The Thai people's dissatisfaction with the military not only destroyed democracy, but also because of the corruption of the military group and the monopoly of various resources for the country.Every time the Thai soldiers work in politics, the soldier group occupies a large number of key positions, and a large amount of wealth has been taken.
Wang Qingmin
On September 19, a large -scale parade demonstration broke out in Thailand. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the center of the capital Bangkok City, expressing their dissatisfaction with the lack of democracy and the people's livelihood crisis.procession.Hundreds of demonstrators in Thailand's political opposition to MDASH; MDASH; Thai State Legislative University, and hundreds of demonstrators held rally.
It is worthy of special attention that this demonstration has shouted the slogan of defeating the feudal and people's long lives, with a strong anti -king power color.Although demonstrations often occur in Thailand, they are mostly targeted at soldiers or secular governments; this demonstration is rare to express the anti -royal street movement since the 1980s.
What is the background of the outbreak of the demonstration?Why does it also include the political appeal of the anti -king power while opposing the military administration?What roles do political oppositions in Thailand play in demonstrations?What impact does demonstration have on Thailand?
Talking about Thailand's demonstration today must go back to its political history.Although since the 1930s, Thailand (the country named Siam at that time) had established a political structure of constitutional democracy, but it did not achieve real democratic politics.In the past century, Thai politics has been swaying between the king and civil rights, the soldiers and the civilians, the left and right wings, and the process of democracy is twists and turns.
The monarch has greater political influence
In nominal, Thailand implements a constitutional monarchy, but unlike the countries such as the British and other monarchs, the Thai monarch has greater actual influence on politics, playing an important role in the national political system and Thai society.The late king Pu Meipong relied on extraordinary personal charm and superb political wrist, repeatedly involved in major political events and established a lofty political authority, and also made the monarchy in Thai politics stronger.
Military is another key role in Thai politics.Thailand is one of the largest number of military coup in the world, and the military administration is the norm.Since the opening of Thailand's political modernization in 1932, it has been led by the military or soldier group for more than 60 years, far surpassing the governance time of the civilian government.
Because soldiers have an indispensable role in cracking down on rebellions and maintaining social stability, military groups are in a high weight in Thailand.While the Thai military group is pursuing the national economic modernization, it is relatively cold to political democracy, and even often disrupts the democracy for some political purposes.The most infamous thing is tantamount to the Law and Government University Holocaust in 1976. The soldiers and right -wing quasi -military organizations killed 46 students and arrested more than 3,000.
There is a delicate relationship between the military and the royal family.In 1932, aimed to oppose the monarchy's autocratic revolution, soldiers participated.More often, the Thai military group is a reliable political allies of the royal family and a firm force to defend the monarchy.For example, in the second half of the last century, the Thai socialist movement rose, and the left -wing forces led by the Communist Party of China advocated the abolition of the royal family and the implementation of the republic, and soldiers were the main force to suppress the left -wing forces.For example, from 1960 to the 1980s, the Thai military's successful siege of the Thai Communist Armed Forces has re -established the royal family that was crumbling.
When Daxin, which rose in the 1990s, won the extensive support of the peasant class with the majority of Thailand, and was elected as the Prime Minister in 2001, the Thai royal family and soldiers have a common opponent.The prestige of Daxin made the royal family worry, and the military group, who had long controlled the Thai political situation for a long time, was also dissatisfied with Daxin.
However, Daxin has the support of more than half of the voters and cannot make him step down through democratic methods.So in 2006, the royal family acquiesced by a coup launched by the soldiers.After the coup, Daxin was forced to exile overseas, and his Tai Aitai Party was ordered to be disbanded soon.
But at this time, Daxin's political forces in Thailand were deeply rooted.In 2007, he was also in politics to the people.As a result, the soldiers and the royal family also manipulated the judicial by the Constitutional Court to dissolve the party.In 2011, the Thai party led by Daxin's sister Yingla, representing Daxin's forces to make a comeback, and won the election again. Yingla was elected Prime Minister.In 2014, the military launched a coup again, and Yingla was forced to exile.Since then, Thailand has begun a five -year military government.
In 2019, the Military Government once again announced the repayment of politics to the people and held the House elections.Disguise allows the majority of the military group to firmly control the majority of the two courts.Later, the military's Bayu indeed relied on such a political design and was successfully elected as the Prime Minister of Thailand.
