"Power, by nature, belongs to all of us," Rosana Tositrakul declared at an anti-corruption symposium organised yesterday by the Thammasat Law Society. Speaking to the CNS, she warned: "Do not think that simply because you managed to seize power you will be able to do anything you like? Not in the present century!

"You illegitimately seized power, and if you fail to bring corrupt people to justice there won't be any legitimacy left, for sure."

Rosana has been vocal in demanding that the junta not allow Meechai Ruchuphan, a legal expert who helped Thaksin, to chair the drafting process for the next "permanent" constitution. She was upset when the call to bar Meechai, by her and several NGO leaders, went unheeded.

"If they say they don't care about the voice of the people, then let me ask them: How do they differ from the Thaksin regime?" she said.

Rosana, who was elected a senator for Bangkok in the last senate election in April, said the junta should announce it will adopt the 1997 People's Constitution as the basis for the new charter.

Sak Korsaengruang, former president of Law Society of Thailand and speaker for the new junta-appointed anti-corruption body, vowed not to let the public down.

"Please do not worry. History won't repeat itself," he said, referring to the coup-makers in 1991 who failed to seize the assets of corrupt politicians and were eventually ousted by a popular revolt in the following year.

Sak said Thaksin's alleged ill-gotten wealth will be the focus of his organisation's work, and the deposed premier will have a chance to stand trial to defend himself.

The dean of the Social Innovation College at Rangsit University, Witthayakorn Chiangkoon, said there was a high level of expectation that corrupt politicians will be punished after the coup. However, stress should not be placed on individual politicians, but on improving the system and the level of education in order to systematically combat graft.

"If [the junta and the junta-appointed government] doesn't do it now, within a year's time, politicians will return and it will be the same old story. The country and economy will be even worse off," Withayakorn said.

"People must realise that corruption reduces economic efficiency and destroys democracy."

He pointed to successful anti-corruption campaigns in Hong Kong and Singapore, despite the long-held Chinese tradition of "tea money". Thailand has a patronage culture as a factor encouraging corruption but that problem can also be solved, he said.

Another speaker, anti-corruption campaigner Veera Somkwamkid, urged the public to take the issue of corruption personally and act to defend the public interest by reporting any knowledge of graft and corruption.

"Thais seem not to understand that this is the duty of every citizen," he said. "A society that successfully combats corruption is one in which people do not just sit idly by when they see people breaking the law.

"We must call the police. Let's start from there, and set an example," he said, before admitting that he believes that 90 per cent or more of Thai police are arguably corrupt.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation