Coup on the road, Democracy on vacation

Taken at Thammasat University. Yesterday

Filed under: Free speech

Bangkok Post:The moral enigma of a popular coup

OPINION / OUSTING OF THAKSIN SHINAWATRAThe moral enigma of a popular coup

Overthrowing an elected government, despite the fact that it was staged non-violently, and probably for a good cause, is wrong because of what it does to the society that accepts it as right

By CHAIWAT SATHA-ANAND

The Sept 19 (9/19) coup d’etat in Thailand is a great puzzle for many. It is difficult to understand, not so much in terms of why it happened, but why it is so popular.

There are reports of people giving flowers and cold drinks to soldiers in the streets. In Chiang Mai, children would not stop bothering their teachers until they were taken to see the coup makers’ tanks.

In fact, according to one recent survey, 83% of Thais nationwide were in favour of the coup. Given the positive popular public reaction, one wonders if there is such a thing as a “good” or “peaceful” coup.

I hope here to offer an explanation why so many common people and noted intellectuals are supporting this coup. Then we can look at the moral enigma, when the reasons for the coup can be accepted, but coups themselves as a means of political change are rejected. Finally, there is a sign of hope in Thai society’s quiet effort to cope with the coup.

For those in favour: Apart from the fact that the coup was staged without bloodshed in its successful attempt to oust Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, there are four reasons why it is favoured by many in Thai society.

First, some believe the coup was staged to prevent the continuing conflict from sliding into violence, and possibly a civil war, between two armed groups, one supporting Thaksin and one opposing him. Conflicts in any society between people of different opinions, as well as between the state and ordinary people, are generally regarded as less dangerous than those between opposing armed forces _ both for the combatants and civilians. For those who saw the situation prior to Sept 19 as potentially leading toward violence, the coup could be supported on the grounds that it was a preventive measure.

Second, there are some who believe that the coup did not kill the constitution because it was already dead long ago in the hands of the Thaksin government which had rendered all independent monitoring agencies ineffective through its control of capital, people and the media.

Filed under: Political Sciences

From the Northeast to Bangkok: “Mass” travelling need permits.

Travel reference letters from district offices required for “large groups” of Northeastern people traveling to Bangkok. (source: http://w3.manager.co.th/Local/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000120271) Inspection from military officers on the trains to Bangkok is said to be for security reasons to prevent potential political gathering in Bangkok.

I’m afraid that the common notion from the pro-coup supporter to those who do not agree with the coup is anti-coup=pro Thaksin.

Well this over generalization again. Paragon protest proved that political participation after the coup could goes beyond pro or anti a rulers. Some question legitimacy and how political transformation should be done.

Filed under: Free speech

Community Radio and self-censoring

Bangkok Post: Broadcasters pledge self-censorship

Community radio station operators on Monday appealed to the ruling Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) to lift the ban on their operations.

Some station operators vowed to air only non political programmes. They promised self-censorship to ensure their programmes will not go against CDRM rules, proposing that the military should take decisive actions against them only if they break the rules.

More than 3,000 community radio stations nationwide had their broadcasts halted as the 1997 constitution was dissolved following the CDRM-led coup last Tuesday.

Complaints have been made from time to time that some community radio stations were used as political tools for some individuals, and that their signals interfered with major radio stations and even with aviation radio transmissions.

Petitioning the CDRM at Royal Army Headquarters in Bangkok Monday morning, a group of community radio operators said they wanted to know the Council’s policy regarding their operations and at the same time hoped they could broadcast again.

Given that the council has already put the overall situation under control, they said, and had the nation’s security under control, the community radios should be allowed to resume their operations as usual, the petitioners said.

Meanwhile in Chiang Mai, members of the Northern community radio federation said they will petition Third Army Commander Tuesday asking for permission to continue operations after the army ordered a temporary halt for all 17 community stations in the North, citing national peace and order requirements as the reason.

In an apparent attempt to win army permission, community radio operators in Chiang Mai and Lampoon initiated a signed pledge that they would not become involved in politics and that their programming would be completely free of politics. (TNA)

source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=113149

Filed under: Free speech

Live from Tha Pra Chan: “Civil Disobedience in practice: Against the Coup” went peacefully.

Thammasat University, Bangkok
25 September 2006

Dome Dang (Red Dome) Group, Thammasat University, Student Activity Information Center abd Fah Diew Jan Publishing House, co-hosted a seminer “Civil Disobedience in Practice: Against the Coup” with 50 participants and more than a hundred onlookers.

