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Soapbox: Da Torpedo's case pushes Thailand back to the Dark Ages

Written by Giles Ji Ungpakorn
Thursday, 03 September 2009
Time for Redshirts to be clear about how to fight Last month Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul (or "Da Torpedo") was sentenced to 18 years in prison for "lese majeste" after a secret trial in Bangkok. This is just another example of how Thailand is rapidly coming to resemble authoritarian countries like North Korea. Other examples are the use of the Internal Security Law to prevent peaceful demonstrations by the pro-democracy Redshirts. What is also shocking is the way that there has been complete silence from so-called "human rights activists" or NGOs and academics in Thailand about what has been going on. This can only be described as shameful. Amnesty International's long-term policy of turning its back on Thai prisoners of conscience, jailed over lese majeste, is also appalling. It throws into question the role of this organization. Da Torpedo never committed an act of violence. She never killed anyone or destroyed anyone's property. She is a pro-democracy activist who made speeches in public. She has been jailed for 18 years for making these speeches. In Thailand, army officers and state officials who commit violent crimes against the people are free to enjoy power and privileges. The worst crime in the eyes of the Thai ruling elites, is to think for oneself and to express those thoughts. This is why Da is in prison. This is why Suwicha Takor and others are in prison on lese majeste charges. The Thai elite want us to be halfwits. They want us to do as we are told and be loyal to Nation, Religion and King. When the Leader farts, we all have to fart. If he wears a pink shirt, we must all wear one too. We must all believe that he invented everything that is of value in the country. The elite want us to crawl on the ground in front of them as though we are not human. We must smile like idiots and chant in unison that we "love our king and country". The problem in Thai society has always been that the rulers are corrupt, brutal and barbaric, while the people are generally good. Yet ‘They' claim the right to lecture us on being good citizens. Democracy doesn't grow on trees or fall into our hands like ripe fruit. We all have to fight for it and it must be a collective struggle. That means that we must never forget Da Torpedo, Suwicha, or any other prisoners of conscience in Thai prisons. We must campaign for the abolition of the lese majeste law. The dispute among Redshirt leaders The current dispute among Redshirt leaders is not a problem. It is an opportunity for millions of pro-democracy Redshirts to take part in an extremely important debate. We must have this debate in the open, while trying to maintain some unity on specific issues among the Redshirt movement as a whole. A democracy movement, by its very nature, will be full of debate and argument. The debate is about the way forward to democracy. It isn't primarily about personal gain or bravery, although Redshirts are not angels. Current disputes among the Royalist Yellow shirts, however, are more about fighting over the rich pickings which come with power and public office. This is because what unites the Yellow shirts in the first place is their defense of personal privilege in the face of popular democracy. The Redshirts have learnt through struggle since the 19th September 2006 coup, that real democracy will not just be achieved by mass demonstrations or by winning repeated elections. Demonstrations have been put down by bloody repression and election results have been repeatedly overturned by unconstitutional means. The pro-democracy movement has come to realize that our aims are being blocked by powerful and entrenched interests. It isn't any single person or institution among the elites. It is the army, the courts and top civil servants, the royal family and the privy council and the Democrat Party and their allies. They stand together against the wishes of millions of ordinary Thais. They are against democracy, social justice and progress. These conservative elites carry two main weapons: the means of violence and the means to try to build legitimacy. The center of power and violence is the army. But they constantly use the monarchy to legitimize their actions and the weak and unprincipled king goes along with this. The current debate among Redshirts is about reform or revolution as a road to democracy. It isn't about whether or not to overthrow capitalism. The debate is sharp now because we stand at an important juncture. The full power of the elites is now plain for all to see. The question is how to deal with it. Should we compromise by hoping to reform the elites or should we fight to overthrow them? Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister deposed in the 2006 coup and the three political leaders of the Kwam Jing Wan Nee program are in the Reform camp. They feel that the task of overthrowing the elites is too big, too risky and counter-productive. They want a peaceful road with compromise. They are prepared to keep the monarchy like it is today with minor changes. Many Redshirts would agree with them because they fear violence and upheaval. Revolution risks a bloody crack-down and long jail sentences. It is a difficult task. But reform risks capitulating to the conservative elites. The recent petition to the King to pardon Thaksin, which was supported by this faction and organised by millions of grass-roots Redshirts, carries many dangers. It gives power to the King in an undemocratic fashion and can create illusions. But equally it can expose the King and the Royalists for being against the people. It has caused a real headache for the conservatives. Jakrapop and Surachai are for Revolution. So am I. But we may disagree on other issues. I cannot and will not speak for them. That would be unfair. However, they are clear that the monarchy must be reformed. My view is that it is too late to wish for a constitutional monarchy in Thailand in the same model as Britain or Japan. The army generals and the conservative elites have shown that at any time they are prepared to use the monarchy to destroy democracy and rip up the constitution. Thai history teaches us from the 1970s and 1990s that such significant changes in society only come about through mass struggle. Actions by small groups or by armed groups cannot achieve the necessary thorough-going changes. A large number of Redshirt activists are now against the monarchy. There is a growing anti-monarchy feeling throughout the country and the elites recognize this. As a socialist, I would hope that during the struggle for democracy, many people will come to realize that parliamentary democracy is not enough. We need economic democracy where the people decide on investment and production. This is the true democracy of socialism. It is a million miles from the Stalinist dictatorships of North Korea, China, Laos or Cuba. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 13004 Comments (9) Subscribe to this comment's feed No pardon written by Dynas Tee, September 03, 2009 It seems that Thailand will be divided forever between the more previleged Bangkokians against the interests of the poors in the rest of the country. +3 Global citizen written by ZML, September 07, 2009 Khun Giles, Have you lost the plot completely. While it must be recognized that the present government in Bangkok did not come to power through the ballot box and laws to protect the monarchy is being used by those who do not have an ounce of royal blood to keep power, how can you call for the overhaul of the entire system. Even the genocidal Khmer Rouge kept Shihanouk as a titular head of state. How can a man of your intellect fail to see what has happened at Thailand's neighbors. All of them managed to bid farewell to their ``revered institution'' and look what they had to go through in the last half of the 20th century. Look at Burma -- what a mess! What about Cambodia? Only in the last two decade, they have shaken off the spectre of war. Is Mr Hun Sen a shining example of a democrat? How about Laos? How much war and suffering did that tiny nation have to endure. Khun Giles, please remember which neighborhood you live in. Of course there are extremist in every society. Some in Thai society claim everything beautiful in new and old Siam came from one source. This is nonsense. But to throw the ``baby out with the bath water'' does a great dis-service to your homeland. ZML +1 status quo written by liberty, September 07, 2009 Why do so many Thais have this fear that becoming a republic will spell disaster? There are of course many that do fail and there are many succeed. Ideally the Thai monarchy should voluntarily transform themselves into those of Japan or England but with the way things are... I doubt very much this will happen. But as history has shown, the mass of the population will stay under submission only for so long. If any one in power has any sense, the first thing that they should do is repeal that ridiculous Lese Majeste law. I hope I will live to see Thailand become a fully functioning liberal democracy... and ideally a republic. +8 Redshirt written by Sirikit, September 08, 2009 Redshirts should remain loyal to the Monarchy. The Bangkok elites needs them to send their wives and daughters to service the country economy. This is what is meant by the economic democracy of the monarchical rule. +0 ... written by JJ, September 11, 2009 Khun Giles, This is a dissappointing and unabashedly one-sided view of a far more complex subject than you suggest or allow. Is it not a little ironic that you chose to scapegoat the King for the perceived injustices of democratic failure? Where were the heroes Thaksin and his cronies in your 'economic democracy' scheme when they made a fortune several times over both before and after entering public office? Where were the checks and balances of democracy on the unsightly power abused by Thaksin and his selectees? I agree with some of your critiques of the elites, especially their attitudes of living above accountability for the personal abuses, but the true irony is that your 'democratic heroes' have been more than prepared to use the democratic desires of a vast and neglected segment of the nation for their private gain. This is neo-patrimony at its finest. After having corrupted a potentially awesome and democratic convenant - the 1997 constitution - who can blame the King if he did see and permit action to right the wrongs he watched inflicted upon his country and his people by the epitome of corruption: Thaksin? The true story here is that democracy cannot exist, nor freedom persist in Thailand in the years to come, without the Monarchy as the countervailing institution that ensures fair play from each extreme, only one of which you seem prepared to acknowledge, while making excuses and clearly aligning with the other. Khun Giles, the freedom and democracy you claim to wish to see would only stand to be fundamentally corrupted when there is no one left to protect because all have sold out. You and yours would rue and regret the outcome (ZML's comments above). If Thaksin's time in office is not enough to make this