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by parel » Mon Dec 23, 2013 11:05 pm
Antigovernment Protesters Vow to Block Elections in Thailand
Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters
BANGKOK — In one of the more provocative moves of Thailand’s monthlong political crisis, antigovernment protesters marching through Bangkok on Sunday vowed to disrupt the coming elections in their campaign to rid the country of its most influential political family.
Demonstrators clashed with the riot police outside Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s house, one of several sites where protesters rallied in Bangkok on Sunday.
Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters
Antigovernment protesters marched through Bangkok on Sunday.
As tens of thousands of protesters rallied at several points in Bangkok, the capital, the main protest leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, instructed his followers to gather outside the building where the governing party of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and other smaller parties had planned to register for the Feb. 2 national elections.
“If you want to register, you will have to walk past our feet,” said Mr. Suthep, who vowed to organize more protests if necessary.
“We will shut down the country; we will block everyone casting ballots,” he said.
The dueling realities of Thailand’s grinding political turmoil were vividly on display on Sunday. As protesters massed in Bangkok and blocked major intersections, Ms. Yingluck was hundreds of miles away in friendly territory among adoring crowds in northeastern Thailand, the power base of her party, a vast region with a population that rivals Bangkok’s.
As with the divisions of the red and blue states of the United States, Thailand’s geographical divides have become even sharper as the crisis has continued. The country is split over whether elections are the answer to the impasse or whether the country should suspend democracy while it overhauls its political system, the plan supported by protesters.
The Democrat Party, which leads the country’s opposition but has struggled over the past two decades to attract voters in the provinces, said Saturday that its members would boycott the elections, tightening the party’s alliance with protesters and further polarizing the country.
Opposition leaders and the protesters accuse Ms. Yingluck and her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire tycoon and former prime minister, of subverting democracy. Mr. Thaksin, who fled the country in 2008 before being convicted of abuse of power, wields his influence over the party from exile.
Mr. Thaksin’s allies counter that elections, which were called by Ms. Yingluck two weeks ago, are the only way forward for the country.
“Even if they do not accept this government, they must accept the system,” Ms. Yingluck told the Thai news media on Sunday. “The government has already returned power to the people and let them decide the future of the country.”
Charupong Ruangsuwan, the leader of the governing party, Pheu Thai, said he was confident that candidates would be able to register for the elections.
“I will go to the registration venue every day until we can get inside or until the election commission changes the venue,” he said Sunday on Thai television.
But the volatility of the crisis was underlined by statements made Sunday by members of the pro-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, a group also known as the Red Shirts.
The group is watching whether “rebels stir up violence or intimidate the candidates,” said Tida Thawornseth, the chairwoman of the group, which says it has tens of thousands of followers.
“We will rise to fight only if there is a coup,” Ms. Tida said.
Mr. Thaksin was removed as prime minister by the military in 2006, an event that helped set off the continuing cycle of political unrest. The coup makers also initiated a number of legal proceedings against him, including one case that led to the 2008 conviction.
On Sunday, protesters in Bangkok, who rallied beside shopping malls decorated for Christmas and New Year, said they were sure that if elections were held the governing party would return to power. The party, they said, does not respect the country’s king and passes populist policies that benefit farmers and other government supporters but that harm the country as a whole.
“Our country is an agricultural society — we are not ready for democracy,” said Saran Seedum, a 24-year-old university student from southern Thailand.
“I think we need to restore the absolute monarchy,” he said, echoing a surprisingly common sentiment among protesters. “Let the king appoint good people to run the country.”
Darunee Kerdkhao, 48, a teacher who lives in Bangkok, said she had joined the protest because the governing party had a lot of money and she feared that the votes of “simple minded” citizens in northern parts of the country could be bought.
“The protesters here are all educated people,” she said.
But watching the protests with disdain was Som Srisuwan, 48, a motorcycle-taxi driver who said he was grateful that Mr. Thaksin had introduced universal health care and that the governing party was forging ahead with plans for high-speed trains in the country.
Everyone in his village in northeastern Thailand planned to vote in the elections, he said.
“It’s impossible to stop the election,” he said. “How can we live without any rules, without any leaders?”
He dismissed the protests as a “ridiculous movement.”
by cptmarginal » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:56 pm
by cptmarginal » Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:54 pm
Thailand is no stranger to civil unrest -- just four years ago the same emergency laws brought in this week were used to end political protests that left scores dead and thousands injured.
While this year's state of emergency may not differ in substance, it is being projected by the government of Yingluck Shinawatra as different in style.
The 60-day clampdown gives the government the power to implement curfews, censor the news media, disperse gatherings and use military force to "secure order."
Analysts say in this respect it is no different to the law that Suthep Thaugsuban -- a former deputy prime minister who is now leading anti-government protests -- used in 2010 to bring a violent end to months of protests in the capital Bangkok.
