Anand Panyarachun on the future of democracy in Thailand
By Jon Fernquest[Introduction|Vocabulary|Article]
[Reading Questions|Answers]
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Former Prime Minister of Thailand Anand Panyarachun reflects on the vicissitudes of democracy in Thailand and what "democracy" will mean in Thailand's future.
Anand served as a diplomat in government service for many years and then on the governing boards of many corporations.
Despite being appointed rather than elected, Anand's premiership after a coup from 1991 to 1992 initiated many of the most important economic and democratic reforms in recent Thai history including the drafting of the 1997 constitution.
Anand received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service in 1997.
As chairman of the National Reconciliation Commission starting in 2005, Anand spearheaded efforts to find a solution to the continued violent conflict in southern Thailand.
He continues to influence policy and intellectual debate as one of Thailand's most respected senior statesmen.
Anand studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge graduating with honours in 1955.
For further reading, read Anand's award citation at the Magsaysay Award website.
Read about Anand's Mon heritage
Read Anand's biography at his website and at the United Nations.
Read a previous Bangkok Post article on Anand's legacy and the post-coup search for Thai leadership.
Reading Questions
Here are some questions to guide your reading (See answers at end):1. How is Thai democracy similar to an oak tree?
2. Does a constitution have to have a written form?
3. What relation do the people of a country have to a democratic government in an open society?
4. What does "government by the people" mean?
5. How do open and closed societies resemble a house?
6. How does the media help a society become an open society?
7. Who is the key stakeholder in an open society?
8. What are the three foundations of democracy?
9. What are the foundations of the judicial system in an open society?
10. What are the two legal principles cited by Anand to demonstrate "rule of law"? Can you give any positive or negative examples of each?
11. What are all the roots in a fully grown "tree of democracy" ?
12. Are the foundations for democracy strong in Thailand yey, according to Anand?
13. Should democracy with its imperfections be discarded for some other more perfect political system?
14. Has Thailand experienced more problems in implementing democracy than other countries have?
15. Is democracy the same as majority rule through elections?
16. What are some the key Buddhist concepts relevant to politics discussed in the article?
17. Do people often end up getting the government they deserve, according to Anand?
Bangkok Post Article August 18, 2007
Nurturing the tree of Thai democracy
By Anand Panyarachun
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Q: How would you respond to the observation that Thai democracy has not gone very far, and vote buying and coups d'etat are still with us after 75 years?
Anand Panyarachun: The foundation of Thai democracy is still weak. Let us compare it to an oak tree, which would take perhaps a hundred years to grow fully with strong roots and branches. Such a tree could survive even without rainfall for months.
It has been only 75 years since the tree of Thai democracy has taken root. The tree is still not fully developed. It is at a stage where constant nourishment and water are needed for it to flourish.
If a tree's roots are not well-grounded, without water and sunshine, the tree becomes weak, like children who are underdeveloped. They cannot walk so ably. They might stumble, fall and hurt themselves.
A coup d'etat is like a fall or an injury, which takes time to nurse and heal back to health. The Thai tree also needs to be grown in home soil to be resilient. Some democratic concepts have been imported from the West. We must draw from their basic tenets but adapt them to suit our own culture and customs.
I look at democracy in its multiple dimensions.
First, democracy is not only about having a constitution. While most countries do have some form of a written constitution, there are others that do not, but just follow convention and tradition.
Second, democracy is not only about form. Constitutions, elections, the legislative and administrative branches are only structures. For meaningful democracy, we have to look at the roots, the children's legs. Thailand still lacks strong roots that can withstand the forces of nature.
So what would be a good foundation for democracy? First, society must be open. Why? Because a democratic government must be of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Government of the people: This is easy. All governments, democratic, communist or dictatorial, claim to be of the people. Communist regimes call themselves People's Republic... right?
By the people: That is also easy. It is about elections. But whether elections are free and fair is another matter.
The last one is the hardest: for the people. An open society offers a new worldview. A closed society is like a house with its windows and doors shut; the dweller just stays inside. What goes on inside the house is unknown to outsiders. There is no ventilation, no sunshine. With humidity, fungus grows and foul odours develop.
In an open society, all windows and doors are open, exposed to sunlight and fresh air. The house does not have fungi or a foul smell.
More importantly, people outside the house can see what the people inside are doing. Nothing is hidden, concealed or manipulated. Things are transparent.
If the people inside are corrupt and unethical, they are under constant fear of being discovered. This is where the media comes in. It has a responsibility to expose these deeds and to inform the public of the truth, which will lead to greater accountability.
But is this enough? No. Now that we know what is going on, will we allow it to continue? If we know that these people inside the house are abusing their power, should we not do something about it? After all, the public is the key stakeholder, whose interests are being compromised.
