Real fight is yet to come | Bangkok Post: opinion

EDITORIAL

The Pitak Siam group appears to have imploded on its own failures. This is almost entirely the best outcome for this mistimed, misconceived and miscalculated political group. While there is always room for provocative ideas and speech, Pitak Siam wasn't it. Leader Gen Boonlert Kaewprasit did the right thing to call off last Saturday's rally, and "kill" the movement, which had no worthy goals and no expectation of achieving anything of note.

Gen Boonlert's decision to halt his protest has not _ and should not _ let the government off the hook. Within a month, by its own timetable, it intends to restart efforts to pass two bills in parliament. The reconciliation law and the proposed rewrite of the constitution are ticking political time-bombs. There will be consequences if the government fails again to explain these bills to the country in a rational and convincing manner.

The government, specifically Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, has cited the 2011 election results as a mandate to pass these two items through a compliant parliament.