The Nation: Law would be 'a coup by stealth'

[NewsBot]

Academic slams draft legislation; ex-senators to petition their peers

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[Nicke]

Worrying, where is the path back to democracy?

"This law will give great power to the Internal Security Operation Command [Isoc] and in effect pass the power of government and politicians to the Army. It's a quiet coup and poses the question whether it will lead to Thailand becoming a military state"

Surachart decried fellow academics who have mostly been quiet about the bill and said the peculiar silence on the part of Thai academics was "very strange". He added that if the bill, which has already been approved by the junta-appointed Cabinet, is approved by the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA), human-rights violations by the military will become easy, and this will turn Thailand into another Burma.

[ATMwalking]

If I compare where thailand was 5 years ago to now, the country is going in full reverse.

I am actually starting to miss the early days of Thaksin1. At least there was some progress and certainly entertainment value when he was around.

1. this is not a political statement meant to undermine the stability of thailand...just one farang's point of view

[LivinLOS]

I think many people seem to see that recent 10 - 15 years where Thailand really progressed quite rapidly forward, and assumed that was the 'norm' for the future.

I also tend to think a country gets the government it deserves, thier entrenched power elites, the top down decision making mindset, the Poo Yai / Poo Noi and strongly class structured society, the undercurrent of resentment of outsiders xenophobia and unwillingness to acknowledge other countries successes all will keep this place back.