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Published on February 4, 2008

Rosana Tositrakul, director of the Confederation of Consumer Organisations, said the country had lost its grip on power because of connivance between the government and the Parliament, resulting in massive corruption.

She told a seminar at Thammasat University that peaceful demonstration was not enough to restore the balance.

People had to be encouraged to exercise their political rights and ensure politicians were honest and kept their campaign promises. "If politicians take money from financiers to buy votes and become corrupt, we must do something to stop and change that so that politicians serve the people because their salaries are [paid by the] taxpayer,'' she said.

Jon Ungpakorn, chairman of NGO-Cord, said for civil groups to become stronger, the public needed access to information, the right to gather such as in the case of unions and increase media freedom.

Dr Weng Tojirakarn, director of the Confederation of Democracy, said there was a need to prevent further coups and amendments to the 2007 Constitution, which was drafted by a military-installed drafting panel. The Internal Security Act needed to be cancelled and the Public Television Act amended.

During the seminar, about 10 people walked out after Jon criticised the Thaksin government as dictatorial.

Kesinee Taengkhio

The Nation