How to make Vader proud

by Voronai Vanijaka

The last page of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's XNUMX-year reign was turned on Thursday evening when he found his final resting place with an impressive cremation ceremony. The late king had admirers and detractors, but one thing is certain: his influence on the Thai nation was such that our national identity is tied to him.

He was called "the father of the nation." We believe that this country, Thailand, belongs to the father and that we, the people, are his children. Thailand is a multiethnic and multicultural country with a patchwork of former kingdoms and a sultanate. We were taught that it is our veneration for the late king that marks our collective identity as one, indivisible people. However much the political unrest in recent decades showed how fragile that unity was.

As the nation celebrates his life and mourns his passing, we must look to the future. For that it is necessary that we grow up and stop being children.

Because how childish we were.

Like irresponsible and spoiled children, we threw a tantrum and were violent when we didn't get our way. Differences of opinion brought bouts of anger, threats, censorship, banishment and punishment. Losses led to rule breaking, arson and destruction. Coups were welcomed because we had lost faith in freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

We have to grow up. A feature of this is that we can deal with differences and opposing viewpoints by using our common sense and compassion.

Good children learn from their father's wisdom; adults live by it. We must learn to live by the words of the late King, pronounced on December 4, 2004:

"If you say the king cannot be criticized then you say the king is not human. If anyone suggests that the king is wrong, I'd like to hear it. If not, we have a problem. If we insist that the king cannot be criticized, we have a problem.'

Since 1908, the lèse-majesté law, Article 112 of the Penal Code, has forbidden accusing, insulting or threatening the king, queen, crown prince or regent. Thereafter, a penalty of three permits fifteen years per point of violation. The law is intended to protect the sanctity of the institution of monarchy.

Voranai Vanijaka

Instead, the lèse-majeste law was abused as a political tool to intimidate, silence and imprison dissidents and ordinary citizens. Those who abuse the letter of the law get away with it because of the climate of mistrust and suspicion.

Accusations, insults and threats aside, we are already angry at the thought of anyone criticizing the late king or monarchy. So angry that we think it's okay to lock someone up for fifteen years or more. So angry that we prefer a dictatorship to a democracy.

In any case, law is law and as responsible citizens we must respect that law, even if we disagree with it. But that doesn't mean we can't disagree with that law, reject it and work to change that law.

Thailand is now a nation ruled by fear. We don't dare speak up, write, post, discuss, debate for fear of a slew of punishments, falling victim to a social media witch hunt, or wasting away in a prison.

As we celebrated the late King's life last year, we read many of his sayings and speeches. All showed his character: he was a wise man, a man of compassion, without hatred or revenge. He lived to unite us and not divide us. In his own words, he wanted us to be critical and not knocked down by fear and anxiety. So why don't we follow his example?

There will always be people who abuse the law for their own political or monetary gain. People who, for their own sake, corrupt the thinking of others. So do they, who steal from the land to line their own pockets. And those who trample on human rights and freedoms to usurp power.

They can only do that because we, as irresponsible children, remain on the sidelines. We are silent out of fear. Sometimes we applaud them because division blinds our judgment. The abuse of the lèse-majeste law. The prison cell. Banishment and censorship. The hate, the anger and the witch hunt. This is not how we should honor the father of the nation.

We must learn from the past and build the future ourselves. We now live in a state of fear and suspicion; tomorrow we must build a community that is open and free. It is important for the future that we should not only grow up ourselves, we should also want a better life for our own children.

That is how we should honor the legacy of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Note from editor Khaosod: “We are very happy to welcome Voranai Vanijaka as a regular columnist. He is now editor-in-chief of GQ Magazine Thailand and used to be a well-known weekly columnist on political and cultural affairs in the Bangkok Post.

Source: Khaosod English. www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2017/10/27/voranai-make-father-proud/

Translation: Tino Kuis