Mad month of corruption caps junta’s reform failure
Just in case we needed a reminder, February has turned into a showcase of the awful deficiencies of national institutions that are well overdue a clean-up – or even a clean-out.
The axe-wielding auntie left behind a trail of embarrassed officials from both local government and the police, who all failed in doing their jobs, not even properly, but at all. On top of that, police officers were removed from positions in Kanchanaburi for getting involved on the wrong side of the law, and a traffic cop from Bangkok showed his preference for killing people rather than paying debts incurred from what was probably his premier job. A student intern was forced to grovel and wai her bosses when her tale of corruption went unbelieved, but despite getting no backing from university superiors, (surely her inferiors), she prevailed and the truth eventually emerged. High-profile officials entrusted to deliver funds to Aids sufferers decided their enrichment took priority. Police and courts continued to drag their feet on cases involving the rich and also influential Army and police generals, leaving the public more than a little gobsmacked at their leniency.
All in all, an awful month for truth, honesty, morality and the enforcers who suggest they “are working on it”.
Lungstib
