A first step towards unity

A first step towards unity

The news that several leading members of the Pheu Thai Party, the leader of the Democrat Party and some well-known academics were invited to a reconciliation forum has put this crucial issue back onto the public agenda.

The country may have left the days of violence, political volatility and uncertainty behind, but reconciliation remains a distant goal.

The military takeover on May 22 last year restored security and public order. That there have been no protests or rallies during the past nine months does not mean we are closer to achieving lasting peace. We all know this.

The National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) strict control of political expression, however, means that feelings of animosity, conflicting opinions and differences in political ideologies that existed before the coup have only been suppressed.

Indeed, the past strife, human losses and grievances associated with them have taken years to take root. As feelings of injustice continue to be stifled, the risk of violence rises.

That’s why the decision by the NCPO's Reconciliation Centre for Reform to invite many people, particularly those who are viewed as key players in the past political conflicts, to join a forum on reconciliation is a positive development.

It is high time the authorities opened up and provided space as well as means for people to address the vital issue that has been put on the back-burner for a long time.

Fostering reconciliation will not be easy. For many people, the pain is still fresh and the feeling that justice has not been served remains strong when it comes to fatal clashes and political events that took place in the past.

These immediate grievances lie on top of a political and economic structure that is stacked in favour of the rich and powerful, perpetuating stark inequalities that bred the political conflicts in the first place.

It is fitting that the authorities are seeking both reconciliation and reform as short and long-term measures are needed to address these multi-leveled challenges.

The undertaking involves not just finding ways to resolve past conflicts and heal old wounds but more importantly it will be about breaking new common ground for people across the country to come together constructively and creatively.

Reconciliation and reform mean providing channels and space for people to chip in and build a shared future. It must be an inclusive process. It must be carried out in a transparent manner, with a commitment to fairness at its heart.

Thursday’s discussion involved key parties and was held behind closed doors. It is understandable that initially closed forums are sometimes necessary when sensitivities still run high and confidentiality may be more conducive for conflicting parties to be able to express their views honestly and in a straightforward manner.

But having taken the first step, more steps are required and more people from wide-ranging circles and social strata should be invited to express their views. A few more meetings is not enough and gradually, the process should become more open as secrecy will prove counter-productive.

The journey towards genuine reconciliation is a long and arduous one and the debate over the draft charter is a key issue that needs to be resolved. This process towards unity must continue and at a certain point Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha must step in and become involved to listen with patience, understanding, fairness and an open heart.

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