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Thai politics: True reforms - more questions than answers


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BURNING ISSUE
True reforms - more questions than answers

PIYAPORN WONGRUANG

BANGKOK: -- On Wednesday, the new "Five Rivers" met for the first time since the previous draft charter was shot down, which led to two organisations - the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) and the National Reform Council (NRC) - being dissolved and two new bodies being set up to take their place in the group.

The new "Five Rivers" represents the Cabinet, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the National Legislative Assembly, the new CDC, and the new reform body - the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA).

The public has continued to be confounded, since the first NRC was created, by how the much-needed reform process in the country is going to proceed.

After its 10 months in office before being dissolved, the NRC's work slowly became clear to the public in the very last months. They realised that the NRC's work revolved around developing a reform blueprint, which comprised 37 main reform agendas plus solutions, and extending eight development agendas, 15 special agendas and some quick reform actions.

When the NRC was dissolved, the public was again left in the dark on the fate of reforms. The birth of the NRSA in its place gives them renewed hope that reform work would be continued.

And while many may have wondered how it was all going to be achieved, a meeting on Wednesday kind of answered the question.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, as premier and the NCPO's chief, delivered a loud and clear reform directive to the concerned agencies.

He said the reform work would be divided into two phases, and the first phase would be about improving areas of inefficiency. "We will go together with the first gear. If gears need to be changed to second, third and fourth, let the next government do that," the PM told the meeting.

The loud and clear voice of the prime minister may help disperse concerns for some, but for several others a new question has emerged - whether his plan to go about it in a phased manner could bring about true reform, especially when he is clear that what he would go after is just tackle the inefficiency of government agencies?

It's true that the inefficiency of government agencies has played a key role in slowing the country's progress and improving their efficiency is a must. But one cannot help but wonder whether such a change can really bring about changes at a fundamental level, a much-needed component of true reform.

If the first phase, as PM Prayut has declared, while he is still in office, is going to be about improving efficiency, one cannot help but wonder whether true reforms will ever get a chance.

Prayut seems to have realised public concerns, as he has proposed a 20-year strategic plan to enforce the reforms. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee how the 20-year-plan will be enforced by the next governments, as there is no binding legal commitment in place so far.

The plan was addressed under the previous draft charter, which was shot down, and the new charter has not given any assurances so far that the content created by the defunct NRC was going to be incorporated again.

If true reform is what is direly needed for this country, and if we are serious about it, mere loud utterances many not be enough. What is needed is total commitment to ensure the goal is attained.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/True-reforms--more-questions-than-answers-30271908.html

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-- The Nation 2015-10-30

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Usual Thai Agency nonsense. A good beginning would be to contact all banks/

stock brokerage firms/Swiss Investment Companies and make mandatory a list

of all account holders with assets in excess of, say 5 million Baht ? and

then, follow the money !

If Thailand would/could/wish to do this then, as traditional, they must

announce it 60 or more days in advance for perpetrators to cover their

tracks !

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"We will go together with the first gear. If gears need to be changed to second, third and fourth, let the next government do that,"

And like gears of a car, the junta reserves the right to put the car in REVERSE gear if the next government redlines the transmission.

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True reform?? What does all this rhetoric really mean. What are the exact issues that are going to be tackled and how? I have seen nothing.

You shrewdly put your finger on the weak point of every politician. In this case, the strategy is to use so many ill-defined words that they hope people will interpret in the ways the politician wants.

It's a cheap and not very clever fraud, but it's definitely a fraud. You're quite right. They need to define reforms and not deliberately use the word in such a way as the listener will fill in the blanks according to their (or the politicians) existing prejudices or educational blind-spots.

Otherwise they should be considered to have said nothing useful, and in 99% of cases with Thailand, that is the correct conclusion to reach.

Edited by Joe Brennan
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It is interesting to read this piece from The Nation as Bangkok Post had a completely different (and more critical) understanding of that same meeting. In their commentary they talk about the PM talking for 135 minutes and not allowing any debate afterwards.

They also mention that the PM said in his speech that he would isolate the country from the world if that is what is required to get Thailand back on track.

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PM Prayut has declared, while he is still in office, is going to be about improving efficiency...

