Democracy summit snub due to poorly-implemented democratic rule: Academic

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

THAILAND was not invited to a United States-hosted Summit for Democracy scheduled for next month apparently due to the country’s poorly-implemented democratic rule, said a noted critic today (Nov 26).

Rangsit University’s Political and Development Research Centre director/former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn cited the Democracy Index compiled by The Economist magazine as ranking Thailand at 73rd, thus missing out on the US government’s invitation to attend the virtual Summit for Democracy alongside 110 countries around the world.

Given the 73rd rank, considered low on the internationally recognised standards for countries under democratic rule, Thailand was among several other Asean states being denied the opportunity to attend the virtual Summit for Democracy to which US President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver a key-note speech on Dec. 9.

That referred to Singapore at 74th on the Democracy Index, Cambodia at 130th, Myanmar at 135th, Vietnam at 137th and Laos at 161st.

However, a few other Asean states were invited to the Summit For Democracy including Malaysia, ranking at 39th, the Philippines at 55th and Indonesia at 64th.

Somchai remarked on his Facebook page that a Thailand representative might eventually fail to address key topics on the Summit for Democracy’s agenda if ever invited.

That referred to ways and means which the participant countries have taken in order to defend against authoritarianism, fight against corruption and promote human rights whereas Thailand has fared poorly in those areas, according to the academic.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha who staged the 2014 coup during his time as army chief, named himself prime minister of an unelected government and finally was named by the military-installed Palang Pracharath Party as head of an elected government over two years ago declined to comment on Thailand missing out on the Summit for Democracy and called on the media to refrain from running stories about it.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Photo: Siam Rath

Home Page: US President Joe Biden. Photo: NYTIMES and published by The Straits Times

Also read: Prayut mum on not being invited to US democracy summit