Army chief's reform pledge draws skepticism

By Wichit Chaitrong
The Nation

 

Army Chief General Apirat Kongsompong

 

Critics are skeptical of Army Chief General Apirat Kongsompong's pledge to reform the army, unless the military is open to be scrutinised by independence anti-graft organisations.

 

“It is just a show,” said Titipol Pkadeewanich, dean of the Ubon Ratchathani University, in response to Apirat's promise to reform the army following the mass shooting in Korat over the weekend.

 

Apirat held a lengthy press conference to offer his apology for the tragic incident committed by a lone solider in Nakhon Ratchasima. Apirat conceded there are many private businesses in the military in which some high ranking officers have taken advantage of their subordinates. Reports suggested that Sergeant-Major First Class Jakrapanth Thomma killed his commander due to conflict over a property deal, before he went on a shooting spree that killed 29 people and injuries many others. He was later shot dead by security force.

 

Apirat also pledged to end the rights to own many types of weapons by  military personnel. Apirat also said retired officials must move out of military residential properties to make way for others.

 

Titipol said Apirat came out to apologise to the public because the army was under much pressure after the tragic incident, adding that he did not think there would be significant changes regarding his reform promises.

 

Corruption is a problem not only in the Army but also in the Navy and Air force. The public has known for a long time that retired officials refuse to move out of their residences in the military compounds. It is an act of  corruption that the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of Auditor General of Thailand have never tackled, he noted.

 

“Military reform is much needed, but has been denied by the government and military,” said Titipol. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has long complained about problems of politicians but he never admitted the problems in the military. While academics and politicians who criticised the military were attacked by government officials and military officers, Titipol pointed out.

 

“I don’t think that promises will be carried out and they will evaporate when public interest in the tragic event wanes,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, Mana Nimitmongkol, director of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand said it was a good sign that the Army chief had admitted that these problems must be solved soon. He, however, suggested that the Army needs outside help in order to make the reform effective. In the past, there was rampant corruption relative to the issuance of licences for new factories with Department Industrial Works’ officials demanding kickbacks. The collaboration between private sector and the Industry ministry had successfully resolved it, he said.

 

He also pointed out that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) needs to strengthen its transparency assessment in order to reflect the real situation.

 

The NACC recently named the army the country’s most transparent agency under its Integrity and Transparency Assessment. That review was only paper work as the NACC did not look into the corrupt practices of many Army officers. The NACC needs to strengthen its evaluation method, he said.

 

While it is a change on the part of Apirat in promising to solve the issues, his actions if any will go against vested interest in the army, he said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30382044

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-13

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Thai armed forces and reform? 5555 they are rotten and corrupt to the core. Owning huge plots of land, the money that trickles up to senior officers , the use of conscripts as servants and free employees, the abuse against conscripts and so on...  Reform is badly needed, but it would need to be so drastic that there is little left of it... the fools like Apirat, Prayut and Prawit wouldn't have a place in a truly professional army (which can be held accountable and is transparent about it's dealings).

Apirat conceded there are many private businesses in the military in which some high ranking officers have taken advantage of their subordinates.

 

Of course, he isn't one of them. What a farce. 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“It is just a show,”

indeed it is, albeit a high grade one, in the land of show

If there was only the army to reform and clean ...
It is the whole of Thailand, at least the whole civil service which must be entirely cleaned and purged of its very many bad apples.
Only Hercules might be able to clean up these thousand-strong Augean stables

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augeas

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“Military reform is much needed, but has been denied by the government and military,”

I would be honored to lend a hand...

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Kongsompong's pledge to reform the army

Ending conscription is not in the list - a 'bridge too far' for ending military elitist corruption?

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Corruption is a problem not only in the Army but also in the Navy and Air force.

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“Military reform is much needed, but has been denied by the government and military,”

There is another institution that can provide reform leadership on behalf of the Nation.

Perhaps a start could beamed in reducing the number of Generals.

47 minutes ago, geoffrobbo said:

Perhaps a start could beamed in reducing the number of Generals.

