Module 5 : Comparative Administration in Southeast Asia

LESSON 1: Brunei Darussalam: Malay Islamic Monarchy and Rentier State

Historical Background

 The Sultanate Brunei Darussalam is situated in the northwestern part of the island of
Borneo.
 Brunei is a microstate.
 Brunei was only saved when the British offered the Sultan a “Treaty of Protection” in
1888 and installed a Resident in 1905.
 Brunei transformed from a mainly agrarian-based to a “rentier state” economy.
 The Birth of Sovereign Federation of Malaya (1957)
 Brunei People’s Party ( Partia Rakyat Brunei, PRB – Demanded the formation of the
sovereign Federated States of Borneo
 Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III.
 December 1962, PRB cadres and the pro-Indonesian National Army of North Kalimanta
(Tentara Nasional Kalimantan Utara,TNKU)
 Started an uprising that was easily crushed by British troops. And Ban All Political
Parties.
 Full Independence January 1, 1984.
 Brunei is the fourth largest producer of liquid gas worldwide.
 SHELLFARE

System of Government

 Absolute Monarchy
 The Sultan possesses absolute sovereignty in religious and political matters and presents
the highest judicial authority.
 Unlimited Power
 The current Sultan and Official Head of State (Yang-Di Pertuan) of Brunei is Hassanal
Bolkiah, who succeeded to the throne in 1967.
 In addition to his duties as head of state, the constitution assigns three key to the
Sultan:
1.Head of Religion
2.Prime Minister
3. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
 The Sultan is assisted by five constitutionally mandated government bodies.
 1. Council of Ministers -he can appoint and dismiss other ministers. Brunei currently
has 16 ministers. Currently, the Sultan’s brother serves as minister of foreign
2. The Privy Council (Majlis Mesyuarat Di-Raja) advises the Sultan on constitutional
amendments, on matters of honorary titles and ceremonial offices, as well as on
questions regarding succession and regency.
3. The Religious Council (Majlis Ugama Islam) advises the Sultan in matters relating to
Islam and assists in drafting religious laws.
4. Legislative Council (Majlis Mesyuarat Negara)
The Sultan alone has right of initiative. While the Council is to be consulted before bills
are enacted into law and can debate annual budget proposals in closed session.
5. Council of Succession formed from Brunei’s hereditary nobility. The order of
succession is determined by the Constitution.

Legal and Judicial System

The state courts are organized in three tiers:

1.lower magistrate courts

2. intermediate courts

3. Supreme court

 Brunei has no constitutional court as judicial review.

Political Parties and Elections

 Brunei is one of only five states in the world that does not hold any kind of
representative national elections for the legislature.
 Pan-Bornean PRB (1956)

✓the only party ever to have participated in elections with its own chosen candidates

✓the only political party to develop a party ideology and preside over an organized
membership

State Administration

Brunei Divided

✓districts and municipalities (daerah)

✓subdistricts (mukim)

✓villages (kampong)

 national capital Banda Seri Begawan.

Civil–Military Relations and the Security Sector

 Brunei’s security sector consists of three main services:

1.Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) an all-voluntary force that only accepts citizens with a
Malay ethnic background into its rank.

Embodiment of the Bruneian nation and symbolize the country’s sovereignty.

The remaining two security services guarantee the country’s domestic security and provide
repressivemeans to protect the authoritarian regime in case of internal unrest.

2. Gurkha Reserve Unit (GRU) a paramilitary force, is under the authority of the Sultan in his
role as minister of defence.

3. Royal Brunei Police (RBP) is controlled by the Sultan in his role as prime minister and
commands.

 Brunei is one of the best-policed nations in Asia.

Civil Society and Media System

 Brunei’s media also remain tightly constrained. Nationwide access to TV and radio and
he internet is widely accessible, but authorities monitor online material, and all
domestic newspapers, radio stations, and television channels are linked to the
government

LESSON 2: Cambodia: From UN-Led Peace-Building to Post-Genocidal

Authoritarianism
Historical Background

 Threefold transformation:

1.civil war to postwar reconstruction,

2. one-party state to a multiparty electoral system

3. centrally planned economy to a market.

