BANGKOK (IPS) - As they makes half-hearted attempts to restore democracy in Thailand, the country's elites that profited most from last September's coup are in two minds about the role of elections and public participation in the future.
Thai democracy can do without either goes the thinking among a section of the country's political leadership, sections of academia and even the judiciary -- members of which were hand-picked by the junta that staged the country's 18th coup with plans to redraw its political map.
This oligarchy is leaving no room for doubt as to who it has in mind in attempting to erect this wall of exclusion -- the rural poor. Anti-poor and anti-election rhetoric is visible in the newly released draft of the country's 18th constitution and the arguments that support it. ... Full story
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"In economic life there is extreme inequality and exploitation. Although colonialism no longer exists openly in the political and economic sphere, still it persists indirectly, and this should not be tolerated... In this respect you should remember that in economic life, we will have to guarantee the minimum requirements of life to one and all... There cannot be any sort of adjustment as far as this point is concerned. The minimum purchasing requirement must be guaranteed to all. Today these fundamental essentialities are not being guaranteed. Rather, people are being guided by deceptive economic ideas like outdated Marxism, which has proven ineffective in practical life and has not been successfully implemented in any corner of the world. Why do people still believe in such a theory, which has never been proved successful? The time has come for people to make a proper assessment of whether they are being misguided or not." |
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"Human beings have still not been able to form a human society, and have still not learned to move with the spirit of a pilgrim. Although many small groups, motivated by self-interest, work together in particular situations, not even a small fraction of their work is done with a broader social motive. By strict definition, shall we have to declare that each small family unit is a society in itself? If going ahead in mutual adjustment only out of narrow self-interest or momentary self-seeking is called society, then in such a society, no provision can be made for the disabled, the diseased or the helpless, because in most cases nobody can benefit from them in any way... in that case there always remains the possibility of some people getting isolated from the collective. All human beings must attach themselves to others by the common bond of love and march forward hand in hand; then only will I proclaim it a society." |