The end justifies the
means." Italian thinker Niccolo Machiavelli coined the now-famous
statement, which sweeps away the need for moral action in achieving an
objective. The method used to attain our goal is thus of no consequence.
Had he lived,
Machiavelli would perhaps be surprised at how seriously his "thought
experiment" is being applied. Some Thai politicians are following his
words to the letter, probably convinced that the ends they are seeking will
leave Thailand cured of its ills.
Chief among those
ills is corruption.
The Anti-Corruption
Organisation of Thailand is in no doubt of that fact. And it is pointing the
finger firmly at politicians (more precisely, some politicians).
The organisation,
comprising large nationwide businesses, places little blame on the companies
who bribe officials for contracts. The Securities and Exchange Commission
announced late in December that 264 among more than 500 listed companies have
applied to join the Collective Action Coalition Against Corruption Council. But
only nine have become members of the coalition, which is supported by the
government and the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
In my world of the
media, junior reporters cultivate contacts with government officials in the
hope they get promoted to powerful positions and become valuable news sources.
This kind of
patronage system can be seen at all levels of Thai society. In a village,
relatives and friends of the headman seek his help to solve their problems. At
government offices, influential figures usually receive quicker service.
Many of us fail to
understand the constitutional duties of officials and get mad when influential
relatives fail to solve their problems. Reporters sometimes get angry when sources
decline to answer questions. Some officials, wanting to please, succumb to the
pressure. As a result many no longer know which "hat". they are
wearing and what they should expect from other citizens.
With this patronage
system in place, I doubt the desire of the People's Democratic Reform Committee
(PDRC) to end corruption will be successful. The Shinawatra clan is just a
group of people who built up fortunes thanks to the patronage system.
Eradicating them would not help, when many others are doing the same thing but
staying out of the political spotlight.
Given there is no end
in sight to the political stalemate, the PDRC's moves to boycott the February 2
election also seem questionable.
Banning Pheu Thai
politicians for five years will not help in clean up Thailand if the patronage
system remains. And on what grounds should they be banned? They made a mistake
in voting for the controversial amnesty bill, but it is for all Thais to decide
if they should be punished - not the PDRC.
Equal rights for all
citizens have been enshrined in all our constitutions, from 1932 to the current
2007-drafted charter. Ripping these rights away would only lead to more
protests. The threat of this explains why Bangkokians have gathered at the
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre to oppose the PDRC's plan to paralyse Bangkok on
January 13. Violence seems inevitable as the United Front for Democracy Against
Dictatorship plans a counter-rally.
It explains why the
Stock Exchange tumbled by 74 points in the first two days of 2014, with the
baht weakening 0.4 per cent to 33 per US dollar. The speed of the weakening
does not correspond with economic fundamentals and is faster than any economic
expert estimated.
Suan Dusit Poll
reports that about 54 per cent of 1,159 people polled in Greater Bangkok said
they were afraid the plan to shut down Bangkok would strangle economic
activity.
Kasikornbank chairman
Banthoon Lamsam warned recently that foreign investors look at two things when
deciding where to put their money. The first is political stability. The second
is macro-economic figures.
Banthoon voiced
concern that Thai laws are always interpretable, with lawmakers failing to
cover all scenarios when drafting legislation. In contrast, people in the US,
where he was educated, respect principles drawn up after years of infighting.
Here in Thailand, there are no common principles and the ruling class decides
what is best. As the ruling class fights, ordinary people who have lost faith
in governing institutions take to the streets. They resort to rules that will
help them win, against rules held up by the other camp. In the end, there's no
winner, he said.
To Banthoon, the
regime is secondary; it is honest and capable leaders that counts.
If the PDRC is
successful in setting up a People's Council and confiscating politicians'
assets and power, we can expect a painful ending with no real finality. Things
are obviously not as simple as they were in Machiavelli's times.