July 5, 2011
Lessons from Thailand: Rejection of Authoritarian Rule
by Dr. Bridget Welsh@www.malaysiakini.com
COMMENT: The landslide feat of Thailands Pheu Thai (PT) in Sundays parliamentary choosing reflects broader trends which have been affecting South-East Asia, together with Malaysia. The Thai people in the transparent charge signalled which they wanted improved as great as fairer governance as great as overwhelmingly deserted the authoritarian order of Abhisit Vejjajivas Democrat Party.
It is critical to understand which Abhisit was in office by the manoeuvre as great as what many understand to be unfair decisions by the courts as great as anti-corruption bodies, similar to what had taken place in Perak.
Thailands choosing upon Sunday sent the transparent summary disqualification the 2006 troops manoeuvre as great as rejecting the increasingly draconian stairs in Thailand which included banning of Twitter upon choosing day, crackdowns upon pacific protest, arrests for commenting upon the monarchy, as great as banning of air wave stations.
While Thailand stays widely separated in between the reds in the farming areas as great as yellows strong in Bangkok, as great as substantial doubt surrounds the purpose of the military, the stately passing from the single to another as great as the return of Thaksin Shinawatra, the choosing is seen as minimally the step toward reconciliation as great as peoples power.
Important Lessons
As such, Thailands choosing is the watershed eventu! ality fo r democracy in the region. Given the close vicinity of Thailand to Malaysia as great as the close personal ties in between former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit as great as Malaysias Premier! Najib A bdul Razak, it is critical to flesh out some of the critical lessons in Sundays vote.
1. Anti-democratic crackdowns show up leaders: Despite the Democrats winning many of the seats in Bangkok, the large share of the votes went to PT. Throughout Bangkok, posters of Abhisit were lame as great as many were ripped down altogether as annoy over the killings in May 2010 as great as successive arrests for pacific protest remained. When leaders cross the boundaries of civility, electorate remember.
Malaysia is not defence to this materialisation as well, as many electorate stop the raising of the kris
during the 2005 UMNO general assembly as great as the Hindraf crackdown, to name though the couple of examples.
South-East Asians have long memories. One has to look to the Khmer Rouge trials under way in Cambodia to know which calls for probity when misapplication has occurred survive. The opinion in Thailand sent the transparent vigilance which channel red lines literally sharpened upon red protestors as great as killing an estimated 90 people after danger is not acceptable.
2. Party picture counts: The picture as great as behaviour of domestic parties can shroud individual leaders. The Democrat Party under Abhisit worked tough to hoard support. It spent more income upon populist policies than Thaksins government, as great as was earnest in the overdo efforts. Yet, the picture of the Democrat Party as the single connected to bankers after the 1997 crisis as great as scored equally to coming in to energy by ! the mano euvre could not be revamped.
The picture pen which permeated the many was its elitism, distance from typical people. Although the celebration responded by taking advantage of brand new debate messaging cinema of the PM with typical folk the clarity which the Democrat Party was still in the old mode persisted. This celebration h! as not w upon the inhabitant choosing given 1992.
Despite all the efforts by Abhisit, his celebration proved unable to transform, to leave at the back of the baggage of the past as great as suggest the brand new face by substantive reform. Voters across the segment know if the celebration is unequivocally reforming as great as genuinely joining to people.
3. Need for inhabitant base: Abhisits celebration was not the inhabitant party, as great as when the votes were counted, it showed. An interest to the single geographic or ethnic bottom does not have for inhabitant leadership as great as engender confidence. If the celebration aims to rely upon the single village or region, it in conclusion creates more instability as great as doubt for itself as great as the country.
This action promotes polarisation as great as anger, not the solid foundation to oversee from. In Malaysia, it is not sufficient to reason upon to energy from the single segment or community. This election, the PT picked up 1 million votes in Thailands executive segment by overdo to different communities, creation it in to the more inhabitant party.
4. Machinery is important: This choosing was as much about machine than inhabitant messaging. Both leading parties won in the areas where they did their groundwork as great as mobilised voters.
Whether it was the PT north-eastern heartland or the Democrat south, the legwork as great as networks connected to support. Parties which win long-lasting await do so by tough work as great as an early presence upon the ground.
