We can’t say it any more plain or direct: “The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) aka yellow shirts) are liars.” And the lies begin with their name as they are not for democracy at all. This is easily demonstrated. 

1.      In March 2006, the PAD requested the King intervention and remove Thaksin Shinawatra from power.¹  The demands for royal intervention met with much criticism, although the PAD claimed the idea was the only possible peaceful answer to the political crisis. The King dismissed the idea in a speech on April 26, saying "Asking for a royally appointed prime minister is undemocratic. It is, pardon me, a mess. It is irrational."²

2.      The PAD openly welcomed the 2006 military coup de tat. The last time we checked – military coups are not democratic.

3.      The PAD has proposed constitutional amendments that would make 70% of Ministers of Parliament (MPs) appointed, based on professional groups, with elections accounting for only 30% of MPs.^3,4  Appointed representatives are not democratic.

4.      The Pad called for boycotting the 2005 elections. Odd, we thought democratic groups embraced elections.

 And if you don’t believe us when we say the PAD doesn’t support democracy then here are some other sources:

1.     The  Asian Human Rights Commission recognized the PAD as fascists.⁵

“Some commentators and opponents of the alliance have described its agenda as fascist. This is not an exaggeration. Experience shows that the types of systemic changes and regimes that follow such movements, although they may not describe themselves as fascist, have fascist qualities.  Indeed, successive dictatorships in Thailand's modern history appreciated, expressed and used many fascist symbols and policies, and the residue of these can be found in the language and behavior of the alliance leaders today.”

ผู้วิจารณ์และฝ่ายต่อต้านพันธมิตรฯ บางส่วนได้เรียกวาระทางการเมืองของพันธมิตรฯ ว่าเป็นฟาสซิสต์ 

ซึ่งไม่ใช่คำกล่าวที่เกินเลย ประสบการณ์แสดงให้เห็นว่าการเปลี่ยนแปลงเชิงระบบและระบอบที่จะเกิด

ตามมาหลังขบวนการเช่นว่านี้มีลักษณะความเป็นฟาสซิสต์ (แม้ว่าพวกเขาอาจจะไม่ได้อธิบายตนเอง

ว่าเป็นฟาสซิสต์ก็ตาม) ที่จริงแล้ว เผด็จการที่สืบเนื่องมาในประวัติศาสตร์สมัยใหม่ของไทยล้วนชื่น

ชอบ แสดง และใช้สัญลักษณ์และนโยบายแบบฟาสซิสต์จำนวนมาก และคราบไคลของสิ่งเหล่า

นี้สามารถพบได้ในภาษาและพฤติกรรมของแกนนำพันธมิตรในวันนี้

2.      The International Crisis Group, which is an independent, international, non-profit, non-governmental organization, recognizes the PAD as an anti-democratic and autocratic group.⁶ 

“But the PAD’s proposals for a “new politics” – essentially a reversion to government by the elite, with only 30 per cent of parliamentarians elected – is profoundly anti-democratic and a recipe for dictatorship.”

Not convinced? Maybe you think Thaksin paid off the Asian Human Rights Commission and the International Crisis Group?  Then how about different news organization sources around the world?

3.     The Japan Times accused PAD of not respecting the rule of law and opposing democracy.⁷

      “It appears as if the opposition has set out to destabilize the country and force yet another coup. It is a sad commentary on Thailand's opposition, which calls itself the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), but appears to have no respect for democracy or the rule of law.”

4.     If you don’t believe the Japanese, then how about the Italians? If anyone knows what fascism is then it would be the Italians who have experienced it firsthand.⁸

     "That situation seems to occur in Thailand, where street protests have cried for new elections three times in as many years. However, the government won the elections each time and belied the protesters, who then proved to represent only a minority of society."

    "When a minority imposes its will on the majority, it is not a democracy—it is a dictatorship,”

Or maybe you believe Thaksin has paid off everybody in the entire world except the PAD, then how about straight from “The Mouth” himself:

6.  "Representative democracy is not suitable for Thailand," stated Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the PAD.⁹

7.  "It's taken for granted in the West that democracy is the best system…This system is not working." stated Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the PAD.¹⁰

Still not convinced?  Then we call attention to the logo of the New Politic’s Party (NPP) which is the political arm of the PAD:

We think it’s fairly obvious that the People’s Alliance for Democracy should really be the People’s Alliance for Dicatatorship.

 

1.      The Nation, King the only hope for end to deadlock, say PAD protesters, 26 March 2006

2.      The Nation, HM the King's April 26 speeches (unofficial translation), 27 April 2006

3.      IHT, On 5th day of Thai protests, a carnival atmosphere, 30 August 2008

4.      BBC, Rifts behind Thailand's political crisis, 27 August 2008

5.      AHRC, หัวเลี้ยวหัวต่อประชาธิปไตยและหลักนิติรัฐไทย, 26 November 2008

6.      ICG, Thailand: Calming the Political Turmoil - International Crisis Group, 22 September        

       2008

7.      The Japan Times, 'People's Democrats' in name, 13 October 2008

8.      LASTAMPA, Democracy in Asia? Beware of Thailand, 28 June 2008

9.      Newsweek, All Politics Isn’t Local, 6 September 2007

10.  Time, The Battle for Thailand, 4 September 2008