We are beginning to sound like a broken record. But the message must continue to be repeated because the powers-that-be are simply not listening. Time and again scandalous incidents involving shameful behaviour of policemen continue to crop up. Time and again problems are "transferred" to another area.
Earlier this month a comical situation made the headlines when a police officer filed a complaint against another police officer for failing to deliver on a promotion after paying a 700,000-baht bribe. This cop versus cop story is an example of a deal that went south but reinforces allegations and the belief that bribery for promotions within the police force is alive and well.
Senior police officers are dismissive of the allegations, even when they are made by prominent individuals, such as Adm Phajun Tamprateep, a former close aide to Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda and former House speaker Arthit Ourairat, who is now rector of Rangsit University, both of whom recently highlighted this problem.
But a more recent scandal -- police extortion and attempts to frame citizens with false charges -- is worse than the cop's bribe. This week, six Chon Buri policemen -- two officers and their subordinates -- were accused of trying to frame a karaoke bar owner with false charges of sex trade and human trafficking.
The karaoke bar owner in Bang Lamung district claimed that the policemen illegally detained her and her employees after unsuccessfully trying to frame her staff into accepting money for sex.
According to the bar owner, a man came into her bar and offered 2,000 baht to a waitress, asking her to say she was selling sex to him. However, the waitress refused. The man then tried the same thing with another waitress, but this time he put the money in her hand.
Then, a group of five men stormed into the bar while one used his mobile phone to take a photo of the waitress holding the money. One of the men, a policeman, then accused her of being involved in prostitution and human trafficking and claimed the police had evidence, referring to the photo of the waitress.
The news headlines for this story would have been very different had it not been for the karaoke bar owner's connections -- she called a relative who personally knows police chief Chakthip Chaijinda. The police chief actually called the victim and asked to speak to the policemen who refused to believe that the police chief was on the other end of the line. Only when the Chon Buri police chief called them did they release the bar owner and her staff.
One can only imagine all the variations of this scenario being played out throughout the country. Most citizens who are faced with police extortion would not have the connections to call a phu yai, or person of standing, to get them out of trouble.
This most recent incident of abuse, and many others that we are not aware of, is simply despicable and deplorable. It should not have even occurred. Sadly, we all know that it will continue to happen because our leaders, governments past and present, just simply refuse to take stern action against such policemen. Transferring the problem is the standard operating procedure.
But most important of all, there is a deep reluctance to overhaul the police force from top to bottom. Leaders and governments have simply paid lip service to the word reform. And as long as this reluctance and lack of political will persists, the police in general will continue to be viewed with suspicion and a lack of respect. And unless those who are supposed to enforce the law are respected, the rule of law will never truly take hold in our society.