Red Shirt to 'sue' Thai privy councilors over cable
Originally published at Siam Voices on January 12, 2011 Last week, VoiceTV* reported this:
Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, Anand Panyarachun and ACM Siddhi Savetsila were Thursday sued on lese majeste charges.
Gen Prem, the chief privy counsel and former prime minister, Mr Anand, a former prime minister, and ACM Siddhi, a former foreign minister, were altogether charged by Red Shirt movement for alleged lese majeste acts which might have possibly offended the Royal Household.
Red Shirt spokesman Worawut Wichaidit, who brought up the charges to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House, quoted cable messages circulated by WikiLeaks as saying the highly-placed trio had discussed varied topics with former United States ambassador to Thailand Eric G John a few years earlier.
"Prem, Anand, Siddhi Sued On Lese Majeste Charges", VoiceTV, January 6, 2011
The WikiLeaks cable, in which General Prem Tinsulanonda, the head of the privy council, Air Chief Marshall Siddhi Savetsila, also a member of the privy council, and former prime minister Anand Panyarachun were mentioned and their problematic implications were subject of a previous Siam Voices post by my fellow writer Andrew Spooner.
It has to be said first and foremost that the VoiceTV story is misleading and just simply wrong on so many levels (the main reason why I initially didn't write about this when it first came up). It gives the assumption that the three men have already been charged for lese majeste (let alone by the red shirts themselves), which is obviously not the case.
Normally, a lese majeste complaint would be filed at the police, which then would be checked by them and then decided whether to charge the suspect or not - as seen in the prominent cases of actor Pongpat Wachirabanjong (who was not charged) and Prachatai webmaster Chiranuch Premchiaporn (who was charged, twice!).
So what really happened? According to a short news item on Matichon, the red shirt representative has submitted a letter to Prime Minister Abhisit (hence why he showed up at Government House) notifying that the three men have committed lese majeste ("ยื่นหนังสือถึงนายอภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ นายกรัฐมนตรี ให้ดำเนินคดีกับบุคคลที่เข้าข่ายกระทำความผิดต่อองค์รัชทายาท ประกอบด้วย พล.อ.เปรม ติณสูลานนท์ ประธานองคมนตรี พล.อ.อ.สิทธิ เศวตศิลา องคมนตรี และนายอานันท์ ปันยารชุน อดีตนายกรัฐมนตรี") because of the comments they made in the WikiLeaks cable.
That, of course, is a completely different story to the original VoiceTV story (btw, their video report in Thai is closer to the more accurate description) and also less dramatic. The chances are very low that this complaint will get anywhere, since any public discussion on these certain cables are virtually non-existent and the media coverage has been largely mum. But most possibly this was their intent to get more public attention and push the existence of these cables (and their contents) into the spotlight.
On Tuesday, The Nation's Pravit wrote an open letter voicing his displeasure on this matter. Key excerpts:
You must all be well aware that the lese majeste law is draconian and undemocratic. I know Prem is one of your arch-enemies, but first ask yourselves how crushing your enemies by using an undemocratic law would bring about a more democratic society? How then will you differ from the yellow-shirts who prefer a "good coup d' etat" as a panacea for all perceived political ills? (...)
There is no place for lese majeste law in a truly democratic society because citizens in a democracy should be able to express their "critical" views without fear of persecution. Your decision to use the lese majeste law to crush your enemies only makes Thailand more undemocratic.
I always feel that the reds are a bunch of people who cannot publicly and fearlessly express their political views regarding the ruling elite. So there is absolutely no need for them to instil more of this fear in others. It's tragic and ironic that the red shirts, long accused by their opponents of being anti-royalists are now resorting to using this archaic law against its opponents. (...)
Yours Truly,
A journalist who's often accused of being red and in bed with Thaksin.