5. Never bar groups of people: PTs strength came from his ability to recognise as great as apply oneself typical voters, generally the farming communities. While Malaysia is much more urban than Thailand, the Malaysian share of seats from the farming areas is high. Campaigns which focus upon urbanites as great as focus development programmes upon the cities, out of the corporate mold, leave at the back of communities as great as widen the gap in between the haves as great as have-nots.
The faithfulness of the farming areas to PT stemmed from the clarity of inclusion, of appreciation. Rural Malaysi! the from Kedah to Sarawak is being partially left out of development compared to Selangor as great as Penang. East Malaysia in particular is being left out. Thailands choosing is the wake-up call for greater inclusion as great as the need for the brand new paradigm not formed upon race, though place.
6. Adopt decentralised people-centred policies: The faithfulness of PT electorate was scored equally to concrete policy initiatives in illness care as great as development. Under Thaksin, governance decisions were decentralised as great as internal communities were given more energy to have decisions for their communities.
When ownership is fostered in communities, joined with the priorities upon simple tellurian needs, people remember. They remember the Thaksin duration as successful, in partial given they were given the purpose in governance.
7. Treat electorate with respect: With the focus upon colour politics, red as great as yellow, there is mostly the mistaken clarity which electorate in Thailand have been not sophisticated, an picture reinforced by the assault of 2010 as great as mass mobilisation given 2005.
In fact, Thai electorate have been partially well-informed as great as done clever reflective decisions. Rural electorate knew their votes counted as great as embraced their county duty to vote. Campaigns were forced to broach improved! message s to win support, with programmes as great as policies. The days of simplified faithfulness to the celebration have been long gone in Thailand. This direction is regional, from Indonesia to Singapore. Voters expect to be wooed with respect, with transparent celebration platforms as great as great candidates.
8. Embrace women for victory: With the choosing of Thailands first woman Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, an critical roof in Thai governing body has been broken. Comparatively, women in Thailand have traditionally had between the lowest domestic illustration in the region. With the woman during the helm, there is right divided an event for greater gender inclusion.
This choosing was arguably the most! feminis ed in Thai history, with the jot down series of womanlike possibilities as great as jot down series of successes. Historically, parties which have embraced women in Malaysia, primarily UMNO, after MCA, DAP as great as PKR, as great as more not long ago PAS as great as PBB, have picked up support.
9. Recognise flaws in choosing processes: The choosing upon Sunday was marred in many ways. There have been concerns about list seasoned mixture as great as income politics, nonetheless electorate in Thailand similar to those in Indonesia have long moved divided from being convinced quite by money.
Over 1 million votes were spoilt upon Sunday. The main cause appears to be the difficult inlet of the list papers, as electorate continue to be confused by the celebration list as great as constituency electoral systems adopted. This points to the need for improved voter education, something which Malaysia partially lacks.
While the choosing was peaceful, critical questions surround the autonomy of the choosing commission. It is critical for any supervision in any segment which an choosing routine be the single of integrity.
10. Election is not everyth! ing: Sundays polls have been the step brazen for Thailand. The burden upon PT is to oversee to select the great team, to prove to be genuine in reconciliation, to set policy priorities as great as implement great policies. They right divided have the window to carry out their mandate.
There have been many clouds which threaten fortitude as great as democracy in Thailand the military, the yellow shirts, Thaksin (left with Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen) as great as the fast stately passing from the single to another have been the many pressing. There have been critical issues to residence from the economy to border issues in the south as great as with Cambodia.
It is critical to stop which Thaksins tenure was marred by corruption as great as authoritaria! nism as great as electorate in Thailand be concerned which his sister will not be her own person. The stairs ahead have been as critical as the choosing itself. Thailand similar to Malaysia is in dire need of statesmanlike leadership which apply oneself elections as great as strengthens the nation by apply oneself of all groups as great as strengthening institutions.
The Thai people spoke out upon Sunday as great as sent the transparent summary of change. There is goal in Thailand for reconciliation as great as improved government. At this juncture in Malaysia, Thailand provides some valuable lessons indeed.
DR BRIDGET WELSH is Associate Professor of domestic science during Singapore Management University as great as she can be reached at bwelsh@smu.edu.sg
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