Taxi from Suwannaphum to Pattaya

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NRC SEMINAR
Reforms need 'united society'
The Sunday Nation

Thienchay

BANGKOK: -- NRC promises not to impose its will on charter drafters; seminar hears the importance of public participation for the process to be successful; civic groups urged to join efforts

The key to the success of national reform lies in the strength and unity of society, a National Reform Council seminar heard yesterday.

More than 10 different civic groups and a number of promi-nent figures attended the "Uniting the Forces for Social Reform" forum, and they all agreed that communities needed to be empowered.

NRC President Thienchay Kiranan, Prime Minister's advi-sory council chairman Somkid Jatusripitak and NRC social re-form panel chairman Ampon Jindawattana called for civic groups and communities around the country to join reform efforts.

Thienchay, along with others, said solving social issues was challenging given their complexity but success could be obtained by all sectors of society helping tackle the problem.

The 10 civic groups agreed that for reform to be successful, society as a whole must be strengthened.

Somkid said the public had begun to demonstrate a desire and passion for participating in reform, which was vital for Thailand's future.

He said past reform attempts had failed because of the discontinuity of governments - meaning not enough time was devoted to the process because national reform took a long time.

However, the premier's chief adviser said that would not happen now.

"Reform must begin from a leader who initiates direction, points out the problems, and creates inspiration for change, but that hasn't been the case in the past. However the premier and junta are now determined to do so," he said.

Somkid said the reform process would not be a success if the public did not join hands and help push through reform agenda.

In the past, he said the public's true power was not realised be-cause there had been a lack of unity. But if the public united, significant power would be generated.

Ampon agreed the community was the key to successful reform, hence he put forward the proposals to decentralise power, reduce inequality and improve public participation in writing the new constitution.

"The [social reform] panel's responsibility is to create mechanisms that will strengthen communities," he said.

"We want to see the people's power and strong communities that are supported by legislation, and laws that hinder the people's power should be scrapped."

The NRC's 18 panels on various reform areas are scheduled to present their ideas and proposals to all NRC members at meetings that start tomorrow and finish on Wednesday.

Some panels have already revealed their proposals to the public, with some of the proposals drawing criticism from fellow NRC members, charter drafters and National Legislative Assembly members, including the proposal by the panel on political reform to hold direct elections for prime minister and cabinet members.

However, Thienchay believes the contrasting proposals of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), the NLA and the NRC with regard to national reform is not problematic because it is their responsibility to express opinions.

"The duty of the NRC is to offer ideas and proposals that they believe will be beneficial for the drafting of the new constitution," he said.

He said it was the CDC's responsibility to gather proposals and ideas from the NRC, the NLA, the cabinet, the National Council for Peace and Order, the public and other relevant organisations to help it write the charter.

As a result, he said the NRC would not impose its will on the charter drafters if there were differing conclusions.

The NRC president urged the public to closely monitor the NRC meetings, where all 18 panels would propose reform ideas for discussion and debate,

He said the content that would be deliberated was very important for everyone.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Reforms-need-united-society-30249794.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-14

[NongKhaiKid]

The first sentence says it all for me.

The NRC promises not to impose its will, well of course not as this isn't a dictatorship.

Public participation is important for success, OK so to make sure the public fully participates their favourable input and support will be drafted and submitted for them.

Job Done !

[apetley]

Reading the OP, if there is a general election early 2016 I will be genuinely amazed as this is paving the way for it to slip further into the future.

[Krataiboy]

This obsession with getting everyone to agree about everything is as dangerous as it is daft. Dissent is the oxygen of any democratic society and without it nothing can change for the better.

Thai kids, like those of most countries around the world, spend their school days being brainwashed into mindless conformity to dubious concepts dreamed up by their political leaders and education "experts".

Then one day, as adults, they wake up in the real; world, discover they have been conned, and start kicking against the pricks (and I don't just mean their teachers). It's only natural and desirable.

Politics is the art of the possible, not the Utopian. The military-led administration clearly means well. But the idea that a bunch of generals and assorted members of the elite can somehow impose total social harmony is phooey - unless, that is, Thailand wants to end up as a North Korea or Nazi Germany.

This is not reassuring, but I have just looked up the word "Intelligence" in my dictionary and it lists three kinds, in descending order: "human, animal and military".

[rickirs]

"Reform must begin from a leader who initiates direction, points out the problems, and creates inspiration for change, but that hasn't been the case in the past. However the premier and junta are now determined to do so," he said.

NO.

Reform must begin from a leader who has a public mandate (ie., the Majority) to give inspiration, direction and substance to change. Gen./PM Prayuth and his NCPO Junta does not have this critical element, no matter how many surveys are conducted. Clearly, the NCPO fears public referendums and public debates (not the so-called "seminars") by crafting a reform process that is entirely within its control.

And the idea that reform rquires a 'unified society' is just another propoganda tool for continued Junta control over society in spite of any reform. Unless Thailand magically becomes Nirvana or North Korea wherein there is no conflict within its society and all live in Happiness, there will always be political dissent and resistence to change. Political debate and accommodation are key elements in a democratic society. The need for a 'unified society' is a need for complete subjuation of its people.

[Don Aleman]

First thing on the agenda if such a " United Society" comes to be is to ban the word " REFORM " !