webfact Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 PM steps in amid furore over asset declaration rule By THE NATION File photo Wissanu asked to hold ‘unofficial’ discussions with NACC. A NEW rule requiring more holders of important public positions to declare their assets to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has triggered such serious concerns that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has decided to intervene. The premier’s intervention occurred even before the new rule, promulgated in the Royal Gazette on November 1, takes effect on December 2. “I have now assigned Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, though unofficially, to explore solutions with the NACC,” Prayut said yesterday. He was speaking after several universities complained that the new rule threatened to cause a power vacuum in their administration, as several council members were ready to quit. “Nearly half of the council members at my place have tendered their resignations,” president of Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Viroj Limkaisang, complained. “This will disrupt our management. Without a quorum, we won’t be able to make decisions on several issues. And it will take time to fill positions at the council.” Under the new rule, the scope of persons required to declare their assets/liabilities to the NACC will extend far beyond political-office holders like Cabinet members, senators, MPs, local administrative bodies’ executives, Bangkok governor, the attorney-general and the president of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court. Presidents of state universities and their council members, as well as top executives of public organisations and state funds, and the chiefs of Armed Forces including the police force, for example, will also have to file their asset declarations to the NACC. So far, protests have been the loudest from the higher-educational sector. Education Minister Teera-kiat Jareonset-tasin said his ministry would raise the concerns with the NACC because many university council members came from the private sector. “They don’t want to file asset declarations. If the new rule is enforced, they will leave,” he said. According to Teerakiat, his ministry cannot ignore the private sector because it is a key contributor to the country’s education. Given that the Supreme Patriarch is the president of the Mahamakut Buddhist University, he will be required to file assets declarations to the NACC too. Prayut, who also heads the National Council for Peace and Order and holds special power as its chief, expressed hope that authorities will find a solution before the new rule takes effect. However, while the NACC has promised to listen to the opinions of all sides, its president Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit emphasised that the new rule was drawn up in line with the new charter. “It’s for the sake of transparency,” he said. He added that in fact all state officials must submit their assets/liabilities declarations to their supervisors, but the NACC had intended to require high-level officials to submit the declarations for the NACC to review. “Members of university councils have the power to approve budgets used by universities and their units. So, their positions are in the same level as high-level executives of state organisations. They, therefore, should declare their assets,” Watcharapol said. The Coordinating Centre for the Public Higher Education (CHES) has expressed support for the new rule. “There is no need for the university council’s presidents and members to be worried about asset declarations if they have nothing to hide,” CHES president Weerachai Phutdhawong said. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30358030 -- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Samui Bodoh Posted November 6, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 6, 2018 "...Under the new rule, the scope of persons required to declare their assets/liabilities to the NACC will extend far beyond political-office holders like Cabinet members, senators, MPs, local administrative bodies’ executives, Bangkok governor, the attorney-general and the president of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court. Presidents of state universities and their council members, as well as top executives of public organisations and state funds, and the chiefs of Armed Forces including the police force, for example, will also have to file their asset declarations to the NACC..." If they support the Junta, they have nothing to worry about. Its not like the NACC will "investigate" as long as they behave, is it? Has everyone already forgotten the "investigation" of Prayut's assets? Or Prawit's watches? "...It’s for the sake of transparency,” he said..." It is for the ease of leverage and control; if anyone with an important job steps out of line or misbehaves, then they will be "investigated" and removed. Hmm... perhaps this should be presented as a 'cost-saving' measure? You force high officials everywhere to provide incriminating material on themselves, then you save on "investigation" costs. If this were a country with high ethics, this might be a good idea. As it isn't such a country, it is a means of control. The more things change, the more they stay the same... Sad, sad times for beloved Thailand. 14 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post canuckamuck Posted November 6, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 6, 2018 58 minutes ago, webfact said: A NEW rule requiring more holders of important public positions to declare their assets to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has triggered such serious concerns that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has decided to intervene. It's quite hilarious. It's like a group of heroin addicts decided they all needed to take a drug test and anyone caught taking drugs would be in big trouble. SB's post above explains the reality of the consequences quite well. It's a very dark move. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannot Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 HYPOCRITCAL!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post z42 Posted November 6, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 6, 2018 Typifies the country's major ills in 1 fell swoop. Those who are clean and have not accumulated their wealth honestly will scream blue murder when asked to do so, and so it appears. The culture in the country is wrong though, i suspect a very small (almost token) few will have risen honestly to any sort of meaningful ranking level. And it is most galling that a man who has never explained the true sources of his hundreds of millions of baht in assets is calling the shots here. What a dreadful, dreadful mess this is. I hope the students themselves realize what the rotten apples at the top of the Universities are up to, and act accordingly to resist them, it's the only way to go 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post zzaa09 Posted November 6, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said: "...Under the new rule, the scope of persons required to declare their assets/liabilities to the NACC will extend far beyond political-office holders like Cabinet members, senators, MPs, local administrative bodies’ executives, Bangkok governor, the attorney-general and the president of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court. Presidents of state universities and their council members, as well as top executives of public organisations and state funds, and the chiefs of Armed Forces including the police force, for example, will also have to file their asset declarations to the NACC..." If they support the Junta, they have nothing to worry about. Its not like the NACC will "investigate" as long as they behave, is it? Has everyone already forgotten the "investigation" of Prayut's assets? Or Prawit's watches? "...It’s for the sake of transparency,” he said..." It is for the ease of leverage and control; if anyone with an important job steps out of line or misbehaves, then they will be "investigated" and removed. Hmm... perhaps this should be presented as a 'cost-saving' measure? You force high officials everywhere to provide incriminating material on themselves, then you save on "investigation" costs. If this were a country with high ethics, this might be a good idea. As it isn't such a country, it is a means of control. The more things change, the more they stay the same... Sad, sad times for beloved Thailand. This is what an oligarchy looks like....... