No need to reinvent the wheel for cop reform
I’m happy that PM Prayut has turned his focus on reforming the police at long last, but he shouldn’t reinvent the wheel.
In 2006, then-prime minister General Surayud Chulanont, former Army chief and member of our beloved King Rama IX’s Privy Council, appointed retired Police General Vasit Dejkunjorn, former chief of police, to head a distinguished commission for this very purpose.
This commission’s goal was to forge police organisation that was “transparent, accountable, responsible and modernised ... integrated within the whole justice process, [which] with decentralisation ... will be able to serve the people more efficiently, equally and fairly, and will be more credible and trusted”, wrote Krisanaphong Poothakool and Tony Glendinning (“Police Reform in Thailand Post-2006”, International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2013).
Considering Surayud’s extremely exalted position of trust in the armed forces and in our beloved national father’s Privy Council, and that of Vasit in the police, and the terms of reference which assuredly had been vetted by Surayud, there is every reason to update and accept the recommendations of the Vasit Commission, rather than start from scratch.
For continuity, the new commission should be chaired by a nominee of Vasit, or, if he would be so minded, by the general himself.
If these steps were taken, we could soon benefit from General Vasit’s 2006-2007 recommendations: decentralisation of the police force, public participation in monitoring police and forging the force’s policies, transfer of non-police functions to other state agencies, a central investigative directorate, and re-organisation of stations to be more autonomous, problem-focused and community-centred, with more representative local boards.
PM Prayut, your esteemed predecessor General Surayud has done most of your police reform work for you, if you would but allow him to help you.
Burin Kantabutra
