Although the literal translation of the headline is rather provocative; “The Military Must Leave Politics”, I discussed various topics related to the current state of Thai politics.
In summary, I argued that:
• Many Thais are now in denial to accept that they are rejecting democracy as a form of governance and are instead resorting to an authoritarian form of governance.
• The current state of normalcy is a result of political suppression by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which undermines the necessity of democracy because people are misled by the fabricated calmness. Therefore, they have become more convinced that Thai democracy requires the military.
• Primarily, the timeline to return to democracy largely depends on the ability of the military to maintain its grip on power.
• Since the 2014 coup, many Thais have been misled into believing that the problem of corruption fundamentally stems from politicians, and it is, therefore, important to get rid of politicians. However according to various research, corruption is embedded in all sectors, so it is important to look beyond politicians and promote transparency in order to enhance people’s ability to monitor those in power.
• The military have signaled that the country’s democratic timeline will be delayed.
• I believe that the military is desperate for elections because it offers a means for their power to be legitimized, but the tendency for a Phue Thai Party victory increases paranoia.
• I do not think there will be a violent confrontation or bloodshed if the general elections are postponed from 2018. This is in part because compromise is a key component of the Thai mentality.
• I think military coups d'états will continue to be part of Thai politics, because it has taken root in the Thai political system as a correcting mechanism for when democracy fails. This creates problems for the progress of democracy in Thailand, because large numbers of Thai people do not believe that democracy has the ability to correct itself.