"An open letter to the red shirts", by Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation, January 12, 2011
While it is debatable if the action of one (allegedly a spokesperson, nonetheless) can speak for the whole red shirt movement - which in itself appears to search for a common ground at the moment. But I agree with Pravit - it is a bad idea that can do more harm than good. The majority of red shirt movement want change in Thai politics and society, and I can imagine many of them want exactly the opposite of what one of them has done with his act.
*Honi soit qui mal y pense, just because this station is run by Thaksin's kids!
Videos show Thai MP, activists before arrest in Cambodia
Originally published at Siam Voices on January 3, 2011 Last week, seven Thais were arrested by Cambodian authorities for allegedly crossing the border into Cambodian territory illegally (check out previous coverage by fellow Siam Voices writer Thorn Pitidol and at Bangkok Pundit). Among the detained are Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and PAD-affiliated activists Samdin Lertbutr and Veera Somkwamkit. The latter is the leader of the Thai Patriot Network (TPN), known for its activities concerning the border issue, so much so it even got him into conflict with the PAD leaders themselves.
More details emerge about the circumstances of the arrest with the most important question being whether the men where (aware to be) on Cambodian territory or not. Three videos have appeared on YouTube (with no knowledge how the videos have been leaked, since the Cambodians must have seized everything) showing the men walking through the border region. In two of the videos, Panich is seen talking on the phone to someone.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YTbiVA16Ss&w=600&h=360]"พนิช บุกรุกเขมรอภิสิทธิ์รู้ดี", video by 2011galet
Translated transcript of Panich's phone call (starting at 1:10 min):
"Hello [name], are you there? Can you hear me clearly? In case we lose the signal here, call Somkiat, the PM's secretary - because we'll/I'll will talk to him personally, anyways - tell Somkiat we've crossed the border into Cambodia, so we can coordinate it, in case something happens. Tell him - we're now on Cambodian territory! But don't let anyone else know about it, only the PM knows!"
The PM should know about this since, he ordered him to investigate the region.
The second video shows a local talking to the men and again we see Panich talking on the phone. Whether it is the same person or even the same phone call as in the video above is not possible to determine.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2K9RwUE-zA&w=600&h=360]"พนิช วิกิตวิเศรษฐ์คุยกับชาวเขมร", video by 2011galet
Translated transcript of Panich's phone call (starting at 0:38 min):
"...tell him we've crossed. We'll try to get to point 46 [46th boundary monument], which is on the Thai side, but is inhabited by Cambodians."
A third video shows the men wandering around and discussing about the territory, before being apprehended by Cambodians.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAKcdU-RKNY&w=600&h=360]"คลิป พนิช เข้ากัมพูชา", video by gigcode
Translated transcript
Veera (the man holding a video camera, pointing at the concrete pole): "This fence here is Thai ground."
Unseen staff member: "If we cross here, then we're in Cambodia?"
Veera: "This is Thai territory, but they [the Cambodians] have claimed this for themselves. They have claimed it based on the 1:200.000 map. Thais can walk up to this point, if they cross it here, it's [still] Thai, that's an old Thai village over there, but the Cambodians have seized it all."
Panich: "Now it's full of Cambodians?"
Veera: "Yes, full of Cambodians! Let's go, if we go there, we'll get arrested for sure!" (group walks off)
Unseen staff member: "The border police will come...they will follow us."
Panich: "Our soldiers don't dare to come here?"
Veera: "If we get caught, the border police will come and help us out."
All: "Ah, here they come! They come in many. The soldiers are coming..."
Panich: "Are these their [Cambodian] troops?"
Veera: "Police Lieutenant Colonel Sawat, the one who helped me once, he insists that this Thai territory. [...] So, if we get caught, he'll help us" [...]
[Scene with Panich phone calls, the same as in the clips above]
[Scene at 2:15 shows them walking and Veera noting that they are now in Ban Nong Jarn (บ้านหนองจาน) and that they'll probably be arrested soon]
[Scene beginning 2:45 shows the group being stopped by a Cambodian man, possibly a soldier?]
[3:11, another man on a motorcycle arriving]
Cambodian man 1 (in Thai): One month ago there was no problem.
