Protest a worrying sign

Bangkok Post

2 days ago

The protest at Victory Monument on Saturday brought back memories of the last two street demonstrations which rocked the capital in recent years -- the protest organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the rallies held by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) against his sister, Yingluck.
Both protests ultimately failed to remove the leaders from power. However, they paved the way for two military coups to happen -- the first was led by Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, and the latest by Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
On Saturday, Thai politics seemed to have come full circle, with old faces from the PDRC and PAD back to protesting on the streets, this time under the banner of the "Ruam Palang Paen Din Pok Pong Athipatai", or the United Power of the Land to Protect Sovereignty, group.
Despite the heavy rain over the weekend, at least 10,000 people reportedly showed up to the peaceful rally to back the push to remove yet another prime minister from the Shinawatra family from office -- this time, Thaksin's daughter, Paetongtarn. The embattled PM is at the centre of the political crisis, which stemmed from the leaked recording of her conversation with former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, in which she could be heard promising to do what he wanted to de-escalate the situation along the border.
If history is any indication, then this protest movement is destined to fail. Indeed, all street protests over the past two decades -- including those staged by the red shirts and the Democracy Restoration Group (DRG) -- failed to achieve their goal of booting the prime minister from office.
However, the latest protest is a cause for concern. During the demonstration, veteran protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul told the crowds which gathered on Saturday that he wouldn't object "if the military does something".
Equally worrying is the ultranationalist rhetoric which accompanied his coup-friendly attitude. At the protest, he encouraged the government to reclaim areas along the border which now belong to Cambodia. Such hardline rhetoric truly has no place in today's society.
His comments faced a backlash from both the ruling coalition and the opposition, forcing the group to issue a statement to reassure the public that the group isn't calling for a military coup.
This, however, isn't enough. To ensure peace, a political campaign or protest must be geared towards promoting democracy through inclusive dialogue and educating the public about the need for a democratic solution and just policies.
In fact, Mr Sondhi's remarks spoiled the group's political momentum. The Pheu Thai Party and People's Party have officially blasted the group, accusing it of trying to overthrow the government and undermine democracy by calling for a military putsch.
The war of words which followed Saturday's protest suggests Thai politics is about to reach a dead end once more. Street protests and political rhetoric will not bring about real change and improvement.
The leaders of all protest movements must remember that people -- regardless of their political inclinations -- turn to street protest because they lack trust in their elected lawmakers.
To prevent violent street protests or even a military coup, lawmakers and political parties must work to show that they exist to protect public interests, not their own political goals.
Without trust, the centre will not hold.