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A force for change
The NGO movement has grown over the years in
organisation and influence. Some in the government now see
it as a threat
After setting up the first NGO in Thailand in 1969, Dr Puey
Ungphakorn, former rector of Thammasat University, set up
the Graduate Volunteer Centre a year later. Similar programmes
followed at other universities, such as the Khon Kaen University
and the Thai Volunteer Service which Mr Phumtham Vejjayachai,
a close aide to the Prime Minister, used to work for.
Prior to volunteer NGOs, various social welfare works were
established by several Thai charity groups, mostly to provide
immediate relief for flooding, famine, and poverty.
During the civil wars in neighbouring countries, international
NGOs and funding agencies came to Thailand to help refugees.
Then, international organisations saw the need to also help
destitute Thai farmers, slum dwellers, and marginalised groups.
After three decades of economic and social development by
the government, the country was suffering from corrupt and
mismanaged government policies. Villagers found no ways to
air their grievances.
In 1985, NGOs set up a joint committee of public agencies
as proposed by the Minister of the Interior. This resulted
in the NGO Coordinating Committee, a national organisation
for all types of NGOs, but mostly concerned with development
work. NGOs worked closely with civic organisations in various
sectors of society.
In 1995, a number of organisations and civic groups which
were affected by many state projects organised themselves
into the Forum of the Poor, which later became the Assembly
of the Poor. Their goal was to have more negotiating power
with the government. The Assembly of the Poor is not an NGO.
The Assembly of the Poor has been pressuring the government
to solve problems involving land rights, citizenship, and
dam construction, to name a few.
The proliferation of these networks of NGOs and civic organisations
may be indicative of weakness in the Thai political system.
For instance, Members of Parliament rarely speak for the disadvantaged.
Officials maintain that there is something sinister in the
uniting of protesters of the gas pipeline project with the
protesters of the Pak Moon dam or some other protesters.
But villagers and civil groups say this is simply a function
of national networking.
Sompong Viengchan, a Pak Moon village leader, said that
the problems of villagers are interrelated. They have to help
each other.
A problem in faraway Chana can be a national problem too.
So, it is also our problem.
We understand the problems of the gas pipeline project. It
involves national benefits and the livelihood of our countrymen.
We see the police mobilise forces from different sources
to help crack down on the poor. We poor people have to help
each other. We have little support and little means, but we
try our best to help each other.''
The network of NGOs and civic groups are considered to be
irritants by the government.
The Thai-Malaysia gas pipeline protesters want answers to
their questions, hence their river of petition letters. But
the government says the villagers are asking nothing new.
Banchong Nasae, an NGO worker who works with small-scale
fishermen affected by the pipeline, says the government has
not answered any of the old questions. How can we come up
with new ones?''
SUPARA JANCHITFAH
BANGKOK POST - Perspective
5 January 2003
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