When Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat announced his cabinet, critics said it was the same old case of political brokering to put hacks in key posts _ witness the return of controversial Chalerm Yubamrung as minister of public health. Critics said, only look at the square pegs in the round cabinet holes like, well, the human lightning rod Mr Chalerm as minister of public health.
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| PLAYING CATCH-UP: The new man in charge of the country’s health, former police captain Chalerm Yubamrung. |
They may have had a point.
A week after being sworn in, Mr Chalerm had his first press conference, and it was the minister asking most of the questions. Problems with Chinese milk? Really? What is melamine? Is it dangerous or something? Why didn't someone tell me about this?
Public Health Ministry bureaucrats scrambled to write a background summary for their minister, while editors gave the story the put-down headline: ''Clueless''.
Okay, readers need to chortle sometimes and Mr Chalerm has skin thicker than any elephant. But it also seemed both the ministry and its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were faking it from the start of the tainted-milk scandal in August.
As countries around the world announced bans and special inspections of products containing Chinese lactose, the FDA simply issued a statement that there could not be a problem in Thailand, because the FDA had banned melamine-laced milk.
Yes. Well. After weeks of that, the FDA actually began testing. It asked retailers to remove imported products _ Oreo wafers, M&M chocolates, Mao Huad crackers _ that the FDA had originally rubber-stamped into the country. And of course retailers said they were studying the FDA request and might remove products ... or might not. Dutch Mill president Thirayuth Chaisawangwong said he was sending all his milk powder back to China. The FDA said: ''Oh no, you're not, not until after the tests.'' Back to Minister Chalerm.
He was faced with consumer fears about imported Chinese milk products. He read FDA tests that showed trace-but-safe amounts of melamine in Dutch Mill shipments (and hands up: Who knew Dutch Mill milk came from China?). He learned retail shops were slowly considering maybe un-stocking possibly dangerous products. And he ordered direct action.
He ordered a cover-up. Officials are not to discuss the issue of melamine in milk and associated products from China. It might make China angry, and might affect overall trade relations with Thailand. He asked the Chinese Embassy for an appointment with Ambassador Zhang Jiuhuan to explain to the diplomat that Thailand has no intention of criticising China simply because its milk kills babies and isn't trusted worldwide, not while he is health minister.
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