Thailand: Democracy By Power
Chiang Rai - 18 pm local time -
There has been no violence in Thailand over the past 24 hours. A few phone calls from friends abroad asking ‘are you okay there?” ‘Yes, why? Is there anything going on?’
It had been raining heavily all night, and I could not sleep much.
This morning the cleaner had to bang on my door very hard for me to open. ‘What day is it” I asked, having forgotten that she was on shift.
She did her job quietly as usual, and left with a few things undone as she often does, so nothing strange there.
I was already up when my Head of School asked if I was going to be around today, cause we had to discuss some students marks and the final evaluation scheme. No mention of anything else.
On my way to school one of my foreign colleagues phoned me to say that there had been a ‘coup’. I did not know what to make of that, he is the kind of guy who believes everything that people say.
I asked him jokingly ‘would that mean that finally Taksin resigned?’
But there is no television he said. ‘ Well that cannot be bad” I replied’, but he did not understand my logic.
‘The internet is up’ - ‘Oh well that’s okay then, I ll be there after my meeting”
The meeting was nothing to difficult but I could not get the printer to print what I needed, never mind, I had the hand written notes (can barely read my handwriting, I admit)
Once at my desktop I found half a dozen pop ups and a few emails asking ‘are you all right there?’ ‘Why shouldn’t I?”
I asked my boss what was going on and he said ‘by the way the military is in charge until new elections can be organized. It is likely that some agitators will try to create instability by getting into riots and things, so it’s best that someone is in charge ‘til the democratic powers can get themselves organized. Nothing to worry about, just work as usual. He smiled reassuringly as Thai people do.
I answered some mails, got a phone call from my family in Europe, yes all is okay, how was your holiday Mom, yes the King is doing fine.
The king might have tacitly allowed this to happen. Thailand would not make such a decision disregarding the King’s wishes.
The word ‘coup’ is generally associated with military juntas stepping into power walking all over people’s rights, and violence and murder, for the purpose of favoring some north American multimedia interests, and get weapons deals organized.
What we have here today looks more like a ‘swift strike’, it kind of half occurred before. But Taksin always got back in.
He controls the media, and the money makers.
Whatever is happening in the capital, it’s happening smoothly.
Here, north of Chiang Rai, there isn’t a single military person, vehicle or weapon anywhere in sight.
The security guards look less asleep than other days though.
This cannot be bad.
The library is closed ‘One day Holiday’ the hand written sign says on the door.
Let’s admit it - Democracy is still much of an illusion.
In Thailand, today, like in many other countries, it’s the public opinion that counts, that is controlled by a media and the business class.
People don’t know much of what’s going on anyway. Only a few understand, and even less know what to do. The rest just think what the televisions leads them to believe. Only a minority bothers reading the papers, the good ones, at least.
Today in Thailand a little minority has stepped up and decided that the country’s deserves a better chance for a political future. Tha'ts on behalf of those who haven't got a clue of what is going on really.
The public forces have stopped taking instructions from Minister Taksin, and decided to look for another political leader . That will take a couple of weeks, they say.
Is this a coup? Or is it democracy? Difficult to say. More like that someone has finally decided to make a move towards change.
About time.
Democracy is very difficult to set up and to guarantee.
So difficult that a few countries in the world have succeeded.
But the ruling of a business and media mogul over the entire political economy is not democracy either.
The future of Thailand depends on the ability of its citizens to self organize. Today, the people loyal to the country live their lives as normal, working harder than usual. They will have to start to think for themselves, for a couple of weeks nobody will be telling them what to do.
Political leaders all have something in common: an ambition for power. This is what makes them weak, and corruptible.
When the people will be able to make decisions for themselves, will stop being followers, and will become their own leaders, that’s when democracies will start taking shape.
There may not be blood, but it’s likely that there will be casualties in the process. The balance is delicate. The line between a true democracy and a false one is very fine, almost invisible.
We don’t know if the future prime ministers will be more honest, or smarter, or more clever, or even worse than the current one,
Could the next government really be worse than this one?
Don't think so.
We can only hope for the best.
Maybe one day when the people will know how to govern themselves, the role of the prime minister will not be so important. Who cares who is in charge, when it’s the people who make choices?
The problem arises when the politicians represent their own interests, and not the interests of the people who elected them.
Or when they rig the elections. Or when they make people stupid with their stupid mass media communication.
As it is often the case.
Thais should work hard towards creating knowledgeable, informed, independently minded, self reliant and peaceful citizens capable of good judgment who don’t’ just watch television and play videogames all day.
Then they could be an example for the rest of the world, which is badly seeking inspiration for good models of democracy.
Will today be remembered in history as a democracy lesson from Thailand? Or just another false hope?
Wait and see, is that the people around here say, while eating som tam , and welcome the rain with a smile.
Paola Di Maio
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