Thai group member: But this month there is a problem?
Cambodian man 1: You haven't told that you'd come...
Thai group member: Told whom?
Cambodian man 2: The police, the Thai border police...!
[The rest is entirely in Cambodian, some bits the author understood included along the lines of "We can talk about it" etc.]
Now, it is difficult to draw conclusions from these clips without the context. The clips do not show where exactly the group has been arrested. Furthermore, we haven't seen much of the locals - the one lady doesn't give much away. And how were the clips leaked? Nevertheless, some questions arise though: Was Prime Minister Abhisit aware of the group going entering Cambodian soil? Where was the Thai border police this time, if Veera claims to be certain that they would help? Was a deliberate attempt by the group to be arrested, since Veera was certain on that point as well? And ultimately, was the group on Cambodian territory or not when they were arrested?
In related news, there has been much action because of this in Bangkok as well. First off there was the admission (we can't talk about a confirmation per se) by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep that the group was on Cambodian soil. Then there was the rest of the TPN unsurprisingly up in arms about the arrest, so much so that they want the UN to help. And in the most recent developments, the TPN announces to protest at the border. As expected, the Thai authorities have declared the area a no-go zone. The TPN has led a similar protest in September 2009 at the border in Srisaket province, which in ended in clashes with police and locals. Also, in the latest absurd turn of events, TPN core-leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong blames defense minister Prawit Wongsuwon to have tipped off Cambodian troops to have the seven men arrested. The cynic in me says that the PAD must be delighted with the arrest of the seven men, since they would otherwise have nothing to protest on January 25 (except for some charter amendments maybe).
Thaksin and the "Bad Exes" Story
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 12, 2010 The Foreign Policy (FP) magazine has published a story under the title "Bad Exes", where author Joshua E. Keating has listed five former heads of state including Gerhard Schröder, José María Aznar and Joseph Estrada on what they have been doing after they left office - most of them are controversial to say the least. Thaksin was also featured in this story:
Since being deposed in a 2006 coup amid allegations of graft and human rights abuses, Thaksin has lived a peripatetic existence. The former billionaire businessman has served as a "special ambassador" for Nicaragua and an economic advisor in Cambodia, and was briefly owner of the Manchester City soccer club. Thaksin reportedly lived under a false name in Germany for more than a year and has used illegally received passports from a number of other countries as well. He now makes his home in Dubai. (...)
"Bad Exes", by Joshua E. Keating, Foreign Policy, October 1, 2010
Keating then goes on to describe his alleged role during the red shirts protests of this year. On Monday Thaksin's lobbyist legal adviser and former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama went to press to slam the article:
Fugitive Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will not sue writer of a US magazine who listed him among "Bad Exes," but instead will write to explain facts, Thaksin's personal spokesman Noppadon Pattama said Monday.
Noppadon also dismissed on behalf of Thaksin (...) that Thaksin used false name and passport to enable him to live in Germany for a year.
"Thaksin is not bad exes : Noppadon [absolutely sic!]", The Nation, October 12, 2010
As I reported back in February, Thaksin indeed was given a German residence permit legally. But under dubious circumstances and even more dubious people accompanying him, he wasn't actually supposed to be allowed in there in the first and when the German authorities found out about this, his visa was cancelled.
Noppadon then went on to say that the American journalist was "apparently misinformed only to discredit Mr Thaksin," an argument that we have heard in different contexts several times already.
Oh, and there's one more thing:
Noppadon said in a press conference, "I dare to challenge anyone to come out to show evidence that Thaksin used the false name and passport. If anyone could, he or she will be rewarded Bt1 million per each evidence."
"Thaksin is not bad exes : Noppadon [friggin' sic!]", The Nation, October 12, 2010
Anyone dares to say: "Challenge accepted"?
ADDENDUM: First off, when the alleged use of a false name was mentioned ("Thaksin reportedly lived under a false name in Germany for more than a year"), the link in the original story apparently leads to another FP story, but instead the page is inaccessible.
