Government still plays the virus blame game

Government still plays the virus blame game

Almost three weeks after the first Covid infection in a Samut Sakhon seafood market was detected, the government still plays the blame game, with migrant workers as a convenient target. Am I surprised?

On Tuesday, the Disease Control Department said it would not be possible to curb the spread of the virus if landlords still offer accommodation to this group or factory owners still hire undocumented migrant workers. Then again, it's not actually a surprise to see how the government, for weeks, has been pursuing undocumented migrant workers who illegally entered or re-entered the country, while high-risk Thais are still able to roam the country freely.

I've seen some similar patterns in the two outbreaks -- irresponsible people with risks of infection and a lame-duck government. Those at-risk groups lied to the authorities, posing a great risk to health personnel who take care of them while the government slowly rolls out not-so-effective measures that always miss the target, while trying to find a scapegoat. On top of that, there's a minister or two who never tires of making careless remarks.

During the first outbreak, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called the deadly virus just a type of flu. When the country experienced a cluster infection, from the military-run boxing stadium and night venues in the Thong Lor area, with over 50 infections and several thousand told to stay put, it took the government weeks to declare a lockdown.

At the same time, the government stigmatised Thai returnees for "bringing the virus in from overseas'', generating fear among Thais living in the kingdom while xenophobia ran high. With such a mindset, overseas Thais suffered from discrimination as the state launched harsh measures, erecting a virtual wall as it stopped their re-entry to the country.

It was clear that some of those who were at the stadium and entertainment venues lied about being there, and still escaped punishment while the government's clumsy response and its obsession with zero infection cases in the name of courting international recognition made things worse.

And we, both people and the government, don't seem to have learned. Eight months on, Thais are experiencing a sense of deja vu: just different places, but similar patterns. Corruption, where some state officials are colluding with human smuggling gangs along the border, is another factor that has complicated the situation.

Instead of immediately closing Samut Sakhon, imposing travel restrictions on both Thais and migrant workers, the government chose to keep the latter in a designated red zone, turning the shrimp market and dormitories where migrants live into a makeshift camp complete with barbed wire.

The government asked Thais to avoid travelling to and from Samut Sakhon unless necessary. But the measures were too vague.

Obviously, the government applied the wrong approach in dealing with migrants in Samut Sakhon. Instead of screening the Covid-free workers out of the cramped accommodation, the government herded them all together, meaning those infected could pass on the virus. The government claimed it was merely following the Singaporean model. Excuse me?

It's not a secret that almost all the services we receive these days are provided by migrant workers. They are everywhere, in markets, eateries, on the street as vendors. Some are factory workers, or domestic helpers. They are in contact with Thais and mingling in their communities, and some may have entered the country illegally.

Last month, Prime Minister Prayut was upset with human smuggling gangs, and vowed action. So far, not a single person has been implicated or punished for negligence of duty.

Why? It's not a secret that the spreaders these days are Thais who have had the freedom to travel during the holiday season. At this stage, we should know that the coronavirus doesn't discriminate. Regardless of nationality, race, age, gender, or job title, anyone could be a spreader or infected.

Should I mention "a warehouse where some people gathered and illegally gambled" in Rayong and some other provinces including Bangkok -- the term was created by local police for feel-good effect -- that became virus hotspots?

At some point, Mr Anutin came out to assure us that public health authorities are capable of tackling the virus without the need for a lockdown. Where are we now?

It's no longer a secret that the government is so broke that it can no longer save face. Yet to resort to word play as it does, claiming we have no lockdowns as such, only zoning and restrictions, is too much. Whatever it is, some businesses have started to feel the pinch, and millions of workers are experiencing hardship.

Sirinya Wattanasukchai

Columnist

Sirinya Wattanasukchai is a columnist for the Bangkok Post.

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