Editorial: Quash corruption--not duty -
translated and summarized from Matichon,
July 29, 2005
It has became chaotic for the case of Mr. Alongkorn
Polabutr, Petchaburi MP (Democrat Party) who said
that one relative of the PM was involved with bribes
from Mr. Latapon Ketkothin, chairperson of Lutferthai
Company, Ltd, who was to receive the car park construction
contract at Suwanapoom Airport.
Mr. Alongkorn came forward to reveal information
investigating corruption of the car park construction
at Nong-ngoo Hao Airport (Suwanapoom Airport), but
TRT MPs considered that Mr. Alongkorn intended to
discredit the PM and slander the PM’s relatives--one
who is a woman that may not be involved.
This is like a novel that has many actors and many
sides including Mr. Alongkorn and the Democrat Party
MPs that fight with TRT (the PM’s party), police
that accept the charge, and newspapers accused by
the state of distributing the news to the public.
The PM’s relative did not tell the truth and
Mr. Latapon, who is the key person, did not appear
to confess is the truth.
Actually this complex novel is one part of the corruption
problem that destroys Thailand's image and it reflects
the failure of the system that is corrupt. The evidence
from each side cannot be judged as to who is correct,
who got the bribe, and no independent organizations
or ministers investigated.
The opposition politician do their job by checking
that the government is truthful and transparent,
but in the meantime, the government politicians
just come out to counter, and people who get information
from the mass media continuously may have a headache
and do not know who to believe.
Finally we will see the politicians prosecute each
other in a mess and newspapers as defendants and
accused by the government. They are just doing the
job honestly and want to see truth and transparency
in Thai society.
This case is a precedent that there is no organization
that can quash corruption successfully. The investigation
only comes from the opposition party. Also that
when the mass media does their duty by reporting
they take abuse for doing their job.
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