The pendulum is swinging
Politics in the “Land of the Free” has entered a new era with the help of social platforms and internet ubiquity. Thailand is more politically diverse than it was just a few years ago when the kingdom was divided into three camps: anti-Thaksin, pro-Thaksin and those who were just indifferent to politics. In 2020, it is mentally exhausting to attempt to categorise people. Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted and self-exiled, is ancient history for many young people and his influence on politics is waning. There are many hues in the new political spectrum as we begin to experience a sociocultural shift.
In the twilight zone of politics — as in most domains of life — few things are absolutely right or absolutely wrong. It shouldn’t be about us versus them. Getting trapped in our bias when observing the events unfolding around us will lead us nowhere.
Last week, university students as well as some high-schoolers across Thailand stepped forward after the court-ordered dissolution of a major opposition party. Their spirited rallies — thankfully, there was no crackdown — took place against the backdrop of a no-confidence debate in which some of these MPs-in-limbo launched case after case against senior government ministers. Oh, what an interesting time to be a firm believer in freedom of speech.
Last year we saw dozens of demonstrations in every corner of the globe — from Paris to Hong Kong, and in Cairo, New Delhi and other places. The grievances ranged from a failing economy to deteriorating democracy, with one common underlying force: discontented youth.
The young protesters in Thailand are those who came of age during the Prayut regime that began in 2014 with a promise to restore social harmony. Five years later, we got a “democratically elected” Prayut 2.0, but the Promised Land has yet to materialise.
The coup that Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha staged was supposed to put an end to a “political crisis”. The approach chosen by the men in uniform was to crush and silence all opponents of the status quo. The silence is deafening now.
The student upheaval has predictably led some in the pro-establishment camp to parrot the myth of students being manipulated by some shadowy, presumably adult, figures. Some brand the students and their supporters as “unpatriotic”, which is ludicrous.
The government, any government, is not synonymous with the country. Criticising the government is not sacrilege. Democracy is supposed to be about checks and balances. In any case, we have to abandon the fiction of good and evil, us versus them.
But what some demagogues don’t understand is that it is impossible to consolidate thoughts, ideas and beliefs. You can’t impose your values or code of morality on other people.
Gone are the days when tyrants could hide behind the cloak of righteousness, when they could manipulate opinion to spin a tale of good versus evil to suit their Machiavellian interests. And while demonising your opponents is as popular as ever, fact checking is infinitely more effective than it was before, and lying bullies are easily exposed.
People are not ignorant. Brushing off students’ views as flawed simply because they are young is wrong. Being able to express your opinion and engage in a constructive conversation is the pillar of democracy.
The heated no-confidence debate shone a light on the creaky machinery of the current administration. The authenticity of some claims made on both sides remains to be verified, but the notion of the government being above criticism is ludicrous. Welcome to the world of checks and balances.
Only when the system of checks and balances is running properly do we have a true functioning democracy. If we’re lucky, we see more transparency, less corruption, and politicians who genuinely believe the well-being of the people is of utmost importance.
In short, it’s time for our leaders to stop confusing the well-being of a person, group or government with the well-being of the country.
Some devious figures have been able to operate in the shadows for so long because those who dared to speak up or fight back were persecuted. Some who remain often resort to self-censorship and submission. Democracy suffers. The people suffer.
For those who are ready to resort to McCarthyism, don’t you dare question my impartiality. I am not a fan of any party. But I won’t deny that I advocate democracy.
I am loyal to only one entity and that is true owner of this country — the people, regardless of their affiliations or ideologies.
Readers can send their feedback or comments to nareeratw@Bangkokpost.co.th