EDITORIAL
Thailand ignores education reform at its own peril
By The Nation
Published on June 14, 2011
The call for meaningful change in our schools goes unheeded by politicians and bureaucrats who cannot think further than their own pockets
Voters have yet to see the political parties' educational platforms, even though the general election is only a few weeks away.
Although politicians often use children to solicit votes - using them in all available photo opportunities - they have so far failed to come up with any policies to ensure the younger generations will grow up enjoying a quality education and supportive learning environment.
Major political parties simply outline their education plans broadly. For instance, the Pheu Thai Party says blandly that education is at the heart of every solution to achieve future prosperity. The Democrat Party says it will create incentives to attract qualified persons to become teachers, as well as continue the free education programme. Neither gives any specifics. The small and medium-sized parties, meanwhile, have not said anything about education.
It is not surprising, as education has never been a priority for political parties, especially now, as they are only interested in announcing short-term policies to attract votes.
The ignorance and inefficiency of our decision-makers has resulted in the falling rank of the Thai educational system in a global survey. A number of weaknesses have been pointed out. For instance, the Thai labour force fails to accommodate the needs of the business sector. Thailand lacks industrial technicians to keep up with increasing demand. The level of English proficiency of Thai students is at the lower end of the survey.
The challenge for educational reform is how to provide equitable access and quality education to all children. Thailand has so far failed to achieve in both areas.
Hundreds of thousands of children are denied educational opportunity for various reasons such as poverty, lack of family support, homelessness or non-citizenship.
The lack of a supportive environment can also contribute to the dropout rate of Thai students. More than 2 million children drop out of middle school to go into unskilled jobs every year.
There are various options to assist these children. Schools and educational institutes could provide a support network to assist with after-school programmes or mentoring programmes. But the existing education system is too rigid. While the resources in public schools are limited, it is difficult for outside organisations to provide supplementary programmes to assist students. Without sufficient assistance to encourage underprivileged children to stay in school, they are prone to various risk factors such as crime and drugs.
Much has been said about Thai students' need to use English properly. But a more fundamental issue is whether the Thai education system teaches students to think, analyse and communicate effectively. Has the Thai curriculum made students understand themselves and their environment? Has our school system enabled students to develop based on their skills, instead of moulding them to certain norms?
Most students aspire to study in a field that will provide them with a high return in an industrial society. Curricula encourage them to follow a mould in which a desirable goal is to gain employment in a company. Rural graduates move to Bangkok every year because they are not instilled with ambition to use their talents in their own communities. Many of these graduates end up working in mediocre jobs.
The current schooling system ignores students' special skills or potential to develop, and does not encourage them to be innovative or think outside the box. Students are judged by their ability to remember the correct answers in multiple choice questions instead of their ability to write good essays or to express their thoughts.
Unfortunately, political parties have so far failed to recognise the imperative of meaningful educational reform. They only focus on flashy advertisements which fail to address the real challenges of educational reform. The Cabinet every year approves a massive budget for education. But most of it is stolen or squandered by politicians and bureaucrats at the expense of our children.
The future is not promising. In spite of the widely debated issue of education reform, politicians have nothing to offer except giveaway gadgets. This is not a solution for the future of our country.
Perhaps, instead of creating a new breed of teachers, our priority should be to re-educate our politicians.
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Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
This Greek Tragedy has a lesson that Thailand must heed
EDITORIAL
This Greek tragedy has a lesson that Thailand must heed
By The Nation
Published on July 20, 2011
New government's pledge of massive spending on public projects is an eerie echo of what happened in Greece
There are grave concerns across Europe that the possible default in Greece will drag other countries into financial crisis. European leaders are this week discussing steps they hope will control the region's debt crisis, after the situation grew more severe than they had predicted.
Although the European Union and the International Monetary Fund approved a bailout for Greece worth around US$160 billion in May last year, Greece is still in deep trouble and Athens urgently needs another rescue package.
The region's failure to fix the Greek crisis could create repercussions that affect the financial stability of the whole euro zone, and possibly spread to other parts of the world.
The seriousness of Greece's troubles should now serve as a lesson to other countries of the sanctity of fiscal and monetary discipline.
The Greek crisis came about as a result of years of unrestrained spending and the country's failure to reform its public sector. The government borrowed heavily on the international capital market to finance its bloated budget and current account deficit. The crisis was also a result of the Mediterranean country's entry into the euro zone, which enabled Greece to access capital at a lower interest rate.
In the meantime, the Greek government saw weaker revenue collection than it had expected.
The Greek debt debacle should serve as a warning for the incoming Thai government, which is now burdened by populist promises it made in the run-up to the election. These pledges of massive spending not only pose a risk to fiscal health but also to monetary discipline, because they threaten to push prices up further.
Many economists have warned that the second half of this year will be crucial for the Thai economy. Thailand will face both internal and external threats. Externally, the economy will be affected by the global financial recession. Internally, the expected massive government spending to realise Pheu Thai's populist policies will apply severe monetary pressure.
The decision of the Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee last week to raise the policy interest rate by 25 basis points was a message from the central bank that fiscal and monetary discipline must be adhered to for sustainable growth.
