The Alpha and the Omega?

508 B.C.

For two years their noble families continued to compete within the surviving shell of Solon’s constitution: in an anti-tyrannical mood, they seem to have agreed to a law that in future, no Athenian citizen could be tortured. It was symptomatic of a new sense of ‘freedom.’ … In July or August… Cleisthenes… proposed that the constitution should be changed and that, in all things, the sovereign power should rest with the entire adult male citizenry. It was a spectacular moment, the first known proposal of democracy, the lasting example of the Athenians to the world. (Robert Lane Fox, The Classical World, 2005, p. 91)

2006 A.D.

Last week, the White House and three Republican senators announced a terrible deal on this legislation… it would give Mr. Bush the power… to authorize what normal people consider torture… Americans of the future won’t remember the pragmatic arguments for caving in to the administration. They’ll know that in 2006, Congress passed a tyrannical law that will be ranked with the low points in American democracy… (New York Times editorial of September 28, 2006).

Update: Washington Post reports that both houses of Congress have now passed the bill.

Why Poor Thais Liked Thaksin

Washington Post reporter Anthony Faiola was in Chang Mai on the weekend -- Thaksin's home town in the north of Thailand:

Echoing the feelings of many on the warren-like streets of Khlong Toei, Chalaem said the poor in Thailand were largely ignored before Thaksin was elected in a landslide in 2001:

A billionaire tycoon who became the hero of the underclass, Thaksin ushered in universal health care that allowed Chalaem's cancer-stricken daughter to receive chemotherapy for less than $1 per treatment. His war on drugs, she said, drove the methamphetamine dealers from the streets. Local leaders from Thaksin's party provided free milk for her young grandson and brought the struggling widow gifts of rice several times a year.

"I don't care what they say about Thaksin, he was the first one who ever cared about us," she said. "He gave me a chance to keep my daughter alive. ... Now that he's been chased out, the poor have lost their closest friend."

It seems Thaksin did more for poor rual Thais than buy off their votes. Living in Bangkok where you hear Thaksin's foes constantly harp about how Thaksin won over poor voters by literally paying them to vote for him , one seldom hears mention of those Thaksin policy initiatives such as universal health care that appear to have made a real difference to the lives of poor Thais. Hat tip to Bangkok Pundit who also presents evidence from a BBC report that some residents of Chang Mai may be fearful to admit that they supported Thaksin in the past. The same might be asked of Bangkok residents I surveyed for my "River Poll" (see below). I had not expected to find quite such overwhelming support for the coup d'etat in Bangkok -- 90 percent (admitedly, it was a very small sample, but still 18/20 is very high). At the time I did not suspect fear was a significant factor in the minds of my own poll respondants, especially as I took care to speak to each respondant individually, out of earshot of others. However, I suppose one cannot completely rule out that possibility.

Jotman's River Poll

One week has gone by since tanks rolled through the streets of their city. How do Bangkok residents feel about the coup now? Local newspapers published a poll shortly after the coup, but who trusts a poll conducted under the barrel of a gun? Today I conducted my own poll. I spent an hour this evening riding public ferry boats up and down the Chao Phraya -- the big river that runs through Bangkok. I asked commuters two questions.

First question: "Coup - thumbs up or thumbs down?"
Second question: "Thaksin - thumbs up or thumbs down?"

MILITARY COUP
90% (18/20) thumbs up
10% (2/20) thumbs down

FORMER PM THAKSIN
5% (1/20) Thumbs up
10% (2/20) Neither up nor down
85% (17/20) Thumbs down

One person I spoke with at some length was a cheerful banker named Chai Narong -- the only one in my survey who gave Thaksin a thumbs up. Chai said, "Corruption is a long-time-ago problem and Thaksin's just a scapegoat." I got some of Chai's thoughts on video.



Jotman’s Methodology for the River Poll: Of the 25 Thai people I approached, five declined to participate. Of those who agreed to answer questions, 13 were men and 7 women. All but 3 were between 20 and 40 years of age. I went out on the ferry boats because I thought I could get fairly mixed demographic as a ride costs under $.30. Asking 2 questions served as a check to reduce the chance of misunderstanding.

A Royalist Coup?

In Bad Excuse for the Coup University of Michigan historian Thongchai Winichakul quoted from an opinion piece he had recently published in a (non-Thai) newspaper:

"Thaksin threatened the royalist plan. To the royalists, he seemingly sought to adopt for himself the role of kingmaker. The royalist coup consolidates power to General Prem and the royalists, putting their plan on track. Will Thailand return to democracy under the guidance of an unelected Privy Council? The constitution that the royalists put in place will reveal the character of government and parliamentary system they have in mind. The anti-Thaksin coup is ultimately the re-assertion of the royalist rule for the transition."

This is perhaps the more important reason for a coup despite signs of weakening "Thaksin regime" before the coup. The coup is not as much about toppling Thaksin as for "Premocracy".

