Forget New Year gifts, We Want Real Reform

By Paritta Wangkiat*

The Bangkok Post 

22 Dec 2017

As the year draws to a close, it has become a tradition that the Prayut Chan-o-cha government prepares New Year’s gifts for the people. Maybe the prime minister really wants the people to be happy, but many see it as a desperate effort to boost the regime’s popularity.

But going through the gift list, I would say it is a disappointment. Some are freebies, like a 1,000-baht value gift set for more than 5,000 newborn babies, shopping tax breaks, and extra state services such as house repairs for low-income people. Some, like a plan to buy back destructive fishing boats, have sparked controversy.

Many offers are not new and some have been planned by the state for some time. They are just short-term measures that will not have a long-term impact.

Faced with criticism, the state argues that some measures like the shopping tax breaks and discounts for retailers’ goods are part of measures to shore up the economy, trying to downplay suspicions that it’s just a tactic to regain its popularity.

Instead of finding a chance to enjoy those gifts, I have proposed a “wish list”, gathering ideas from friends and those in social media that I hope the government will consider. For us, what matters is not physical gifts, things that are given during special occasions.

To start with, we want a chance to have a normal society with no more special powers which, if anything, seems to make democracy a too-distant goal.

We want reforms that are real. Not just a ceremonial, if not pretentious, process that will never bring change and make Thailand a just society.

Transparency is also important. Several scandals that have rocked the administration stem from a lack of transparency. Instead of dealing with them straightforwardly, and showing the will to solve the problems, the regime resorts to the use of power to silence its critics.

Look at how it treated those who questioned the luxury watches and diamond ring worn by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon. When the public expressed doubts about the use of budget on weapons, Gen Prawit shrugged off the concerns, tersely saying: “The people don’t need to know the details.” He seemed to forget he was talking about taxpayers’ money, not his family fortune.

We want the state PR team to stick to facts. No more propaganda, when boasting about the “achievements”. No more distortions when mentioning those who disagree with state agencies, like when Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, while referring to the disappearance of an activist, suggested he “might be hanging around with a woman who is not his wife”. No more verbal bullying as if these people are the state’s enemies. In doing so, the government only fans hatred and makes reconciliation even more difficult.

We want state agencies that serve the public with service-mindedness and efficiency on an everyday basis. No more incidents like the one at Sa Kaeo when local authorities tried to turn a place where Prime Minister Prayut was due to visit into a Potemkin village.

We hope the government nurtures fairness and equality. No more privileges for the rich with wealth concentrated among the chosen few. Look at proposed tax cuts to the business giants that have invested in the Pracharath project, while subsidies to the poor are seen as a thin slice of cake. Inequality remains, if not widening.

We need leaders who are wise enough to prioritize the budget. We need a strong commitment to social welfare. The regime must change its attitude toward universal healthcare coverage. No more treating social welfare as a burden. The real burden is the weapons the regime has purchased despite there being a zero chance of using items such as submarines. The people’s good health is the strength of the nation.

We need good environment and clean energy. Any projects must be pursued with a participatory process, from the bottom up.

The elite should no longer make plans from their ivory towers. Instead, they must pay heed to the voice of locals.

The regime should give back freedom of expression. Those who criticize the state constructively must not live in fear of harassment, summonses for attitude adjustment, house searches or unfair charges.

Last but not least, we need open-minded leaders who tolerate people with different opinions, leaders who keep promises and are accountable, leaders who do not force us to listen to government propaganda but show us they are real by walking the walk, and not just talking the talk.

We cherish those leaders who know the time when they should leave, not the ones who come up with unconvincing excuses for some dubious acts like “resetting” the political system, and delaying the democratic process.

Rather than resorting to a special law every time to rush things up, ideal leaders should be calm and learn how to manage without the use of draconian laws in the absence of checks-and-balance mechanisms.

It’s not necessary to “reset” everything in order to move on. The government should also learn from its mistakes.

Over the past three years, the government has had a false belief that Thais are not ready for change, or we are not smart enough to make our own decisions, so they infringe on our rights, making decisions for us. On the contrary, we actually do have the right to make decisions. Our leaders should realize this.

After more than three years in power, the government should look beyond physical gifts for the people. Instead, we would appreciate something far more meaningful.

*Paritta Wangkiat is a reporter with the Bangkok Post.

(source:https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1383422/forget-new-year-gifts-we-want-real-reform)