Who's behind the Thai protests?

Published 27 November 2008

The paradox for western observers is that, as the protests in Thailand show, these elites can have genuine mass support

Power to the people? Protesters against the Thai government include ultra-monarchists

Voices of the masters

A crowd of thousands surrounded the Thai parliament on 24 November, shutting down a joint session of both chambers. The next day they marched on the offices of the prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, to demand his resignation, going not to Government House in central Bangkok - occupied by protesters since August - but to rather less salubrious quarters at an old airport north of the city, from which ministers have been forced to operate.

A welcome demonstration of the popular will, it may be thought. Do not the protesters gather under the banner of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)? Yet as so often in Thai and south-east Asian politics, all is not what it seems. The PAD actually wants less democracy, or at least less of the one-man-one-vote variety.

Its leaders say that the rural poor who voted for Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in the army-led coup of 2006, and his successors (or proxies), are too ill-educated, their ballots too easily purchased by the highest bidder.

The PAD - ultra-monarchist, hence the profusion of royal yellow in the crowds - prefers a mostly nominated parliament and a polity dominated by the urban business classes and the army. This more authoritarian model, they say, is needed to bring stability and recovery from the excesses of Thaksin, recently sentenced in absentia to two years on corruption charges.

Thailand is not alone in having difficulties reconciling the results of the electoral process with established interests. At the imminent Association of South-East Asian Nations summit, there will, among others, be Cambodia, whose leader, a former Khmer Rouge member, stands accused of rigging last summer's elections; Malaysia, whose next prime minister has been linked to the murder of a Mongolian model who was his top adviser's lover; and Burma, where the military junta recently jailed a comedian for 45 years for criticising the generals' slow response to Cyclone Nargis.

Throughout the region, elites maintain their grip. The paradox for western observers is that, as the protests in Thailand show, these elites can have genuine mass support. If, for instance, it eventually falls to the revered king to settle this ongoing confrontation - at the time of writing, PAD demonstrators had just stormed the new international airport - no one will dispute his arbitration. For Thais, he has a mandate greater than any election could possibly confer.

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6 comments from readers

Julian_Korat
27 November 2008 at 12:11

A very cogent piece re: SE Asia but you must ask yourself which of the elites in

Thailand are you really referring to; on the one hand the broadly pro-royalist,

anti-Thaksin brigade whose main bone of contention is the corrupt money politics

that kept Thaksin and his proxys in 'democratic' power for the last 7-8 hours. Or

the other - Thaksin's 'associates' who have cultivated the poor north and north-east

of Thailand to make it their power base and main plank of their legitimacy.

I recently talked with a political sciences graduate from Ramkamheng University in

Bangkok who hails from Khon Kaen in the NE of Thailand who tells me it is absolutely

clear that votes are bought - at 500baht (£10) a time.

The odious wiff of suspect practices on financial dealings hangs around government

pervasively over the period in question; involving spurious and non-spurious large

budget projects such as bomb-scanners at the new airport (Kick-backs documented by

US authorites), rubber-tree saplings (five cabinet ministers) among various government infrastructure projects. All this as well as the well reported Bangkok land case and his wife's conviction for tax evasion. One of the cabinet minsters (Vatanna) even absconded to his gambling hotel in Cambodia to avoid a period of 'sojourn' at his Majesty's pleasure after his conviction in relation to land deals prior to the Klong Dan Water Treatment project.

Many people in Thailand are at least dismayed by the tactics of the PAD; especially in the last few days. Many people here would also say that they had a just cause, however their tactics in taking over Government House and the NBT television studios some months ago and now the two airports around Bangkok have done serious if not irreperable damage to efforts in ridding corruption from Thailand.

Kevinx2008
27 November 2008 at 16:14

I feel that when the PAD took over the international airport, they wanted to get a message out of the country. However, I feel the PAD had made a big mistake to do so. The Thai Government is democratically elected. No outside governmental agents saw or knew any corruption you claimed it had happened. The accusation is made only by the PAD. You cannot carry weapon against your government. You act as terrorists when you carry weapons. The seizures of the two main airports only show the world that you are terrorists of your own country. The world will only feel sympathy when you don't hurt their feelings. Here, you stranded thousands of tourists. Everyone now is angry at you and support your government to crash you. PAD leader shall be arrested and jailed as well as those who violate the laws of your country. Get out of the airport to sell your good images. By occupying the airports, you are terrorists and shall be treated as enemies of Thailand and the world for hurting international tourists.

Kevin

Lek
27 November 2008 at 19:40

Did anyone stunt to know that votes are bought? If you are born and brought up in Thailand, you know that it is nothing new. For years, we all know all political parties buy votes and all thai politicians are corrupt (more or less). It has been known that villagers enjoy the bribery during an election season because they take money from multiple parties but at the end of the day they vote for who they really like.

Denis
29 November 2008 at 00:25

Firstble, I want say that corruption is in all the world, and this more and more in the developing country, than is Thailand everywere, Police, Villages, Province Dstrict., Army , Court. Secondly,the important is that the leader are leader and Thaksin was it. Now read this comment" Thailand has made the list of the Top 20 Most Dangerous Places as compiled by the Telegraph newspaper of London.

The latest edition of the list puts Thailand as the seventh most-dangerous spot for travellers behind Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, South Africa, Somalia and Sudan. Thailand is said to be more dangerous than Colombia and Haiti at the moment.

It justifies the Thai spot on the list because of "major political demonstrations and a temporary state of emergency" at the two Bangkok airports.

In Thailand the tourisism sector rappresentes the 40% of the economy and if you consider the indopt will be at least 70%. This people are not doing the interest of Thailand but they want only the power breking the elementary rules of the democracy.

To built a big tourism industry you need a years, but to lost is a second I am so sorry but for the stupid politic division your country will not be the same. And I think that in south-pacific Asia the model of western democracy is not suitable.

It also cites the continuing demonstrations around Government House, the Cambodian-Thai fighting on the bordefr, and "civil unrest and frequent attacks" in the deep South.

The British "Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to these areas," the newspaper said.

FreedomLand
30 November 2008 at 17:59

"Throughout the region, elites maintain their grip..."

Money walks, money talks, uhh. Even the king of Thailand is ultimately in it for profit - and he is one of the world's richest men. Like religions, monarchies are a great racket, especially when people fall down on their knees to worship you.

Buddha would turn in his grave to see the things he gave his life to turned around and usurped for privilege, power and prestige. Those were the very things he assiduously turned his back on to become free in his heart and mind. That IS the only path to Enlightenment.

But what country doesn't have "difficulties reconciling the results of the electoral process with established interests..."? It is the essence of the problem that those who want power over others go out of their way to get it and to hold onto it. That, of course, includes all the trappings of campaign funding and patronage which then influence what really will be done despite akll the promises and imperatives.

Kris
01 December 2008 at 16:12