So who exactly is General Prem?
Today he serves as president of the Privy Council. And he was prime minister of Thailand on-and-off from 1980 until 1988. Here is some info about the Thai Privy Council -- the Thai king's "inner circle." Under the "General Prem" topic in Wikipedia it is written: "Some analysts believe that Prem is still one of the most important people in Thai politics due to his influence with the king, and that he was involved in the September 2006 military coup against his political opponent Thaksin Shinawatra. General Prem has a website. Colum Murphy wrote about General Prem's relationship with Thaksin in the September issue of the Far East Economic Review:

Mr. Thaksin’s speech on June 29, in which he accused a “charismatic, extra-constitutional figure” of interfering with the country’s democratic process, has only made matters worse. Later, when pressed by reporters, Mr. Thaksin refused to elaborate on his provocative remarks. Most analysts agree that he was referring to the president of the Privy Council, General Prem Tinsulanonda, himself a former prime minister and former commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army. Gen. Prem is also the king’s right-hand man.

Murphy says Gen. Prem followed up with a speech to Naval officers:

Subsequently, as reported by the Bangkok Post, the general told a gathering of naval officers that: “Individuals who have no ethics and morals are bad people who are full of greed. They may want to live comfortably with a lot of money. But if they have acquired wealth through illegal or unethical means, they no longer deserve to be in this country.” Again, while no names were mentioned, there was little doubt among commentators that the general was referring to Mr. Thaksin.

From the Wikipedia article on King Bhumibol

On 14 July 2006, Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda addresed graduating cadets of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, telling them that the Thai military must serve the King - not the government.

Later in the Summer, Gen. Prem spoke to air force officers. Blogger Andrew Walker posted this clipping from a Bangkok Post story of September 1, 2006 entitled “Prem: Disasters will befall the ill-intentioned":

"Disasters always befall people with ill intentions of exploiting the nation for their own benefit," Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda said yesterday. He made the remarks to conclude a 40-minute lecture at the Air Force Academy attended by a 640-strong audience including senior air force officers. "The nation is sacred. People who think about using it for personal benefit or group benefits will be met with misfortune," said the elder statesman. "Phra Sayam Thewathirat (the nation’s guardian spirit) always protects good people and condemns bad people to a life of suffering," Gen Prem said.

Finally, bringing us up to date on Gen. Prem's activities, the previously mentioned Wikipedia article noted:

The King's role in the coup was the subject of much speculation... The King had an audience with Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda at the same time the first Special Forces troops were ordered mobilized.

Junta may be Its Own Worst Enemy

Many Thais, including foreigners such as the former British Ambassador, have taken the junta at its word. They believe the junta is going to appoint a new government shortly that will set things right, and put an end to corruption, and restore "democratic rights." But as we have seen, so far the junta has taken away civil liberties enjoyed by the Thai people. My question is simply this: must the junta take away rights in order to restore them?

How to explain the restrictions on liberty introduced by the junta? The Thai papers have published polls showing that upwards of 80% of Thai people support the overthrow of the Thaksin regime. (As one commentator observed, if the poll was legitimate, certainly the coup was unneccessary because Thaksin would have lost the November election). Surely the junta must feel quite insecure, because they give the appearance of being a regime afraid of its own people.

This sense of insecurity may not be entirely reality-based. After all, the junta has the support of the king. And with the king's support, they ought not be acting so paranoid. Why not? Because the king enjoys the loyalty and trust of the vast majority of Thai people -- perhaps 95%, maybe more.

However, by snuffing out civil liberties -- for example, by forcing newspapers to publish bogus polls, the junta is slowly raising peoples' ire. The junta risks making itself look worse with every passing day. Photos of tank-top clad girls dancing among their tanks may not be sufficient to win over the hearts and minds of Thais. Especially since over the past 16 years Thailand has changed. Today, Thais are accustomed to liberty. The junta may well be its own worst enemy.

I am reminded of something I read last spring in an advance copy of an interesting book. This book was banned in Thailand because it is about the king. Anyway, I recall that the author of the The King Never Smiles, Paul M. Handley, made a point that could be relevant to understanding the apparent insecurity of the junta. Historically, Handley suggests that king's inner circle may have succeeded at convincing the king that the intentions of Thailand's democracy agitators were somehow incompatible with the constitutional monarchy. Back in the 'seventies, military types among the king's inner-most circle may have blurred the distinction betweeen the democracy advocates and communists -- in the mind of the king, and perhaps their own minds as well. So the end effect may have been to make an otherwise secure king feel (needlessly) insecure.

But how to explain the possible persistance of paranoia -- or sense of insecurity --within the inner circle today? Perhaps they have convinced the king that his extremely high popularity among Thais is partly to be attributable to the success of anti-defamation laws against the monarchy? The Royalists' base is a hermetically sealed comfort zone -- that limited sphere of Thai society regarding which censorship has long been the norm. They may attribute their own power to the success of censorship, and so expand its reach today, thinking that this will help them to consolidate their power. I am inclined to doubt the premise that the censorship laws have played a significant role in making the king popular. I am inclined to believe this king would be loved by the Thai people without the shield of censorship laws. Of course, we will never know; and herein lies the problem with censorship: it creates doubts where none need exist.