clear, then consider his own public comments this year alone, from his posh and wealthy retreats abroad. Thaksin and his leadership are in this game for themselves and using the true aspirations of the people for their own gain. It's unfortunate, but true, and ignoring this fact only promises an unfortunate series of events in the future when irreversible dictatorship settles on the land on the backs of those who do not understand the freedoms the now enjoy. -1 "Operation Bangkok" written by Emilio (15yearsprison.blogspot.com), September 11, 2009 Giles, Giles. Writing sensible letters to international Human rights organisations isn't going to change anything, any more than writing letters of protest to Thai government departments or making silly ape king videos. The world will continue to ignore us. Only one thing will grab the attention of the world's media and put lese majeste law on every front page, of every newspaper in the world, on every TV screen, on every web page. This is my plan: WE GO TO THAILAND. That's it! All of us: activists, organisations, TV journalists, press representatives, all of us, GO TO THAILAND. Think about it. What is it that PAD royalists always say? "Stay away from Thailand!". That's because they are afraid of us. We can plan it in advance. Tell the whole world what we intend to do. Then we make sure the press cover the story. I'm serious. Once there, we can make a statement asking for the release of all political prisoners. There's always a chance that we will be arrested of course. But, hey! didn't Da Torpedo show guts by doing what she did? Do you think "AI" would continue to stay silent in these circumstances? It's all about getting "exposure". What TV station could possibly miss the chance to cover such a dramatic story? Only by defying lese majeste law in this non-violent way, can we hope to persuade the world that this law is cruel and must be abolished. Well? Do I start packing my bags or what? +8 Good Words written by Bob T., September 12, 2009 Giles - As a former Peace Corps Volunteer that lived and worked in rural Thailand, who has witnessed the consequences of corrupt local government, and lived among the masses that simply worship the King as holy diety and have never learned to think critically or speak for themselves, I find your words and writings to be exciting, meaningful, and provocative. The Monarchy in Thailand is terrible. The King has underserved the people of Thailand while accruing wealth and god like status. It is pathetic. But what concerns me in your talk of revolution and change, is your underscoring of the problem that plagues Thai culture and the generations of failed "leaders" that have attempted to rule Thailand. It is the fundamental lack of ethics, integrity, and desire of the Thai people to serve someone other than themselves and their own selfish interests. Whether it is a Military General, a member of the Royal Family, or puppet in the bureaucracy - not one person has ever stepped up to the plate in an open, honest, or transparent manner to lead to Thailand. Likewise, none of the competing factions has ever allowed it to happen either. As PAD and Red Shirt protest continues. As sentiment against the monarchy builds, and as Thailand moves towards a critical point in their history (namely the pending death of the King) - there remains not one person in the trifecta competing for power that has the integrity to lead represent the people of Thailand and secure the foundations for an open and democratic government. The military doesn't want. The Monarchy doesn't want it, and Thaksin doesn't want it. Thailand, as it always has in their politics, find themselves having to pick from the lesser of three evils. A brutal military, a manipulative monarcy, or a corrupt bureacracy. Either way, nobody wins. +6 ... written by Shan, September 14, 2009 Very good and sensitive comments on this - excuse me - frustrated rant. An academic and "socialist" - as Giles describes himself in the last paragraph - should know better than simply fraternize with the "enemy of his enemies". The post-Rama-IX-period is about to dawn and I am afraid it will come with a nasty struggle for power, anyway. But to wish for a revolution is naive - elites will be elites - and only means an economic throwback in a globalized world...the last thing "the people" want. Anyway, be careful what you wish for, personally I am more afraid of Indonesian/Philippino conditions-to-come than Bob T.s' example scenarios of Thailand's direct neighbors. However, both situations are - and I think we can agree on this - undesirable. +0 Two stumbling blocks written by Darren Nelson, April 15, 2010 Hand in hand,and over many decades the Monarchy has let the State and Military run TV put the "untouchable" Thai Royal family on a pedestal.Lese Majeste has played a crucial role in silencing any critcism of their meddaling in politics,especially the Kings "Sufficiency Economy" charade,which has been a major diversion to providing adequate pensions for the elderly,and other such needed welfare reforms.Which ever goverment has been in power,any negative press about the Royals or the "Ammart" would be swiftly dealt with.This has got to change.A recent report presented to Hilary Clinton,by a Mr Campbell said that apart from the Lese majeste issue Thai press was basically free to say what it likes.Well just how wrong can you be.Any future Thailand may have,would only be achieved if the Lese Majeste Law is totally scrapped and the Press given the freedom to speak the truth.. +3 Write comment Name Email Website Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) Write the displayed characters