The Bank of Thailand was attempting to use the policy rate to curb the upward trend in prices.
Unfortunately, the Bank of Thailand, the guardian of monetary stability, is unlikely to get help from the fiscal side. The politicians have instead tried to seduce voters by offering an unrealistically high minimum wage and massive populist programmes, without considering the consequences.
Additional inflationary pressure could be a result of the incoming government's massive spending, especially incoming Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's plans to spend more than Bt1.8 trillion - or 16 per cent of the nation's GDP - over the next five years to finance 13 infrastructure projects.
The politicians often claim that these policies will have a "multiplier effect" to stimulate the economy. But if massive fiscal spending fails to yield the expected result for Thailand, just as it failed for Greece, we could run into a similar pattern of crisis.
The government must take into consideration the consequences of whatever policies it plans to implement. If it turns out that their pre-election promises will damage fiscal discipline, then the government must rethink its plans carefully.
The Yingluck government must also have the courage to tell the public the truth concerning the consequences of badly thought-out policies, rather than insisting on going ahead with unnecessary massive spending.
Thailand was able to recover from the 1997 financial crisis within just a couple of years because the country at that time did not have the kind of fiscal problems that Greece is now experiencing. The Thai financial crisis of 1997 was a result of excess borrowing in the private sector, not the public sector.
But if Thailand suffers a financial crisis due to an irresponsible fiscal policy platform, we may not be so lucky this time.
This Greek tragedy has a lesson that Thailand must heed
By The Nation
Published on July 20, 2011
New government's pledge of massive spending on public projects is an eerie echo of what happened in Greece
There are grave concerns across Europe that the possible default in Greece will drag other countries into financial crisis. European leaders are this week discussing steps they hope will control the region's debt crisis, after the situation grew more severe than they had predicted.
Although the European Union and the International Monetary Fund approved a bailout for Greece worth around US$160 billion in May last year, Greece is still in deep trouble and Athens urgently needs another rescue package.
The region's failure to fix the Greek crisis could create repercussions that affect the financial stability of the whole euro zone, and possibly spread to other parts of the world.
The seriousness of Greece's troubles should now serve as a lesson to other countries of the sanctity of fiscal and monetary discipline.
The Greek crisis came about as a result of years of unrestrained spending and the country's failure to reform its public sector. The government borrowed heavily on the international capital market to finance its bloated budget and current account deficit. The crisis was also a result of the Mediterranean country's entry into the euro zone, which enabled Greece to access capital at a lower interest rate.
In the meantime, the Greek government saw weaker revenue collection than it had expected.
The Greek debt debacle should serve as a warning for the incoming Thai government, which is now burdened by populist promises it made in the run-up to the election. These pledges of massive spending not only pose a risk to fiscal health but also to monetary discipline, because they threaten to push prices up further.
Many economists have warned that the second half of this year will be crucial for the Thai economy. Thailand will face both internal and external threats. Externally, the economy will be affected by the global financial recession. Internally, the expected massive government spending to realise Pheu Thai's populist policies will apply severe monetary pressure.
The decision of the Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee last week to raise the policy interest rate by 25 basis points was a message from the central bank that fiscal and monetary discipline must be adhered to for sustainable growth.
The Bank of Thailand was attempting to use the policy rate to curb the upward trend in prices.
Unfortunately, the Bank of Thailand, the guardian of monetary stability, is unlikely to get help from the fiscal side. The politicians have instead tried to seduce voters by offering an unrealistically high minimum wage and massive populist programmes, without considering the consequences.
Additional inflationary pressure could be a result of the incoming government's massive spending, especially incoming Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's plans to spend more than Bt1.8 trillion - or 16 per cent of the nation's GDP - over the next five years to finance 13 infrastructure projects.
The politicians often claim that these policies will have a "multiplier effect" to stimulate the economy. But if massive fiscal spending fails to yield the expected result for Thailand, just as it failed for Greece, we could run into a similar pattern of crisis.
The government must take into consideration the consequences of whatever policies it plans to implement. If it turns out that their pre-election promises will damage fiscal discipline, then the government must rethink its plans carefully.
The Yingluck government must also have the courage to tell the public the truth concerning the consequences of badly thought-out policies, rather than insisting on going ahead with unnecessary massive spending.
Thailand was able to recover from the 1997 financial crisis within just a couple of years because the country at that time did not have the kind of fiscal problems that Greece is now experiencing. The Thai financial crisis of 1997 was a result of excess borrowing in the private sector, not the public sector.
But if Thailand suffers a financial crisis due to an irresponsible fiscal policy platform, we may not be so lucky this time.
Public not off the hook over phone hacking scandal
EDITORIAL
Public not off the hook over phone hacking scandal
By The Nation
Published on July 22, 2011
Reporters' greed for scoops was fed by readers' greed for sleaze
The story behind the media phone-hacking scandal, which has led to the demise of the News of the World, can be summed by one word: greed.
Of course, the kind of physical attack perpetrated against News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch on Tuesday must be condemned, regardless of how serious the allegation is, but the words of the pie-thrower at the UK parliamentary committee summed up the cause of the scandal overtaking his empire. The attacker was quoted as saying to Murdoch, "You are a greedy billionaire."