Former British Ambassador Supports Coup

Derek Tonkin, British Ambassador to Thailand from 1986-89 wrote the Sunday Times to express support for the coup:

The problem for the 30 per cent of urban dwellers in Thailand who are mostly opposed to Mr Thaksin is that his political party, through what would appear to be traditional but illegal vote-buying practices, has cornered 70 per cent of the rural vote. His wealth has become so immense and has been used so shamelessly to undermine political opponents and critics that his position has become virtually unassailable through the ballot box.

As the declared purpose of the coup is to restore democratic rights and bring an end to corrupt domination of the rural vote, is action against tyranny and for democracy not fully justified?

New Mandala has some commentary here on the vote-buying issue -- does this evidence lend support the allegation? You decide. I can't help but be skeptical of the junta's claim that the "declared purpose of the coup is to restore democratic rights." If so, then why are Thais being arrested for holding peaceful protests, local political meetings prohibited, Thai newspapers censored, and some Northeastern Thais prevented from traveling in groups? Whereas the ambassador puts great stock in the "declared purpose" of the junta, when I examine what the junta is actually doing, I see a wide chasm separates declaration and deed.

Indonesia, the burden is now on your shoulders...

Observing the Thai coup d'etat from Jakarta, Rizal Sukma writes in today's Jakarta Post:

Our democracy is still as fragile as Thai democracy... The fact that (Indonesian) President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono repeatedly warns the military not to get involved in politics implies that the possibility and the worry are still there...

In the aftermath of the Thai military coup, Indonesia should realize that the biggest challenge now is to maintain Indonesia as a successful model of democratization in Southeast Asia. We should be the last bastion of democracy in this region. With the developments in Thailand, antidemocratic forces within Indonesia and in the region now have new ammunition to attack democracy.

...Indonesia has the obligation to stand up and demonstrate that democracy is still possible and preferable. The burden and the responsibility to safeguard democracy in Southeast Asia is now on our shoulders.

The photo above shows the face of a Cambodian boy. If Thailand cannot get its act together, kids in countries like Laos, Cambodia and Burma could the real losers of the Thai coup d'etat. I took the photo on a recent trip to Cambodia. I was impressed by the eagerness of kids to go to school, to learn about the world. But the utter lack of competence displayed by those in charge of government is astounding -- the corruption is that bad. Cambodia has only recently taken its first halting steps towards democracy. Thailand is not just Cambodia's main source of imports, it has served as a model for Cambodia -- a benchmark. Indonesia's burden is a heavy one indeed.

"A line had been crossed...."

In this posting at Metroblogging Bangkok, Bonafide writes:

Personally, I'm in a strange situation, as I have close ties to both the TRT party, and the Coup factions. But, I'm leaning in favor of Coup as I've seen first hand how TRT operates behind the curtains.

With regards to “kickbacks,” Bonafide believes that “a line had been crossed.”

I once was a part of consortium that won the bid to operate all the buses, taxis, and vehicle links in the new airport.The following week, we were approached by a messenger from "The Big Lady" and informed we must pay to the tune of $10 Mil USD upfront as a fee just for winning the contract. The process is normal in big projects in Thailand, however the scale of money they asked was outrageous... The operating rights eventually got spread amongst what I would call a "1st degree group."

There's no point in fighting the coup at this point, I rather urge effort be put into forming the new constitution with the idea of independent operating government branches that ACTUALLY checks & balances one another...

The underlying assumption here, on Bonafide's part, is that a decent constitution can be written under the new order; that the junta and those backing it will not succumb to the very temptations they criticize in Thaksin; that power in the hands of just a few men during this so-called "interm period" will not corrupt the process of designing a better constitutional government. The outcome may depend on the health of the king. Bonafide acknowledges this -- that time is not on Thailand's side to set things right:

The King can't save us forever, yes he's a great man but the laws of nature still apply to him. Thais must begin to realize he won't live forever.

"But the constitution was still there..."

Here are some more excerpt from Thongchai Winichakul's statement Bad excuse for the coup -- a point-by-point rebuttal of four justifications for the coup.

His election victories were valid. No significant irregularity that would change the results of his two landslide victories. Academics, including myself, can argue against his populist policies, his horrible handling of the crisis in the Malay Muslim region, and so on. But Thai people elected his party and the “Thaksin regime.”

In the next paragraph he forcefully articulates some bedrock democratic principles as he sees them applying to the situation in Thailand:

Democracy anywhere in the world is never a rule of the educated, the smarter, the urban, or the better-informed. It is a rule by popular mandate. No matter if/ how ignorant people are, the elected government has the rights to rule. It is true that democracy does not mean only election. But election is THE ultimate and inviolable source of legitimacy to rule. The higher moral or good ethics is not. The higher education is not. The better access to information is not. Nor are weapons or any unelected aristocrats. Democracy is never without corruption and abuses of power.

