In the uncovering of mass graves and 21st-century death camps — essentially forced labour camps where the twist is that the victim's relatives must work and sell their possessions in the hope their relatives will be freed — as well as in the detection of hundreds of unregistered fishing trawlers, Thailand has a choice.
The first is to deny everything and avoid injuring vested interests and thereby potentially causing disharmony along social cleavage lines such as the military versus the police.
The second option is an onslaught on the evil that Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has acknowledged lies within the system — an evil perpetuated by xenophobia. The Thai military seems to have chosen this alternative and has initiated command and control centres to eliminate human trafficking and revolutionise the Thai fishing industry.
Thailand does not have much time. The next US Trafficking in Persons Report comes out in June. While it may not bring immediate sanctions, the international fallout of being termed a slavery-tolerating nation necessarily has repercussions on core commercial sectors such as tourism. Moreover, the EU is less than six months away from imposing sanctions on Thailand that would condemn an entire industry for illegal and unregulated practices.
Neither the US nor the EU impose sanctions lightly. These decisions are the result of functioning, transparent bureaucratic systems, the results of which can be anticipated years in advance. As such, this is no time to engage in a rhetoric of asking for mercy and thereby implying a victim mentality and demonisation of the foreign "Other". This is no time to argue that the EU is engaging in protectionism. The only protectionism the EU wants to engage in is protecting a sustainable fishing framework which actually stands a chance of working — its Common Fisheries Policy, which applies the concept of maximum sustainable yield.
This is the time for Gen Prayut to show himself a true statesman. It is now that the EU and US must in turn spell out their commitment, clearly and transparently to all concerned, that if invited they will assist Thailand in combating ingrained grand corruption and in relieving concentrated human anguish — and that if necessary, they will assist Thailand in decommissioning trawlers and in repatriation schemes so that the immigrants can return home.
Dehumanisation is occurring in the death camps and among the workers of an entire industry, who have been reduced to the foraging of our ancestors rather than benefiting from sustainable harvests in what should be a bountiful sea.
Thailand stands at the threshold. In winning this war on unchecked greed in cooperation with the West, it must show an understanding of concepts that are central to social sciences, including economics.
Rational choice theory has been shown by Nobel Prize laureate Prof Gary Becker to describe human behaviour in terms of crime and punishment. This theory makes the point that the type of crime committed is largely explained by an individual's human capital — education. Furthermore, empirical studies indicate that the probability of getting caught has a greater deterrent effect on criminality than the severity of punishment.
As such, Thailand's attempted reconciliation of its people through hyper-nationalistic Pan-Thai-ism cannot withstand scrutiny. Discourses focusing on superiority do not inculcate entrepreneurial values and the desire to act responsibly towards their fellow human beings.
Consequently, a humanistic training must be emphasised. And the proven way to address systemic corruption must be taken — addressing it directly and removing those who enjoy impunity at the highest levels through a greater likelihood of being caught and uncompromising prison sentences.
Because of the magnitude of the inhumanity, compassion is also required, both for the victims and, perversely, for lower-level officials. An amnesty is needed. Then officials may testify to a concomitant truth commission so that action can be taken. Investigations to put the chief perpetrators behind bars may take weeks or months but certainly not more than a year. Moreover, those reticent to testify must be made to understand that they will be prosecuted. This approach is not new to Thailand. Amnesties were used successfully in the 1980s to bring the communist insurgency to an end.
Rational choice theory must permeate the Thai polity. The Middle East cannot serve as an alternative market for Thailand's fishing, as some have suggested. Thailand already sells fish products to the Middle East. If it cannot conduct trade with the EU, dumping fish there would not drive up prices.
Further, unsustainable fishing is evident in catches per hour of 300 kilogrammes in 1961 — when Thai trawlers began operating — dropping dramatically to 14 kilogrammes in 2009. Soon, commercial fish will no longer successfully spawn, as with the Northern Cod fishery. With a failing supply, there will be no more fish to sell.
Finally, the size and stability of the EU make it a preferred market, one where the industry can absorb the costs of boat tracking and pass it on to consumers, most of whom understand the importance of sustainable fishing because of Europe's own experience.
Therefore, there must be concerted action, namely the application of rational, humanistic principles to the dilemma of Thailand's worsening international image at a time when progress in transparency is being made. Moreover, death camps, human trafficking and illegal fishing are symptoms of the same underlying predicament. This problem is not primarily political, though there is a desperate need for principle-driven parties which can engage in a consensually competitive manner and which are democratic in structure.
Instead, the roots of Thailand's convulsions lie in a century of stigma against its immigrants and ethnic minorities, together with a socio-economic system which has seen the development of classes so different in wealth they are no longer able to mutually comprehend each other.
Dr Peerasit Kamnuansilpa is founder and former dean of the College of Local Administration, Khon Kaen University. John Draper is project officer, Isan Culture Maintenance and Revitalisation Programme (ICMRP), College of Local Administration, Khon Kaen University.