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Published on September 28, 2007

 Lashing out at the western media for using the concept of democracy to create an image of the military coup, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said yesterday the past year was simply "time-out" in Thailand's democratic evolution.

"It has been a time to take stock, review what went wrong, adjust our strategy and resume our efforts," he told the Asia Society in New York.

In a bid to build confidence among foreigners after the military coup in September last year, Surayud spent every minute during his mission to the United Nations General Assembly explaining Thailand's road map to democracy.

"The Thai people have always desired democracy. They have fought for it and they have died for it," he said, "but we have not paid enough attention to the conditions for democracy to be sustainable."

He blamed the absolute power of the previous government for the mistakes in Thai democracy. "Unfortunately, the axiom that absolute power corrupts absolutely proved correct once again," he said.

To correct such mistakes, the retired general said Thai people should distance themselves from money politics, promote good governance, and create a political culture driven by public service rather than greed.

"These are challenges that cannot be resolved overnight, or even in one year. What my government has done is try to lay a foundation upon which future governments can build," he said.

The premier also defended His Majesty the King's sufficiency economy employed by his government as a guide for economic strategy, and said the idea was not inward looking but creating strength from within.

Supalak G Khundee

The Nation

New York