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Published on July 4, 2007

Yesterday the Cabinet approved in principle two proposed bills that seek to drastically reorganise the Royal Thai Police - as part of efforts to turn it into an honest, professional law-enforcement agency free from political manipulation. The Council for National Security (CNS) and the Surayud government should be commended for following through on their police reform initiative with concrete actions.

Almost immediately after last year's coup, the military junta rightly identified ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's manipulation of the Royal Thai Police as one of the key factors that contributed to the weakening of the rule of law and the undermining of democracy in this country during his time in office. Politicians like Thaksin manipulated and used the force to harass opponents and avoid prosecution, if not also to commit crimes, such as human-rights violations linked to the "War on Drugs" in 2003, in which some 2,500 suspected drug traffickers were killed under dubious circumstances.

Under the Royal Thai Police Bill approved by Cabinet yesterday, the national police force would be decentralised and broken down into three workgroups: provincial police bureaux (one to nine), metropolitan police and an administrative arm working under the national police chief, which would report directly to the Justice Ministry. The long chain of command of the current Royal Thai Police, which was modelled on that of the military, would be replaced and members of the police force classified by their functions: regular policemen, non-commissioned officers, police officers, and investigators, who are required to have a law degree and be members of the Bar Association. The bill also seeks to establish a meritocracy to replace the corruption-prone patronage system, while at the same time substantially raising police salaries to make sure that they can make a decent living without having to resort to corrupt practices.

Currently police officers receive salaries that are ridiculously low. For example, salaries for police sub-lieutenants start at less than Bt10,000 per month, while the monthly pay of police privates is only slighter higher than the minimum wage unskilled labourers receive.

Meanwhile, the Police Complaints Commission Bill, which was also approved by Cabinet yesterday, was designed to make sure the Royal Thai Police force is held accountable to the public. The bill calls for the formation of a Police Complaints Commission, which would act independently to the Royal Thai Police thus enabling it to investigate incidents of alleged police misconduct and abuse of power.

The Council of State, the government's legal advisory body, is set to scrutinise the bills before they are forwarded to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for deliberation and approval.

Justice Minister Charnchai Likhitjittha said yesterday that if the bills were approved by the NLA, the planned reforms of the Royal Thai Police would be half-complete. The next democratic government, which will emerge from the general election - scheduled for November or December - is expected to finish the job. And that will not be easy. It would be simplistic to suggest that a significant pay rise might be a cure-all for the rampant corruption among the force, and no one should underestimate resistance from within the rank and file of the Royal Thai Police.

To say that a thorough reform of the police force is a Herculean task would be a gross understatement. And this half-completed reform could be reversed or watered down, unless the next government continues to aggressively pursue it with the help of members of the public, who must bring pressure to bear on the Royal Thai Police to change its ways.

Immediately after the NLA passes the police reform bills into law, the military junta and the Surayud government must immediately enforce both laws to establish performance-based assessments that must go hand-in-hand with a relentless purge of corrupt officers.

While the CNS and Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont are at it, they should take also take a close look at the military. It shares much of the same corruption-prone patronage system and the same questionable values that makes it impossible for its members to maintain professionalism and submit to public accountability. A failure to implement military reforms would give rise to criticisms of double standards and hypocrisy.