Prayut should take heed of EU turbulence

Prayut should take heed of EU turbulence

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha: 'I won't resign'.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha: 'I won't resign'.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha won't do a Cameron. The Thai charter referendum and the British one on European Union (EU) membership are different. The British patient suffers from illnesses that are different from those afflicting this sick man of Asia.

As the fallout from Brexit rumbles on around the globe, one man was standing firm as he drew a clear-cut conclusion from the historic event most world leaders are struggling to make sense of.

"I won't resign. I set my own rules," Gen Prayut said Monday.

His defiant statement came after top politicians including leader of the Democrat Party Abhisit Vejjajiva called on him to follow the example of British PM David Cameron and take responsibility if the government-sponsored draft charter fails in the Aug 7 referendum.

Atiya Achakulwisut is Contributing Editor, Bangkok Post.

The responsibility belongs to everyone in the nation, the PM said as he brushed off the Prayut-exit suggestion.

Thailand is not the UK, the PM suggested. The two countries face different sets of problems. The junta leader also reminded those who are calling for him to "leave" that he and Mr Cameron came to power through different means.

He couldn't be more correct. The British PM was voted in so he had no choice but to bow out when the voters rejected what he proposed to them.

Gen Prayut took power by force. He is beholden to no-one. In fact, he has implemented one-man rule across the country while he himself is above the fray. If voters reject what he has to offer them, it's their problem.

Now the PM is done with his no-Cameron, no-exit announcement, however, it might not hurt for him to consider what lies beneath the Brexit vote.

As shockwaves from the historic event settle into the grim reality of what to do next, it's trepidation from what the referendum has exposed that remains strong, not just among Britons but around the world.

The Brexit vote brought to the fore deep social divisions that cut across geography, age, education and political ideologies. Most young, well-educated, urban dwellers voted to remain with the regional bloc while older people and those who have not been able to benefit from development policies voted to leave.

The fault lines have become more prominent following the vote as different groups have taken to blaming one other for compromising their future. The social divisiveness will be difficult to heal even after the vote is settled.

These are the kind of deep, bitter rifts that most Thai people can understand after experiencing years of political conflicts that have made almost everything personal.

If Gen Prayut looks closely at the anger and sense of alienation that people living in the country feel toward one another, which underpinned the shocking result of the Brexit vote, he would have seen that maybe Thailand is not that different from the UK after all.

The question of internationalism versus localism loomed large in the Brexit vote. The same question is part and parcel of the political conflict in Thailand where one side is pushing for western-style democracy and values while the other calls for a return to traditional values.

Other issues included the ignorance of the elite and a subsequent anti-establishment backlash, public policies that perpetuate inequalities, and demagogues who took advantage of the public's resentment for their own political ambitions. These played on in the Brexit vote in the same way as in the political discourse here in rain-fed Thailand.

These issues certainly differ in details but their main arguments are not too different.

Following the controversial Brexit result which sent global markets into turmoil, the question has arisen whether it was a case of too much democracy. Needless to say, this question is echoing here in Thailand where democracy and what exactly the regime constitutes have been put to test.

There will be election-sceptics here who will say that the chaos caused by the Brexit result is a reflection of how flawed democracy can be, when "ill-informed" voters make bad choices whose effect must be borne by everyone else in society.

But as Mr Cameron said in his resignation speech, people should be trusted with big decisions. The result of the June 23 referendum has been devastating so far but it's not the process that is at fault. If anything, the free and open vote has brought to light social grievances that may have been glossed over otherwise. Once they are out in the open, it's more likely they won't be ignored.

Atiya Achakulwisut

Columnist for the Bangkok Post

Atiya Achakulwisut is a columnist for the Bangkok Post.

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