Matichon: Dissolution of the Royal Thai Police

[george]

Dissolution of the Royal Thai Police

From Matichon. By 2bangkok.com

Translation:

[Newspaper graphic describing what is, in effect, the dissolution of the power of Royal Thai Police. Rampant corruption in the system is only a secondary concern. The real intent is to break the back of the police as a force that has shown loyalty first to Thaksin. Since Thaksin’s first days in power, the police were groomed to once again become a force that could counterbalance the power of the military in politics.]

The Legal and justice system reform committee proposes the model of reorganization of the Royal Thai Police Office

1. Dissolution of the human resource executive [This is the internal police committee that overseas promotions in the force. At all levels of the police, large bribes are required to move up in rank.]
Dissolution of the OPC (Office of the Police Commission)
Establishment of the National Police Affairs Council [comprising the following]
– Head of security-related government agency
– Head of justice system/judiciary
– National Human Rights Committee members
– Persons selected by the members of parliament and senators
– Citizens who can participate in the appointment and transfer of police officers [as well]

[The inclusion of these parties in a committee on police promotions and transfers strikes at the heart of Thaksin and Red Shirt dogma as their plan for reconciliation is that the judiciary and NGOs be stripped of power to intrude into government affairs.]

2. Dissolution of the Royal Thai Police Office [meaning the end of the centralization of all police into a common command]
Transfer the following agencies
– Forest police to the Forest Department
– Railway police to the State Railway of Thailand
– Tourist police to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports

[At present the police provide security within ministries and other governmental departments, giving them influence and intelligence capabilities throughout the system. The new plan would allow ministries to command their own specialized security forces apart from the centralized law enforcement function of the national police.]

Source: 2Bangkok.com
http://2bangkok.com/dissolution-of-the-office-of-the-police-commission.html

[Toknarok]

I don't think anyone will disagree that drastic reform of the Royal Thai Police is urgently needed. However whatever shape the reforms take it will be a gargantuan task. You cannot simply sack the lot, despite their innefficiency and incompetence absolute chaos would ensue. Replacing senior officers with members more amenable to the Juntas way of thinking is all very well, but they will have to work with the vast majority of officers who (according to the OP) are Thaksin and/or red shirt sympathisers.

[PS2]

Matichon dubious?

Guess you prefer voice of Thaksin.

[Bocking]

Am I correct in thinking that this was just a 'Proposal', perhaps one of many?

[manarak]

Reorganizing the police is certainly not a bad move!

If they could do away with the required promotion money, I think police corruption will by greatly reduced.

(currently, candidates for promotion must find a large amount of money to pay the bribe, and most take loans from persons who then effectively control the promoted officer)

Forest and Railway police are really secondary concerns, but I would welcome the creation of traffic police that would include the highway police.

[harrry]

As far as I can see if the Police is or was being a political force to balance or otherwise it was not doing its duty.

[Chang_paarp]

This will be interesting to watch.

Waiting for the push-back from RTP, there are some very powerful forces to be overcome with this reform.

Another reform they should look at is putting the immigration police under the auspices of the immigration and foreign affairs department. They are not really police, just immigration officers.

[Morakot]

If true, hopefully the new police force will be comprised of locally commissioned and accountable policing bodies and not some national force.

[cms22]

A far more urgent task is the reform of the top heavy (more than 3,000 generals!), highly corrupt and inefficient Thai armed forces.

[Boxclever]

As long as the junta and the military stay out of it...it sounds good.

[konying]

How about firing the entire force, then recruit again based on knowledge, past experience and few tests to pass.

In the mean time military can take over policing, can not be any worse than it is now

[JacChang]

This is what happens when inactive posts are full.

[wilcopops]

I don't think anyone will disagree that drastic reform of the Royal Thai Police is urgently needed. However whatever shape the reforms take it will be a gargantuan task. You cannot simply sack the lot, despite their innefficiency and incompetence absolute chaos would ensue. Replacing senior officers with members more amenable to the Juntas way of thinking is all very well, but they will have to work with the vast majority of officers who (according to the OP) are Thaksin and/or red shirt sympathisers.

It is THAILAND - All of it that needs reform....this is just an attempt to eradicate any opposition...in particular those with guns.