But this time, the government says it has no plans to crack down on the protesters that have disrupted the capital Bangkok for weeks.
Labor Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who will oversee the joint operation between the military and the police, told a press conference this week the government would not use weapons and would not attempt to disperse protesters at night.
In 2010, the military's attempt to clear protester encampments at night was widely held to have been responsible for the high death toll of around 80 people.
The use of the police as a stabilizing force in the deadlock has been widely seen as an attempt by the government to inject a civilian element into the state of emergency. In recent weeks, the government has been praised by foreign governments, including the United States, for its restraint in handling the protests.
Despite this, human rights groups fear the state of emergency could boil over if protesters -- who aim to disrupt elections scheduled for February 2 and want to institute an unelected "people's council" to run the country ahead of a political overhaul -- ratchet up the pressure.
"This is the same piece of legislation with the same powers," Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch told CNN. "Her (Yingluck Shinawatra) powers are not limited by this."
"While she says she will not use these powers immediately, it will very much depend on the situation," he said. "If she felt that the protesters were instigating violence to stop the elections, she might use some of these powers.
"Our view is that we're concerned that this (the state of emergency) will be viewed as an escalation by the protesters, but on the other hand governments do have a responsibility to maintain some sense of law and order.
"As long as they do this in a rights-friendly way, I don't think people will complain about it. Everything will swing on what happens next."
While Thailand has said it remains open for business despite the state of emergency, the US State Department issued a travel alert for Thailand this week, warning U.S. citizens of the "unpredictable and ongoing demonstration activity" ahead of the elections.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, a total of 34 countries and regions have issued travel warnings for Thailand, including China, France, Australia and Japan.
The protests have already rattled the nerves of some of Thailand's biggest investors. On Monday, the president of Toyota's Thailand unit Kyoichi Tanada told a press conference the company may reconsider up to 20 billion baht ($609 million) in investment -- and could even cut production -- if political unrest continues.
"For new foreign investors, the political situation may force them to look for opportunity elsewhere. For those that have already invested, like Toyota, we will not go away. But whether we will invest (further) or not, we are not sure."
Thailand is the biggest auto market in Southeast Asia and is a production and export hub for car manufacturers such as Honda Motor Company and Ford.
Despite political instability, Thailand has shown formidable economic growth over the past decade and is still attracting foreign investment from small to medium-sized enterprises.
In 2010, the medium-sized design company Design World Partnership decided to remain in Bangkok despite having its office windows shot out during the crackdown.
"We have to take the long view. If you look at the view over the past five to ten years the growth in Thailand has been phenomenal," Brenton Mauriello, DWP Chief Executive Officer, told CNN.
"Of course it would be better if it wasn't there and in the short-term our business has been affected but it's not catastrophic," he said. "You don't come to a country like Thailand and invest over a three or four-month period -- it's a long-term commitment."
He said that his company was expecting the situation to resolve itself and that by April or May it would be business as usual.
"We are now starting to invest back into Australia," said Mauriello, whose company began in Australia, established itself in Thailand in 1994 and and now has nine offices and 450 staff worldwide. "I think that shows that if we can do it, anyone can."
by parel » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:49 am
GUNMEN OPEN UP AT ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS
Saturday, February 01, 2014
Twitter pic
Seven people were injured including two journalists after gunmen opened fire at an anti-government demonstration in Bangkok today causing extreme concern over further, perhaps more serious, violence at a planned national election tomorrow.
The violent scenes took part at the Laksi junction area of Bangkok as anti-government supporters attempted to distrupt the distribution of ballet papers.
Several gunmen were caught on camera and video cameras.
One of the journalists was named as James Natchway – fortunately his injury was minor. A bullet grzed his leg.
He was shot on an overhead. Hundreds of people dived for over when the shooting started. A group of journalists had to be rescued from a police box. The army has sent in 5000 troops to help with law enforcement.
The protesters want an end to the government of Yingluck Shinawatra - which is believed to be controlled by her brother, who has been exiled after fleeing corruption charges.
Nachtway - Twitter
by cptmarginal » Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:12 am
parel » Thu Dec 19, 2013 12:25 pm wrote:Yes. Its a highly illegal book and a highly illegal subject. The block on RollingStone.com was just lifted two years after being placed due to a review of said book.
Actually, nobody can report objectively from Thailand. Anybody who claims they can is not being entirely honest.
21 royals accuse six people of online lese majeste
Published: 8 Feb 2014
Twenty one people of royal lineages have petitioned the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) to probe online lese majeste acts allegedly committed by six people.
The petition followed their joint cooperation to take legal action against anyone suspected of insulting and making false statements about members of the monarchy, ML Phudit Sukhasvasti said.
His group yesterday handed the CSD photos of the six people believed to have acted inappropriately against the royal family and asked police to search and question the suspects to confirm whether they really committed the alleged crime.
