From coups to crises: where next for Thailand?
The Auditorium, China in the World Building (188), Fellows Lane, ANU
Presented by ANU Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs
The general election in March 2019, the first since the 2014 coup, was marred by allegations of irregularities and the election commission said it will not announce the final results until May. In the meantime, it has brought sedition charges against the leader of a pro-democracy party that did better than expected in the election.
Thailand is stuck in a protracted seesaw between democracy and military rule. How will the final election results affect this balance? What role, if any, will King Vajiralongkorn play in determining Thailand’s future trajectory after his coronation in May? How will the political impasse impact Thailand’s chairing of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year?
Speakers
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Sarah Bishop »
Sarah Bishop is a PhD candidate within the ANU College of Law undertaking research on Thai Constitutional Law focusing on court interpretation of constitutional rights provisions. Sarah’s primary area of research interest is Asian law, with a particular focus on Thai public law. Her previous research has focused on areas in which the country’s newly established public law courts have been particularly active―political party regulation and environmental regulation.
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Ben Bland »
Ben Bland is the director of the Southeast Asia Project at the Lowy Institute, Australia’s leading international think-tank. He sets the Institute’s research agenda for this important region, commissioning analysis papers and organising programs of events and visiting fellows.
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Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak »
Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak is the Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies, and an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