In an open society, there is transparency and public participation, leading to accountability. These are all important foundations of democracy.
But we still need to go further. There must be an independent judiciary system and rule of law. If we go by the principle that a man/woman is innocent until proven guilty, the rule of law must prevail.
Whether a common citizen, a general, a sitting or a former prime minister, we must all be equal before the law.
Not only must the judiciary be independent but it must also be impartial.
Once our democracy tree has more roots, namely an open society, transparency, freedom of the media, accountability, independent judiciary and rule of law, we must also prevent acts that violate the basic rights of the people - human as well as political rights.
Are these foundations strong enough in Thailand?
The answer is no. The tree is still not strong. Democratic values and institutions are still not deeply rooted. They may be only 10 inches deep. With strong winds, floods and severe weather conditions, the tree can fall.
Q: Is the democratic system suitable for Thailand then?
Mr Anand: Thais always ask: "If people are not well-educated and there are rampant abuses of power, is democracy suitable for us?"
I never ask that question. If you still wonder if democracy is a good system, I would cite Winston Churchill, who once said: "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." [House of Commons speech on Nov 11, 1947]. I tend to agree with that view. Democracy, while not perfect, is superior to other systems of governance - dictatorship, autocracy, oligarchy and communism.
That's the starting point. But democracy must also be nurtured in a good environment, within the context of a country's history and culture. I think we would be looking down on ourselves if we were to say that Thailand is an anomaly in terms of its struggle to advance democracy.
From the Sukhothai period, nearly 800 years ago, through to Ayutthaya and Thon Buri, if we compare our kingdom to the kingdoms in Europe, we will find that there were many undemocratic princely states in Europe ruled by violence and fear. There were also many tyrants who engaged in continuous wars. Many countries in the West only embraced democracy some 200 to 300 years ago.
Thai culture has a tradition grounded in the concept of righteousness - to be a good person, to be kind and giving to others, to refrain from harming others, to exercise self control.
Another foundation of democracy is justice. If we can conscientiously nurture these roots or foundations, we can achieve a deeper form of democracy that can serve to transform our values system.
At the same time, we need a check-and-balance system both in and outside parliament. Peaceful demonstrations are part of the check-and-balance system.
Another key element in democracy is respecting diversity. Democracy is generally about the majority rule, but there is another side of democracy, namely protecting the rights and interests of minority groups.
When we talk about the public interest, many people may ask what does that mean? We are not referring to the interest of the government or the state. Is public interest synonymous with majority rule?
No, because the interest of the majority does not take care of that of the minority. Public interest must combine both the majority and minority.
Thai society is known for its tolerance, a key concept in Buddhism. We show tolerance or consideration towards our children, parents, elders, teachers, people in positions of authority and power. This is social tolerance.
But we seem to lack political tolerance. In Thai politics, people fight and become enemies. If we want a thriving and strong democracy, we must learn to have a certain degree of political tolerance. People with different opinions should be able to co-exist peacefully and exchange views in a civil manner.
Polarisation is a threat to democracy.
We must be able to accept differences in political positions and viewpoints. We must strive to continue political dialogue and understanding. We must be able to see that it is not a win-or-lose situation for any party.
If Thais can apply the concept of tolerance in the political arena, it could lead to greater acceptance of diversity of cultures, lifestyles, ethnicity and religions, which would contribute to a more harmonious society.
In this respect, the emergence of a civil society has an important role to play in the development of a functioning democracy.
Q: But there are some people who say the system is not important as long as we vote good people into office. What do you think about the notion?
Mr Anand: That's a simplistic view. Like the word "transparency" - we all use it, but do not really understand it.
Q: How would you rate the country's democratic development after 75 years?
Mr Anand: I'm neither a pessimist nor an optimist. I am a realist. I can point out the shortcomings and weaknesses of Thai society and democracy but I do believe that, after 75 years, we have come a long way.
Q: Do you believe the people get the government they deserve?
Mr Anand: Yes, that is my belief. The quality of a government is reflective of the values and level of development of the people.
This interview is part of a series of articles on Thai people and their experience with democracy, provided by the Sanya Dharmasakti Institute for Democracy, Thammasat University.
