Thai politics: Are we missing lessons from the rice-pledging fiasco?

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Are we missing lessons from the rice-pledging fiasco?
Attayuth Bootsripoom

BANGKOK: -- Tomorrow is "judgement day" for former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra's political future. She is accused by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) of negligence of duty leading to corruption, in connection with her government's rice-pledging scheme. That project is part of her Pheu Thai Party's campaign promise in the run-up to the 2011 general election.

After Pheu Thai won a landslide victory, the Yingluck-led government went ahead with the rice-pledging scheme, despite protests that it was fraught with flaws open to irregularities and losses.

Yingluck's administration ignored the critics, arguing that they had to continue with the project because it was part of the ruling party's campaign promise to the voters. They explained the project was aimed at providing state subsidies to farmers and therefore concerns of possible loss should not be taken into account.

As time went by, the "wound" stemming from the rice scheme became "infected" and the "pain" could be felt. Many people pointed out that the project had problems. Yingluck's government appeared to agree that was the case and started to make some adjustments to the scheme.

However, before the rice scheme's "abscess" would explode, there came a political crisis and chaos before the coup took place in May last year. The NACC went full steam in dealing with the case. It requested that the Senate impeach Yingluck for negligence in connection with the corruption-plagued and loss-making rice scheme.

The unusual speed of the case led to a question as to whether the case was politically motivated. There are many other cases in the NACC's care that have failed to progress so rapidly.

The NACC came up with the accusation that Yingluck was negligent about irregularities involving the rice scheme even before the anti-graft agency indicted anyone of corruption. This fact led to an assertion that "when nobody has been found to be corrupt, how can Yingluck be accused of being negligent?"

When Yingluck's case was referred to the post-coup National Legislative Assembly for an impeachment process, there came a question as to whether the NLA actually had the authority to impeach her. Some people asked if there existed a law for impeachment of public office holders, as the constitution of 2007, which cited this matter, had already been scrapped after the coup.

However, this argument was countered by the fact that the anti-corruption law, which empowered the NACC to seek impeachment of public-office holders, still existed after the coup. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has also supported the view that the NACC had the power to seek impeachment.

During the NLA's inquiry session involving the impeachment process against Yingluck, she opted not to show up. And the NLA resolved not to allow her representatives to answer the questions from the assembly's members on her behalf, although the meeting regulations did not forbid that. Finally, the session became a one-sided attack against the ex-PM.

Although Yingluck may finally be impeached by the NLA, this society will end up having learned nothing from the rice scheme scandal. It is because the justice process has been rushed and has become incomplete.

Some politicians will not miss the chance to point out to their supporters that a decision to impeach Yingluck is politically motivated. However, under its political shroud, the rice scheme really was flawed with loss and damage.

Because the rice scheme's "abscess" was not allowed to burst naturally, Thai society has missed the chance to learn some lessons about the bane of expensive populist policies.

If society and voters were allowed to learn the lesson by themselves, we might in the future come up with some kind of penalty for political parties that cause severe damage to the country in exchange for popular support. Such a penalty also would teach politicians that they should avoid expensive populist policies like this in the future.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Are-we-missing-lessons-from-the-rice-pledging-fias-30252421.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-22

[halloween]

"....we might in the future come up with some kind of penalty......"

Nice if it eventuated, but how much loss needs to be endured? 10 years in the can currently on offer might do just as well.

[Robby nz]

I don't see how the claim of haste stands up when the scheme was being investigated by the NACC from since they were given evidence of fake G 2 G deals after the first no confidence debate in December 2012.

[ChrisY1]

Thailand rarely takes any notice of past mistakes.....lessons learnt in this country are never corrected in the future...there's too much at stake to "change" the systems!

[chainarong]

Thailand hasn't learnt anything from its past history , why should the rice fiasco be any different, the way the pendulum is swinging the country will be back where it was before 92, if this is the case the students may as well start planning now for a re-run and of course another Coup before 2025 is quiet on the cards , so no Thailand hasn't learnt from previous lessons and the way the system is rigged is likely to do so for sometime and don't forget the statute of limitations expire for one particular participant in the next 4 years , I rest my case.

[Tatsujin]

I don't see how the claim of haste stands up when the scheme was being investigated by the NACC from since they were given evidence of fake G 2 G deals after the first no confidence debate in December 2012.

The mistake they made was jumping in with the protests/coup too quickly. If they'd let it run its course another year or so before jumping in, it would have been much clearer to the "voters" they were targeting just how screwed up this (self-financing) scheme was (and others), how corrupt PT and their associates actually were/are and just how much it's hurt their own pockets, all the while enriching PT's, which was the real reason for the rice scheme.

[klauskunkel]

Are we missing lessons from the rice-pledging fiasco?

