Growing Pains (May 31, 2010)

by Andrew Marshall

Thailand’s agony shows how weak its institutions are—and how hard it is for a young democracy to mature.

Thailand is in chaos. The Red Shirt group armed with rocks, slingshots, and guns is protesting against the government. It is funded by the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The conflict has claimed the lives of 70 people. The King, now 82, can no longer halt the violence as he did in 1992. The institutions such as the parliament, the judiciary, the media, the police and the Buddhist group cannot control the battle because each of them is busy coping with their own problems. The writer is pessimistic. He is afraid that more violence is inevitable. He says, “Thailand is not growing up. It is falling apart.” (107 words)