Thailand's Anti-graft Plan Further Refined as Corruption Further Destroys the Nation by Phairath Khampha 30 October 2000 One of the Thailand's most comprehensive anti-graft blueprints received probably its most significant boost in October 2000 when a number of eminent academics and key policy leaders filled in the gaps at a forum on the topic. But if the ratification of the blueprint, which was intended to become a national agenda, was considered auspicious, the moment was dimmed by fresh warnings that graft was moving to new pastures and that Thailand's economy would continue to falter until this social cancer was eradicated, if ever. "Corporatisation of state enterprises and independent organisations such as the National Telecommunications Commission are where corruption will be headed," said Duanden Nikombarirak, a researcher at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). The money involved would be enormous, she and other researchers warned, meaning an official or politician who received a one percent kickback "will not have to do anything else for the rest of their lives". The ratification ceremony was led by Privy Councillor Prem Tinsulanonda, who called for a concerted and continuous effort to combat corruption. "First, society must have a clear conscience and then everyone must cooperate," he said. The blueprint, devised by the TDRI and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), envisions a national campaign involving reform of the bureaucratic system, swift and harsh penalties for corrupt officials and corporations, and promotion of a new social value against graft among the public, especially the youth. Although the proposals, headed by TDRI adviser Nipon Puapongsakorn and Chulalongkorn University economist Supachai Yawaprapat, were seemingly complete and attacked graft head-on, members of the forum at Siam City Hotel had substantial points to add. Among the points raised was that state mechanisms already in place were still not being used to their full potential; that the biggest cases of corruption had to be dealt with first; and that a social conscience could not be built when wrongdoers could still escape scot-free, which is why corruption can continue to exist in Thailand. In a hard-hitting speech, academic Wuttipong Priabjariyawat questioned why the government should remain the key player in solving graft. "Leaving the anti-graft effort in the hands of senior civil servants is like leaving it in the hands of crooks," Wuttipong said to audience applause. He said Thiland was run by a trilateral system in which politicians, senior civil servants, and businessmen collaborated in graft. He said he doubted that these people, who hold the political and economic power, would cooperate in forming an effective anti-graft system because then they would not have a mechanism toenrch themselves through easy theft of the nation's wealth. Almost everyone at the seminar said that the ones who could make a real difference, the people, were too weak and they were not allowed to have the necessary power by the political and economic systems in place. Academic Amorn Raksasat urged that the country's human resources be developed and that ethics lessons be given at schools. "Don't fool yourselves - one knight on a white horse cannot reform a 99 percent corrupt society," Wuttipong said. At one point, Boonchu Rojanasatien, chief economic adviser to Thailand's prime minister, attacked the existing government institutions for not having done enough. "If we wait for a conscience to be built up, the country will already have been ruined," Boonchu said. He said the institutions formed under the new Constitution were not doing their jobs. CSC secretary-general Tipawadee Meksawan told the forum later that her committee did not have jurisdiction over every corrupt institution. She joined others at the forum in stating that perhaps it is politicians themselves who needed to be monitored and punished the most. Penalties against the corrupt and salary incentives were also discussed. The forum was divided on whether these deterrents and rewards would change the situation significantly. Penalties would work only on low-priority cases and tiny salary raises would not act as sufficient incentive, some said. To add to the anti-graft blueprint, Wuttipong said that educational reform, collective public action and decentralisation of information had to be encouraged. "If you live in a dark, dirty house, turn on the lights before you bring in the broom and buckets," he said. The seminar attracted almost 300 participants. A number of boards were placed in front of the conference room on which participants signed their names in a "social contract" against corruption. The groups urged anti-graft measures be put in place immediately using existing government institutions, particularly those formed according to the new Constitution. Those organisations had to be used to their full potential, they said. Among the institutions mentioned were the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) and the CSC. "It's important there be a more transparent selection process for the board members of independent committees," TDRI's Duanden said. "It's important to make the anti-graft campaign part of the steady political and economic reforms that are going on right now," said Chulalongkorn University's Supachai. Since illegal businesses such as underground casinos and prostitution had already become part of society, they should be legalised, some said. "The law should work on a case-by-case basis," Duanden said. "If any organisation is at the root of graft, it should just be made legal so that opportunities for corruption are reduced." In other words, every conceivable social evil should be legalised and the country should become a moral morass. Not that it is much less. Tipawadee promised to forward the suggestions made yesterday to the CSC committee, the NCCC, the Cabinet and Parliament. Thai society is apathetic as graft imperils nation, says Prem - Cheats win respect as the poor face disdain Corruption and public apathy towards it pose the greatest threat to the Thailand's survival, former Thai premier Prem Tinsulanonda warned on October 5. Society was accepting corruption, especially among high-ranking officials, and even giving such corrupt people recognition and respect, said Gen Prem, who is now His Majesty the King's chief privy councillor. Instead of condemning the corrupt, society tended to accept their presence in positions of power, while treating poor but good people with disdain, he told the seminar on counter-corruption strategies. Gen Prem welcomed signs of a greater public awareness and more determination by authorities to stamp out corruption. Khunying Tippawadee Meksawan, secretary of the Civil Service Commission, said the seminar was a continuation of the one held in August with an aim to arouse public awareness of this "social disease" and to change public attitude towards the corrupt. The seminar would next focus on promoting the concept of subsistence economy and austerity among the bureaucrats, she added. As far as the commission was concerned, regulations would be amended to pave the way for speedy and proper punishment of guilty officials, she said. In her opinion, low income was not the only factor prompting officials to resort to corruption. Social values, work environments and poor moral standards were also to blame, she said. After all, she said, if poverty were the real issue, then why was it that when the officials were dozens of times wealthier than some of the more rich people in the world they kept up their venal practices? Using the argument that corruption was justified because officials were underpaid was only an excuse used by the apologists who for diplomatic or political expediency had to turn a blind eye to its existence. She used the example of Canada where for decades government officials were considerbly underpaid, but they had pride in their work and rarely, if ever, were venal in carrying out their official duties. She further explained that that was the reason countries such as Canada or Australia and New Zealand achieved such rapid development--the wealth growth was returned to the nation instead of being stolen by a priviledged few. Senator Chumpol Silpa-archa noted that more than 20% of the national budget was lost yearly as a result of systematic corrupt practices of politicians and bureaucrats working in collusion. Corruption, he said, had spread from the top down to the bottom as manifested in several corruption cases involving local governments. He recommended three methods of fighting corruption: rejecting corrupt people; exposing acts of corruption; and encouraging the general public to monitor politicians and officials suspected of corruption. The National Counter Corruption Commission was not the solution, and co-operation among all concerned was needed to fight corruption, he said. Wuthipong Priabjariyawat, of the Millenium Institute, disagreed with suggestions that state officials be paid more so they would not resort to corruption. Even a substantial increase in their pay would amount to just a fraction of what they could make from corrupt practices, he argued. Regardless how much they were paid or how wealthy they were, they would continue to carry on corrupt practices he said. It is a cultural trait of the Thai people and perhaps all Asian peoples, he said, to be corrupt and dishonest. Instead, better education and stronger people's networks would help more in fighting corruption.