Taken aback over comments
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is the avant-garde founder of the Future Forward Party whose ideas have attracted attention, but not always for the right reasons.
His ideas are as controversial as they are divisive, according to his critics, who insisted some of what he has said in public was bound to invite trouble for him and for his newly established party.
Future Forward convened its first general assembly at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus early this week to a packed stadium. Mr Thanathorn lost no time in getting straight to the point, declaring he would pardon all political prisoners prosecuted during the current regime if the party wins power next February, when the election is tentatively set to be held.
An amnesty, to many political analysts, is dangerous territory. After all, the Yingluck Shinawatra administration tried one seeking to nullify corruption cases dating from 2006 that involved Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck’s older brother.
The issue triggered a snowball effect that led to the the anti-government protest movement, the People’s Democratic Reform Committee. The unrest gave away to a political stalemate and subsequently the coup engineered by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) that ousted the Pheu Thai Party-led government.
Some of Mr Thanathorn’s critics also admitted they were aghast at a remark he allegedly made at the assembly, which was reported by the media, that he planned to tear up the constitution.
Criticism of Mr Thanathorn did not end there. He was also reported to have said at an education forum this week that he thought the time-honoured wai khru ceremony performed annually at schools to pay respect and show gratitude to teachers was archaic.
His liberal views were apparently disturbing to conservatives and sounded particularly critical of the regime, although they may strike a chord with his mostly young supporters looking for a leader who can speak his mind, according to a political source.
However, the source noted the more Mr Thanathorn and his party make their presence felt on the political scene, the more alienating they may make themselves through what some politicians think is their presumably tacit anti-establishment stance.
So far, the source added, Future Forward looks to be growing increasingly aligned to Pheu Thai and the red-shirt movement judging from its overt desire to undo a lot of what has been implemented under the NCPO since the 2014 coup.
At the same time the Election Commission is being urged by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon to probe Future Forward over the amnesty remark. The deputy premier said the remark may be political canvassing in nature. If so, the party may have broken election rules as well as the law as political activities are banned by the NCPO.
“We must let the EC look into whether this is right or wrong. I think he [Mr Thanathorn] was campaigning in advance [of the election],” the deputy prime minister said.
Political observers have predicted the political mercury will rise further in the build-up to next February and Future Forward could be facing a tougher road ahead.