Coups of no benefit

Clara Holzer’s assertion in her Nov 1 letter, “West not always best”, that Western-style democracy might not be the best form of government for some countries is a worthy subject for debate, but her claim that the military have on several occasions saved Thailand from the clutches of the World Bank, (or does she mean the International Monetary Fund?) is more dubious. If she does mean the IMF, then with some trepidation I must point out that Thailand’s indebtedness to that institution resulting from the Asian financial crisis was finally paid off during the tenure of Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister.

As far as I can establish, the repeated military coups during my several decades of residence in Thailand have, so far at least, left little or no positive legacy. The fact that Thailand has made such enormous economic progress over the past 50 years or so is a remarkable achievement, which shows how much more progress could be made if stable, corruption-free and genuinely democratic government were to become the norm.

I also need to point out to Ms Holzer that it is not only some Westerners who hope to see the establishment of a truly democratic parliamentary system in Thailand. Of course many Thais also aspire to this, and as an example I would cite a recent article published in the Nikkei Asian Review by former foreign minister Kasit Piromya, in which he sets out his vision for a “third force” as an alternative to military rule and an entrenched political elite, and which he sees as a way to usher in full-fledged democracy in Thailand. This positive vision is a refreshing rebuke to those who, rather patronisingly, seem to think that the country is better suited to a more authoritarian form of government.

ROBIN GRANT