He says the real and perceived offenses of the Thaksin against democracy are nothing compared to the coup, because the coup was against the constitution, the very foundation of a democratic society:

...democracy grows as the results of the unwavering struggles within the bound of constitution and rule of law. This is the ONLY SOLUTION to establish a strong democracy.... This excuse is shamelessly an elitist arrogance and prejudice that denies the rights of people who elected Thaksin as worthless and negligible. They are the majority of people but whose voices do not count. This excuse is utterly anti-democratic....

It (the constitution) was violated, ignored, and tampered with; probably similar to what Bush was doing now. But the constitution was still there to provide opportunities to fight the abusive regime. In fact many fights were successful and more were waging, thanks to the constitution....

Responding to the often heard claim that Thaksin's abuse of the media justified a coup d'etat, Thongchai Winichakul wrote:

But it was never able to control or manipulated to such extent that differing views were shut down. Critics were frustrated for being shut up but they were never being shut down. Anti-Thaksin publications were among the best selling titles.... Thaksin the Evil was not able to close our eyes, ears and mouths. The struggles against the interferences had been going on and could go on. The coup is not necessary. Who would dare to say that media freedom and freedom of expression with no fear is better under a coup regime?

Winichakul concludes by asking:

Does Bush deserve a military coup or some drastic measures to get rid of him as a necessary evil and the only solution to rescue the world? Now you may understand how those “terrorists” think as well.

There is NO excuse for the coup.

Bad excuse for the coup

"The more successful is the monarchy’s role in modern democracy, the harder it is to be replicated. Things must be put in order before the next reign begins. Thailand is indeed at a critical and delicate juncture."

So writes Thongchai Winichakul at the University of Wisconsin. This thought, which relates directly to a point which I made in the previous post, is taken from a longer statement he has recently published online Bad excuse for the coup which is a point-by-point rebutal of four justifications for the coup. Thanks go to Bangkok Pundit and Andrew Walker at New Mandala.

No problem, no problem...

"No problem, no problem" says Chat Chai, a Bangkok taxi driver. "Almost twenty years ago the same thing happened, and many people died. But not this time. In two weeks we get a new government." On Thursday evening, Chat Chai took me around the city to take pictures. Behind the wheel, Chat Chai held his camera-equiped mobile phone at-the-ready, prepared -- like me -- to snap pictures of any tanks or soldiers we might come across.

I find it just a little troubling, this continual reassurance I'm getting from people such as Chat Chai that everything will be back to normal in two weeks. Sure, Thais are not amateurs when it comes to coups -- they've had 18 of them since 1930. Maybe they know to pull these things off better than anyone else; maybe they are getting rather good at it. However, the last one didn't go off so well. Eventually people died and the King had to intervene.

As Orwell noted, revolution is always betrayed. I don't think anyone in Thailand anticipates that the coup will lead to a situation where the generals cling to power for 16 years following their coup, as they have in Burma.

However, now 80 years of age, King Bhumibol will not always and forever be here to intervene on behalf of the Thai people -- to restore democracy should it become neccessary -- should the generals of this coup, or some future coup decide to overstay their welcome.

With the good king getting older, why must Thailand continue to play with fire?

Perils of a Coup

"Thailand's dangerous coup" reads the cover of The Economist (not online yet). The editors write "Although the coup was apparently bloodless and accompanied by promises of an election in a year or so, no one has any real idea what will happen next."

Many Bangkok residents express certainty that the coup leadership will pull off this change of government like clockwork. Maybe so. Personally, I find expressions of high certainty in such uncertain times disconcerting.

The editorial continues: "although getting rid of Mr. Thaksin was no bad thing, their way of doing it struck a deep blow at a still fragile political system." Thailand only got a fully democratic constitution in 1997, and The Economist suggests that milestone had positive ripple effects throughout the region, helping to inspire Indonesians to overthrow their dictator. This time, the editors of The Economist suggest that the coup could inspire the generals of other emergent democracies in the region -- notably Indonesia and the Philippines -- to get involved in politics again. The editors' conclusion? "More instability, not less, is the likely outcome. Nor is turmoil likely to help clean up political life. Corruption flourished under a succession of military-favoured prime ministers and was bad too, under the opposition Democrats in the late 1990s."

If The Economist's assessment of the situation does not give you pause, I just saw where Thailand is now featured on Dictators of the World blog.

Superpower Update

American spy agencies report:

The war in Iraq has become a primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around the world whose numbers may be increasing faster than the United States and its allies can reduce the threat, U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded.

So what took them so long to figure that out?