[JOC]

I don't think anyone will disagree that drastic reform of the Royal Thai Police is urgently needed. However whatever shape the reforms take it will be a gargantuan task. You cannot simply sack the lot, despite their innefficiency and incompetence absolute chaos would ensue. Replacing senior officers with members more amenable to the Juntas way of thinking is all very well, but they will have to work with the vast majority of officers who (according to the OP) are Thaksin and/or red shirt sympathisers.

"You cannot simply sack the lot"

Why not?

They did it in Georgia (the country) and criminality actually went down!!

I can imagine the same will happen here, considering all the dirty activities the cops are involved in.

[Jeffrey346]

You know this will turn into a major disaster. Moving the corruption around will not solve anything. They need to look at the 10 best police departments in the world. Determine what makes them the best and create that model.

[monty1412]

As long as the junta and the military stay out of it...it sounds good.

Your being sarcastic right ???? Its the junta and military who are driving this........ anything to do with Thaksin is being purged/ absolved/ rendered non functional .

Although I don't doubt the RTP could use a good shake and clean up what does worry me here is this is so public and wholesale... the average policeman I think might feel denigrated by all of this and that is dangerous............

This could have been done softly and quietly over a few months.... a cut here, a trim there , a realignment here, a garden post for you and for him and for you well your on guard duty at the Cambodian border...........

Mixing metaphors but there is too much dirty washing being hung out to dry at the same time and this doesn't always work.......

On has to look at offshore reports and analysis for the rationale and ultimate agenda here ( no can't post a link here.. you know why)

Long term this is good as to many trumped up little guys were strutting around like RTP when in reality they were National park guards....

I hope internally they are spinning it such that as young police with career aspirations and ability see that this will enable a less cash exhausting move hop the ranks over time.. at least thats the theory..... the practice.. only time will tell

[JOC]

As long as the junta and the military stay out of it...it sounds good.

Please explain to me, the difference between the junta and the army.

[oldsailor35]

As long as the junta and the military stay out of it...it sounds good.

It has been done before in other countries. But there should be a body that can investigate just how certain police officers received their positions, if they paid for them, which i believe many do, and who received the money. There should be some favourable incentive for those who disclose this information, but anyone proved to have withheld this information should be demoted.

[bkkcanuck8]

The first thing that should happen is to setup a separate police force which is extremely highly paid whose job it is is to investigate any complaints lodged against police as well as investigate potential police wrongdoing. They would be responsible for administering polygraphed interrogations once a year and then investigating any failures in those tests (not foolproof but better than nothing). It would be the equivalent of Internal Affairs but separate from the police because of the problems in the police. They should setup a secondary Civilian Oversight Board which if complaints lodged at Internal Affairs are not dealt with in a timely and acceptable manner would receive complaints that were escalated by unhappy complainants. It would contain specialist / civilians who were given basic training in police procedures, have medical consultants, etc. and would be able to overrule failed internal investigations. On any corruption related offenses, agreement from both agencies would be required to terminate investigations. All investigations would be made public (maybe redacting the name of the officer - using his service id number) and Complainant ID numbers. They should enshrine the right to know (Freedom of Information act) in the constitution - and enshrine a Free press also would be there to counterbalance things. All police officers should have to be supplied with personal recorders which are used for all interactions with the public. If they are found to be turned off - it would be a terminable offense. In turn the salaries of the police that make it through the first round of polygraphs would have their salaries raised to a proper market rate. They should also require ongoing testing and promotion testing. The lower level police that made it through would receive a one time bonus to payback the graft that was required when they joined - which they were expected to make back through the pyramid of graft collections. If they just dissolve the force, they will just end up with a new set of corrupt police that were former military (and a strengthening of the now strong military based mafia).

[wilcopops]

Always top down in Thailand....when will they ever learn?

Edited December 18, 2014 by wilcopops

[IamNoone88]

I wonder what the end game is here.........there is more going on than we read.

[CTO]

Start with paying them a livable wage - and supplying all their equipment rather than being forced to buy it, then crack down on corruption.

[oldsailor35]

If true, hopefully the new police force will be comprised of locally commissioned and accountable policing bodies and not some national force.

What like the Koh Tao police.

