Reform Thailand has recently become a buzzword among a certain part of the so-called ‘people’s sector’ or civil society.  Dr Prawase Wasi is an influential social critic, commanding much respect from many activists and bureaucrats. He has had an important role in the setting up of several development agencies, some of which are major domestic funders for Thai NGOs.

On 17 June, Dr Prawase Wasi gave a lecture on the reform of Thailand to about 500 participants from civil society groups, academia, the private sector, local administrative bodies, and state agencies, in a forum organized by the Pattanathai Foundation, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and the National Health Commission Office of Thailand at Muang Thong Thani’s Impact Stadium.

Prawase considered the current crisis as the fourth during this Rattanakosin period—he did not elaborate the previous three. He said that it was the most difficult to understand and to solve, because it was a crisis of ‘structural complexity’, which could not be solved by [political or state] power.  So social power must take the lead.

He wished to see a balance in the interconnection among social power, state power and the power of money.  He proposed that problems be tackled using his so-called ‘Mountain-moving Triangle’ idea which he had long promoted; he claimed it was successful in the social mobilization to adopt the 1997 Constitution over a decade ago.

His Triangle consists of the three interconnected powers of wisdom, society and the state.  He cited as an example former President Aquino of the Philippines who had the power of the state and a popular support from the people, but could not solve the problems of poverty and social injustice because the power of wisdom was lacking.  Former US President Bill Clinton failed in public health reform, because he had the powers of the state and wisdom, but not society.  One power cannot do without the others.  Thaksin held massive powers of the state and money, but he also failed, Prawase said.

To reform Thailand, he continued, the power of society must take the lead. Now that there are good signs that people are more active, if they are organized everywhere on every issue, society will change from a vertical to a horizontal structure, which is civil society.  So civil society movements must be encouraged to be truly independent and diverse.  All groups must be listened to, and what they say should be categorized into issues, as proposals by civil society to be presented to society to share common goals and visions. This will be the will of the whole of society, and the government, no matter who it is, will have to follow this will.

However, Prawase said, we still lack the ability to formulate practicable policies, although there are agencies like the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Political Development Council, the Community Organizations Development Institute, or the National Economic and Social Advisory Council.  Universities also cannot formulate public policies, and so they need to be reformed so that they get in touch with local communities and give them support.

He said that we did not have to wait for good politicians to do this. With the powers of society and wisdom, he believed that politicians could do good things.

‘People currently are used to using the back part of the brain, which is about fighting and winning.  I suggest using the front part, which is about intellect,’ he said.

He said the important task was to reform Thailand, mainly to solve social inequalities, to uphold justice, and to eradicate poverty, not to make reconciliation, because if reform succeeds, unity and reconciliation will automatically come.

He urged society to rush the reform process, and the government to give it support, but not dominate.

He proposed that the government set up a mechanism or a working group to find solutions to problems in 3-4 months’ time, and to come up with measures to ensure justice in society, such as tax measures, decentralization of power to the local level, social welfare, and changes to the justice and education systems.

‘I don’t want society to wait for populist programmes from the government, because populism destroys the strength of society.  People will only wait for government handouts, instead of helping themselves.  On the contrary, if communities are encouraged to organize strongly, they will handle everything themselves,’ Prawase said.