THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Super-Committee has no magic wand

Super-Committee has no magic wand

If the junta wants its long-term strategies to yield results, it must ensure they are inclusive

The government has unveiled a Super-Committee to map out a policy framework for national reform, reconciliation and long-term strategies over the next 15 years.
The aim is to make Thailand a middle-income to a high-income country, according to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who chaired Thursday’s meeting with concerned agencies at Government House.
He said the new body would be responsible for the reform agenda as well as formulation of economic evelopment and reconciliation strategies.
“Today, it’s not only about [political] reconciliation or amnesty, but we want to see how our country can move forward in the next 15 years. So, the question is what can this government do under the road map to help begin ‘fixing, strengthening, and contributing’ to the country’s [long-term development],” the PM said.
Reform was the catchword immediately after the May 2014 coup that brought the current junta to power. The catchword would soon disappear from discussions as the junta switched its focus to the passing of a draft Constitution because they needed something – anything – which could resemble a seal of approval for the coup and their continuing in power.
The draft constitution was passed in a referendum last August but Thailand remained a divided country. Part of the reason for the division was because of the manner in which the draft constitution was put together – it failed to be an inclusive draft. It is not hard to see this charter unravelling in a matter of time.
The same could be said for the junta’s reform drive. It’s surprising that this Super-Committee was not created from the very outset when the long-term outlook was supposed to be a major concern for the ruling junta. 
But if the junta is not prepared to embark on this reform drive in an inclusive manner, they can be sure they will fail to address the deeper concerns of society. If the past two years are an indication, this plan is doomed to fail. 
Under this latest initiative, three committees will be set up under this overarching body, tasked with looking at reform, strategy and reconciliation. 
It was reported that outdated laws and regulations would be removed to pave the way for the country to become a high-income country under the new economic model. 
One has to wonder why such laws were not there in the first place. Pehaps it was a matter of political will, or the lack of it. 
Nevertheless, it is not very assuring when one looks at the performance and attitude of this administration over the past two years. 
One of the ironies of this latest strategy is the appointment of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan to lead the reconciliation effort. 
Prawit is not exactly the most sensitive person when one considers the delicate nature of this task. His “take it or leave it” attitude is unlikely to go down well with critics and the anti-junta movements. 
The government was correct to say that more work has to be done in the area of the justice system. 
But like everything, the devil is always in the detail. 
Of course there was talk of mega-projects, including the U-tapao Airport development, expansion of phase III of the Laem Chabang seaport, and the high-speed train connecting Thailand’s eastern region, being pushed forward this year.
Needless to say, these major development projects sound good and will employ a number of people while the construction is ongoing. It’s easy to talk about strategy because a common vision can unite all parties. 
But what happens when the construction is done and it is time to pay the bills? Thailand went through that before and the outcome was not so pleasant. That financial crunch was referred to as the ‘Tom Yum Kung crisis’ and the debts accumulated from that horrendous debacle will take many years to pay off.
If we learn anything from the series of wars and world wars of the past centuries, it is that great military generals often credit their victory to logistics, while amateurs talk a lot about strategy. 
It’s not difficult to see in which camp Thai military leaders belong.

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