Police Chief Can't Be Axed Without Proper Reason : Thai Democrats

[webfact]

POLICE CHIEF

Police chief can't be axed without proper reason : Democrats

By The Nation

The national police chief should not be replaced by the Pheu Thai government without proper explanation, key Democrat figures warned yesterday.

Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said there was nothing to justify the new government to sack Police General Wichean Potephosree. He said Wichean was still working efficiently.

"If the new government wants to remove him, it must have a sound explanation," Abhisit said.

The Democrat Party leader was commenting on speculation that the new government headed by Yingluck Shinawatra would remove Wichean and replace him with Police General Priewphan Damapong, the brother of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's ex-wife Pojaman, who has been rumoured to retain her "influence" and said to be involved in allocating Cabinet seats.

Suthep Thaugsuban, who served as deputy prime minister in charge of security affairs in the Democrat-led government, yesterday said Wichean had done his job fairly well.

"They should have a good explanation and must be able to answer to the public" should Wichean be removed, said Suthep, the former Democrat Party secretary-general who is still a party heavyweight.

"It is not enough to explain that someone is promoted because he is a member of your family. Let's see how they will try to explain it."

Wichean did not appear to be concerned yesterday about the speculation of him being removed as police chief. Asked to comment on the matter, he said he expected to be treated fairly and justly.

Meanwhile, new Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra dismissed the speculation. "I heard nothing about it and I've not done anything relating to the police yet," she said.

She added that if the current police chief was able to work under the new government's policies, he would not be transferred.

-- The Nation 2011-08-09

[bunnaag]

They have won the election and will do what they want.

[Colin Yai]

They have won the election and will do what they want.

Nice to see that NEPOTISM is STILL very much alive and well here in Thailand !!.

[pauljones]

The police and army like it just the way it is. Did you see what kind of money the democrats threw at them after the coup?

It would be nice if the police and army paid attention to the legally elected PM this time.

[Ricardo]

They have won the election and will do what they want.

Even if it means rushing to put place-men or well-connected family-members into non-elected jobs ? Isn't there a word, beginning with "n", for acting like that ? Looks just like an 'administrative coup' to me !

[whybother]

The police and army like it just the way it is. Did you see what kind of money the democrats threw at them after the coup?

It would be nice if the police and army paid attention to the legally elected PM this time.

I think you need to check who was the government after the coup.

[EyesWideOpen]

This is simply not fair. These government officials pay millions of baht to get a good spot at the feeding trough, and it does not seem right to pitch them out before they can get their money back............. :jap:

[Thai at Heart]

Of course, one can say that you can't fire someone without proper reason. However, being head of the police force does leave you open to the most obvious continual accusation of "being in charge of an organisation with endemic corruption".

So essentially, any police chief is always only one phone call away from being fired.

[cacruden]

When appointed - he stated he had 4 priorities as police chief ...... none of them was tackling corruption in the police force.... that is reason enough to remove him.

[DP25]

When appointed - he stated he had 4 priorities as police chief ...... none of them was tackling corruption in the police force.... that is reason enough to remove him.

That may be a reason to remove him. But it certainly isn't the reason this government will remove him

[OzMick]

The police and army like it just the way it is. Did you see what kind of money the democrats threw at them after the coup?

It would be nice if the police and army paid attention to the legally elected PM this time.

The RTA swears allegiance to the head of state and the country, not to the government of the day. If the new PM wishes to replace the head of the army with a corporal 3rd grade who happens to be her cousin, there may well be repercussions, as her brother discovered.

This is called "checks and balances" and is generally perceived as a good idea, especially when applied to little tin-pot would-be dictators.

[Thai at Heart]

The police and army like it just the way it is. Did you see what kind of money the democrats threw at them after the coup?

It would be nice if the police and army paid attention to the legally elected PM this time.

The RTA swears allegiance to the head of state and the country, not to the government of the day. If the new PM wishes to replace the head of the army with a corporal 3rd grade who happens to be her cousin, there may well be repercussions, as her brother discovered.

This is called "checks and balances" and is generally perceived as a good idea, especially when applied to little tin-pot would-be dictators.

I think that is one lesson that the Shinawatras have probably learnt by now. The police however, is Thaksin's historical home, so he will have more than enough support in there from his cohorts to push this through.

[timekeeper]

They have won the election and will do what they want.

and if anyone dare to say anything different they will send out the militant red army faction to shut them up.............

[Aussietraveller]

Any police chief that stands by and allows corruption to continue on the level that it does in Thailand, is not doing his job.

A police chief that turns a blind eye to corruption should immediately be sacked.

[Crushdepth]

The police chief is not a relative of the Shinawatra family so he has to go to make room for one that is. Entirely valid and reasonable decision.

[OzMick]

Any police chief that stands by and allows corruption to continue on the level that it does in Thailand, is not doing his job.

