[Thailand] NGOs claim govt's efforts to end poverty just 'cosmetic'

From The Bangkok Post

ANUCHA CHAROENPO

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with the poor believe the government's latest bid to eradicate poverty is simply a ''cosmetic'' move aimed at retaining its popularity and political stability. The views were in response to the recent launch of the second phase of the poverty eradication programme. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has vowed to rid the country of poverty within his current term, and invited veteran politician and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to implement the programme. The campaign will be officially inaugurated when Mr Thaksin visits Roi Et province's Samat district on Jan 16-20.

The Assembly of the Poor, the Four Region Slum Network and the Thai Labour Coalition said Mr Thaksin had failed in tackling poverty during his first four years in office. Instead of helping the poor, the government had encouraged them to increase spending through various loan schemes.

Somboon Sikhamdokkhae, a coordinator of the Assembly of the Poor, said she had closely monitored government policy on poverty since Mr Thaksin first came to power more than four years ago. He had declared poverty eradication as being one of three priority missions on his national agenda.

''We believe the poverty eradication drive this time is politically motivated because the government's popularity is waning so it must do something to try and secure public support for its current term and possibly regain favour in the future,'' Ms Somboon said. She said four years had already passed but the problems facing poor people remain unsolved.

Rather than moving ahead with the second phase of the programme, the government should instead seriously consider proposals made by the poor, particularly with regard to labour and the agricultural sector, which had been submitted to the government after it came to power.

She said the proposals included the setting up of an institution to take care of health-related matters for workers, an increase in the daily minimum wage to 233 baht per day and a call for support for a labour protection bill drafted by the people.

Aek Chandarabha, an adviser to the Four Region Slum Network, said although he agreed with the government's latest efforts on poverty, he was still sceptical since the government had never proved its seriousness in solving such problems since taking office.

Mr Aek said his network had suggested to the government that it buy unused land from landlords across the country to redistribute by means of issuing leases to the landless poor so they could build homes and grow cash crops. He has yet to receive a response from the government.

Wilaiwan Sae-tia, chairwoman of the Thai Labour Coalition, said she did not believe that the government would be able to solve such a deep-rooted problem.

''I've no idea exactly what it takes to effectively combat poverty. The government is probably only referring to this in a bid to improve its ratings,'' she said.

She said the government should stop extending easy loans to the poor as a way of helping to alleviate their problems.

Nathee Klibtong, chief of the asset capitalisation bureau, the public body charged with helping villagers gain access to capital, said the bureau will introduce a new asset-to-capital scheme when it joins the government's poverty eradication campaign in Roi Et. To be piloted in Samat district, the scheme would let villagers living in deteriorated forest reserves pledge their housing as collateral for bank loans