Still waiting for coup to deliver

Sagging economy, city blasts, southern strife mar regime’s 3rd birthday, writes Wassana Nanuam

The military regime boasts it has succeeded in maintaining peace and order during the past three years since the 2014 coup despite occasional bombing incidents in Bangkok and the violence in the deep South that remain unsolved.

While people are still waiting for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the government to bring them back the happiness they promised, particularly in economic terms, when they seized power from the Pheu Thai-led government in 2014, critics say one of the few parties to benefit since the coup has been the military itself.

According to a latest opinion survey by Suan Dusit Poll, 73% of respondents agree the government has managed to stop or pre-empt street protests and political movements.

However, 77% say the government has not been able to improve the sagging economy or lift the standard of living.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who is in charge of national security, said maintaining security is the regime’s proud achievement since it took power in 2014. ‘‘Peace has been restored. No protesters took to the streets. The people are satisfied,’’ said Gen Prawit, who concurrently serves as defence minister.

However, observers note the peace has been achieved by the regime’s iron-fisted restrictions on political activities, and is probably only temporary.

There is still no guarantee lasting peace will be attained after the regime steps down after a general election expected late next year.

Despite the regime’s efforts to maintain order since the coup, occasional bombing incidents still occur in Bangkok and some of the incidents are believed to be politically motivated and have links with anticoup elements.

They include two pipe-bomb blasts on a walkway between Siam BTS station and Siam Paragon on Feb 1, 2015 with two people slightly injured, and the March 7, 2015 grenade attack at the Criminal Court; and the low-impact pipe bomb that exploded in front of the old Government Lottery Office and wounded two women on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue on April 5 this year.

But the Aug 17, 2015 bombing at the Erawan shrine at the capital’s Ratchaprasong intersection was particularly savage, causing 20 deaths and injuring more than 100. Two ethnic Uighur Chinese men were arrested and charged with involvement with the bombing.

The latest was the blast that occurred on May 15 outside the National Theatre, which is not far from Sanam Luang, causing minor injuries to two passersby.

The regime has suspected anti-coup elements may be behind some of these incidents aimed at discrediting it.

“Some groups are trying to discredit the government and the NCPO by stirring up more violence. I have ordered agencies to step up security to prevent them,’’ Gen Prawit said after the blast on May 15.

Meanwhile, the violence in the deep South, now a decade old, shows no signs of letting up.

The latest attacks were the twin bomb attacks at Big C Supercenter in Pattani on May 9 which left scores of people injured.

Regarding the regime’s effort to restore public happiness, NCPO spokesman Piyapong Klinpan claimed the regime has also succeeded on this front.

“During the past three years, the NCPO has restored happiness to the people and made people smile. We have reclaimed land illegally occupied by big businesses. We have solved many of the people’s complaints in a way that previous governments did not,’’ the NCPO spokesman said.

Shortly after the coup, Gen Prayut came up with a catchphrase “Bring back happiness to the people’’ as a key motto to justify the military takeover.

But people feel the economy has barely improved despite the government’s efforts. Instead, the truly happy people are those in the military pushing their arms procurement projects, according to critics.

The defence budget has been in the spotlight since the coup. Although the Education Ministry still gets the biggest slice of the budget, the Defence Ministry’s budget has risen rose significantly. In the 2016 fiscal budget, the Defence Ministry’s allocation reached 200 billion baht, more than 14 billion higher than the year before.

With armed forces wanting to stock up on hardware, the cabinet has approved a ministry plan for long-term binding commitments over the next several years, including 9 billion baht for tanks and the navy’s 13.5-billion-baht Chinese submarine purchase, part of a plan to to buy two more submarines from China at a total cost of 36 billion baht over the next 11 years.

The army will also buy 34 armoured vehicles worth about two billion baht and another 11 VT-4 battle tanks from China. It also has proposed the procurement of VN-1 armoured vehicles to the Defence Ministry for further submission to the cabinet for approval.

The VN-1 will join almost 200 Ukraine-manufactured BTR-3E1 armoured vehicles currently in service with infantry units.

If the procurement is approved, it will mark the first time the army will have Chinese-made armoured vehicles in service.

The ministry also recently unveiled a plan to build a production and maintenance facility for Chinese weapons in Thailand.

The plan, expected to be finalised by July, aims to provide a maintenance depot for Chinese weapons sold to Thailand as well as build spare parts for armoured vehicles.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has defended the NCPO’s performance record.

“Don’t attack the NCPO for coming up short. We have tried our best over the past three years, though there may be some thing we were unable to achieve. I am working 200%,’’ Gen Prayut said.

Peace has been restored. No protesters took to the streets. The people are satisfied. PRAWIT WONGSUWON, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER