Resolving Issues Thai style

This week has been another big week in Thailand's ongoing political saga.  On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court handed down a decision that demanded that Yingluck stand down as Prime Minister.  The very next day, the Anti-Graft Commission named that Yingluck had a case to answer and impeachment procedures would begin against her.  The Constitutional Court and other tools of the Constitution are seen to be biassed against the government, having acted before against this side of politics, favoring the elite.  What ones talk about here is having a 'judicial coup', where courts decide on government instead of the people.  Such action causes the political tensions to go up another notch. 

I could say that there is fault on both sides of politics and neither side is willing to compromise.  So this political dispute just keeps on escalating.  It is like watching naughty children fighting with no one willing to give in.  Like elsewhere in the world, there is a lack of good leadership for the sake of the common and greater good.  It is all about my side, and my side is right and must win all. 

Then on the very day, that the decision against Yingluck was handed down, I was here at Caritas overseeing a meeting of Thai staff as they tried to deal with an internal issue.  I sat and watched in amazement as they presented acting ruthlessly in pursuit of their issues at play.  It seemed that they were behaving personally more than professionally and I judged that the temperatures were rising as they discussed energetically and passionately.  Once again, it was like watching naughty children fighting in the playground.  I was there ready to act as adjuducator and come in if needed to act against any too strong a response being made as they pursued their side of events. 

My experience that day and following of Thai society at both levels - national and workplace - told me that the same dynamics were at play.  It all makes one wonder about how issues are handled and conflict resolved here.  The issues just go on and on.  There is not a great desire for compromise and shared understanding.  Rather it is a ruthless and relentless pursuit of one's position at all cost.  This is part of the other side of the beautiful, smiling, dignified Thai.  Maybe, in our shared humanity, we are all the same.  We just have different ways of presenting.  This may also explain why conflict is avoided here and elsewhere as you just can't deal with it productively and people end up getting hurt.