Thailand's zero tolerance corruption policy lack of transparency
By Jon Fernquest
Transparency in government decision-making
is the issue addressed in yesterday's editorial in the Bangkok Post, an
important issue in any full-fledged democracy. Several high-ranking ministers have been forced to resign recently due to irregularities detailed in a report that was not made available to the public.
In Thailand there appears to be no legal obligation for the government to make such important reports available to the public for scrutiny.
In the US the Freedom of Information Act requires that such information be made available to the public (See Wikipedia).
In the nearby Philippines the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) has published an interesting volume on this subject: The Right to Know: Access to Information in Southeast Asia (2001) (See description in PCIJ catalog).
On could perhaps argue that with the political conflicts that currently rage on in Thailand, now is not the time to debate such fine points.
One could write a report about a report and debate the issue ad nauseam but a decision eventually has to be made.
Today's article follows the vocabulary:
zero-tolerance - will
not let anyone break the rules or law (everyone who does will be
punished)
policy - a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
transparency (noun) - when the public can see what is happening in government policy ความโปร่งใส
transparent (adjective)
irregularities - things that do not normally happen (that may indicate wrongdoing) ความผิดปกติ
detailed in a report - the details were described in a report
obligation - something which you must do
legal obligation - something you must do because it is the law
scrutiny - looking at closely to find things that are wrong, investigation
full-fledged - grown to its full size
rage on - continue on in a stormy furious fashion
fine points - details (not the important main points)
ad nauseam - an argument that continues to the point of making you sick
policy - a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
transparency (noun) - when the public can see what is happening in government policy ความโปร่งใส
transparent (adjective)
irregularities - things that do not normally happen (that may indicate wrongdoing) ความผิดปกติ
detailed in a report - the details were described in a report
obligation - something which you must do
legal obligation - something you must do because it is the law
scrutiny - looking at closely to find things that are wrong, investigation
full-fledged - grown to its full size
rage on - continue on in a stormy furious fashion
fine points - details (not the important main points)
ad nauseam - an argument that continues to the point of making you sick
Opinion
EDITORIAL
Make probe reports public
20/01/2010For a government that occasionally pledges openness and accountability, the actions of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his subordinates in two recent cases must raise eyebrows. The premier seems fully conversant with the report into possible corruption at the Public Health Ministry by Dr Banlu Siripanich. Members of his government also seem highly knowledgeable about "baggage-gate", the Thai Airways International probe into the case of a now-former senior executive who apparently used his influence to fly 398kg overweight. But the government has shut the public out of both cases, and in the most unfair way.
occasionally -
sometimes
pledges - promises
openness - people can see what is happening (nothing hidden)
accountability - responsibility (having to the take the blame if things go wrong)
subordinates - people working under him or her
raise eyebrows - surprise people
premier - another word that means "Prime Minister"
fully conversant with... - knows all about...
"baggage-gate" - a baggage scandal naming it after the famous "Watergate" scandal in the US
scandal - a situation in which important people behave in a dishonest or immoral way that shocks people เรื่องอื้อฉาว
probe - an investigation (looking into the facts of a case to see if the rules or a law was broken)
senior executive - a high level manager in a company
apparently... - it seems like..., it looks like... (but not yet sure)
influence - the ability to make people do things (based on a person's power)
pledges - promises
openness - people can see what is happening (nothing hidden)
accountability - responsibility (having to the take the blame if things go wrong)
subordinates - people working under him or her
raise eyebrows - surprise people
premier - another word that means "Prime Minister"
fully conversant with... - knows all about...