Now, the idea of greed is certainly not a taboo for business people. Many have managed to gain enormous wealth, driven by their desire for more money. These greedy folks often make successful businessmen on Wall Street.
But the scandal at the now-defunct News of the World exposes an alarming collision between greed and journalistic ethics. Needless to say, the ethics came off worse.
There is nothing wrong with an ambitious business mogul building an empire, but if that empire is built on unethical practices aimed at satisfying a public appetite for salacious scoops, then action has to be taken.
Early this month, the British public was outraged by reports that News of the World had hacked into the voice-mail of an abducted teenager, who was later murdered.
It was just the start of a string of allegations that have followed, involving the illegal attempt to obtain personal records from politicians, royalty and celebrities.
In fact, the allegations should not have come as a shock to News of the World readers. The paper has long been known for scoops gained by questionable means, and these have fed its robust sales figures over the years.
The paper assigned reporters to pose as sheikhs and coax Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, into the belief she was negotiating a business deal. Ferguson was embarrassed, but the story saw sales for that edition of the paper soar to more than 7 million. In that case, the paper defended its reporters' tactics by claiming the scoop was in the public interest.
But this time around, the public has been outraged by reports of widespread phone hacking to obtain personal information to sell stories.
The media mogul might deny any knowledge of such malpractice, but the News of the World seems to have encouraged this invasion of privacy in a desperate attempt to stay ahead of the Fleet Street competition. The bottom line was: As long as they sell, it doesn't matter how we get the stories.
The press can claim its right to freedom of information, regardless of the means. But in this case, the audience has voiced its strong disapproval over how the reporters got their stories. While some of these scoops were undoubtedly entertaining, there is a limit of appropriate or legal means beyond which journalists should not go.
Moreover, the News of the World can hardly claim that invading the privacy of celebrities, for example, was done legitimately in the public interest. Rather, they were treated as fodder to increase the profits of the tabloid paper.
The image of Murdoch Snr and his son James being grilled in the House of Commons was welcome as it showed that even in the UK, where freedom of the press is sacrosanct, media governance is essential. And the investigation also serves as a reminder that the media, too, is subject to public scrutiny.
With investigations ongoing, the phone-hacking saga has already claimed many casualties. Former editors have been arrested and two senior policemen have resigned. Murdoch himself has seen share prices for his News Corp empire plunge sharply since the scandal broke, but he has also been forced to abandon his ambition to take full control of British Sky Broadcasting Group.
Murdoch may be forced to review the strategy for his media empire after suffering "the most humble day" of his life. But readers may need to reflect on how their hunger to be entertained has also contributed to the journalistic malpractice they are now outraged over.
Public not off the hook over phone hacking scandal
By The Nation
Published on July 22, 2011
Reporters' greed for scoops was fed by readers' greed for sleaze
The story behind the media phone-hacking scandal, which has led to the demise of the News of the World, can be summed by one word: greed.
Of course, the kind of physical attack perpetrated against News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch on Tuesday must be condemned, regardless of how serious the allegation is, but the words of the pie-thrower at the UK parliamentary committee summed up the cause of the scandal overtaking his empire. The attacker was quoted as saying to Murdoch, "You are a greedy billionaire."
Now, the idea of greed is certainly not a taboo for business people. Many have managed to gain enormous wealth, driven by their desire for more money. These greedy folks often make successful businessmen on Wall Street.
But the scandal at the now-defunct News of the World exposes an alarming collision between greed and journalistic ethics. Needless to say, the ethics came off worse.
There is nothing wrong with an ambitious business mogul building an empire, but if that empire is built on unethical practices aimed at satisfying a public appetite for salacious scoops, then action has to be taken.
Early this month, the British public was outraged by reports that News of the World had hacked into the voice-mail of an abducted teenager, who was later murdered.
It was just the start of a string of allegations that have followed, involving the illegal attempt to obtain personal records from politicians, royalty and celebrities.
In fact, the allegations should not have come as a shock to News of the World readers. The paper has long been known for scoops gained by questionable means, and these have fed its robust sales figures over the years.
The paper assigned reporters to pose as sheikhs and coax Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, into the belief she was negotiating a business deal. Ferguson was embarrassed, but the story saw sales for that edition of the paper soar to more than 7 million. In that case, the paper defended its reporters' tactics by claiming the scoop was in the public interest.
But this time around, the public has been outraged by reports of widespread phone hacking to obtain personal information to sell stories.
The media mogul might deny any knowledge of such malpractice, but the News of the World seems to have encouraged this invasion of privacy in a desperate attempt to stay ahead of the Fleet Street competition. The bottom line was: As long as they sell, it doesn't matter how we get the stories.
The press can claim its right to freedom of information, regardless of the means. But in this case, the audience has voiced its strong disapproval over how the reporters got their stories. While some of these scoops were undoubtedly entertaining, there is a limit of appropriate or legal means beyond which journalists should not go.
Moreover, the News of the World can hardly claim that invading the privacy of celebrities, for example, was done legitimately in the public interest. Rather, they were treated as fodder to increase the profits of the tabloid paper.
