The Contrecoup in Thailand
Thailand hasn’t had as many coups and constitutions as, say, the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, but it outdoes them for fastest turnover: The average lifespan of a Thai constitution is a bit more than four years.
In May of last year, after months of street protests, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha and other senior military officials overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. And the junta, following that hallowed tradition of Thai coup-makers, promptly abolished the country’s 18th “permanent” constitution.
It proposed a new one in April. Supposedly the centerpiece of the regime’s roadmap to “sustainable democracy,” the draft constitution is a major step backward.… Seguir leyendo »