According to the group's accusation, the six suspects had posted messages and photos on Facebook which are deemed to violate the lese majeste law.
If the six people are found guilty they could be jailed from between three to 15 years.
The group also wants the police's Technology Crime Suppression Division to help handle the case as it involves an alleged crime on the internet.
The group has previously accused the caretaker government of lese majeste, but it allegedly did not take any serious legal action.
It even petitioned the prime minister, but "there was also no progress," said ML Dhamtanavat Svasti.
The Defence Ministry is also worried about offensive acts against the monarchy and warns people against it.
The ministry is committed to defending sovereignty and national security as well as protecting the monarchy, said defence spokesman Thanatip Sawangsaeng.
The ministry raised a fresh concern after the army told its legal experts to look into the accusation that Thammasat University history lecturer Somsak Jeamthirasakul posted inappropriate messages about the monarchy on his Facebook page.
Also, army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha told his men nationwide to be on the look out for suspected lese majeste acts, especially on the internet, said deputy army spokesman Col Sirichan Ngathong after a meeting he was a part of with the army general yesterday.
by cptmarginal » Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:23 pm
BANGKOK — Suspected Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand launched a wave of attacks Sunday that killed one person and wounded 24 others.
The violence took place in the city of Yala, where at least four explosions were reported, said police Col. Prayong Khotsakha.
The most serious of the assaults was a car bomb that detonated in front a furniture store, triggering a blaze that burned nearby homes and caused numerous casualties, he said.
Other explosions were reported in the city. One bomb was hidden on a motorcycle, and another blew up an ATM.
by cptmarginal » Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:35 pm
While the United States poses as the preeminent champion for global human rights and democracy, it has been a stalwart supporter of the current Thai regime led by Thaksin Shinawatra – a billionaire autocrat whose monopoly over Thai politics has led to the selling out of Thailand’s resources and infrastructure to foreign corporations, unprecedented human rights abuses including the mass murder of some 3,000 people in a so-called “War on Drugs,” and the intimidation, kidnapping and/or assassination of his political enemies.
In other words, Thaksin Shinawatra represents the antithesis of what the West, and the United States in particular, claims to stand for. Their use of these principles and the facade of “democracy” to perpetuate Thaksin Shinawatra’s grip on Thai politics reveals the true purpose of what could be considered the West’s “democracy racket.” It is a veil behind which the West advances its otherwise unpalatable agenda.
Despite Thaksin Shinawatra’s demonstrably destructive policies and his autocratic, brutal style of dictatorship – when his overtly criminal actions were ever called into question, he simply held “elections” to give himself a renewed mandate to remain in office. His success at the polls was due to his iron grip on Thailand’s populous, but sorely undeveloped rural northeast region. An array of government subsidies, cheap loans, literal cash handouts, and a Tammany Hall-style political machine ensured not only victory after victory at the polls, but a growing sense of political and legal impunity.
While such an arrangement clearly undermines the basic principles of elected representative governance, the West has ignored what amounted to institutionalized vote-buying and has continuously reiterated that Thaksin’s political success is simply “democracy” in action.
Thaksin Shinawatra owes his significant backing from the West partly to his ties to Wall Street’s corporate-financier elite stretching back to the late 1990′s when he served as an adviser to the notorious private equity firm, the Carlyle Group.
It is also owed to his servile obedience to Western ambitions both regarding Thailand and Thailand’s support of the West’s global interests. When Thaksin first took office in 2001, his privatization of Thailand’s nationalized oil and natural gas giant, PTT invited in Western oil giants like Chevron and Hess to begin siphoning off billions. Next, he moved to aggressively push through free trade agreements (FTAs) with Australia, China, and the US.
Thaksin would also commit Thai troops to the US invasion and occupation of Iraq and allow Thai territory to be used by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for its notorious “rendition program.”
Thaksin was finally removed from office via a 2006 bloodless military coup. He has struggled to remain in power through a series of proxy regimes who, like his administration from 2001-2006, have relied entirely on his northeast political machine and the illusion of popular support via “democracy.” Currently, Thaksin’s sister is standing in for him as prime minister, while he lives abroad evading a 2 year jail sentence, 2 arrest warrants, and a long list of pending legal cases.
Overt Criminality Plays Dress-Up in Democracy’s Wardrobe
Indeed, while Thailand is technically under the premiership of Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, by his party’s own admission, Thaksin is still literally running the country. The election campaign slogan for general elections in 2011 was literally, “Thaksin Thinks, Pheu Thai Does” (Pheu Thai being his political party). Both Forbes in their article, “Thaksin in Exile: Advising Sister, Digging for Gold,” and the New York Times in an early 2013 article titled, “In Thailand, Power Comes With Help From Skype,” would quote Thaksin Shinawatra himself and several members of his political party admitting as much.