The image of Murdoch Snr and his son James being grilled in the House of Commons was welcome as it showed that even in the UK, where freedom of the press is sacrosanct, media governance is essential. And the investigation also serves as a reminder that the media, too, is subject to public scrutiny.
With investigations ongoing, the phone-hacking saga has already claimed many casualties. Former editors have been arrested and two senior policemen have resigned. Murdoch himself has seen share prices for his News Corp empire plunge sharply since the scandal broke, but he has also been forced to abandon his ambition to take full control of British Sky Broadcasting Group.
Murdoch may be forced to review the strategy for his media empire after suffering "the most humble day" of his life. But readers may need to reflect on how their hunger to be entertained has also contributed to the journalistic malpractice they are now outraged over.
Populist promises could open door to economic reform
EDITORIAL
Populist promises could open door to economic storm
By The Nation
Published on July 27, 2011
Though Thailand's finances are relatively strong, shock waves from crises in US and Europe are a worry
Thailand should be able to withstand the financial turbulence caused by the current international economic whirlwind.
Although the Southeast Asian region is likely to enjoy a strong performance compared to other parts of the world, the crises in the euro zone and the US have affected capital flows in recent weeks.
While euro-zone finance ministers are battling to fix the Greek crisis, US President Barack Obama earlier this week warned of a "deep economic crisis" if Washington fails to raise the US debt limit.
If the US Congress does not reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling by Tuesday, America faces potential economic disasters that include higher interest rates that could dampen consumption.
Thai stock and currency have been in an upward trend recently, partly because the financial problems in other countries have encouraged foreign investors to deem Thai assets safer than others.
Financial ratings agency Standard & Poor's predicts that the fallout from the US debt ceiling stand-off will have a limited impact on banks in Southeast Asia. The S&P report forecasts continued robust economic conditions in Southeast Asia and strong domestic saving rates.
The baht, according to Bloomberg, will likely strengthen 0.8 per cent against the dollar this week. Thailand's currency may match a 13-year high of Bt29.46 reached in November. "We will probably meet substantial support for the dollar at 29.46 because we are going toward territory we have not been in since 1997," Kobsidthi Silpachai, head of capital-markets research at Kasikornbank, was quoted by S&P yesterday.
But the appreciation of the baht, which recorded an eight-month high this week, does not translate as good news for everyone. Thai exporters may lose some price competitiveness due to higher costs as a result of the stronger baht.
However, though it is generally good news that the region's economic health should give us stronger immunity than others, it would be wise to guard against complacence. Financial woes elsewhere could add to the pressure on the Thai economy.
How to withstand the financial turbulence will be the challenge for the incoming government. Although the robust performance of Thai stocks in recent weeks reflects overseas investors' optimism that the new government's policies will spur the economy, accelerating inflows can also add pressure to the value of the baht.
Of late, the baht's gains have been highest among the Asian currencies. Analysts expect it to appreciate further to Bt29.50 over the next two weeks.
The Thai economy will likely face inflationary pressure, spurred also by robust demand as a result of the new government's policies to boost domestic consumption. Local demand is likely to increase after implementation of the increased minimum wage and other populist policies.
In the meantime, the Bank of Thailand is likely to tighten monetary policy to boost the country's immunity to possible crises.
Although the economies of Thailand and Southeast Asia are considered to be healthy so far, shock waves from the crises in the West could change that picture quickly.
This being the case, the incoming government needs to exercise discretion in its economic policies so as to avoid overburdening the public finances.
Before acting on its election promises, the government should consult with all agencies and carefully weigh up the pros and cons before deciding on critical policies that could otherwise wreck
Thai stability and upset both the monetary and fiscal sides of the economy.
Populist promises could open door to economic storm
By The Nation
Published on July 27, 2011
Though Thailand's finances are relatively strong, shock waves from crises in US and Europe are a worry
Thailand should be able to withstand the financial turbulence caused by the current international economic whirlwind.
Although the Southeast Asian region is likely to enjoy a strong performance compared to other parts of the world, the crises in the euro zone and the US have affected capital flows in recent weeks.
While euro-zone finance ministers are battling to fix the Greek crisis, US President Barack Obama earlier this week warned of a "deep economic crisis" if Washington fails to raise the US debt limit.
If the US Congress does not reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling by Tuesday, America faces potential economic disasters that include higher interest rates that could dampen consumption.
Thai stock and currency have been in an upward trend recently, partly because the financial problems in other countries have encouraged foreign investors to deem Thai assets safer than others.
Financial ratings agency Standard & Poor's predicts that the fallout from the US debt ceiling stand-off will have a limited impact on banks in Southeast Asia. The S&P report forecasts continued robust economic conditions in Southeast Asia and strong domestic saving rates.
The baht, according to Bloomberg, will likely strengthen 0.8 per cent against the dollar this week. Thailand's currency may match a 13-year high of Bt29.46 reached in November. "We will probably meet substantial support for the dollar at 29.46 because we are going toward territory we have not been in since 1997," Kobsidthi Silpachai, head of capital-markets research at Kasikornbank, was quoted by S&P yesterday.
