It was late in the afternoon on May 22, 2014, the tanks were rolling down the streets in front of the Victory Monument. This was the day that the junta seized power.
Television channels were used to announce the coup and that was officially the end of our people’s freedom.
Voices shouted from the back of the tanks through a larger-than-human-sized speaker, saying:
‘How much did Thaksin Shinawatra pay you to get here!’
‘Go Home! Thaksin isn’t here to pay you!’
I felt enraged deep inside but couldn’t explain what it was back then. I was only a third-year law student asking for freedom. I was shocked by the way the military generalized us as ‘being paid’ to attend the rally against the junta.
This was not a paid protest. We were there to reclaim our freedom.
Over a hundred of us stood in the middle of the streets with our feet firmly on the ground. We walked up towards the tanks, demanding the junta to resign. The democratic mob wasn’t well prepared at all since everything happened overnight. We had no speakers nor microphones to help us.
Out of nowhere, the crowd yelled:
‘We don’t want the junta.’
‘We don’t want the junta.’
‘We don’t want the junta.’
Our voices were blown away as the speakers yelled back at us: ‘Go back home! The army has seized all the power!‘
A middle-aged man at the mob’s frontlines furiously confronted the tanks, demanding justice, and telling them that we will no longer tolerate this kind of oppression.
Our words and pleas fell to deaf ears; we were nothing to those men. We finally had to head back with hatred, anger, and emptiness.
Questions were running through my mind, ones that took years to discover.
Over six years under the reign of the junta, our freedom of speech was taken away and laws were used to legitimize the coup and persecute citizens that criticised the junta. But we must stay silent – ‘the government is here to maintain peace,’ the military once explained.
As we were forced to stay silent, the junta began drafting the so-called Democratic Constitution.
Military promoters announced that the new constitution will be drafted to abolish corruption, maintain peace, and to promote the three pillars of the Kingdom, which includes the Nation, Religion and the Monarch.
Voters were ‘forced’ to ‘accept’ the 2017 Constitution
The drafting process of the constitution was held over the course of three years after the coup in 2014 and was finally polished and enacted in 2017.
There was propaganda from the junta to encourage voters to accept the 2017 Constitution under the reasons of moving the country forward, peace and order, and democracy.
Those who vociferously opposed the constitution was arrested.
They abused their power under the supervision of the Referendum Act as the law prohibits any person from sharing negative opinions towards the constitutional referendum. Anyone who has opinions that are likely to become aggressive, impolite, arousing and threatening or make voters unsure of what to vote will face up to ten years in jail.
Up to 64 people may have been arrested under this law.
The Public Assembly Act 2015 was also enforced to prevent citizens from protesting as only five are allowed to stay in one place. The Criminal Act Section 116 is commonly used by police forces to imprison anyone who tends to ‘persuade’ and ‘rouse’ others to oppose the government.
Sharing information about the constitution became an imprisonable offence.
The junta used national media platforms, such as television and radio, to spread misinformation about the constitution. The government only promoted the pro-military side of the constitution through television shows, volunteers across borders, and ‘democracy’ volunteers.
A television show called ‘7 August Constitutional Referendum’ also produced propaganda video clips and applications about the constitution.
‘We promised to bring back the glory of the Kingdom.’
‘We will govern with righteousness, please trust and honour us.’
‘The Kingdom will be better soon; we will restore your happiness, citizens.’
The lyrics from the song ‘Restore happiness to Thailand’ (Kuen-Kwam-Suk-Hai-Pratet-Thai) written by the junta kept repeating on television screens and radio from day to night and night to day.
Reign of The Tigers of the East Under the 2017 Constitution
The Junta’s Constitution Drafting Committee wanted to get rid of ‘corruption’ which effectively meant eliminating Thaksin Shinawatra’s (the former prime minister) political power.
Instead it was replaced with the military’s absolute power.
The Thai Ruk Sa Chart Party and The Future Forward Party were also dissolved by the Constitutional Court.
Thai Ruk Sa Chart Party violated the election law by nominating Princess Ubolratana, the elder sister of His Majesty the King, as its prime ministerial candidate. The consequences are that fourteen executives are now banned from running in elections for ten years.
In February, the Future Forward Party was also dissolved, with its executives banned from politics for ten years for accepting 191.3 million baht from an illegitimate source.
The military may act like it is now engaged in meaningful politics but the truth is it only knows one thing and one way to act, with broad sweeping destructive powers – something it is allowed to do because of the constitution.
Much has been written about the 250 appointed senators, there is not point discussing it further. It is not democratic, never has and never will be.
Analysis: re-writing the 2017 Constitution
The 1932 coup, known as the Siamese Revolution, was a turning point that ended Absolute Monarchy and established the Constitutional Monarchy.
The first 1932 Constitution was written and paved the way for political and social reforms. There have now been over 20 constitutions written since 1932. And in most cases, the military has always intervened with the constitution drafting process, which has resulted in a persistent cycle of military coups usurping power, new leaders suspending constitutions and then legitimizing their power with a new constitution until a perceived crisis leads to another coup.
Since the birth of Thailand’s democracy in 1932, there is no evidence found that the country has fully transformed into a democratic state.
Citizens were mere outsiders in politics, to be massacred and killed when they overstep their bounds and try to stop the coup cycle.
The situation is no different today as students are once again revolting against the junta. Do we expect anything less than a heavy hand?
Most elites in Thailand have learned to love the coup, after all, they have benefited greatly, profited even. Thailand has one of the largest income gaps in the world and it continues to grow.
The elites are the loudest voices calling for the destruction of today’s student protesters. Imagine that? Old, rich people wanting the military to kill students and kids calling for a democratic constitution and democracy.
Maybe they should look in the mirror and ask who the real bad guy is.
