<div>While optimists wait for the promised general election early next year, pessimists like me monitor the corrosive effects that continued military rule is having on Thai society and wonder about its long-term repercussions.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Signs of military rule and martial law affecting citizens' basic rights and liberty are clearly visible.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Last week, when the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) held its first discussion on Thai politics since the May 2014 coup, the organiser said the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) had w </div>