Here's how to tackle corruption

Here is why: Hanging on the wall of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt-General Khamronwit Thoopkrajang is a photograph of him with Thaksin with a note: “I am what I am today because of you, brother.” Precisely therein lies the power of the patronage system Voranai Vanijaka keeps raising. It is based on the reciprocity principle deeply rooted in many cultures, especially Thai. It would have violated the gratitude value (or boon khun) if Khamronwit arrested Thaksin in Hong Kong, after what Thaksin had given him. This is why it is extremely difficult to rid Thailand of corruption. For the patronage system and its key driver – the reciprocity principle – are very human and relational. “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours”, as the saying goes. Each time the reciprocation takes place, it strengthens the relationship or bond.

Whenever a corruption scandal hits the headlines, people, including me, are outraged. But as Voranai put it, public outrage erupts and fades just as quickly as a tornado. On one side is people’s emotion, on the other is a system that is entrenched, organised and long lasting. Public outrage at the injustice – Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya’s hit-and-run case or House Speaker Somsak’s European trip – merely delay the workings of the patronage system.

Sooner rather than later after a scandal, people will be preoccupied with their lives again. The media will naturally and dutifully move on to new stories and scandals. So how can we tackle corruption when it is part of our culture? First, there is actually nothing wrong with the reciprocity principle. What is wrong is its usage in a wrong domain. Ties, kinships and personal connections should remain in the personal domain (within the family setting) – not the public domain. Second, since emotion cannot beat a system, it takes a system to beat another system. That system is meritocracy, based on fairness and equality, rather than on patronage. In practice, this means saying no when a pu yai offers you his assistance to secure a position. For you know that not only are you implicitly obligated to return the favour, your conscience will tell you that it is not based on merit – that other more capable individuals are denied the opportunity if you were afforded help.

Finally, can you imagine a day when an intoxicated public figure is pulled over, and says, “I know (or am) a somebody” to an officer, and the officer replies “So what? The law is the law”. That is the day when justice prevails. Otherwise, corruption will linger with us forever; and we have only ourselves to blame.

Edward Kitlertsirivatana

Bangkok