Pheu Thai and red shirts do nothing to help their own

It is now too late to save Bangkok from flooding. I could never have imagined that the City of Angels would collapse before my eyes.

On Wednesday, a Nation photographer saw a group of people trying to destroy barriers protecting the Grand Palace from floods. This information appeared in my colleague’s twitter account, @Tulsathit. Few paid attention to this. But it’s a revelation, illustrating that the tragedy of modern Thailand is a conspiracy. If the Temple of the Emerald Buddha were to be completely underwater, Thais would have been dealt a big shock, losing all morale and strength to fight back. If the Emerald Buddha cannot protect the City of Angels, then the angels would have taken flight and the capital would have fallen.

Are we facing “shock and awe” similar to 9/11? The crash of the economy and whole nation? Let me raise several crucial questions that have to be addressed, because government agencies, ministers, Pheu Thai MPs and red shirts are apparently adopting a passive mode while disasters pile on the Thai people.

In spite of heavy storms this year, water levels in general have not been significantly worse than the great floods in 1995. More investigation is needed on water releases from the dams this year and in 1995. Water resources experts from Plamod Maiklad to Dr Smith Thammasaroj have asserted that floods could have been avoided. I was told that a Cabinet member spoke to irrigation and electricity officials not to release the water from dams, in spite of heavy downpours in September, so there would be enough water for farmers. “I shall assume sole responsibility for this,” he said.

The delay in releasing water from dams, particularly Bhumibol Dam, in the North has caused mayhem because the water has to be released en masse otherwise the dams would have been broken apart. This Cabinet member has not yet come out to assume any responsibility for his decision that caused unprecedented floods to so far destroy 10,000 factories and plunged millions of Thais into bankruptcy and homelessness. What was his motivation? Was it meant to coincide with 9/11?

Prime Minister Yingluck initiated the Bang Rakam Model to tackle the floods in September after visiting Amphoe Bang Rakam, Phitsanulok. Bang Rakam (bang, small town; rakam, painful suffering) is far from being an auspicious name. She must have been informed about the serious threat of floods, which started in August. It was not until October 9 that she signed an executive order to create the Flood Relief Operation Centre (Froc). What happened during the interval on the flood prevention programme when ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra stole the news headlines?

Yingluck has put the wrong people in the wrong jobs. Does she know what she is doing? Froc is headed by Police General Pracha Phromnok, the justice minister. Pracha has virtually no knowledge of water resources and crisis management. Korbsak Sabhavasu, the Democrat’s strategist, was surprised upon learning that Dhirachai Wuthitham served as secretary-general of Froc? He asked: “Who is Dhirachai? If he is unknown, how can he coordiate with all the agencies and ministries to combat the floods?”

The Interior Ministry sits on the sidelines doing virtually nothing to tackle the crisis. Interior Minister Yongyuth Vichaidit said the floods are beyond his and the ministry’s ability to tackle, although the ministry has the country’s largest manpower and resources network to respond to a crisis situation to help the people.

We have not seen the police on TV helping the flood victims. Police General Phriewphan Damarong, a younger brother of Pojaman Na Pombejra, has been appointed police chief. He made some news initially. After the floods become more serious, he did not appear in the public eye. The police force is an idle watcher of the tragedy. Instead, the military has sent out 40,000 personnel to help communities fighting the floods. Why does the police force adopt a do-nothing attitude?

Pheu Thai MPs and ministers are not helping flood victims. They are nowhere to be seen. Where are they?

Red-shirt leaders have not come out to help those affected by the floods either. In April and May last year, they campaigned against the elite and for democracy. This year their people are suffering badly, but not a single red-shirt leader has emerged to help the poor. Ironically, the provinces suffering from the floods are Pheu Thai territories. Where are they?

At the same time, Pheu Thai wants to go against the military by pushing for legislation to nullify the coup in 2006. Jatuporn Promphan, a red-shirt leader, is trying to have the Defence Ministry’s regulations amended so that the government can have more control over the reshuffling of military posts.

Yingluck has refused international assistance although Thailand is facing bankruptcy from the floods. I was told that Ban Ki-moon, the secretary-general of the United Nations, asked the prime minister how the UN could help. Yingluck’s response was to the effect that UN assistance would not be needed. The US offered to send aircraft carriers, which were also refused. Why did she refuse international assistance, which now has to go through private channels rather than official channels.

We do not see red-shirts coming out to help other red shirts in a systematic way. Food, drinks and other supplies are slow to be delivered to the flood victims.

These questions have really disturbed me as I watch the floods destroy Thailand. Yingluck is apparently a puppet prime minister who is dancing to a tune written by those around her. Who are the invisible hands who apparently have a malicious intent for Thailand?