An impotent government lets anarchy reign

When a government is afraid, refuses to act, sits idly by and lets a mob terrorise a country, anarchy reigns while ordinary citizens suffer.

On Thursday, the red shirts held the city of Bangkok hostage. They blocked major roads and intersections, including Victory Monument, effectively paralysing the city. The government did nothing. Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile. Give them one city, and they'll take another.

On Saturday, the red shirts broke into the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, site of the Asean summit. They smashed through the glass doors of the convention hall and ran through the building, overturning tables, blowing horns, waving Thai flags and screaming "Abhisit get out!"

Asean leaders had to be evacuated by helicopter, the summit was cancelled and the red shirts cheered jubilantly.

Bear in mind, the location of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort is quite easily defendable against any siege, let alone a rabble. Situated high on a cliff, with only one main entrance, the only way the red shirts could have entered was through the sheer incompetence of the authorities.

In both cases, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government has failed to protect the citizens of Thailand; our persons and property. Failed to protect the integrity and sovereignty of his government. Failed to preserve the rule of law. Failed to protect the leaders of Asean countries.

A state of emergency was declared in Pattaya, but later lifted.

How could this happen? How could the government be so impotent and fail in its responsibilities to Thailand and its people?

The reason I am criticising the Abhisit government, rather than the red shirts, is this: In any country, any society, there will always be destructive, irrational mobs that have no regard for human rights or the rule of law. I don't expect a mob, roused by fiery propaganda, driven by anger, vengeance and rewards (acting at the behest of a puppet master), to behave any better than a destructive, irrational mob; a bunch of savages.

However, every society has a social contract between the government and its people. Therefore, I do expect the government to protect us, the people of Thailand, and preserve the law and integrity of our country against a terrorist mob. I expect the government to do its job.

When the yellow shirts took over Suvarnabhumi airport last year, the Somchai Wongsawat government was impotent in handling the terrorist act. Because of this it lost its credibility, integrity and right to rule. Politicians jumped ship, the opposition gained power and Thaksin Shinawatra's nominee parties, whether People Power or Puea Thai, lost power.

Will the Abhisit government go the way of Somchai's? To be honest, I hope not, for I fear the tyranny and delusion of a megalomaniac more so than anyone sitting in government right now.

But in this foulest of political chess games between Thaksin Shinawatra and the government so far, the government has been backed into a corner. What is PM Abhisit going to do?

As an export-led country that also relies heavily on tourism, it is understandable for a Thai government to fear the dreaded international condemnation. We are a nation obsessed with image - in everything we do we are mindful of what others will think of us. We are afraid that they will not spend money on us.

I understand, and to a certain extent sympathise, with PM Abhisit's predicament. He has tried his best to reach a peaceful conclusion, to go the way of appeasement. But how far can a man bend over backwards, until he realises that the entire country of Thailand is getting - - - I'll let you, dear readers, fill in the blank.

I for one, as a citizen, am not willing to sacrifice precious hours just so the international community can keep thinking Thailand is a nice, smiley, peaceful country. We are not. Save the lies for tourist brochures. We are a country ruled by mobs, whether yellow or red.

A demonstration is an exercising of democratic rights, the right to stand up and march for your beliefs, an honourable action for any citizen of a democracy. But when a demonstration turns into an act of terrorism, anarchy reigns.

If a government bows to the passions of the mob, rendered impotent by terrorist tactics, then the government loses its credibility, and, the confidence in and legitimacy of its regime. Hence it loses its power to govern. Just ask former PM Somchai how that felt.

There's the 2009 London riots by protestors against the G20 summit. The 2008 Greek riots by disgruntled youths. In France in 2005 and 2007 the working class staged a series of riots and a state of emergency was declared. In 1999, the anti-globalisation movement marched on the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in Seattle.

Demonstrations turned into riots and vandalism, laws were broken and chaos ensued. The police marched in and order was restored.

Those are evidence that in the three models of modern democracy (the US, the UK and France) and in the nation where democracy originated (Greece) it's a right, and an honourable thing for the people to stage protests. But if a protest turns into terrorism, the government has the right to use force to restore order and preserve the rule of law. Otherwise anarchy reigns.

In 2008, the yellow shirts took over Government House and Parliament. The riots left three dead and many injured. There was excessive force and sheer incompetence in the use of gas canisters by police. But however poorly planned and badly executed, it was the Somchai government's job to restore order, to preserve the rule of law, to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the state, and most importantly the rights and welfare of its citizens.

PM Abhisit, there's no need to be afraid of international condemnation. The international community knows well what the word "hypocrisy" means. There's a fine line between democracy and anarchy, and it is the duty of the government to preserve law and order, in the interests of its citizens.

As a citizen, it does not encourage my confidence in the government when the police can flag me down for any little reason (such as driving at night in a pub area), while at the same time, seeing the police helping block off traffic and providing all sorts of courtesy and convenience to the red or yellow movements in their attempts to terrorise citizens.

Do we not have a government to protect us? Are we the ones that have to protect ourselves? When citizens have to take the law into our own hands, is that not anarchy? If so, why then do we have you to govern us? Why then do we have this thing called democracy when the government allows a mob to terrorise the rights and welfare of the people?

I would like to ask both Thaksin and PM Abhisit: Have you forgotten about us, the people? PM Abhisit, our hope for the future of this country is in your hands. Please take this criticism to heart. It is written, not out of spite for your government, but out of love for this country. Please, do not fail us again.

voranaiv@bangkokpost.co.th.