Who will answer the wake-up call?
Play
Congratulations to Tankhun Jitt-itsar on becoming the first Democrat MP for Don Muang in nearly 40 years.
It has clearly jarred Thaksin Shinawatra, who is now pressing for the “true” figures for the rice price-pledging scheme. It should also prompt the Pheu Thai Party to suppress the monster that it created in the red-shirt bullies most recently seen in Chiang Mai.
It might also be a wake-up call for the farming community. It has been demonstrated to them that as they can put in power whoever they please, and they could choose someone who doesn’t take all the cherries on the cake.
The numbers on the rice project should be documented, not only giving the losses but exactly where the cash was distributed. We should also have details on farmers’ additional storage costs and the rent for land leached by the owners to get the “real” benefit.
When the farmers see the pittance they get compared to other beneficiaries, they might want to rethink their voting strategy. They might also wish to distance themselves from the red-shirt bully-boys, who are clearly not vote-winners. What are you going to do for the farmers, Khun Abhisit?
Richard Bowler
Bangkok
