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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'>Update from Giles Ungpakorn:<BR> <BR><br> A step backwards for democracy<br> Prime Minister Yingluk’s dissolution of parliament is a step back for Thai democracy. Even if elections take place, and there is no guarantee that the opposition will take part since they<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show"> know they will lose, everything will be worse than when Pua Thai won the election in 2011. The government’s withdrawal of the bill to make all senators elected makes the military constitution of 2007 some kind of “holy script”. Appointed judges are recognised to be more powerful than elected members of parliament. The military and Democrat Party killers, who gunned down pro-democracy Red Shirts in 2010 will still not be prosecuted and the lèse majesté prisoners will remain in jail. A grim day for our democracy.</span><BR><span class="text_exposed_show"></span> <BR><span class="text_exposed_show">Noted: Mr. Ungpakorn, an academic and journalist, now resides in the UK, having had to flee Thailand a few years ago, over the lese majeste law. </span><BR> <BR> </div></body>
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