For up-to-date examinitation of the ongoing efforts of the Bush Administration to legalize torture and gut the Geneva Conventions, Andrew Sullivan is must-read. And Marty Lederman provides clear analysis on developments from a legal perspective. There was talk late last week of a comprimise between the White House and Congress on this issue. That "comprimise" is beginning to sound more and more like a cave-in. Bush is desperate to get congress to pass a bill before the November elections. That's when congressional power could shift to the Democrats. If Bush hasn't got Congress to change the law by November, it's more likely that he and other high officials will -- sooner or later -- be brought before the law to face justice. Here's the bottom line: Under Bush torture became US policy, it's just that the White House refuses to use the word.

Was the Thai Political System Really So Broken?

This Washington Post story provides some background on the political situation in Thailand prior to the coup, pointing out that Thaksin's opponents had scored some real political victories prior to the coup. The article concludes that "resistance to military control has already begun to fester." In my opinion, to say that it has begun to "fester" might be a bit of a stretch. But we shall see.

Analysts note that Thaksin's adversaries had yet to exhaust all legal means of opposing him, and they said the checks and balances of Thailand's constitutional monarchy had recently begun to function.

With a nod from the king, Thaksin loyalists on an election commission were purged by the still largely independent Supreme Court -- opening the way for a more level playing field in elections that were set to be held in the coming months. Thaksin's critics say his party was already gearing up for a cash-for-votes campaign that would have kept him in power.

Instead, with the military now in charge, Thailand has reverted to martial law. At least four of Thaksin's top aides have been detained by military authorities, who have also outlawed political meetings of five or more people. TV and radio stations have been warned to prevent criticism of the new military government, with armed soldiers stationed inside or near major domestic networks as a reminder. The military authority on Friday also named an official body to probe allegations of corruption under Thaksin.

Resistance to military control has already begun to fester. A group of about 100 university students staged an ingenious protest on Friday near an upscale shopping mall. To avoid violating the new military rules against political gatherings, they clustered themselves in groups of twos or threes across a broad public area.

Coup Tourism Industry

I met this sweet lady outside the Royal Palace Thursday. She sells flowers to Thai "coup tourists" who then give the flowers to soldiers.

Blogging from the USA Jusiper draws insight from my interview at the Royal Palace.

Perspectives on the Protest

The headline in today's Bangkok Post reads "Former central band governor Chatumongol tipped to be new PM." A second page article headlined, "Rally draws 20 anti-coup protesters" does not mention that seven people were arrested (I learned this from a protester). Associated Press estimates there were not 20, but 100 protestors.

Knarly Kitty also blogged the protest and took photos.

Bangkok Pundit surveys coverage of the democracy protest in the Thai media, including one report that says there were 200 protestors present. Bangkok Pundit comments:

It is difficult to know precisely why many sections of the Thai media were not reporting on the coup - there might be other articles which have been buried - but given the strict censorship imposed by the junta leaders after the coup one should not be surprised.

"This way is even worse than the Thaksin way...."

"We will not tolerate their presence in the city..."

DEMONSTRATION FOR DEMOCRACY

WE LOVE DEMOCRACY

The sign in the photo (Thai script) reads: "We Love Democracy - Stop Supporting (?)"
Thailand is now under military dictatorship. This man is brave. Seven of his buddies have been arrested at this point. Next we are going to learn what a demonstrator has to say. (I need to upload some video).

DEMOCRACY PROTEST

I had finally made it to the street below. Now to meet some of the demonstrators.

7 DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATORS ARRESTED

I heard a democracy protester tell a reporter that seven of his fellow protesters had been arrested. Thailand is under military dictatorship. I'm downloading video of the protest, and photos.

Special thanks to Bangkok Pundit where I learned about the planned protest.

DEMOCRACY PROTESTS IN BANGKOK

I arrive at the other end of the station, entry to another shopping complex: Siam Center. The protest isn't supposed to be over here. But as I enter the shopping center, that palitable tension only grows and grows. I've never felt tension like this in a crowd of people. What... is... happening?


By the entrance to the station, by the stairs into the mall people are lining the windows trying to get a glimpse at the sidewalk down bellow. The sidewalk is thick with people. Entering the 2nd story mall, people line the windows to get a glimpse of whatever is happening on the sidewalks bellow.

DEMOCRACY PROTESTS IN BANGKOK

The first photo shows the wall of the new mega shopping complex Siam Paragon (largest mall in SE Asia), and Bangkok's Siam Skytrain station (Bangkok's elevated rail system). The democracy protest was supposed to take place "at the fountain." The fountain is located on the plaza. This is normally open. But today it's empty and roped off -- an attempt to head off the planned protest.

I arrived by skytrain. Once in the station, immediately I began to feel a palitable tension in the air. There was a line of cops leaning over the railing looking down. In other places, Thais scurried over to the railings on the side of the station facing the Paragon complex. What were they looking at?

I went back in the station and then exited at the other end...

Blogosphere Notes: Petition

What are other bloggers saying today? The website 2bangkok.com has some background on the Thaksin government controversies going back several years, and a good page of photos taken the day after the coup d'etat. Newley Purnell has also been blogging the coup from Bangkok.

