CrazyExpat Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 ven for those who are not fans of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai prime minister who has been in exile since being convicted of corruption in 2008, the latest moves against his proxy – Yingluck, his sister – seem a little extreme. After her government was overthrown in a coup by the army last May, Ms Yingluck now finds herself banned from participating in politics for five years and faces criminal charges that could lead to a 10-year prison sentence. It may be that she will be convicted quite correctly over her role in a government scheme that paid billions of dollars at well over the market rate to Thai farmers for rice. It may be that the allegations of corruption and conflict of interest that have long dogged her brother are well-founded too. And it may be fair to say that the Thaksin faction’s unabashed populism has distorted the democratic process in Thailand. The problem is that Mr Thaksin’s parties (there’s a reason I use the plural) keep winning elections – every time they’ve been held since 2001. The word “parties” is appropriate as the courts have developed the habit of ordering the dissolution of whatever is his current vehicle. The practice started with Thai Rak Thai in 2007. Each time this happens, supposedly “new” parties have to be created for pro-Thaksin supporters. Just to return to that assessment of the moves against the Shinawatra brand, it may also be true, as The Economist put it last year, that “the power elite in Thailand does not accept the fundamental nature of democracy. They believe that the rule of an ‘accomplished’ few is preferable to the judgments of the people.” http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/thaksin-has-to-be-part-of-any-democratic-solution-in-thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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