Citizen empowerment should be focus of new charter, scholar advises

[Lite Beer]

Citizen empowerment should be focus of new charter, scholar advises
WIRAJ SRIPONG
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- FOCUS should be placed on empowering citizens under the new constitution, scholar and noted intellectual Thirayuth Boonmee said yesterday.

The new charter should give people space to express themselves, said Thirayuth, adding that each community should be able to determine its own fate.

Speaking at a conference on reducing political and socio-economic disparities and the path towards democracy organised by the National Health Commission Office of Thailand, he expressed concerns over how the notion of being a citizen would be applied in the new constitution.

The political system should encourage more public participation rather than exclude it, said Thirayuth, who compared the notion of being a citizen in the Western context and the Thai context.

"Being a citizen here should mean being an individual who upholds the values of serving public interests," he said.

The notion of being a citizen in the Western context has evolved over time and developed into the notion of civic duty - where people bear the responsibility of actively engaging in politics, he said.

In the past, Thai society has not embraced the notion of citizens as "people power", but rather as subjects under those in power. That is the reason the notion of being a citizen is stronger in European society than in Thai society.

"The notion that is used in the draft charter reflects the good intentions [of the drafters] but the matter was introduced prematurely," he said. This is why it has stirred up strong public scepticism, said Thirayuth.

"I do not oppose the use of this notion [in the new constitution], but it has to be supported by measures that really create public participation."

Civil society should be able to decide its own fate, as should local communities, he said.

In terms of power, Thai society has a multi-centred structure. Therefore, the central authority should pave the way for decentralisation of power to empower local communities, according to Thirayuth.

Bantoon Setsirot, a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee, said the drafters shared the same opinion as Thirayuth on the notion of being a citizen in the new constitution.

Bantoon said that meant creating new bodies to empower public participation in the decision-making process, increasing people's rights and freedoms, and allowing people direct participation in politics.

Pairote Polpetch, a member of the Legal Reform Committee, said that in reality the general public only had the right to access information despite the 1997 and 2007 constitutions enabling public participation in certain policy-making processes such as on social and economic issues.

Pirote said that although the current draft charter mentioned the issue of public empowerment, there was still a great concern that the importance of the issue would be reduced when it reached the final stage of the discussion.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Citizen-empowerment-should-be-focus-of-new-charter-30262262.html

-- The Nation 2015-06-13

[oneday]

Yep, it's called Democracy.

DREAM ON!

[Seastallion]

It's not just a matter of empowerment. Mindset/attitude has to be addressed.

It's pointless empowering the citizens if you know full well that they will not take advantage of it. If you are serious about empowering the citizens, then don't just "empower" them on a piece of paper, get out there and encourage them, educate them, and try to get the thinking of the common people to evolve.

[Srikcir]

“FOCUS should be placed on empowering citizens under the new constitution”

Then how do Thirayuth and Bantoon justify a CDC writing any constitution when its members were APPOINTED by a military coup leadership that overthrew an elected government and abolished a constitution approved by empowered citizens? Where is citizen empowerment in the CDC?

Both men are simply two faces of the same coin – HYPOCRITES

[WitawatWatawit]

Before you can empower people, you have to undo the damage caused by the Thai notion of subservience, which is engrained in them from the day they are born. Then there is the "power" part of empowerment, and who wields it. How does an individual stand up to the "little big man" when the "little big man" is puffed up with power and entitlement and the individual has never known anything other than cringing and acquiesence. How do you undo the damage that "face" causes to this society? To empower someone means that they have to learn how to be strong and prepared to fight their corner. Sadly, you do not find these attributes being taught in Thai society. Only subservience.

[phoenixdoglover]

In terms of power, Thai society has a multi-centred structure. Therefore, the central authority should pave the way for decentralisation of power to empower local communities, according to Thirayuth

Yep, I've been thinking along similar lines. The country has 67 million people, and distinct regions that divide along economic, cultural and religious lines. Yet the dominant power institutions are all big, central bureaucracies.

The draft Charter does not contain any concept of decentralization. Its method for "empowering" people is to create a bunch of committees that have advisory capacity only, and are appointed, so the prevailing power structures will control them. I consider them brain dead from day one.

In my view, decentralization would apply to the basic government - moving toward a "Federation" model; this could be a big step for the South and might be a solution to the unrest there. Decentralization would be the major reform for the Police. The RTP should be broken up, with the majority of units being reorganized under the new political model (local, State/Region). About 10% of the RTP would stay as a Country level police force that would focus on high crimes and corruption (policing the police).

I think that would lead to real empowerment. Politics and the effective influence of citizens, is much more evident at smaller, local levels.

Of course, I would expect the Army and the other traditional centers of power (not to be mentioned here) to be completely opposed to these ideas. In the current situation, I don't see decentralization; I see the opposite.

