Thailand’s ‘day of reckoning’ delayed? Junta has delivered stability but critics warn fundamental problems remain

In the two years since Thailand’s army seized control of this Southeast Asian nation in a coup, pro-democracy activist Rangsiman Rome has repeatedly risked jail time to do something few here have done: speak out against the junta.

The 24-year-old law student has taken part in peaceful demonstrations that saw security forces drag him away by the hair. He’s undergone forced “attitude adjustment” sessions at military camps in Bangkok. In all, he’s spent 24 days in custody – most recently for urging Thais to vote against a new constitution that will strengthen the army’s already powerful hand in politics for many years to come.

The charter was easily approved this month, in a vote that underscored just how lonely Rangsiman’s struggle has become. The result carried with it an implicit message: after a decade of political turmoil, the Thai electorate values the forced stability the military has imposed far more than democracy and freedom of speech.

The referendum “was wrong on so many levels”, Rangisman said, noting that open debate was quashed so intensely, criticising the draft was punishable by up to 10 years in jail. Rangisman was detained four times and has three court cases pending against him on various charges.

He added, however: “We have to accept the will of the people to decide what they want for their country, and this is what they wanted.”

Opponents of Thailand’s military dictatorship seem at a loss over what to do now. One minister ousted in the coup compares their situation to waiting out a storm. Yet that wait could be quite long indeed. The next major step will be elections, which could be held as early as November 2017, but the army won’t go away at that point.