 Khmer Empire of Angkor - Kingdom of Cambodia

 From the southern parts of Laos across the Mekong Delta to southern parts of
Thailand.
 Khmer Kingdom lost much of its regional power and territory, a result of continued
external threats by Siam (Thailand) and Champa (Vietnam).
 The Cambodian King signed a protectorate agreement with France in August 1863.
 The Kingdom obtained full national sovereignty in November 1953.
 Sihanouk repressed both bourgeois and communist opposition to his personal regiment,
the latter of which he termed the “Khmer Rouge".
 five areas of sovereign activity (1)defense, (2) finance, (3) foreign affairs, (4)
information, and (5) public security.
 Unlike the UN government in East Timor, UNTAC only possessed supreme government
authority. CPP- controlled bureaucracy remained in charge of implementing its
decisions.
 The election of a Constituent Assembly in May 1993 (biggest success of UNTAC)

System of Government

 Cambodia is an elective constitutional monarchy.

 Capital of Cambodia Phnom Pehn
 The executive power of the government lies with the king and the Council of Ministers,
led by the prime minister.
 Judicial power rests with the Constitutional Council and Supreme Council of the
Magistracy as well as the lower courts.
  The legislative branch consists of a popularly elected National Assembly (5 term)123
members, first chamber elected by voters and second chamber elected by commune
Councilors, Senate (6 term) 57 to 61 (appointed the 2 (by King) 2 (by National
Assembly)).
 The National Assembly elects the prime minister and the Council of Ministers by an
absolute majority of its members (until 2006: two-thirds majority)
 Cambodia has one of the largest cabinets in the world.
King

✓Formal Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces

✓sovereign who reigns but does not rule.He cannot dissolve the cabinet or dismiss the prime
minister and is confined to a representative, ceremonial, and integrative role.

✓chairs the National Defense Council

✓signs bills into laws; signs international treaties; appoints the government, ambassadors,
judges and high civilian officials, and military officers; and—onbehalf of the national

government—declares states of war and emergency.

✓no political discretion.

✓King was an important stabilizing force in Cambodian political life and was regularly called
upon by both Cambodia’s politicians and international leaders to resolve crises.

King - Head of state (King Norodom Sihamoni)

Prime Minister- Head of government (Hun Sen)

Cabinet- Council Ministers

Legal and Judicial System

 Current Legal system, amalgamation of Cambodian customs, the French-based legal

system, and the common law system, as well as legacies of the former socialist law
system heavily influenced by the Vietnamese model.
 Judiciary

✓Supreme Court

✓Appellate Court

✓24 Provincial/Municipal Courts

✓Court of appeal

✓Military courts, which have jurisdiction only over military offenses.

There is a Constitutional Council and a new hybrid court, the Extraordinary Chambers in the
Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)- “senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea and those who were
most responsible for the crimes and serious violations of Cambodian penal law, international
humanitarian law and custom, and international conventions recognized by Cambodia".

 Supreme Council of the Magistracy (SCM) used to be the authority responsible for the
appointment of judges and public prosecutors and responsible for the election of the
Cambodian and international judges.
 The rule of law is weaker in Cambodia than in most other Southeast Asian countries.

Electoral System and Elections

 There have been five general elections for the National Assembly, three commune-
level elections, and two indirect elections for the Senate.
 The most important feature of the electoral arrangements for the National Assembly
is the choice of the province as the electoral constituency.
 The D’Hondt system’s bias against small parties.

Political Parties and Party System

 Early post-WWII period 1946 and 1951)

1.Democratic Party

2. * Liberal Party

* Kampuchean People’s Revolutionary Party (KPRP)

3. Royalist Sangkum Reastr Niyum

 The CPP is the successor of the pro-Vietnamese People’s Revolutionary Party of

Kampuchea (PRPK), which ruled Cambodia from 1979 until 1991.

