The skywalk is just right there, perhaps not more than 10 metres away, yet the people – old, young and parents with little children – run across the streets illegally and dangerously, rather than just take the time and use the skywalk, legally and properly.
So when it comes to political conflict, it is not a wonder that those involved would rather resort to the illegal and the dangerous, rather than rely on what is legal and proper, the democratic process.
Why? Convenience, laziness, recklessness, a penchant for quick fixes with no mind to the consequences, this also explains the plastic surgery craze. Hence we are where we are today. Thailand today is not the big mango, it’s the big mess. But here's another chance where we can turn to the democratic process, the legal and proper way to do things.
When an issue is so controversial and so contentious that it threatens to pull society apart, the democratic process has a failsafe; it is called a public referendum. Presently, arguments abound on whether or not we should hold one on the issue of charter amendment.
The proposed charter amendment by the Pheu Thai government may lead to amnesty for all those involved in the political conflicts since the September 2006 military coup d'etat. But that’s a secondary issue.
The primary issue is Section 309 of the constitution, which gives legal protection to the Assets Scrutiny Committee which brought former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's case to court. This could be nullified.
Let’s cut the BS and get to the point. This is first and foremost about the return and exoneration of Thaksin. Thailand’s dilemma may have been decades in the making. There might be many characters both visible and invisible in this present conflict. But this referendum is primarily about one man.
Instead of being coy and cryptic, it would be nice if the Pheu Thai party admits this because, at least in the eye of this writer, if that’s what the majority of the people want, so be it. Honesty is such a lonely word, don’t you think? And if the opposition Democrat Party wants to fight this tooth and nail, so be it.
Hold this public referendum and if the votes swing Pheu Thai’s way, then pop the corks and roll out the red carpet. If the votes swing the Democrat’s way, then see you in Dubai, or Macau, or Singapore, or Hong Kong, or Cambodia.
There, the issue ends, or so it should.
The reason why even a public referendum itself is controversial and contentious is because we the people and politicians of Thailand do not like a measuring stick. We prefer to wing it and change the rules as we go along, make up stuff us we go along.
But dear people and politicians, we need a standard, a measuring stick; otherwise there is no rhyme to our thoughts nor reason to our actions. A measuring stick is a benchmark, quality assurance, standard measurement, ISO certificate, grading and examination and more.
When we don’t have a benchmark, we corrupt our words and actions. Take an easy example of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). How the term “democracy” makes it into these two brands is a testament of making up stuff as we go along. It’s George Orwell’s pigs walking on two legs.
An even better example: a democratic military coup against a democratically elected prime minister! This is pigs hopping on one leg.
Some of us want Thaksin, the kingdom’s prodigal son, to come back and rule. Some of us want Thaksin, the kingdom’s petulant son of a (fill in the blank), to rot on foreign soil for the rest of his life.
Fine, fair enough for both sides, but how do we solve this? We solve this by using the failsafe of democracy, a public referendum.
Ahead of the referendum, the Democrats and the anti-Thaksin can campaign, persuade, propagate and character-assassinate as they please. Likewise, Pheu Thai and the Thaksinistas can campaign, persuade, propagate and character-assassinate as they wish. It’s in the spirit of democracy.
Then, we have it out in the referendum.
Whatever the result, we accept. Why? This is because we are not crying and whining little children, but are educated adults who respect the democratic process and appreciates this democratic failsafe for an issue so contentious and controversial it is driving society further and further apart.
And yes, at the end of it we might have to brace ourselves for his imminent return to power. Indeed, the democratic process may lead to Thaksin becoming prime minister again.
It would be wiser to keep Yingluck Shinawatra as prime minister, but in a clash of wisdom and ego, look for the latter to triumph more often than not, especially for the man in question. But even in this, we the people of Thailand must accept, because we are educated, responsible adults, or at least we should aspire to be.
If Thaksin, as prime minster, corrupts to enrich his clan and cronies; if he exploits power, abuses human rights and threatens freedom of speech, then we march. Not with tanks and troops. Not with sticks and stones, buckets of blood, mysterious men in black, or an arsenal of M79 grenade launchers, but with conviction in the democratic process and the integrity to stand up for it.
For Thai politics to mature, we must take the skywalk. Sure, it takes more time. Of course, it’s more tiring. Yes, it takes patience. But if Thai politics is parents dragging little kids across the street against oncoming cars, then don’t be surprised if and when we all get run over by a bus.