A police chief that turns a blind eye to corruption should immediately be sacked.

Hmmm. If they adopted that policy, they may well have to wait for the next class to graduate from the academy before appointing his successor.

And after all, for a Shinawatra government to take on that policy would have to be the ultimate in hypocrisy.

[hammered]

Every government changes bureacratic heads to get people in who will cooperate with them. There is a mechanism for choosing police chief which involves getting backing of a committee. It wasnt long ago a certain government kept its favoured choice as an acting police chief when it couldnt force this choice through the committee and was unwilling to listen to opinion from within the force and indeed the main ruling party even lost one of its most powerful people to resignation over this. Lets see what the new government does and why and hope it actually is more willing to listen to alternatives than the previous mob, but if it acts in a manner similar to the last lot then criticise it

[ToffeEFCpower]

Is this the same police chief that just stood by and watched the red army setup camp in Bangkok last year?

[tig28]

They have won the election and will do what they want.

Even if it means rushing to put place-men or well-connected family-members into non-elected jobs ? Isn't there a word, beginning with "n", for acting like that ? Looks just like an 'administrative coup' to me !

Hi Ricardo

I wonder where all these seekers of justice ... and battlers against "n" were ---- when Abhisit and Suthep did precicley that which you now so boldly condemn??

Do you remember that after the bloody clash between protestors and police during October 2008 outside Parliament House when the NHRC recommended that the then Police Chief-- the man in overall command -- should be charged with murder... that the then PM (PPP-- Somchai Wongsawat) immediately stood him down from his post?

When the Democrats assumed Government soon after..... one of the new PMs first actions was to reinstate the disgraced Police Chief.

(Police Chief Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan denied that his reinstatement had anything to do with his elder brother, Pravit, now being Defence minister.)

And it would have been far too much to ask any of these warriors to have questioned the Democrats actions when shortly after they issued orders to transfer 73 other high-level police officers to inactive posts.

Ricardo..........Just trying add a little balance to this ......

[wolf5370]

They have won the election and will do what they want.

Even if it means rushing to put place-men or well-connected family-members into non-elected jobs ? Isn't there a word, beginning with "n", for acting like that ? Looks just like an 'administrative coup' to me !

Hi Ricardo

I wonder where all these seekers of justice ... and battlers against "n" were ---- when Abhisit and Suthep did precicley that which you now so boldly condemn??

Do you remember that after the bloody clash between protestors and police during October 2008 outside Parliament House when the NHRC recommended that the then Police Chief-- the man in overall command -- should be charged with murder... that the then PM (PPP-- Somchai Wongsawat) immediately stood him down from his post?

When the Democrats assumed Government soon after..... one of the new PMs first actions was to reinstate the disgraced Police Chief.

(Police Chief Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan denied that his reinstatement had anything to do with his elder brother, Pravit, now being Defence minister.)

And it would have been far too much to ask any of these warriors to have questioned the Democrats actions when shortly after they issued orders to transfer 73 other high-level police officers to inactive posts.

Ricardo..........Just trying add a little balance to this ......

Thialand will never go anywhere if it uses previous corruption to justify future corruption, or previous nepotism to justify future nepotism. As evey ruling political party in this country has, at some point, been corrupt (or at least been accuses of corruption) then this would be a carteblanche free pass - because "the oppostion" did it!

It's about time people here (Thais as they are the voting populous and the MPs) looked at addressing issues of the day and moving away from the all-encompassing endemic corruption that exists now.

[ginjag]

Is this the same police chief that just stood by and watched the red army setup camp in Bangkok last year?

Think so-But you cannot expect the Thai police to Police the place can you, they are only trained to set up roadside checks. If they were to do their job properly they would have prevented the build up of reds in areas of Bkk, NOT for them to hide when the burning and looting was going on.==SWAP the army and police around, lets have the police on the borders protecting the realm.

The police should have stopped the northern migration of red shirts from traveling in convoys of buses and pick-ups to Bkk. The police should have stopped the thousands of tyres and bamboo poles being brought in to Bkk city. the police should have prevented the amalgamation of protesters in ares, SACK the lot. If you are going to replace don't choose a brother of Thaksins ex wife --PLEASE

[Buchholz]

Yingluck Shinawatra would remove Wichean and replace him with Police General Priewphan Damapong, the brother of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's ex-wife Pojaman

Thaksin, ver. 4.0 is same ol' same ol' to Thaksin, ver. 1.0

[Cnxforever]

When appointed - he stated he had 4 priorities as police chief ...... none of them was tackling corruption in the police force.... that is reason enough to remove him.

correct - he also seems useless in crowd control - if the police would have done their job it would never have come to that mayhem in Bangkok last year! They let it get out of hand and waited far to long to take control - could not even control peaceful protesters!

