The moral depravity in Yongyuth's departure

In his “Stoppage Time” column yesterday, Tulsathit Taptim drew the spotlight on a truly appalling case of greed and moral depravity, and he rightly goes on to identify that this is not an isolated case but more of a mindset that flows through the whole political establishment. Indeed, I wonder how large is the unseen iceberg of other cases that have not surfaced.

While the writer focuses on the indecorous, but determined, Byzantine writhing of the Pheu Thai Party apparatchiks to find a method of absolution for faithful party lackey Yongyuth Wichaidit, he establishes correctly that, even in the bare-faced world of Thai politics, Yongyuth was a lost cause.

One area that is not addressed, though, is the premier’s reaction to his resignation. Normally one to avoid saying anything of consequence that might be quotable, she has come out and called his resignation “a sacrifice to prevent any possible negative impact from the Alpine land case on the government”. This was not a risky or radical thing to say at first sight, one might think, but in truth rather damning.

The emphasis is on the fact that Yongyuth was somehow a victim in this dreadful escapade and has made a supreme sacrifice by selflessly resigning to save the government. A moment of quiet reflection, however, reveals how grotesque this statement is.

Yongyuth has finally and rightly been exposed as the man who quite wrongly certified that the monastic land could be transferred to private ownership – in direct contradiction of the law and of the declaration of the Council of State. He quite clearly has “bloody hands”. 

So for Yingluck to label Yongyuth’s resignation “a sacrifice” grossly fails any morality test. This man has at last been brought to book for doing something utterly reprehensible, and she makes no comment on his moral depravity but lauds his resignation as a sacrifice. It’s a sacrifice that benefits no one but her government. She was showing her moral compass to be pointing firmly at party interest and in no way towards the true victim in this case, Nuem Chamnanchartsakda, whose final wishes have been so cruelly perverted by greedy, depraved people. The majority of these people have yet to pay, in any way, for their misdeeds.

Daniel W Delaware

Bangkok