Analysts say this round of police reforms is the real McCoy v Soldiers take to the sewers for the sake of national unity v Pheu Thai Party members are getting restless at the prospect of a new leader
'Bottom-up' approach
After years of anticipation and disappointment, the general public may be witnessing the most concrete and genuine efforts to reform the police, say political analysts.
But the analysts said the reforms cannot be the sole preserve of an exclusive club of policymakers. To succeed, they say the overhaul must be pursued with a bottom-up approach, through which opinions of not only the general public, but rank and file police are heard by the panel tasked with reform.
Since the panel took shape and former supreme commander Boonsrang Niumpradit was appointed its head a little over a week ago, people from many quarters have been anxious over just where the police reforms are headed.
Some analysts have said the government made a good first step in naming the no-nonsense Gen Boonsrang, a West Point graduate, as the panel chief. But the government has also upset many police officers who have complained "in silence" against the choice of a military officer as the top authority charting the destiny of police reform and, hence, of the force.
Reforms of this scope which are designed to completely transform the entire police force -- entrenched in the status quo and old law enforcement practices -- need to have important stakeholders, especially police insiders working on the ground, on board, said a source familiar with the issue.
Earlier, the 36-strong panel drew flak for being under-represented by civilians, although it is made up of 15 non-police members as well as five senior civil servants. Gen Boonsrang said the general public can provide input to the panel without physically joining it. They can direct their opinions through social media and the mainstream media, as well as a subcommittee tasked with compiling public feedback on the reform efforts, which will invite people to air their thoughts from time to time, he said.
The source observed that the panel has lost no time enumerating the work to be delegated. Generally, five subcommittees will be up and running to take care of reform in specific working areas: Administrative and clerical assignments, enforcement of the law and the system of criminal investigation, power and duty of the police, gauging reform feedback and police academic affairs.
Academic affairs refer to the training received by officers, which can serve to shape the career trajectory of young and impressionable cadets.
The source said reviewing the curriculum at the police academy could also change young students' outlook on and values associated with a career in policing, along with how they should conduct themselves in the job.
Also, the power and duty of the police, which is another reform area covering the police reshuffle, is ranked by Gen Boonsrang as the most urgent priority among the five areas, with the deadline to complete the work set for the end of December.
But the source said it was equally important for the panel to try and collect feedback from lower-ranking and junior police who make up the majority of the force, but whose grievances are seldom heard.
The source said the potential question was how the panel could create a channel through which junior police can relay their problems to the panel in strict confidence. Their problems could be attributed to their superiors or a flawed system, which the junior police themselves may be afraid to expose out of concern for the consequences, including a dire threat to their jobs.
Boonsrang: Pursuing reform
Unity drive gathers pace
A "volunteer-building" campaign has begun quietly but observers are fast discovering it has the potential to become a powerful tool for national unity and development.
In the campaign, dozens of soldiers of various ranks visit Bangkok communities in waders (long waterproof boots) carrying shovels. They are there to clear sewer outlets clogged with garbage, dredge canals and perform other tasks to improve the landscape and people's livelihoods. Apart from the troops dispatched from military barracks and workers from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the crew includes members of His Majesty the King's Royal Guard regiment and staff team.
Gen Surayud Chulanont has joined this campaign to improve the environment for people in the capital. A member of the Privy Council, he also ranks as a former prime minister and ex-army chief. In this endeavour he is following an initiative of His Majesty the King, who introduced this community work and volunteer programme with a focus on cleanliness and public hygiene in communities that suffer from environmental and health-related woes.
More often than not, when heavy rain pounds Bangkok even for a short period of time, the streets become submerged and people are forced to wade through ankle-deep water. Drains clogged with piles of garbage are usually to blame.
But clogged drains and waste not only contribute to flooding, they also expose the public, particularly those living in flood-prone communities, to health risks and threaten their livelihoods.
The community work programme has done more than produce clean canals ready for rainstorms and improved sanitation levels. It appears to be a powerful tool for increasing engagement with a community.
