A corruption case reopens the debate on police abuse

The most recent case involved a Taiwanese actress, who was required to pay 27,000 baht. The illegal actions of the agents have been known for a long time, but the possibility of a change still seems distant despite the hopes that were raised after the coup d’état of 2014: now the police forces are deployed against the anti-government protesters.

Bangkok () – The umpteenth episode of corruption that has drawn the attention of public opinion has reopened the debate on the need for police reform in Thailand in recent days. A measure that the population has been waiting for since the military coup led by the then general and current prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in May 2014.

Illegal actions by the police have long been known and are often featured in the Thai media, which chronicles the lucrative gambling business and the diverse world of “entertainment”, emphasizing the negative shadow they cast on society and the image of the country. Agents never suffer punishment, be it transfers, suspensions or reductions in benefits, salary or years of seniority.

The most recent case, which also had wide resonance abroad, involved a well-known Taiwanese actress, An Yu Qing, also known by her English name Charlene An. a checkpoint on one of the busiest arteries of the capital, Bangkok: the agents demanded a payment of 27,000 baht (about 800 euros) to let her through. Due to the growing notoriety of the news, the matter was confirmed by the local Huay Kwang Police Station after days of hesitation by officers, who first tried to charge the visitor with immigration-related crimes and then accused her of possessing a “electronic cigarette”.

Nothing new, as has been denounced many times by citizens: it is well known that many middle and senior officials have assets and wealth that are greater than the possibilities offered by their salaries. It is also well known that those of lower rank need to guarantee large sums to their superiors, from which they in turn will benefit when they have risen in rank. The size of the body, which has 230,000 troops and a disproportionate number of officers, was also criticized on several occasions.

At the same time, there is a general perception that the system is maintained thanks to tolerance and blackmail, even more so when the authorities recognize the need to cleanse the body of “bad elements.” This was reiterated in recent days by the commander of the national police, Damrongsak Kittiprapas, and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, on whom the police depend.

Its reform is a thorny issue, but it is also for the population, which is forced to suffer acts that do not conform to the law or that elude it. It was also for this reason that the Thais had accepted the “fait accompli” of the 2014 military coup: General Prayut Chan-o-cha had promised to restore the police to legality, from whose ranks came the figure most repudiated by the armed forces and traditional elites, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in voluntary exile since 2008. But police are now often in the front line against protesters demanding Prayut’s resignation and an end to military power in the country.

Photo: Flickr/Gerry Popplestone