2 weeks Ago
As national police chief Torsak Sukvimol retires at the end of this month, the media spotlight will focus on the Royal Thai Police (RTP) as the National Police Committee will begin the selection process for the top job by Oct 3. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra -- unlike her predecessors, Srettha Thavisin and Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha -- has instructed Deputy PM and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai to oversee the process of selecting a new national police chief. It is hoped that the appointment process is reliable and trustworthy, without deliberate signs of foot-dragging, as society has seen enough drama from the RTP.
Unlike previous appointments, the current process will be much watched, partly because of the return of the Shinawatras to Thai politics. It should be recalled that as a prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was also a former policeman, intervened in police affairs and sought to create a "modern police state". When he was premier, he was accused of placing his men in strategic positions within the RTP and regional police forces.
Policemen were also appointed to handle institutions such as the Government Lottery Office and even the Election Commission (EC). Amidst this all, election commissioner Pol Gen Wassana Permlap was jailed for violating election law. Therefore, Ms Paetongtarn and her government must be extra careful and make this appointment respectable and also make up in part for the episode in which her father was controversially placed on the 14th floor of Police General Hospital while he was being detained.
Next month's promotions at the RTP will be crucial. First of all, the outcome will tell the direction in which police reform will move. Successive governments have initiated reforms, passing laws and regulations to make RTP a respectable workplace offering dignified careers and proper welfare.
There are several interesting and decent reform ideas, among them moving some police forces to come under provincial administration, such as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Another is making investigations more transparent by including public attorneys in the process right from the beginning instead of after. These ideas are so far left undiscussed and explored.
But the new police chief is expected to help modernise the RTP and clean up its tarnished reputation. While society and many police have lost faith in the RTP, it can also be said that reform efforts have started to gain momentum. For example, the Police Committee, which serves as an internal administrative court for police, started service in June 2022, providing a platform for rank-and-file police to seek justice in cases of unfair treatment and corruption in the force.
More police rules on promotion criteria will be activated beginning in October, and the new police chief will use them to decide promotions for his subordinates. But attempts at police reform will be half-baked without good leadership. The RTP needs not only a capable and experienced top cop but also a leader that society can trust.
The first and most straightforward way to gain trust is through a reliable selection process based on merit, not nepotism or patronage, to appoint the most appropriate candidate. A seamless and transparent promotion is, therefore, necessary..
