THAILAND CLOSER TO A COUP? MILITARY SEEMS UNDECIDED ON WHAT ROLE TO PLAY

 

The ongoing protests in Thailand have taken a new tack:  protests have become more violent and more frequent, with many thinking that the unrest could lead to a military coup.

So far, the coup is the foresight of people who see the constant uprising unsustainable.  But the signals sent by the military tell a different story.

In a country split in two, ones who support the current government, and those who are support the king, there seems to be no end in sight for the unrest. 

Thailand has already seen 18 separate military coups in the past century.  To say that the military is part and parcel of the governing process in Thailand is to tell the truth.  

For a long time now, the military has supported the king and, therefore, has sided with the Yellow Shirts.  The military in essence, is there to protect the monarchy, which although seen as benevolent, actually relies on intimidation and imprisonment for any show of disobedience of criticism of the monarch and his family.

But many believe that the military might have shifted alliances and moved closer to the Red Shirts, who are supporters of the Prime MInister Yingluck Shinawatra.  There are also some who believe that many soldiers, while pledging allegiance to the king, are actually themselves secret supporters of the Red Shirt movement, especially in regards to new recruits.

What that means, in short, is that the division has now reached every aspect and rank of society, and if the military steps in, a full blown civil war could result.  

The military meanwhile plays the 'coup' card to try to keep the country in order, but how long that bluff will hold is a question in many people's mind. 

The true challenge and threat to the Red Shirts' protests and request of government change, comes instead from storied institutions, the legislative branch of the government, which is staunchly in the king's camp and could provide constitutional challenges to any attempt by the Red Shirts to dominate the political landscape in Thailand.

Source : Deutsche Welle/ 1.15.14