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Save our youth from sin

Published on Nov 3rd, 2002 Bangkok Post
Thongbai Thongpao

There are some Thai adages that teach people how the environment can shape men, such as ``Befriend a thief and be brought to ill, befriend a guru and be brought to good''.

The purpose of the adages is to urge people to stay away from evil and bad men because they can influence you and turn you into a bad guy yourself. Unfortunately, we hardly hear adults or teachers today teach children these valuable lessons.

On the contrary, some teachers harass or even rape their pupils, prompting the Education Ministry to take drastic action.

Other sages tell us: ``Environment determines our minds''. Thus, we should strive to create a favourable environment so men can be good. Social revolutionaries also say: ``A bad society turns men into ghosts. A good society turns ghosts into men''.

When I visited China in 1958, the people were saying: ``Though there are some lost sheep in our country, there are no roads along which they can stray.'' What they meant was that their society had been revolutionised in such a way that all evils and ills had been destroyed, leaving no opportunities for people to go bad.

I am worried about conditions in our country today. In my view, there are too many evils in our society that can intoxicate people, especially the youth, and lead them astray along the pathways of evil, extravagance, and promiscuity, which is all a far cry from the good old Thai values. Western ways have taken our country hostage and our vulnerable children fall prey to them.

People who call themselves ``creative'' focus only on making a profit without considering the overall consequences of their actions. The media, whether newspapers, television or radio, report news that highlights beauty and the stars and publish and promote sensual images and acts.

Very young girls are queuing up to enter beauty pageants. In the old days, contestants were usually at least 20 years old but today most of them are teenage university students.

In the latest pageant, the beauty queen and runners-up were from primary and secondary schools.

The most sought-after careers among them are to become actors, singers or models.

While these professions are not inherently evil, they lead to an extravagant and ephemeral life. News about child and student prostitutes is rampant. Boys are addicted to drugs. The number of crimes committed by youth have jumped sharply. No one can deny these evils have influenced young minds and led them astray.

Sompong Jitradabsu-angkhavatin, a Thai educational expert, recently wrote a shocking article entitled: ``Thai children on the verge of becoming thieves'', which was published in Matichon on Oct 24. According to the writer, for 30 years, Thai society has fostered consumerism in a rush after expensive brand-name products. Children have been led to believe that these things represent their social status and are a vital part of their lives.

Drugs are also common among school children while kids of 13-16 years old either have sex freely and change partners often or become prostitutes or pimps. They learn about life from obscene cartoons, underground Internet activities, and CDs and VCDs sold freely and cheaply. Those who reject these ways cannot socialise with their peers.

Meanwhile, children are familiar with violence from their families and face intense competition at school with more pressures added by the media.

Internet and technological advancements only broaden the gap between parents and children. Youths spend only 20% of their on-line time pursuing their education and the rest exploring obscene sites with web cams, sex chat and sex phone.

The article is alarming indeed. I don't know whether adults are aware of these problems, but they should be. Only then can we begin to take concerted action to rid our society of these ills once and for all.