Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, from stooge to statesman

Yingluck with husband and son

Despite Yingluck's successful career as CEO, after her appointment as prime minister on August 5, 2011, her abilities were viewed with disdain and laughter. 'Straw man', 'excruciating lack of knowledge', 'just a charming face', those kinds of terms.

Hardly anyone really saw it. We are now over a year further. It can be.

Yingluck stands her ground

She has become the most admired Prime Minister of Thailand of the past decades. The Thai daily, Thai Rath, certainly not a Thaksin sympathizer, wrote: 'Poe ('Crab', Yingluck's nickname) shows her claws'. This referred to the recent change of ministerial posts where 10 ministers, put forward by big brother, were not to the liking of Yingluck. She has acquired an independent and firm position and is appreciated and admired even by her opponents. That is something to swallow for parts of the elite, who therefore call for a coup.

But who better to articulate this than the Bangkok Post columnist, Voranai Vanijaka, who is especially acclaimed by foreigners? Because of his usually strong criticism of Thai society and politics, which does not spare Thaksin, his judgment is unsuspected and of great value.

I translated his column from the Bangkok Post of November 4. I deleted a number of passages. The whole English article is on the link at the bottom of the text. ('Ying' means 'very much' and 'Luck' means 'charm', so Yinglove…)

Yingluck, Yinglove one and all

Yingluck Shinawatra hasn't succeeded yet, but she's getting closer to her goal. Sunday's Pitak Siam rally and the talk of a coup show how nervous the other side is getting. Bias and prejudices cloud judgment. She is the sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, and the anti-Thaksin brigade rejected her from the beginning. They mock her use of English, and even her Thai. They called her a stooge of Thaksin. They laughed at her intellect. The lady has her flaws and shortcomings, no doubt, but Prime Minister Yingluck, though she has not achieved success yet – the jury is still out, she seems to succeed in what no one has yet succeeded: bringing about reconciliation .

This is the exact reason why it was deemed necessary (before it is too late) to organize a rally against the Pheu Thai government last Sunday… But the reasons why they spent their Sunday at the Royal Turf Club when there were no matches to be seen are different from what is mentioned. A show of strength was needed because Thaksin's political machine is winning - thanks to the sister people mock and underestimate. Everyone has a role. Everyone serves a purpose.

Ms. Yingluck was not chosen by her brother to deliver stirring speeches, debate intellectually, or formulate strategic takeovers. Thaksin already has people who can do that. Expressing a political vision? Show leadership? Thaksin can do that himself. Mrs. Yingluck does two things no one else can do. First, it gives the Pheu Thai Party and the Red Shirt United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship and other supporters a symbol around which to unite. A symbol at home can do things that a symbol in Dubai cannot…

Second, she convinces the other side to accept defeat and make the best of it; this is what we call reconciliation. People tend to overlook this. At present, in the Kingdom of Thailand, these two things are more important than the correct use of language or intellectual debates… The fundamental fact of political science dictates that there must be winners and losers. After all, a country cannot have two governments. There could be a shadow government or puppet government, but not two official governments at the same time. Given this fundamental fact, the reconciliation can only succeed if the losing side accept defeat and pull out the best deal they can, negotiate a peace using the power they have, but never put themselves on an equal footing with the winner .

This is where Mrs. Yingluck is getting closer and closer. With the threat of tanks and automatic rifles, Thailand's traditional elites won a battle in September 2006, but not the war. In the five years leading up to the July 2011 General Election, the Democratic Party failed to bring about reconciliation. They fail to convince the other side to accept defeat and make the best of it. Now, at the end of 2012, Ms. Yingluck is doing what tanks, democrats and even her brother couldn't do… After major appointments, the Thai Police and Ministry of Defense are now tools of Thaksin, along with, of course, the UDD, and quite a part of the business people. The unknown factor is the military; as in a possible coup….The generals have both good and bad qualities, but to think now that they would fall for feminine charm is to underestimate them, even though one should never neglect the power of feminine charm. But in addition to feminine charm, Ms. Yingluck possesses negotiation skills that are the product of intelligence and ingenuity – credit where credit is due.

Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda and Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-Ocha would never give Thaksin's nominees a second look, but they are willing to deal with Ms. Yingluck. Witness the many photos of smiling faces and moments when they were together, not to mention the hush-hush, behind-the-scene conversations. This does not mean that the military will become an instrument of Thaksin. Mrs. Yingluck only needs to get them to accept defeat and stay in the barracks………Because you see, there are only three ways to defeat the Thaksin political machine – democratically, militarily or through economic disaster. We know the first two are unlikely. As for the economic factor; that remains to be seen.

When Mrs Yingluck is not herself involved in parliamentary debates, it is because debating is not her forte. If she can't answer journalists' tough questions, it's because she's underaged and inexperienced. But these things do not need Thaksin's political machine to win. What her brother needs is for the army to remain in the barracks and for the main political powers, as well as the majority of the voting population, to remain die-hard fans of the Shinawatra clan. So while people complain that she's always wandering around the country, she's just doing it because, as a unifying symbol, she needs to stay in touch with the people…

So mock, criticize and reject her. But know that the generals receive her. Understand that the average red shirt UDD member wears a shirt with – in his or her own words – “YINGLUCK, YINGLIKE, YINGLOVE” affectionately across the back. They love her. They adore her. She may be just what Thaksin needs to win this war, to get the other side to accept defeat and thereby bring about atonement. And if he is really wise, he will not let his vanity get the better of him, but would do well to keep her as Prime Minister, rather than aspire to it for himself.

But that's a possible future scenario. For now she is getting closer to her goal. Sunday's rally and talk of a coup just shows how nervous the other side is getting.

Source: www.bangkokpost.com