Thailand is going the wrong way!

Posted on August 22, 2014

     I’ve been following the political trend in Thailand more closely since the military overthrew the elected Government in May. Yesterday, when I read the news that the Army General, General Prayuth Chan-ocha who led the overthrow has been made Prime Minister, I shook my head and said to myself, “WRONG.”   We can all remember that after months of protests and removal of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra which eventually led to the military coup in May, General Prayuth said that it was necessary for the military to step in due to the political crises (tense political situation) in the country.

     I never supported the military coup then. Of course, the solution to a country’s political crises can’t be the military taking over power! I even criticized the military coup and the human rights violations that followed it, which included crackdown and illegal imprisonment of the critics of the military Government and great restrictions to freedom of press. Even when the military took over power in May, their agenda was to create stability in the country and thereafter make way for a democratically elected government. So, how come the Army General was now made Prime Minister? It all doesn’t seem right and I fully support critics who say that Thailand’s military is seeking ways to get greater control of Government. Of course, when we consider the fact that the Thai Military has staged 11 coups since the abolition of absolute Monarchy in 1932, we have to agree with the critics.
           What every country needs in this 21st century is true democracy and freedom which is not what the military represents. Thailand citizens should oppose anything that will take the country back to the era of military rule which is always characterized by heavy handedness and oppression. The Prime minister is an army General! It is clear that the military is trying to oversee government and this is WRONG!