State Administration and Decentralization

 Precolonial Cambodia was not a state in the modern European or Weberian sense, but
a mandala system: the king and royal court only had direct politico-military and
administrative-economic control over areas close to the center of the realm.
 21 provinces (khet)
 The three municipalities (krung) (1) Sihanoukville (2)Pailin, and (3) Kep.
 Provinces are divided into (1) districts (srok) and (2) municipalities
 Provincial districts are divided into (1) communes (khum) and (2)villages (phum),
municipalities are divided into (1) khans and the (2) khans into sangkats.
 Provincial governors and the governor of the capital city and the three krung as well as
the district heads and their deputies are appointed by the government and are
subordinate to the Ministry of Interior.
 Local councils are elected under a proportional representation system every 5 years.
 Similar to many other Southeast Asian countries over the last 25 years, Cambodia has
experimented with decentralization reforms. However, unlike Indonesia or the
Philippines, it lacks a domestic reform coalition that could have realized a
comprehensive decentralization agenda.

Civil–Military Relations and the Security Sector

 Cambodia has a bloated security sector (8.2)

 The National Police is controlled by the Interior Ministry and commanded by the
General Commissioner, a police general.
 The military police is part of the RCAF, but it also serves civilian purposes similar to the
Gendarmerie.
 The Gendarmerie is technically subordinate to the Army General Staff but reports
directly to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister Bodyguard Unit (PMBU) is also under
Hun Sen’s personal control.
 Cambodia is the best-policed territorial state in the region.
 “Pagoda Boys” a violent youth organization loyal to Hun Sen.
 Unlike in other countries, the armed forces are not primarily meant to counter internal
security threats or guarantee regime security, as this task is left for the police,
intelligence services, and the PMBU. Rather, the CPP used the Royal Cambodian Armed
Forces (RCAF) as a means to bind violent actors to the regime.
  Cambodia has one of the lowest defense budgets in ASEAN.

Political Culture and Civil Society

 Cambodia has experienced a steady erosion of core rights such as the extent of
freedom of assembly and associational rights over the past 10 years.
 Civil society activities in Cambodia fall into five broad categories: (1) democracy and
human rights organizations; (2) development organizations involved in education,
health, credit, income-generating, and other activities; (3) support organizations
focusing on human resources and organizational development training activities; (4)
community-based organizations (CBOs); and (5) research and other analytical work
and advocacy activities covering various development issues.

Media System

 Until the UNTAC period, there had been no independent media in Cambodia for almost
a quarter of a century.
 Freedom of the press and media pluralism have come underpressure, as the
government issued new legal restrictions and stepped-up informal constraints.

LESSON 3: Indonesia: Challenges of Conflict and Consensus in the Era of

Reformasi
History and Background

 The Republic of Indonesia Is the largest archipelagic state.

 Capital of Indonesia is Jakarta.
 It is the most populous muslim majority country in the world and one of Southeast
Asia most heterogeneous society.
 Like in Timor-Leste and the Philippines, the Portuguese and Spanish were the first
Europeans to arrive at the Indonesian archipelago in the sixteenth century.
 It has been under the invasion of Dutch, British and Japanese during colonization.
 Cultivation sytem which force villagers to set aside fifth of their arable land for the
production of the export crops that we’re to be delivered to colonial authorities as land
rent.
 Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed the Sovereign Republic of Indonesia.
 December 27, 1949 , Netherlands accepted the Indonesian independence.
 Sukarno -guided Democracy based on the doctrines of corporatist “Functional Groups”
in 1957.
  Suharto -new Order Government, providing regime security and control of the society
through surveillance and coercion .
 Abdurrahman Wahid -Indonesia entered into reformasi, the Era of Democratization.
From Dictatorship to Democracy.

State of Government

 Indonesia, is a unitary state in the form of republic with a Presidential sytem of

