Reporters being tumultuously curious about Jurin Laksanavisit’s and the Democrat Party’s future tells a lot about where the country is heading when sexual harassment and domestic violence are concerned.
The case of Prinn Panitchpakdi is a big political blow for the Democrats, but truth is that it happens at many other places, too. More or less, better or worse, it’s occurring, either in luxurious buildings or ramshackle houses. Problem is, if it does not involve celebrities, billionaires, high-ranking officials or politicians, the chances of making the front page, let alone courtrooms, are next to nothing.
This makes the entire trouble hard to solve. As long as major questions stemming from the Prinn affair have to do with whether Jurin, who allegedly brought the man into the party and promoted him at the expense of Korn Chatikavanij, should resign; how the scandal would affect the Democrats politically; or how much the controversy would impact political divisions in Thailand, the majority of the iceberg will remain solidly underwater.
A politician-turned-political/social-commentator is alleged to be a wife-beater, and so is a leading politician of a major political party. Gossips have it that one political activist used to sexually assault women. Thai stewardesses have shared with trusted colleagues, friends and relatives inside stories of how airlines captains took advantage of them or made terribly-obscene jokes in front of them. Several military and police officials were said to be mistreating women without even knowing it.
The scourge is omnipresent in the male-dominated Thai society and it spans all ideological realms. Yet it’s strictly “individual”, meaning Jurin should not be worried _ or made to be worried _ about it, unless he had been warned but chose to ignore the alleged behaviors of his protégé.
In other words, bringing down a total organization if one or some members have sexually harassed or abused women is not the right way to tackle the problem, particularly if the punishment is not accompanied by other measures. Current political storms battling the Democrats might make them more careful when it comes to gender sensitivity, but Jurin’s problems would not deter men in other professions. Politicians who know their peers sharing a similar ideology wouldn’t make noises wouldn’t care less, either.
Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service
