Unlike other countries, shame doesn't 'work' in Thai politics

I want to add examples of how it works in Scandinavia. 

In Sweden two ministers in Reinfeldt’s government had to go a few weeks after being installed – not after been prosecuted, but by pressure from the opposition, the media, the public and finally their own party and their own shame. One was appointed culture minister and hadn’t paid TV licences for 15 years, which is mandatory for a TV holder in Sweden, which has public TV, a field she was supposed to oversee as the Culture Minister. She was squeezed out of her position and shortly after sold her house and fled in shame to, not Dubai or Montenegro, but to an other safe haven for different kinds of “crooks”, namely London. Of course she is persona non grata in Swedish politics forever.

The other minister had had a maid working “black” for her and she too had to go; not because of court verdicts, but because of heavy pressure and finally her own shame, a mechanism that seems not to have worked well in Thai politics in recent years. In my own country politicians have been forced out of office and party after fiddling with their travel bills, a short process, and a long time before any prosecution to save the party’s credibility and their chances at the next election – because of informed voters with memory.

Sadly not so in Thailand. Voters don’t punish parties with corrupt politicians at voting day. A party’s credibility seems to mean nothing and shame doesn’t work to tame or get rid of corrupt politicians. Therefore, before shame is restored among politicians and Thailand has more informed voters, only a new strict law which bans wrongdoing and corrupt politicians for life from politics will work.

A Johnsen

Chon Buri