Secondly, last year the Thai foreign ministry came up with this claim:
Runaway ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra has used new name in his passports issued by some African countries, Thai Vice foreign minister Panich Vikitsreth said Wednesday. Thaksin's name in passports issued by Nicaragua, Uganda and Montenegro has been changed to "Takki Shinegra" he said.
"Thaksin's new name : Takki Shinegra", The Nation, November 25, 2009
And here's Thaksin's answer to that:
"If the ministry really did say that, then it must have reached the bottom-most level," he said in a Twitter message. He said it would be pointless for a person like him to travel under a different name because he was recognised wherever he goes.
"Thaksin denies being 'Takki Shinegra'", Bangkok Post, November 26, 2009
Whether he ever really used this name or someone in the foreign ministry watched too much Japanese stuff is yet to be seen. What I can say with absolute certainty is:
Takki Shinegrea?! What an utterly stupid name...!
Survey: Thai Army Should Not Be Influenced By Politics
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 12, 2010 On Sunday the Suan Dusit University has released the results of yet another survey, this time under the title of "The army in the public eye" ("ทหาร ในสายตาประชาชน") and 2,408 people have been asked between October 6 - 9. This ties in with the recent promotion of General Prayuth Chan-ocha to commander-in-chief.
Before we take a look at the numbers, I'd advise you to read Bangkok Pundit's general disclaimer about opinion polls.
Here are some of the most interesting bits:
1.1 The public opinion on the army today towards politics: A. There is political intervention. / The army is being dragged into political matters more. 55,16 % (!) B. The army must have a clear stance and show no political ambiguity. 24,33% C. They have a very close relationship to politicians. 20,51% ... 2. Regarding the most recent bombings, what role in resolving this issue do you want to see the army in? A. To cooperate with the police in surveillance in order to protect the country from any ill will. 40.48% B. Better surveillance of military weapons. 30.34% C. Better intelligence. 18.11% D. To advice the public about the weapons/explosives and inform how to spot suspicious objects. 11.07%
3. How do you want the military take part in the national reconciliation efforts? A. To be neutral and listen to all sides in order to find a suitable solution. 45.68% B. To clarify and explain the advantages and disadvantages to the public, in order to avoid becoming a tool of an individual or a group. 29.65% C. To resolve and suppress those who have bad intentions towards the country. 14.89% (!) D. The army must show unity in order to be a good role model to society. 9.78% ... 6. What does the army need to fix the most? A. No interventions by politics. 49.19% (!) B. Neglecting of weapons smuggling. 26.51% C. Abuse of authority. 13.86% (!) D. Bad behaving soldiers. 10.44%
"“ทหาร” ในสายตาประชาชน", Dusit Poll, October 10, 2010
The most puzzling aspects of this survey is the the question the interference of politics in the army (marked with a "!"). The results of the survey seriously want to suggest us that there is too much intervention by politics in the military?!
What To Do With Anti-Monarchy Graffiti?
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 7, 2010. Thailand's draconian lèse majesté laws have been subject of many debates and not since the most recent arrest of Prachatai webmaster Chiranuch Premchaiporn (previously reported here and here) were the flaws of this laws exposed clearly.
Since her arrest was prompted by someone filing a complaint at the local police for comments on the website (and the alleged failure to remove them in time), I came across this interesting story on Political Prisoners in Thailand (PPT)...
MeechaiThailand.com, owned by Meechai Ruchupan, former President of the Senate, veteran government legal advisor, and former President of the Council of the State, answers a law-related question on lèse majesté from Kraiwan Kasemsin.
The question is “I used a toilet in this gas station and found this writing that insults the Monarchy. I would like to know if the owner could be charged for letting that happen. How can I file a complaint against the owner or request them to remove the writing? What if the owner does nothing and lets the writing remain? How can the owner be charged?”
Meechai answers: “If the owner acknowledged the complaint and did not remove the writing then they might be guilty. Whoever finds this kind of thing should tell the owner to remove it, or report it to the police.”
