23 June 2001
It had been
three and a half years since I left home to study abroad and I could not
have been more excited about my chance to come back. My home is pretty far
from the city; accordingly I had to hire a motortricycle-taxi. That old and
noisy tricycle took me home on a tarmac road, which cut through endless rice
fields. It was absolutely wonderful to see the breathtaking views of the
golden Thai farmland again.
On my way home just outside the village, I noticed a compact one-storey building
with a petrol station in the front. Since I had never seen this structure
before, I was surprised and suspicious. I asked my cousin who was travelling
with me about it. She told me that it was the Or Bor Tor office, and that
the petrol station also belonged to the Or Bor Tor. I was very pleased to
hear the words “Or Bor Tor”, and I felt even more thrilled to see
this outstanding development in my hometown.
To me, the establishment of the Or Bor Tor, or Tambon Administration Organisation
(TAO), across the country is definitely a great milestone in bringing the
constitution into practice. Its emergence in my hometown truly brought me
joy. When I saw that building, I was optimistic about the prospects for
bureaucratic reform. I also envisioned more and more villagers getting involved
constructively in politics because political affairs had become more local
and closer to them. And, through the work of the TAO, Thailand’s countryside
would become an ideal place to live.
I dreamt of seeing power decentralised and seeing the efficiency of local
administration brought to light. I dreamt of seeing local officers carry
out their work with honesty and integrity. Moreover, I dreamt of seeing people
in remote areas receive their fair share, in the form of a higher percentage
of the government budget, while more development projects could be achieved.
I really hoped that through the TAO’s missions and operations, these
dreams would come true.
Suddenly, I woke from my daydreaming as the motortricycle abruptly turned
from the tarmac road onto a bumpy dirt track. That road looked really similar
to the moon’s surface. While the vehicle was moving gradually and shakily
through and around countless potholes, I had to grab the side rail tightly
to prevent myself from being thrown out. Worse than that, the dust generated
by the vehicle’s movement almost turned my black hair red.
The pitiful condition of this country road certainly made me sceptical about
the capability and genuineness of the TAOs. My dreams started to fade away.
I thought that as soon as I could, I would ask some TAO members whether they
had looked seriously into the condition of this country road.
Nevertheless, although riding on that road was not as smooth as sitting on
a first class flight, it definitely took me home safe and sound. After a
few days at home, it was time for me to have a chat with the local TAO officials.
But before I could do anything, my father advised me not to mess with those
officials. He said that the situation had changed since the TAO started.
Once-harmonious neighbours were at odds over many actions of the elected
TAO officials who in fact had not been truly elected, but had bought their
votes. Friends became adversaries when they had power, and that had put the
village into a cold civil war. At first, I did not believe my father, but
later discovered that it was true. Many of the villagers did not even talk
to each other even though their homes were just a stone’s throw away.
The relationship of people in the village was very volatile. And to me, it
was astonishing to witness what politics could do to a once-peaceful community.
This situation reminded me of the rampant killings that were caused by conflicts
arising from a TAO meeting. It happens quite often in this Land of Smiles;
people get killed very easily. Thai people, usually the men, on the surface
look easy-going, but underneath they can be brutal and savage, and only because
of greed and wonton. Moreover, the violence has really escalated in places
where local administrations have greater tax revenues, such as industrialised
locations, populated areas, and the areas where natural resources are
abundant.
As a local man, this issue is very important to me. I tried to ponder and
analyse the causes of this nerve-racking situation, and I found some interesting
points; correct me if I am wrong.
First, it seems that many Thai people cannot separate work from personal
relations. When they have arguments in a meeting, they do not leave those
arguments there. They take them too personally and let disagreement at work
jeopardise their good relations. As a result, they become enemies of each
other.
Second, I have found many Thais cannot put up with the effects of certain
development projects. The example I saw was the road expansion or construction
projects which could really affect private land. However, some projects had
effects so enormous that a private citizen could not possibly bear them,
such as a rock processing plants, natural gas refineries, and dams. There
are always those who lose and those who gain in these kinds of projects;
consequently, there are always protests, fighting and killing. And the new
elite win, the rest lose and lose and lose.
Third, I feel that too many officials, both elected and permanent, simply
are crooks. Bad government officers can really be a pain in the neck. Many
of them were good people prior to assuming their posts, but changed once
they saw money and profits. Some have become canvassers of bigger but more
corrupt politicians and left the ordinary people who had supported them high
and dry.
Of course, some are still good people, but the bad ones get control of almost
everything. Good officers might have only two choices – shut up or .
. .
Finally, I have found that many people have forgotten the Buddha’s
teachings. Thai people boast of being Buddhists and of always having peace
of mind; to the contrary, many of their actions are terrible. The Great Buddha
would be in tears if he found Thai people killing each other while wearing
his image on their chests.
The concept of “the middle way” seems to have diminished in Thai
minds. The evidence seems to indicate that the country has been taken over
by greed, anger and excessive lust.
After finding some tentative causes of internal bickering, I can say that
everyone should take a more commonsense attitude and be more responsible.
Needless to say, that is probably the best way to solve the crisis for this
moment.
A native of Buri Ram, Arnon Chaisuriya, the author is working on his Ph.D.
in Language Education at the University of New Mexico, sponsored by Thailand's
Ministry of University Affairs. He is a lecturer at Burapha University in
Chon Buri.