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Thai government must hold the election this Novemb
Name °ü¸®ÀÚ Date 2018-05-28 Hits 378

                                                           < Joint Statement>

Prime Minister of Thailand mocking democracy by postponing the election day must hold the election this November as scheduled.

On January 18, an unusual incident took place at the press briefing site. Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha, who led the military coup in 2014, left a life-sized paper doll in his official residence saying ¡°Ask this person!¡± and left. Prime Minister¡¯s negative attitudes toward the media is not new. In February 2016, he limited the number of questions on the current affairs of the state to maximum four.

This absurd and temperamental attitude shown by a man so-called the Head of administration has suddenly postponed the general election scheduled in November to February next year. The Thai military, the main culprit behind the coup, has not held an election in the last four years. The National Assembly(NLA), an interim parliament led by the military, voted on a bill on parliamentary elections, one of the Four Major National Government Organization Act. With 196 votes in favor, 12 against, and 14 abstentions, on January 25, the bill got approved.

The Constitution, enacted in 2016, requires general election to be held within 150 days of the promulgation of the Four Major National Government Organization Act. Prime Minister Prayuth also said that the general election will be held in this coming November, right after the promulgation of the Four Major National Government Organization Act, based on the Constitution. Thais also accepted the November election as a general fact. But suddenly he changed his words. This is the present state of the Thai-style democracy driven by the military wielding absolute power beyond its barracks.

To the journalists asking for clarification about the incidents, the Thai Deputy Prime Minister said ¡°Do not force me to tell the exact date.¡± In a democratic country, only elections, which reflect the people¡¯s collective opinions, play the role of gathering opinions and resolving conflicts. Election is an institutional mechanism that alleviates political conflicts and enables political compromise. That is, only elections enable politics based on nonviolence. In this case, the loser accepts the result and prepares for the next election. It is a prerequisite of democracy to prevent war politics. Not revealing such a massive election day is nothing more than deceiving and mocking the public.

The problem is that not only the military but also the leading opposition, the Democratic Party and 2014 anti-government demonstrators, rejected the election. Due to denying electoral democracy that work as a mechanism of easing and compromising political conflict the electoral system has become obsolete and the situation getting worse. This is not the first time the Democrats refused to participate in the election. During the days when Thaksin Shinawatra and pro Thaksin (Phak Phuea Thai Party) were in power, the Democrats rejected the election making it a half-election. In order for democracy to be realized in Thailand, elections must be held. Election is the basic procedure of democracy. However, the Democratic Party tried to pull Thaksin down with the help of the military and it actually happened. Unless the perception of the Democratic Party changes, the coup and the militarists politics, which show some possibility of a civil war, is inevitable.

This is not it. A military court controlled by the Thai military is ruthlessly oppressing those who criticize the regime as Lèse-majesté. In 2015, a factory worker, Tanakon Siripaibun, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for satirizing the King¡¯s dog. The military is silencing and blinding the public through online censorship by arresting dozens who have criticized the royal family. According to the emergency action plan, people gathering of more than five in public places is prohibited. This behavior of the Thai military is a denial of the rights of expression and suffrage, the two of the main values of democracy.

Although democracy in Thailand has faced such a serious crisis, the Korean government has made no clear statement. In Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Korean diplomacy has only approached to economic benefits rather than democracy or human rights principles. Korean government must make diplomatic efforts to promote democracy and human rights, such as reaching out to the people who want democracy in Thailand and listening to their voices.

The public opinion on the National Council for Peace and Order(NCPO) established by the military is also not good. According to a poll conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University in the fourth-year military seized power, NCPO¡¯s evaluation score was only 5.42 out of 10. In the National Institution of Development Administration research, many responded that they wanted Phak Phuea Thai to form the next government. The public sentiment has turned against the military who focused on economic growth to appease the publics dissatisfaction but failed to achieve any success on economic growth. Due to the Phak Phuea Thai¡¯s commentary that the four pledges the military insisted right after the coup, ¡°restoration of democracy, modification of political tensions, eradication of corruption, and economic growth¡± have all failed, NCPO indicted the party members for violating the law, which was an overreaching act.

WE strongly condemn the Thai military oppressing peaceful democratization and urge Thai political forces to fully implement the following requirements.

1. Hold the elections as previously scheduled in November this year!

2. Stop human rights suppression by abusing the Lèse-majesté law (punishment for insulting the King)!

3. WE urge the military to pledge free and fair elections and swiftly carry out the transition of power to civilian government!

4. Abolish the Article 44 of the Interim Constitution and Article 116 of Criminal Code and guarantee freedom of speech, assembly and association, and expression!

5. The Democratic Party should reflect on its past errors that provided an excuse for military intervention in politics and join the groups calling for on-time implementation of elections scheduled within this year!

6. Stop the vindictive political oppression against Phak Phuea Thai

7. WE stand by the courageous activities of the pro-election groups and parties!

May 25, 2018

Korean House for International Solidarity
MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society International Solidarity Committee
Sungkonghoe University Students Longing for Recovering Democracy in Thailand

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