There is no question that an accused mass murderer and convicted criminal hiding abroad from a 2 year jail sentence, multiple arrest warrants, and a long list of pending legal cases, is illegally running Thailand by proxy. Being unelected, Thaksin Shinawatra is by all accounts a dictator, and his “government” a regime, however cleverly they try to dress it up.
Starting in October 2013, continuous street protests have begun increasingly putting pressure on Thaksin’s regime. As in the past, Thaksin’s instinct was to call for “elections” to grant himself and his Western backers the “democratic” stamp of approval. However, general elections held on February 2, 2014 backfired on him. Over 50% of Thailand’s eligible voters outright boycotted the elections. Of those that did vote, many defaced their ballots or filled in “no vote” in protest of both Thaksin Shinawatra’s proxy regime and the hijacked electoral system it is presiding over.
Another of Thaksin’s favorite ploys has been mobilizing large street protests, and in particular, busing in large numbers of supporters from his northeastern political stronghold into the capital of Bangkok. This is meant to exhibit his regime’s popular support to augment his “democratic” mandate. In 2009 and 2010 large mobs mobilized by Thaksin and his political machine turned parts of Bangkok into warzones, leaving many dead and many more injured. In 2010, over 90 people would be killed and widespread arson would consume several landmark buildings belonging to Thaksin’s opponents in downtown Bangkok.
However, his ability to muster such mobs has diminished, with many of his traditional supporters, particularly Thailand’s rice farmers, not only turning on Thaksin Shinawatra and his proxy regime, but going as far as joining with anti-Thaksin protesters in Bangkok.While Thaksin’s Western backers, through news reports and editorial columns, have tried to portray the ongoing political crisis as “Bangkok’s elite” versus the “rural poor” supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, images of large convoys of rural rice farmers traveling to Bangkok to protest the regime have exposed this as yet another part of the facade.
The Thai military has remained on the sidelines, knowing that a second coup would only fuel the regime’s desire to use terrorism and bloodshed to cling to power. Instead, Thailand’s courts have finally been given the opportunity to sidestep Thaksin Shinawatra’s political and legal impunity – with his diminished reputation, legitimacy, and support – and finally begin dealing out much needed, and long-delayed justice.
In response, the regime has lashed out with overt threats of violence directed at protesters, opposition leaders, and even the courts themselves. Thaksin Shinawatra’s street mobs, known locally as “red shirts,” had even gone as far as surrounding the National Anti-Corruption Commission building in northern Bangkok, targeting it nightly with gunfire and grenades, with several “red shirts” even being arrested with AK-47s, M-79 grenade launchers, shotguns, pistols, and hand grenades similar to those used in other attacks on independent agencies and protesters.
The violence has so far only emboldened protesters while vindicating their cause – and the desperate lashing out is seen by many as a concession of the regime’s unraveling legitimacy, popular support, and political viability. It also undermines the credibility of the regime’s many, eager backers in the West.
The West Falls Back: Thus is Born the Myth of a”Judicial Coup”
For Thaksin Shinawatra’s backers on Wall Street and in the City of London, his permanent removal from power would serve as a blow not only to their agenda in Thailand, but in efforts to destabilize and overthrow political orders across Southeast Asia. A regional reversal of influence in Southeast Asia would in turn embolden other targets of Western meddling to dig in and fight back, particularly those in the Middle East and Eastern Europe where intensified Western-backed destabilization has been ongoing since 2011.
Despite Thaksin’s increasingly violent and desperate methods of clinging to power, the West has elected to continue backing him. The narrative has shifted from “class struggle” and “democracy” to the myth of an impeding “judicial coup.” Thomas Fuller of the New York Times single-handedly exposes the absurdity of such a notion in a piece he intended to help bolster this very narrative. In title alone, his article, “In Thailand, Some Foresee a Coup by Legal Means,” betrays commonsense.
“Legal means” would appear to be the only way to legitimately remove a government from power, and in no way constitute a “coup.”
Fuller claims in his article that:
On Monday, Ms. Yingluck appeared briefly before the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which is pursuing a case against her on the grounds that she did nothing to stop alleged corruption in a rice subsidy program. If the commission finds that there is a prima facie case, she will be suspended as prime minister, a decision that could come within weeks.
He then goes on to claim:
This power struggle between Ms. Yingluck — whose Pheu Thai party retains strong support among voters in the hinterland — and judges and agencies in Bangkok that want to blunt what they see as a destructive populist movement that encroaches on their power has been a central undercurrent of the five months of political stalemate.
The prospect that courts and agencies will remove Ms. Yingluck, and potentially her entire cabinet, from power is being described in Thailand as a judicial coup.
Fuller skips past the recent flopped elections in February which directly contradict his claim that the regime “retains strong support among voters in the hinterland,” and proposes that the courts are merely part of an elitist move to preserve their power from being usurped by a “populist movement.” While he mentions briefly, “alleged corruption in a rice subsidy program,” he never fully addresses it. Doing so would fully explain why the courts have had “antagonistic relationships with Ms. Yingluck and her party,” as Fuller puts it, and exactly why the notion of a “judicial coup” is absurd.
