Draw back from fascism
We swing from freedom without accountability to the other extreme of fascism, all in the name of "Thai-style democracy". I suggest we should walk the middle way of freedom with accountability.
Both the yellow and red shirts imposed their will without accountability by, for example, closing down airports and central Bangkok, burning CentralWorld, and a sniper attack on Wat Patum Wanararam.
We are now headed pell-mell towards totalitarianism, though it has been benevolent so far, with the authors of peaceful three-finger salutes or political cartoons merely earning “attitude readjustment” sessions. Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha’s will is law, and his deputy Prawit Wongsuwan has warned, “You can think, but don’t express your thoughts.” Prayut signed a Cabinet order establishing a single IT gateway, while the movie “Arbat”, which depicts monastery life as newspapers report it, was temporarily banned.
We should take the political middle path, following the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed by Thailand, and rigorously implementing former PM Anand Panyarachun’s Seven Principles of Sustainable Democracy: elections, political tolerance, the rule of law, freedom of expression, accountability and transparency, decentralisation and civil society.
“No!” to fascism and “Yes!” to democracy with accountability.
Burin Kantabutra
