Listening to Wednesday’s ruling made by the Constitutional Court as they ordered the dissolution of the main opposition Move Forward Party and ban party executive board members, including the charismatic former leader Pita Limjaroenrat, from politics for 10 years, one asks why the perceived existential threat to the Thai monarchy is so acute?
It is imperative we try to understand their fears and paranoia and why they see a political party which pledge to amend a law, the lese majeste law, as such a threat. The court said in the ruling it has no other recourse but to dissolve the party and ban these politicians because what they are doing, if allowed to continue, would almost certainly lead to the destruction of the monarchy institution.
Basically, the court sees Move Forward Party (and now its avatar, People’s Party) as an existential threat to the monarchy. The context, often repeated among conspiracy theorists and ultra-royalists to justify such actions is that MFP (and now People’s Party) is not just an anti-monarchist party, but a trojan horse, either knowingly or unknowingly, used by the West, chiefly the United States, to undermine and destroy the Thai monarchy.
They reasoned that without the monarchy, it would be easier for the U.S. and the West to deal with the corrupt politicians and army generals, and further advance their neo-liberal agendas, thus in effect turning Thailand into a satellite state in the growing battle between the U.S. (or the West) and China.
Not that these Thais do not believe China is trying to spread its hegemonic influence over Thailand, but these Thais believe the U.S. is the greater of the two evils and that Pita, a Harvard-educated politician, and PM candidate, is America’s boy, an enemy to the Kingdom of Thailand that must be removed from possibly being in charge of the government.
Pita, and the party’s warm ties with western embassies in Bangkok convinced these ultra-royalists even more that Pita is a Manchurian candidate, a U.S. puppet, and the party is out to make Thailand a U.S. satellite state or a virtual colony.
Perception is reality, there is little or no point in trying to change the minds of these people. At best, they think Pita and the MFP, and now the People’s Party and its new leadership, are just unwittingly being used and manipulated by the U.S. and key European powers.
Pita is not alone in being accused of being an agent of the U.S. A prominent Thai human rights activist complained on Facebook earlier this week he has now been branded by some Pheu Thai government supporters as a traitor.
I posted on social media two days ago, after the party dissolution, that one of the crucial things that those against MFP and its former leader believed is that Pita is a Manchurian candidate of U.S. Imperialism – an allegation that both Pita and MFP have failed to effectively dispel. That it would be easier for the U.S. to deal with politicians and army generals if there’s no monarchy. Thus, though they are Thais, these Thais are perceived as the enemies of Thailand.
Following that post, one Thai Facebook user noted that I am no different.
“Pravit himself is a U.S. State Department asset,” posted user Danny Kalayanamit in English.
His Facebook profile stated that Danny studied finance and investment at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University and is rather young. “And he is correct. It would be easier. That’s the point. Did the nuance get lost in translation, or is he just straight up admitting his ZOG [Zionist Occupation Government] masters would have an easier time performing international interference if we were ruled under this “system” he and his handlers are shilling for?”
The fear is real, and again, perception is reality (at least for them). One very senior and very well-educated Thai contact kept warning me whenever I see him.
“Don’t be foolish! They are just out trying to use you. There is no sincerity in international relations.”
