The CDR has shown concern over having totally free media, and certain measures imposed after the September 19 coup threatened to alienate democracy advocates who accepted the military takeover with gritted teeth. But despite its absolute power at the moment, the CDR doesn't have a choice when it comes to civil liberty. For all the international outcry over the "blow to Thai democracy", the democratic spirit is strong with the Thai people, to the point where no power can really contain it. The military council doesn't have to look beyond the man it just brought down to see what a lack of respect for democratic freedom can lead to. In other words, the CDR's biggest challenge is how not to repeat Thaksin Shinawatra's mistakes when under political pressure.

Media freedom is one of the key elements of democracy. This may sound like a boring cliche, yet for some reason people who suddenly find themselves in positions of power tend to forget it. If the CDR promotes and fosters this freedom, the rest will take care of itself. Thaksin disdained it, and look where he is now. He has been lying to everyone and himself by saying that a free media conspired with other forces to oust him, but that's not at all the case. Thaksin's problem is himself - his lack of belief in true democratic values, so to speak.

At a time when foreign countries are bemoaning the "loss of democracy" in Thailand, the CDR can prove them wrong. And there's no better way of doing that than by supporting the system's real foundations. But make no mistake, allowing a free media to function at this crucial time is not about pleasing Western governments; it's about democracy, the national interest and the CDR's own health. At this juncture, the nation needs as much input as possible on political affairs so we can get back on our feet as soon as possible, and only a vibrant and unhindered media can help us achieve that.

The CDR must forget its concern over the existence of pro-Thaksin media outlets. Trying to rein them in would bode ill for the council's international image. Yet that is the least of the problems. Any attempt to muzzle dissenting voices would make hypocrites out of the generals who insisted that their objective in launching a coup was to eradicate the "Thaksin system", of which media control and manipulation was a big part. And that hypocrisy would certainly put Thailand back in a vicious circle.

As for the media's demanding full freedom from the CDR, the media must also learn to coexist with what they once called "artificial media". It's true that the suspicious media outlets with hard-line, pro-Thaksin stances were causing alarm before his downfall with their dubious sources of funding and extreme belligerence. But now there's a need not to give the CDR any pretext to adopt blanket media-control measures. Full freedom is a must, and if it means being subjected to operations funded by politicians with secret agendas, then so be it.

One of Thaksin's biggest mistakes was that he decided that a free media was a threat - an enemy even. His downfall was not the result of a media conspiracy, regardless of what he says now. A popular leader with a strong hold on Parliament and an unrivalled financial war chest came crashing down simply because he refused to listen. It was as simple as that. And the lesson for the CDR couldn't be any simpler: accepting criticism and diverse opinions is not just good for civil liberty, it's also good for leadership.