Bangkok Post Article on Rosana Tositrakul

"Rosana Tositrakul: Fighting a Dangerous Issue"
By Ploenpote Atthakor in the Bangkok Post's "Next Generation" special issue, Nov. 2001

Rosana Tositrakul is a veteran activist who hardly needs an introduction. A prolific writer and holist health activist, Rosana is one of Thailand's foremost pioneers who have made alternative health care, be it by herbal and traditional medicine or organic food, part of mainstream consciousness.

Apart from being manager of the Thai Holistic Health Foundation as well as the chairperson of the Federation of Consumer Organizations, Rosana is also well known for her political activism as an advocate of non-violence. However, it is her anti-corruption campaign that has made her a household name.

Rosana became involved in anti-corruption activism two year ago when she spearheaded a campaign to unmask senior public health officials in amedical supply scam which eventually resulted in the resignation of the then public health minister Rakkiat Sukthana from his cabinet position, and the unseating of at least two state officials.

Rosana was also a candidate for Bangkok in the senate elections in 2000. Although she did not get elected, the activist keenly maintains her public role.

Building on her success with the medical supply scam, the activist has joined forces with a coalition of 30 non-governmental organizations across the country to launch an anti-corruption network with the aim of uprooting corruption in Thai society.

The move, Rosana said is a result of the scandalous medical procurement scam. "We don't think we should stop at the medical supply scam. WE need to move on," the activist pointed out.

Corruption is a tough and dangerous issue, Rosana said, because it involves the interests of people in power. It is not uncommon for peole who fight against corruption to face threats, intimidation, and sometimes death. Worse, she noted, the existing legal structure is a major barrier preventing people from getting involved in the fight against corruption.

The constitution, for example, allows people to have direct participation by allowing them to demand an investigation of people in high office if the demand is backed by 50,000 people. The law, however, has made any 50,000 signature collecting campaign extremely cumbersome. The Information Act, which allows people to access official information, is also hampered by troublesome procedures, thus discouraging the public from exercising their rights.

Given the constraints, the anti-corruption network aims to create public understanding about corruption, a fundamental aspect of eliminating this scourge on society. The biggest target, she said, is the younger generation, from school children to university students. However, the older generation will not be left out as the network is planning to organize a forum where people can acquire knowledge on laws and law enforcement.

"We will sensitise them about everything they need to know to counter corruption. Importance is attached to peace studies. There must be peace in every movement," she said.

The campaign will also give opportunities to anti-corruption youth groups to meet in order to form their own networks, she added. "Raising public awareness is very important. People should know about their rights and duties in confronting corruption," she said.

"Things are going well," Rosana said. "The children are enthusiastic in their new learning programme and manage to connect it with their school life. They start asking questions about things around them, like their school milk problems. Some students take steps to check for dangerous substances such as borax which are prohibited in food production."

For her, this is a good start for fundamental change to create a decent system. "Unlike state officials, we do not have any direct power to push for quick policy changes. Public education to create public knowledge is our only tool to achieve that goal," Rosana said.