Policy Announcement*Mr.
President,
Distinguished Members,
Persuant
to His Majesty the King's gracious appointment of myself as Prime Minister, per
Royal Command dated 25 June 1949, and the subsequent appointment of the Council
of Ministers. The Council of Ministers has now formulated the formal policies
for the state administration, as to present to the Parliament, according to Code
145 - 146 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, and ask for the kind
approval, as follows.
First
of all, the government is determined to preserve the democratic administration,
with King as Head of State, protect and respect the Constitution of the Kingdom
of Thailand.
The
government is determined to perform the state administration, successfully, in
accordance with the aforementioned policies, through the collaborations of all
parties concerned. In this respect, the government aspires to obtain the support
from the distinguished members, civil servants, and general public, as to lead
the nation out of the current situation and prepare for the future crisis.
Apart
from the aforementioned policies, I would like to add, but not to overstate,
that the representatives do not know the activities, policies, and inefficiency
of the civil servants, e.g., police. In this respect, the government shall
reorganize the roles and responsibilities of both parties, political and
permanent alike. As for the policies, the government shall apologize to
the civil servants, should they be evoked by the modification of policies.
Finally,
I would like to inform to the distinguished members that the government is ready
for the objections and advises, which shall be of great national benefits.
1. Religious Policy
The
government shall cherish the Buddhism and provide full supports to other religions,
in order to enhance the national education and morals.
2. Royal Policy
The
government shall respect the king of the present Chakri dynasty, protect the royal
throne, and honor the royal family.
3. Foreign Policy
| (1) | The government shall establish close relations with other sovereign nations and respect the international obligations, upon equality and reciprocity basis. |
| (2) | The government shall collaborate with the United Nations, as for the world peace and justice. |
| (3) |
The government would like to inform the international situation, especially that in neighboring countries, that are confused and war sticken. Though Thailand remains peaceful, it is understandable that it is really difficult to retain it, as for the sake of the Thai citizens. As for foreign residents, the government hopes to cooperate with them, as to restore the national stability and security. |
4. Policy on Security
| (1) | The government shall enhance the efficiency of the army, in accordance with current situation. |
| (2) | The government shall implement efficient measures, as to popularize the military force. |
5. Educational Policy
The
government shall prioritize the promotion and support of the education, provide
the formal education to the general public, regardless of sex and age, as follows:
| (1) | The government shall support, improve, and maintain the vocational education. |
| (2) | The government shall support, improve, and maintain the physical education. |
| (3)
| The government shall support and expand the adult education. |
| (4) | The government shall increase the numbers of public and municipal schools, as to meet the increasing needs of the people. |
| (5) | The government shall increase the numbers of teachers and enhance the efficiency of teachers, in accordance with the current situation. |
| (6) | The government shall support and maintain private schools. |
| (7)
| The government shall improve and upgrade the universitarial education. |
| (8) | The government shall popularize public libraries, in terms quantity and quality. |
| (9) | The government shall provide the free education, as well as, educational tools, to the people. |
6. Agricultural Policy
| (1) | The government shall support the provision of land ownerships, both for the accommodation and work space, to the people. |
| (2) | The government shall enhance the agricultural and pastural productivity and efficiency, as follows: |
| (a) | Public Irrigation The government shall expand the national network and enhance the performance. Royal Irrigation The government shall implement the continuation of existing projects and establish new ones, as for the affected areas, and support other types of water channels, as for the agriculture. Canal The government shall improve and construct the canals, as for the agriculture and transportation. |
| (b)
| The government shall research and support the plant strains, as well as, the utilization of the fertilizer and machine tools. |
| (c)
| The government shall support livestocks and
transport animals, implement the provision of good animal breeds and animal feeds,
support and manufacture vaccines, as to meet the national needs, and suppress animal diseases. |
| (d) | The government shall support and enhance the fresh water fishery, as to provide more food to the people, establish the Fishery Station, and support the fish vending, as for the national benefits. |
| (e) | The government shall expand the cooperative network, especially for the fund-raising, land lease, and shop. |
| (3)
| The government shall preserve the forests and indegenous plant strains, support the vending of wood and forest products, as to meet the internal and external requirements. |
| (4)
| The government shall promote the rubber plantation, as for the diversification of national exports. |
| (5) | The government shall support the educational efficiency of Kasetsart University, and diffuse the pastural education to the public. |
7. Industrial Policy
| (1) | The government shall support the industry and convert the raw materials into semi-finished products, as for the national use. |
| (2) | The government shall implement the national surveys on mineral resources and promote the mining industry. |
| (3) | The government shall enhance the productivity of state factories. |
| (4) | The government shall establish the state and private factories, in accordance with the national situation. |
| (5) | The government shall harness the hydroelectricity from waterfalls. |
| (6)
| The government shall enhance scientific researches of all types. |
8. Policy on Transportation
The
government shall improve, support, and expand land, water, and air transportations,
as to meet the national requirements.