"baggage-gate" - a baggage scandal naming it after the famous "Watergate" scandal in the US
scandal - a situation in which important people behave in a dishonest or immoral way that shocks people เรื่องอื้อฉาว
probe - an investigation (looking into the facts of a case to see if the rules or a law was broken)
senior executive - a high level manager in a company
apparently... - it seems like..., it looks like... (but not yet sure)
influence - the ability to make people do things (based on a person's power)
Mr Abhisit, ministers and THAI executives have used what they insist are facts from both cases to cause shakeups at the very top of the government and airline. The actual reports on the two incidents, however, remain secret. This has already caused the disputes to shoot into the public sector, as those who are close to the two scandals dispute those facts which the government has allowed to emerge. On Monday, doctors from the Public Health Ministry took out full-page newspaper advertisements to dispute some accounts of the Banlu commission report. This may make good public entertainment, but it makes very poor government policy.
insist
- to keep saying very firmly that something is true or muist be done
ยืนกราน ยืนยัน
shakeups - when big changes occur (like an earthquake)
actual - real; existing in fact จริง
incidents - events which are either unpleasant or unusual เหตุการณ์
sector - a part of a country's economic or business activity ภาค (เศรษฐกิจ)
public sector - the government
scandal - when an important person does something bad and immoral (and the public learns of it and is shocking)
dispute - a serious disagreement, a conflict การโต้เถียง, ความขัดแย้ง ข้อพิพาท ข้อโต้แย้ง
emerge - to become known เป็นที่ประจักษ์ต่อ , to start to exist; to appear เกิดขึ้น
accounts - detailed descriptions of something that has happened การให้การของพยาน
commission - a group of people who have been formally chosen to discover information about a problem or examine the reasons why the problem exists คณะกรรมการ, คณะกรรมาธิการ
policy - a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
shakeups - when big changes occur (like an earthquake)
actual - real; existing in fact จริง
incidents - events which are either unpleasant or unusual เหตุการณ์
sector - a part of a country's economic or business activity ภาค (เศรษฐกิจ)
public sector - the government
scandal - when an important person does something bad and immoral (and the public learns of it and is shocking)
dispute - a serious disagreement, a conflict การโต้เถียง, ความขัดแย้ง ข้อพิพาท ข้อโต้แย้ง
emerge - to become known เป็นที่ประจักษ์ต่อ , to start to exist; to appear เกิดขึ้น
accounts - detailed descriptions of something that has happened การให้การของพยาน
commission - a group of people who have been formally chosen to discover information about a problem or examine the reasons why the problem exists คณะกรรมการ, คณะกรรมาธิการ
policy - a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
Mr Abhisit correctly took a hard line on the health ministry scandal. Two ministers were essentially forced to leave the cabinet, one to show responsibility and the other finally forced out. This was so that Mr Abhisit could say that he has a zero-tolerance policy about corruption by his government. But as the doctors' advertisement emphasised, the Banlu committee report is only one version of what happened when the Public Health Ministry was charged with spending billions of baht in stimulus money under the Thai Khem Khaeng project.
essentially
- for the most part ที่สำคัญที่สุด
cabinet - the group of government ministers who make and approve government policy คณะรัฐมนตรี
zero-tolerance - will not let anyone break the rules or law (everyone who does will be punished)
stimulus - a set of programmes, especially government spending programmes, designed to start an economy growing again แผนกระตุ้นหรือฟื้นฟูเศรษฐกิจ
fiscal stimulus - temporary increases in government spending (and tax cuts) to get an economy growing again after an economic downturn
stimulus money - money that the government spends for fiscal stimulus
Thai Khem Khaeng project - the official name of Thailand's stage II fiscal stimulus program that focuses on investment projects
version - a particular form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing
cabinet - the group of government ministers who make and approve government policy คณะรัฐมนตรี
zero-tolerance - will not let anyone break the rules or law (everyone who does will be punished)
stimulus - a set of programmes, especially government spending programmes, designed to start an economy growing again แผนกระตุ้นหรือฟื้นฟูเศรษฐกิจ
fiscal stimulus - temporary increases in government spending (and tax cuts) to get an economy growing again after an economic downturn
stimulus money - money that the government spends for fiscal stimulus
Thai Khem Khaeng project - the official name of Thailand's stage II fiscal stimulus program that focuses on investment projects
version - a particular form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing
Meanwhile, the board of directors at THAI either accepted or forced the resignation of its executive chairman Wallop Bhukkanasut - depending on who is telling the story. Mr Wallop actually quit the airline, ending a 30-year career, just before the board received the report of his flight from Tokyo to Bangkok late last year. Like the dismissal of the two public health ministers, the departure of Mr Wallop appeared to send a message that even the appearance of corruption is unacceptable.