But the appreciation of the baht, which recorded an eight-month high this week, does not translate as good news for everyone. Thai exporters may lose some price competitiveness due to higher costs as a result of the stronger baht.
However, though it is generally good news that the region's economic health should give us stronger immunity than others, it would be wise to guard against complacence. Financial woes elsewhere could add to the pressure on the Thai economy.
How to withstand the financial turbulence will be the challenge for the incoming government. Although the robust performance of Thai stocks in recent weeks reflects overseas investors' optimism that the new government's policies will spur the economy, accelerating inflows can also add pressure to the value of the baht.
Of late, the baht's gains have been highest among the Asian currencies. Analysts expect it to appreciate further to Bt29.50 over the next two weeks.
The Thai economy will likely face inflationary pressure, spurred also by robust demand as a result of the new government's policies to boost domestic consumption. Local demand is likely to increase after implementation of the increased minimum wage and other populist policies.
In the meantime, the Bank of Thailand is likely to tighten monetary policy to boost the country's immunity to possible crises.
Although the economies of Thailand and Southeast Asia are considered to be healthy so far, shock waves from the crises in the West could change that picture quickly.
This being the case, the incoming government needs to exercise discretion in its economic policies so as to avoid overburdening the public finances.
Before acting on its election promises, the government should consult with all agencies and carefully weigh up the pros and cons before deciding on critical policies that could otherwise wreck
Thai stability and upset both the monetary and fiscal sides of the economy.
National Parks are under attack - we must defend them
EDITORIAL
National parks are under attack - we must defend them
By The Nation
Published on July 29, 2011
Authorities must give the public answers over what happened in the forest reserves of Prachin Buri, Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchsima provinces. The violators should also be brought to light in order to send a message that society will not tolerate the exploitation of our preserved wilderness areas.
It is a mystery as to why so many resorts have mushroomed in the forest reserves over the past few years under the noses of officials. After all, the construction of these luxury properties would have required many rounds of transportation and gangs of construction workers commuting into the area.
Now that the scandal has made it into the headlines, the issue should not be allowed to disappear without clear explanations given to the public.
This land-grab story is important because it involves authorities' abuse of power, illegal encroachment and exploitation of the environment.
The Nation's latest survey of the area found that large swathes of trees have been cut down, and some sections have been prepared for large-scale construction projects.
Although high-ranking officials and politicians continue to preach the importance of conserving these National Parks, our latest fact-finding mission to Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchsima showed that huge spaces of forest reserve are being shamelessly exploited, with a large portion turned into luxury resorts.
Nation reporters visited the forested area straddling Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchsima provinces after village leaders and members of the local community complained of encroachment into their forest reserves. The villagers are concerned that such massive encroachment could have a potentially disastrous affect on the ecosystem of the mountainous area. With so many trees cut down, they say the stripped mountainous area is now vulnerable to landslides.
The local villagers have identified three types of violator: First, those illegally grabbing land in the forests; second, those encroaching on the natural park and; third, people seeking to benefit by bending the rules on what the land can be used for.
Based on the findings of The Nation's fact-finding mission, a large amount of area under the Sor Por Kor 4-01 land title deed has been transformed into a number of luxury resorts. This is despite the fact that the Sor Por Kor 4-01 area was preserved for farming and not supposed to be transferred to resort investors.
Even worse, parts of the mountainous terrain with at least a 30-degree slope that were supposed to be preserved as pristine forest to maintain the ecosystem, have also been turned into resorts. We also found uprooted trees and construction materials, which had apparently been abruptly abandoned. The culprits must have known that they were engaging in an illegal practice. They apparently left shortly before the survey team arrived.
Unfortunately, this land-grab is not an isolated case in Thailand. Every time the government grants ownership under its land-reform programme, scandals over the abuse of land titles seem to follow.
Last year, news broke of a large area at Suan Pung being turned into luxury resort despite the fact that the land title deed was supposed to be given to farmers for farming. The news made headlines for roughly a week, and then it disappeared. Nevertheless, Suan Pung is still being exploited.
As for the controversy in Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchsima, the authorities have reportedly given the violators a couple of months to dismantle their properties. The public will be watching to see whether that deadline is met.
Guarding against forest encroachment is not the sole responsibility of any individual. Instead, we have to share the responsibility to protect our resources together. It would be doubly sad if society turns a blind eye to this encroachment given that only recently, we lost soldiers whose helicopter crashed while they were on a noble mission to save the forest area in Kaeng Krachan National Park.
The sacrifices of these men should be a reminder that our National Parks belong to us all and that the national attempt to achieve land reform for the wellbeing of the majority of Thais must not be exploited.
National parks are under attack - we must defend them
By The Nation
Published on July 29, 2011
Authorities must give the public answers over what happened in the forest reserves of Prachin Buri, Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchsima provinces. The violators should also be brought to light in order to send a message that society will not tolerate the exploitation of our preserved wilderness areas.
It is a mystery as to why so many resorts have mushroomed in the forest reserves over the past few years under the noses of officials. After all, the construction of these luxury properties would have required many rounds of transportation and gangs of construction workers commuting into the area.
