For two days, 26 and 27 May, the Egyptians were supposed to elect their new President. But even though a third day, 28 May, was added to the voting schedule, a very extraordinary measure, the voting rate seems to have been less than 50%.
On the very day of 4 July 2013, when the military put Mr.Morsi under detention and took over the political power of that country, I wrote in these columns that this was a coup, Mr.Morsi was a democratically elected President no matter how many people might not like his way, and the military should immediately go back to their barracks. Unfortunately the military had stayed on, and had its former Defence Minister got elected the new President.
One would hope that the people of Egypt would not be unduly discouraged by these events, and start working for something great which could be called a second 'Arab Spring', deep-rooted among the people both urban and rural and in a non-violent way without risking the danger of a head-on clash with the military.
The military coup of 22 May, preceded by Martial Law of two days ago, in Thailand has impressed the outsiders that, rightly or wrongly, that country has changed but little over the years, say, since 1976. The military has been a weapon in the hands of the Royal Household, aristocracy, and the privileged at that time and also now.
These elements felt threatened by nothing more than peaceful movements, perhaps with some demands for redistribution of wealth. Among others, they did not like to have elections, and induced the military to stop having elections to the Lower House, and keep the Upper House only half elected, as the previous coup of 2006 had transformed it from the fully elected one. It will be wrong to think that what has been going on in this country for many years by now was a struggle for power between the two contending political parties. The military was clearly taking the side of one who were opposed to the elections.
If you look around the other Asian countries, many if not all of them are on the way for more armament. And we are sure to find the 'Merchant of Death' across the border. It is time, however, for the civil society of those countries seriously to get together to think about it.
On the very day of 4 July 2013, when the military put Mr.Morsi under detention and took over the political power of that country, I wrote in these columns that this was a coup, Mr.Morsi was a democratically elected President no matter how many people might not like his way, and the military should immediately go back to their barracks. Unfortunately the military had stayed on, and had its former Defence Minister got elected the new President.
One would hope that the people of Egypt would not be unduly discouraged by these events, and start working for something great which could be called a second 'Arab Spring', deep-rooted among the people both urban and rural and in a non-violent way without risking the danger of a head-on clash with the military.
The military coup of 22 May, preceded by Martial Law of two days ago, in Thailand has impressed the outsiders that, rightly or wrongly, that country has changed but little over the years, say, since 1976. The military has been a weapon in the hands of the Royal Household, aristocracy, and the privileged at that time and also now.
These elements felt threatened by nothing more than peaceful movements, perhaps with some demands for redistribution of wealth. Among others, they did not like to have elections, and induced the military to stop having elections to the Lower House, and keep the Upper House only half elected, as the previous coup of 2006 had transformed it from the fully elected one. It will be wrong to think that what has been going on in this country for many years by now was a struggle for power between the two contending political parties. The military was clearly taking the side of one who were opposed to the elections.
If you look around the other Asian countries, many if not all of them are on the way for more armament. And we are sure to find the 'Merchant of Death' across the border. It is time, however, for the civil society of those countries seriously to get together to think about it.