Kraiwan Kasemsin is chairman of the Taxi Club in Mor Chit and Don Muang. He was a friend of Chupong Teetuan of Norporchor USA. Kraiwan recently moved to host a pro-monarchy radio programme under Newin Chidchob’s direction.
"Anti-monarchy graffiti", by Political Prisoners in Thailand, September 30, 2010
The original story appeared in Matichon (in Thai).
So, comparing this to the Prachatai case we see some similarities, even though the platform is very, uh, analogue. The asker wants to know if the owner of the platform (in this case admittedly in an abstract way it is the owner of the petrol station) can be sued if he does not remove the anti-monarchy statements fast enough, whether he knows about it or not. The answer is a bit unclear, does it say you could report it to the police right away without acknowledging the owner?
The reasoning is the same as seen in the Prachatai case. No matter who wrote the message, the owner of the platform apparently can be charged. Here's is the reasoning of the Prachatai case for comparism:
After considering that comments related to the interview of Chotisak Onsoong, who refused to stand for the royal anthem in a theater, [...] deemed lese majeste, Sunimit Jirasuk, a Khon Kaen businessman, went to the police station and filed charges against Chiranuch [...] for publicizing and persuading others to approve, praise and imitate Chotisak’s ‘disloyal’ act, Manager Online reports. (...)
“Most of the comments approve Chotisak’s act, indicating that they want to overthrow the monarchy. It is believable that letting people freely express their opinions regarding the issue on the Internet indicates that [the webmasters] want to be the center of the people who want to undermine the throne. Therefore, both webmasters should be charged,” Manager online reported Sunimit’s remark. (...)
"Analysis On Chiranuch Latest Charges And Arrest", Thai Netizen Network, October 2, 2010
Nevertheless that doesn't hide that fact that anti-royal resentments do exist in Thailand and are also on display. During the recent protests by the red shirts on September 19 it was reported that there were anti-monarchy writings as well.
The one thing conspicuously missing from media coverage was the angry messages emblazoned on the corrugated iron wall outside CentralWorld, which is being rebuilt after the red shirts allegedly burned it down in the aftermath of the crackdown.
Until late Sunday afternoon, the walls were plastered with colourful feel-good propaganda calling for national unity, which were later replaced by angry messages aimed squarely at the established old elite saying things that cannot be reproduced here or anywhere else without the risk of violating the lese majeste law.
At about 7pm that Sunday evening, a number of red shirts stood in front of the wall airing their anger and political grievances. The very next day, these messages were removed and life went on as if they were never there to begin with.
"It may be time to take off the blindfold", The Nation, September 23, 2010
Could the owner of the wall, on which the writings were, be charged as well if he didn't remove them in time? If the two previous and a number of other non-LM cases have taught us anything, then it is also allowed to shoot the messenger.
Govt-Sponsored Pro-Monarchy 'Rally' A Non-Event
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 24, 2010 On the eve of the red shirt protests last Sunday to commemorate the four year anniversary of the military coup and the four month anniversary of the military crackdown against the anti-government protesters, there was this little counter-protest:
At least 50,000 members of the Monarchy Defence Network from seven northeastern provinces (Nong Khai, Kalasin, Loei, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Sakon Nakhon, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani) are expected to turn up today at Thung Sri Muang, a public ground in central Udon Thani, to pledge allegiance to His Majesty the King.
"Govt calls mass gathering to counter reds", Bangkok Post, September 19, 2010
This so-called "Monarchy Defense Network", or the "Unified Volunteer Force to Protect The [Royal] Institution" if you call them literally ("รวมพลังสามัคคีอาสาสมัครปกป้องสถาบัน"), certainly sounded like a big deal and looking at this video report from Channel 7, it certainly looked impressive with all the pink shirt wearing people, a marching parade and tons of flags. More can be seen here from ThaiPBS.
But whose idea was it?
