Mon, May 20, 2013 19:38:21 PM
Bangkok Post
Mon, May 20, 2013 19:38:21 PM
Bangkok Post
Earlier this week the mayor of Chicago was held in police custody after he reportedly cut off his political aide's head with a spoon following a meal at a pizzeria.
The reason you haven't yet heard this news is because, well, it didn't happen. If such events had actually transpired, you can bet my two satangs that the story would be on every 24-hour news channel and the front page of every news website from the New York Times to the Bangkok Post.
How about this story? Mae Hong Son Senator Boonsong Kowawisarat accidently killed his personal secretary with an Uzi 9mm sub-machine gun during lunch. He was then too distraught to drive her to hospital, so the restaurant owner had to take her, but she later succumbed to her injuries.
That story is true. There are still conflicting reports on whether the deceased was in fact Mr Boonsong's secretary or whether she was his wife and the mother of his children. The weapon was also revised from being a sub-machine gun to a Jericho 941 pistol.
There are also questions such as why a senator was carrying a loaded gun around with him? And why would he take it to a restaurant?
So far the police, the media and even the public have been suspiciously quiet about this matter.
There has been no outcry over Thailand's gun control laws and media commentary on the case has been somewhat muted to say the least.
It seems to be just another bizarre story in a long line of bizarre news events in Thailand.
Another example. In July the Criminal Court handed down the death sentence to three former policemen convicted of the premeditated murder of 17-year-old student, Kiatisak Thitboonkrong, from Kalasin province, in 2004.
By August, and in a particularly unfathomable move, the three convicted death row inmates were released on bail.
Convicted murders waiting for execution and with nothing to lose released on bail? Not one eyelid was batted that day. In fact, there hasn't even been much in follow-up news. When we see cases like these ignored it is easy to assume that there is some kind of conspiracy at play, that either the government is preventing the news media from covering certain topics or officials and reporters and various other people with connections are covering for each other.
The truth is sadly more mundane and slightly depressing.
Thais by nature are just not a very curious bunch. We take in all the information that we are given, but rarely ask if there is more. The reason there hasn't been a public outcry over a parliamentarian carrying a gun in public is because nobody thought that was a question we should be asking.
I am generalising of course, but the evidence speaks for itself. If a convicted murderer was released on bail prior to completing their sentence anywhere in the world, there would be a massive debate on the quality of that country's justice system. But Thailand just shrugs and moves on to the next story, never thinking to question how something like this could happen.
But the real reason why the media fails to ask the right questions is rooted deep within our education and class systems. We are taught to maintain the status quo. A child in a Thai classroom will very rarely contradict a teacher and similarly a working-class person will always give reverence to someone who is upper class, without ever asking why he or she should.
This unfortunate reality is the reason so many mistakes are allowed to happen. Once a precedent has been set, every time a senator or parliamentarian shoots someone they'll get away with it. Unless we start asking why a senator should need to have a firearm then they will continue to walk around with loaded weapons.
According to my brief internet search of quotes, Albert Einstein once said "question everything". He was probably referring to science stuff, but the advice is still relevant to Thailand.
Even if we ask the wrong questions, we should encourage the habit and allow our curiosity gene to grow stronger. That way, the next time the people in power do something dumb we can all stand up and ask collectively: "What do you think you are doing?"
Arglit Boonyai is Multimedia Editor, Bangkok Post.