The current government has insisted that it must remain in office till a new government has been sworn in. As they see it, that will require a new election. The constitutional court has already nullified an incomplete February 2nd general election (which was boycotted by the opposition, hence won by Ms Yingluck’s party) and ordered a new poll. But the election commission, a body that specialises in the art of procrastination, has already said that any fresh elections are at least five months away.
What will happen in those five months? There is little chance that the country’s electile dysfunction will heal itself. All things considered, the momentum is now clearly with the anti-government camp. On April 2nd, the constitutional court threw out a petition by a prominent minister which had asked it to recognise that the anti-government protests violate the constitution. A day later, a criminal court withdrew arrest warrants that had been issued against 18 of the protest leaders for their having disobeyed an emergency decree.
One way of looking at the revolution of 1932 is to see that it failed to destroy the privileges of an entrenched elite. That history might seem to offer comfort to the current campaign, which seeks to reassert the elite’s interests against a government of elected upstarts, led by Thaksin Shinawatra and his family; counter-revolutions have a track record of success in Thailand. This time however the protesters—the counter-revolutionaries, as it were—must be wary of a further backlash by the Shinawatras’ own supporters, “the red shirts”. Over the weekend tens of thousands of red shirts gathered in the capital, Bangkok. They had come to make it known that they do not intend to let Mr Suthep and his backers get away with another coup, judicial or otherwise.
The rally was held close to the palace of the crown prince, Vajiralongkorn. He is seen by many as being sympathetic to the red shirts, and the red shirts were there to express their support for him. The traditional elite are thought to dislike him, though they swear by the monarchy, and he is its designated heir. Many people assume that what Mr Suthep is really after is not a “restart” for Thailand, but rather a tweak to its royal succession—with an eye to preserving the old order.
by cptmarginal » Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:14 am
Army readies troops over rally threats
Published: 4 Apr 2014
The army is preparing to deploy 58 companies of troops if needed to counter protest threats in coming days.
Maj Gen Apirat Kongsompong, newly appointed commander of the 1st Division, King’s Guard, is directly in charge of the soldiers assigned to ensure peace and order in Bangkok, especially at the rally sites of the protesters.
He said yesterday he is waiting for guidelines about the troop deployment from the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (Capo).
Maj Gen Apirat’s first task as the 1st Division commander is to step up security as red shirts gather this weekend in a suburban area of Bangkok in a show of support for the government.
The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) protest site on Utthayan Road in Thawi Watthana district is across town from the anti-government venue at Lumpini Park, sparking fears of a confrontation between the rival groups.
The UDD hopes to mobilise half a million people to its protest which is expected to spread over the weekend.
Maj Gen Apirat said yesterday he is not worried about his transfer taking place amid a political crisis.
The officer has come under close scrutiny especially by the red shirts due to his role in the military crackdowns on them in 2010.
“I’m not worried that I am the target of the red shirts. I did my job as assigned by my supervisors. I never did anything beyond my orders,” he said.
Maj Gen Apirat said that lese majeste offences would not be tolerated under his watch, adding that a campaign to undermine the monarchy has been under way for a long time.
Army: Arresting Suthep 'not our job'
Published: 9 Apr 2014
If People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban's plan to "reclaim sovereign power" is illegal it is the government's duty to take legal action against him, not the army's, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Wednesday.
"We'll have to look into the law to see if (reclaiming sovereign power) can be done.
"If it's against the law or inappropriate the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) can arrest the wrongdoers along with those who commit lese majeste and who want to separate Thailand," the national army chief told reporters.
He insisted the armed forces do not side with either Mr Suthep's group or the pro-government group led by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) chairman Jatuporn Prompan.
If either side violated the law then the CMPO and police were duty bound to make the arrest, not the military.
Gen Prayuth said he did not want people to accuse the military of interfering in all issues.
"The military has no authority to arrest anyone. If you can't arrest Mr Suthep, then don't tell us to do the job for you. that's not right," he added.
On Tuesday night, Mr Suthep announced at the Lumpini stage that the PDRC would reclaim sovereign power for the people as soon as "Yingluck Shinawatra's status as caretaker prime minister is terminated by the Constitutional Court".
"If Ms Yingluck refuses to follow the court's ruling, the people will drag and pull her down from power," the protest leader declared.
by cptmarginal » Fri Apr 18, 2014 2:21 pm
Songkran toll: 322 killed, 3,225 injured
Road toll down on 2013, injuries, accidents up
Published: 18 Apr 2014
Forty-three people were killed and 299 injured in 238 accidents on Thursday, the last of the "seven dangerous days" (April 11-17) of the Songkran festival, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Friday.
