absolutelyBangkok archive · News & Media
Originally published April 22, 2009
It’s a mystery to me how indifferent Thai media are about the U.S. torture memos that cause quite a stir over in Washington. A mystery, because “in Thailand”, somewhat at the center of it all, those torture sessions “apparently occurred,” as we’re told by Fox News ‘ senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano. Many other sources name Thailand.
Thailand recently again denied the existence of such chambers of shame on Thai soil — but as The Nation ’s Tulsathit Taptim put it: “Forget (army chief) Anupong. If he was lying, he was just a man reacting to a hot potato. The real issue is with those who have been doing it consciously.” Saw that? How conveniently the leadership is let off the hook.
But why would it matter. No Thai was tortured and obviously those dungeons brought results. “
Torture works,” stupid, and personally me thinks the end can justify the means. But it’s plain green childishness that the military and civilian leadership of a nation consistently deny an allegation that has long become fact.
In any healthy environment a duteous media would be all over it in the name of governmental transparency and accountability. Even more so in the case of current Thailand as the torture took place under the rule of Thaksin. Imagine the headline: “Torturer Thaksin.” What else could serve the yellow cause even better.
What we don’t know so far: who was tortured EXACTLY when and where by whom. We know the about, but not the exact. Rest assured, our American colleagues won’t rest until those memos are published and we get to know places and names.
You’ll again hear Thai denials, but with Thailand’s credibility anyway down the drain that further official denial will be politely understood as yet another bizarre prevarication coming out of a Bangkok that — among a ton of other problems — has to reschedule the Asean summit with the six dialog partners for a record fourth time…
The issue at stake is not if Thailand tortured. The issue at stake is credibility. But hardly any Thai media will care two hoots about the blatant discrepancies between official statements and facts, further driving a wedge between local and foreign news reporting.
Credibility, sincerity — no government shall last without.
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