PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has good intentions in seeking to shield us from the cold world outside, but censorship is not the way to go, whether in principle or practice. As Justice Potter Stewart noted, "Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself."
We should follow Lord Buddha’s advice: “Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true.” How can we follow Lord Buddha’s advice if the government decides what we can see or read, especially if the government is unfavourably mentioned in the censored piece?
If something is false, incomplete or one-sided, then judicial remedies should be used, and the injured party can use the media or courts to present their side of the story, rather than ban the piece without giving the author an opportunity to defend himself.
Censorship can, of course, be applied only in Thailand. So, the whole world except us can know what the junta doesn’t want us to know. We are closing our own eyes to what might be the truth, and shutting ourselves off from opportunities to correct what others think about us.
Practically, censorship is not possible to maintain. Banned books can be easily obtained from overseas sellers. We should have more confidence in our ability to reason and act in our best interests and stop censorship.
Burin Kantabutra
Aussies solved cop graft
If Thailand is serious about wiping out police corruption, it could look to several overseas examples to see how this could be achieved. Here is one:
Thirty years ago the Australian state of Queensland was commonly called “the police state” by the rest of the country, and the joke ran that Queensland police were “the best that money could buy”.
In 1987 an independent inquiry into the police's illegal activities and misconduct was set up under eminent jurist, Tony Fitzgerald, who was given unprecedented power to pursue his investigations. A commission was established as the result of long-running media exposure of corruption, including police involvement in prostitution, gambling and kickbacks from the liquor industry. Does any of this sound familiar?
As a result of the inquiry, long-serving premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, was forced to stand down and was later charged with perjury. It also resulted in the end of the 32-year-old government of the National Party.
Two of his ministers, including the police minister, were jailed and the police commissioner, Sir Terry Lewis, was also jailed and stripped of his knighthood. (Again, does this sound familiar?).
The most significant recommendation of the Fitzgerald Inquiry was the establishment of a Criminal Justice Commission with independent power to investigate any complaints or allegations of future police misconduct, and the commission was handed severe disciplinary powers.
Of particular significance to the current state of affairs in Thailand, the inquiry noted the need for Freedom of Information legislation and a review of the laws relating to public assembly and guidelines for the disclosure of pecuniary interests of parliamentarians. Fitzgerald was also damning of the police culture of the state, including loyalty to fellow police officers, police not enforcing laws against other police and criticism of other police being impermissible.
The new Labour Party premier, Wayne Goss, implemented all of the Fitzgerald recommendations.
The result is that today, 30 years on, Queensland’s police force is regarded as almost incorruptible and one of the most efficient state police forces in Australia.
David Brown
The top job pays well
On Nov 1, the Bangkok Post reported national police chief Pol Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang and his wife have declared assets of some 375 million baht.
Enough said.
Mr M
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