The network was formed by the Newin Chidchob-headed faction of the coalition Bhumjaithai Party, which controls the Interior Ministry. Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul will preside over the gathering in which participants will pledge an oath of allegiance to the monarchy and will take part in a mass parade.
"Govt calls mass gathering to counter reds", Bangkok Post, September 19, 2010
After Bhumjaithai's recent pitch of their amnesty bill, this is another sign by the party to position politically, hoping to emancipate themselves from the Democrat-led coalition government in a run-up to a future election (if that date comes sooner or later). Also, since the interior ministry is attached to this, it is an attempt to counter the red shirts movement by showing themselves being a loyal force in the predominantly red strongholds of the northeast.
And what about the attendance? The Bangkok Post has predicted 50,000 people coming, many other news sources have reported the same number the following day. But ASTV/Manager said only 20,000 came and the national news agency NBT states that only 5,000 showed up!
Considering the comparatively mute media coverage in the following days (and since the red shirt protests on Sunday were larger and more significant), this whole occasion was a non-event. And why do they drag the monarchy into the political discussion again, where almost every political fraction are urging each other not to?
Exclusive: European Red Shirts Rally in Hamburg, Thaksin Phones In
NOTE: The author is NOT affiliated with the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and it's affiliated supporter groups or any other political group of any kind.
Around 120 Thai anti-government protesters from various European countries have gathered on Saturday in the German city of Hamburg to commemorate the forth-year anniversary of the military coup in Thailand and the four-month anniversary of the military crackdown against anti-government protesters in Bangkok.
The participants in this political protest, coming from Germany, France, Denmark and Belgium, are sympathizers of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), also known as "red shirts", a political pressure group demanding the current Thai government to step down and call for new elections, justice for the 91 victims during the anti-government protests earlier this year among other various demands. Many of them are supporters of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been toppled in said coup in 2006.
The atmosphere was largely jubilant, even though short bursts of the typical Northern German rain showers have interrupted the rally for a short period of time. Over amplifiers the protesters have made their stance over the current Thai political situation. Despite some announcements in German, most contributions over the loudspeakers were made in Thai, leaving many Hamburg onlookers asking what this event was all about.
Part of the rally was a phone-in by Thaksin, who thanked all European red shirts for the support and was overall in a conciliatory tone. He said that misunderstanding has to led conflicts and divisions among Thai people. "Today I think all sides should stop looking after themselves and look forward, no matter if they were wrong or not, and move towards each other", he said, "Bring back unity, bring back joy to the Thai people and let's make our country stronger." He continued: "The four months [since the protests' end in May] where people have killed each other, the four years [since the coup] where people made each other's lives difficult - they should come to an end." Thaksin further states that "today should be a day where we think about the mistakes made in the past and we should resolve them."
When asked by the supporters what he thinks about reconciliation he answered: "Reconciliation means to approach each other [...] and help together to move the country forward. No more yellow, no more red! But all things that were done wrong should face justice. [...] Also, there should be elections so that the people can vote their own government." Thaksin also claimed that the current political situation in Thailand "can't sustain itself for much longer." Thaksin's phone-in was cut short after nearly 11 minutes when the power generator ran out of fuel.
[audio http://dl.dropbox.com/u/531991/Thaksin-PhoneIn.mp3]
Listen to the full recording of Thaksin's phone-in here (MP3)
EXCLUSIVE: Did Thaksin Really Meet Nelson Mandela? (UPDATE)
There was some buzz in the Thai media early this week when pictures of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra depicting him shaking hands with former South African president Nelson Mandela and meeting Mandela's ex-wife Winne Mandela.
The pictures were circulated by his lawyer and former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama (who is these days busy acting as his lobbyist). The resurface of Thaksin comes after over a month of silence with no tweets, no phone-in or any other public announcement. This has lead to the repeated speculation over his health or some even guessing to be plotting something.
