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Yingluk's government kisses the military's arse

Red Thai Socialist - September 20, 2011

Giles Ji Ungpakorn – It has started already... Yingluk's Peua Thai Government has agreed not to touch the power of the Military. At the same time the Red Shirt demands for Democracy and Social Justice are being pushed off the political agenda.

And the Red Shirt leaders like Jatuporn Prompan, Nattawut Saikua, Tida Tawornset, Weng Tojirakarn and Sombat Boon-Ngarmanong are attempting to sell this enormous betrayal to the Red Shirt movement.

The Military must think that they have hit the jack-pot by now being able to use Peua Thai as its tool instead of the discredited Democrat Party.

First, we saw the image of Prime Minister Yingluk inspecting the floods side by side with General Paryut, the Butcher of Rajprasong. The message is clear. Prayut, who murdered almost 90 unarmed Red Shirts last year is a "friend of the Government".

Not only that, the involvement of the Army in flood relief merely adds legitimacy for the Army's role in society. It helps to justify Military control of the media and intervention in politics. Government support for the increased use of Lhse Majeste also helps to prop up the role of the Military.

Then came the Red Shirts speeches on the 5th anniversary of the 2006 coup... There are a number of issues that point to an agreement not to touch the Military.

1. Red Shirt leaders spent all their time criticising the Democrat Party and the 2006 coup. Not one of them mentioned or criticised Generals Prayut Junocha or Anupong Powchinda. These generals, along with the Democrat Party, are responsible for the killings of civilians last year.

2. Leaders like Jatuporn and Weng talked about the need to bring state killers to justice without mentioning any military names. No specific time table or details were revealed. It was like a long term "wish" which will never be put into practice. Without confronting the power of the Military, no state killers will face justice. Nattawut talked of the need to "move" or "sack" some people, without naming anyone. But he then said that we must wait for the appropriate moment. When will that be?

3. Red Shirt leaders spent all the time warning of the dangers of a new coup. When pushed too far this becomes an excuse to do nothing, especially when the greatest danger comes from the Government giving in to the Military and betraying the Red Shirts. The big question which many Red Shirts might ask in the future is "why should we defend this government, when it ignores our wishes?" So the Red Shirt leaders' calls for unity, while betraying the movement, are counter-productive.

4. Not one of the Red Shirt leaders talked about the problem of LeseMajeste. Weng even went out of his way to talk about the need to protect "Democracy with the King as Head of State".

5. Tida talked about the need to amend or re-draft the Constitution. But the question is: which clauses and for whose benefit? Will amending the Constitution reform the Military and the Judiciary and scrap Lese Majeste? I doubt it.

6. When the 2006 coup was criticised, along with the coup leader Sonti Boonyalakalin, it was suggested that General Sonti was merely a "nominee". Does this imply that he was merely a "nominee" of the King? If so, the Military is let off the hook. Worse still, since Peua Thai and the Red Shirt leaders are determined not to touch Lese Majeste and the Monarchy, the logic of all this is that "nothing can be done". In fact this is the same myth spun by the Military, who always claim that they stage coups and kill people "for the King" and that no one can challenge this.

The Red Shirts who do not wish to lie down and concede defeat, while Peua Thai constructs its agreement with the rest of the elites, will have to organise independently of the top Red Shirt leaders and Peua Thai.

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