Communications from Thailand
UPDATE 22/9/06:
A network has been formed to resist the coup in Thailand called 19 September Network. Strangely their website (www.19sep.org) is not accessible at the moment…
ORIGINAL POST
I’m clearly not the only one who is a mite sceptical about the committment of coup-plotting Thai generals to democracy.
Article by Jiles Ungprakorn of Workers’ Democracy
More analysis from Lenin’s Tomb and some interesting stuff in the Asia Times (although one wonders about the author’s faith in the ultimately democratic credentials of the Thai monarchical-authoritarian system).
Two things strike me: first, if you really do want to have free elections, then why overthrow a caretaker PM when free elections are already planned for a few weeks time (October 15 I think)? Second, this whole life imitating ‘1984′ thing has got to stop. I mean, ’staging a coup to restore democracy’? It’s so perfect it’s almost corny.
I wonder why the king is so popular. He doesn’t appear to be much interested in plebian desires like “democracy” or “social jusice.” An Economist article a month back attributed his appeal to his Buddhist asceticism and political aloofness … but recognizing/backing a military coup isn’t exactly aloof.
Thanks for the post.
Comment by jay — September 20, 2006 @ 5:33 pm
Here’s my thesis (…the one I’ve just come up with knowing very little about Thailand): it seems as though Thai nationalism has become completely bound up with the monarchy and the person of the king in particular. So perhaps the love of the monarchy in Thailand can be equated more with the everyday nationalism that you find in a country like Korea than we the love of a politician or a particular figure. Anyway, for slightly more convincing explanations I’d recommend reading that article by Kasian Tejapira that I linked before if you haven’t already.
Mustn’t forget about that translation of Chang Ha-joon that I promised…
Comment by kotaji — September 20, 2006 @ 10:55 pm
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