The greatest number of the accidents on Thursday were caused by speeding (25.21%), followed by drunk driving (21.43%). The majority (80.40%) of the accidents involved motorcycles.
Thursday's figures brought the number of people killed in the seven-day period, April 11-17, to 322, down 0.31% from the same period last year, and 3,225 injured (up 6.09%) in 2,992 accidents (up 5.8%).
The seven-day figures showed Nakhon Ratchasima had the largest number of fatalities (14). Chiang Mai province saw the highest accumulated number of accidents at 116 and the highest accumulated number of injuries at 144.
Overall, drunk drinking was given as the biggest cause of accidents (36.76%), followed by speeding (24.47%).
by cptmarginal » Fri Apr 18, 2014 2:27 pm
Two Journalists in Thailand Face Charges Due to Pulitzer Prize Report
Steve Herman - April 17, 2014
BANGKOK — An excerpt from a Pulitzer Prize report posted online by a website in Thailand has led to a criminal court case against two journalists in the country. They are accused of defaming the Thai navy for its alleged involvement in trafficking of some refugees from Burma.
An Australian editor based in Thailand and one of his local reporters appeared in a provincial court Thursday and were released on bail.
The navy filed charges against them five months ago after they posted a paragraph from a Reuters news story which alleged that members of the Thai military profited from trafficking of Muslim Rohingya asylum seekers from Burma, also known as Myanmar.
The two journalists who were charged work for an online English-language news site on the Thai southern resort island of Phuket.
Alan Morison is the editor of the Phuketwan web site. He said his independent website likely was targeted because it repeatedly has reported about how the Rohingya refugees have been treated by Thai authorities. He said it is not unique for officials here, however, to try to intimidate journalists and others in this way.
"The law is used in all kinds of bad ways against investigative journalists and academics and even migrant activists in Thailand already. And we're just the most noticeable case, I guess, because it's the military," said Morison.
After being granted bail, Morison was ordered by the court not to leave Thailand.
The other journalist charged in the case is Chutima Sidasathian. She expressed relief about being granted bail after being held in the court's detention cell for five hours. Chutima said she and her editor will fight the case.
Chutima also helped Reuters with its series on the plight of the refugees. The Reuters' articles were this week awarded a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting.
Reuters says the same Thai navy officer who brought the case against the two journalists has also filed a criminal complaint against the news agency, which is believed to be under review by Thai authorities.
Morison and Chutima face up to seven years in prison and a fine of about $3,000 if convicted of both defamation and offenses under the Computer Crimes Act.
Human Rights Watch, an international non-governmental organization, is calling on Thailand's leaders to intervene and stop the case. It terms the prosecution an application of draconian laws and a "blatant violation of media freedoms."
by cptmarginal » Mon May 26, 2014 9:21 pm
parel » Thu Nov 28, 2013 11:31 am wrote:Sorry, but Cartalucci's black and white view of the world is so irritating. He gets a lot right, but I don't proliferate his stuff as it usually tainted with simplifications like omitting the fact that Yingluck actually won the election in a landslide and that returning Thaksin to Thailand was part of the the Party's mandate at the time. This "you're with us or you support the N W O" type thinking of the Alex Jones stable makes one want to recoil.
by cptmarginal » Wed May 28, 2014 1:31 am
By Aim Sinpeng - May 27
It was the most social-media savvy coup in Thailand. And for a country with one of the largest number of coup attempts in the world, 19 in total, since 1932, it was quite a feat. The men in uniform are trying to get with the times. Perhaps they learned from Turkey’s Erdogan that they could block social media sites like Twitter and YouTube and still win an election. Or perhaps they underestimated how shutting down Twitter had backfired on Tunisia’s Ben Ali and helped fuel more protests. Either way, the Thai military thought the coup had to be carried out properly: on the ground and in cyberspace.
First things first: why was there a military takeover?
The military felt after seven months of unrest in Thailand between the pro- and anti-government groups and with little to no sign of a “compromise” among warring elites, that they needed to take control of the situation. Under the leadership of the army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, they first declared martial law on May 20, then followed with a complete takeover on May 22. Gen. Prayuth now acts as an interim prime minister and has abolished the 2007 constitution.
Unprecedented in Thailand’s coup history was the military’s extent of media engagement. For the first time ever, the martial law declaration was announced through its Twitter account, @ArmyPR_News, and its new Facebook home, National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the official name of the military government. This makes sense considering that 96 percent of Thais with Internet access use Facebook. So when the NCPO announced its coup, social media served as a key platform.
Despite rumors of a complete Internet blackout, the military stopped short of doing that. Yet, the May 22 coup d’état centered on the battle over information control. In comparison to the previous military takeover, in 2006 and 1991, the junta has taken more drastic measures to curb press freedom. The coup was no longer just about who controlled the government, but also who controlled the media.
Is information control still possible in this this digital era?
