Time for US, EU to speak up on Thai protests
Thousands of pro-democracy protesters on Friday gathered once again on the streets of the Thai capital Bangkok to decry rumors of yet another coup d’etat to displace the government of troubled Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Ironically, Chan-o-cha, a former general in the Royal Thai Army, himself staged a coup in 2014 to take power. Though he denies the rumors that his former colleagues in uniform may have had enough of the widespread unrest that is rocking the nation, the situation on the streets has clearly slipped out of his control, leaving him vulnerable.
Whether or not another coup actually takes place, recent developments have definitely weakened Chan-o-cha, fueling further protests. The fate of Chan-o-cha may be an internal matter for the Thai people to resolve, but what has been stunning about the situation is the total global silence that has greeted the civil unrest and demands for the installation of real democracy in Thailand.
Neither the US nor the EU have uttered a word in support of democracy or to express concern for the safety of the protesters who have been attacked or jailed during the year-long demonstrations. In fact, they have not said anything about the developments in the country for nearly a decade — ever since the democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra was overthrown in a military coup by Chan-o-cha in 2014.
All through these turbulent years, the outside world, notably the US and EU, has rarely uttered a word about the repeated murder of democracy in Thailand. The contrast with their concern for democracy in other countries or other parts of the world is stark.
In the current period, the double-speak of
Western nations is evident when it comes to the developments in another territory, barely 1,500 km from Bangkok, which has also been witnessing widespread pro-democracy protests for more than a year — Hong Kong. In the case of Thailand, in the midst of the ongoing widespread protests across the country, mainly by apolitical youths, the EU agreed to hold a high-level meeting with the Thai government on Oct. 28. While the details of the dialogue are not in the public domain, the EU limited itself to issuing a bland press note after the meeting.
The EU’s leniency toward the military junta in Thailand was evident long before this. Last year, after the rulers in Bangkok staged lessthan-perfect elections, which were reminiscent of the ballots held by communist regimes, the EU rushed to recognize the government of Chan-o-cha by accepting the elections as legitimate and fair, even though the generals had modified the electoral rules to ensure that the opposition parties stood no chance of victory. Even then, the results were far too close to call. The Americans and Europeans have historically treated Thailand with kid gloves, despite its record number of military coups, which have been taking place since the 1950s. At that time, Thailand was understandably crucial for the Western nations, as it served as an important partner bordering the then-communist regimes in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Fearing the spread of communism in other parts of Southeast Asia, the West looked the other way when it came to relatively “minor” issues like democracy. But the entire region has changed dramatically over the past three decades and there is not a single communist regime in ASEAN. All the nations boast free market economies and democracies, even if they are flawed. It is time for the US and EU to realize the changes on the ground and deal with Bangkok accordingly.