Yes, you do. But, you are also missing lessons from the flood water fiasco, the southern unrest fiasco, the Bangkok traffic fiasco, the Thai officials fiasco, the frequent train derailment fiascos, and many more. It's totally understandable why your missing the lessons, you just can't keep up...you are scheduled to go to one lessons - and whoops, there is another one, and another one - makes your head spin, best to stick it in the sand.

hub of fiascos

[worgeordie]

How much better would life be for Thais and the country,

if all the money lost to corruption in the past,involving

almost any scheme where money and bidding occurs,from things

like school milk,uniforms,Tablets,Police Stations,Water Treatment

Plant,Highway construction,right up to the rice scandal and far too

many other cases,

They could have a much better school system,more hospitals,pay

the Police higher wages(in hope corruption could be curb),provide

help for the very poor,etc etc, but it all has been pissed away,going

to the few,the already very rich.and honestly i don't see changes been

made,now and long into the future,and that is a crying shame.

regards Worgeordie

[trogers]

Lessons about the bane of expensive populist policies would not be learnt by citizens who do not pay income taxes. They gained from the pain of others, and would continue welcoming such gains.

[chotthee]

Thailand rarely takes any notice of past mistakes.....lessons learnt in this country are never corrected in the future...there's too much at stake to "change" the systems!

What mistake.

Thailand never made any mistakes, that is why Thailand was never colonized by the Chinese.

In fact, Thailand used to rule whole or part of modern time Malaysia, Cambodia, Burma, Khmer, Laos, Vietnam and even China.

[VillageIdiot]

Thailand rarely takes any notice of past mistakes.....lessons learnt in this country are never corrected in the future...there's too much at stake to "change" the systems!

The decisive defeat of the Shinawatra clan is the change that is needed right now.

[Ulic]

Most Governments, Banks, Business, people don't learn from there mistakes. Banks keep lending to Argentina

even though it is run poorly and ready to go bankrupt again. Greeks are ready to vote for a Government that

promises a further restructuring on debt with the countries lenders so is can give out money/make work jobs to

the people. They forget it was similar largess that piled up the debt that led to there current suffering. Sometimes

you get the bad fiscal governance you vote for. All party today and a hangover tomorrow. So for Thailand it is easy

to forget the failed rice pledging scheme and go on to some new government subsidy scheme. Oh well.

[Eric Loh]

Lessons about the bane of expensive populist policies would not be learnt by citizens who do not pay income taxes. They gained from the pain of others, and would continue welcoming such gains.

The reasons why these income tax payers still have a job is because those non paying workers are toiling in their factories with low wages. The non paying farmers are buying their goods and paying the revenue taxes that are used to fund the public offices that service these tax payers companies. Get off your high horse mate.

[rubl]

Lessons about the bane of expensive populist policies would not be learnt by citizens who do not pay income taxes. They gained from the pain of others, and would continue welcoming such gains.

The reasons why these income tax payers still have a job is because those non paying workers are toiling in their factories with low wages. The non paying farmers are buying their goods and paying the revenue taxes that are used to fund the public offices that service these tax payers companies. Get off your high horse mate.

You forgot to mention the local elite which keeps the masses satisfied with crumbs.

[peterquixote]

I am hoping when I come back to Thailand I can visit Yingluck in jail.

I will say "you Shinawtra cost Thailand about a trillion dollars, and your scum brother much more.

The children of Thailand will live you see your family name reviled".

[Suffinator]

Are we missing lessons from the rice-pledging fiasco?

That's a stupid question and easily answered ... the lesson you are missing is the one where you refuse to prosecute and imprison those responsibly. Thainess appears to dictate that you can be as corrupt as you like for you will be effectively untouchable and you'll retire with millions in the bank.

Is there a word in Thai for 'deterrent'?

[scorecard]

"Because the rice scheme's "abscess" was not allowed to burst naturally, Thai society has missed the chance to learn some lessons about the bane of expensive populist policies."

So clever words trying to say that the 'democratic' systems should have been allowed to run their course.

The truth is of course that the yingluck gov't and it's previous machinations were not democratic at all, far from it, they had changed the set up to closer to a dictatorship and were building into a strong dictatorship.

Well dress it up, spin it, twist it, but the bottom line remains the same, if the pt mob weren't pulled up then by now they would have attempted more immoral moves with no conscience, to:

- Get their paymaster whitewashed.

- Remove, take over control of the check and balance processes.

- Enact laws and regulations which would mean it becomes impossible to remove them.

Go general and watch carefully for those who will try anything to derail you if given half a chance, so that they can rewind to 12 months ago and resume their greed at the trough.

Edited January 22, 2015 by scorecard

[Jimbo2014]

I think the key lesson for all politicians in Thailand is - if you are going to steal, dont get caught

[Eric Loh]

Lessons about the bane of expensive populist policies would not be learnt by citizens who do not pay income taxes. They gained from the pain of others, and would continue welcoming such gains.

The reasons why these income tax payers still have a job is because those non paying workers are toiling in their factories with low wages. The non paying farmers are buying their goods and paying the revenue taxes that are used to fund the public offices that service these tax payers companies. Get off your high horse mate.

You forgot to mention the local elite which keeps the masses satisfied with crumbs.

