The Thai government’s decision to impeach former premier Yingluck Shinawatra and ban her from politics are seen by many as part of the Thai military’s continued efforts to eradicate the influences of her brother Thaksin from the country.
Yingluck campaigned as proxy of her older brother, a divisive figure who garnered popular support but also made powerful enemies who accused him of corruption and consolidating power before they ousted him in a military coup in 2006.
Despite his removal, various proxies of Thaksin have won every election since 2006. This led to more opposition and protests, and eventually to a second coup last year against Yingluck’s government, and the installation of a military-dominated legislature and cabinet.
With her impeachment and additional criminal charges filed against Yingluck yesterday, the military has delivered a strong message to Thaksin’s allies.
“They haven’t really been hiding this,” says Saksith Saiyasombut, a Thai political commentator and journalist.
“The core motivation by the military junta and their allies (is) to rid Thaksin Shinawatra (from)Thai politics and everything that’s remotely associated with him.”
The impeachment case is just one of several measures that the military has employed in its mission against the Shinawatras.
In November, coup leader and current Thai premier Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered media to not report news on Thaksin in order to end social divisiveness.
In September, the education ministry published new history books that removed all references to Thaksin’s six years as prime minister.
The ministry denied they received orders to do so.
But while the campaign against Thaksin and Yingluck gathers pace, commentators worry that such belligerence might have longer term ramifications for the country.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Chulalongkorn University, says that the impeachment decision “would exacerbate tensions and deepen divisions” within the country.
“The legal and institutional architecture of Thai politics is likely to be further weakened. The executive branch of the future could become even more ineffective,” he feels.
Despite these warnings and the threat of more street protests in favour of Yingluck, the military and its rubber-stamp parliament show few signs of slowing down.
The army chief and various security officials have reiterated that they will not tolerate protests on the impeachment decisions and that they will enforce a standing ban on political gatherings.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission has also forwarded cases against other Thaksin allies for deliberation within the legislature for impeachment. The office of the attorney general has said it will investigate other malpractices within the Yingluck government.
“It’s not the impeachment itself that will have huge ramifications,” says Saksith.  “It’s rather the military government’s ‘reforms’ that could permanently damage the political fabric of the country, in which elected representatives have less to say than non-elected officials ones.”