The government has announced plans to sweep away beggars and regulate buskers throughout the country. It is a grand-sounding plan. The devil, as always, is in the details. Already, there is talk of using force and introducing new red-tape bother for some of society's worst-off people. It is troubling that the plans announced last week make no mention of dealing at last with the gangs who exploit and boss the unfortunate beggars.
As always, the initial plans by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry sounded attractive. Beggars will be allowed to leave the streets and enter occupational schools. Buskers, those who use the pavements and markets to entertain for money, will be issued with licences. Soon, according to the plan, the public will no longer be bothered by beggars, and buskers will perform only in attractive places, where their audiences will fully appreciate (and reward) their talent.
That is the plan. It is unknown what is happening behind the scenes at the ministry as this plan is developed. One must hope, however, that obvious problems are being addressed. The ministry did announce to the media that it must forge a clear definition of "begging", which is an encouraging sign. Authorities are working with the 1941 Begging Control Act, which is wildly out of date in many ways.
One of those ways underpins the whole problem of begging in public today. Violent, mafia-type gangs have declared that begging is an industry. On the surface, these criminals recruit, organise and dictate how their "business" works. This includes who may be a beggar, how they should act and, the key part, how much money beggars will be "allowed" to retain, with the lion's share going to the gangs.
There are those who see these gang operators as a positive force. They ensure the beggars under their control have shelter and get food. They allot and assign spaces for begging, such as on the streets, overpasses and even inside public buildings. Those who support this view are wrong.
It must be stated and repeated that this "beggar mafia" is a classic criminal enterprise. Many beggars are forced to beg or are beaten, children are exploited, and the crippled are intimidated beyond imagination. There is no thought to laws such as minimum wage. The pavements are public whatever these felonious human traffickers say.
Busking is clearly seen by the ministry as a sub-set of begging. Street performers work to give the public entertainment, and hope that passersby and audiences will reward them. In this country, busking is almost exclusively performances by the poorest of the poor. School children often are seen performing in markets, hoping to help their poor families to finance their education. The blind musicians who set up on pavements are virtually a tradition of Bangkok, but incidentally the public must realise this is their best chance of employment and survival.
The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the cabinet and the National Legislative Assembly must have a single, overriding motive when they discuss a new law for beggars and buskers. That motive is sympathy.
The current plan calls for sweeping beggars from the streets, deporting the non-Thais and sending the others to designated occupational training. Busking will be "allowed" so long as the performers obtain the correct papers from officials who can easily withhold them for any reason, or for no reason. There is much to discuss about this proposed new regulation. One must hope the ministry and others will think carefully before putting heavy restrictions on the poorest, most vulnerable people in society.