EDITORIAL
Laws cannot bring unity
- Published: 21 May 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: News
Events of the last few weeks, climaxing in duelling demonstrations in downtown Bangkok, make it clear that strong and important divisions remain. But Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra stays aloof and even detached from the disagreements. It was just a year ago that Ms Yingluck was promising that her election would promote reconciliation. That hasn't happened. In important ways, the political rifts have widened.
The weekend events at Ratchaprasong intersection illustrate the problems. On Friday, Democrats led by deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij celebrated the second anniversary of the end of the 2010 violence. They blamed "society as a whole" for the bloodshed. The next day, red shirts gathered to remember the violence and killing.
A year ago today, Ms Yingluck promised that a Pheu Thai government "will advance national reconciliation as its main policy". But from the time she took the oath of office, she has been largely at sea about the issue. Credit her with adopting a medical-type approach: First, do no harm. She has done little if anything to cause more rifts in society. But she has shown few healing skills, and has instead only increased the scepticism of the public about the real purpose of Pheu Thai's policies.
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