SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Killing in the Name of the King: Thailand’s Political Developments Since the 2006 Coup

Pavin Chachavalpongpun

Abstract

The military staged a coup in 2006 overthrowing the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra. This was the 18th coup since Thailand abolished the absolute monarchy in 1932. Although the military’s intervention in politics is not uncommon in Thailand, the 2006 coup has generated a different impact. The coup that was meant to protect the political interests of the military and to safeguard the royal prerogatives gave birth to an anti-establishment movement whose members identify themselves in red shirts. That coup, initially staged to solidify the monarchy’s position in politics, also stirred up an anti-monarchy reaction among many Thais. They became aware of the extent to which the monarchy had long been actively involved in politics, with the backing of the army, despite its confined role under the constitution.

While many Thais tend to concentrate on Thaksin’s authoritarian behaviour and his corrupt policies as the root causes of the Thai crisis, the author argues that, based on the above context, the monarchical institution has played a large part in instigating and deepening the political conflict and that blaming Thaksin alone would be immeasurably misleading. Not just Thaksin, but the Thai monarch is an equally divisive figure. The monarchy has increasingly become estranged with the ongoing democratisation. In fact, it has acted as an obstacle to the country’s democratic development. The military, in the meantime, has continued to take advantage from the crisis it created, and at times has exploited the monarchy, in order to ensure its position in politics, with the support of the royalists. The brutal crackdowns on the red shirts at Rachaprasong from April-May 2010 which produced up to 100 deaths and the multiplying cases of lèse-majesté demonstrated the extent to which violence and law have become important instruments in the elimination of those threatening the interests of the establishment.

The author will discuss Thailand’s political developments since the military coup of 2006 with a special emphasis on the role of the monarchy in the current crisis.

Speaker Biography

Pavin Chachavalpongpun is associate professor at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Japan. Earning his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, Pavin is the author of two books: A Plastic Nation: The Curse of Thainess in Thai Burmese Relations and Reinventing Thailand: Thaksin and His Foreign Policy. He is also the editor of the upcoming book, ‘Good Coup’ Gone Bad: Thailand’s Political Developments since Thaksin’s Downfall.