Government.
 The Legislature is composed of two houses
a. The People’s Representative (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, (DPR)(560 member) -
authority to pass legislation and the national budget as well as to hold the government
accountable. The DPR has strong budgetary powers and in the region stands out for
the strength of its monitoring powers.
b. Regional Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah, DPD)(136 members)-
represents the odd combination of limited powers and high legitimacy.
 Balkanization refer to ethnic conflict within multiethnic states.
 Judiciary is organized as a separate branch of government and is heeded by: Supreme
Court and Constitutional Court
 In Indonesia, the President is the head of state and the head of government. (Koko
Widodo)
 As in other democratic countries, Indonesia applies the Trias Politica that recognizes the
separation of the legislative, Executive and Judicial bodies.
 Indonesian presidents often create oversized “rainbow coalitions”– government
consisting of a coalition of three or more parties.
 The legislative authority is under the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) which is
the highest state Institution, consists of two bodies namely:
a) Parliament (members of political parties)
b) Regional Representative Council (DPD) (representatives from each province in
Indonesia.)
 Each province is represented by 4 delegates that are elected by the people in the
respective region.
 MPR has 550 members from the parliament and 128 members from the Regional
Representative Council (DPD). The parliament members and the DPD members are
elected every five years.
 This “deliberation until consensus” (musyawarah untuk mufakat) is a basic norm of
Indonesian parliamentary.
  Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)- law enforcement agency with the power to
investigate corrupt officials and to circumvent the existing problems in the criminal
justice system.

Legal and Judicial System

 Indonesia’s legal system is a “complex amalgam” of traditional, customary or adat,

Islamic, and state law.
 Customary law of the indigenous people of Malaysia and Indonesia. It was the
unwritten traditional code governing all aspects of personal conduct from birth to
death.
 Islamic law or Sharia law is a religious law forming part of the Islamic tradition. It is
derived from the religious precepts of Islam.
 Pluralism is a means to integrate plural communities into the Indonesian nation.
 The Islamic legal principles adopted into the codified state law during Suharto’s “New
Order” were mostly restricted to family, inheritance, or banking law Under the New
Order government, courts.

ELECTORAL SYSTEM AND ELECTIONS

 The minimum voting age is 17 years; married persons can vote regardless of age,
whereas members of the military and the police do not have the right to vote in
elections.
 The General Election Commission (KPU) is responsible for organizing elections at the
national, provincial, municipal, and district level.
 Election Integrity Project evaluate electoral integrity in Indonesia favorably compared
to the region and even globally

POLITICAL PARTIES & PARTY SYSTEM

 Slater’s account of coalition politics reveals the existence of an inclusive party “cartel,”
formed to minimize the risk of elections by ensuring access to power and state
resources for all parties.
 "small town wars"- conflicts between different local communuties were fough along
ethnic or religous lines and persited.

Media Sytem

 During Suharto’s rule, the media was controlled by the Department of Information and
literature was screened by the Department of Education and Culture. Today,
 Indonesia’s media environment is ranked among the most vibrant and open in the
region.
 The Ministry for Communication and Information Technology and the national
Broadcasting Commission (KPI) grant licenses for broadcast media. KPI can impose
penalties for transgressions like the violation of religious values, the dissemination of
obscene content, or biased political reporting.
 2008 Law on Public Information Transparency and the 2010 State Intelligence Law,
which civil society groups have criticized as a threat to journalistic freedom.

LESSON 4: Laos: The Transformation of Periphery Socialism

Historical Background

 The Democratic People’s Republic of Lao is one of only five communist single-party
regimes in the world today.
 Capital of Laos is Vientiane.
 Kingdom of Lan Xang, founded in 1354, was the precursor of modern Laos.
 It covered the territory of Laos, parts of Myanmar, and parts of contemporary
northern Thailand.
 French colonialism between 1893 and 1946. Regained power 1946.
 Japanese Imperial Army took direct control over Laos, March 1945.
 Japanese supported the Formation of a non-communist nationalist movement called
Lao Issara (“Free Laos”).
 In October 1945, the Lao Issara declared the sovereign “Lao Nation” (Pathet Lao) and
formed a provisional government.
 LPRP, which had ruled without a constitutional basis since 1975, also formally
institutionalized its reign by promulgating a constitution in 1991.

System of Government and the Socialist Party State

 Laos is a single-party regime.