Bangkokpundit alerts us to a political event scheduled half an hour from now:

Apparently, there will be a meeting tonight at 6pm at Siam Paragon to sign a petition against the coup - see Bangkok Metblogs for more. The people behind the gathering are known as "19 September Network against Coup d'Etat" have (had ?) a website which has been closed by the Thai government - see my post on censorship.

There is an online petition - which many blogs are linking too. Via New Mandala is part of the text on the reason behind the petition:

I understand that we, foreigners and Thais who are outside Thailand, may not want to suggest any action in Thailand re: the coup, either because one is a foreigner or one is not there to share the consequences. But now I think we MUST do something to help those young people who is about to risk their safety to protest the coup. Attached and below is a draft letter. The opinion about the coup is very soft and general, since I really do not know what other people think about it. But I hope it safe to say that we all “regret” that it took place.

***The most important message of the letter is to call on Thai authorities NOT TO ARREST OR HARM those protesters

I really hope that all of us can agree on this point…… We must try to have this call be known in Thailand by tomorrow before the scheduled protest in the afternoon. Those Thais in the country, I request that you make a similar call to Thai authorities too. I do not know what you think about the coup. But this call should be reasonable even to those who do not oppose the coup. MAKE A NOISE NOW, PLEASE. DON’T LET THE AUTHORITIES HARM THOSE PROTESTERS.

I am going to see what is happening there. Stay tuned for my report.

Coup Tourism

Newpaper Censorship

It's always great to hear what my readers are thinking. A Thai reader in the US writes:

I was reading things about Thailand on your website and would like to comment. I just listened to Thai TV online and found that the quote from The NY Times was not correct. The Administrative Reform Council does not prohibit any political gathering at all. It was just a rumor.... Well, you'd better change it. A lot of us here (Thai people) in the US found that NY Times did not have correct information. Yesterday what the NYT was saying about the king was also not quite correct. Please maybe check Thai-post or the Nation (newspapers) before posting on the website, will you?

I'm sorry to have to break it to this reader, but press freedom in Thailand is a thing of the past. And by saying this, I certainly mean to include English-language papers like The Bangkok Post and The Nation. Although in pre-coup days, former prime minister Thaksin's media conglomerate controled many of Thailands television and radio stations, Thai newspapers enjoyed autonomy from the authorities. They could report what they wanted. This is no longer the case. Today all Thai media -- television, radio, newspapers, and magazines -- are subject to censorship. The Internet -- including blogs -- now provides the one remaining link to open society.

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My Visit to the Royal Palace

I explored the grounds of the Royal Palace this evening. Before the palace building, half-dozen tanks line each side of a vast field. There I spoke with a mother, her son, and her son's friend about the coup d'etat. The two boys -- both high school students -- were incredibly articulate and carried some serious camera equipment.

SON'S FRIEND: I don't think foreigners understand the situation we have in thailand. Because they know (what a prime minister is, what a prime minister does)... But they don't know what Thaksin does in Thailand. The people who support him mostly are the people who are poor -- and he can give money to them.
JOTMAN: Surely that's a good thing -- that he's been helping the poor?
MOM: "He gives them a fish but he does not teach them how to fish. They just pay money for the poor people: Per head... per head...per head... like this."

Our conversation turned to the question of democracy.

SON"S FRIEND: Most Thai people -- I mean a lot, a lot -- think that democracy is to go out for elections -- once every four years. But I think democracy is something more. The right to talk...
JOTMAN: You're saying that Thaksin took away that right?
MOM: TV.... All of Thailand depends on his media. Like Channel 3, Channel 5, Channel 7, Channel 9, Channel 11 -- all belong to the government. And they have the view from the government only. And ITV belongs to Taksin!
SON: He's taken over the media.

Saving Face?

There was a story in the Bangkok Post (not posted any longer) that asked whether personal motives lay behind the coup. A few weeks ago, a bomb plot was uncovered to kill PM Thaksin. Thaksin launched an investigation which seemed to implicate involvment by top army generals, thus embarassing army chief Sondhi. Blogger Bangkok Pundit comments:

Personal pride and pride of the military are typical reasons for coups throughout Thai history. Gen. Sondhi himself has criticised the government. Moral of the story, don't criticise military leaders and be careful of investigating anything which could implicate the military.

Why the Coup d'Etat?

Today troops surronded the office towers housing companies owned by deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin according to the Bangkok Post. The Thai King has issued a statement supporting the junta(Bangkok Post).

So why the coup d'etat? The White House and the Australian goverment say the coup was a drastic and unneccesary step.

Singapore isn't very pleased about it either.

No wonder: Perhaps the coup d'etat will lead to a review of the recent sale of a Thai telecom firm owned by deposed Prime Minister Thaksin. He sold it to the Singapore giant Temasek. Exploiting a legal loophole, the PM paid no tax when he sold his company, infuriating the Thai middle class. This was the move that pushed many moderate Bangkok residents off the sidelines: corruption had gone too far. Thaksin tried to go on the offensive at that point -- January and February -- by calling a sudden election. The results of the March election (which the PM won) were annulled by the election commission, citing irregularities by the PM's Thai Rak Thai Party. (The opposition parties boycotted the election, instigating mass street protests in Bangkok).