This is a good message to send. But the parallel, important message that the premier is sending is dead wrong. By keeping the twin reports secret, Mr Abhisit has actually switched sides. When the scandals broke into the news a few weeks ago, the premier stood on the side of swift action against wrongdoers. Now, he seems to be keeping facts from the public. Rightly or wrongly, he has already been accused of blindly following the Banlu commission report and smearing important members of society - in this case, doctors.
resignation
- the act of leaving a job permanently ลาออกจากตำแหน่ง
dismissal - forcing someone to leave their job การไล่ออกจากตำแหน่ง
sending a message - telling people something (not directly)
parallel - of an event or situation that happens at the same time as and/or is similar to another one คล้ายกัน ขนานกัน
the parallel...message - another different message being sent at the same time
dead wrong - very wrong
twin reports - the two related reports
swift - happening quickly อย่างรวดเร็ว โดยด่วน
smearing important members of society - saying bad things about
dismissal - forcing someone to leave their job การไล่ออกจากตำแหน่ง
sending a message - telling people something (not directly)
parallel - of an event or situation that happens at the same time as and/or is similar to another one คล้ายกัน ขนานกัน
the parallel...message - another different message being sent at the same time
dead wrong - very wrong
twin reports - the two related reports
swift - happening quickly อย่างรวดเร็ว โดยด่วน
smearing important members of society - saying bad things about
The unusual case of the full-page advertisements by protesting doctors can only harm the ministry and government. Such protests are likely to escalate, and Mr Abhisit must know that secrecy is the enemy of accountability. The public has the right to see both reports, in full, not least of all because taxpayers footed the bill for the probes.
Mr Abhisit should order their public release, and should also make members of the Banlu commission and the airline's investigating committee available for close media questioning. These are rapidly becoming cases where justice may seem to have been done. But without full access to the reports Mr Abhisit used as the basis for punishment, no one can know if justice is actually being done.
protests
- meetings, sometimes forceful or violent, or public statements by
people who strongly disagree with something ชุมนุมประท้วง
escalate - to become much worse or more serious เลวลง ทำให้มากขึ้น ทำให้เลวลง ทำให้เลวร้ายลง ที่เลวร้ายลง
protests are likely to escalate - protests are likely to increase and become more intense
accountability - a situation where people have the right to ask you about or criticise you for something that has happened ความน่าเชื่อถือ
footed the bill - pay the bill
release - to allow something to be shown in public or to be available for use ปล่อยข่าว
release - to set someone or something free ปล่อยเป็นอิสระ
public release - let everyone in the country read and see the documents
media - radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group สื่อ
access - the right or opportunity to have or use something ได้รับสิทธิ์หรือโอกาสในการใช้
justice - fairness in the way people are dealt with ความเป็นธรรม, ความถูกต้อง
escalate - to become much worse or more serious เลวลง ทำให้มากขึ้น ทำให้เลวลง ทำให้เลวร้ายลง ที่เลวร้ายลง
protests are likely to escalate - protests are likely to increase and become more intense
accountability - a situation where people have the right to ask you about or criticise you for something that has happened ความน่าเชื่อถือ
footed the bill - pay the bill
release - to allow something to be shown in public or to be available for use ปล่อยข่าว
release - to set someone or something free ปล่อยเป็นอิสระ
public release - let everyone in the country read and see the documents
media - radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group สื่อ
access - the right or opportunity to have or use something ได้รับสิทธิ์หรือโอกาสในการใช้
justice - fairness in the way people are dealt with ความเป็นธรรม, ความถูกต้อง
(Source: EDITORIAL, Make probe reports public, 20/01/2010, link)
