‘Hidden political agenda’ behind Hawaii scandal

The Super Poll compiled people’s opinions on the allegedly lavish trip in which Prawit led his entourage to Hawaii for an informal US-Asean defence meeting, as well as the Yingluck government’s ongoing rice-pledging scandal. 

When asked what they thought about the controversy, 58.9 per cent said it was a political gambit aimed at attacking Prawit, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s deputy. 

But 41.1 per cent of respondents said the trip’s budget was “unreasonable” and called on the country’s rulers to follow the code of conduct governing them. 

Most respondents, 64.4 per cent, said they were satisfied with what they heard at Thursday’s joint press conference involving the government, the Ministry of Defence and Thai Airways International, where the parties sought to provide details the trip. But another 35.6 per cent said they were disappointed. 

When asked what they perceived to be the trip’s objectives, 44.8 per cent said it related to national security, and 22.4 per cent said protecting the nation’s interests on various issues such as human trafficking, terrorism and Asean security.

Another 18.9 per cent said strengthening ties with the US, 7.2 per cent said building security cooperation and 6.7 per cent answered it was to do with travel. 

Prawit’s trip came under fire due to its cost which critics said was unreasonable and the trip’s outcome ineffective because the mission was for an informal meeting and not a formal summit. 

Public speculation over who attended the trip is mounting, after an unconfirmed passenger list showed “irrelevant” figures attended. The government and the Office of Auditor-General (OAG) have not disclosed the passenger list to the public.

A key figure in the Pheu Thai Party, Surapong Tovichakchaikul, yesterday called on the OAG and the junta to reveal the list with passport documentation. “The government should reveal [the list] to the public as the administration of the ruling government, under democratic rules, is obliged to be checked for transparency sake,” he said. 

The poll also found 65.3 per cent of respondents would prefer the rice-pledging-scheme scandal of former premier Yingluck Shinawatra be investigated.