Next week the new airport will open -- Thaksin's mega project. Apparently a Thai massage parlor was a major beneficiary of goverment contracts. Businessmen have told me that as much as 1/3 of the $4 billion cost of the airport represented kickbacks to friends of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin.

Thaksin was to have stood for re-election this October. However, the anti-Thaksin movement probably realized Thaksin would win if another election were held in October. Thaksin has the support of many rural Thais (Only 12 million of Thailand's population of 60 million live in the capital). It's Bangkok's middle class that had no stomach for Thaksin's corrupt practices, not to mention his brash nepotism (he recently started filling Thai army posts with family members).

The Bangkok elite accuses Thaksin's Thai-Rak-Thai party of buying-off the rural voters. "Vote-buying" is a phrase that comes up in talking with Bangkok residents.

Looks as though Thaksin will be living in exile in London for a while. I guess he'll have to buy some new clothes, but as Thailand's richest man, he can afford to go shopping.

Reflections

I took this photo last night. I like it better today because it's mood is reflective. And I think the country is more contemplative today. In the exhilarating rush of the Midnight Coup, it was hard to step back. Things were happening so quickly.

What kind of country has Thailand become?

I was watching BBC World today. They interviewed a Thai academic who had just begun to express an opinion critical of the junta. Zap! BBC World was off the air until the segmant had finished. Clean and clinical censorship -- exactly the way it's done in China today. It's quite ironic, really. The guy the army deposed, Thaksin, was widely criticized for having exerted too much control over the Thai media.

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, Thailand was a free country -- one of the two most democractic nations in Southeast Asia. Also the country in the region with the most democratic "experience." But today? Today this is what the coup leaders have said, according to the NY Times.

“In order to avoid problems, the Administrative Reform Council prohibits political gatherings of more than 5 people,” said Thavinand Krongkrang, a news anchorwoman on Channel 5, a station owned by the military. Violators would be jailed 6 months or fined....

The military also ordered the ministry of telecommunications “to control, stop or block the distribution of information through all media channels that might affect the council’s work,” meaning the activities of the junta.

The coup leaders singled out several groups... urging laborers and farmers “to remain peaceful, because any gathering or movement right now might facilitate the work of people with bad intentions to cause disturbance.”

As for students... “Any of you who has an idea or any opinion, please send your ideas or suggestions to the army,” a spokesperson said in one of the televised statements.

There was only light traffic on the streets of the city. On the sidewalks you might bump into the occassional soldier. Thai television broadcast some images which suggested to me that tanks were being postitioned toward the outer reaches of Bangkok. The Guardian reported today:

Outside Bangkok's army headquarters, a crowd of around 30 anti-Thaksin protesters confronted a group of two dozen Thaksin supporters, who were carrying banners the rival group ripped to shreds. Soldiers quickly intervened and told the pro-Thaksin group to leave.

In a separate incident at Democracy Monument - the site of mass demonstrations against the military regime in the past - an official from Mr Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party staged a one-man protest as a crowd of around 100 people jeered him.

Soldiers later forced the politician, Thawee Krikup, into an unmarked van after allowing him to protest for several hours.

Thai newspaper the Nation said several senior government officials and others close to Mr Thaksin had been arrested, with their fates unknown.

Don't tank my tuk-tuk!

A tuk-tuk tries to maneuver around a tank stationed at the centre of a major intersection near the seat of goverment in Bangkok.

Celebration

I give an interview for Swedish radio. Then we walked back towards the tank under the golden arch. But we pass some other military vehicles where people are in a mood to celebrate -- and so are the soldiers. A citizen had passed out roses to the soldiers. I have never seen so many smiling soldiers before.



Some guys even thought to bring their own home-made sign to demonstrate their support for the coup.

0100 Hr: Thai Military Command HQ

We decide to follow the motorcade of high ranking officials. We find ourselves standing opposite an imposing gate. "Did the cars go in here?" we ask a Thai journalist. Apparently so. Outside the blue and red gate of the complex, stand half a dozen guards who mingle. This is the gate to headquarters of the Thai military. The gates are opened from time to timem as cars and motorcycles of various sorts pull into the compound.

A Midnight Motorcade -- Thailand's Generals Zoom Past

There are those times in your life when you wish you had turned the video switch on your camera instead of taking a still shot. This was one of those moments. We were at the UN building corner, beside the golden arch. There was a siren. Then the sound of cars approaching. Then loud applause broke out among the people lining the road as Thailand's generals, the leaders of the coup d'etat sped past us. The motorcade consisted of 15, maybe 20 vehicles: SUVs and cars. It was an exhilarating moment. The loud applause was what really struck me. Here's what it looked like:

A Revolution Under Golden Arches

We move up the street and find ouselves opposite the UN Development Agency building. Across from the building is the same blocked off area. There are more troops, happier ones it seems, positioned under a giant royal banner. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the King's reign, and to celebrate the streets of the capitol are decked out with golden ornamentation, photos of the King, and lights-covered trees.



