New charter tackles Thailand's woes

New charter tackles Thailand's woes

By Vikas Bajaj

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP): A Thai adage has it that the poor fear the police, the police fear the rich and powerful, and the rich and powerful fear change.

As Thailand grapples with the worst economic crisis in 15 years, the status quo is running into conflict with constitutional reforms that could deeply change Thai society -- if the rich and powerful allow it.

Changes will be needed if Thailand is to overcome a malaise of short-lived governments plagued by corruption and incompetence that drove Thailand on Aug. 11 to beg US$16 billion in international loans to bail out the flagging economy.

Reformers are placing big hopes in a new constitution put forward by a drafting assembly Aug. 15. It is the first in the 65 years since absolute monarchy ended to have sought grassroots opinion.

Village meetings, letter-writing campaigns and even computer on-line input helped the 99-member drafting panel come up with a charter that would increase civil liberties and make government more transparent to root out corruption.

"One of the two basic problems in Thai society is the pervasive use of personal influence by those in power," said Pasuk Pongpaichit, an economist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

Once-respected institutions like the central bank and civil service have increasingly suffered from political meddling.

"The second problem is the current constitution doesn't guarantee basic human rights and freedom in the sense of the universal basic rights," Pasuk said.

But the charter is expected to face tough opposition in Parliament, which opens debate on it Sept. 4, due to the vested interests of politicians who spend heavily on votes to win their seats and view holding office as a chance to grow rich.

If Parliament rejects the draft, the charter will go to a referendum. But pessimists believe that the party machines that profit from the current system will buy votes to defeat it.

The new charter -- Thailand's 16th -- replaces one enacted by the last military government, which ruled between 1991 and 1992 before a mass uprising by the Bangkok middle-class drove it from power.

Civilian governments since then have bogged down in corruption allegations and economic mismanagement.

Though few Thais want the military to return to power -- there have been at least a dozen coups since 1932 -- many are fed up with the mess of the current system.

After a de facto currency devaluation in July, Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was forced to seek help from the International Monetary Fund in the second-largest bailout ever after Mexico's in 1994.

The crisis has increased a sense that drastic measures are needed to put Thailand back on track. Newspapers speculate that if Parliament fails to approve the new constitution, protests will return to the streets of Bangkok.

The new charter ensures greater civil rights, sets up mechanisms to monitor politicians and allows more public participation in government.

Yet the draft has been criticized for leaving loopholes for corrupt politicians.

The military wields substantial power. It forced the drafting assembly to weaken a clause that would privatize radio and television frequencies, most of which are owned by the armed forces. The military also come out against a provision allowing citizens to peacefully resist coups.

Other powerful groups, such as leaders of Chavalit's coalition, the Buddhist clergy and appointed village leaders have taken stances against the draft. Many ordinary Thais think that no matter what the constitution says, the status quo will prevail.

"It may be written very nicely, but practically it may not be effective," said Noppadol Boonyakiet, a homeless person. "Ordinary people think they will have no rights, as usual." Academics say such apathy and pessimism is partly to blame for the corrupt, stagnant system.

"People must realize their power," said Kaewsan Atipho, a law professor and one of the charter drafters.

Thailand was a feudal society until the early 1900s, and class divisions are still tolerated, with the newly rich taking the place of the nobility. Though Thailand has laws aplenty, the rich are less likely to be prosecuted and government officials almost never pay the price for abusing power.

Thailand's poorest 20 percent have 5.6 percent of the national income, while and the richest 20 percent have 52.7 percent.

The economic crisis may be a blessing to the charter. The current government and parliament are so unpopular that they may commit political suicide by sinking it.

Sulak Sivaraksa, a prominent social critic, sees the new constitution as simply a first step toward closing the gap between the poor and the powerful.

"Once the policeman realizes he doesn't have to be afraid of those with aristocratic accents, then we're on the right track."