I went to Burma in late May and was planning to write a blog on this great trip. Yet, since I came back to Thailand, I have had a headache following the Thai political situation.

So, I am in no mood to write about Burma right now, but I have a mood to write about the PAD and Thai politics. A lot of what I have to say here might have been said before by others, but I shall reiterate them anyway. As a Thai citizen, I shall have to right to express my thoughts, so long as they do not affect other people's rights.

Why am I against the PAD demonstration?

Before I proceed, I shall explain my principles that I uphold.

First, I believe that every citizen should have an EQUAL say in the governing of this country. The voices of the more educated middle and upper class people should not count more than a poorly educated ones. 

Second, I am a believer in the rule of law. Sports have rules, so does the society. Streetside politics, while essential and useful for many in expressing their opinions, should not be the principle means of politics. Criticisms of the government are welcomed, but serious actions against the government shall be within the boundary of the rule of law. For example, the opposition party can criticize the government in the parliament.

Third, I believe everyone's rights shall be protected. One has every right to do whatever one wants, so long as one's action does not affect others' rights. The PAD has every right to express their concerns, but it cannot do so at the costs of others' rights. 

Having mentioned all these principles, I now turn to the question of why I am against the PAD.

First and foremost, I disagree with the PAD's demands. The PAD wants the constitution amendment to be halted and the government to resign.

On the first issue, given the fact that the present constitution has not been drafted in the most transparent and participatory way, I believe constitution amendment should be considered. But it should not be rushed. There should be a committee set up to study the issues and come up with proposals. A referendum should be held later to allow people to decide. The PAD should not block the move to amend the constitution on the basis that it will help the PPP and Thaksin. The PAD should make its move based on the appropriateness of the amendment itself.

On the second demand, I am totally against it. This country's politics cannot be run by some 10,000 demonstrators. Even if the number of protesters is 1 million, I would still say the same. We had national elections and most people in this country have expressed their will. Who the hell is the PAD? Some god or what? What special abilities and rights do they have in deciding whether one thing is good for the country or not?

From what I have seen so far, I'm sad to say that I think many well-educated people in this country are much less democratic than people of lower ranks in the northeast. This is such a sad fact for Thailand.

What if the government resigns? What will happen? Another elections in which the PPP will likely win and the PAD will subsequently protest? Or even if the Democrats win against all odds, what improvements can it bring to the country? The PAD people look very childish in this sense: they are voicing out their thoughts, which is fine, but they don't really offer any solution that is in the best interest of the country.

Second, the PAD's actions affect others' rights. No need to elaborate much on this note. Just talk to students, people who make a living in the area where the protest is, talk to taxi drivers, or a pregnant woman who has to walk a long way to the Ministry of Education to work. So much has been said by the PAD about "doing this for the country"; yet they have failed to respect their fellow citizens' rights.

I would not complain much on this note if the PAD were to stage their protest in closed space like Suan Lumpini. Why wouldn't they do so? Well, it's all about publicity. Self interests at play here.

To sum up, I think the PAD actions might be based on good intentions, but the demands and means are childish and irresponsible. The Democrat Party also lacks professionalism - it knows it cannot beat the PPP within the rules, so it supports the PAD for its own self interest.

What solution do I have? It's rather simple, nothing fancy.

First, the PAD needs to take a step back. It must first move its protest to somewhere else where it doesn't create much trouble for others. It must stop demanding the government's resignation. It can continue to pressure the government on constitution amendment or any other corruption / wrongdoing issues, but it shall do so without demanding the government's resignation. Rather, the PAD is in a good position to encourage the government to work hard to fix the country's problems, no matter how much the PAD hates Samak and co. 

Second, the Democrat should stop supporting the PAD and be more serious about criticizing the government in the parliament. The Democrat should focus its energy on scrutinizing the government's actions and telling stories about the government's potential wrongdoings in the press. This is constructive politics, not the old kind of politics which the Democrats have been accustomed to for so long. The Democrats should also focus on developing strategies and policies in order to win future elections. Only then can the Party has the chance to win popular support, which is very much the basis of democracy.

Third, the government should avoid any confrontation - by words or by actions - with the PAD. The best move the government can do is to work hard in fixing the country's problems. There are so many of them waiting to be fixed these days!

Samakkee is crucial at this moment for Thailand to withstand its many problems. In a democratic society, it is totally fine to disagree with each other, but it's not okay to demand that the country be run in one's own will. Only when all the parties involved forgo some of their self interests can the country move forward.