Grassroots to have the edge in long-term, says Thai Academic

BANGKOK, March 18 (TNA) - Well-known Thammasat University academic Theerayuth Boonmee said on Sunday grass-root people who favored populist policies of the current government would have an edge over conservatives in the long-term. Theerayuth, a former leading student activist, said two groups of powerful people are now having an influence over Thai politics; they are the conservatives and the rival grass-roots. According to Theerayuth, the conservatives are those believing in security, judicial process and customs and are supported by high, middle class of people and even villagers who have faith in conserving them. Their position is rather steady and bending toward shrinking in the society. He said the grass-root people prefer to issue laws and justify themselves from an election and they are supported by small business entrepreneurs. They have an opportunity to grow from the government-sponsored populist policies as they believe their advantages have been taken by society. It is bad for Thailand to have two groups of people having an influence over the politics and at the end only one centre will be left. It is likely that the grass-roots would have an edge in long-term, he said. Urging people to adapt themselves for the benefit of the country, Theerayuth said he personally believed convicted and ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra does not have confidence in building democracy by the grass-roots. This can be seen from his speech via video links with villagers, which were not aimed at solving problems on a sustainable basis but rather as marketing channel and not as a democratic leader, said Theerayuth, adding that Thaksin only wants people to support him and this is dangerous as it could worsen social divisiveness. Thaksin was ousted from power in a bloodless coup on September 19, 2006 and is now living in self-imposed exile in overseas. He was sentenced in absentia to two-year imprisonment for violating conflict of interest rules in helping his then-wife to buy land from a state agency at a price significantly below its market level. Theerayuth said problems encountering the country now are caused by political violence created by the so-called ‘Yellow Shirted’ people and their rivals the ‘Red Shirts’. Whether Thaksin could help solve the problems is yet to be seen, said Theerayuth, adding that he wants the former premier to return home and face the charges. (TNA)