Junta Appointees Concede 'National Reforms' Have Little To Show

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

Before a backdrop featuring the word 'Reform,' regime legal adviser Wissanu Krea-ngam speaks about the process in September 2017. Photo: Matichon

 

BANGKOK — Four years after the junta seized power and promised to transform the nation through comprehensive reforms, that process has made either no or slow process – and that’s according to the people responsible for it.

 

Wanchai Sornsiri, a spokesman for junta-appointed Political Reform Committee, described it as progressing slowly Monday in comments defending the work after it was criticized by the head of another of 11 reform committees as going nowhere.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/05/14/junta-appointees-concede-national-reforms-have-little-to-show/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-5-14

...“And then it was dissolved and replaced by 11 reform committees, of which each committee only has plans,” said Bowornsak, who heads the one on reforming the nation’s laws. “Then it’s the bureaucracy that will execute them. I don’t think having the bureaucracy execute reforms will succeed easily, because it’s like asking those who must be reformed to … reform themselves.”...

 

He has described the problems exactly.

 

The simple fact is that the military, while I am sure governs itself well or well enough, just cannot govern a country because they do not understand the daily grind of the people. And as they understand little of the daily grind of the people, they listen to the bureaucracy which has no deadlines, no needs, no ambitions, no real concerns, no need to be accountable, no cares, no deadlines, no payrolls, etc etc etc.

 

And it has all been a disaster. Nothing has been done except measures were taken to protect the Military's grasp on power and the Bureaucracy's grip on policy and funds.

 

I genuinely can't imagine the true damage done to Thailand; years of progress that have not occurred and billions of dollars that have not been earned combined with the loss of freedoms for no good reason. It is shocking.

 

What a complete waste of four years...

 

 

These people use the word reform as a magic mantra that is inherently good. The professor betrays an almost incomprehensible lack of understanding of the basic fact that society is composed of different  interests and desires.Everyone, of course, wants reform.  But they want reform in different directions. Socialists want reform in the direction of a progressive income tax. Capitalists want reform for a flatter tax rate.   Car drivers want more roads. Greenies want more trains and less roads. The reason for democracy is to try to work out some sort of compromise between different views and interests. As Samui Bodoh points out above these two bureaucrats speak from the ridiculous assumption that they have and serve no particular  political viewpoint, that there is something called "reform" that somehow by definition is as true as a mathematical equation. It is absurd

With that said, whats the video gonna look like?

Although at a superficial glance, Prof. Bowornsak's words (quoted in the article) seem welcome (to any non-fascists), we should not forget that he is still a quisling, collaborating with the disgusting military junta. In fact, even Wikipedia refers to this Chulalongkorn University (where else?) professor as:

 

 ' a leading example of academics who laid the legal foundations for authoritarian government in Thailand and an exponent of a "legal–military alliance for illiberal constitutionalism"

 

Need I say more?

 

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

 

What a complete waste of four years...

 

 

Correct, Samui Bodoh. With absolute power (no opposition in parliament or on the streets for nearly four full years), this junta could have forced through so much genuine reform for the betterment of Thai society. If they had only reformed the police in a huge way - that would have been a stunning achievement. Still better if they had reformed themselves (the military).

 

Instead, they have not only wasted four years, but used that time to launch almost daily attacks upon the rights and liberties and dignity of the Thai people

 

An utter disgrace.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

":.....after it was criticized by the head of another of 11 reform committees as going nowhere".

Of course it going nowhere. Nothing ever goes anywhere under the junta government simply because they are a collective of incompetents who use countless committees to escape responsibility.

Thailand has no future under a leadership of military generals who have no understanding of anything more than parade ground drill and officer's mess ribaldry.

1 minute ago, Cadbury said:

Of course it going nowhere. Nothing ever goes anywhere under the junta government simply because they are a collective of incompetents who use countless committees to escape responsibility.

Thailand has no future under a leadership of military generals who have no understanding of anything more than parade ground drill and officers mess ribaldry.

Yes, and these 'soldiers' are not even a competent military force: when have they, in living memory, distinguished themselves in GENUINE battle? And I don't mean petty little border skirmishes - but real, DANGEROUS large-scale battle. They have not.

 

They are tinpot soldiers headed up by a pathetic tinpot d.... dinosaur!

I think this article could be more relevant than I originally thought; I wonder if these comments have reached Thai language media and if they are being prominently reported (anyone know?)? I hope so...

 

This is an excellent political attack line for the Forces of Goodness. When I stop to think about what exactly the Junta has done, I can't really think of much; yes, the street demonstrations stopped but those were going to stop as soon as Suthep stopped paying people. What legislative accomplishments has the Junta delivered? What international accomplishments has the Junta delivered? What specific benefit(s) to the people has the Junta delivered? What general benefit(s) to Thailand has the Junta delivered? Or, more simply, what exactly has the Junta done?

 

I really can't think of anything significant.

 

And that is something that should be repeated over and over and over and over...

 

Reform has never been the top agenda right from the start. The junta government has the luxury of a full term and little to show regarding reforms. Those procrastination of changing 3 committees and ever shifting plans were just distractions and to give the impression that they were doing something. 

 

The junta can't fooled anyone that the coup was staged for reasons besides national reforms. Simply the coup was staged to ensure peaceful transition of power, re-write and force feed the citizens to accept the pro-military constitution, change the election system to ensure the junta continue with their dominance, get rid of the Shin and purge all their political enemies. 

 

You just can't depend on a crooked institution to do meaningful reforms. The biggest reform needed for Thailand is a reform of the military, stop future coups and bring treason charges to those coup makers. 

13 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

With that said, whats the video gonna look like?

Black screen & white noise!

If the stodgy wet blankets running this country win the election after this admission of non performance, this country deserves no sympathy at all.   The cowardly Payuth will not debate, as he would not last more than a minute.  This forum has been saying this for years, and finally the junta echo these statements.