You don't noticed that the local elites were not part of the PDRC? It was the Bangkok elites like Chitpas and fellow like minded PDRC who spoke demeaning remarks about being uneducated and non tax payers.

[IMA_FARANG]

In my opinion I would say that Thai politicians are not so much "missing" the lessons from the rice-pledging fiasco as deliberately ignoring them ...... for their own personal political and financial interests.

That comment applies to BOTH major political parties.

Both parties have made the good of the country secondary to their own personal profit and political gain.

They have established political institutions ...political parties .... to further their own political and financial interests over that of the country as a whole.

They have continued to prefer those private political and financial interests even when it should have been clear to all of them that those private political and financial interests ...... again BOTH parties are guilty of this......were clearly damaging the best interests of the Thai people as a whole.

And, worst of all, they continued with those personal political and financial interests even when they caused disruption to the Thai people's best interests.

For those crimes ALL political sides .... again BOTH major political parties ..... should be found guilty of disregarding the best interests of the Thai people as a whole for their own selfish self-interests, and be treated by the Thai people as the criminals they are.

That's the real lesson that all Thai politicians are deliberately disregarding ..... that in a time of crises, they deliberately failed the Thai people, and ignored the best interests of the Thai people as a whole for their own selfish and self-serving personal political and financial interests.

For that crime, ALL Thai politicians need to apologize to the Thai people for very nearly bringing Thailand to disaster, only avoided by the coup by the military.

[rubl]

Lessons about the bane of expensive populist policies would not be learnt by citizens who do not pay income taxes. They gained from the pain of others, and would continue welcoming such gains.

The reasons why these income tax payers still have a job is because those non paying workers are toiling in their factories with low wages. The non paying farmers are buying their goods and paying the revenue taxes that are used to fund the public offices that service these tax payers companies. Get off your high horse mate.

You forgot to mention the local elite which keeps the masses satisfied with crumbs.

You don't noticed that the local elites were not part of the PDRC? It was the Bangkok elites like Chitpas and fellow like minded PDRC who spoke demeaning remarks about being uneducated and non tax payers.

Well, the Yingluck Government 'gave' low-wage workers an 33% to 50% increase and told them inflation was only in the imagination. Local elite still take care of their charge and help deliver the votes as always.

I'm all for solidarity, but that doesn't mean those who benefit should see it as their 'right'. For example the topic with lessons to be learned from the RPPS. If you focus all your money on one group, you're loosing other groups and may screw things up for all.

[Robby nz]

I don't see how the claim of haste stands up when the scheme was being investigated by the NACC from since they were given evidence of fake G 2 G deals after the first no confidence debate in December 2012.

The mistake they made was jumping in with the protests/coup too quickly. If they'd let it run its course another year or so before jumping in, it would have been much clearer to the "voters" they were targeting just how screwed up this (self-financing) scheme was (and others), how corrupt PT and their associates actually were/are and just how much it's hurt their own pockets, all the while enriching PT's, which was the real reason for the rice scheme.

The problem with your thinking is that the protests were not about the rice scheme, they were about the amnesty bill which as well as getting big brother back free of all charges would have forgiven all corruption within the scheme as well as any other corruption in the term of the PT Govt and back to the Thaksin administration.

Had there been no protests and the amnesty bill gone through all investigation into the 25,000 plus case of corruption before the NACC at that time would have been dropped for they would have been forgiven and the corrupt could have kept all they had gained from corruption.

Then of course corruption could have continued as before, an ideal situation for the corrupt.

[trainman34014]

The only thing they will ever learn from the past.......is that they never learn anything from the past !!

[Tatsujin]

I don't see how the claim of haste stands up when the scheme was being investigated by the NACC from since they were given evidence of fake G 2 G deals after the first no confidence debate in December 2012.

The mistake they made was jumping in with the protests/coup too quickly. If they'd let it run its course another year or so before jumping in, it would have been much clearer to the "voters" they were targeting just how screwed up this (self-financing) scheme was (and others), how corrupt PT and their associates actually were/are and just how much it's hurt their own pockets, all the while enriching PT's, which was the real reason for the rice scheme.

The problem with your thinking is that the protests were not about the rice scheme, they were about the amnesty bill which as well as getting big brother back free of all charges would have forgiven all corruption within the scheme as well as any other corruption in the term of the PT Govt and back to the Thaksin administration.

Had there been no protests and the amnesty bill gone through all investigation into the 25,000 plus case of corruption before the NACC at that time would have been dropped for they would have been forgiven and the corrupt could have kept all they had gained from corruption.

Then of course corruption could have continued as before, an ideal situation for the corrupt.

There were/are other ways to deal with things and highlight the inadequacies and wrongdoings of the then Govt.

If the amnesty bill had passed, that alone would have toppled the Govt if it had been handled better/differently, perhaps by a little education/enlightenment media campaign, showing exactly who and how they benefitted from it.

And if that failed, then drop the coup and wipe it off the law books.