Thailand: More required of PM Thaksin

Thailand: More required of PM Thaksin

BANGKOK: On Sunday, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra made an impassioned plea to the media to stop portraying him as a lame- duck leader so that he could attend the Fortune Global Forum 2001 in Hong Kong from today to Thursday as someone who appeared to be in charge, who could credibly represent Thailand at such an important international business meeting.

That seems an odd thing for a politician to do, especially one who only a few brief months ago was swept into the highest political office on the back of overwhelming popular support. That public support, whether well-placed or not, had been accurately reflected by the media and contributed to the landslide victory of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party, paving the way for Thaksin's rise to power.

It is therefore ludicrous for Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai Party to be suggesting that there is now a conspiracy among the opposition and some media organizations to bring down his government through a systematic negative campaign.

He said that people in the country should concentrate on helping his government map out and implement a grand strategy to bring Thailand out of the economic stagnation and proceed on track to a sustainable recovery.

Thaksin has become increasingly agitated by the public attention and media scrutiny resulting from the continuing Constitution Court proceedings against him for allegedly concealing billions of baht in shares and filing false asset statements while deputy prime minister more than three years ago.

If the National Counter Corruption Commission's verdict against Thaksin is upheld by the Constitution Court, he will be barred from public office for five years. Given new, compelling evidence that has emerged during the Court proceedings so far, it is all but impossible for the public not to be debating the issue of leadership and personal integrity.

As a country with a high degree of media freedom, the mass media are supposed not only to reflect but also to take active part in the public debate.

This issue is of monumental importance to Thailand, therefore it is disturbing to witness Thaksin's apparent confusion when he has on several occasions equated his political survival to the national interest. By any standard, such a claim can only be interpreted as extreme arrogance, if not self-delusion.

He has begged the mass media not to attack him on "small issues", by which he means his apparent underhand efforts to evade the anti-graft agency's detection of a vast portion of his assets and for being less than truthful in declaring his assets.

This is tantamount to urging the mass media not to do the job they are supposed to do by turning a blind eye to the most important issues of the day. By making public his hitherto well- concealed attitude toward the mass media, particularly the free media over which he has no control, Thaksin is indicating that he lacks one very important qualification of a good politician: the open-mindedness or ability to absorb fair criticism.

Much more will be required of Thaksin, including personal integrity, a sense of conviction and the ability to deliver on promises if his ambition is to become a workable political leader.

Thaksin and his spin-doctors have been promoting him as a non- political politician, who has all the material wealth and business acumen to match, whose only goal in life is to make a positive contribution to the betterment of the Thai people. His enormous wealth is supposed to be a guarantee that he has no need or inclination to cheat, while his business prowess can be put at the service of the Thai public.

They will by now be realizing that his success as chief executive of a hugely successful business empire does not readily transfer well to an attempt to govern a country. Thaksin must begin to deliver on his promises to stay marketable as a politician at home and abroad.

Regarding the Hong Kong trip that Thaksin seems to have attached so much importance to; the question is not whether the forum is important enough for Thailand's credibility in the international community.

The question is whether Thaksin is big enough as a leader to be speaking for Thailand.

-- The Nation/Asia News Network