Serving us all or just her clan?

Even before presenting her policies to Parliament, her foreign minister called in the Japanese ambassador for talks. A few days later, a fugitive from our laws, convicted of corruption, was issued a visa to enter that country, their own laws to the contrary benefiting just one man. That the convict was her brother speaks eloquently about her commitment to the rule of law, under which all men are equal and are held accountable for their actions.

Now, police chief Wichian Potephosree has been made to resign and National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Thawil Pliensri has been axed - all this to evidently open the way for her former brother-in-law to become top cop.

PM Yingluck says that all of these moves are to "put the right people in the right jobs". Fine - except why is she so steadfast in refusing to say what makes a person "suitable" for a given job - and how the incumbent didn't meet those qualifications? What did Wichian lack, that he was unsuitable to be top cop - but suitable to head the NSC? What qualifications will the new top cop need - so that we can measure her former brother-in-law by them?

As John N Mitchell noted, "Watch what we do, not what we say." Dear reader, did you choose PM Yingluck to have the best interests of all Thais at heart - or mainly those of her clan?

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok