Stakes are high; hopes are too
Today is election day. No one can say with certainty whether today's results will help heal the social and political divide that has weighed on the country for the past decade. No one can say whether this election will help or hinder Thailand's development as a developing democracy. Only time will tell. But the stakes are potentially momentous. Today will mark the selection of 500 members of parliament entrusted with the responsibility to draft laws and enact policies that will have far-reaching consequences on the future and livelihoods of millions nationwide. Choose well we must.
Some may make their choice based on the charisma of individuals. Others may decide on the basis of loyalty to a particular party or political family. Some may even make their choice on the basis of policy promises, never mind that the platforms of both the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties are roughly similar _ each pledges to bolster the country's social safety net and public welfare spending, slash taxes and invest heavily in mass transit, agriculture and transport infrastructure.
But for many voters, a major question they hope their ballot answers is the direction Thailand will take going into the future. which according to both Abhisit Vejjajiva and Yingluck Shinawatra _ and her elder brother Thaksin _ envision quite different outcomes.
For a populace weary and wary of the divisiveness of the past several years, some common hopes are shared for what the next government can achieve.
First, a hope for peace and stability _ no more violence, no more terrorism. It is naive to expect Thailand's complex and shifting divisions to end on a single day. But debate should be contained, with the battle among beliefs fought fairly in the proper arena _ today's ballot box. Cast your vote freely, have respect for the outcome, and hope that the winner understands that the government must rule for all, not on behalf of select groups.
Second, justice must prevail. The bloody riots last year resulted in 92 deaths, hundreds of injuries and billions of baht worth of damage. Some blame black-clad soldiers. Some blame the red-clad supporters of Thaksin. Either way, there must be a reckoning, with the guilty identified, held accountable for their actions and punished under the law. The past several years have seen the rule of law tested and held in contempt all too often. Political protests and the exercise of free speech are acceptable. However, the seizure and damage of public property, such as Government House or Suvarnabhumi airport, or private property, such as CentralWorld, cannot be tolerated and those responsible must be held to account. To pretend that the events of the past several years never happened in hopes of achieving some kind of reconciliation is pure fantasy.
Third, the new government must urgently consider the current economic problems, starting with the surging cost of food and energy and the growing pains suffered by the poor. Economic risks abound, with Europe engulfed in a public debt crisis, the US economy stagnant and China struggling to curb an overheating economy. Thailand's next government will face any number of challenges in mitigating these immediate risks without ignoring the equally important task of laying the groundwork for the future by tackling the country's underlying problems with the education system, basic infrastructure and social and economic disparities.
These problems are interrelated and one cannot be solved without considering the other. The rural poor have reaped little of the economic gains achieved by the country, and are understandably seeking a fairer share. Yet their agitation is treated differently by the legal system than perhaps more heinous crimes committed by the better connected. So long as double standards remain within the political, civil and legal systems, reconciliation and peace will be impossible.
Alas, Thai history is replete with crises whitewashed in the name of expedience and with the passage of time. Forgive and forget may well be inherent within the culture, considering the aftermath of the student uprisings in 1976, when thousands of students were injured and killed in protests against a military-led government, or from the events of Black May 16 years later, which claimed thousands more casualties in protests against another military-led government.In neither case has a full reckoning ever been achieved, with the parties involved ''forgiven'', although not forgotten.
Laws left unenforced are simply scraps of paper. We must not be so quick to cover our most recent scars, and should make all attempts to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable. More strides are needed in judicial reform and respect for the basic rights and dignity of all citizens. Welfare services, education and health care must also be strengthened, with particular care for the underprivileged. Only when progress is made in these areas will peace be possible.
0 comments:
Post a Comment