GREAT FLOOD OF 2011
Crisis management versus political expedience
He was confused about who he should listen to, since he was being ordered by ministers and bureaucrats from the Interior, Science and Technology, and Public Health ministries to focus on different priorities at the same time. This state of affairs was a result of the overall lack of hands-on experience in crisis management within the ministries and the coordination required between them.
He argued that there was no clear line of command, which was desperately needed in managing the crisis. Furthermore, politicians were competing for the public's attention in order to gain political credit for their personal contributions in the handling of the crisis.
Although this is an example of a problem we experienced in 2004, how much have government officials and those now in power learnt since then?
In 2010, a tsunami struck Japan and the Japanese government did whatever it could to mitigate against the inevitable effects of such a natural disaster. Sadly, the same cannot be said of Thailand.
A systematic and long-term approach to flood management is not yet in place, despite the fact that floods are not at all uncommon to Thailand. Much research has been undertaken in relation to handling natural disasters within Thailand following the 2004 tsunami. Theoretically speaking, the country should be much better prepared for natural disasters of this scale. It is thus most regrettable that, in practice, the effects being felt right now from the current flooding apparently contradict this.
What went wrong? When will the water come? When will it go? How should we prepare? Such questions are being asked in day-to-day conversation and in Thai cyberspace. Thailand has been suffering from floods for almost three months now, and the level of severity has escalated to the point where floodwaters are now reaching well into the central part of Bangkok.
Although Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has attempted to protect the capital, the city's defences have been breached. The cause of a great deal of frustration for many, and perhaps most especially those in Bangkok, is the conflicting and unreliable information released by different government agencies. Although this is not a new problem in Thai bureaucracy, people perceive this acutely because it directly impacts on the flood situation. In addition to this level of confusion is another contributing factor, which is the "deluge" of information flowing throughout the Thai cyberspace, especially via Facebook and Twitter.
In addition to being particularly occupied by the flooding crisis in Thailand, many Thais are becoming increasingly worried about the likely implications of the ongoing "colour-coded politics" in relation to the handling of the crisis.
Currently, the yellow shirts are being unusually quiet within the realm of the Thai political arena, and yet the flood crisis has not acted as a unifying factor with regard to the political climate overall. There has as yet been no sign of any accord to temporarily halt the politicking in the national interest. Indeed, the crisis has acted as a catalyst for an even greater division in perceptions between the red shirts and the rest.
In the context of the overall political paradigm, it is not unexpected that Ms Yingluck is experiencing such strong criticism, which relates to the competence of her government in flood management, and significantly undermines her credibility and ability to govern.
In addition, a significant section of the Thai cyberspace intends to bring Ms Yingluck down by attacking her on the personal level because she is a sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Yet, if we are to judge her capacity and quality of leadership objectively _ as we must if we are to prioritise the reality on the ground and the matter at hand _ then should we not leave those factors that politicise and polarise us aside for now, however temporarily?
How can we ever focus on the actual problem of the crisis today, when there is so much focus on the perceived problem of Thaksin throughout Thai cyberspace: on Facebook, Twitter and other social media?
Political attacks that focus on personality rather than the substance of an argument inevitably lead Thailand nowhere other than in the direction where divisions within society are deepened.
On the ground within the flood-affected areas, Thais can observe moving scenes of people helping each other, regardless of red/yellow political affiliation. A picture of Abhisit Vejjajiva with a red shirt supporter sends out a good signal, and gives hope for unity and reconciliation.
But in the more abstract world of cyberspace it is somewhat different, and the battle between the red shirts and the rest has only heated up. Both sides are trying to do whatever they can to destroy the credibility of their perceived arch-enemies. The battle against the elements to impede the floodwaters on land, has spilled over into the political battlefield in cyberspace. This is worrisome for the progress of Thai democracy, and a growing number of Facebook and Twitter users are now posting along the lines that "it's time to think before you post", since even those strongly identified as red or yellow can see when the political play-out in cyberspace is distracting enough to adversely impact on the flooding situation.
Whilst it is true that Ms Yingluck as prime minister has ultimate responsibility for the management of the current flood crisis, in the midst of a crisis we have to focus on where the express responsibility for "water management" is. This then brings us immediately to the problem of inter-ministry coordination, which is an ongoing and, at least in principle, apolitical challenge, over which all sides ought to be able to cooperate.
Although we have a number of existing agencies involved in taking responsibility for this crisis _ the Royal Irrigation Department, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and the Meteorological Department _ the current government initiated the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) in September. By implication this reveals a long-term failure in the functioning of governments and the bureaucracy, and the Froc was a reaction to the current flood crisis. Pro-active measures, which would have implied that there had been sufficiently constructive forethought involved, should have been in place long before any suggestion of an impending flood scenario.
It is sad for any country that a prime minister should be begging for unity and reconciliation at a time of national crisis. As a nation, we have observed both Ms Yingluck and Mr Abhisit working tirelessly day and night in attempting to alleviate the crisis. And so it is going too far when cynics appear so certain that politicians are simply focused on mobilising political popularity and gaining a media platform, to the exclusion of all else.
In looking towards the future, it becomes the responsibility of the citizenry to reasonably and objectively observe the actions and statements of all involved actors, in order to hold the elected representatives to account. As citizens of Thailand, we all have a duty to insist that, as a nation, we learn from our previous collective mistakes in order to create a brighter future for us all. We all have a responsibility to ask ourselves if we have the intention of positively contributing towards finding solutions, or if our opinions and actions are simply intended to destroy reputations and bring down governments. This is our choice.
Titipol Phakdeewanich is a political scientist at the Faculty of Political Science, Ubon Ratchathani University.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/265369/crisis-management-versus-political-expedience