A man steps forward to give an impromtu news conference beside the tank. I took a video of the interview, and the hotel manager translated. "From now on the goverment will not to be so busy meddling everywhere..." Answering another question the spokesperson said, "The soldiers have gone outside to make things good, and they were ordered to do so by general Sonthi Boonyaratkalin."

One Night in Bangkok

Dawn is breaking in Bangkok, roosters are croaking. Thai television networks are broadcasting Royal Family music videos. Continuing is my eye-witness account of the situation in Bangkok around the goverment buildings in the immediate aftermath of the coup d'etat. I have lots more photos to share.

The Bangkok Post, one of two English language Thai papers, just arrived at my Guesthouse. Headline reads: COUP D'ETAT. (I can't get to the website, so I'll quote you what it says. "The coup leaders call themselves the Democratic Reform Council, led by Gen. Sonthi." They claim to represent all the armed forces. As for what they claim as the immediate pretext for the coup, the generals say they wanted to avert a potential confrontation between opposition party protesters and the "forestry police" who were scheduled to move into Bangkok today armed with rifles. I'll try to link to the article when it's up, and let you know more when I finish reading it.

We Take Another Route

They won't let us past their tanks, but we want to get to the goverment buildings area to see what's happening over there. I suggest to the Spanish journalist that we walk back to the "big gun" tank the taxi driver had taken me to, and then take the alternate route the Thai man had mentioned.

Here's another view of a Thai biker dude checking out the first tank. CNN website now has a photo of this very tank posted.

Onlookers at the "Dark Intersection"

Onlookers at the intersection. The previous photo shows a close-up of what they are looking at.

Crossing the Bridge

After taking photos of the "big gun" at the intersection, I spoke with a Thai man. He said that there were more tanks, cross the bridge, at end of the street -- straight ahead. It would be a short walk.

But just before I headed off a horn sounded. A car swirved at high speed around the tank, narrowly missing it. The tank situated in the very center of the intersection was all but invisible to an unwary driver. (Note to Thai military: distribute reflective plates for your tanks for the next coup).

Across the bridge, at the next intersection were several more tanks, (I will download the photo here when blogger allows me too). At this very dark, unlit intersection I met a Spanish journalist who had just arrived this evening in Bangkok from an assignment in Cambodia. Bangkok was to be her "holiday." Some holiday.



The troops at this intersection were a bit tense, and kept onlookers away.

Coup leadership announcement on Thai TV

A spokesperson for the coup leadership has just appeared on Thai television and declared tomorrow a holiday for government workers, banks, and schools.

Taxi to see the "big gun"

Off to see what was happening. I jumped in a taxi. But how to explain to the taxi driver where I wanted to go? My guesthouse is near the famous Koh San Road, which is a stones' throw from the Imperial Palace and the goverment complex. (My Thai friend in NY on the cell phone had said to stay away from "big streets" because of the army presence, so I directed my taxi to the main avenue.) Pointing to my camera, I said to the driver I wanted to take photos. On the way out of the hotel the manager said something about tanks on the streets. Nothing seemed to be happening on the main avenue that goes past the palace. Traffic was light.

Suddenly my taxi drive spoke up. "want to see big gun?"

"Yes."

Suddenly we came to it. The big gun was a tank situated in the centre of an intersection (in the above photo, it's situated between the two red taxi cabs). But here is a much better view of the "big gun."

First Word of "Revolution" in Bangkok

A cell phone call from a friend in New York City alerted me that there was "a revolution" taking place in Bangkok. I was in the lobby of my guesthouse checking my email at the time. I mentioned it to other guests -- none of whom were as yet aware. We turned on BBC where Bush was addressing the UN.

Cable television is no longer operating in Bangkok (3:30am)

What was on Thai television at 11:30pm? Every Bangkok TV station was playing a videos of the Thai Royal Family. Here is a photo of the local Thai TV (four and a half hours ago). Shown on the screen is HM the King of Thailand who is greatly beloved by the Thai people.

From Bangkok - a Night of Living Dangerously

In the following blogs entries I will report to you on what I have seen and heard on the streets of Bangkok tonight, in and around the government building section of the city.



A coup d'etat appears to have occurred within the past 4-5 hours. I have just returned from a two hour long tour of the goverment buildings area where the coup d'etat leaders appear to be based. I carried my camera. There were few foreign journalists in the area and I did not see any television networks on the scene. I spoke with the a few tourists, a number of curious Thai onlookers, and some Thais who had turned out to support what appears to be the military overthrow of the "caretaker" goverment of Thai Prime Minister Taksin.

I will share with you my photos, observations, and provide some background to events -- I have been based in the city for about a year.