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Democracy worth fighting for, Thai MP says amid political turmoil
The onus is on politicians to make policy changes that are geared toward progress, said the head of a Thai parliamentary delegation during a study tour to The Jakarta Post and other Indonesian democratic institutions.
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Move Forward Party Member of Parliament Parit Wacharasundhu (top, center) and his lawmaker colleagues from Thailand look on during a discussion with Editor-in-Chief Taufiq Rahman (bottom left) during a media visit to The Jakarta Post office in Jakarta, on June 27, 2024. (JP/Muhammad Zaenuddin)
D
emocracy is a global challenge and should not be taken for granted, a Thai member of parliament said on a visit to Jakarta on Thursday to study Indonesia’s democratic processes, as Thailand sits on edge awaiting a top court decision that could dissolve its most prominent opposition party.
The onus is on politicians to make policy changes that are geared toward progress, said the head of the 15-strong Thai parliamentary delegation on its third day of a study tour that involved making the rounds to several Indonesian state bodies and ministries, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), political parties and press organizations.
The delegation, composed of members of various Thai political parties, told The Jakarta Post that Thailand’s “flawed democracy” had set them on a path to seek out much-needed improvements through political means, with their visit to Indonesia providing “valuable insights” on both effective and ineffective democratic processes.
“I think one lesson learned is that we take democracy for granted. Democracy is a global challenge, a global aspiration,” Parit Wacharasindhu, an MP for the Move Forward Party, told the Post on Thursday.
“Of course whenever there is progress, there is also a risk that that progress may stall, or may even recede at a future time. It’s something that – be it Thailand, Indonesia or anywhere in the world – [we] should always be mindful of,” he said.
Read also: An affront to democracy
The delegation has, since Monday, paid visits to the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister, as well as the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry.
