More corruption claimed in flood relief

More than 200 people are now dead in Thailand as a result of the horrendous flooding. PPT’s earlier posts on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s tardy, seemingly unconcerned, and incompetent response, the royal family’s apparently mean response and others here, here and here ).

Government relief efforts continue to be plagued by claims of corruption as PPT pointed out some time ago. Now a Puea Pandin parliamentarian “has accused the government of abusing an emergency cash payment scheme for flood victims, saying the money was distributed primarily in districts where by-elections are scheduled to take place next month. Anuwat Wisetjindawat, of Nakhon Ratchasima, told the House yesterday he suspected foul play in last weekend’s cash hand-out scheme by certain cabinet ministers in Nakhon Ratchasima.”

As we indicated earlier, PPT thinks he’s pretty much right in this claim. He says that the “government resolved to pay cash of 5,000 baht to about 632,000 affected families nationwide via the Government Savings Bank as initial assistance. He said the cash payment and distribution were concentrated in six districts of Constituency 6 which would see by-elections on Dec 12 after deputy interior minister [and from Newin Chidchob’s Phum Jai Thai Party] Boonjong Wongtrairat was stripped of his seat in parliament.” Anuwat later claimed “that cabinet ministers who inspected the flood in Nakhon Ratchasima canvassed votes for the Bhumjaithai candidate.”

PPT has checked with several sources in the Northeast, and these claims are accurate, with some in Korat still sitting in water and being told “the government doesn’t have the money for them.”

Abhisit says “he would ensure all victims received proper assistance” and that the “government was working to improve its disaster mitigation and management plan to ensure prompt and efficient relief.” Efficient is hardly the word to use, but Abhisit is now chief propagandists for his own government.

It’s propaganda because the claims being made are confirmed. For example, “flood victims in Phatthalung were taken by surprise when they saw the names of politicians in the Commerce Ministry’s rice sacks…. Some flood victims also reported that they found the name of a senator in the Commerce Ministry’s rice supplies.”