A matter of honour
To their less generous critics, politicians split communities wherever they go. Even in educational institutions.
Although most Thai politicians are noticeable by their absence from the public eye these days, there are some who have not rolled over and are prepared to voice their views on the government-sponsored reconciliation campaign which looks set to dominate the political agenda for the rest of the year.
Members of parties, big and small, have accepted an invitation to join unity forums set up to thrash out ways to piece the country back together after it was torn asunder by colour-coded conflicts.
The parties’ responses to the unity overture have been mixed. But they share a common theme in their carefully worded comments on what they expect will be the outcome of the reconciliation efforts. After all, the military remains fully in charge of the country and the constitution rules governing politicians are unprecedented in their restrictions and clarity about what they can or cannot do.
Many politicians, including some who have no apparent active political role at this time, are mulling harder than ever whether to run in the next general election. They are being closely watched by analysts on the back of suspicions that they could be preparing to rejoin the political fray to gain exposure and re-engage with voters even before the poll gets under way.
This growing reality is shared by academics at Thammasat University who stand on either side of the fence about whether the university should honour Boonchu Trithong, the old Chart Thai Party’s former deputy finance minister and former university affairs minister, by publishing a book of distinction in his name, in recognition of his contributions to their institute.
Mr Boonchu was a high-flying politician in his time and regarded as one of the movers and shakers in government.
His career in politics spanned decades, however it wasn’t always a smooth ride for him. After the Constitutional Court ordered Chart Thai to be dissolved for electoral fraud many years ago, Mr Boonchu was among its executives who were banned from politics for five years. It was during this hiatus that he decided to pursue other interests, eventually turning his compass toward education.
He reportedly donated land to Thammasat’s campus in Lampang, his native province, paid for the construction of the university library and provided scholarships to students.
On his 75th birthday this year, a group of lecturers planned to ask the university to have a book of honour published for Mr Boonchu for his contributions to the institution.
However it received a cold response from other lecturers and staff who have not forgotten the “green card” scandal of a bygone era. For people who remember his days in active politics, Mr Boonchu’s image is associated with the scandal in which some politicians enjoyed the privilege of frequenting certain nightlife entertainment venues courtesy of “green card” passes issued by a generous Mr Boonchu.
Although analysts agree Mr Boonchu is way past the stage of thinking about reentering politics, sceptical lecturers at Thammasat needed a lot of convincing to get their thoughts in order about the former minister.
In the end, it was decided that the book would be produced.
Mr Boonchu concedes the green card scandal has left a stain on his reputation, one which cannot be scrubbed off easily.