Prominent social activist apologises for backing military regime

[webfact]

Prominent social activist apologises for backing military regime

By The Nation

 

Supat Hasuwannakit

 

Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, director of Chana Hospital in Songkhla province who is also a social activist and blogger, issued an apology to the people of Thailand for helping the military seize power.

 

In a Facebook post, Supat said that for the last six years he has been haunted by the words “National Council for Peace and Order” or NCPO, as he was one of the people who helped push it to the front row of Thai politics with the hope of seeing an improvement in democracy.

 

However, he said, this decision allowed the military regime to rise in power and the younger generation has had to suffer from this mistake.

 

After the recent student protest at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus, he said it was time to apologise to the people, because he now knows that there are no shortcuts in the route to democracy.

 

Hence, he said, changes will need to start from the root of the system and that he would like to be part of a pro-democratic movement, which will change the country forever.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30392961

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-08-14

 

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[Thaiwrath]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

he was one of the people who helped push it to the front row of Thai politics with the hope of seeing an improvement in democracy.

 

I think you need a democracy first, to be able to improve it.

Overthrowing a government elected by the people is NOT democratic !

[yellowboat]

If only high ranking army officers felt the same way.  

 

Vast majority on this forum expressed concern in 2014.   We can only hope more people like him wake up.

[smutcakes]

I am shocked that a Dr., supposedly someone with some level of intelligence would of believed the PDRC/NCPO nonsense about reform to begin with.

 

The amount of 'good people' and 'educated' people who believed that any reform would be undertaken is the most concerning aspect of the whole thing

[Bender Rodriguez]

a bit too late

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, yellowboat said:

We can only hope more people like him wake up.

Shame it took him 6 years to realise it.

[grumpy 4680]

5 hours ago, smutcakes said:

I am shocked that a Dr., supposedly someone with some level of intelligence would of believed the PDRC/NCPO nonsense about reform to begin with.

        I'm sure all were more aware, after the totally corrupt Constitution was written.

[nausea]

Strange volte-face. Does he know something I don't. 

 

[Somtamnication]

Too much self-importance?

[djayz]

6 hours ago, yellowboat said:

If only high ranking army officers felt the same way.  

 

Vast majority on this forum expressed concern in 2014.   We can only hope more people like him wake up.

... and some are expressing concern now in 2020. 

[djayz]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Shame it took him 6 years to realise it.

Better late than never? Sometimes we need to see things with our own eyes before we can believe them. 

Edited August 15, 2020 by djayz

[Donutz]

Better late than never but it must take a rather extraordinary way of thinking to support a fascist group like the yellow PRDC , to cheer the toppling of a democratic government  by the army and their elite friends only because you (perhaps rightfully) didn't like the populist but democratically elected people in power. If you oppose a government, there is a thing called free and fair elections to try and change course.  That's basic stuff even children learn in school. So his realisation kicked in a bit late... hopefully more people will have done so too and stop buying into 'we need a strong fatherly leader protected by the army to take the country in the right direction' facist BS.

[TooBigToFit]

It's good for him to admit his mistake but shows his total ignorance and blindness to reality at the same time. Who knows if he can truly admit the truth about what is the root cause of Thailand's problems. The students are speaking the truth, going as far as they can without hopefully getting jailed. The truth has always been the same. Nothing has changed in Thailand. Nothing. We can't say what needs to be done and who is at fault because of legal reasons. From 2013 and for the following years, people who spoke the truth on social media including these forums lost their accounts. That was the way it was. Many 'educated' Thais and foreigners went along with the human rights abuse and takeover choosing silence or apathy to keep their online accounts and jobs. It happened then. Now people are more in support of the protestors. I remember being online before and during the coup. I lost my accounts because I argued nothing less than what the students are arguing today. This doctor is welcome to admit his mistakes but I would never trust him. Thais flip flop a lot for personal gains. The reasons for no coups and change was the same forever. That's the truth but a lot of ignorant people who still want to believe think past figures were kind or did their jobs. No, they were as insidious as those right now.

 

One poster said "Vast majority on this forum expressed concern in 2014.   We can only hope more people like him wake up. " That is a laugh! Vast? Concern? Some people cared. Others lost their accounts because they cared more. Others showed concern before they disappeared off to the beach for some win, women and song. They are still doing that. 'Awake' but doing the same thing the brainwashed of Thailand do, just ignoring it all and living. From 2014, it was a slow climb for foreigners to change their apathy towards what is happening here. Now, a lot of foreigners care but the vast majority? I doubt that. I don't hear their voices when I am around them. They can tolerate some human rights abuses in exchange for staying in Thailand or a holiday here.

 

 

[Hayduke]

On 8/14/2020 at 2:50 PM, webfact said:

Supat said that for the last six years he has been haunted by the words “National Council for Peace and Order” or NCPO, as he was one of the people who helped push it to the front row of Thai politics

 

But really mommy...it was such a pretty snake and...and I only wanted to be friends with it. How was I supposed to know that it would bite everyone?

 

 

[greeneking]

8 hours ago, yellowboat said:

If only high ranking army officers felt the same way.  

 

Vast majority on this forum expressed concern in 2014.   We can only hope more people like him wake up.

Maybe some high ranking officers do. Why have so many forces been co-opted to take instructions from outside the normal police and army command?

[DrTuner]

Rats leaving a sinking ship.