As it turns out, the programme not only involves soldiers and officials but also draws the attention of local residents, as well as those from other parts of the city.
The "volunteers" are easy to recognise as many wear caps and scarves graciously donated by His Majesty to the programme participants for their giving spirit.
Some observers say the volunteers remind them of a civic network of luk sua chao ban, or civil scouts. Such a network was formed several decades ago based on the idea of involving local people in doing good for the public.
The network caught on, quickly spread throughout the provinces and became one of the most powerful civil groups the country has ever seen. At times they took part in mass political movements.
Even though their role seems to have diminished in recent years, the luk sua chao ban network is still admired for its spirit of giving and above all unity and patriotism. When group members gather for a good cause, they are hard to miss in their trademark hats and scarves.
The rise of new volunteers banding together for a good cause has the potential to expand and contribute to a larger goal of building and promoting national unity and development.
It is believed that as local residents unite in making their community better, they are likely to become more willing to engage in selfless activities and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.
Monthathip: In the race
Question of leadership
Leadership of a political party should not be hereditary or an inheritance passed from one sibling to another, according to some Pheu Thai Party members, who say they have had enough of It Runs in the Family-style antics.
A source in the party said some Pheu Thai insiders have found the prospect of Monthathip Kowitcharoenkul, 59, another Shinawatra sister assuming the party leadership hard to swallow.
Ms Monthathip is an older sister of former premier Yingluck Shinawatra, whose fate is tied to the outcome of the rice-pledging trial she is facing, which is nearing its conclusion.
Although Ms Yingluck has reacted with bewilderment to her sister's name being floated as a possible contender for the party leadership, the news has baffled some Pheu Thai insiders who resist the party not being able to move past the Shinawatra political brand.
Ms Yingluck said her sister must have been in a state of shock receiving the news that she could be in line to lead Pheu Thai -- founded by their older brother and former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra -- in the next election battle. Ms Yingluck herself was never the party leader but was voted in as prime minister of the Pheu Thai-led coalition government by parliament. Ms Yingluck said Ms Monthathip has no passion for or ambitions in politics. Her life revolves around business, having co-founded M Link, a handset and mobile accessories vendor, with her older sister, Yaowapa Wongsawat.
In May 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission imposed fines on Ms Monthathip and her husband, Somchai Kovitcharoenkul, for the insider trading of shares in the company.
Ms Yingluck also responded to speculation that former Thai Rak Thai Party deputy leader, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, may make the cut as the next Pheu Thai boss, saying it is not difficult for a capable politician affiliated to Pheu Thai who aspires to lead the party. She insisted the party has a system in place to scout for candidates and narrow the choice down to the most qualified to occupy the top seat.
However, Pheu Thai members who want the party to distance itself from the possibility of a takeover by another Shinawatra have prepared to turn their back on the party if theirs fears are realised. They said their patience was wearing thin as it would be an affront to assume a family could hog the political power of a party and run it as they please, according to the source.
But other Pheu Thai members were convinced the mention of Ms Monthathip as a potential contender for party leader may work to undermine Khunying Sudarat who has emerged with a stronger chance of winning the leadership race.
The source said some factions in Pheu Thai attached to strongholds in the North and Northeast have backed the notion of the party leadership being shuffled among the Shinawatras. They would prefer Ms Monthathip as head of Pheu Thai to Khunying Sudarat despite having a scant knowledge about the former with whom they have rarely crossed paths.
If Ms Monthathip does not fit the bill or is not willing to take Pheu Thai's helm, there is also former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat who could be in the running for party chief, the source said. Mr Somchai is the husband of another Shinawatra sister, Yaowapa, who used to be Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Mai and wields considerable influence in the party.
Like Ms Yingluck, Mr Somchai is also waiting for his judgement day in court over his government's violent dispersal of street protesters who rallied to prevent him from being sworn in as prime minister in parliament in October, 2008. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hand down its ruling on Aug 2.
The source said time will tell if Mr Thaksin, Pheu Thai's de facto leader, would gamble with a new face or roll out another Shinawatra to fill the top slot in Pheu Thai.