For the past two days, the local English-language media have been giving varying translations of the group in English. The Nation until yesterday referred to the group as the Administrative Reform Council (ARC), while The Bangkok Post opted for The Council for Democratic Reform.

The coup leaders broke the law, threw out the Constitution, overthrew a corrupt government and still wanted to call themselves democratic.

So while The Bangkok Post maintained the word democracy in its translation, The Nation decided to do away with the word.

Dictatorial countries are fond of adopting the word democratic. North Korea, for example, refers to itself as the People's Democratic Republic of Korea.

In contrast, the repressive Burmese military junta has avoided any pretence of democracy and calls itself simply the State Peace and Development Council.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation