Why we cannot place our faith in ‘good people’
The strong will always do what they can and power will always corrupt. So instead of slinging mud for short-term gratification, should we not be seizing this opportunity to seriously address good governance? If that goal can be achieved, more than half of
Last week brought more entertainment for anti-junta elements, as family members of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the coup-maker and head of the National Council for Peace and Order, came under bitter attack.
Prayut’s brother General Preecha Chan-o-cha, permanent secretary of Defence, had a rough week after his wife was widely criticised for allegedly exploiting state budget to burnish her own reputation. Further controversy came when an investigative report revealed his son had won an army construction deal worth more than Bt20 million.
In April, Preecha faced a similar storm when he appointed his youngest son to the post of second lieutenant in the Army. The young man has a communication arts degree.
After the scandals broke, photographs and personal details of those involved went viral. Netizens revelled in the irony that these self-proclaimed “good people” and champions in the battle against graft had apparently been revealed as no better than the corrupt politicians they were disciplining.
However, along with other high-profile Internet sensations such as the Ratchapakdi Park construction, these fresh scandals will soon be yesterday’s news. General Preecha’s family members will doubtless be found innocent eventually, even if the court of public opinion continues to mock them.
There will be no fundamental changes made, and the same old issues will bring new scandals that continue to bleed the state budget because of poor governance.
However, with the authorities now enjoying unprecedented levels of control, this is our chance to seriously address standards of governance and make changes for the better. The absence of strong standards means that even those officials who claim to be honest can be involved in corruption.
We should forget about personal claims to goodness and realise that no one is exempt to the temptations that come with power. The only guarantee we have against such abuses in politics is an impersonal and rigid standard of governance that is policed without favour.
Without it, we will continue in this loop of mud-slinging whereby political rivals take turns throwing dirt at one another whenever they get the chance. That might be gratifying for each side, but the result is that the country will always remain dirty.
So, rather than making it a laughing matter, we should question transparency and accountability in the Army and other government agencies. If irregularities are found, the culprits should be brought to justice.
It must be a norm that transactions and affairs follow the proper process and that nobody can abuse their power to favour their family members at the expense of taxpayers.
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