Just compare the current unrest in London - even though the protesters in London are violent / looting - the police is still managing getting back control of the areas - you don't see the British government using excesive force calling in troops shooting people with war weapons because the police is useless in crowd control !

The police chief should have been fired a long time ago! Suthep said he did a good job ?? He meant -he was a good "puppet" - he did what Suthep wanted him to do!

[Ricardo]

They have won the election and will do what they want.

Even if it means rushing to put place-men or well-connected family-members into non-elected jobs ? Isn't there a word, beginning with "n", for acting like that ? Looks just like an 'administrative coup' to me !

Hi Ricardo

I wonder where all these seekers of justice ... and battlers against "n" were ---- when Abhisit and Suthep did precicley that which you now so boldly condemn??

Do you remember that after the bloody clash between protestors and police during October 2008 outside Parliament House when the NHRC recommended that the then Police Chief-- the man in overall command -- should be charged with murder... that the then PM (PPP-- Somchai Wongsawat) immediately stood him down from his post?

When the Democrats assumed Government soon after..... one of the new PMs first actions was to reinstate the disgraced Police Chief.

(Police Chief Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan denied that his reinstatement had anything to do with his elder brother, Pravit, now being Defence minister.)

And it would have been far too much to ask any of these warriors to have questioned the Democrats actions when shortly after they issued orders to transfer 73 other high-level police officers to inactive posts.

Ricardo..........Just trying add a little balance to this ......

Balance is important !

Nepotism is wrong, whether it's Abhisit or Yingluck or Somchai or Thaksin in charge, people should speak-out against it, wherever it is found, just like corruption. The cleansing light-of-day is in too-short supply in Thailand !

[Siam Simon]

They have won the election and will do what they want.

Even if it means rushing to put place-men or well-connected family-members into non-elected jobs ? Isn't there a word, beginning with "n", for acting like that ? Looks just like an 'administrative coup' to me !

Hi Ricardo

I wonder where all these seekers of justice ... and battlers against "n" were ---- when Abhisit and Suthep did precicley that which you now so boldly condemn??

Do you remember that after the bloody clash between protestors and police during October 2008 outside Parliament House when the NHRC recommended that the then Police Chief-- the man in overall command -- should be charged with murder... that the then PM (PPP-- Somchai Wongsawat) immediately stood him down from his post?

When the Democrats assumed Government soon after..... one of the new PMs first actions was to reinstate the disgraced Police Chief.

(Police Chief Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan denied that his reinstatement had anything to do with his elder brother, Pravit, now being Defence minister.)

And it would have been far too much to ask any of these warriors to have questioned the Democrats actions when shortly after they issued orders to transfer 73 other high-level police officers to inactive posts.

Ricardo..........Just trying add a little balance to this ......

Balance is important !

Nepotism is wrong, whether it's Abhisit or Yingluck or Somchai or Thaksin in charge, people should speak-out against it, wherever it is found, just like corruption. The cleansing light-of-day is in too-short supply in Thailand !

But what about Gen Patcharawat? Stay or go?. And why?

[atyclb]

Any police chief that stands by and allows corruption to continue on the level that it does in Thailand, is not doing his job.

A police chief that turns a blind eye to corruption should immediately be sacked.

And for a "Nation that turns a blind eye to corruption"

What would you do?

[Rimmer]

One post removed. if you wish your posts to remain on here please do not use incorrect and derogatory names for persons in the public spotlight, thank you.

[backtonormal]

The police chief is not a relative of the Shinawatra family so he has to go to make room for one that is. Entirely valid and reasonable decision.

If you look at the way Thai families do business it is an acceptable decision to have a family member in a trusted position. In business here the alpha son will be head of the company while his father still pulls the strings in the back ground. Another son or daughter will be head of a department, one will be the accountant etc etc. This just happens to be the government but Thaksin is renowned for running the country like a business

[hammered]

Reality is that as long as they let the army take care of their little reshuffle, nobody with power is going to care what happens with the police. It may even be a trade off

[OzMick]

The police chief is not a relative of the Shinawatra family so he has to go to make room for one that is. Entirely valid and reasonable decision.

If you look at the way Thai families do business it is an acceptable decision to have a family member in a trusted position. In business here the alpha son will be head of the company while his father still pulls the strings in the back ground. Another son or daughter will be head of a department, one will be the accountant etc etc. This just happens to be the government but Thaksin is renowned for running the country like a business

You seem to think that running the government like a business is a good idea - and if we are talking a publicly listed company with the people of Thailand as shareholders, you may be right. But Thaksin ran the government like a FAMILY business, with its main aim enrichment and advancement of his family. The telecommunication loan to Myanmar was a conflict of interest that would have a western CEO jailed and nepotism was rife with the aim not only enrichment but control to ensure retaining power.

And the really sad thing is, at the next stockholders meeting they vote him back in because they don't know any better!