Vocabulary (in discussion above)
Anand Panyarachun - long-time diplomat, former Prime Minister, and respected senior Thai statesman (See Wikipedia)
Trinity College, Cambridge - famous college in Great Britain (See Wikipedia)
vicissitudes - all the changes (good and bad) and ups and downs that happen during something's growth and development
take root - become established and common among a group of people
prosper - is successful and has lots of money
vote buying - the practice of giving people money in return for their vote
nourishment - the food necessary for life, growth, and good health
flourish - developing quickly and strongly because the conditions are right for growth
x grounded in y - y justifies x
well-grounded - built on a solid foundation
stumble - near fall over while walking
nurse and heal back to health -
resilient - strong and not easily damaged, able to recover quickly from a disaster (See glossary)
tenets, basic tenets - main principles that a theory or belief is based on
constitution - a system in a written document establishing the fundamental rules and principles of governing an country, defines the fundamental political principles and establishes the power and duties of each part of government, guarantees rights to the people (See Wikipedia)
a convention - a traditional and accepted way of doing things
* follow convention and tradition
legislative branch of government - the part of government with representatives elected by the people, debates and votes on new laws
administrative branch of government - branch of government that implements the new laws passed by the legislative branch, the branch of government that offers government services to the public (for example, the foreign ministry issues passports for overseas travel)
free and fair elections - elections that follow international standards to prevent wealthy or politically powerful individuals from influencing the results
open society - a concept developed by philosophers Henri Bergson and Karl Popper, in an "open society" government is responsive and tolerant, and political mechanisms are transparent and flexible. The state keeps no secrets from itself in the public sense; it is a non-authoritarian society in which all are trusted with the knowledge of all. Political freedoms and human rights are the foundation of an open society. (See Wikipedia on Open Society)
ventilation - fresh air entering room
humidity - damp, hot and heavy air
fungus - mushrooms (See Wikipedia)
transparent - clear and easily understood, detailed information about an activity is visible and public, not hidden or secret (See glossary)
accountability - responsible for one's actions and can justify these actions (See glossary)
stakeholder - people involved in an organisation, they gain or lose depending on the success of the organisation (See glossary and web definitions)
compromised - reputation has been damaged
independent judiciary - judges and courts independent from influence outside the law which they interpret in administering justice
rule of law - the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure, makes law something to be applied objectively in the same fashion to all people, rather than subjectively in different ways depending how much power and influence you have (See Wikipedia on rule of law)
rampant - (bad) very common, uncontrollably increasing
* rampant abuses of power
governance - the practice and standards of managing a government, organisation, or company
autocracy - a form of government in which the political power is held by a single person (See Wikipedia)
oligarchy - a form of government where political power effectively rests with a small, elite segment of society, elite because of wealth, family or military power (See Wikipedia)
nurtured - encourage and help develop and grow
anomaly - different from what is normal or expected
Sukhothai period - an important state in central Thailand from 1238 until about 1438, a predecessor of the modern state of Thailand (See Wikipedia on the Sukhothai Kingdom)
tyrants - people who use their authority over other people in a cruel and unfair way
embraced democracy - accepted and practiced democracy as a political system
check-and-balance system - when one part of a government controls and limits another part (procedural rules allow one branch to limit another, such as Chief Executive's veto power over legislation or the nomination and appointment of judges
diversity - having a wide of things that are different from each other (for example, the United States has great racial diversity with whites, blacks, and Asians)
* respecting diversity
majority rule - governments that reflect the wishes of the majority throught elections
minority groups - groups outside the majority group in a society (for example, there are many ethnic groups in Thailand ranging from the hill tribes of northern Thailand to the ethnic Malay dialect speaking groups in southern Thailand)
synonymous with - has the same meaning as
tolerance - allowing people to have other beliefs and opinions even if you do not agree with them
social tolerance - tolerance for how other people live (for example, tolerance of different lifestyles such the lifestyle of the Kat-Toey or "lady boy")
political tolerance - tolerance for people with different political opinions
in a civil manner - polite in a formal way (not necessarily friends)
polarisation - splitting into two groups with opposite opinions, increased the differences and gap between two groups with opposing opinions
political positions and viewpoints -
a dialogue - communication and discussion between two groups (often to work out differences)
a political dialogue - communication between opposing political groups work out differences
not a win-or-lose situation - not a situation with a winner and a loser, both sides can win (a win-win situation)
ethnicity - a group of people with a different and distinct culture (for example, Thai people, Akha people, Lanna people, Lao people, Burmese people, Mon people,...)
a harmonious society - when people in a society live together peacefully and prosperously
civil society - organisations outside of government and companies, includes NGOs, universities, environmental movements, indigenous peoples' associations, organised local communities and trade unions (See Wikipedia)
shortcomings - failure to reach a standard
Answer Key:
1. How is Thai democracy similar to an oak tree?
a. Both take a long time to reach full growth.
b. Both can survive even without rainfall for months.
c. For both, constant nourishment and water are needed for them to flourish.
d. Both need deep roots (grown over long periods of time).
e. Both need to be nursed back to health after injury. (The 2006 coup is an example of an injury.)
f. Both need to be adapted to local circumstances. (Soil for the tree and local culture and customs for democracy.)
2. Does a constitution have to have a written form?
No. The constitutions of most countries are written but a constitution can also be unwritten following convention and tradition.
