Land of the unfree

re: "Time to lift rights bans" (Editorial, September 17)

Dear editor,

Whilst the Bangkok Post is doubtless sincere in the editorial "Time to lift rights bans " (September 17), that sincerity clearly fails to understand some basic governing principles of the Thai nation.

First. although some were duty bound on May 22, 2014 to cancel the democratic constitutional monarchy that had previously existed, which cancellation repeated a dozen equally well-intended precedents in Thai modern history, such wickedness as peacefully calling for discussion of the political structure of the Thai nation is not to be permitted less exemplary Thai citizens.

If all Thai people were respected as though they had dignity as free persons, as if they were endowed with basic human rights such as free speech to peacefully state an opinion on matters of national importance, they might very well start thinking that they are in fact a free people entitled to a democratic voice in their nation's affairs, thereby undoing the achievements of the example-setting politicians who have governed since May 2014 after they appointed themselves the ruling politicians of the Thai state that had suddenly been reformed into something very other than a democratic constitutional monarchy. Such an unwarranted aspiration to liberty by the Thai masses will never do. What, after all, was the point of the coup if not to stamp out that unThai notion that Thai people are free, that they have basic human rights consistent with a constitutional monarchy that respects democratic principle?

Naturally, some few do have a duty to shoulder the burden of freedom; but this duty should be limited to those who make up the rule of law to help the rest maintain their proper places, where tradition allows them the privilege of serving the nation and its generous abundance of army generals diligently protecting the interests of those select Thais who are apparently free to say and do whatever they want, including giving themselves and loyal allies both actual and de facto amnesties in case the laws has loop holes that might allow the better sort to be treated as the poorer type, an aberration not to be borne.

It is not, after all, as though the word "Thai" looked anything remotely like the word "free": they don't even share a single letter! 

 Felix Qui

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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.

The text as edited was published in PostBag on September 19, 2018, under the title "Land of the unfree" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/1542614/land-of-the-unfree