In February this year, the Thai Constitution Court influenced by the military also ordered the third largest party of the parliament and the future of the future of the party, which clearly opposed the military government, and judged that 11 major members of the party leader Tanatong banned the political participation for 10 years.It is also deprived.This is exactly the same as the act of the Taisai Party and the People's Forces of the Constitutional Court of the Constitutional Court. It is not a manifestation of the rule of law at all, but a political judgment with a strong tendency.
Dissatisfaction with the Valley Group's corruption
Therefore, it is limited to return politics this time, and it is based on the premise of protecting the military's control of political leadership.One of the reasons for the outbreak of this demonstration was the people's dissatisfaction with the people's dissatisfaction with the destruction of democracy, manipulating politics, private use, and suppressing aliens.
The Thai people's dissatisfaction with the military not only destroyed democracy, but also because of the corruption of the military group and the monopoly of various resources for the country.Every time the Thai soldiers work in politics, the soldier group occupies a large number of key positions, and a large amount of wealth has been taken.Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Bavavi wearing a brand -name watch at the inauguration ceremony, which caused the uproar, is enough to explain how angry the people are for the luxury and corruption of the military group.
As mentioned earlier, the military group's dare to do unscrupulous administration, which is inseparable from the support of the royal family or acquiescence.Many Thai people have also known about the political collusion between the military and the royal family for decades.Therefore, the people are also increasingly dissatisfied with the royal family.
But in the past, due to the lofty reputation of Pu Meipong and the psychology of the people's respect for the royal family, most citizens were unwilling to directly criticize the royal family.During his tenure, Pu Mei Peng often showed people with the image of an enlightened monarch, and personally mediated the conflict between soldiers and civilians.At the same time, very few Thai political active people who dare to criticize the royal family often receive heavy torture, with a prison for up to 35 years.In Eunwei, the national evaluation content of the royal family was mostly praised, and the negative issues were silent.
Thailand today is different.First of all, Pu Meipong, who was overwhelming, had died, and the new Thai king Kaji Laronki had a poor reputation before the successor. After the throne, he not only did not have the prestige of his father, but the family also had scandals.This makes the Thai citizens' awe of the royal family.With the awakening of the Thai people's awareness of civil rights, the increasingly deepening of collusion between the royal family and the soldiers, and now the large -scale demonstration campaign that both anti -military administration and anti -royal power are finally outbreak.
The participants of this demonstration event were naturally indispensable for the Daxin faction with the soldiers and the royal family.Although the Daxin faction has been repeatedly hit, they have been deeply rooted in the people, and they still survive in Thailand's politics.For example, the Thai party led by Yingla was the largest party in the House of Representatives in the 2019 election.Of course, the Daxin faction hopes to overthrow the government led by the soldiers as soon as possible, and it is against Daxin and Yingla.Their mobilization ability was amazing. In 2010, the Red Shirts demonstrated their number and strong motivation.This is destined to play an important role in this demonstration.
Another important force in the demonstration is a political opposition with elites as the backbone and citizen class as the main body.This forces used to be the same as the Daxin faction representing the peasant class and populist.Today, they see the threat of the military group to democratic politics, and they chose to jointly resist the military government andGong rights politics.
These people generally have a high degree of education and citizenship, especially young people in them. They generally have a stronger sense of civil rights and political participation than the old generation.They hope that Thailand will become a real democratic country at an early date, not in the shadow of soldiers and royal family.
However, it seems that the reality of Thai soldiers and excessive monarchy is difficult to change fundamentally because of this protest of demonstration.The military group has a deep foundation in Thailand and has a long history of drying in politics.The royal family has hundreds of years of history. Although it is now defeated, it is still a symbol of the country's existence in most Thai people and the patron saint of the subjects.Nowadays, the people who are involved in demonstrations are just a few who are not silent.
Although this demonstration cannot immediately change the status quo of Democratic Democracy by soldiers and kingship, it is enough to clearly express the desire of the Thai people to change.Thailand should indeed reform politics and carry forward democracy, end the bad tradition of soldiers in the past century, and make more restrictions on the power of monarchs to realize the real government.
The author is the writer of China Strategic Analysis Magazine
International political researcher, writer
