End of mission impossible but no time to gloat

COMMENTARY

End of mission impossible but no time to gloat

Published: 27 Nov 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

It is hardly surprising that Gen Boonlert "Seh Ai" Kaewprasert called off his second Pitak Siam rally on Saturday after failing to amass the 1 million people he had earlier promised.

The mission was impossible from the start.

It's obvious even to outsiders that the retired general lacked a strong enough platform to bring down a democratically elected government whose photogenic leader remains highly popular with her electorate.

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topcat_bk
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Discussion 17 : 27 Nov 2012 at 23.5117
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"...government whose photogenic leader remains highly popular with her electorate."

Personally, I don't find Thaksin all that photogenic.
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ringmaster
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Discussion 16 : 27 Nov 2012 at 22.0816
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"He [Boonlert] said he was concerned about snipers and did not want to endanger the lives of supporters who joined the rally." Accusing his opponents of being so immoral and vial that they would use snipers is hardly a gracious exit strategy. And although his call to end the rally was smart, it wasn't courageous. If he would have continued then that would be courageous. But I'm willing to give him kudos for keeping his promise to end the rally if the number of protesters wasn't high enough.
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apachepat
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Discussion 15 : 27 Nov 2012 at 20.3415
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anyone can drop two bags of fertilizer at my door anytime, thank you very much. I can still go into the voting booth and vote for who I like
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shopwow
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Discussion 14 : 27 Nov 2012 at 19.1914
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I love this reporter, never tries to get into a controversy with the powerful. She is neither just a reporter nor is she a serious analysts. Hope that the BP editor has the time to read my post. Madam can you answer two simple questions. Were the methods employed by the government to prevent or scare people from attempting to join the rally right? When you see the current disclosures of corruption in the parliament debate - are you not scared that we do not seem to have a solution. That will need to stay with this corrupt minded government till their term ends. Is a democratic solution really worth the wait?
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peterl
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Discussion 13 : 27 Nov 2012 at 18.2813
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Unfortunately the writer of this article does not appear to understand that firm policing is needed to to prevent the "lunatic fringe" of street protests, whatever issues they are motivated by, from gaining the upper hand.
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genii
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Discussion 12 : 27 Nov 2012 at 18.2212
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This entire event did not make any sense from the beggining.
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Modin
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Discussion 11 : 27 Nov 2012 at 15.2611
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If people realize they can get stuff (money, free loans, fertilizer, phones, welfare, etc) by voting a certain way, then democracy will eventually die and be replaced by socialism. And along the way corruption will flourish. A true democracy is one where people agree to allow other points of view to be heard, not to suppress them. When a red shirt (and vice versa) will be willing to back a yellow shirts right to demonstrate peacefully, and speak his mind freely then we may have some hope at a democracy
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Eric
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Discussion 10 : 27 Nov 2012 at 14.1610
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Dis#*3, the change is that we have embraced electoral democracy as Khun Atiya articulated is happening now.
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bkposter
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Discussion 9 : 27 Nov 2012 at 13.099
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Re: D6 the PT ran on a platform of amending the constitution to make it more democratic and closer to the 97 version....what is it that you fear about the 97 version? Why do you think the military threw it in the trash can on day one after the coup? When you know the real answer to that you know the answer to the why there have been 20 coups...mmmmm please take time to read both and think about it.
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commonman
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Discussion 8 : 27 Nov 2012 at 11.348
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It's way too soon to celebrate. Let's have a serious, professional legal system and a real education system, then we can celebrate. I calculate, we can have these things in less than fifty years if we start getting serious and accept assistance from wherever it comes. Xenophobia must die.
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End of mission impossible but no time to gloat | Bangkok Post: opinion