democracy crisis in LOS

Democracy crisis shakes Thailand

The occupation of Bangkok’s airports is part of an attempt to
overthrow the government, writes Giles Ji Ungpakorn of Turn Left in
Thailand

As Socialist Worker went to press the two airports in Thailand’s
capital Bangkok were still closed – occupied by thugs from the
misnamed People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

The PAD has been demanding that the elected government resigns.

Its activists were celebrating on Tuesday of this week at a ruling
from the country’s constitutional court.

This dissolved the ruling party and banned prime minister Somchai
Wongsawat from office over electoral fraud.

This escalates the crisis, but it is too early to predict what the
outcome will be.

The court decision was no great surprise as the judiciary is
sympathetic to the PAD. The opposition hope that an authoritarian
“national government” will now be set up.

Proven

This is despite the fact that support for the government has been
proven again and again in a series of elections since 2005.

The heart of the PAD is fascist. It is ultra-royalist and ultra-
nationalist. The party has a mass base among the disaffected middle
class.

Its leaders have a fascist-style armed guard. They have turned to
strange superstitious rites in order to raise morale.

Its supporters wear royal yellow shirts. They had been occupying
Government House for over a month before moving on to occupy the
airports.

Since late October a mass pro-democracy Red Shirt movement has been
built under the leadership of government MPs.

Thousands of people have joined Red Shirt street demonstrations
against the PAD occupations.

This movement is contradictory. On the one hand it is progressive in
protecting democracy and the rights of the poor.

On the other hand it is backward as it idolises former populist prime
minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

For the past three years – and especially since the September 2006
military coup – Thai society has been in crisis.

On one side are the ruling People’s Power Party, along with Thaksin
and his former party Thai Rak Thai.

On the other are authoritarian royalists, comprising of the PAD, along
with elements of the military and judiciary that supported the coup
and the Democrat Party.

Meanwhile, thousands are losing their jobs in the tourist industry,
not to mention the effects of the world economic crisis. The majority
of the population are very angry with the PAD and the elites.

The PAD has serious backing in the establishment. How else could its
thugs manage to seize and hold the airports?

Thai airports are controlled by the military. It is obvious that the
military have quietly supported the PAD’s actions.

The PAD have powerful backing from the army. They are supported by
Queen Sirikit, the courts, the mainstream media and most university
academics.

According to mainstream commentators, King Bhumibol is the most
powerful person in Thailand. Yet, throughout the three year political
crisis, he has never attempted to diffuse the problem.

Many Thais believe he supports the PAD, but it is more likely that the
monarch has always been too weak to intervene in any crisis and just
goes with the flow.

Back at the beginning of October, PAD thugs surrounded parliament to
prevent the prime minister from making a policy speech.

When the police used tear gas to try to disperse them, they were
roundly condemned by the Thai media and most middle class
intellectuals.

Meanwhile, the PAD are armed with guns, bombs, knives and wooden
batons and have constantly broken the law with no comeback.

Recently PAD thugs shot at taxi drivers who were trying to defend
their pro-democracy community radio station.

The opposition has a total contempt for the Thai electorate and the
poor.

They are angry that the Thai people voted for a government that gave
the poor universal healthcare and other benefits.

They want to turn the clock back to a dictatorship, which they call
“the new order”. They have constantly demanded that the military stage
another coup if they are unable to achieve the “national government”.

It is clear that the PAD, the military, the Democrat Party and the
conservative establishment would rather see total chaos in Thailand
than allow any real democracy to function.

The anti-government groups are extreme neoliberals with little grasp
about how to deal with the economic crisis or how to stimulate the
economy.

Apart from opposing welfare, they have attacked the Keynesian policies
of the previous Thaksin government.

Resign

Last week the army chief and various academics called for the
government to resign so that new elections could be called.

Yet the anti-government groups have never respected results of free
and fair elections, falsely claiming that the ignorant poor were
“bought off” by the ruling party.

The army chief should also be sacked for opposing a democratically
elected government.

We, in Turn Left, have joined the demonstrations. We are with the pro-
democracy Red Shirts, while refusing to support Thaksin, who has a
record of human rights abuses.

We condemn the PAD and those advocating a dictatorship.

The following should be read alongside this article:
» A second “coup for the rich” in Thailand