<br><br>---------- Forwarded message ----------<br><span class="gmail_quote">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Pavin Chachavalpongpun</b> <<a href="mailto:pavin@iseas.edu.sg">pavin@iseas.edu.sg</a>><br>Date: Apr 6, 2009 9:56 AM<br>
Subject: Bkk Post piece<br>To: Michael Montesano <<a href="mailto:michael.montesano@gmail.com">michael.montesano@gmail.com</a>><br><br></span><font face="Default Sans Serif,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">
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<h2 style="MARGIN: auto 0in"><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif">The name of the party game is 'names'</font></h2>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><span lang="EN-GB"><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Dr PAVIN CHACHAVALPONGPUN </font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><span lang="EN-GB"><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Bangkok Post</font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><span lang="EN-GB"><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">6 April 2009</font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: auto 0in"><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) recently announced its plan to set up a new political party under the name Thien Hang Tham, or Candles for Righteousness. The PAD hoped that this would offer Thais a new alternative in politics, using Dhamma to lead the political way on a righteous path.</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">In the other corner, fugitive academic Giles Ungpakorn has been talking about the possibility of red-shirt members forming their own political party. The grassroots red-shirt group has already developed and is now moving into a republican movement, according to Giles. The possible name of a new political party could involve a wide range of politically correct notions, such as pro-democracy, freedom-loving or anti-dictatorship.</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">What's in all these names? How is the politics of rhetoric employed to legitimise courses of action by politicians?</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Why do the Lao leaders pretentiously call their country "Lao People's Democratic Republic" when in fact it is run by a communist party? Does the Democratic People's Republic of Korea really exist? And since when has North Korea become a democratic state?</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">In Thailand, the politics of rhetoric is an artificial business. The name of a political party, in particular, is even more plastic. It is used to construct a false legitimacy for politicians. It is a part of creating an illusion of a perfect Thailand rising above flawless party politics and their genuinely democratic and moral agendas.</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Trends in the past two decades show that the names of Thailand's political parties have evolved around notions pertaining to the Thai national identity, especially the nation and religion. This is because naming a political party based on these symbols is self-legitimising. It also connotes a sense of nationalism that could be used to appeal to a wider audience for their support.</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">But since the lifespan of most Thai political parties is short, simply because they lack an identifiable ideology, and membership and alliance is forged on money and allocation of power, not loyalty and passion, new political parties have frequently emerged in the public consciousness. Naming a new political party can be both a lucrative and creative business. </font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Politicians make use of the name of the political party to represent and sum up their existence and meaning in politics. But is there substance in it? A greater number and more colourful names of political parties do not signify the vibrancy of democracy. In fact, the mushrooming of political parties and their inventive names serves the wrong purpose. They confuse people. They also compel people to rely on individuals, a more recognisable entity than the ever-changing political parties, when it comes to balloting.</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">The culture of manufacturing a catchy name for a political party is epidemic. It works in the same way as business advertising. But even in the business world, the name of a product can sometimes hardly warrant its quality. In many cases, it even proves the opposite: bad products come in nice packages. </font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">In the realm of politics, the most captivating names of political parties can guarantee a disaster. Numerous examples verify this observation. Khwam Wang Mai (New Aspiration party) formed by Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh did not really give Thailand a new hope. It was in fact one of the causes behind the outbreak of the financial crisis in 1997 because of his government's financial mismanagement. Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai party might have been hugely successful. But did the name really spread the message of love? Or did it end up spawning division? </font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">In the last few years since Thailand has sunk into this deep turmoil, its political landscape has increasingly become a strange terrain. Revenge and continued polarisation have made political parties more vulnerable than ever. The courts have been criticised for being politicised. During this time, Thailand has witnessed the rise and fall of many political parties. But of course, politicians are salient enough to switch factions and change alliances for their own survival.</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">New political parties have emerged. Some of the new parties' names are more sensational, more nationalistic, and even more polarised. From Thai Rak Thai, Palang Prachachon (People Power party), to Puea Thai (For Thais), all these connote Thaksin's people-centric political platform. The focus has been on the people, not the Bangkok elite. And by focusing on the masses, Thaksin and his political followers believe it also signals support for democracy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Bhumjaithai party (Proud Thai), Puea Pandin (For the Motherland), and Pracha Raj (Royalist People's party) also exemplify the redundant use of nationalistic language which has so far shown no sign of contribution to the development of the Thai political system. They were born out of political convenience which, again, only reaffirms the mentality of the Thai politicians behind the invention of new political parties.</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Now that the two forceful political entities, the yellow- and red-shirt movements, are scheming to register their birth on the mainstream political scene, some people have high hopes that this could eventually transform Thailand into a two-party state: one that represents the royalists and the other the masses. But their past and present political activities have worried some Thais too. Will the beautiful name of their planned political parties really help cloak their true political agendas?</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">For the PAD, it is not really an alliance of the people, nor an organisation that promotes democracy. Obviously, it is designed to protect the interest of the elite. Moreover, its idea of "new politics" is really a democratic setback. So will Thien Hang Tham shine on the privileged and dim the light for the poor?</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">For the red-shirt party, their crusade again dictatorship is impressive. But was Thaksin once a despot too? Only recently has he been pompously redressed in a democratic uniform?</font></p>
<p><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Naming political parties is ultimately a story of cover-up. It covers up the irrationality, artificiality and accidental birth of the parties. Call it whatever they like, but Thai politicians cannot deny the fact many of them are a bunch of power-hungry individuals who perceive politics as purely a domain of business. </font></p>
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<li style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><i><span lang="EN-GB"><font face="Default Serif,Times New Roman,Times,serif" size="3">Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.</font></span></i></li>
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<div>Pavin Chachavalpongpun, PhD.<br>Visiting Research Fellow<br>Institute of Southeast Asian Studies<br>30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace<br>Pasir Panjang<br>Singapore 119614<br>Tel: +65 68704522<br>
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