PM's silence doesn't help her government

This can be applied not only to a lovers’ relationship but many kinds of relationships – friends, bosses and colleagues and even the government and its people. 

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra rarely clarifies government policies or their implementation to the public. She seems keener to talk to foreign communities.

The PM also avoids answering questions from the media. Many are political, and she might be right to avoid them. 

However, her brother Thaksin, the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai Party, and his son – if it is really is him writing – constantly communicate to supporters through social media and the messages are constantly political.

Another interesting question about love is: What about a couple that hurts each other all the time? Is a bad relationship better than no relationship at all? 

Reacting to an assault by pro-government red shirts on anti-government white mask protesters in Chiang Mai last week, government critics called on Yingluck to show her stance against their behaviour. None of the government spokesmen has said anything.

As counter-rallies or possible confrontations between the red shirts and white-mask group become more likely, Pheu Thai spokesman Promphong Nopparit said Yingluck had never presented herself in support of the red shirts as she is a leader of all the people in this country.

Deputy party spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said the government and his party was concerned about possible violence, but he did not believe any red shirts would have hurt anyone as “police officers were already in charge at protest venues”.

He said that any protesters rallying in public should be careful, as there are other people who disagree with them and real-life on the street was not as safe as in the cyber world. 

He also questioned the three anti-government groups involved in the protests these days as “the same group with an aim to topple the government”. 

Not only that, he did not clarify the content or essence of what the protesters were talking about, seeming to add salt to the wounds and possibly instigating more rifts.

The government itself owes the people clarification of many issues – transparency and efficiency of the rice pledging scheme is just one of them.

The government has not provided the real figures to reveal how much rice it has in stock, how much it has sold and to whom. It said the Democrat Party and others in opposition to the scheme were fabricating figures to frame it, in an attempt to stop its success with this policy that could benefit the grassroots and popularity of Pheu Thai Party.

The government earlier this month initiated a plan to revamp its image by establishing a proactive public relations team. It earlier appointed a new government spokesman and a new director-general for the Public Relations Department. But besides the order for government agencies to hand in information, nothing has really changed so far.

The government might be happy talking to Pheu Thai fans – who will still be in love with the party for better or worse, or sending hurt messages to opposition Democrat fans. But the government and opposition groups are just a minority among Thais, considering the result of the election in 2011, when at least 20 million eligible voters did not cast a vote for them. And the Thai population is now about 67 million people.  

Relations between a national leader and the people aren’t like a slap-and-kiss TV drama, nor are they romantic partners who might argue every day but can’t live without each other. If Prime Minister Yingluck really wants to stay above politics while keeping a good relationship with the people as a real country leader, she should work harder on administration and then take the mike to speak to Thais on the implementation of her party’s policies.