Why do you think 1400 is to many  I think Thailand goes by that saying "To many chiefs and not enough Indians"

This guy is just strange.

 

Only a few weeks ago he was talking strongly like the boss of the world.

 

Now in tears.

 

Given his and his family history I have total doubt he will effect any serious broad change. Reality is, unfortunately that there are many more tough talk generals who think they own Thailand and must be obeyed.

 

If Gen. A tries to really make deep philosophical changes I suspect the bigger powers will join together and quickly sideline him.

 

 

Watch out Cha Cha, someone is making waves, waves that you should have made much earlier. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

" ..... retired officials refuse to move out of their residences in the military compounds. It is an act of  corruption ..... "

When I think of corruption, this is not quite what I think of as corruption.

 

This sounds more to me like just plane abuse.

25 minutes ago, neeray said:

When I think of corruption, this is not quite what I think of as corruption.

 

This sounds more to me like just plane abuse.

Or just who gives a flying f... about the plebs

I see no mention of salary reform for the enlisted.

 

The SgtM that went on the rampage did it because he felt cheated out of USD1,600 worth of baht.  What a measely amount, yet shows what desperation can do to someone who felt he had nothing left to lose.

17 minutes ago, Iron Tongue said:

I see no mention of salary reform for the enlisted.

 

The SgtM that went on the rampage did it because he felt cheated out of USD1,600 worth of baht.  What a measely amount, yet shows what desperation can do to someone who felt he had nothing left to lose.

I have read that in fact the sum in dispute may have been much higher , more than Bt300,000 .

Sceptic about what a Thai general says? Why I would never.

Be careful Mr. Titipol, or you will be the next victim of the army spies

I know what JC would have said.

 

' Reformer reform thyself '

Scrutiny by anti graft also owned by the military he means????

This bloke is the one that needs reforming. Impossible task. But can we audit you Apirat ?

5 hours ago, missoura said:

I would be honored to lend a hand...

"Hornored" you mean.

     His 'reforms' all seem very weak.  As has already been said, no mention of important things like salary reform.  But, weak as they are, probably none will be done.  Just more meaningless lip service from an administration that only does meaningless lip service.

16 hours ago, neeray said:

When I think of corruption, this is not quite what I think of as corruption.

 

This sounds more to me like just plane abuse.

And arrogance and a feeling of entitlement, way beyond reasonable.

17 hours ago, newnative said:

     His 'reforms' all seem very weak.  As has already been said, no mention of important things like salary reform.  But, weak as they are, probably none will be done.  Just more meaningless lip service from an administration that only does meaningless lip service.

And no substantive action about:

 

- Conscripts working as personal servants and laborers for officers and in some cases their abusive wives.

 

- Conscripts allowed to work in outside jobs if:

- They give their army salary to the CO

- They give their army salary to the CO plus 20%? of their outside salary to their superiors, etc., etc.

5 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Conscripts working as personal servants and laborers for officers

From what I hear that's where a lot of the gay conscripts end up

28 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

From what I hear that's where a lot of the gay conscripts end up

Of course, that's a no brainer. 

On 2/13/2020 at 3:41 AM, webfact said:

adding that he did not think there would be significant changes regarding his reform promises.

So the purpose of the inquiry is what?  Nothing will change; Thais will continue to die whilst self-important people have meetings and then do nothing.  For the armed forces named above add police; all of which are keeping this country in the dark ages.

Most of what is on the list are simple . You create the order and it's followed. So what could be so difficult?

 

The toes of importance being stepped on, and the fear involved, and the compromises made, and the prevention to act money paid, and the failure to act, and then it's memory, and then it's forgotten. Case closed.

21 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

"Hornored" you mean.

You know what is really horrible about this picture? It would take 20 minutes for a guy with a stencil and a couple cups of paint from the paint locker to fix it. Some nice English speaking person could point out the error to the entire base command structure using Google, and showing corrections, but I bet it wouldn't get fixed. You would need an authorization from central command in triplicate. Blue ink only with the proper stamps dated no earlier then 24 hours from paint authorization.