 LPRP adopted the Soviet system of government with a dual structure of party and state.
(Politburo and the Central Committee of the LPRP)
 National Assembly: Supreme People’s Assembly) is the highest state body- 132
member- elected every 5 years- legislative power- two-thirds majority elects the state
president-- on his proposal -prime minister and the Council of Ministers- selects the
judges for the People’s Supreme Court and the attorney general.
 President- Head of the state- Bounnhang Vorachith- president appoints and dismisses
the prime minister on the recommendation of the National Assembly and the president
of the People’s Supreme Court- commander-in-chief of the armed forces, appoints all
 provincial governors, and presides government meetings- Chairman and General
Secretary of the Central Committee of the LPRP
 Prime Minister- Head of government- Thoungloan sisoulit -no formal political latitude-
chairs the Council of Ministers.

Political Parties

 Lao People’s Revolutionary Party LPRP is the only legal party in Laos.

Legal and Judicial System

 Supreme People’s Court as the “highest judicial organ of the State”- appointed and can
be removed by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president of the
state.
 Laos has not developed an independent judiciary. Laos is not a constitutional system.
 There are no administrative court.
 The weakness of the judicial system and the rule of law.

Electoral System and Elections

 All citizens aged 18 or older are eligible to vote, and citizens aged 21 or older have the
right to stand in elections.
 Elections for the National Assembly are held every 5 years.

State and Decentralization

 The Lao PDR is a decentralized unitary state.

 Provincial governors are appointed by the president and in turn select the district
chiefs.
 Features of Lao authoritarianism is the high degree of decentralization and the de facto
autonomy of the provinces.
 Laos is one of the most decentralized authoritarian regimes in the world.
 Laos has always been one of the most ethnically heterogeneous societies in Southeast
Asia.

Civil–Military Relations

 Laos has instituted compulsory military service.

 The military also controls the National Police Agency, but the border police and the
political police are subordinated to the Ministry for Public Security.
  Politburo, is the most important oversight and decision-making body in all matters of
security and defense policy. Also oversees the General Political Department of the Army
and the party committee of the Ministry for Public Security.

Civil Society and Media System

 Access for foreign scholars is limited and local researchers are denied freedom of
science. Field work is largely prohibited and data is often interpreted and released
through political lenses.
 It is also one of four Southeast Asian countries not included in either the World Values
Survey or the Asian Barometer Survey.
 Public criticism of the government and party is not tolerated, and there is no space for a
critical intelligentsia, political participation, or organized civil society outside of the
LPRP.

LESSON 5: Malaysia: Competitive Authoritarianism in a Plural Society

Historical Background

 The Strait of Malacca, the shortest sea route between East Africa, the Persian Gulf, and
China, the Sultanate of Malacca was one of the region’s dominant trading powers, a
center for spreading Islam, and a profound political power in peninsular Malaysia.
 The British-Dutch Treaty of 1824 gave control over Malacca to Britain, who merged it
with Penang and Singapore to become the “Straits Settlements,” governed directly by
the British Crown until 1946.
 Similar to Indonesia and Thailand, the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997/98 hit Malaysia
hard and created an oppositional reformasi reform movement. However, unlike the
authoritarian Suharto government in Indonesia, Barisan Nasional remains in power.
 “May 13th Incident”— clashes between Malays and Chinese in Kuala Lumpur.
 Capital is Kuala Lumpur.

System of Government

 Malaysia is a constitutional elective monarchy with a federal state parliamentary

system of government.
 Malaysia’s system of government is executive-heavy and concentrates power in the
Office of the Prime Minister, who dominates the legislative process through his
parliamentary majority.

Head of State
  Malaysia’s head of state is the king. He is elected among the nine traditional Malaysian
rulers for a term of 5 years.
 The Conference only has the right to grant pardons and monitor the application of
religious law and must be consulted in the appointment of federal judges.

King (King Abdullah of Pahang)

✓The king serves mostly a representative and ceremonial role.

✓appoints the prime minister, who is usually a member of parliament that commands a
majority in the lower house.

✓The king can also request the prime minister to dissolve parliament.

✓king appoints the cabinet ministers, their deputies, the attorney general, the president, the
judges of the Federal Court of Malaysia, the supreme commander of the armed forces, and—
on request of the chief minister of each state—the governors for all constituent states without
a traditional ruler.

✓the king is supreme commander of the armed forces, but operational command and control
of the Malaysian military rests with the Ministry of Defence.