[wilcopops]

The first thing that should happen is to setup a separate police force which is extremely highly paid whose job it is is to investigate any complaints lodged against police as well as investigate potential police wrongdoing. They would be responsible for administering polygraphed interrogations once a year and then investigating any failures in those tests (not foolproof but better than nothing). It would be the equivalent of Internal Affairs but separate from the police because of the problems in the police. They should setup a secondary Civilian Oversight Board which if complaints lodged at Internal Affairs are not dealt with in a timely and acceptable manner would receive complaints that were escalated by unhappy complainants. It would contain specialist / civilians who were given basic training in police procedures, have medical consultants, etc. and would be able to overrule failed internal investigations. On any corruption related offenses, agreement from both agencies would be required to terminate investigations. All investigations would be made public (maybe redacting the name of the officer - using his service id number) and Complainant ID numbers. They should enshrine the right to know (Freedom of Information act) in the constitution - and enshrine a Free press also would be there to counterbalance things. All police officers should have to be supplied with personal recorders which are used for all interactions with the public. If they are found to be turned off - it would be a terminable offense. In turn the salaries of the police that make it through the first round of polygraphs would have their salaries raised to a proper market rate. They should also require ongoing testing and promotion testing. The lower level police that made it through would receive a one time bonus to payback the graft that was required when they joined - which they were expected to make back through the pyramid of graft collections. If they just dissolve the force, they will just end up with a new set of corrupt police that were former military (and a strengthening of the now strong military based mafia).

The first thing Thailand needs to do is learn the need for separation of powers and the appropriate roles for judiciary, police army etc.....then have an election and sort themselves out. So long as "reforms" like this are politically motivated they haven't a Snowflake's chance in hell of long-term survival

[gemini81]

Start with paying them a livable wage - and supplying all their equipment rather than being forced to buy it, then crack down on corruption.

along with that, the fact that bribes are payed to move up the ranks down to the smallest local levels. To begin, if you don't have the cash for your pistol and entrance, you're not even in the game to start. Makes even the most undeveloped 3rd world police forces look rather professional. But this ain't about that I guess, rather attempt to remove key supporters and those with some influence to bring the chinese crook back into the picture.

[Emster23]

"overseas promotions in the force" are they going to send them to Dubai? That's "overseas"... but just who will "oversee" that move?

[timewilltell]

As long as the junta and the military stay out of it...it sounds good.

Your being sarcastic right ???? Its the junta and military who are driving this........ anything to do with Thaksin is being purged/ absolved/ rendered non functional .

Although I don't doubt the RTP could use a good shake and clean up what does worry me here is this is so public and wholesale... the average policeman I think might feel denigrated by all of this and that is dangerous............

This could have been done softly and quietly over a few months.... a cut here, a trim there , a realignment here, a garden post for you and for him and for you well your on guard duty at the Cambodian border...........

Mixing metaphors but there is too much dirty washing being hung out to dry at the same time and this doesn't always work.......

On has to look at offshore reports and analysis for the rationale and ultimate agenda here ( no can't post a link here.. you know why)

Long term this is good as to many trumped up little guys were strutting around like RTP when in reality they were National park guards....

I hope internally they are spinning it such that as young police with career aspirations and ability see that this will enable a less cash exhausting move hop the ranks over time.. at least thats the theory..... the practice.. only time will tell

Aye ...... Only timewilltell

[ChrisY1]

Watermelon police.........Prayuth has an enormous task here......and I'm not sure if he's up to this much reform.........

[makkam]

As long as the junta and the military stay out of it...it sounds good.

what a ludicrous thing to say.

the current govt is in power precisely because it is just that..a military junta.the thai public have long recognised the police as a tool of the tyrant and master criminal taksin.

prayuth is clearly aware the thai people want the police swept away, sanitised and made into a working institution.

what do you propose..prayuth and his people leave the thai police to their own devices and miraculously clean up their own act ?

reality is the police need to strip every last shinawatra of any asset in thailand and cancel their passports.

[Smokemachine]

Sack those officers who buy their position, be it a high ranking or those juniors buying a position in order to recruit into the police academy. Unqualified officers will only weaken the police force, tarnish reputation as incompetent, unable to deliver duties for citizens.