pakistan

The most recent crisis in Pakistan brought to mind the words of Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the country’s Human Rights Commission: “If Pakistan’s dictators are sometimes less dictatorial than one might imagine, then its democrats have proved consistently less democratic than they should be.” This, perhaps, is the reason why military dictatorships have repeatedly ruled Pakistan ever since Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s reign from 1958-71. Ayub was deposed by Army chief Yahya Khan for ‘betraying’ the Kashmir cause after the 1965 war. Yahya then led the country into the 1971 Bangladesh war and following the country’s crushing defeat, was replaced by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In 1977, Bhutto was overthrown and eventually executed under Zia-ul-Haq’s military regime that continued till1988. After Zia was killed in an air crash, Pakistan saw a succession of shaky civilian governments, until General Pervez Musharraf staged a coup in 2002. He reluctantly relinquished power in 2008 to the current civilian government of Asif Ali Zardari. Given the volatile political situation, it remains to be seen whether General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will step in.

thailand

It’s always been a monarchy, but Thailand has had up to 17 constitutions and charters since 1932, and its share of military regimes. The most recent coup came in September 2006 against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, when Army chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin suspended the Constitution and declared martial law. Ostensibly done to introduce political reforms, the Army’s actions were also triggered by Thaksin’s suspiciously easy victory in the April elections. Civilian rule was restored with Samak Sundaravej as PM in February 2008. The peace was short-lived. Emergency was declared in Bangkok in September 2008 after violent clashes between those for and against the new government. In a bizarre twist, Sundaravej was dismissed by the constitutional court for hosting cookery shows. Somchai Wongsawat took over as PM but anti-government protests by the Opposition coalition People’s Alliance for Democracy—supported by the Army—saw him removed from office. Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva became PM in what has been described as a “hidden coup”.

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