Thai charter drafting: NRC agrees on 'goals for the next 20 years'

[webfact]

CHARTER DRAFTING
NRC agrees on 'goals for the next 20 years'
THE NATION


National Reform Council chairman Thienchay Kiranandana, third from left, gestures with NRC members after a high-profile press conference on national reform yesterday.

'Council will only do initial work on six national goals'

BANGKOK: -- The National Reform Council will spend a year mapping out a 20-year plan to shape Thailand's future - emphasising political, economic and education reform to bring about equality in those areas, its chairman Thienchay Kiranandana said yesterday.

"These issues have been derived from the past two days of [NRC] discussions," he said. "This is the kick-off of NRC work and from now on these are the national agendas that we will continuously work together on."

Thienchay said NRC members formed a consensus on the six goals of national reform.

They were the attainment of a democratic system "appropriate" for Thai society, transparent and fair elections, an effective anti-corruption mechanism, social and economic equality, effective law enforcement, and a public mechanism that creates a just and fair society.

These will be the national goals over the next 20 years, he said.

Thienchay said NRC members had gathered ideas to form the foundation of the national reform framework, which was scheduled to be completed within a year. He is confident that the reform plan can be finalised within that time frame.

The NRC chairman described the vision and ideas of each of the reform areas.

On the economy, he said reforms covering many areas needed to take place to achieve the goals, including the taxation system, finance policy and mechanisms for consumer protection.

He also said there needed to be greater opportunities for farmers and the disadvantaged by creating, for example, a national education standard, while the public needed to have greater access to natural resources.

On the political front, Thienchay named the decentralisation of power as a key reform area. He said the regulative system must be strengthened, and the Interior Ministry's regional administration power restructured.

The process in which people become national or local politicians is another key area of reform identified by the NRC. Thienchay said the country needed a system that filtered out people who would make "bad politicians".

"We want to have a citizen council - a local council - both at a sub-district and national level, and independent organisations from the private sector that have equal status to the current independent organisations," he said.

He stressed that the NRC aimed to educate people to be politically active and aware.

The 18 reform committees to be endorsed today will use a "bottom-up and top-down" strategy to get well-rounded information on reform from all sectors of society, NRC selection committee spokesman Thon Thamrongnawasawat said yesterday.

He explained that 15 of the committees would comprise 33 members, 27 of whom will be NRC members plus six outsiders. The other three NRC panels - related to consumer protection, information technology and media, and public health - would only have 25 or 26 members each.

All 18 committees yesterday selected chairmen and deputies, and other executives, as well as representatives to coordinate with the National Council for Peace and Order and the government.

The spokesman said the 18 reform committees would collaborate with provincial offices of the Election Commission and the 77 provincial NRC members to gather data.

The NRC committees will also gather key data through their networks, civic groups and academics, as well as through official panels that are already researching certain reform issues.

"The committees would then synthesise information they receive through a bottom-up and top-down system before coming to a conclusion," Thon said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/NRC-agrees-on-goals-for-the-next-20-years-30247471.html

-- The Nation 2014-11-11

[NongKhaiKid]

Map out a 20 year plan ?

Oh Please

In the next 20 years how many civilian govts and coups will there be ?

[RustBucket]

Yep.... I think the two finger salute is very appropriate for this story.

[Boxclever]

"Thienchay said the country needed a system that filtered out people who would make "bad politicians". So who would be the authority to filter out the bad ones? the NRC? only "the good people" need apply. The making of a totalitarian regime.

[Thai at Heart]

What a mess. A 20 year plan that doesn't mention elections

[Fat Haggis]

But plenty of people getting paid too

18 sub committees with 33 members each? Isn't that taking the piss out of the country as it is?

Plus another 3 panels making it over 650 people in just committees?

[The stuttering parrot]

Lucky they didn't put up three fingers otherwise they would have been arrested!

[rickirs]

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Lucky they didn't put up three fingers otherwise they would have been arrested!

The three-finger salute is used internationally by Boy & Girl Scout groups to greet each other. Thailand might not be the best place now for the next Scout World Jambore. Can you imagine thousands of Scout minors from all over the world being arrested as a threat to Thai national security? Meanwhile I wonder if the Junta will insist on Thai Scouts abolish their three-finger salute; maybe replace it with a thumb's up as support for the Junta.;b++){var>

[bunuel]

Interesting to note the NRC use of the term " equality". Seems a bit out of character, but perhaps their definition of " equality" is that of Animal Farm - " All pigs are created equal, but some are more equal than others."

Otherwise, 20 years without another coup or a major upheavel seems a bit optimistic.

[wwest5829]

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Lucky they didn't put up three fingers otherwise they would have been arrested!

The three-finger salute is used internationally by Boy & Girl Scout groups to greet each other. Thailand might not be the best place now for the next Scout World Jambore. Can you imagine thousands of Scout minors from all over the world being arrested as a threat to Thai national security? Meanwhile I wonder if the Junta will insist on Thai Scouts abolish their three-finger salute; maybe replace it with a thumb's up as support for the Junta.;b++){var>

Ha! It would be OK with us Scouts, we have uniforms!

[Krataiboy]

Government by committee v government by the people. No contest.

[Jonmarleesco]

Laudable, I'm sure. But how many will still be around in twenty years?

[NanLaew]

There you have it. A TWENTY YEAR plan. Thus the current gravy train is assured and pretty much that of their succeeding generation. Do not adjust your sets, normal service will be resumed shortly.

Even the hugely corrupt China and its ruling sycophantic Communist Party have bloody 5-year plans.

I can see the NRC's two-fingered rationale now, "Yes, in twenty years, Thaksin will be dead and his heirs and their offspring well distanced from OUR trough."

[tbthailand]

These will be the national goals over the next 20 years, he said.

elections 2025

[tbthailand]

They were the attainment of a democratic system "appropriate" for Thai society, transparent and fair elections, an effective anti-corruption mechanism, social and economic equality, effective law enforcement, and a public mechanism that creates a just and fair society.

Well, OK boys and girls, if you say so. Let's run this through the 'Thai reform translator'

"appropriate for Thai society" is short-hand for not-democratic.

transparent and fair elections - been there, done that, still needed a coup.

effective anti-corruption mechanism: Thailand needs this, albeit only for politicians.

social and economic equality: probably means 80%++ of government budget goes to Bangkok

effective law enforcement: wonder when this became the domain of the NRC?

public mechanism that creates a just and fair society: to be frank, knowing the background of these elitists, this sounds like smoke coming out their backsides and not much else. No one believes that this group of elite Thais is interested in a just and fair society.

... waiting to see the turd that comes out at end of this reform process.

[wabothai]

A 5-year plan seems more reasonable in my opinion. Longer than that will be a waste of time and energy.

[Nickymaster]

But plenty of people getting paid too

18 sub committees with 33 members each? Isn't that taking the piss out of the country as it is?

Plus another 3 panels making it over 650 people in just committees?

That...or another trillion baht down the drain if you let Thai politicians "manage" things. For example...rice.

[Thai at Heart]

How are they going to insure that the government complies with this 20 year plan.

All of these are overarching ideas that are largely universal, but often government policy has to go against such perfect ideals.

Maybe Yingluck will defend her rice mess by saying it was designed to promote" social and economic equality".

This is like a 9 year olds wish list

[jesimps]

They have the looks of people who've just robbed a bank and can't believe they've gotten away with it. Freeloaders, pah!