Don’t mention the coup

The military dictatorship would be comical if it weren’t such a bunch of dangerous troglodytes bent on smashing Thailand’s politics into a shape not seen since the military-backed dictatorship following the 6 October 1976 royalist-inspired massacre.

The Bangkok Post tells us that no one should call its putsch a coup. Junta spokesman Colonel Werachon Sukondhapatipak says that ditching the constitution, overthrowing the legal government, establishing martial law, detaining hundreds and enforcing massive censorship was not a thuggish and illegal coup but a “take over the administration” to “establish a sustainable democracy after social divisions are mended…”.

Oops, sorry, we got that wrong on two counts. First, it isn’t detention, it is more like a short holiday. The colonel explained that “the secrecy surrounding the location, lack of access by relatives and families of the political activists under detention or arrest, he said the military was operating within martial law, and asked the media not to call it detention.” Second, the military “take over of administration” isn’t a thuggish act of lawlessness because, the straight-faced colonel explains because, “We will do things within the legal parameters.”

Don’t mention the war coup. We might have mentioned it once, but we think we got away with it all right.

Sorry, we couldn’t resist poking a little fun at these military clowns who can’t see that their behavior is reprehensible, barbaric and fascist.