[Thai] Military's PR campaign: a lot to be desired

October 20, 2008
The Nation

EDITORIAL

Failure to engage media during border clash with Cambodia points to lack of common sense

For whatever it is worth, the man who made the most sense in the latest diplomatic and military confrontation with Cambodia was the leader of a small band of Thai paramilitary rangers overseeing a mine-infested spot along the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre area.

He pointed out that for years, troops from both sides overseeing this disputed area used to eat from the same rice pot, shared smokes and jokes and every now and then, when nobody's looking, took a sip of some vicious home-made brew.

That was until an unsound political manoeuvre from both capitals paved the way for last week's armed clashes on the ground.

It would be too easy to place the entire blame on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for issuing an ultimatum to Thailand to pull its troops out of the disputed area.

The gunfight along the Thai-Cambodian border is much more than just the work of one strongman's desire to score quick political points.

Among other things, the recent flare-ups also placed an unwanted spotlight on the way Thai political leaders and the military top brass operates. And it does not look so pretty. What is desperately lacking is some degree of common sense and the ability to think on their feet. The very concept of damage control doesn't seem to come to mind in times of trouble. Officers and policy-makers prefer to cover their own behinds instead of doing something to minimise the damage.

Indeed, for an armed force that has always whined about not getting enough budget to buy more expensive equipment, the Thai Army has made virtually no progress in understanding the importance of information strategy, much less the role of independent media or how to engage them.

Remember when Thailand agreed to send troops to the UN peacekeeping operation in East Timor and all of a sudden the unit that was being sent became camera shy? For the first three days, photographs of the Australian army doing push-ups and crawls were splashed on the front pages of newspapers around the world. And when the Thais came to their senses, the world media attention had shifted elsewhere.

Over the weekend, Thai and foreign reporters and photographers were scratching their heads with the shallow explanation as to why they were not permitted to photograph Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat getting off the military helicopter. They were told that they could photograph him handing out gifts to soldiers.

Was it the way Somchai got off the plane that had them worried? Or was he going to reveal something that would compromise national security, or do something that was so embarrassing that would ruin his political career?

Incidentally, reporters and cameramen were allowed to walk with Somchai up to the helicopter as he was departing the area.

Even more, after the prime minister's visit, shortly after the gunfight ended, a small group of Thai paramilitary rangers and soldiers went up to talk with their Cambodian counterparts. A photograph of the informal gathering was released from the Cambodian side and immediately there was unconfirmed report that 10 Thai soldiers had been captured.

The only thing the Thai Army could do was deny it. And then they became dumb struck when the photograph was made public. A little common sense would have made the top brass bring the 10 officers in question to a press conference and explain what actually happened.

On Saturday, when a senior Thai army colonel led a small band of officers and foot soldiers to the Preah Vihear Temple where soldiers on both sides were virtually holding hands and dining together, again, officers on the Thai side were not sure how to deal with this. But the Cambodians knew of the urgent need to get this image out, superficial though it may seem, of their commanders walking hand in hand, smiling and dining together.

Reporters and photographers on the Thai side were told that the situation was still too complicated to let any media person accompany the deputy commander of Suranaree Task Force. The Cambodians, on the other hand, came with every international news and photo agency. Perhaps the Thai Army could learn a thing or two from their Cambodian counterparts instead of boasting how big their guns are or how fast their jets could be mobilised.

There is no need to put the blame on any one individual person or unit, as it would be like a wild goose chase. The absence of professionalism and of a sound information strategy has to do with a bureaucratic and military culture. Most don't see themselves as being paid to think, but only to follow orders.

It's sad to know that billions of taxpayers' money goes the military to improve their capacity. Perhaps some of that needs to go towards improving common sense.

Besides a sound information strategy aimed at controlling damage, what is desperately needed is a guideline for media personnel operating on the ground. It's understandable why the army may not want reporters to reveal the exact location of their artilleries. But if an artillery battery is moving through a village or town, it's hard to hide that from a world where transmitting information globally is just a click away on a mobile phone.