Thailand
arrived at an inflection point yesterday in its battle to contain flood waters
swirling around Bangkok, a controversy that essentially revolves around the
question: Who gets to stay dry, and who gets soaked?
With anger among residents in the city's
northern reaches growing by the day as the inundation continues, Thai Prime
Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ordered a sluice gate raised to allow water to
drain, which risked flooding parts of an industrial park in the process.
She met with resistance from Bangkok governor
M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, who is determined to keep downtown Bangkok and the
Bang Chan industrial park dry for as long as he can.
In an act of outright defiance, Mr
Sukhumbhand, from the opposition Democrat Party, ordered the gate at Khlong Sam
Wa closed and guarded by police.
The tussle between the two sides highlights
the political divisions plaguing Thailand as it fights to contain its worst
floods in more than 50 years, and as the psychologically and economically
important business, tourist and residential districts in inner Bangkok come
under threat from the waters from the north.
On Sunday, angry residents in communities that
have been under stagnant water for weeks demanded that the gate be opened. The
protest spiralled into confrontation and anger on Tuesday, with some residents
hacking a hole in the side of the canal to let the water escape.
To appease the residents, Ms Yingluck ordered
the gate raised, and the water began flowing down towards the Bang Chan
industrial estate. Mr Sukhumbhand then ordered the gate to be closed again and
the hole in the side of the canal to be repaired under police protection.
Mr Sukhumbhand's Democrat Party colleagues
seized the opportunity yesterday to criticise Ms Yingluck.
"The Prime Minister does everything in
response to pressure from the people," party spokesman Chavanont
Intarakomalyasut charged.
The normally low-key and diplomatic Premier
shot back, telling reporters: "I can assure you that I am not ignorant,
indifferent or indecisive in solving problems. The problems concern not only the
masses but also techniques."
Rising tension over protecting inner Bangkok
at the expense of poorer communities on the outskirts of the city, as well as
of rural communities in northern provinces, has threatened to boil over for
over a fortnight amid the flood crisis still unfolding in Thailand.
Mr Sukhumbhand has been reported as saying
that the city is his responsibility while everything outside it is the
responsibility of the government, run by Ms Yingluck, the younger sister of
former premier Thaksin Shinawatra who is loathed by conservative elites who
traditionally support the Democrat Party.
An adviser to the government's Flood Relief
Operations Command (Froc), who is close to the Premier, told The Straits Times:
"It's become ridiculous. The Democrat Party should stop trying to gain
political advantage by discrediting the government. This is not the time. The
country is facing a disaster."
Flood waters are continuing to inundate
districts in Bangkok, especially in the north, east and west. The Royal Thai
Air Force's headquarters in Don Muang district is under water. Two dozen roads,
several of them key arteries in and out of the city, have been closed by the
floods.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
yesterday reiterated that Singaporeans should continue to defer non-essential
travel to Bangkok.
"If Singaporeans in Bangkok have any
concerns about their personal safety, they should take all necessary
precautions, including considering moving to higher ground or areas unaffected
by the flooding," a ministry statement said.
Nirmal Ghosh
The Straits Times
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