Thailand’s short-lived democracy
Chaturon said the October 14 uprising was “successful” not just due to the success of the protesters, but also support from the elite. Many military leaders and tycoons backed the protest, not because they were motivated by a belief in democracy but by their discontent with the government.
Hence, democracy in Thailand could not last long, and the victory achieved on October 14 eventually led to the October 6, 1976 massacre, resulting in yet another coup.
After the country was once again taken over by the military, Chaturon decided to fight the government under the moniker “Sa-hai Suphap” from the wilderness.
Chaturon describes the years from 1976 to 1991 as a time when Thailand had a “half-democracy”, which was often weakened by constant military intervention.
He said the only time Thailand…
