Prayut talks a good fight, now he must throw some punches
PM Prayut’s welcome and strong anti-corruption words must be backed by action, for as Confucius said, “the superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions”.
General Prayut states, “Thai people must reject and no longer tolerate any kind of corruption. ... If all parties help one another to fight against it … we can do it.”
But concrete action is now needed to back up his words. For example, as Anti-Corruption Organisation Secretary-General Mana Nimitmongkol points out, the organic anti-graft law now in the National Legislative Assembly, has a fatal flaw: it requires the NACC to publish merely summaries of asset declarations of those in power. Having just summaries will make it extremely difficult for the public to spot possible corruption, like Deputy PM Prawit’s Bt3-million to Bt12-million watch and Bt4-million diamond ring. Transparency is vital to fighting corruption, and PM Prayut should tell us and the NLA loud and clear that asset declarations must be made public in their detailed entirety.
As for Prawit’s watch and ring, we’re sure, of course, that the deputy PM is honest. But if a businessman friend lent him the watch, for example, that’s a massive favour. What are the business and personal connections between Prawit and the watch’s “owner” – and were all transactions or favours between them done at arm’s length, transparently, on the open market? What future transactions might be coming up, where the favour might be returned?
To make the NACC’s investigation into the provenance of Prawit’s valuables transparent and credible, neutral, impartial bodies should sit on the committee, for example Anti-Corruption Organisation chief Mana Nimitmongkol and the Department of Special Investigation.
PM Prayut, be Confucius’ “superior man”, and give us the tools to fight this scourge.
Burin Kantabutra
