Thank heavens for cool heads

The prime minister owes the army commander a debt of gratitude for pulling him back from the brink of an overreaction that definitely would have worsened the political and economic crisis. By cautioning Chavalit Yongchaiyudh against declaring a state of emergency, Chettha Thanajaro acted with maturity, reason and intelligence. His actions are all the more remarkable in that here we had a military chief encouraging civilian leaders to resist their baser instincts.

The specter of Black May 1992 hung over Government House on Tuesday night as Gen. Chavalit discussed a state of emergency with senior officials while several hundred protesters waited in peace outside.

Country people and town people alike are not spared the bill for this government's ineptitude and corruption. Hundreds of thousands of people face joblessness, businesses are closing, the baht is forever plunging and confidence is but a distant memory. But there are no sinister schemes to topple the government, there are no reds under any beds. There are millions of people who are sick of the inability of politicians to accept that they have made mistakes. And they should not expect anything so crude and unjustifiable as a state of emergency to silence people whose patience has been sorely tested.

-- The Bangkok Post