The latest verbal threat that Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin made against a journalist who was grilling him about a survey on bribery amounts to more than just media intimidation. It raises questions about whether the government of Anutin Charnvirakul has what it takes to seriously battle bureaucratic graft.
Successfully fighting corruption requires a government that can confront reality and welcome criticism. Apparently, Mr Suchart has a fragile ego.
"You've got no idea who you're dealing with," he barked at veteran journalist Wisanu Noonthong, who kept pushing him on why the ministry has not launched an investigation into the Pollution Control Department (PCD).
A recent survey by the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) pointed to the PCD as the state agency facing the most allegations of taking bribes.
After learning Wisanu was a seasoned political journalist, Mr Suchart headed to the press room at Government House to offer his apology and perform a wai to the reporter who also serves as a member of the Thai Journalists Association's subcommittee on press freedom protection.
Apart from publicly embarrassing himself, Mr Suchart's inability to accept criticism is harming the Anutin 2.0 government's plan to make bureaucratic agencies more transparent.
On Tuesday, the premier launched a mission to clean up all state agencies, ensure they fully disclose public information, and eliminate unnecessary secrecy.
The survey in question, released last week, named three agencies that fall under the Environment Ministry -- the PCD, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), and the Department of Forestry -- on its top 10 list of suspected transgressors regarding taking bribes.
Mr Suchart subsequently shifted into defensive mode, demanding the JSCCIB reveal more details to back up its claim. Mr Anutin also sent a signal by criticising the methodology behind Thailand's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), another survey on graft, arguing its rankings relied too heavily on public sentiment and perception rather than verified legal findings.
Make no mistake, the JSCCIB's survey was hardly comprehensive. It was conducted in less than two weeks based on questionnaires emailed to 401 companies.
Yet despite its questionable scope, an official probe must be launched and the JSCCIB invited to provide clarification and evidence.
The government must foster an environment that encourages whistleblowers like the JSCCIB, as well as individuals, to report irregularities. Verbal threats do the opposite by fostering a climate of fear.
Mr Suchart can do more than just clean up house, using his own ministry as inspiration. Several years ago, the DNP adopted digital technology to reserve tickets collected at national parks after reports emerged claiming that hundreds of millions of baht worth of tickets to attractions like Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park had been illicitly siphoned off.
Of course, the DNP still has many irregularities to address, including those related to alleged position-buying. But its adoption of digital technology shows there is a way to improve transparency. All Mr Suchart needs to do is embrace criticism and root out any bad apples.