Traditional media – TV, radio, satellite, newspapers – proved easier for the military leaders to manage. No need to be savvy here. The military had to only declare martial law and the Thai media knew just what to do. Press freedom has not been high in Thailand anyway. According to Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index, Thailand’s rankings hovered within the 130th range, out of 175, for the past 10 years – a level comparable to authoritarian states like Zimbabwe. The media is used to self-censorship and if/when the military is in power, they know to stay away from reporting “political” issues.
But the NCPO did not want to leave room for error. Following the declaration of martial law (and before the coup), they issued 19 orders, six of which specifically targeted information control. The military suspended all normal programming of radio, cable TV and satellite stations and had the media only play re-runs of military-approved programming. Thais were also ordered to stay home, but they were deprived of their much beloved evening soaps. Only recently were the six public TV channels able to resume normal programming, still under a watchful eye of the military government. Apart from not being allowed to present views that could fuel more tension in the country, Thai TV programs are also no longer permitted to present the opinions of viewers – meaning no more SMS messages or phone-ins by audience. An op-ed on the Nation asked the military whether they could like “emoticons,” which may show emotions of readers, online. No one seems to know where the “line” is.
Foreign media were affected too, with CNN, Fox, CCTV, CNBC, and Bloomberg asked by the junta to stopped their reporting. CCN continued on its Twitter account @cnni. They have, as of May 25, been able to resume their work, but must not report on any information that could create disunity in Thailand, nor are they allowed to interview academics for their viewpoints.
Some Thais, however, took the heightened censorship in stride.
Thailand’s main cable company, True Corporation, put up a list of TV-free activities for their distressed consumers, who knew no life without television. Some Thais, bored with repeatedly listening to the same military-style music, began a petition on a popular web board, drama-addict, to request a new, more modern pop-like music. One user, Chawada lovelove, wrote:
"We pay your (military) salaries through our taxes to protect us from harm. You took away all our media, and we are OK with that!!! But all you do is play this ancient music over and over – the kind of music not up to our taste. Sir, please, Sir, could you play another song? We are bored."
Social media control, however, will prove much more difficult. Yes, the military will try, and they will try hard. The NCPO summoned the executives of all 51 ISP providers in Thailand and “asked” them for cooperation to monitor and report on any inappropriate behavior online. Such behavior would include anything that would create disharmony and disorder in society, broadly defined. Internet providers would be required to submit a list of URLs to be blocked within one hour to the Ministry of ICT, Cyber Police, or the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. Already, reportedly more than 100 Web sites have been blocked since May 20.
The media ban between May 20 and May 24, however, drove people online. The lack of “news” and anything on TV during those critical days following the imposition of martial law prompted ordinary people and journalists alike to flock to social media to get their information.
by justdrew » Wed May 28, 2014 2:26 am
Thai TV programs are also no longer permitted to present the opinions of viewers – meaning no more SMS messages or phone-ins by audience
by cptmarginal » Sat May 31, 2014 1:45 am
Thai Coup Stings Western Meddlers
May 27, 2014 (Tony Cartalucci-NEO)
"America's Pacific Century," Foreign Policy magazine declared in an op-ed published by then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The by-line would continue by saying, "the future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action."
And indeed, it has been in the middle of the action. With an army of deeply entrenched US-funded NGOs masquerading as human rights, press freedom, and pro-democracy advocates, the US has been busy subverting and attempting to overthrow indigenous institutions across Southeast Asia either in support of US proxy regimes already in power, or to pave way for disruptive "color revolutions" seeking to install them.
Beginning in the 1990's Shinawatra was a Carlyle Group adviser. Upon taking office he would privatize Thailand's petrochemical conglomerate, raise limits on foreign shares, andsell it off to Chevron and Hess. He would send Thai troops to Iraq in support of the US invasion and occupation, as well as allow the CIA to conduct their horrid "rendition" program on Thai soil. He would try, but fail to ramrod through a US-Thai free trade agreement, and has been supported either directly or indirectly by an army of Washington-based lobbying firms for years.
A recent, peaceful military coup, the second aimed at uprooting Shinawatra's regime, has been successfully carried out this week. Unlike the previous coup of 2006, this coup is proving to be far more effective and thorough with nearly every aspect of the ousted regime being exposed, detained, warrants arranged, and trials to follow. Assets are being traced and face possible judicial review for their subsequent freezing and/or seizure. In other words, the regime is being utterly uprooted, financially and politically.
Thai Coup Stings US Meddlers the Most
In the immediate aftermath of the coup, the US State Department, through a strongly worded condemnation penned by US Secretary of State John Kerry, claimed:
I am disappointed by the decision of the Thai military to suspend the constitution and take control of the government after a long period of political turmoil, and there is no justification for this military coup. I am concerned by reports that senior political leaders of Thailand’s major parties have been detained and call for their release. I am also concerned that media outlets have been shut down. I urge the restoration of civilian government immediately, a return to democracy, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as press freedoms. The path forward for Thailand must include early elections that reflect the will of the people.
