The ongoing struggle for the soul of Thailand has plunged to murky new flood-ridden depths, with the latest arena for battle being the labeling of goods to be donated to flood victims. The opening salvo was fired with reports claiming that trucks were delivering aid packages declaring ‘with love and care from Thaksin Shinawatra’, which caused an uproar in Bangkok due to the perception that Thaksin was attempting to hijack relief efforts to benefit his own public relations.
However, on Thursday 10th November, the following picture was taken at the Chulalongkorn University flood volunteer centre, which has been coordinating relief packages:
It translates as “Princess-Pa Foundation and Chulalongkorn [University]”
A Thai volunteer I spoke to said that it was an abhorrent waste of human and financial resources to spend time and money printing labels and attaching them individually to each package, especially given that there are people truly suffering and others keen to lend a productive helping hand through packing, cooking or distributing – rather than wasting time branding charitable donations. This unpaid helper went on to add that he understood the need for the monarchy to ‘strike back’ against Thaksin’s attempt to be seen as more caring, but that there should be unity in a time of crisis without the need for petty point scoring.
Nevertheless, the PR war goes on with both sides sure to hypocritically point accusatory fingers at each other – without a hint of irony – for attempting to gain as many plaudits as possible; despite the fact that the goods being labeled along partisan lines, on the whole, come from the masses of their fellow citizens.
[Note on the title: I have been wanting to use this title for some time, but haven't had an opportunity. It doesn't match this post perfectly, but it is close enough. FROC is, of course, the Flood Relief Operations Centre. Apologies to the author for my editorial indulgence. Andrew Walker]
“The Monarchy Strike Back”, almost made me felt like I’m watching Star Wars episode 5, I hope to see the conclusion in episode 6 soon.
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I have always wondered whether it is only in amazing Thailand that v.i.p.’s smile widely while they distribute donations to the victims.
Why are these v.i.p.’s (politicians and poseurs) smiling?
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I have to say that, as a person who donated clothing, a small amount of cash, and one of my Saturday mornings to packing relief goods into bags at the Chula University Center, I don’t feel unduly slighted that the foundation and the center are labeling the bags.
Perhaps the labeling is unnecessary, and maybe even a bit inefficient, but “abhorrent waste of human and financial resources” seems unduly melodramatic for sticking a small printed label on a bag.
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“The opening salvo was fired with reports claiming that trucks were delivering aid packages declaring ‘with love and care from Thaksin Shinawatra’, which caused an uproar in Bangkok due to the perception that Thaksin was attempting to hijack relief efforts to benefit his own public relations.”
No, the issue was not Thaksin hijacking the relief efforts to benefit his own PR, it was the fact that the supplies labeled as such had not been donated by Thaksin and were actually Government funded supplies.
As Bill says in post #3, people should be allowed to label their donations and the statement ” abhorrent waste of human and financial resources” is a strawman to divert attention from the issue of people labeling supplies in Thaksin’s name when he by his own admission had nothing to do with it.
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I recommend looking at an article published by Bangkok Post on 4 November: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/264645/bagged-sealed-and-delivered
It’s from their Business section and simply reports on one packaging company’s boost in business – producing “branded” (and durable etc) bags for relief supplies distribution.
Not mentioned in the article but very evident from the pic shown is just how keen the donors (mostly corporate it seems) are to ensure that the source of the donation is made known to the recipients – and, presumably, in evidence for any PR-useful photo-op that can be set up.
On balance, assuming that the publicity helps to drive up the donating, I see it as win-win. It’s the same principle at work when placard-sized cheques prominently featuring the donor’s logo are presented in front of the media. I’m happy for them to compete with each other on the size of their conspicuous giving. In any case, I also think that most Thai are largely blase about this “branding” – it’s a recurrent feature on charitable handouts from nearly all sources even in normal times (including from the very top).
And, yes – it’s completely different from somebody putting their banner on a relief truck if/when the donations it’s carrying didn’t come from that somebody.
