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People's Politics in Thailand People’s Politics in Thailand: A Critical Study of the Assembly of the Poor, 2001- 2010 by Narut Wasinpiyamongkhon Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Politics and International Studies July 2013 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. © 2013 The University of Leeds and Narut Wasinpiyamongkhon i Acknowledgements First of all, I would like to thank the Office of the Higher Education Commission for financing my study. Without this financial support, I would never have this opportunity to pursue this research and fulfil my dream as an academic. I would like to express my deepest gratitude and thanks to my advisors, Professor Duncan McCargo and Dr. Hugh Dyer for their tireless efforts and all the support they have given me throughout the ups and downs of my study. I have been very lucky to have such amazing supervisors who have always tried to help and given me a push when I needed one. I am immensely indebted to Professor Duncan McCargo for his critical thinking and his expertise in Thai politics. I am grateful to all the interviewees for this thesis. Their knowledge and experiences have been essential to this work. Baramee Chairat and Khematas Palprem in particular assisted me greatly during my fieldwork in Thailand. I would also like to thank the Faculty of Political Science, Ubon Ratchathani University, the Office of the Civil Service Commission, and the Office of Educational Affairs Royal Thai Embassy for the support and understanding throughout. My utmost appreciation is also due to all my friends in Leeds and Coventry. Their company and laughter have been an important part of my life in the UK. I am truly thankful to the members of staff at POLIS. Helen Philpott and Caroline Wise have been very helpful whenever I had problems. Also, very special thanks go to my friends and ajarns in Ubon Ratchathani and Mahasarakham who have always given me support and encouragement. I am always indebted to Professor Susan Place and Professor Clark Davis from CSU, Chico who gave me the first opportunity to pursue my study abroad. ii Finally, the biggest thanks of all go to my family, especially my parents, for everything they have given me all my life. Only with their endless love and continual support that I was able to complete this journey. iii Abstract In 1997, the Assembly of the Poor (AOP) successfully organised a 99-day protest, which was widely hailed as ‘a historical moment’ for people's politics in Thailand. However, following the creation of the first Thai Rak Thai government in 2001, the AOP's political role has gradually declined. This thesis aims to investigate the factors behind the AOP's decline between 2001 and 2010. It argues that, because of inherent internal weaknesses and the recent political changes, the development of AOP in the 2000s has increasingly been influenced, if not determined, by external factors. First, the thesis re-examines the movement's internal elements in a more critical view, which evidently contrasts with early writings on the AOP. It argues that some of the AOP's key features, such as its loose structure, are partially to blame for the movement's decline. NGO activists’ roles in the movement are also critically reassessed. More importantly, the thesis also systematically explores the external elements, known as the political opportunity structure (POS), which have increasingly influenced the AOP's development and mobilisation. This approach has been overlooked by most literature written on the movement. The study emphasises two sets of elements of the POS: stable and volatile components. As for stable elements, which are structurally embedded, the list includes the cultural structure, institutional structure, and prevailing strategies. These elements have impeded, not only the AOP, but also other people's movements for decades. On the other hand, the two influential volatile elements for the AOP during this period are the elite divisions and media access. During the Thaksin government, his control over the elites significantly restricted the AOP's campaigns, while the lack of media access had adverse impacts on the movement during this highly polarised period. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... i Abstract ........................................................................................................................... iii Table .............................................................................................................................. vii List of Figures ................................................................................................................ vii Graph ............................................................................................................................. vii Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... viii Chapter I: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 A. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 B. Background .............................................................................................................. 6 C. The Assembly of the Poor in Literature ................................................................. 12 D. Social Theories and the Political Opportunity Structure ....................................... 17 a. Internal Factors: Mobilising Structure and Framing Processes .......................... 18 b. External Factors: Political Opportunity Structure .............................................. 19 Political Opportunity Structure and the Assembly of the Poor .......................... 22 E. Methods .................................................................................................................. 26 F. The Structure of the Thesis .................................................................................... 29 Chapter II: Making Sense of the Political Activism of Thai Non-Governmental Individuals ...................................................................................................................... 32 A. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 32 B. Background ............................................................................................................ 35 a. The Period of Emergence (1960s – mid-1970s) ................................................. 36 b. Re-emerging and Radical Period (1980s – Early 1990s) ................................... 37 c. People’s Sector Period (Mid-1990s – Early 2000s) ........................................... 39 d. Period of Decline (Mid-2000s – Present) ........................................................... 42 C. Characterisation of Thai Non-Governmental Individuals ..................................... 44 a. Thought ............................................................................................................... 45 b. Strategies ............................................................................................................ 54 Self-limiting Radicalism ..................................................................................... 54 NGOs and People’s Movements ........................................................................ 55 Formal and Informal Channels ........................................................................... 60 D. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 63 Chapter III: Making Sense of the Assembly of the Poor ................................................ 65 A. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 65 B. Characterisation of the Assembly of the Poor ....................................................... 66 a. Goals ................................................................................................................... 67 b. People ................................................................................................................. 71 The Non-Governmental Individuals and Their ‘Supporting’ Role .................... 74 v c. Formal Organisational Bodies ............................................................................ 79 d. Loose Structure ................................................................................................... 82 e. Institutionalisation .............................................................................................. 91 f. Strategies ............................................................................................................. 96 Agitation ............................................................................................................. 96 Negotiation ....................................................................................................... 101 D. Conclusion ..........................................................................................................
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