Coup talk must stop - Bangkok Post



Coup talk must stop

Amid the intensifying political conflict, a group of self-proclaimed royalists have stepped up their calls for a coup. Their wish must certainly not be granted.

The group's representatives yesterday submitted a letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae via official channels, urging the use of "special laws" to end the country's political crisis. With the special laws, they said, the government would be able to "shut down" the country.

They also vowed to confront the anti-establishment movement, which has branded itself as the "People's Movement", in order to "protect the monarchy".

Obviously, their call is a repeat of what the former leader of the now-defunct People's Alliance for Democracy, Sondhi Limthongkul, said earlier this month about the need for a coup to return all power to His Majesty the King, who would then appoint a new government.

The army chief -- who rose to power last month, replacing Gen Apirat Kongsompong -- immediately dismissed the possibility of a coup, saying that the chances were "below zero". When he faced a similar question last month, his reply was almost the same.

Gen Narongphan should realise that another coup won't solve the conflict. On the contrary, such an intervention will only worsen the situation. The coup by Gen Prayut, whose regime has run the country for more than seven years, has been singled out as the root cause of today's crisis. Thailand cannot afford another coup-related imbroglio.

There is a dire need to cool down the political temperature in order to prevent the conflict from escalating.

At a rally on Sunday, demonstrators dropped off letters -- complete with their demands for the PM's resignation, a charter rewrite and reform of the monarchy -- addressed to the King in four replica red postboxes set up near the City Pillar Shrine, about 100 metres away from the Grand Palace. The move, which was widely covered by the media, followed scuffles between police and demonstrators which left at least five people injured.

Parliament president Chuan Leekpai has mapped out a plan for the formation of a reconciliation panel, as agreed by the House and Senate last month. He is to consult with some former prime ministers on a solution to the crisis, and it is understood that one of them is Gen Surayud Chulanont, who is also president of the Privy Council.

All parties must give Mr Chuan a hand. Although the People's Movement has rejected the reconciliation panel, attempts must be made to bring them into the negotiations, albeit informally. Their rejection was based on their lack of trust in the government, so the government has the duty to prove its sincerity, at least by committing to a charter rewrite. Any tactics to delay the charter rewrite must be scrapped.

Well-known scholars have urged the state to pick individuals who are trusted by the demonstrators to take part in the process.

Some academics have also proposed the creation of a safe zone for a discussion on monarchy reform. These ideas should be explored. Such a discussion may ultimately help the highest institution to better adapt to the demands of modern society.

The government needs to understand that reform does not equal destruction. Meanwhile, demonstrators need to refrain from using profanities in pushing their highly sensitive agenda, as it will only undermine their cause.

Last but not least, no matter what happens, the army must stay in the barracks.