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War on Mafias
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Snea Thinsan
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Jul 08, 2003 14:06 PDT
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Dear All,
Power, legal or illegal, pushes societies to certain directions to
benefit certain groups of people. Little has ELT discussed this as part
of the "what to teach"---don't you agree? I simply didn't think of, when
I taught, this theme.
Can you see how a topic like this can lead to activities that allow the
students the opportunities to unpack the socio-political factors that
influence their lives?
Thailand prime minister is trying to take on Thai mafia, but it
obviously is not an easy task because not all mafias are of the
politicians' enemies; quite the opposite, many are closely related to
them!!!!
I hope you enjoy reading the news below, and I hope you will share with
me stories about mafias in your countries.
Best wishes,
Snea
War on the (political) mafia
Available at: http://www.bangkokpost.com/eyetpress/
The government war on the mafia has triggered a political war of words
that spilled into the front page and popular columns of leading
vernacular dailies.
This morning's headlines focus on yesterday's raids on the houses of
local politicians in Suphan Buri province in connection with the murder
of an adviser to Interior Minister Wan Muhammad Nor Matha.
The raids follow similar searches on the houses and business offices of
two opposition lawmakers in Kanchanaburi province last Thursday. The
opposition Democrat party promptly accused the government of using the
campaign against dark influence to smear its political opponents.
Dismissing the allegation as groundless, Minister Wan Nor challenged the
opposition party to name any mafia-type figures they can find in the
ruling Thai Rak Thai party (TRT).
This may not be a case of the pot calling the kettle black, but the
stake is very high in this war on the mafia, which is likened by Daily
News as a do-or-die battle between the TRT and the Democrats.
In this respect, the government must prove that there is a strong case
against the two Kanchanaburi lawmakers suspected of involvement in the
murder of Mr Wan Nor's adviser.
Coincidentally, over 100 motorcycle taxis staged a protest in Bangkok
last week against a TRT city councillor who allegedly collected
protection fees from them.
Daily News says the government must promptly look into the allegation
and ensure justice for the motorcycle taxis. ''We want to know whether
the city councillor has been blacklisted as an influential person,'' the
paper says in its commentary this morning.
Writing in Thai Rath, columnist Chalarmkiew says Prime Minister Thaksin
must begin his war on the mafia by ridding the civil service of corrupt
officials who are hand in glove with the lawless elements.
The columnist demands to know why several influential people in the
provinces are not blacklisted by the governors and provincial police
chiefs. ''It's no use keeping these governors and police chiefs when
they are too afraid to take on the mafia,'' writes the columnist.
To win the war on the mafia, says Chalarmkiew, Prime Minister Thaksin
must first weed out civil servants who are the ''lackeys'' of
influential people.
* Songpol Kaopatumtip is the Editor of Sunday Perspective Section of the
Bangkok Post. Email: song-@bangkokpost.co.th
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