3. What relation do the people of a country have to a democratic government in an open society?
A democratic government in an open society "must be of the people, by the people, and for the people."
4. What does "government by the people" mean?
Elections. Governments should be elected by the people.
5. How do open and closed societies resemble a house?
An open society has transparency in its institutions.
Everyone can look inside the house and see what is going on inside.
Everyone can see how an open society works because everything is visible.
An closed society is not transparent.
The house is closed off and private.
People cannot see what is going on inside the house.
How society and government works is a mystery known to only a select few.
("A closed society is like a house with its windows and doors shut; the dweller just stays inside. What goes on inside the house is unknown to outsiders. There is no ventilation, no sunshine. With humidity, fungus grows and foul odours develop.
"In an open society, all windows and doors are open, exposed to sunlight and fresh air. The house does not have fungi or a foul smell.
More importantly, people outside the house can see what the people inside are doing. Nothing is hidden, concealed or manipulated. Things are transparent.")
6. How does the media help a society become an open society?
The media exposes the hidden workings of a closed society and informs the public of the truth.
("If the people inside are corrupt and unethical, they are under constant fear of being discovered. This is where the media comes in. It has a responsibility to expose these deeds and to inform the public of the truth, which will lead to greater accountability.")
7. Who is the key stakeholder in an open society?
The public (not the friends and family of the Prime Minister).
8. What are the three foundations of democracy?
a. Transparency.
b. Public participation.
c. Accountability.
9. What are the foundations of the judicial system in an open society?
a. An independent judiciary.
b. Rule of law.
c. An impartial judiciary.
10. What are the two legal principles cited by Anand to demonstrate "rule of law"? Can you give any positive or negative examples of each?
a. A man/woman is innocent until proven guilty:
[Example: When police put a weapon in a suspects hand and take photos that are published in the newspaper, this is like finding them guilty before proving them guilty since they have not yet had a trial.]
b. We must all be equal before the law.
[Example: If a drunk driver hits and kills or severely injures a farmer, but doesn't have to pay almost anything because his wife's brother is a high-ranking military or police officer, the farmer is clearly not equal to the culprit with good family connections.]
11. What are all the roots in a fully grown "tree of democracy" ?
a. open society
b. transparency
c. freedom of the media
d. accountability
e. independent judiciary
f. rule of law
g. human rights (preventing acts that violate the basic rights of the people)
h. political rights
12. Are the foundations for democracy strong in Thailand yey, according to Anand?
No, not yet.
("Are these foundations strong enough in Thailand?
"The answer is no. The tree is still not strong. Democratic values and institutions are still not deeply rooted. They may be only 10 inches deep. With strong winds, floods and severe weather conditions, the tree can fall.")
13. Should democracy with its imperfections be discarded for some other more perfect political system?
No, Anand observes: "Democracy, while not perfect, is superior to other systems of governance - dictatorship, autocracy, oligarchy and communism."
("If you still wonder if democracy is a good system, I would cite Winston Churchill, who once said: 'Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.' [House of Commons speech on Nov 11, 1947]. I tend to agree with that view. Democracy, while not perfect, is superior to other systems of governance - dictatorship, autocracy, oligarchy and communism.
")
14. Has Thailand experienced more problems in implementing democracy than other countries have?
Not really, most countries have often struggled to advance democracy including Thailand.
The peoples of Thailand and European both have long histories and during this long history governance has usually not been very democratic.
("I think we would be looking down on ourselves if we were to say that Thailand is an anomaly in terms of its struggle to advance democracy.
"From the Sukhothai period, nearly 800 years ago, through to Ayutthaya and Thon Buri, if we compare our kingdom to the kingdoms in Europe, we will find that there were many undemocratic princely states in Europe ruled by violence and fear. There were also many tyrants who engaged in continuous wars. Many countries in the West only embraced democracy some 200 to 300 years ago.")
15. Is democracy the same as majority rule through elections?
Not entirely, minority rights (respecting diversity) must be upheld also, usually through the judicial system.
("Another key element in democracy is respecting diversity. Democracy is generally about the majority rule, but there is another side of democracy, namely protecting the rights and interests of minority groups."
"When we talk about the public interest, many people may ask what does that mean? We are not referring to the interest of the government or the state. Is public interest synonymous with majority rule?"
"No, because the interest of the majority does not take care of that of the minority. Public interest must combine both the majority and minority.")
16. What are some the key Buddhist concepts relevant to politics discussed in the article?
a. Righteousness.
b. Social tolerance.
("Thai society is known for its tolerance, a key concept in Buddhism. We show tolerance or consideration towards our children, parents, elders, teachers, people in positions of authority and power. This is social tolerance.")
17. Do people often end up getting the government they deserve, according to Anand?
Yes, "the quality of a government is reflective of the values and level of development of the people," according to Anand.
