By Bilawal Hammad
Your commercial awareness dose
Politics is the backbone of any nation. Political stability is imperative for any country to flourish. The Smooth flow of the political process is the lynchpin of a nation’s sustainable economic development. Political turmoil can prove to be havoc in any country’s path to prosperity. The same is the case with Thailand, as the recent protests demanding political upheaval in the country has led to instability there. The protesters demand the application of true democratic principles in Thailand.
The recent protest adds to the list of many protests taken place in Thailand during the
last decade or so. Thailand is a monarchy since its inception. The latest uprising pertains to demands for an end to monarchy being replaced by a more strengthened democratic political system. The protesters are mostly the young generation and are opting for more stringent, and radical measures taking the course of a hardcore protest.
Political unrest in Thailand is nothing new. Political turmoil and protest occur in Thailand
sporadically. The recent protest started in February 2020 after the main opposition political party was ordered to dissolve. The dissolution of the political party was followed by the elections in March 2020. It was the first election since the military seized power in 2014. Many new voters saw it as a chance to vote for the first time. The old voters thought of the elections as an agent of change. Prayuth Chan-Ocha was re-installed as prime minister of Thailand with the backing and support of the military.
The pro-democracy Future Forward Party (FFP) won the third-highest number of seats in the legislature. The Future Forward Party was a favorite among young, especially first-time voters. But, just before March 2020 elections, the Future Forward Party (FFP) was disbanded based on the allegations that the head of the Party Thanathorn had provided a loan to the Future Forward party which was shown as a donation. The Court ruling termed the loan as illegal and thus it led to the downfall of the Future Forward Party.
The dissolution of the Future Forward Party resulted in a strong protest by the youth. The protest was thwarted by COVID-19 restrictions that at the time in March2020 was imposed by the government as a result of the outbreak of the pandemic. The protest once again sprouted out in June 2020 when a pro-democracy activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit went missing. Ever since the protesters have been out of control. In recent months the King of the Thailand monarch declared the crown’s wealth as his personal wealth. This made him the richest man in Thailand.
Such declaration further exacerbated the already precarious political, economic, and social standings of Thailand. The protestors took control of the Government House and are refusing to seize control until the demands are met. The global pandemic of COVID-19 has affected the whole world in every possible manner. Thailand is no different. The pandemic of the Coronavirus had badly affected Thailand both socially and economically. The political turmoil on the cusp of the deadly pandemic has been a nail in the coffin of Thailand.
With the ease in COVID-19 restrictions following June 2020, the smooth functioning of the socio-economic and political system could not be ensured due to political unrest prevailing in the country. The whole political machinery, institutions, and other stakeholders in Thailand should unite to overcome this crisis amicably. The present situation could prove to be a watershed mark in the history of Thailand. To sum up, Thailand is marred in a deep political crisis.
The latest uprising is mostly led by youth who are demanding a change in political institutions, political machinery, and the political system of the country altogether. Their major demand is the end of monarchy in Thailand and its replacement by the true principles of democracy. All the institutions of Thailand should join heads to carve out a plan to make Thailand come out of critical situations. The youth of the nation should be taken into confidence before taking any decision.
The process for a political solution should be robust and should include all the stakeholders. Thailand is an important nation in Asia, specifically in South East Asia. Thailand is the incumbent president of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thailand has strong backward and forward trade linkages with not only Asian nations but with the whole world. Any political crisis in Thailand could prove to be challenging for the whole world, especially Asia.
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