Now that the scandal has made it into the headlines, the issue should not be allowed to disappear without clear explanations given to the public.
This land-grab story is important because it involves authorities' abuse of power, illegal encroachment and exploitation of the environment.
The Nation's latest survey of the area found that large swathes of trees have been cut down, and some sections have been prepared for large-scale construction projects.
Although high-ranking officials and politicians continue to preach the importance of conserving these National Parks, our latest fact-finding mission to Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchsima showed that huge spaces of forest reserve are being shamelessly exploited, with a large portion turned into luxury resorts.
Nation reporters visited the forested area straddling Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchsima provinces after village leaders and members of the local community complained of encroachment into their forest reserves. The villagers are concerned that such massive encroachment could have a potentially disastrous affect on the ecosystem of the mountainous area. With so many trees cut down, they say the stripped mountainous area is now vulnerable to landslides.
The local villagers have identified three types of violator: First, those illegally grabbing land in the forests; second, those encroaching on the natural park and; third, people seeking to benefit by bending the rules on what the land can be used for.
Based on the findings of The Nation's fact-finding mission, a large amount of area under the Sor Por Kor 4-01 land title deed has been transformed into a number of luxury resorts. This is despite the fact that the Sor Por Kor 4-01 area was preserved for farming and not supposed to be transferred to resort investors.
Even worse, parts of the mountainous terrain with at least a 30-degree slope that were supposed to be preserved as pristine forest to maintain the ecosystem, have also been turned into resorts. We also found uprooted trees and construction materials, which had apparently been abruptly abandoned. The culprits must have known that they were engaging in an illegal practice. They apparently left shortly before the survey team arrived.
Unfortunately, this land-grab is not an isolated case in Thailand. Every time the government grants ownership under its land-reform programme, scandals over the abuse of land titles seem to follow.
Last year, news broke of a large area at Suan Pung being turned into luxury resort despite the fact that the land title deed was supposed to be given to farmers for farming. The news made headlines for roughly a week, and then it disappeared. Nevertheless, Suan Pung is still being exploited.
As for the controversy in Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchsima, the authorities have reportedly given the violators a couple of months to dismantle their properties. The public will be watching to see whether that deadline is met.
Guarding against forest encroachment is not the sole responsibility of any individual. Instead, we have to share the responsibility to protect our resources together. It would be doubly sad if society turns a blind eye to this encroachment given that only recently, we lost soldiers whose helicopter crashed while they were on a noble mission to save the forest area in Kaeng Krachan National Park.
The sacrifices of these men should be a reminder that our National Parks belong to us all and that the national attempt to achieve land reform for the wellbeing of the majority of Thais must not be exploited.
Graft is Good: a wake-up call to take issue seriously
EDITORIAL
'Graft is good': a wake-up call to take issue seriously
By The Nation
Published on July 26, 2011
Poll's shocking finding shows we are all responsible for moral slide towards culture of corruption
A new survey by Abac poll on how we perceive corruption, produced the alarming finding that the majority of Thais, especially young adults, believe graft is acceptable.
The survey released last week found that 64.5 per cent of respondents said they had no problem with government corruption in certain cases: first, if the corrupt government could make the country prosper, second, if corruption promoted people's well-being, and third, if corruption benefited the poll's respondents.
The percentage of those happy to see a corrupt government as long as they themselves benefited was particularly large (70 per cent) among respondents aged under 20 and between 20 and 29.
If this survey proves to be an effective measure of our moral judgement, we have to acknowledge the sad fact that our ethical standards are deteriorating, especially among the young generation. And who else is there to blame for this deterioration but we adults, who set the standards for youngsters?
It is a universally held belief that corruption is evil. Corruption is the enemy of development and good governance. It is absolutely wrong for government agencies or officials to abuse the system for their own material benefit at the expense of the overall benefit to society.
However, it seems the majority of Thais now no longer have a problem with corruption if they also benefit, albeit in the short-term, from the abusive practices. These citizens could live with corruption as long as they can get a "slice of the cake".
The graft-happy respondents have apparently quantified their moral standards into the amount of money they would earn. Their moral judgement is based on the material benefit they would receive, not on selfless values for the greater good. It begs the question, are we reaching a point where we are accepting corruption as a social norm?
But these 65 per cent of respondents are not totally blameworthy (and at least they were honest enough to say what they thought). Rather, corruption has become so pervasive in our society because everyone shares the responsibility for letting the disease grow to such a chronic and almost incurable level.
We must all accept a share of the blame for creating the environment in which graft has flourished. First, corruption has increasingly become acceptable at an individual level. Second, in spite all the anticorruption rhetoric, Thai society has cherished people who achieve material wealth while ignoring the means - too often questionable - by which they amassed their fortunes. Third, our system of governance has failed to punish politicians or people accused of corruption, even when we see their scandal-mired names in newspaper headlines on a daily basis.
In addition, many of us have voted back to power politicians who have never cleared their names after corruption scandals. This is despite the fact that in other Asian countries such as Japan, a single, minor corruption charge can end a politician's career.
We like to casually discuss how bad corruption is, but we have become complacent about it. Now, this Abac poll should serve as wake-up call for everyone to act and address the issue seriously.
