A member of ultra-nationalist Pitak Siam
[Protecting Siam] demonstrates
against Thailand's democratically-elected government: Thai
democracy is
still on shaky ground. The author of this article, KuldepNagi, thinks that
Thai opposition activists should look to America for examples of how to
behave gracefully and patriotically after election defeats.
American Democracy
Should be Model for Thai Politicians (The Nation, Thailand)
"Thailand is
a constitutional democracy, but the scenario on the streets makes it look more like
anarchy. ... Although not perfect, there is a lot to learn from America's
elections, especially how to concede defeat and move on. Perhaps losing
factions and opposition parties in Thailand should listen to Mitt Romney's
concession speech for little inspiration."
President Obama and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ustand under a portrait of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Nov. 18. While Thailand is known as one of the safest and most beautiful countries in Asia, it has a turbulant political past and lacks some vital democratic traditions.
The U.S. election held on Nov. 6 showed how the American
voting public has not only become more diverse in its makeup, but in its
mindset as well. Barack Obama's campaign won based on the assumption that the
electorate would retain much of the age, ethnic and racial diversity he brought
to the surface in 2008. Across the country, voters affirmed changes in social
policy that show how the culture is changing along with it.
Embracing change has always been the hallmark of American
society. But this time it caught Republicans off guard. They banked on an
electorate more monolithic and conservative than it was four years ago. This foreshadows
changes over the next generation that may dramatically alter the political maps
of long-held Republican states.
During his victory speech, President Obama gave credit to
the coalition he had held together. "It doesn't matter if you're Black or White,
or Hispanic or Asian, or Native American, or young or old or rich or poor,
able, disabled, gay or straight," he told supporters gathered in Chicago.
"You can make it here in America if you're willing to try."
Can we say the same thing about Thailand?
Not yet - and not for few more decades. Let's look at the
political environment in Thailand. In any progressive democracy, people put
great importance on the rule of law. But in Thailand, laws are made to be
broken. And they are broken by every faction - red, yellow and the rest.
Thailand is a constitutional democracy, but the scenario on the streets makes
it look more like anarchy. Only in "Amazing Thailand," do factions
such as the yellow shirts [People's
Alliance for Democracy] and now the Pitak Siam [Protecting
Siam], continue to believe that the current Pheu
Thai-led government [red-shirts] is not a legitimately elected one.
[Editor's Note: Thailand's current Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra,
is the sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, who was toppled in a military coup in 2006. Shiniwatra,
who is Thailand's first female prime minister, one of its youngest ever at 45
years of age, and a graduate of Kentucky State University, leads the Pheu Thai Party founded by her brother.]
For most of the last century, American politicians used
"fear" as a tool to sway voters. During the Cold War, fear of the
Soviet Union, fear of communist Cuba, the Sandinistas and China worked miracles
for Republicans. In fact, George Bush Jr. got elected twice by raising hell
about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. In the aftermath of 9-11, a misplaced fear
of a fictitious enemy resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people in
Iraq and Afghanistan. Politicians in America have mastered the art of creating
external enemies and threats to win elections. Politicians in many other
countries use the same tactics. Around the world, the supposed existence of
external enemies has become an integral part of the political game.
Posted
by Worldmeets.US
Unfortunately, in Thailand, in addition to external threats,
there are a good number enemies within. And every other month a new one
emerges. Enemies from within a society are far more dangerous and destructive.
Ongoing attempts by such actors to trample the will of the majority do nothing
but trample on democracy. And as we saw in the 2010 military crackdown, this
comes at a very heavy price - the death of innocent people on the streets.
Political corruption is another major problem in Thailand.
It continues to be fuelled by the traditional patronage system and greased by
huge amounts of cash. Just as it has been in other democracies, it is hard to
tighten the regulatory screws on Thai politics, where just about everyone is in
on the game. In any country, the elite, the powerful, and the privileged, will
always hit back to protect their interests. To meet their goals, the votes of
common men and women can be bought.
But there is no reason to despair. The power of the ballot
can still be used to hold politicians accountable. At a time when powerful
groups continue to threaten, there is reason to believe that grassroots changes
in Thailand can apply some long-overdue leverage on those who use elections as
a path to personal gain. As is evident from the red-shirt agitation, the poor
and the disfranchised will continue to fight for their rights.
There are important lessons to be learned from the American
elections. To begin with, Thai politicians need to work toward creating a
democratic framework in which the losing side accepts defeat and allows the
winning to side to pursue its economic agenda and policies. Instead of causing traffic
jams, the losing side should put all of its effort into doing better in the
next round.
All factions should refrain from acting like hooligans. This
is not the way to win a game. Political hooliganism will only lead to added
division, violence and bloodshed in the streets. This is also clear from the
aftermath of the Arab Spring. It is not good politics when the losing side
takes to the streets rather than accepts an election defeat, and when the
winning side has to keep struggling to unite the nation. A constant tug of war
among factions is an obstacle to bringing reconciliation and creating a more
perfect union.
Why does political chaos continue to exist in Thailand? It
is clear from past trends that lower-income Thais tend to vote based on
economic issues, while wealthier urban voters incorporate more social and
cultural issues in their political calculations. Unfortunately, this is a trend
that has lead to increased polarization in which a few individuals and groups tend
to exploit traditional institutions for personal gain, such as the monarchy,
for example. The so-called culture war between red, yellow and now the Pitak Siam, clearly reflects this tendency.
Full credit must be given to the Thai media, particularly TV
stations, for enthusiastically covering the U.S. election. They should show the
same vigor in dissecting and discussing the problems of Thai democracy.
Although not perfect, there is a lot to learn from America's
elections, especially how to concede defeat and move on. Perhaps losing
factions and opposition parties in Thailand should listen to Mitt Romney's
concession speech for little inspiration.
*Dr. KuldepNagi is a Fulbright Fellow working at the Graduate
School of eLearning (GSeL), Assumption University,
Bangkok. He can be contacted at: DrKuldeep@Live.com.