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What is written above is an accurate reflection of what I was told by the volunteer I spoke with. I was actually taken aback by the ferocity of his comments as he is usually a placid pro-monarchist. I think in this instance his anger was manifest due to the fact that he wanted to help out his fellow crisis-stricken countrymen and was assigned to the sole task of branding charitable donations along party lines. I don’t think that anybody would argue that this is a productive use of volunteer time.
Furthermore, – while there may be degrees of what is considered abhorrent – I agree with the volunteer that using funds donated from the public for political ends is abhorrent; even if the labels only cost 50 satang to produce, it is money that would be better spent on helping those in need.
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John Smith (c4): “…it was the fact that the supplies labeled as such had not been donated by Thaksin and were actually Government funded supplies.”
Could you please point to a source for this assertion?
“…people labeling supplies in Thaksin’s name when he by his own admission had nothing to do with it.”
Could you please clarify whether “…nothing to do with it…” relates to making the supplies available or the labeling of them.
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Goodness is copy write protected in Thailand
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I concur wholeheartedly with Mr Radcliffe’s position on this matter.
Ultimately, relief work should be apolitical, and ought not be used to serve the Public Relations/ propaganda objectives of two opposing sides in a political struggle…
People are fighting to survive and have lost their livelihoods in this natural disaster – consequently those generous and selfless enough to donate time, money, medicines and foodstuffs to helping those in need should not have their sacrifices wasted.
Shame on both parties concerned.
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Thaksin and his cronies are self-serving scoundrels. No one in their right mind would use the name of a high status person to label a gift, or a project, or a road, or a park, or a dam, or a boat, or a species, or a research institute, or a hospital or a … No, no one would ever do that! AW
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From Voice TV:
Flood-Fighting Trucks Belong to Thaksin Supporters
Some trucks laden with subsistency bags for delivery to flood victims did not belong to any government agency but to ordinary supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, said a Puea Thai MP.
During a joint House/Senate debate on the deluge crisis at parliament on Friday, Worachai Hema (Puea Thai, Samut Prakarn) said the trucks which delivered relief items in the subsistency bags to the flood victims were owned by ”those who maintained their faith in Thaksin.”
He was responding to allegations launched by Rangsima Rodrasamee (Democrat, Samut Songkram) billboards with enlarged pictures of the deposed premier were installed on the vehicles owned by a government unit.
…
I do agree, the ownership of the truck and the source of the supplies is not confirmed.
One would hope that Mr. Radcliff would understand the difference between the label from a charitable foundation or even a corporate sponsor and the banner and label giving credit to Thaksin.
Again, the uproar was not about the PR Thaksin recieved (or not), but rather was the source actually Thaksin. Was there any doubt that the packages labeled “Princess-Pa Foundation and Chulalongkorn [University]” actually came from them?
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John Smith – have you seen the link provided in the article ‘with love and care from Thaksin Shinawatra’ – food packages with this were distributed by FROC.
The banner on the truck may just have been a passionate Thaksinitte volunteer – which is fair enough, but the design which has gone into the logo on the food package would have required a lot more time and money to create. Seems suspicious to me.
The labels from Chula were being attached to things donated from the public. The foundation have been coordinating the distribution, and perhaps donating some of the items.
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John Smith – 10
If you want to go even deeper, the question should be “does our beloved princess “pays” for the package”. I hope so.
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AW #11
I assume you find this comment falls under ” pithy, humorous, eccentric and cheeky input” rather then “unimaginative point-scoring and idle abuse “
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One clue to this practice may be that labelling donations is deeply embedded in Thai Buddhist culture when making merit. Inscriptions of donors’ names are found at the earliest Indian Buddhist archaeological sites and the practice is equally widespread at Thai Buddhist sites. This of course takes nothing away from the basic principle that a donor should only attach their name to a donation that they themselves have made!
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For those with access to TKNS and might check, I seem to recall that Handley spent considerable time detailing how the monarchy turns donations from others into their own and multiplies merit from it.
The current government has made multiple donations for flood victims via royal charities, with #13 above being one example.
On donations in general, in addition to companies spending huge amounts on PR that extols their relief donations (e.g. True, CP), the army has been big on making sure that their efforts are acknowledged and their trucks say where they are from. All of the royal donations are clearly marked and the palaver associated with them is leaves no doubt. There seems considerable bias in who is criticised on this score.
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Maybe I’m missing the point here, but isn’t labeling aid what makes the world of humanitarian aid organisations and in some cases the governments they represent (i.e. USAID) go round? Giving aid to the needy is the most effective way to win the hearts and minds … you don’t need to be called Thaksin Shinawtra or be a princess for that matter to understand this principle which is not sole to Thailand..
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eva seriche – 17
Yes, but its not only about PR but also about QC. The labeling also ensured that the donated essentials have been screen before given out this is something that not many people think of. If you open the bag and found rotten canned fish, you will know immediately who is responsible for it.
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If you out of goodness smile when giving comfort/care/help, to someone in a dire situation; this only brigs comfort to them! Rememember these people, many working for no pay, are tired, but happy to be of help! What a rediculous comment critizicing people sharing a smile!… By the way: I have never seen so many smiles from un armed police, and military, as now. It does send out a message, doesen’t it?
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While there are folk donating time and money to helping flood victims and gaining “merit” a group of Buddhists in ChiangMai this weekend decided to look the other way. Instead of sending supplies to Siam they organised to buy fish to free in a dirty local klong, already brimming with fish escaped during the October flood, bread to feed them, lunch for 500 villagers and presents for chanting monks. Total budget coming to 115,000 baht:
http://ourchiangmai.com/blog/2011/10/28/%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%87/
Gives the details in Thai with some comments in Thai and English.
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how the monarchy turns donations from others into their own
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I don’t recall that it was explained to be understood in such manner.
I think everyone in Thailand is aware that to make your own what belongs to others ( not so much the money itself, but the fact of giving) doesn’t give you any karmic results (merit). Not positive ones at least.
Also, it is true that “labeling” is part of the culture of having good deeds acknowledged, one should still recall that no karmic fruit is to be obtained unless you are giving selflessly, so that the benefit of letting others know what you did is mainly playing at societal, political levels.
hence, you may give selflessly, but your deed be subsequently acknowledged. In that order! Heaven and Earth, so to speak, being not opposites but the 2 sides of the same coin.
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Herve: see p. 131 of TKNS for part of the account.
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Herve,
Of course the political dimension is always there. No one is denying that. I have to take issue, however, with your absolutist view of what constitutes moral action. There are many grades of giving in Buddhism and the texts are very clear that you still gain merit if you give with desire for the karmic fruit. Only the very highest forms of giving are totally selfless. Also, it IS possible to use the merit of others to your own advantage – you do this by rejoicing in others’ meritmaking (anumodanaa) and thereby make merit yourself by cultivating good mental states. From a doctrinal view, you are right that labelling itself has no karmic value. However a more pragmatic/psychological approach needs to be adopted to explain such phenomena – is it not entirely intuitively understandable that a person may consider that merit is more likely to attach to them if a donation is named? Buddhists need to be viewed as real living human beings, with mixtures of selfish and unselfish motivations (nicely shown by the pride a person takes in a gift) not as representations of doctrinal tenets.
tenets.
if a donation is named and indeed
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I don’t know that Thailand should be singled out for this kind of labeling. My last trip to the Philippines, I saw that all of the TV’s and air conditioners the the airport I was in were labeled with the names of the politicians who donated them, but it’s very likely that they bought the goods with public money or corruption money. What happens in the Philippines during this kind of flood emergency? It should be no different than Thailand. Am I right?
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Tom – again, degrees of abhorrence. I’m sure it happens in many places, morality judgements are always going to be subjective.
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I couldn’t give a toss about the labels – the family house in Pathum Thani has been under water for over a month, and 5000 baht if you provide a shed load of dry paperwork isn’t any help. You can’t even get to the house to take the “glorious high definition technicolour” photographs required.
I have no axe to grind with Yingluck, but the assertion that the “worst is over’ is fatuous – lady, the problems are only just beginning …
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