The military let the people hold elections last year, but because they did not like the result, the generals are now trying to block the people’s choice. The people are powerless because the elites are very good at silencing them.

The army generals always hide behind the lese majeste law, which makes it illegal to say anything bad about the Thai royal ruler, King Maha Vajiralongkorn. In last year's election, the opposition parties talked about reducing the military power and changing the lese majeste law. Voters liked these ideas.

Thailand can take pride in being the only Southeast Asian country never to have suffered from colonialism, but it has seen many military coups since 1932.

The world has continuously condemned Myanmar’s military for toppling the government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. But the generals in Myanmar learned from the success of Thai army general Prayuth Chan-ocha, who ousted the democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinatra in 2014.

ASEAN has shown it is willing to take action against Myanmar's military by temporarily banning the junta from attending any official meetings. But ASEAN leaders cannot do the same to the Thai military.

Reuters reported on Monday that Thai courts will meet next week to discuss three politically charged cases, including one that could lead to the prime minister's dismissal. This could make things worse for the government in Thailand, one of ASEAN’s cofounders in 1967.

The Thai Constitutional Court said on Wednesday that it would hear a case against Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin next Tuesday after 40 military-appointed senators said in May that the former businessman broke the constitution in appointing a cabinet member.

On the same day, the court will hear a complaint by the country’s elections commission that wants to dissolve the opposition Move Forward Party (MFP). The MFP won the election, but the military and royalists stopped it from forming a government. Its leaders have even been denied access to parliament.

Pita Limjaroetrat, the former leader of the MFP, said: “If there is rule of law in Thailand, I’m confident the party’s arguments will prevail.” He also commented on the plan by a criminal court to try Thailand’s most powerful but also controversial leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned to Thailand in August last year after 15 years in exile. This came as a bit of a surprise because the public had thought Thaksin made a deal with the military and the royal family.

Will any of the ASEAN leaders have the guts to tell the Thai military to respect the result of a democratic election? Not at all. They will just act like they know nothing.