Economy continues to vex govt, 3 years on
After almost three years in power, the military regime’s goals remain promising despite its efforts to “return happiness to the people” being far from complete. Ahead of the third anniversary of the coup on May 22, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has lauded its achievements in governing the country over the past three years.
NCPO secretary-general and army chief, Gen Chalermchai Sitthisart, insisted on Monday that it had let nothing go to waste during the past three years even though some problems are yet to be solved.
NCPO deputy spokeswoman Col Sirichan Ngathong echoed her boss and said the regime has evaluated its three-year performance and found there have been improvements in all areas, particularly in national security and stability.
The regime will announce its threeyear performance assessment later this month.
I have no objection to the claims the regime has made as it is true the coup makers have successfully restored order, maintained peace, and ended the prolonged political stalemate which people from all walks of life endured for years.
The junta should also be applauded for its efforts in fighting corruption and regulating the utilisation of public land through a number of measures and regulations despite some of the consequences of these rules having raised questions about propriety.
Still, there are several core issues the regime has failed to tackle over the past three years. Such failures keep people worried and unhappy.
One is the economic downturn. The government insists Thailand’s economy is promising, citing increased exports and domestic investment along with low inflation.
The Commerce Ministry said exports in January rose for the first time in four years and grew by 4.9% in March while inflation remained low at 1.03% during the first four months of the year.
But many people do not see the same degree of improvement in the economy as is claimed by the authorities.
While Thailand’s inflation rate is among the lowest in the world, people have felt the hike in food and consumer goods prices, both directly and indirectly.
The Commerce Ministry has admitted that many business operators have
indirectly increased their product prices by charging consumers the same price for products that are smaller in size or volume.
In opinion surveys, on being asked about the government’s performance on economic problems, most people say low personal incomes and the high cost of living are issues the government has failed to solve.
A Suan Dusit Poll of 1,258 people conducted May 2-6 revealed that the government was weakest at dealing with the economy.
Finance Ministry Apisak Tantivorawong has responded to criticism of the government’s performance in handling the economy by insisting it is actually improving thanks to several government measures, adding that the critics may not have felt it yet.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon had said only low-income people suffer economic problems.
Gen Prawit’s remark startled me. Yes, he is right. High-income earners should not suffer much in an economic downturn. This can be seen by Porsche car
sales in Thailand in the first four months of this year which reportedly jumped 16% from 134 units last year to 156.
He seemed to suggest that only lowincome people have the right to cry foul over the economic slump while other groups, particularly the media, should shut up.
In addition to the economy, the majority of people surveyed by the Suan Dusit poll are also unhappy with other issues: restrictions of rights and liberties through the imposition of new laws and, significantly, the large budget outlay on submarines.
Fortunately, this government and the regime as a whole seem to benefit from “autocratic immunity.”
Under democratic rule, the regime would be grilled by parliament over its policies. Under the current autocratic rule, it has not only escaped scrutiny but also has got away with various things by using “creative excuses” to justify decisions.
Its secret approval of the Chinese submarine purchase plan would definitely come under fire by a parliamentary opposition. It would most likely be slammed
and called an alleged conflict of interest. But the regime simply describes it as a plan to “boost maritime security”.
The controversial media regulation bill, proposed by the coup-installed National Reform Steering Assembly’s media reform panel, would also be hotly criticised as a move to “interfere with the media” in a democratic world. In the regime’s world, it is called “media reform”.
The government’s plan to dump 30 billion baht this October to subsidise welfare for low-income people could also be accused of being a “populist policy”, if it were introduced by a democratic government. However, the regime calls it an act of “returning happiness to the people”.
Despite these criticisms, many people are likely to continue supporting the regime. This is not surprising given that they do not want a return to political turmoil and many still fear “unscrupulous politicians”.
They can overlook some regime weaknesses and trade them off with its strengths.
The government’s strong points in the same Dusit poll included its fight against corruption, illicit drugs and dark influences (75.4%); assistance given to farmers and low-income people (68.3%); and its efforts in tackling human trafficking (66.4%).
Still, after three years of high public expectations, the NCPO has apparently yet to achieve its core goals of national reform and reconciliation. Although the military regime has played an integral part in keeping the political situation under control, this does translate into actual unity.
It is hard to imagine how unity can be forged when the regime’s leader, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, who always insists he is not aligned to any of the parties involved in the political conflict, publicly urges people not to vote for political “old faces” in the next election.
To achieve national reform and unity, the attitudes and mindset of our current rulers are the first things that need adjusting, and while they may require more time to achieve their goals, it does not give the regime the justification to rule for three more years.
Soonruth Bunyamanee is deputy editor, Bangkok Post.