When the PM first took his place as the head of the government...it appeared to be a wonderful thing...possibly heading off an armed conflict which could have thrown the country into a prolonged civil war...

Positive rhetoric coming from the PMs office and hand picked officials gave one hope that a new democratic government was just around the corner...

Now...it appears Thailand is drifting away from ever achieving a democratic government...the military has imposed itself into every aspect of Thai life...no one is free to go and come or speak as one did before the military take over...

One must wonder is the military is not using its new found power over the people to settle old political scores...arrest people for alleged lese majesty and other inane superficial charges...

The future does indeed look bleak for Thailand's people and foreigners who live here...don't think the reporting of your every move has no importance...

If the impasse is not resolved in the near future...we may once again go back to waiting for a conflict between the military government and the people to begin...IMHO

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PM Prayut has declared, while he is still in office, is going to be about improving efficiency...

When the PM first took his place as the head of the government...it appeared to be a wonderful thing...possibly heading off an armed conflict which could have thrown the country into a prolonged civil war...

Positive rhetoric coming from the PMs office and hand picked officials gave one hope that a new democratic government was just around the corner...

Now...it appears Thailand is drifting away from ever achieving a democratic government...the military has imposed itself into every aspect of Thai life...no one is free to go and come or speak as one did before the military take over...

One must wonder is the military is not using its new found power over the people to settle old political scores...arrest people for alleged lese majesty and other inane superficial charges...

The future does indeed look bleak for Thailand's people and foreigners who live here...don't think the reporting of your every move has no importance...

If the impasse is not resolved in the near future...we may once again go back to waiting for a conflict between the military government and the people to begin...IMHO

Why would anyone be so utterly naive to think that a politically partial army holding a coup is a wonderful thing?

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PM Prayut has declared, while he is still in office, is going to be about improving efficiency...

When the PM first took his place as the head of the government...it appeared to be a wonderful thing...possibly heading off an armed conflict which could have thrown the country into a prolonged civil war...

Positive rhetoric coming from the PMs office and hand picked officials gave one hope that a new democratic government was just around the corner...

Now...it appears Thailand is drifting away from ever achieving a democratic government...the military has imposed itself into every aspect of Thai life...no one is free to go and come or speak as one did before the military take over...

One must wonder is the military is not using its new found power over the people to settle old political scores...arrest people for alleged lese majesty and other inane superficial charges...

The future does indeed look bleak for Thailand's people and foreigners who live here...don't think the reporting of your every move has no importance...

If the impasse is not resolved in the near future...we may once again go back to waiting for a conflict between the military government and the people to begin...IMHO

Why would anyone be so utterly naive to think that a politically partial army holding a coup is a wonderful thing?

"appeared" as "on the surface" to be of great value at the on-set...the proof of which is all the arms and explosives they obtained to keep the country from decaying into civil unrest including weapons being used against the former elected government...I realize sometimes I expect the people reading my material to be less than naive about the events surrounding my post...

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PM Prayut has declared, while he is still in office, is going to be about improving efficiency...

When the PM first took his place as the head of the government...it appeared to be a wonderful thing...possibly heading off an armed conflict which could have thrown the country into a prolonged civil war...

Positive rhetoric coming from the PMs office and hand picked officials gave one hope that a new democratic government was just around the corner...

Now...it appears Thailand is drifting away from ever achieving a democratic government...the military has imposed itself into every aspect of Thai life...no one is free to go and come or speak as one did before the military take over...

One must wonder is the military is not using its new found power over the people to settle old political scores...arrest people for alleged lese majesty and other inane superficial charges...

The future does indeed look bleak for Thailand's people and foreigners who live here...don't think the reporting of your every move has no importance...

If the impasse is not resolved in the near future...we may once again go back to waiting for a conflict between the military government and the people to begin...IMHO

Why would this junta do anything other than act like every other Thai junta before it ? not one has benefited the country or its stability, how do we know this ? because theres always another coup just around the corner to say they need to restore stability etc wink.png

I think your right though, it will come down to the people taking back their freedoms, they arnt going to be granted the right to it without some effort it seems.

Something that might in the long run be the best thing for coming generations.

Edited by englishoak
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