✓The king is also symbol and custodian of Malay traditions, protector of the bumiputera
population, and the highest Islamic authority in federal states without a traditional ruler.

The Legislature

 Malaysia has a bicameral parliament (1)House of representatives 222 members and (2)
Senate 70 members.

House of representatives

 Elected in single-member constituencies for a 5-year term and by-elections are held in
case a member of parliament cannot fulfill his or her term and there are still more than
2 years until the next scheduled general election

Senate

 Never used its right to initiate or veto legislation.

 Same rights with house of representatives except for financial bills

Government
  All prime ministers have come from the UMNO party and have led a multiparty coalition
called either “The Alliance” (until 1969) or Barisan Nasional (since 1971).

Legal and Judicial System

 The judiciary is heavily centralized and based on the English common law system and
—to a lesser extent—Islamic law.
 Two types of trials

1. Civil- In civil trials, customary law (adat) can be applied, while only Muslims are subject to
Islamic law (syariah) in these cases.

2. Criminal- Criminal trials follow the principle of due process, supposedly guaranteeing a fair
and public trial with independent judges.

Electoral System and Elections

 Malaysia is often described as a competitive authoritarian regime. There have been 13

general elections for the House of Representatives and the unicameral State Legislative
Assembly in each of Malaysia’s state
 All Malaysian citizens aged 21 or older hold suffrage. Voter registration is voluntary
and takes place at the district level.

Political Parties and Party System

 The first “modern” political party was the Communist Party of Malay (CPM), founded
in 1930. (under the British colonial rule, staged an armed insurgency against the
Japanese occupation during World War II)
 Compared to most other national party systems in Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s party
system is relatively well institutionalized, and patterns of competition between parties
as well as party-voter alignments are relatively stable.
 Dual-party system: one for the Malay Peninsula (West Malaysia) and another one that
emerged in Sarawak and Sabah (East Malaysia).

Federalism

 Malaysia is the only federal state in Southeast Asia.

 The Federation comprises 13 states, 11 states in West Malaysia, and 2 states in East
Malaysia.
 Two basic features. (1) the asymmetric distribution of powers between the constituent
states. (2) highly centralized system of distribution of powers between the federal
government and the states.
Civil–Military Relations and the Security Sector

 Unlike in any other Southeast Asian state, the Malaysian military is second to the
police in power and influence.
 The King is supreme commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF)- loyal and
trustworthy servant of civilian politicians and authorities.

Political Culture and Civil Society

 Malaysia differs from competitive authoritarian regimes such as Singapore and

Cambodia because its civil society organizations “come in a confusing array of
manifestations—from academic and professional groups to grassroots groups, business-
oriented groups, charity organizations, and most of all, ethnic and religious groups.
 The narrow membership base of civic associations and the ethnically segmented
landscape of civil society negatively affect the (re)production of “bridging social
capital” and interpersonal trust: one of the lowest numbers in all of Asia.

Media System

 Malaysia has a variety of media outlets.

 In 2015, 69.6% of the Malaysian population had access to the internet, placing
Malaysia in third place in the region, trailing only Singapore and Brunei (Internet World
Stats 2017).
 The MCA owns The Star, the largest fee-based English newspaper in terms of
circulation in Malaysia.
 The government regularly infringes upon the freedom of the press. All media outlets
have to be registered, and legislation like the Press and Publication Act, the
Broadcasting Law of 1988, the Official Secrets Act, and the Sedition and Internal Security
Act is frequently invoked to limit freedom of expression and press freedom.

North Borneo dispute

 The North Borneo dispute, also known as the Sabah dispute, is the territorial dispute
between Malaysia and the Philippines over much of the eastern part of the state of
Sabah. Sabah is previously known as North Borneo.

1878 Agreement

 North Borneo was either ceded or leased to the British syndicate in return for a
payment of 5,000 Malayan dollars per year.

Madrid Protocol
  In 1885, Great Britain, Germany and Spain signed the Madrid Protocol to cement
Spanish influence over the islands of the Philippines.

1903 Confirmation of Cession of certain island

 Which he grant and ceded additional islands, in addition to the land agreed upon in
1878, in the vicinity of the mainland of North Borneo from Banggi Island to Sibuku Bay
to British North Borneo Company.