For those who might not care about the ethical side of the issue, here's our argument: pervasive corruption will also wreck the country's competitiveness and the ability of the common man to earn more money. Dusit Nontanakorn, chairman of the Board of Trade and Thai Chamber of Commerce, recently warned that corruption would be the biggest obstacle to Asean Economic Community integration. The cost of business would increase because of the large amount of money allocated for bribery.
Corruption robs people - especially the have-nots - of the opportunity to better themselves, because they do not have the money or power to engage in bribery.
Some may be happy to receive short-term benefits from corruption but, ultimately, graft undermines the fair and just environment that gives them, along with the rest of us, the opportunity to prosper.
We are all responsible for corruption, even the 35.5 per cent of respondents who said they would not tolerate it. We have been deprived of our voice to say the right thing and, for a long time now, we have failed to raise our voices against this evil.
'Graft is good': a wake-up call to take issue seriously
By The Nation
Published on July 26, 2011
Poll's shocking finding shows we are all responsible for moral slide towards culture of corruption
A new survey by Abac poll on how we perceive corruption, produced the alarming finding that the majority of Thais, especially young adults, believe graft is acceptable.
The survey released last week found that 64.5 per cent of respondents said they had no problem with government corruption in certain cases: first, if the corrupt government could make the country prosper, second, if corruption promoted people's well-being, and third, if corruption benefited the poll's respondents.
The percentage of those happy to see a corrupt government as long as they themselves benefited was particularly large (70 per cent) among respondents aged under 20 and between 20 and 29.
If this survey proves to be an effective measure of our moral judgement, we have to acknowledge the sad fact that our ethical standards are deteriorating, especially among the young generation. And who else is there to blame for this deterioration but we adults, who set the standards for youngsters?
It is a universally held belief that corruption is evil. Corruption is the enemy of development and good governance. It is absolutely wrong for government agencies or officials to abuse the system for their own material benefit at the expense of the overall benefit to society.
However, it seems the majority of Thais now no longer have a problem with corruption if they also benefit, albeit in the short-term, from the abusive practices. These citizens could live with corruption as long as they can get a "slice of the cake".
The graft-happy respondents have apparently quantified their moral standards into the amount of money they would earn. Their moral judgement is based on the material benefit they would receive, not on selfless values for the greater good. It begs the question, are we reaching a point where we are accepting corruption as a social norm?
But these 65 per cent of respondents are not totally blameworthy (and at least they were honest enough to say what they thought). Rather, corruption has become so pervasive in our society because everyone shares the responsibility for letting the disease grow to such a chronic and almost incurable level.
We must all accept a share of the blame for creating the environment in which graft has flourished. First, corruption has increasingly become acceptable at an individual level. Second, in spite all the anticorruption rhetoric, Thai society has cherished people who achieve material wealth while ignoring the means - too often questionable - by which they amassed their fortunes. Third, our system of governance has failed to punish politicians or people accused of corruption, even when we see their scandal-mired names in newspaper headlines on a daily basis.
In addition, many of us have voted back to power politicians who have never cleared their names after corruption scandals. This is despite the fact that in other Asian countries such as Japan, a single, minor corruption charge can end a politician's career.
We like to casually discuss how bad corruption is, but we have become complacent about it. Now, this Abac poll should serve as wake-up call for everyone to act and address the issue seriously.
For those who might not care about the ethical side of the issue, here's our argument: pervasive corruption will also wreck the country's competitiveness and the ability of the common man to earn more money. Dusit Nontanakorn, chairman of the Board of Trade and Thai Chamber of Commerce, recently warned that corruption would be the biggest obstacle to Asean Economic Community integration. The cost of business would increase because of the large amount of money allocated for bribery.
Corruption robs people - especially the have-nots - of the opportunity to better themselves, because they do not have the money or power to engage in bribery.
Some may be happy to receive short-term benefits from corruption but, ultimately, graft undermines the fair and just environment that gives them, along with the rest of us, the opportunity to prosper.
We are all responsible for corruption, even the 35.5 per cent of respondents who said they would not tolerate it. We have been deprived of our voice to say the right thing and, for a long time now, we have failed to raise our voices against this evil.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Editorial: The country's future belongs to our children
Opinion
Published on January 8, 2011
Our kids need better education and chances to develop individually, but we still fail to help them succeed
Today is Thai Children's Day, and kids all over the country will be out in full force, celebrating an annual event dedicated especially to them. Many organisations and recreation centres will be putting on shows and entertainment events for kids on this day, which is designed to remind us of the importance of taking care of the younger generation.
Children's Day should also make us aware that we must work harder to nurture good citizens, not only for the nation but also for the world. Kids everywhere should have access to quality education opportunities and a proper health service. They should be able to enjoy living in a clean environment, and their rights should be protected. These basic requirements are essential in bringing up our children well, and enabling them to reach their full potential.
Unfortunately, many of our children have been denied these rights that they are entitled to. Adults have so far failed to adequately address the needs of children in this country. Worse, some adults fail to provide proper protection for children. Many kids these days are exposed to harmful influences, and in the worst cases they suffer abuse and exploitation. Adults have always contributed to these problems either through direct involvement or negligence.