| (1) | Railroads The government shall repair damaged railroads, affected by the great wars, import locomotives, wagons, carriages, as well as, rail industry and maintenance, and implement the continuation of existing projects. |
| (2) | Highways The government shall repair damaged thoroughfares, implement the construction of national and provincial highways, establish the intercity links, and provide machine tools, as for the maintenance and construction of the highways. |
| (3) | Bangkok Port The government shall implement the continuation of existing projects, unearth riverine bars, in order that 21-feet-deep vessels can navigate, and consider the construction of other ports. |
| (4) | Post, Telegraph, Telephone, and Telecommunication The government shall support and expand the national network, as to meet the national needs. |
| (5) | The government shall reduce or exempt transportation fares and fees, as for priests and handicapped. |
9. Commercial Policy
| (1) | The government shall maintain, even reduce, the price of basic consuming goods, support the national savings, promote the national commerce, which is the only way to preserve the national economic independence. |
| (2) | The government shall promote the national exports and maintain the export quality, as to establish the popularization and confidence. |
| (3) | The government shall control the imports and exports, as to suppress the national problems and preserve the national benefits. |
| (4) | Rice Trade: The government shall cooperate with the United Nations' World Food Program, as long as not contradicting the national benefits. |
10. Interior Policy
The
government shall install the national security and well-being, good citizen, and
national profession, as follows:
| (1) | The government shall support the municipalities and provincial councils, which shall, in turn, uphold the national benefits, in accordance with the democratic administration, and maintain and enhance the local developments. |
| (2) | The government shall increase the numbers and efficiency of the royal thai police. |
| (3) | The government shall increase the numbers, efficiency, and status of the attorneys. |
| (4) | The government shall standardize the national Correction operations, by treating inmates, in accordance with the Correction procedures, as to increase the numbers of good citizens, especially child criminals, separated from the rest of the prison, as for the special education. As for court orders, the government shall enhance the practice and education of the detained children. |
| (5) | The government shall repair and improve the damaged electricity and water works, affected by the great wars, especially in the Greater Bangkok area, as to meet the national requirements, and expand the national electricity and water networks. |
| (6) | Social Welfare: The government shall implement the contruction of accommodation for lease, as to promote the lease, support the national profession, and expand the social welfare networks for elders, handicapped, big families, and children. |
| (7) | The government shall support the land ownership rights, as for the national profession, by facilitating the reservation and documentation procedures. |
| (8)
| The government shall support all types of laborers. |
11. Policy on Public Health
The
government shall promote the health care system, as for the national benefits,
as follows:
| (1) | The government shall improve medical officers, in terms of quantity and quality, as to achieve the greater efficiency. |
| (2) | The government shall provide the hygiene education, as for the national awareness in sanitation. |
| (3) | The government shall expand cure and prevention networks, by establishing more provincial hospitals and health care centers, as well as, providing medicine and medical tools, as for the affected provinces. |
| (4) | The government shall expand the Mother and Child welfare network, by recruiting new gynaecologists and establishing new gynaecological centers. |
| (5) | The government shall prevent and suppress contagious and harmful diseases, by means of the enhanced medical officers and tools. |
| (6) | The government shall promote and support the sanitation, throught the collaborations of administrative and municipal officers, as to enhance the general sanitation. |
| (7) | The government shall nurture the school sanitation, by establishing the school health care units, as to enhance the general sanitation. |
| (8)
| The government shall support medical and health researches. |
| (9) | The government shall collaborate with the United Nations, as for medicine, public health, and child welfare. |
(10) | The government shall support the equal medical traetment. |
12. Policy on Justice
| (1) | The government shall respect the freedom of royal judges, as in legal trials. |
| (2) | The government shall establish more royal courts, as for the national benefits. |
| (3) | The government shall facilitate court procedures. |
13. Financial Policy
The
finance is the keyword for the state administration and maintenance, as all projects
will be achieved, only through the financial stability. In this respect, the government
shall preserve the budget balance, which is the basis of the healthy national
finance, promote investment, according to the credibilities rendered by the positive
budget, as to generate the national economic growths, and implement efficient
measures, as for the stability of the Thai currency.
Apart
from the aforementioned, the government shall heed special attentions to suppress
corruption and malfeasances, crimes and delinquences, and high cost of living.
In addition, the government shall follow the national policies, in accordance
with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Moreover,
the government shall implement the continuation of the policies of the previous
governments, as to register continual developments, according to the personnel
and finance, enhance the efficiency and honesty of civil servants, as for the
national benefits, support the professional security of permanent civil servants,
as well as, provide the rightful assistance to pensioners and off-duty officers.
As
to achieve the aforementioned goals, the government would like to request the
collaborations of all parties, increasing the morale of the government and civil
servants, as to administer the state affairs properly, for the sake of the national
benefits and well-beings.
Thank
you.
*Parliament Assembly Report of 3/1949, Session 1, 6 July 1949, Pages 19-29
Unofficial Translation