You are a big fan of Thaksin Shinawatra, aren't you? So you voted for the People Power Party in the general election.
Published on December 31, 2007
You are counting down to the day he will return to Thailand after living in exile abroad for more than a year. For you, he is a hero, not a devil as his enemies claim.
You can recall how much Thaksin helped you and your family after taking power in 2001.
Whether or not they were populist, those schemes of his disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party - including the Village Fund, Bt30 medical scheme, People's Bank, One Tambon One Product (Otop) and CEO governor - made you think: "Finally, someone cares about me."
Thaksin made you feel you did not have to live under the yoke of elite groups any longer. He imposed bureaucratic reform. It was great for the country, you think. At the end of the day, you believe Thaksin accomplished his job in allowing ordinary people to have their say.
They called Thaksin a corrupt, brutal leader. But you didn't believe them. Claims of unjustified killings in his war against drugs and of corruption to benefit his wealth were only allegations.
For you, anti-Thaksin rallies were illegitimate as they were just a campaign by his enemies who lost benefits from his party's schemes. They wanted to oust him but failed at the ballot box.
Then they sent tanks onto the streets. They told you Thaksin was no longer your leader because he was so corrupt and disloyal to the monarchy. They said they were better men and promised to give you a better life.
"All right," you said. What more could you do when you were faced with soldiers and guns?
Then they hit Thaksin with a number of charges. They dissolved Thai Rak Thai. They told you to approve the new constitution. You thought these actions were unfair to you, to Thaksin, and to the country.
Look at them after a year in power. They are richer. You are poorer. When you cried foul over unfair treatment, they called you an idiot who still dreamt of the corrupt leader.
When the Election Commission set December 23 to hold the first election since the military coup of September 19, 2006, you were told to exercise your vote as a good citizen. They said it would be the first step to restore Thailand's democracy.
Democracy? You don't think it ever existed, do you? If it did, you wonder why your elected prime minister was ousted by the coup.
Anyway, as a good citizen, you told yourself to go to the ballot. You had heard the PPP was a new party of Thaksin, so your choice was for People Power men. If the party won, you believed Thaksin could return to be prime minister in the near future.
As the clock ticked away to the election, you started counting down to the day. You could not hide how much you hoped for from this election.
"I love Thaksin. I will vote for the PPP." You were telling the whole world that, weren't you?
Your reason is simple. Once Thaksin is back in power, you are sure he will help you to have a good life again. The PPP promises to continue Thai Rak Thai schemes. You have waited for the return of the good old days under Thaksin.
They kept saying how careful you should be in casting your ballots. "Vote for the good men, the honest candidates," they campaigned.
As with democracy, you don't believe one single politician in this country is honest. How much money in state coffers do they give to people? Only a businessman like Thaksin, you believe, is best at delivering this job.
Then the election came. This was the first chance in 15 months for you, not his enemies, to give justice "directly" to Thaksin.
It was an easy job. You voted for People Power candidates. The result? The PPP won the poll with 233 of 480 House seats, while the rival Democrat Party came second with 165 seats.
Your heart was full of joy. The PPP will form the next government. Thaksin will return. Life is not that easy, though.
When the winner was not their choice, they called you a stupid, uneducated idiot. It was only because you voted for the Thaksin party. They said they had to accept the result because many people like you still loved to vote for those evil choices.
You believe that if the result had been the other way round, they would have said this country was full of wise men.
You wonder what the value of the election is when the losers do not accept their defeat.
Doesn't democracy give people freedom of expression and participation? Is one vote for Thaksin sinful while a vote for his opponents is glorious? Is the election just a new way of dividing people into social classes?
Questions continue to play on your mind.
Weerayut Chokchaimadon
The Nation
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Published on December 31, 2007
You are counting down to the day he will return to Thailand after living in exile abroad for more than a year. For you, he is a hero, not a devil as his enemies claim.
You can recall how much Thaksin helped you and your family after taking power in 2001.
Whether or not they were populist, those schemes of his disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party - including the Village Fund, Bt30 medical scheme, People's Bank, One Tambon One Product (Otop) and CEO governor - made you think: "Finally, someone cares about me."
Thaksin made you feel you did not have to live under the yoke of elite groups any longer. He imposed bureaucratic reform. It was great for the country, you think. At the end of the day, you believe Thaksin accomplished his job in allowing ordinary people to have their say.
They called Thaksin a corrupt, brutal leader. But you didn't believe them. Claims of unjustified killings in his war against drugs and of corruption to benefit his wealth were only allegations.
For you, anti-Thaksin rallies were illegitimate as they were just a campaign by his enemies who lost benefits from his party's schemes. They wanted to oust him but failed at the ballot box.
Then they sent tanks onto the streets. They told you Thaksin was no longer your leader because he was so corrupt and disloyal to the monarchy. They said they were better men and promised to give you a better life.
"All right," you said. What more could you do when you were faced with soldiers and guns?
Then they hit Thaksin with a number of charges. They dissolved Thai Rak Thai. They told you to approve the new constitution. You thought these actions were unfair to you, to Thaksin, and to the country.
Look at them after a year in power. They are richer. You are poorer. When you cried foul over unfair treatment, they called you an idiot who still dreamt of the corrupt leader.
When the Election Commission set December 23 to hold the first election since the military coup of September 19, 2006, you were told to exercise your vote as a good citizen. They said it would be the first step to restore Thailand's democracy.
Democracy? You don't think it ever existed, do you? If it did, you wonder why your elected prime minister was ousted by the coup.
Anyway, as a good citizen, you told yourself to go to the ballot. You had heard the PPP was a new party of Thaksin, so your choice was for People Power men. If the party won, you believed Thaksin could return to be prime minister in the near future.
As the clock ticked away to the election, you started counting down to the day. You could not hide how much you hoped for from this election.
"I love Thaksin. I will vote for the PPP." You were telling the whole world that, weren't you?
Your reason is simple. Once Thaksin is back in power, you are sure he will help you to have a good life again. The PPP promises to continue Thai Rak Thai schemes. You have waited for the return of the good old days under Thaksin.
They kept saying how careful you should be in casting your ballots. "Vote for the good men, the honest candidates," they campaigned.
As with democracy, you don't believe one single politician in this country is honest. How much money in state coffers do they give to people? Only a businessman like Thaksin, you believe, is best at delivering this job.
Then the election came. This was the first chance in 15 months for you, not his enemies, to give justice "directly" to Thaksin.
It was an easy job. You voted for People Power candidates. The result? The PPP won the poll with 233 of 480 House seats, while the rival Democrat Party came second with 165 seats.
Your heart was full of joy. The PPP will form the next government. Thaksin will return. Life is not that easy, though.
When the winner was not their choice, they called you a stupid, uneducated idiot. It was only because you voted for the Thaksin party. They said they had to accept the result because many people like you still loved to vote for those evil choices.
You believe that if the result had been the other way round, they would have said this country was full of wise men.
You wonder what the value of the election is when the losers do not accept their defeat.
Doesn't democracy give people freedom of expression and participation? Is one vote for Thaksin sinful while a vote for his opponents is glorious? Is the election just a new way of dividing people into social classes?
Questions continue to play on your mind.
Weerayut Chokchaimadon
The Nation
Discuss
Add this link to...
Tell a friend
Bury
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