While many children today have access to an overwhelming overload of information through both traditional and new media, they also witness and mimic the negative behaviour of adults, day in and day out.
In our society we now see people more divided than ever before. Those with opposing views no longer bother to try to win arguments through reason. The political and social debates in Thailand are now dominated by emotion; people stick to their own opinions and they cannot be swayed by logic. These kinds of debates further deepen the wounds, without bringing knowledge or wisdom to the table.
Good education is vital in enabling our children to blossom. However, the formulaic school curriculum that we continue to impose on them is ineffective in allowing them to develop their strengths and talents.
There needs to be a new push to teach kids more about our environment and our once-strong community spirit. We must help them understand where they come from and to be proud of their heritage, while also teaching that those who are different, or who hold different views, are not a threat.
Kids should be allowed to grow and develop based on their unique abilities and preferences. In addition to academic necessity, we must enable them to adapt to an ever-changing world that has constantly changing needs and demands. The current education system is not up to this task. Our schools continue to try to fit children into a standard mould. Success is judged by material wealth, not the benefits that they can contribute to their community or society at large through the development of individual talent.
Too many children in the rural areas still struggle to receive decent and accessible education and healthcare. This is not good enough. More needs to be done to ensure that they receive these basic rights. As a result of this failing, many young people still aspire to migrate to the cities instead of working to develop the homes and communities where they grew up. And when it comes to a good and clean environment, we adults continue to exploit the resources that belong to future generations to satisfy our immediate greed.
On this special day, we need to remember that children should have the opportunity to excel in whatever field they wish. How many children today don't have access to facilities where they can develop their interest and skills in such areas as painting, music or sport? All of these activities can instil in kids the merits of hard work and discipline, essential elements in forming them into good, productive members of society.
Ultimately it is parents who are in the best position to raise their children to be responsible citizen who have the potential to develop their strengths. Our children simply need more opportunities to enable them to grow up with dignity and pride.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Privacy Policy © 2009 Nation Multimedia Group
January 8, 2011 09:19 am (Thai local time)
www.nationmultimedia.com
Published on January 8, 2011
Our kids need better education and chances to develop individually, but we still fail to help them succeed
Today is Thai Children's Day, and kids all over the country will be out in full force, celebrating an annual event dedicated especially to them. Many organisations and recreation centres will be putting on shows and entertainment events for kids on this day, which is designed to remind us of the importance of taking care of the younger generation.
Children's Day should also make us aware that we must work harder to nurture good citizens, not only for the nation but also for the world. Kids everywhere should have access to quality education opportunities and a proper health service. They should be able to enjoy living in a clean environment, and their rights should be protected. These basic requirements are essential in bringing up our children well, and enabling them to reach their full potential.
Unfortunately, many of our children have been denied these rights that they are entitled to. Adults have so far failed to adequately address the needs of children in this country. Worse, some adults fail to provide proper protection for children. Many kids these days are exposed to harmful influences, and in the worst cases they suffer abuse and exploitation. Adults have always contributed to these problems either through direct involvement or negligence.
While many children today have access to an overwhelming overload of information through both traditional and new media, they also witness and mimic the negative behaviour of adults, day in and day out.
In our society we now see people more divided than ever before. Those with opposing views no longer bother to try to win arguments through reason. The political and social debates in Thailand are now dominated by emotion; people stick to their own opinions and they cannot be swayed by logic. These kinds of debates further deepen the wounds, without bringing knowledge or wisdom to the table.
Good education is vital in enabling our children to blossom. However, the formulaic school curriculum that we continue to impose on them is ineffective in allowing them to develop their strengths and talents.
There needs to be a new push to teach kids more about our environment and our once-strong community spirit. We must help them understand where they come from and to be proud of their heritage, while also teaching that those who are different, or who hold different views, are not a threat.
Kids should be allowed to grow and develop based on their unique abilities and preferences. In addition to academic necessity, we must enable them to adapt to an ever-changing world that has constantly changing needs and demands. The current education system is not up to this task. Our schools continue to try to fit children into a standard mould. Success is judged by material wealth, not the benefits that they can contribute to their community or society at large through the development of individual talent.
Too many children in the rural areas still struggle to receive decent and accessible education and healthcare. This is not good enough. More needs to be done to ensure that they receive these basic rights. As a result of this failing, many young people still aspire to migrate to the cities instead of working to develop the homes and communities where they grew up. And when it comes to a good and clean environment, we adults continue to exploit the resources that belong to future generations to satisfy our immediate greed.
On this special day, we need to remember that children should have the opportunity to excel in whatever field they wish. How many children today don't have access to facilities where they can develop their interest and skills in such areas as painting, music or sport? All of these activities can instil in kids the merits of hard work and discipline, essential elements in forming them into good, productive members of society.
Ultimately it is parents who are in the best position to raise their children to be responsible citizen who have the potential to develop their strengths. Our children simply need more opportunities to enable them to grow up with dignity and pride.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Privacy Policy © 2009 Nation Multimedia Group
January 8, 2011 09:19 am (Thai local time)
www.nationmultimedia.com
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