prabowo’s direct involvement in instigating the riots was more concrete, but the background you have presented is as compelling.
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
[…] http://www.newmandala.org/2014/06/29/thailands-coup-same-same-but-different/?utm_sour… […]
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
Excellent article. What you describe is what people living in Thailand really experience. General Prayuth is either a cunning PR man or we really see a change here.
If the path is persued and generally supported then we may have a middle path into the future
Thailand’s coup: same same but different?
Hogwash. Utter rubbish. This is fascism, nothing less.
Prabowo the chameleon
I would like to apologize with Danau Tanu for the tone of my previous comment. I don’t agree with the psychoanalytical approach, but this doesn’t give me the right to slam the article as ridiculous. The quality of the article is not under discussion. And after all, as it was pointed out by Samuel Martin, my conclusion was not very different. The only difference is that I consider a good quality the ability to adapt to different audiences. Second, I believe that changing a political view, in different historical periods, in an index of authenticity just because it’s the world that is changing and it needs always new interpretations and answers.
About the Ken Ward’s comment, I don’t think that the episode of bullying mentioned by Prabowo is relevant from the historical point of view: it happened among teenagers and as such it can happen also today, in 2014.
Demokrasi Indonesia Dalam Bahaya
saya akan lebih setuju jika presidenya prabowo wakilnya JOKOWI. atau sebliknya ..dibanding harta ora jasa..tapi say ahanyalah manusia biasa juga belum tentu bener ,kebenaran hanya pada Tuhan.tapi Tuhan pun menguji kepada umatnya untuk memilih jalan yg mau dia tempuh,maka kita perlu minta petunjuk Tuhan dalam memilih apapun yg belum kita ketahui ,,salam Indonesai
Condemnation of the coup
Billy
Living in Thailand will I be arrested if I sign this petition?
Seven questions for Thailand’s military
Is there any chance we could have less polemics, less vitriol and instead have more genuine attempts at analysis, on these – and other NM – threads ? These are highly complex, often opaque, situations we are discussing. The culture, politics, history, etc. is very different from our own (i.e. “our” being Western). It is a major intellectual exercise – most times, if not every time – simply to work out what is REALLY happening : and this no doubt also true for those with the highest qualifications for discusssing these subjects, of which I am far, far further down the knowledge-chain. I would find it more enlightening (which is all I seek), if there was less verbal warfare resembling the WOD, and instead more concentration on FACTS.
Seven questions for Thailand’s military
Yes Vichai,
Im fully aware that in the little yellow tinted bubble world in which you exist, any kind of hysterical accusation spouted off by a yellow shirt during an unsubstantiated rant or a hissy fit equates, in your mind, to the automatic guilt of the accused.
However for the rest of us, who possess more complex thought patterns and are therefore able to comprehend and appreciated the concept of innocent until proven guilty, the only redundancy of note in this thread is your ability to contribute a degree of balanced, thoughtful and intelligent discourse to support your own case.
Condemnation of the coup
Here is a petition that you could sign to show solidarity and express your opposition to the coup: https://www.causes.com/campaigns/79992-immediately-repeal-martial-law-in-thailand
Seven questions for Thailand’s military
The first word “If” is a redundancy in your poster Jaidee, when discussing the guilt of Thaksin during his megalomanic police extrajudicial exhortations to expedite his anti-drugs wars with black-murder-lists sans due process.