Military Junta Turns Thailand into Land of Frowns
Thailand long has been the land of smiles, a friendly, informal place equally hospitable to backpackers and businessmen. But politics has gotten ugly in recent years. Now a cartoonish dictator out of a Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera runs a not-so funny junta which jails opponents and suppresses free speech. The recent bombing of a popular Hindu shrine in Bangkok should act as the famed fire bell in the night: if terrorism becomes a tactic by the disaffected life in Thailand could generate far more frowns than smiles.
In May 2014 General Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power. He claimed to have "a democratic heart," and his junta promised happiness, prosperity, and security. But the regime has failed on all three counts. Those denied political rights and civil liberties, and especially those arrested and jailed, obviously aren't happy. Only those now ruling, or with friends among those ruling, have reason to smile.
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In May 2014 General Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power. He claimed to have "a democratic heart," and his junta promised happiness, prosperity, and security. But the regime has failed on all three counts. Those denied political rights and civil liberties, and especially those arrested and jailed, obviously aren't happy. Only those now ruling, or with friends among those ruling, have reason to smile.
More...