`Twenty years on and he's still dreaming'

Yuwadee Tunyasiri Ampa Santimetaneedol

Thai Rak Thai spokesman Suranan Vejjajiva has countered academic Thirayuth Boonmee's criticism of the government, reaffirming Thailand belongs to the people who have every right to check, criticise, re-elect or oust the Thaksin administration.

He lashed back at the Thammasat University anthropologist, saying he was trying to present his own theories and still dreaming of utopian societies.

On Sunday, Mr Thirayuth said people were being made second-class citizens in their own country, tenants in the house owned by an authoritarian Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai party, who paint themselves as providers.

Mr Suranan said it was untrue Mr Thaksin was a dictator, since his government was constitutionally elected and ready to step down if not re-elected.

The power the prime minister was using to fight poverty, drugs and dark influence was constitutional, not power attained through a coup, he said.

ms:(at least one thing where he has an advantage vs George W. Bush who took over in a undoubtful coup or unconstitutionally. But unfortunately another dictator, Adolf Hitler's power was constitutional as well........that's why I can not accept your above reasons at all. History has already proven them wrong.)

Mr Suranan claimed the government always heeded criticism and said it had a clear principle that the country belonged to the people. The prime minister and all MPs were elected to run the country and solve problems.

Like house owners, the people had rights and power to monitor, criticise and expel the government and always had a choice, by voting every four years.

ms: (how can they do so if the mass-media are put under pressure by the government? How to monitor if you are not told the truth and how to critisise if you are immediately silenced?)

``We insist that politics for Thai Rak Thai is participatory politics that the people can take part in political work. But representative politics is also important under the constitution, which is the people's version.

``Any demands for people's participation are right, but there must be mechanisms to meld different views and there must be decision-makers who really represent the people. Thai Rak Thai never uses the people as tools as accused. We think all play leading roles for political development. This is the other side of the coin Ajarn Thirayuth must look at,'' the Thai Rak Thai spokesman said.

``Ajarn Thirayuth is an interesting academic and social observer. He tries to present post-modernism theories, but it is like he was still in the period of romanticism.

``He is still thinking and dreaming like 20 years ago when he was disappointed. Today, he is still dreaming and complaining.''

ms:(Prime minister Taksin has done undoubtfully a few very good things to your society. Nevertheless nobody, I repeat nobody will ever be able to win any war against drugs. This is complete nonsense and pure propaganda to hide some other things... I wish and hope that your Land of the free will become so again otherwise you will have to change the name sooner or later into Thaksinland.)