SIDELINES: A well-timed diversionary tactic
Published on May 2, 2004
The Nation, Bangkok
Friday should have been a day of national mourning over the bloodbath in the South. As CEO, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra should have offered some words of consolation for the bereaved families of the dead.
Flowery words and official speeches would not have resurrected them, of course, but a few words would have been appropriate. Our CEO could have made a strong plea for reconciliation, just as the negative reactions were beginning to pour in over the massacre at the mosque in Pattani.
Instead, what the public saw on television was our CEO standing solemn-faced at Government House, lamenting the predicament of his youngest daughter, who will not be able to study at Chulalongkorn University due to low grades.
It took about half an hour for him to pour out his fatherly grief over how unfair it was that his daughter had received so much publicity in print, on the radio and on prime-time TV.
He moaned about how unfair it was that his daughter had been cast in a bad light in the wake of the weeks-long scandal over the entrance-exam leaks. “She did not deserve what she got simply because her father was serving the nation.”
In a previous outburst, one quite different in mood from his sombre appearance on Friday, he cynically blurted out: “Why shouldn’t the girl study at the famous university? Is she the daughter of a bandit?”
Of course, what he failed to recognise is that the son or daughter of a bandit has every right to study at any educational institution – if he or she possesses the proper qualifications.
The solo performance on Friday was quite exceptional. Nobody knows exactly why he chose to highlight the issue on the same day the nation was dealing with a pressing crisis, one that could potentially steer Thailand towards grave and unpredictable consequences.
The CEO’s words about his daughter’s plight were touching indeed. His teary eyes helped elicit sympathy and understanding from the crowd. The appeal reached its emotional peak when he asked that the girl not be dragged into politics simply because her father was doing his best for the national interest.
Those not acquainted with our CEO’s track record may well have been moved to tears by this impressive show. Clearly, it was a first-rate tear-jerker, carried out with careful spin and Oscar-worthy emotion.
Some naive people in the media fell for it. The more emotional journalists out there may have been tempted to blame themselves for breaking the heart of a father with a hard-luck story to tell.
There are some other points to be cleared up for the public record. Nobody has said anything bad about the CEO’s daughter. The media and other social gossips have focused their attention on the few adults involved in the scandal.
Who actually dragged our CEO’s daughter into the political and social spotlight? She is a public figure. When the girl got a job at a junk-food outlet, our CEO brought in dozens of news reporters and TV crews to show off. Everyone was happy. The media effect was good and served the desired purpose. Our CEO knows that a public figure can have both good and bad press. With well-planned PR stunt shows and smooth spin, the media can be manipulated according to the needs of any agenda. Does anyone understand the nature of media people better than our CEO?
Finally, who eventually benefited most from the entrance-exam scandal, if not our CEO? His daughter’s woes came at just the right time. They were played up to protect the CEO from the negative impact of the bloodbath in the South.
Oh! Those tear drops also helped dilute the critical questions just waiting to be asked about the massacre, which attracted worldwide attention. The simple diversionary tactic worked pretty well, as usual.
Why? The CEO does not like standing there alone with all those unpleasant questions coming at him from all directions. If he has something to say about the crisis in the South, he prefers to do so alone, in a one-way flow of information, like during his radio talk yesterday. Any questions?
Sopon Onkgara
Published on May 2, 2004
The Nation, Bangkok
Friday should have been a day of national mourning over the bloodbath in the South. As CEO, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra should have offered some words of consolation for the bereaved families of the dead.
Flowery words and official speeches would not have resurrected them, of course, but a few words would have been appropriate. Our CEO could have made a strong plea for reconciliation, just as the negative reactions were beginning to pour in over the massacre at the mosque in Pattani.
Instead, what the public saw on television was our CEO standing solemn-faced at Government House, lamenting the predicament of his youngest daughter, who will not be able to study at Chulalongkorn University due to low grades.
It took about half an hour for him to pour out his fatherly grief over how unfair it was that his daughter had received so much publicity in print, on the radio and on prime-time TV.
He moaned about how unfair it was that his daughter had been cast in a bad light in the wake of the weeks-long scandal over the entrance-exam leaks. “She did not deserve what she got simply because her father was serving the nation.”
In a previous outburst, one quite different in mood from his sombre appearance on Friday, he cynically blurted out: “Why shouldn’t the girl study at the famous university? Is she the daughter of a bandit?”
Of course, what he failed to recognise is that the son or daughter of a bandit has every right to study at any educational institution – if he or she possesses the proper qualifications.
The solo performance on Friday was quite exceptional. Nobody knows exactly why he chose to highlight the issue on the same day the nation was dealing with a pressing crisis, one that could potentially steer Thailand towards grave and unpredictable consequences.
The CEO’s words about his daughter’s plight were touching indeed. His teary eyes helped elicit sympathy and understanding from the crowd. The appeal reached its emotional peak when he asked that the girl not be dragged into politics simply because her father was doing his best for the national interest.
Those not acquainted with our CEO’s track record may well have been moved to tears by this impressive show. Clearly, it was a first-rate tear-jerker, carried out with careful spin and Oscar-worthy emotion.
Some naive people in the media fell for it. The more emotional journalists out there may have been tempted to blame themselves for breaking the heart of a father with a hard-luck story to tell.
There are some other points to be cleared up for the public record. Nobody has said anything bad about the CEO’s daughter. The media and other social gossips have focused their attention on the few adults involved in the scandal.
Who actually dragged our CEO’s daughter into the political and social spotlight? She is a public figure. When the girl got a job at a junk-food outlet, our CEO brought in dozens of news reporters and TV crews to show off. Everyone was happy. The media effect was good and served the desired purpose. Our CEO knows that a public figure can have both good and bad press. With well-planned PR stunt shows and smooth spin, the media can be manipulated according to the needs of any agenda. Does anyone understand the nature of media people better than our CEO?
Finally, who eventually benefited most from the entrance-exam scandal, if not our CEO? His daughter’s woes came at just the right time. They were played up to protect the CEO from the negative impact of the bloodbath in the South.
Oh! Those tear drops also helped dilute the critical questions just waiting to be asked about the massacre, which attracted worldwide attention. The simple diversionary tactic worked pretty well, as usual.
Why? The CEO does not like standing there alone with all those unpleasant questions coming at him from all directions. If he has something to say about the crisis in the South, he prefers to do so alone, in a one-way flow of information, like during his radio talk yesterday. Any questions?
Sopon Onkgara
posted by Bob Boonhod @ 10:01 AM
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