Organization: Central Michigan University
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Thu, 28 Jan 1993 13:30:33 EST
From:         Elliott Parker <3ZLUFUR@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      TH: Two-faced politician

=======================  Forwarded  Message  ===========================
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 93 00:30:00+0700
From: Kamol Hengkietisak <kamol@ipied.tu.ac.th>
Subject: Bangkok Post Jan 28: Two-faced politician


INDUSTRY Minister Sanan Kachornprasart is to be asked to make a
final deicison on whether to accept the resignation of Mineral
Resources Department Director-General Charoen Piencharoen.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Industry Visith Noiphan said he had
received the resignation letter and would forward it on to Maj-Gen
Sanan.

Mr Visith said yesterday Mr Charoen had opted not to take up his
new position as inspector-general with the minstry from February 1
and had tendered his resignation with effect from March 10.

Earlier yesterday Maj-Gen Sanan said he had instructed Mr Visith
to stop Mr Charoen's resignation.

Maj-Gen Sanan reportedly wanted all along to transfer Mr Charoen,
who suffers from paralysis from the waist down following a
helicopter accident, but then Industry Permanent Secretary
Sivavong Changkasiri had refused to expedite the matter.

Mr Sivavong was subsequently transferred to the Prime Minister's
Office and Mr Visith appointed Acting Permanent Secretary finally
carrid out Sanan's order for Mr Charoen's transfer.

Mr Visith said Mr Charoen had submitted a request to take leave as
of yesterday until March 9 along with a resignation letter. The
leave request was approved.

He said he personally did not want Mr Charoen to resign as the
ministry had prepared for him to take charge of the computer
information system at the ministry.

The acting permanent secretary said he had initiated the
information centre detailing the development of all industries and
development within each province for dissemination to investors.

Mr Visit said he had no ill-intent towards Mr Charoen and the
position of inspector-general was an honorable one. Mr Charoen's
transfer was not a demotion.

"I believe he is capable enough to handle this new assignment even
though it is of a different nature from the work at the Mineral
Resources Department. We still need more people to help process
the work at the ministry. I don't want him to resign," he said.

Deputy Industry Minister Pornthep Techapaibul said the transfer of
Mr Charoen was a normal event for an official who could not
respond to the minister's policy.

He said Maj-Gen Sanan's policy was to transfer anyone who could
not comply with his policy within three months.

Maj-Gen Sanan said he had instructed Mr Visith to reject Mr
Charoen's resignation letter.

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the transfer of Mr Charoen to
inspector-general. He will be succeeded, effectively on February
1, by Veerawat Bunyaketu who is currently a ministry
inspector-general.

Mr Charoen immediately said he would tender his resignation to
protest the transfer.

He said he did not understand why he had been transferred to a job
which required travel when he was criticised for being disabled
and being unable to travel outdoors to carry out his duties.

Maj-Gen Sanan said yesterday Mr Charoen did not have to travel
outside the ministry in the new position as he would be assigned
to supervise the computer information centre.

He could not appoint Mr Charoen to deputy permanent secretary
because he was less senior to others in the ministry.

Mr Charoen insisted that Mr Sivavong, who has been removed to the
Prime Minister's Office for refusing to transfer him as ordered by
Maj-Gen Sanan, was a "man of principle". He also denied rumours he
was associated with the Chart Thai Party.

Meanwhile the Council of Disabled Persons of Thailand is mustering
international support after losing its fight to keep the disabled
director-general of the Mineral Resources Department in his job.

The council last night sent a letter seeking support from the
Disabled People International headquarters in Canada and its
Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in Japan.

"We want them to know that discrimination against disabled persons
is still widespread in Thailand," said council chairman Narong
Patibatsarakich.

"Many countries have successfully provided protection for the
disabled, but Thailand has pretty much failed in this respect," he
said.

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the transfer of Mineral Resources
director-general Charoen Phiencharoen to the post of an
inspector-general as requested by Industry Minister Sanan
Kachornprasart.

The action ended months of controversy which started when Mr Sanan
ordered permanent secretary Sivavong Changkasiri to transfer Mr
Charoen. Mr Charoen became a paraplegic in a plane crash on one of
his inspection trips several years ago. Mr Sivavong refused and
was later transferred to an inactive post.

Yesterday, Mr Charoen tendered his resignation following the
Cabinet's decision.

At the start of the controversy, Mr Sanan was widely reported in
the media as citing Mr Charoen's disability as the reason for his
request for the transfer. On Monday, he denied that Mr Charoen's
disability had anything to do with the order.

"Maj-Gen Sanan is a person who forgets his own words," Mr Narong
retorted. "I wonder if he still remembers his statement to the
press that were Mr Charoen in the military, he would have been
relieved of his duty because of his disability."

Politicians have the right to ensure that government policies are
carried out, Mr Narong said.

"But the Government has not announced any policy on mineral
resources, and there was no evidence that the director-general had
done anything against it. [Disabled] legs can't be negligent of
government policies," he said.

"The minister charged that Mr Charoen's disability prevented him
from carrying out his work in a timely fashion. We challenge him
to prove that that was the case."

The minister's action has caused the loss of qualified personnel,
Mr Narong said.

"He has the power by his position, but lacks the power of
righteousness."

He said the UN's Decade for Disabled Persons proclaiming
"equalisation of opportunities" ended last year. But it appears
that the efforts were insufficient in changing public attitudes
toward the disabled. As a result, the Bangkok-based Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific has mobilised about 30
countries in Asia to jointly proclaim the second Decade for
Disabled Persons to continue promoting the rights of the disabled.

Thailand lacks a law to protect the disabled against
discrimination, Mr Narong said. Advocacy groups for disabled
persons in Thailand had recommended a provision against
discrimination in the law for the rehabilitation of disabled
persons which was passed last year. But it was dropped in the
legislative process, he said.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU