Explaining the military junta

This post is one of the few “editorials” to appear at PPT. What is it that prompts us to take this unusual step?

It is Thailand’s military dictatorship and the horrible and vicious mess it claims is a road map to reconciliation or some other equally ridiculous euphemism.

Let’s be clear. Thailand’s military dictatorship came to power in an illegal coup in 2014. Like all coup-makers before it, it manipulated the judicial system to ensure that the coup was made legal. It also managed to declare everything it did in that period legal.

This illegal regime is constructed on the bodies of scores of red shirts it murdered. It has impunity for that. It has jailed hundreds, suggesting that its jailings are “discussions.” Scores more have fled the dictatorship and now live in exile.

These days, going into a military prison risks death. Deaths in custody simply aren’t investigated, with the bodies being cremated almost as soon as they die. There is no reason to believe that these were not murders in custody.

If they were murders, it is now clear that the military dictatorship was murderous to save itself and, probably Prince Vajiralongkorn who is caught up in this series of deaths and jailings of dozens of his former supporters and accomplices.

When the military “investigates” itself on corruption, of course, there is none, even when a senior minister has admitted it.

The capacity for untruth from this regime knows no bounds; we even had The Dictator himself, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, lying to U.S. President Obama a day or so ago. Prayuth has either lost touch with reality or simply cannot determine the difference between truth and fabrication. Fabrication and concoction are subjects taught at the military academy.

This military regime is populated by dunces who gained their positions by lying, corruption, murder and other forma of deceit.

It is a regime beneath contempt. It can, and does, get away with murder.