?War? on corruption is too little, too late

[limbo]

HARD TALK: ?War? on corruption is too little, too late

Published on January 17, 2006

 

Has anyone told Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra that he is five years too late in declaring war on corruption? No wonder his recent announcement that he was getting serious about fighting one of Thailand?s biggest social ills was greeted with the scepticism and even cynicism that it deserved.

 

And it didn?t help that Thaksin gave the distinct impression his anti-graft campaign would focus solely on the bureaucracy. He mentioned nothing about political corruption.

 

With Thaksin?s political track record and his personal style of leadership, critics can?t help but see this move at best as merely a gimmick to divert attention from the political problems he is facing, and at worst a ploy to distract public attention from high-level corruption.

 

Corruption is definitely not a new phenomenon in Thailand, but there is a general consensus that it has greatly worsened during the Thaksin administration. Thaksin cannot pretend not to know that his CEO style of management, marked by a concentration of power in his hands, and his tolerance of abuses by his political cohorts have contributed to the problem.

 

When he took office after his landslide election victory in early 2001, Thaksin raised high hopes by announcing that rooting out corruption would be a top priority. Thaksin said, ?Corruption will not be tolerated. You don?t even need to show me the receipts,? or words to that effect, in order to try to demonstrate his seriousness in dealing with the problem.

 

But not only did he fail miserably to practise what he preached, Thaksin himself also became a target of constant criticism for conflicts of interest in pursuing policies that allegedly favoured his family business and close associates.

 

Charges of cronyism have also been frequently hurled at the PM. Cronyism and favouritism have long been inherent in Thai politics, but it took Thaksin?s political leadership to raise it to unprecedented levels.

 

It was no surprise then that any and all allegations of corruption levelled against Thaksin?s Cabinet members and others close to him by the opposition in the House, the media and academics have always fallen on deaf ears.

 

Thaksin has never even had the patience to listen. With his dismissive attitude, he brushes aside all such allegations as a conspiracy against him and his administration.

 

Corruption under the Thaksin administration has been so rampant that former PM Anand Panyarachun described it as ?the mother of all corruption? in one of his public speeches. And it?s a sentiment being increasingly shared by a disenchanted public.

 

We don?t know for sure what Thaksin?s agenda is in trying to champion the cause of combating corruption at this late stage. But judging from his record and his past attitude towards this scourge, we can only take his self-imposed crusade with a grain of salt.

 

Thaksin didn?t say exactly how he was going to lead the charge against corruption. But what is clear from his remarks is that he continues to define corruption in the traditional sense. He talked about how government officials at different levels were still lining their pockets with bribes or stealing from state coffers. He singled out the Customs Department, which tops the list of public complaints about corruption.

 

But corruption at these levels, although indeed a menace to society, pales by comparison with corruption at the political level. Thaksin, however, keeps pretending that all is fine with everyone in his administration.

 

Thaksin has not only routinely dismissed corruption charges against his Cabinet members, but also orchestrated the neutralisation of those mechanisms that should play a vital role in keeping the problem in check.

 

The National Counter Corruption Commission was one of the casualties of Thaksin?s onslaught against independent bodies. The anti-graft agency, which obviously became a thorn in Thaksin?s side once it indicted him on assets-concealment charges prior to the 2001 election, is now just a toothless body that goes after only small fry.

 

Noted anti-corruption crusader Jaruvan Maintaka has been prevented from performing her duties as state auditor-general these past two years, because of political intervention allegedly engineered by our current leadership.

 

Thaksin?s self-assigned war on corruption would be more credible if he could convince the sceptics that independent bodies would also play a central role.

 

But so far, it looks like Thaksin?s latest endeavour is nothing more than a political ?reality show?, which has coincidentally become the hallmark of his administration.

 

Thepchai Yong

 

The Nation

[cavanami]

Wasn't there a Thai lady that was heading up the fight on corruption in Thailand???

 

I remember her doing too good of a job and they quickly squeezed her out!!!

[steffi]

If Thaksin was serious about fighting corruption he would post the asset/contract acquisitions by members of his cabinet for the last 5 years.

[Coss]

In a story on the protests that broke into the government complex, the BBC reports:

 

"Mr Thaksin said on Thai radio on Saturday that Friday night's protests had been organised at the behest of business leaders disappointed that the government had not granted them favours."

 

Interesting to note that the government does grant favours to business leaders, just not these ones.

 

Hang on isn't that corruption? favours to the favoured?

 

Cheers

 

Coss

[Flashermac]

Nah, corruption is when somebody else does it!

[Guest]

hasn't Thaksin already made his plans to get out of thailand and live in luxury just in case things turn bad for him?