A Coup on the Horizon?

This week a Puea Thai MP stated that there would definitely be a military coup in October of this year. Surapong Towichakchaikul, a Chiang Mai MP, said on Friday that he had  information which led to the belief that there would definitely be a coup. Apparently the potential coup makers have already drafted a new constitution and have hand picked a general, whose name begins with a “P”, to be the new Prime Minister.

Puea Thai chairman, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, has also received this information but it differs from what the MP had heard. The chairman’s information on the pending coup was generally positive for Thailand as a whole whereas the information received by Chiang Mai MP Surapong Towichakchaikul had very negative connotations for Thailand.

The reasons outlined for the military to stage a new coup were as follows:

1. There were rifts in political parties.  MPs had started to switch parties.  Politicians were up for sale despite being in a democratic system. This was a collapse of democracy.

2. Politicians had blatantly indulged in corruption.  Financiers behind political parties had openly sought interests from politics.

3. Appointments of government officials had been plagued with injustice.  Positions had been put up for sale.  The bureaucratic system had been destroyed.

4. People in society were seriously divided, beyond repair.

October is seen as a perfect month for a coup because that is when the new fiscal year starts in Thailand and the leaders would be better prepared to safeguard the peoples tax money.  Another reason October is seen to be the month of a new coup is because general elections will be taking place and it is believed that the Puea Thai Party will gain a strong foot hold in the government which will be seen as unacceptable by many Bangkokonians.

The Chiang Mai MP released this information, he says, in hopes that it will detract from those plotting a coup and bring to light their actions. Although the very same MP has no problems if there is a coup as long as it is for the betterment of Thailand.

With a long history of coups in Thailand’s past it is easily conceivable that another is around the corner. With 19 Red shirt leaders receiving jail sentences just two weeks ago for their part in the past year of protests and the lingering anger in the rural countryside still unabated anything can happen.

What Thailand’s future holds is anyone’s guess, but there are still dark times ahead unless someone steps forward that has all of Thailand in his or her heart and can bridge the divide that grows larger daily.

While there were many stories on Thailand in the news this week this was the one most under reported and clearly the one that should be on peoples minds…I’ll leave it at that for this week.