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilsonandson Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 What's the fuss? All they need is a good accountant to cook the books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Thailand Posted November 6, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 6, 2018 Surely if ill gotten gains are not already securely hidden by various nefarious means these people do not deserve to be at the trough? 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyAndRich Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Sack ´em all then. I am sure there are both more competent and more honest people that will apply for the free positions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatOngo Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 8 minutes ago, HappyAndRich said: Sack ´em all then. I am sure there are both more competent and more honest people that will apply for the free positions. Free? Everything has a price here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post YetAnother Posted November 6, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 6, 2018 2 hours ago, webfact said: A NEW rule requiring more holders of important public positions to declare their assets to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) this is like asking corruption itself to be transparent 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chainarong Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 For he that shouts the loudest is indeed the villian.???? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MRToMRT Posted November 7, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 7, 2018 Asset declarations are standard in many gov and international organizations. They should be standard in Thailand. I really cannot figure why any TV member would be against them in principle, as its a small but necessary step on the road to reduce/end corruption. I had to do one for my last 4 years of employment because I was working on an IO (IRE) project - and I was way below the authority level that has been set in this ruling. They should be standard practice. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzaa09 Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 29 minutes ago, HappyAndRich said: Sack ´em all then. I am sure there are both more competent and more honest people that will apply for the free positions. I'm not too sure that you understand how things work here..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcharacters Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 I have the vision of rats fleeing a sinking ship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Eric Loh Posted November 7, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 7, 2018 2 hours ago, webfact said: “It’s for the sake of transparency,” he said. Not for Prawit. He didn’t declared his expensive watches and who knows what else that he and the generals didn’t declared. Problem of asset declaration is that it being applied discriminatory; never level playing field. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lungstib Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 All that talk about politicians corruption has finally backfired. The spotlight then has to fall on these 'new politicians' the power holders who have stayed in the shadows and enjoyed all the fruits of corruption without ever being held to account. Isn't the Thai expression 'som nam na". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzaa09 Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 4 minutes ago, Lungstib said: All that talk about politicians corruption has finally backfired. The spotlight then has to fall on these 'new politicians' the power holders who have stayed in the shadows and enjoyed all the fruits of corruption without ever being held to account. Isn't the Thai expression 'som nam na". That would be it. ....and a term one doesn't hear Thais repeat in friendly company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowboat Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 2 hours ago, webfact said: He was speaking after several universities complained that the new rule threatened to cause a power vacuum in their administration, as several council members were ready to quit. That is the best news I have heard all year. Why don't they all just quit? Sounds like the junta can't handle governing. What a great time to step aside. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyAndRich Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 21 minutes ago, zzaa09 said: I'm not too sure that you understand how things work here..... Doesn´t matter what you think in that area. Over 20 years of living here tells me a different story. That I have a hard stance and opinion is a totally different subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ramrod711 Posted November 7, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 7, 2018 “They don’t want to file asset declarations. If the new rule is enforced, they will leave,” he said. See ya, don't call us, we'll call you. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VincentRJ Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 So far, protests have been the loudest from the higher-educational sector. Education Minister Teera-kiat Jareonset-tasin said his ministry would raise the concerns with the NACC because many university council members came from the private sector. “They don’t want to file asset declarations. If the new rule is enforced, they will leave,” he said. According to Teerakiat, his ministry cannot ignore the private sector because it is a key contributor to the country’s education. “Nearly half of the council members at my place have tendered their resignations,” president of Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Viroj Limkaisang, complained. “This will disrupt our management. Without a quorum, we won’t be able to make decisions on several issues. And it will take time to fill positions at the council.” The solution is clear. No-one should be allowed to avoid declaring their assets by resigning. If there's any hint or suspicion that a council member, or the holder of an important public position, has resigned in order to avoid the declaration of his/her assets, then that person's assets should be thoroughly investigated. Why would anyone resign because of this new law, if he has nothing to hide? In order to allow this to happen, the new law needs to be retrospective, at least to the point when the proposed introduction of the law was made public in the news media. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatOngo Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 Let he without sin cast the first stone!...………..What?...……….No takers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedrogaz Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 What exactly is the point when you see outright flouting of the rules by watch wearing deputy PMs? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lupatria Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 2 hours ago, YetAnother said: this is like asking corruption itself to be transparent 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CALSinCM Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 Given the reaction to the edict, it seems that corruption is far more pervasive that even the most conservative estimates. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dcnx Posted November 7, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted November 7, 2018 4 hours ago, z42 said: What a dreadful, dreadful mess this is. I hope the students themselves realize what the rotten apples at the top of the Universities are up to, and act accordingly to resist them, it's the only way to go If you’re not one of the rotten apples, you’re a groveling boot licker. This is Thai culture in a nutshell. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandtee Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 No doubt our illustrious leader will also come under the new ruling. It would be interesting to see his assets from before and since he claimed his position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGareth2 Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 7 hours ago, webfact said: “There is no need for the university council’s presidents and members to be worried about asset declarations if they have nothing to hide,” CHES president Weerachai Phutdhawong said. no wonder they are worried but the big Q is whether a PM needs to declare their assets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalfLight Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 (edited) Hmmm/ Prayuth didn't want anyone to see his assets as I recall. I wonder what that could mean... Obviously the right man to stand in judgment of other people's honesty. Obviously. Edited November 7, 2018 by HalfLight 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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