Once again, the people of Thailand find themselves on the brink of a great chasm on the fork of a road in an epic journey of choosing its destiny. Another election has passed without violence, a testament to the peace-loving tendencies of the great Siamese nation.
The rule of law continues unabated and our great malls remain open for business. But the restoration of real democracy and the new golden age of co-operation and harmony can only happen if we stand together and make wise choices. The election results have given victory to the People’s Power Party, a populist organization construed from the remnants of Thai Rak Thai. Its leader is Samak Sundaravej, a self-described nominee of the deposed Thaksin Shinawatra and former governor of Bangkok . He has built his reputation as a man of action, a straight-talking defender of the common man who likes to cook and walk through neighborhoods. He also served as Interior Minister during the unrest of 1976, during which he openly advocated the use of force against student protesters perceived to be communist sympathizers and anti-monarchy.
Despite Samak’s claims that he will surely be prime minister, he also refers to the “invisible hand” which works to impede his journey to Government House. Though he does not use names, it is well-known that he implies that maybe it is Prem Tinsulanonda, the Privy Council head whom Samak and other PPP members have strongly suggested as the force behind the September 2006 coup. Prem is perhaps the only statesman of Samak’s stature, having served as Prime Minister and Defense Minister from 1980-1988, during which he conducted a shadowy government of shifting alliances made possible by a weak constitution. With Thaksin Shinawatra out of the picture for now, the future of the country will be led by the vision of either Samak or Prem.
We must choose carefully between these two two press-hostile, anti-democratic, communist-hating, royalist strongmen.
The conscientious Thai citizen must now harshly ask himself in the mirror these questions:
— Do I wish to see my participation in government undermined by a man who crushes dissent with bloody suppression or a man who removes it with midnight coups?
— Do I wish to have the next government’s corruption managed by a belligerent thug married to a financial advisor for the CP Group, or an elusive gentleman who used to be on the board of the CP Group?
— Is it better to have the free press abused by a foul-mouth pig, or completely ignored by a mute elitist?
— Do I prefer my extrajudicial, constitution-violating actions to be the domain of the police or the army?
— Do I like to be scared of loud noises or shiny uniforms?
As we stumble blindly towards the formation of the next government, it is vital that we unite as a country behind the pillars that represent our values best. Already we have passed a new constitution which liberates us from the troublesome participatory details of a fully-elected parliament. Already the lame-duck NLA has passed a new Security Law that assures us that the guiding hand of men with guns will tell us what to do in time of crisis. What remains is for us to choose a leader, a strongman for whom we can obediently close one eye as we drop to our knees in gentle submission to king, country, and Buddhism.
The choice matters more than ever.