LESSON 9: Thailand: The Vicious Cycle of Civilian Government and Military Rule
History Background

 The Kingdoms of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya (1351–1767) are traditionally considered the
beginning of Siam (renamed Thailand in 1939.
 State control between two major forces: (1) civilian bureaucrats and (2) military elites.
 During the military’s attempt to repress the anti-Suchinda demonstrations, soldiers
killed numerous protestors, leading the king to intervene to ease Suchinda out of office.
The massacre—known as “Black May”.

System of Government

 Since 2014, Thailand is governed by the National Council for Peace and Order, a military
junta.

Head of State

 King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X)

 Thailand is a constitutional monarchy
 The rules of royal succession are laid down in the 1924 Palace Law of Succession. The
king is free to appoint his own heir and has the prerogative to amend the succession
law.
 Le`se majeste -(insulting the monarchy). The law protects the king from undue
criticism.

Head of Government

 Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha

The Executive and Legislature

 Thailand has a parliamentary system of government with a prime minister who heads
the cabinet or Council of Ministers.
  Bicameral National Assembly

Mechanisms of Horizontal Accountability and Watchdog Organizations

 Independent “watchdog” organizations-This network of mechanisms of horizontal

accountability was meant to uphold the standards of “good governance,” provide
effective control of the abuse of public office by elected politicians, and defend basic
rights.

Legal and Judicial System

 Thailand’s modern legal system and its judiciary are the result of the introduction of
Western law .
 The legal system is based on civil law combined with common law influence.
 The king upon the advice of specific selection committees appoints all judges.
 Supreme Court of Justice, consisting of at least three judges, is the highest court of the
land. The court has final and executory authority, but decides only on points of law
 Constitutional Court, which reviews the constitutionality of particular laws, rules, or
regulations
 Administrative Court, which decides disputes between private individuals and a
government entity or between government entities.
 Military courts deal primarily with military justice, but have broader jurisdiction when
martial law is in force.

Electoral System and Elections

 There have been 29 parliamentary elections, including nine elections for the House of
Representatives and four elections for the Senate since 1992.
 Elections at provincial, municipal, and subdistrict (tambon) levels and for the governor
of Bangkok (but not for other provincial governors) are held every 4 years.
 The 2017 Constitution grants suffrage to all citizens aged 18 or older, except Buddhist
monks, novices, and nuns.
 Requirements House of representatives and Senate

Senate - no political party

House of representatives- party-affiliated candidacy is required

Both Prohibition (pinagbabawal)-Being the owner or a shareholder in newspaper business or

any mass media.
  First Southeast Asian countries to adopt representative national elections for the
legislature, election.
 Shift of Block vote to a mixed member majoritarian system (Parallel Voting)- voters
participated in two separate elections using different systems.

Political Parties and Party System

 The Democrat Party still has its southern stronghold and survived until today since
1946

State Administration

 Thailand was a centralized unitary state.

 Capital of Thailand is Bangkok.
 Bangkok Metropolitan Area and Pattaya have their own administrative structures.
 Province governments are headed by governors appointed by the Ministry of Interior.
 Only the governor of Bangkok and the mayor of Pattaya City as well as the BMA
assembly and the Pattaya assembly, the Provincial Administrative Organizations (PAO),
and the PAO chairmen as well as Tambon Administrative Organizations (TAO) are
directly elected.
 Thailand has a dual structure of public administration.

Civil–Military Relations and the Security Sector

 The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTAF) have been at the forefront of Thai politics since
1932.

Political Culture and Civil Society

 The Kingdom of Thailand was the only country in the region where more than 80% of
the population preferred democracy to any other form of government.
 Ranking Thailand last in Southeast Asia when it comes to the level of associational
membership.

Media System

 But it rarely covers political news except shortly before an election.

 The Press Registration Act and the Printing and Advertisement Act authorize the police
to confiscate publications and issues believed to endanger public order and safety
orpublic morals.
 Thailand plummeted from rank 59 on the Press Freedom Index of Reporters without
Borders in 2004 to rank 142 in 2017.