[Tlc] T-petition

[justinm at ucr.edu]

Forwarded from Dr. Thongchai Winichakul.
Thanks,
justin

Rule of Law Thailand group and Thai academics condemn the use of violence and call on all sides to prevent the drift into lawlessness by returning to peaceful, democratic means.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had previously said that his government aimed to restore peace to the country. What his government is doing, however, entirely contradicts the rhetoric with which it came to power, and indicates that it has no greater vision than the politically calculated one of preserving its own continuation. 

It is now clear that the government is distorting the picture by representing the situation as a conflict between, in Mr. Abhisit’s own words, “enemies of the nation” and “the government”. We call on the government to refrain from describing its opponents and political dissidents as enemies of the state, and from using this description to legitimise violent measures in dealing with the protestors. 

We ask that the protestors, who throughout have been adhering to the principle of peaceful demonstration, now remain especially true to that principle of expressing their political beliefs. Instead of adopting a confrontational stance, the protestors must help reduce any possibility of violence, and avoid, as a matter of priority, injuring and harming fellow citizens. 

We, the undersigned: 

1. Condemn the use of violence by the state. The Emergency Decree issued by the government led to the clash between the military and supporters of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship in Din Daeng, Bangkok, in the morning of 13 April 2009. We especially condemn the fact that the government allowed the military to fire live bullets to clear the crowd, along with using other heavy-handed measures such as moving in on the protestors without warning in the early hours and imposing control on information and coverage. This resulted in the injury of citizens and compounded the anger of the protestors. 

Thai political history has shown time and time again that political conflicts cannot be successfully resolved through coercive military power. The global community and Thai citizens are equally aware that the current conflict in Thailand has everything to do with politics rather than state security. People’s political self-expression does not constitute a threat to state security. The government must immediately revoke the Emergency Decree, since it is not a means of resolving political problems; and it must at once order the military to stop using live bullets and weapons of war. 

2. Condemn the use of violence by groups accused of acting under state orders, such as the “blue shirts” in Pattaya on 11 April or the bodyguards of the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers at the Ministry of Interior on 12 April. If the government cannot clarify whether there are grounds to the accusation connecting it with the conduct of these groups or state personnel, then the government must take responsibility for the violence which resulted from negligence or even active incitement.

3. Call on demonstrators on all sides – pro or anti government – to refrain from violence. The protestors should adhere strictly to lawful modes of demonstration within the constitutional framework, and avoid instigating any acts or events that could in turn be used to legitimise violence. 

4. A contributing factor in the ongoing problem of violence in Thai politics is the malfunctioning of the Thai media. The latter has not risen to the task of impartial reporting taking into account a range of perspectives. We call on the media to respect the truth and provide balanced and fair coverage. The media must not become part of the problem – one of the sources of violence – when it should be a force upholding democratic principles. In a climate in which many in society are calling for non-violent political alternatives, the media must help to create democratic spaces for citizens to make their voices heard about how best to resolve the current political impasse. People must be free to take part in political debate and discussion about such alternatives as dissolving parliament or the resignation of the Prime Minister. 

As academics from different institutions, we ask all sides to respect the principle of peaceful political engagement. Its basic tenets are: resolving political conflicts and tensions through non-violent means, and remaining within the framework of democratic procedures for peaceful conflict resolution. If the government cannot find a way out of this political conflict through political means, it must show courage by resigning or dissolving parliament. At the same time we ask that demonstrators remain calm and avoid, at all costs, inflicting losses on fellow citizens no matter which side of the political divide they are on. 

Rule of Law Thailand Network 

13 April 2009

Signatories: 

Kasem Penphinant
Khasara Khamawan Mukdavijit
Khooboon Jarumanee 
Jiraphon Kedjumphon
Chalong Soontravanich
Chaiyan Rajchagool
Daranee Saengnil 
Taweesak Pheuksom
Thanapol Limaphichat
Bandit Chanrojanakit
Boonsong Chaisingkananont
Pisarn Mukdaratsami
Yukti Mukdavijit
Weerasak Kittiworanant
Sangkama Sawarat
Siwaphon La-ongsakul
Sriprapha Petcharamesree
Apichat Sathitniramai 
Ubonrat Siriyuvasak 
Adadol Ingawanij 



______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu