Thailand has been rocked by protests for the last several months. Protesters occupied Bangkok’s two main airports for the last week, effectively cutting flights in and out of the capitol. About 300,000 travelers were left stranded. The nation’s top court also barred the prime minister from politics and disbanded the three parties in the ruling coalition.

Amidst all that, Thailand’s ambassador to the Philippines, Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya, responded to critics who questioned Thailand’s political maturity. The ambassador said that Thailand was a showcase of democracy.

 ”The protest was only an indication that the Thai people are free to exercise their political rights based on democracy,” the ambassador said. “In fact, the protesters were not violent and they did not destroy the two airports’ facilities.”

The ambassador did not comment on the electoral fraud committed by the ruling coalition. That fraud forced the constitutional court to ban the prime minister from politics for five years and disband the three political parties.