In a follow-up to Thitinan’s op-ed in the Bangkok Post entitled “Thailand and its hybrid authoritarianism”, Joshua Kurlantzick of the Council on Foreign Relations has some comments on Thitinan’s op-ed then states:

It may well be, as some Thai friends believe, that Abhisit is not happy with the extent of repression currently hindering Thailand’s media, universities, and politicians; he may indeed not even be informed before the military and other authorities act against critics. Some allies of Abhisit insist he is the “good man,” the only person keeping the military and royalist forces, behind the scenes, from imposing even more draconian policies and potentially canceling the elections scheduled for next year outright. Perhaps. But he hasn’t taken any real public steps to support that view of him, so it’s impossible to confirm. Pushing to keep the heat off sites like Prachatai would be a start.

BP: It is true that Abhisit does not have as much power as Prime Minister as former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, but do we believe what Abhisit says or what he does/does not do?

btw, Abhisit at CFR – audio and transcript.