POLITICS
Thailand'S Image Tarnished By Truth
It would be naive to believe that Thailand's dark excesses have escaped the
notice of a newly empowered EU which is motivated to address the wrongs of the
world, writes FLEMMING WINTHER NIELSEN With the help of the
international news agencies, Thailand's Tourism Authority has had success in
creating a magnificent image of the country, the people, the natural
environment, the "coconut" beaches and the smiles. And mind you, this image is
genuine. Especially in the countryside, the people are extremely welcoming and
helpful, and although some are now under severe threat, the beautiful natural
environments still exist.
However, there is another side of the coin that has also been broadcast around
the world. Thanks to the globalised media, Thailand's corruption, as in the case
in which school childrens' milk was watered down; brutality, as in the case in
which dozens of human beings were suffocated being transported in closed trucks,
packed like sardines in a tin; and murders - recall the two unsuspecting young
tourists who were gunned down by a drunk policeman in Kanchanaburi - made
newspapers in Europe and elsewhere. John le Carre once wrote: "When Thais get
crossed they kill."
In addition, Thailand is known for prostitution caused by destitution, fuelled
by one of the most unequal distributions of wealth seen anywhere in the world.
We cannot, of course, expect the tourism professionals to tell these stories.
But nevertheless, the image they have projected to millions of Europeans has now
started to backfire.
In the spring of 2006, I travelled through Europe, as I frequently do,
predominantly in Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium, where I have
friends and colleagues, mostly academics. I was introduced to a number of young
students and graduates who, when they learned that I live in Thailand (my wife
is a Thai university lecturer), came forward with opinions of the country which
often reflected condemnation and disdain.
Many of them are members of idealistic organisations such as Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch. They are cynical regarding the image
promoted in tourism advertisements, although many have travelled in Thailand and
been gratified by the reception given them by rural people. However, they were
disgusted by much of what they saw, e.g. police arrogance, pompous officials,
cheating, constant pushing, environmental damage and the ever-present and
unnecessary poverty. Remember, these young people have been indoctrinated from
an early age with democratic principles - equality before the law, officials as
servants of the people - as well as a belief in the economic stupidity of
corruption and the advantages of social welfare, including free education and
free medical care.
My friends and colleagues are opinion leaders already, and the young and
educated will take over that role in due course.
THE RIGHT TO INTERFERE
The last 15 years have brought a tremendous paradigm shift regarding the
sovereignty of states. Until fairly recently, state leaders, whether
democratically elected or not, could get away with anything; nobody would lift
an eyebrow. Not so anymore. For example Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia was sent to
prison in The Hague. Augusto Pinochet of Chile was hunted by judges and haunted
by public opinion for many years. There is currently an International Criminal
Court convened to try "crimes against humanity" committed in Rwanda, and it
appears there will finally be a similar action in Cambodia.
The paradigm shift means that the international community and the media will no
longer accept that people, especially leaders, can do whatever they like to the
natural environment or their fellow human beings as long as they stay within
their own country.
Since the world became a "village", the thinking is that we all have the right
to secure the environment and the dignity of human beings - anywhere and
everywhere. We are rapidly becoming "children of the globe" and not of national
states. Buddhism teaches that nothing is stable and fixed forever, everything is
floating. That is especially true regarding the status of nations states. They
are under transition and their role will diminish.
Seen from a European perspective, one must bear in mind that behind the scenes
in Brussels, Geneva, Berlin and Strasbourg the real decision-makers of a Europe
which is once again on the rise are exercising their soft power, now being used
so successfully to "persuade" the new member states of the European Union to
walk the line regarding democratic standards and human rights.
Rather than parochial, their real outlook is international. From conversations
with my contacts I can assure that these leaders and their administrations have
a memory of which even an elephant would be proud; they never forget and they
have the patient stubbornness to wait for the right moment.
It would be naive to think that they are not keeping a close watch on what is
going on in Thailand. Not only out of humanitarianism but also for reasons of
"realpolitik". A large percentage of businesses in Bangkok are now in foreign,
mostly European, hands. The EU does not want their companies compromised, for
example, seen as accepting or being used by a military-based regime. The public
opinion in Europe would never endorse this.
It would also be unforgivably naive to think that the EU is simply a paper
tiger. Sufficiently provoked it will react, but perhaps the target will not
realise it before it is too late.
No, the EU will definitely not "send in the marines". The difference between raw
and bullying power, and the sophistication of silent tools of power, has been
known to Europeans since Machiavelli and Talleyrand.
Mr Flemming Winther Nielsen, PhD is a retired Danish lecturer now living in
Bangkok. He taught at the National Danish School for Social and Development
Studies, DK from 1980 to 2003.
Interesting reading and fuel for quite some rant around ?
Oups forgot - BKK post
