Strange coup fruits

re: "2006 coup a success, claims mastermind Sonthi" (BP, September 19, 2021)

 
Dear editor,

General Sonthi's comments on the anniversary of his coup against the Thai nation's very popular elected government of the Thai people are most illuminating. To think that "The Sept 19, 2006 coup against the Thaksin Shinawatra government was a success" suggest some serious failures of critical reasoning. It merely retarded Thailand's political, social, moral and economic growth. And worsened social divides. And entrenched the traditionally corrupt status quo. Such strange fruits of success.

Lest there be any doubt, the general then proceeds to confirm that the critical failure embraces the moral with the absurd claim that his coup was successful because of "gestures of support for his military intervention reflected by the bouquets of flowers presented to the coup-makers and troops." That a tiny minority of undemocratic zealots enslaved by blind faith in an ideology of demeaning subservience gave flowers shows only that the general's moral and critical failures were shared by that minority who applauded the overthrow of the rule of law, who applauded the overthrow of democratic principle and process, and who applauded the overthrow of the popular, elected government of the Thai people. Applauding such acts is itself a shameful act, not made less so by being decked out in flowers.

The getting or giving of flowers, however sincerely bestowed, is an absurd criteria for judging moral worth or success. North Korea's little despot also receives regular floral tributes from the faithful who believe him sacred. In China, Xi's official meetings are regularly decked out with flowers. Every tin-pot despot has themselves wreathed in flowers and got up in spiffy uniforms gaudily medalled and beribboned. Does Sonthi really think that a few flowers given by the faithfully benighted are evidence of moral worth? If the drug war lovers now give Joe Ferrari some handsome bouquets, will that prove him to be a successful, morally exemplary officer of the sacred Royal Thai Police because he tortured to death an alleged drug dealer? Bizarre.

 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 21, 2021, under the title "Strange coup fruits" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/2185187/foreigners-beware