South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law last night, which was lifted shortly after imposition, should cause Thailand to reflect on similar laws and whether the exercise of such power by the executive branch should be checked by the legislature, said People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome today.
He said that he does not wish to meddle in the internal affairs of South Korea, but noted that the political incident reminded him of the Thai political situation before the coup on May 22nd, 2014, adding that he hopes Thailand will eventually have a Constitution that strengthens democracy and prevents a coup effectively.
Rangsiman said that laws which empower the government leader to declare martial law, or a state of emergency, should be amended so that the exercise of such powers would not be possible without the consent of parliament.
For instance, he said, the prime minister could be permitted to declare a state of emergency for just seven days. Any longer would have to be approved by parliament.
The South Korean incident, said the People’s party MP, has demonstrated to the world that the country’s parliament is an effective counter balance to the powers of the presidency.
Since Thailand has experienced countless coups in the past, and nobody can be sure when there will be another, Rangsiman said that the South Korean experience has provided a good opportunity for Thailand to review the existing political mechanism, vis-à-vis whether it is effective in preventing a coup in the future or needs revision.
The People’s party MP said it is about time for the Thai military to be made answerable to the civilian government.
Thai politicians, mostly from the opposition camp, posted reactions to the South Korean leader’s attempt to impose a martial law.
People’s party MP and spokesperson Parit Wacharasindhu posted on X today, praising South Korean citizens and politicians for their success in preventing President Yoon Suk Yeol, from maintaining martial law, adding that “If the people successfully protect democracy, their victory would be a case study for many other countries (including Thailand) in preventing military coups.”
Parit also explained that the protection of democracy in Thailand would require amendment of the Constitution and of the martial law act, as well as the protection of democracy by citizens and politicians, regardless of their political affiliations.
Political analyst Prajak Kongkirati also posted on X, stating that the incident in South Korea was not a military coup, but an abuse of power by a president who is facing corruption charges and decreasing popularity. While the South Korean president attempted to use martial law to silence the opposition, the democratic system there has come way too far to go back.
Meanwhile, the South Korean leader is facing possible impeachment following his attempt to impose martial law.
