Giles Ji Ungpakorn
Democratic elections cannot be organised in a country which is ruled by the Military and non-democratic politicians who have so much contempt for Democracy that they organise and support a military coup and order the deliberate shooting of unarmed pro-democracy demonstrators. Thailand today is such a country.
Neither can free or fair elections be held in a society where there is no freedom of expression and freedom to access information. The present military-backed government in Thailand is using draconian censorship of the internet and community media and it controls all mainstream media outlets. It also uses the lèse majesté and computer crimes laws to jail those who express views contrary to the Government and the Military.
In the run up to this year’s announced elections, the Military, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Electoral Commission, with support from the Democrat Party Government, are taking further steps to fix this election. It will not be anything so crude as stuffing ballot boxes or miscounting votes, however. It will be structural fraud.
The Military and DSI have now accused Red Shirt leaders of lèse majesté. The DSI has said that it can charge people with this law for merely using “body language” like clapping or smiling when someone else makes a speech. The Electoral Commission has also suggested that any political party which mentions the Monarchy, in whatever light, can be banned and dissolved. This will create the conditions where the rule can be selectively used against the Red Shirt Peua Thai Party. The Military have also been proclaiming that the election will be between pro- and anti- Monarchy parties. This sets the scene for the election.
This is a high risk strategy. The elites are extremely worried by the election, but also desperately need to gain legitimacy by actually winning for once. Only the fascist PAD want elections scrapped altogether. Disgracefully, this PAD sentiment is echoed by one key Election Commissioner!
But the actions of the Military since the 2006 coup, including the phobia and increased repression over lèse majesté can only push more Thais into the republican camp.
Previous to this, the conservative elites have changed the election rules and the structures of power to favour their side in many different ways:
- “Normalising” Military intervention by staging the 2006 coup, rewriting the Constitution and appointing pro-military Senators.
- Using draconian censorship and Military and Government control of the mainstream media in order to try to sway public opinion.
- Appointing conservative royalists to the Election Commission and the National Human Rights Commission. The Election Commission can disqualify Red Shirt politicians at the next election under weak pretexts if necessary.
- Using the biased courts, since the 2006 coup, to dissolve Thai Rak Thai and Palang Prachachon Parties and to ban some of their best known politicians, while letting the Democrat Party get off scot-free.
- Tinkering with the election process has tipped the balance in favour of the minority Democrat Party, which is supported by the Military. There have been measures to place greater weight on “party list” MPs. The method for selecting these MPs, plus the suggestion that the political party with most party list members, excluding constituency MPs, should have the right to form a Government, is part of this process.
- Increased use of the lèse majesté and computer crimes laws against any opposition and the use of lethal violence against demonstrators has been designed to cause fear and demoralisation among Red Shirts.
- The use of threats and bribes to urge corrupt politicians to side with the Democrat Party was used to form help the present regime. It can be done again. The conclusion is that this year’s election, if held on time, will definitely not be free or fair. Red Shirts will have to continue to organise and protest to demand real political change. We need to scrap draconian censorship laws, totally reform the Military and the Judiciary, release all political prisoners, punish the Generals and politicians who ordered the killing of civilians and we need to make
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