Saving the Thai body politic: A lesson from the liver

Doctor: Incidentally, the medical term for the patient's ailment is hepatoma. Physiologically the liver consists of the dominant right lobe (80 per cent) and the diminutive left lobe (20 per cent). Livers can be transplanted provided malignant tumours present are within a certain size limit--normally not exceeding six inches. Moreover liver tissues can be nourished to grow.

Based on a recent study conducted at the MD Anderson Medical Centre in Houston on the treatment of 112 patients with hepatoma in the right lobe, a life-saving strategy was devised involving the removal of the dominant portion of the liver, and the nurturing of the unaffected but diminutive left lobe. The treatment included chemotherapy, embolisation (of the right hepatic vein to block the blood supply to the right lobe whilst increasing blood supply to the healthy left lobe to grow it), and finally sectioning off the dominant right lobe. The outcome of this study yielded a rate of 60-70 per cent survival among the volunteering patients.

Needless to say, this treatment course was complex and time-consuming, with its prognosis hardly assured. As a Buddhist, I would hasten to add that the outcome would hinge on one's karma.

Scholar: Your description of the treatment for hepatoma may have a relevant bearing on how Thailand could deal with its ongoing political maelstrom. The Thai body politic is currently being threatened by the convergence of destructive centrifugal and centripetal forces. I am reminded of a similar historical situation in China in 1644 AD. Within a span of three months in that fateful year, a combination of factors involving the interplay of settings and personalities brought on a shattering historical upheaval. First, the Ming dynasty - installed since 1368 AD - was brought to its knees by a self-proclaimed populist leader named Li Zhicheng. In turn, the Da Shun rule proclaimed in its place was annihilated by the invading Manchu (foreign) forces (which had been "invited" inside China proper by a renegade Ming general named Wu Sanguei ). The Manchu minority tribesmen from Northeastern China established their own rule over China for the next 267 years under the dynastic name of Qing.

Thailand is facing a national political situation with parallel complexities. For instance, it is disturbing to hear that some amongst us should have unscrupulously engaged foreign agents provocateur (country, organisation and individual alike) to compromise Thai national sovereignty and credibility.

For most of 2008, we have gone from one political crisis after another as the Thai body politic has suffered tremendous emasculating effects. However, the current political situation, with the various political factions in the throes of selecting a new government, may, in many respects, resemble the condition of administering the above-mentioned treatment course for hepatoma?

Doctor: As a professional dealing with healing and saving lives, I am concerned not only about vital physical signs and conditions, but also about spiritual forces. To my understanding, a well-functioning democratic nation requires good governance replete with legal and moral authority.

Unfortunately, Thailand suffers from a dysfunctional political system caused by unscrupulous and corrupt politicians amassing personal wealth and power under the pretext of serving the masses. This development has transformed into a malignant tumour lodged in the Thai body politic, and is eating away at the moral, institutional and legal foundation of the nation. In the coming days, we shall be witnessing a course of events that will determine the future survival of the Thai body politic as we know it. Thais, particularly those politicians and public servants directly engaged in the political process, may be reminded to ponder the treatment strategy for hepatoma that could be applied to treating the malignant political condition of the nation.

The first course of chemotherapy was administered when the Supreme Court decided on the disbanding of the immediate past government. The challenge before us is embolising or blocking off the blood supply to the malignant tumour in the dominant part of the body politic, and providing the diminutive part with a chance to grow and save its life.

The extent of the malignancy of the Thai body politic rules out the option of transplant. While public opinion polls consistently endorse the choice of a government of national unity, the current political schism renders the choice unrealistic. Taking the lesson of the hepatoma treatment, we must explore the alternative treatment of nurturing the existing parliamentary process, in nurturing the part which remains free from cirrhosis and hepatitis.

The parliament vote on December 15 to choose the new head of government will hopefully lead to a political healing process for Thailand 's embattled body politic.

Scholar: One must also pray that such a crucial effort will succeed with the collective will and effort of all the Thai people at this critical juncture in our history.

SARASIN VIRAPHOL is executive vice president of the CP Group.