The group issued a statement that

“The Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarch (CDRM) has committed an act of ultimate violation of democracy by staging the coup d’etat and rescinding the 1997 Constitution which guarantees the fundamental rights of the Thai people, as well as issuing a seriers of decrees forbiding dissent (5th and 10th decree), prohibiting political gathering (7th), asbitrarily enforcing law (12th), and even appointing itself ‘supreme ruler’ (16th)

The media that is supposed to present differing opinions, instead advertise the seize of power as a unquie ‘Thai-styled democracy.’ Even academics, human right dvocates and ‘Democracy activists’ whose principles eny the coup, have become mouthpeices for it with a simple excuse: ‘We have no choice.’

It is simple an irresponsible effort to turn a blind eye on the fact that the success of this seizure came from the power of arms, not that of the the people, and that there is no equal space for differing voices.
[…]
We are aware that this gathering is violation of the CDRM’s 7th decree that ‘prohibits political gathering of 5 people and more.’ We are also aware of the ‘punishmnet of up to 6 months and/or fine up to 10,000.’ Our conscience simple tells us to do this act of ‘civil disobedience’ against this illegitimate power.”

25 September 2006

The above statement, issued by Dome Dang Group, Student Activity Information Center and Fah Diew Kan Publishing house, was distributed in Thai and English for Thai and foriegn press reporting the ‘seminar.’

The ‘political’ seminar called critical perspectives about the coup and the right of minority in ‘majority rule, minority rights’ principle and also question legitimacy of democratic claim without people’s power. The seminar went peacefully, with no uniform police or military officers, though it was reported that several army officers came to discuss the issue with the University’s executives in this morning. [Dalinews said in its print editions that about 10 uniformed and no uniformed police and military officers were there and the also took photo and picture of people attending the event. Which is “normal.”]

The seminar dissolved peacefully at about 6.30 pm (local time).

Filed under: Free speech

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FREE ONLINE ACCESS to SAGE Political Science Journals

My university online databases do not have access  yummy journals like

• Armed Force and Society
• Latin American Perspectives
• Urban Affairs Review
• JOurnal of Peace Research
• Review of Radical Political Economics, for example

SAGE offers free access ends September 30, 2006  at http://www.sagepublications.com/PoliSciFreeAccess/  where PDF fulltexts can be downloaded. If  exisiting university journals databases do not inlude those journals, this is a good time to download something different or just to browse through them.

Filed under: cut and paste from somewhere else, Something To Remember

Hands clean: why should I question bloodless and swift coup?

<blockquote>”Let us say that violence is present when human beings are being so influenced so that their actual somatic (physical) and mental realizations are below their potential realizations.”

Johan Gultung </blockquote>

 This would be a dangerous supplement to invoke as the coup makers could also say Thai society could not reach actual realization. Under this standard, both pre-coup and post coup situations are under some kind of violence. Both were bloodless.

It appear to me, perhaps as a person affected by the coup, that the council announce that political gatherings are prohibited. The reason I went to paragon because the website 19sept.org was closed, no more politic webbord in pantip.com. This was confirmed by an annoucement in www.prachathai.com. I still do not know where Mr. Chalat Worachat and Mr. Tawee Kriakupta were after they had protested and were ‘invited’ and escorted to a van.  This is very personal issue and it pissed me off. No political gathering, no webbord to voice “different” voices, and  no  so called ‘provocative’ news (after reading that it was not so provocative.)

Now, reading in Thai newspaer that the council announced that MFA should seek understanding with foreign media, I think my realization would be limited to this “screening.”

As many people name a coup as a coup, not a reform, I hereby name this limitation of my realization bloodless violence. The naming game is personal-politic that many people choise when the “coup” is presented as” democratic reform.”

Oh, and this is an example of limitation to some minority’s actualization

<blockquote>

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) — Five days after seizing power in a bloodless coup, Thailand’s military junta announced Sunday that anyone participating in political gatherings will face “tough and swift penalties” including up to five years in jail and fines.

The leadership has already banned political gatherings of more than five people, whether they are supporting or protesting the junta.

In a statement read on national television Sunday evening, the Thai leaders said “there’s clear evidence” that local political groups are organizing political gatherings both for and against the junta, also known as the Council for Democratic Reform Under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM).

Those participating in and organizing the gatherings could face five years in jail and up to $2,700 (100,000 Thai baht) in fines.

It is unclear if anyone has been punished for taking part in small demonstrations in the capital Friday against the coup.

Col. Acra Tiproch, a junta spokesman, said Sunday’s announcement was designed to create reconciliation and unity among the Thai people.

“Should we allow supporters to come out, those who against the CDRM will want to do the same,” Acra said. “As a result we would like to tell everyone to stay put for the time being.”

Acra said the leadership will stick by its pledge to appoint a new prime minister two weeks after the September 19 coup.</blockquote>

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/24/thailand.gatherings/index.html

Filed under: Free speech

mute

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Prachathai webboard closed

I could not get into their webbord anymore 😦

Filed under: Free speech, Liberal Arts and Literatures