Thailand is screwing up

That’s some of TIME magazine’s headline: “Thailand Is Doing a Great Job of Screwing Up Its Potential.”

Moody’s agrees, according to documents posted by Andrew MacGregor Marshall:

The deterioration of the political situation in Thailand to the extent that the army felt compelled to impose martial law reflects the heightened degree of political uncertainty, as seen in repeated delays to hold national elections, the unchanged intention of the main opposition party to boycott a future poll and the unwavering desire of the main anti-government opposition group to dismantle democratic governance in Thailand. We see the latest development as further weighing on the economic and financial performance of the Thai economy.

From AP: “Countries including the United States, Japan and Australia expressed concern and disappointment over the coup, with the U.S. saying there was “no justification” for the takeover, Thailand’s second in eight years.”

Britain’s Foreign Secretary stated: “I am extremely concerned by today’s coup…. The UK urges the restoration of a civilian government that has been democratically elected, serves the interests of its people and fulfils its human rights obligations.”

Military arrests a red shirt activist

PPT reckons that the hardening attitude of anti-democrats to “outsiders” will probably lead to verbal attacks on these “stupid foreigners.” But what do they say about Thais? Perhaps the military will lock them up?

Academic Prajak Kongkiarti at Prachatai: “People will soon rise up against the military, coup lead to deeper conflict and violence.”

Prajak

They are arresting more and more red shirt leaders. According to Andrew Spooner, others like Abhisit Vejjajiva and his anti-democrat Democrat Party leaders have been “released” from protective child minding.

Just to make things more confusing, The Nation reports that:

Leaders of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship and the People’s Democratic Reform Committee have been taken to a safe house in Bangkok, a military source announced on Friday.

They were taken from the First Infantry Regiment to a safe house after the coup makers released representatives of the ousted government and the Democrats who attended the failed seven-partite meeting at the Army Club on Thursday.

The coup makers also released three Pheu Thai representatives but detained two – Pheu Thai secretary general Phutham Wechayachai and party spokesman Prompong Nopparit – and took them to the safe house along with the UDD and PDRC leaders.

Sombat

One red shirt – always at the forefront of dissent – Red Sunday Group leader Sombat Boonngamanong has, according to The Nation, become:

the first person in the list of 114 summoned to report to the military junta who has publicly refused to do so, citing that staging a coup is illegitimate and challenging the junta on Twitter and Facebook to catch him if they can.

“Hilarious. Not reporting [to the junta] is considered a criminal offense. But when they deploy tanks to seize power and tear down the constitution, it is not even a violation of the Criminal Act,” Sombat tweeted at around 1.40pm yesterday (Friday) ….

The Bangkok Post says “the coup-makers warned those defying the summons will be arrested and face legal action.” It also reports that he junta has called in 155 people, and we reckon this does not include those being arrested elsewhere.

Arresting people, setting up “safe houses” under military control, imposing strict censorship and tramping about in big boots makes Thailand look like it is doing far worse than just screwing things up. We’d like to be wrong on this!