What is a Military Coup?
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Military coup is an act of neocolonialism. Unlike democratic governments that have a political mandate based on constitutions and elections, the military coup leader’s political legitimacy stems from the barrel of the gun. This makes a military coup much more tempting to those who have been denied the political process and want to stay in power.
In the past three years, a surge of military takeovers has rocked Africa. Mali, Chad, Sudan, and Burkina Faso have all experienced military coups, and a military-led regime is in the final stages of taking over Gabon.
A number of factors make it possible for a government to be classified as a military coup, including the use of violence and the active participation of the military. But the two irreducible elements of a coup are the seizure of power and doing so illegally.
It’s not uncommon for a democratically elected leader to subvert democracy in order to remain in power, with the most notorious examples being Mohamed Morsi in Egypt, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, and Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Yet these leaders are treated exactly the same as a military coup that ousts an undemocratic government.
The current king, Vajiralongkorn, is reported to be personally unstable and possibly mentally ill, which means that he could approve of another coup—provided that it was in his own interest, for example, by crushing the politically powerful Shinawatra dynasty once and for all. The military is also reportedly tired of the Shinawatras dominating politics and Thailand itself.
