Stop silencing the people
Army chief Chalermchai Sittisart’s recent decision to dismiss a call by 176 Thai and foreign academics for a relaxation or cessation of the rules that stop people from expressing their civil rights — for example the ban on political gatherings — comes as no surprise. His response perfectly reflects the military regime’s unreasonable fear and outrageous blockade of “different” opinions. Disappointingly, the government’s so-called reconciliation efforts will remain bogged down by these unfounded fears.
Since the military staged a coup in 2014, at least 157 planned civil and academic gatherings and activities have been intervened in or prohibited by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), according to iLaw, a civil society group that monitors lawmaking and law enforcement.
Many people have been harassed, threatened, arrested and detained, and some remain behind bars.
In their joint statement on Monday at the 13th International Conference on Thai Studies in Chiang Mai, the academics asked the NCPO to give people back the freedom to express their opinions without fear of punishment or reprisal.
It also asked they be granted full and free access to information and facts, and that prisoners of conscience — those jailed for their religious, political or other views — be released from jail or detention, among other issues.
Their statement was well-thought-out. It honestly reflects the roots of the nation’s political turmoil. More importantly, it offers hope for the military regime to address, if not heal, the prolonged political polarisation. Having promised to put an end to years of political conflict, the NCPO should listen to the academics’ call and relax its draconian laws. But Gen Chalermchai chose to close the door by saying on Thursday any activities related to politics must be halted for now.
His remark will send a strong message to authorities that they can and should widen their net of senseless acts.
The latest example took place at the Chiang Mai conference. Plainclothes officers recorded who was in attendance and what they discussed. Three participants held up a protest sign that read “An academic conference is not a military barracks”.
Chiang Mai deputy governor Puttipong Sirimart saw the sign and informed the permanent secretary of the interior of a worrying “activity”. He pledged to “have a little chat” with the three figures and request they stop.
This intrusion and the deputy governor’s action are deplorable. Yet it shows how Thai society has fallen under strict military control.
Fears of political conflict as a result of opposing opinions have been overstated. Objective, unbiased debate provides a seed for people to grow and consider other views.
In a democratic and open society, the Chiang Mai conference would have been cherished for its role in fostering debate. But in a militarised state, it is seen as a threat. Thailand is under military rule for now, but democracy looms after the promised elections next year.
The military regime and its national reconciliation panel are perhaps too confident that their proposed social contract will end social polarisation and prevent political turmoil. But they have excluded one important element — room for freedom of opinion.
Reconciliation will fail as long as people remain silenced. The social contract will become a paper to be shelved and then forgotten.
The NCPO must lift its ban on political gatherings and start respecting the rights of the Thai people to speak and think for themselves. Unless it puts an end to its nonsensical crackdown on civil liberties, the regime will discover that the quiet and harmonised Thai society it has artificially created will be very short-lived.
The NCPO must lift its ban on political gatherings.