Edited June 13, 2015 by phoenixdoglover

[djjamie]

“FOCUS should be placed on empowering citizens under the new constitution”

Then how do Thirayuth and Bantoon justify a CDC writing any constitution when its members were APPOINTED by a military coup leadership that overthrew an elected government and abolished a constitution approved by empowered citizens? Where is citizen empowerment in the CDC?

Both men are simply two faces of the same coin – HYPOCRITES

I put your comment in Google translate from rhetoric red shirt language to English and got this.

Thirayuth and Bantoon justify a CDC writing a constitution when its members were APPOINTED by a military coup leadership that was brought in off the back of the majorities wishes that overthrew an elected yet highly corrupt and undemocratic government that refused to arrest anyone that killed in its name and abolished a constitution that was manufactured by the last military government? So citizen empowerment in the CDC is reflected through; PRE COUP - every poll ever published regarding the PTP popularity? Failed elections that showed overwhelming failure of the PTP of votes that were tabulated. Protests the size of which were never witnessed by Thailand previously. Protestor numbers made up of previous supporters of the PTP.

My favourite bit of your statement before google translate removed the agenda and beliefs and replaced it with facts was "constitution approved by empowered citizens". When it suited this argument the constitution was "approved by the empowered citizens" (which I agree it was), but when arguing from a different angle the 2007 constitutional referendum you are referring to was a forced vote on the citizens by the military who had no choice, but to vote for it.

Thank god for google translate!!

[Bakseeda]

Haha.... Dream on, we are talking about Thai peoples here..... empower the ones with school leaving certificates, graduation papers, and maybe those who have paid income tax.... The rest only sell their votes to the highest bidder..! Truth hurts ..!

[avocadowangnamkeouw]

"The political system should encourage more public participation rather than exclude it".

So, shouldn't you ask yourself the question which provisions in the Thai Legal Framework are causing excluding the public?

And what needs to be changed legally to empower Thai Citizens?

If you dig a little in Thai Law, you will find that the institution responsible for interpreting Law relating to Government decisions

or non-decisions, the Administrative Court, has no authority to order to change or revoke that decision, only to give remarks or guidelines to an administrative agency or a State official on the direction or the procedure for the execution of the judgment.

The Government can do how it pleases, even when it's illegal.

No way you can have the Rule of Law or public participation with an Administrative Court without teeth.

Thai Law makers just try to fool the Public to call an Advisory body a Court.

If Thailand is genuine in trying to reform, they should start creating a balance of powers by giving the Administrative Courts

real authority

[Fat Haggis]

Which citizens? The ones who look down upon their fellow country folks from the North?

The ones some farangs with no say, say that they shouldn't have a vote ?

If carlbsreg did Irony, it would have a field day on TVF !!

[jesimps]

Haha.... Dream on, we are talking about Thai peoples here..... empower the ones with school leaving certificates, graduation papers, and maybe those who have paid income tax.... The rest only sell their votes to the highest bidder..! Truth hurts ..!

Do you think that even the biggest cretin in Thailand would vote for the party who paid him? Of course he wouldn't! He'd say thank you very much for the money and then go and vote for the party of his choice. My wife did.

[phoenixdoglover]

Haha.... Dream on, we are talking about Thai peoples here..... empower the ones with school leaving certificates, graduation papers, and maybe those who have paid income tax.... The rest only sell their votes to the highest bidder..! Truth hurts ..!

Do you think that even the biggest cretin in Thailand would vote for the party who paid him? Of course he wouldn't! He'd say thank you very much for the money and then go and vote for the party of his choice. My wife did.

That's why vote buying is so often mentioned and rarely observed.

In national elections in a country the size of Thailand, vote buying that actually swings an election, yet does not result in an aborted election due to a mountain of evidence, is a virtual impossibility.

But the excuse is enticing, as it greatly simplifies the explanations for evil. Reality is harder work.

[h90]

“FOCUS should be placed on empowering citizens under the new constitution”

Then how do Thirayuth and Bantoon justify a CDC writing any constitution when its members were APPOINTED by a military coup leadership that overthrew an elected government and abolished a constitution approved by empowered citizens? Where is citizen empowerment in the CDC?

Both men are simply two faces of the same coin – HYPOCRITES

And the constitution the reds call "peoples constitution) (from 1997) was never voted for.

It doesn't matter much who write the constitution and usually people didn't vote for their constitution, as long as it is good.

[sprq]

Haha.... Dream on, we are talking about Thai peoples here..... empower the ones with school leaving certificates, graduation papers, and maybe those who have paid income tax.... The rest only sell their votes to the highest bidder..! Truth hurts ..!

Do you think that even the biggest cretin in Thailand would vote for the party who paid him? Of course he wouldn't! He'd say thank you very much for the money and then go and vote for the party of his choice. My wife did.

It is said that villagers feel honour-bound to vote for the candidate who paid them. Call them cretins if you like, but you shouldn't judge what most people do by what your wife did.