COMMENTARY
PLOENPOTE ATTHAKOR
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's plan to remove all city slums, replacing them with public parks is appalling but not surprising.
It's no surprise either that his controversial plan (or ultimate dream?) has triggered an outcry from the urban poor and housing activists, who say it will affect hundreds of thousands of slum dwellers.
The plan does reflect one fact about our food-loving prime minister: he is a veteran politician who represents people of the old world. Mr Samak will make no change and it is not realistic, by any means, to expect him to change. Doubtless, his current status as head of a party known for its super populist policies, will not help in this case, either.
For a long time, the old man has made clear to the public his deep passion for public parks; in the same manner he is head over heels for dam and road construction, the Mekong River diversion scheme... controversial stuff.
Mr Samak's dreadful plan brings to mind his long-time battle with the Mahakarn Fort community in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon district which began nearly a decade ago. As Bangkok governor, Mr Samak wanted to turn the four-rai site which has been home to generations of residents, into a public park as per instructions from the Committee for the Conservation and Development of Rattanakosin and Old Towns.
The tug-of-war between Mr Samak and the fort residents dragged on until his very last days at the city's top administration. Even after Apirak Kosayodhin took over as Bangkok governor and eventually reviewed the park plan, the problem persists till today due to some stubborn bureaucrats who got along well with Mr Samak.
Perhaps the sight of the poor may be an eyesore for the old man who, during the Apec summit in 2003, made news headlines by ordering city officials to sweep the homeless - as well as stray dogs - from the streets so that foreign dignitaries and guests would not have to see them.
It is evident Mr Samak is simply being true to his own self-asserting personality, expressing his romantic view of public parks, which likely will soon lead him to focus on other aspects of social malaise.
In truth, there is nothing wrong with the idea of a greener city - so long as the poor have a roof over their heads.
Poverty is not a matter of fate.
Instead of blaming the poor for the city's untidiness, it is important that the government look more closely at the issue and realise that poverty is the result of failed development plans.
Many of the urban poor in this capital inhabited by some 10 million residents, are those who have fled the crumbling rural sector and it is the duty of the state to take care of them and not just maintain the city landscape.
Mr Samak, as head of the government, cannot afford to ignore new development options that accommodate both parks and people. He should not be allowed to ignore the successful examples of Ban Mankong housing projects, in which low-income people basically practice land-sharing to justify their stay.
More importantly, Mr Samak should not forget that the urban poor do have a vital role to play in society - many are saleng scrapdealers who efficiently help complete the waste recycling process, others are construction workers, cleaners, etc. These people need a place near their work in the city to keep transportation costs affordably low.
Instead of marginalising them through mass eviction, Mr Samak and his government should make efforts to regulate their stay, improve their welfare and quality of life.
A greener city should be achieved through state incentives. At the same time, there is a need for state officials to strictly observe town plans which designate green areas and not succumb to the demands of greedy developers to improperly change land use for the sake of money.
But frankly, I hardly dare hope that Mr Samak and his government will get the point.
The only solace in this park-vs-people plan is the realisation that the People Power-led coalition government is unlikely to stay around long enough to carry it out.
Ploenpote Atthakor writes for Outlook,
Bangkok Post.
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