While we value our long friendship with the Thai people, this act will have negative implications for the U.S.–Thai relationship, especially for our relationship with the Thai military. We are reviewing our military and other assistance and engagements, consistent with U.S. law.
The US would move to suspend ongoing military cooperation with the Thai military, canceling future training exercises, and suspend millions of dollars in aid. The Thai military would in turn, allegedly suspend broadcast of Western news channels, including US-based CNN and UK-based BBC.
The US has since made several demands, in a press statement on May 24, which read as follows:
We are increasingly concerned about actions the military has taken, just a few days after it staged a coup. It has dissolved the Senate, detained a number of people, called in some academics and journalists, and continued to restrict the press. We again call on the military to release those detained for political reasons, end restrictions on the media, and move to restore civilian rule and democracy through elections.
In essences, the US is demanding the release of its proxy regime, the so-called "academics" and "journalists" it has groomed for years to support the regime, and restrictions placed on their propaganda bullhorns to be lifted so as to continue coordinating strife within Thailand.
Joining the US State Department's calls, are the various faux-NGOs inside of Thailand funded directly by the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED), including the Human Rights Lawyers Association, Cross Cultural Foundation, Union of Civil Liberties and the Enlawthai Foundation, and Prachatai. The Bangkok Post in an article titled,"Anti-coup rally on streets, social media," would report that the faux-NGOs demanded "the return to civilian rule" and for soldiers to "return to their barracks," a verbatim repeat of both US demands and those of the ousted regime of Thaksin Shinawatra.
The coup could not have come at a worse time for US global ambitions. With the recent signing of a historical 30 year, $400 billion natural gas contract between Russia and China with direct pipelines circumventing entirely the Pacific region the US has invested much in terms of stifling China's growth, the loss of America's client regime in Thailand weakens an already tenuous geopolitical agenda.
West Prepares to Strike Back
The ousted regime of Thaksin Shinawatra, represented by Washington lobbyist Robert Amsterdam of Amsterdam & Partners, is organizing a "government in exile." It is currently shopping for a host nation to base itself in - with Thaksin Shinawatra already admittedly running his ruling party mainly from Dubai for the past several years.
In a statement released from Amsterdam's official website titled, "Statement: Consideration Given to Formation of Thai Government in Exile," it claims:
"...a number of foreign governments have already expressed their willingness to host such a government in exile under internationally established rules and practice. He emphasised that the Army of Thailand has no legal authority to govern and has acted in violation of both local and international law."
Just like US-EU-organized opposition "governments" formed in Europe used to undermine besieged nations like Libya and Syria, the West will most likely coordinate a campaign of systematic destabilization within Thailand while attempting to boost the credibility of the exiled Shinawatra regime beyond its borders.
With the coup having remained so far peaceful, attempts to shed blood to undermine stability and the image of the military-led government appear to be underway. Amsterdam in another statement warned of a "strategy of tension," in an attempt to shift blame for impending violence of the West's own design onto the new military-led government.
The statement titled, "Open letter to Red Shirts, UDD Supporters and Those Committed to a Democratic Thailand," released from his lobbying firm's official website stated:
In the meanwhile we would ask that all pro-democracy activists, Red Shirts and those committed to returning Thailand to civilian and legally mandated rule remain peaceful. The Army may attempt to unleash a “strategy of tension” in the days to come – something which could include terrorist actions – and Red Shirts must do their utmost to stay disciplined, calm and focused.
In reality, this is setting the stage for rallies to be targeted by the West's infamous "mystery gunmen" - snipers deployed to conflict zones to kill both security forces and demonstrators to then leverage the violence to expand the conflict and undermine the targeted government. Such tactics have already been used once in Thailand during violence in 2010, as well as throughout the opening phases of the so-called "Arab Spring," and most recently in Ukraine where "Euromaidan" leaders brought in snipers to kill both Ukrainian security forces and their own supporters.
Amsterdam's "premonitions" of impending violence have previously manifested themselves in openly armed terrorism confirmed to be the work of his client, Thaksin Shinawatra and his political machine inside of Thailand. Just weeks before the coup, Shinawatra's militants were caught with AK47s, M79 grenade launchers, and hand grenades with the same lot numbers of those used in previous attacks.
While waiting for Western-orchestrated bloodshed - Thailand can expect a torrent of slanted media reports condemning the coup and the protests that led up to it, covering up the 6 months of terrorism carried out by the Shinawatra regime against his political opponents that precipitated the coup in the first place, and media reports inflating the numbers and significance of protesters organized by Shinawatra to portray the population as being "anti-coup."
It appears that the US "pivot" is turning instead into an ever more precarious "stumble."
Tony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.
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