The authenticity of the pictures are debatable and at this time no high resolution versions were published yet (with the exception of the news outlets), so of course many questioned if the the whole meeting actually took place. For example, the two head honchos at The Nation, Suthichai Yoon and Tulsathit Taptim, were musing over this extensively in their daily video, especially when Suthichai was concluding:
"We don't know why he [Thaksin] met Nelson Mandela. Whether he was invited, whether he asked to see Nelson Mandela and what was the whole purpose behind that - that is the mystery that a whole lot of people will try to solve in the next few days."
Suthichai Yoon, editor-in-chief Nation Group, in "From the newsroom", August 31, 2010
Apparently NOBODY from the Thai media has so far put some effort to solve this mystery. Has anyone actually tried to reach Mandela's office for confirmation or dismiss the visit? Well, I contacted Mandela's office and asked them 1) if there was a meeting between Thaksin and Mandela, 2) if there are any pictures or other documents made by Mandela's staff of the this meeting, 3) what the nature of the meeting was.
Here's what they answered:
Dear Mr Saksith Saiyasombut,
There was no official meeting between Mr Thaksin and Mr Mandela. Mr Thaksin paid Mr Mandela a courtesy call when he was visiting the country.We do not have photographs or documents as no business was discussed and the courtesy call was during Mr Mandela’s private time. The Foundation did not take any photographs.Yes it was a private courtesy call.
Regards,
Sello Hatang, Manager: Information Communications, Nelson Mandela Foundation
So, there we have it. Thaksin has actually met Mandela! Nevertheless the authenticity of the pictures is still unsolved.
P.S.: Dear Thai colleagues, it was not that difficult to contact Mandela's office!
UPDATE:The Canadian Press has some more details on the visit.
Emerging from weeks of silence, fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has appeared in Africa, where he says he is dealing in diamonds and visiting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela.
A photo of his meeting with the former South African president was released in Thailand by Thaksin's lawyer in an apparent move to quash rumours that the divisive ex-prime minister is ill — and to advertise that he's rubbing shoulders with VIPs abroad.
"I travel all the time. Currently, I'm in Africa for diamond mining," Thaksin told the Thai Rath newspaper in an interview published Thursday. He did not specify if he was still in South Africa. He said rumours of his failing health were "lies."
The Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg confirmed that the visit took place last Friday [August 27, 2010].
"It was not a meeting, it was a courtesy call," spokesman Sello Hatang said. He said he did not know what they discussed.
"Fugitive former Thai leader visits Africa, meets Nelson Mandela, deals in diamonds", by Jocelyn Gecker, The Canadian Press, September 2, 2010
The said interview with Thai Rath can be read here (in Thai), where also said why he quit as economical adviser to Cambodian PM Hun Sen ("I was annoyed!").
The Department of Sluggish Investigation's Probe Into Protests' Deaths
Note: This post has been originally published on August 25, 2010 in series of guest blogger posts for Bangkok Pundit at AsianCorrespondent. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) held a press conference on Monday to inform about the progress of the inquiry of the 91 deaths during the anti-government protests. What they have announced though leaves much to be desired.
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) says it cannot at this stage reach a finding in its investigation into the deaths of 91 people killed in the violence between April 10 and May 21 during the street protests by the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
This was announced at a press conference on Monday by Col Fuangwich Anirutthewa, secretary to the justice minister, and Pol Col Narat Savetnant, deputy director-general of the DSI.
Pol Col Narat said the DSI has so far received 266 cases from police involving the violence between April 10 and May 21.
From its preliminary investigation into the 91 people who died it could be concluded at this stage only that the deaths were unnatural and caused by other persons under Article 148 of the Criminal Procedures Code.
The DSI knew only what caused their death and types of weapons used, but could not yet say who killed them.
"Little progress in red probe", Bangkok Post, August 23, 2010
First of there's the question on how they come up with the figure of 91 deaths during the protests. Looking at the official figures form the Bangkok Emergency Medical Service indicate that according to this list (PDF) published on May 23, 86 people have were killed. But this document show 87 names of the dead with the last victim being dated on May 14, five days before the last day of the protests and of the street battles. It appears that not included are the six people killed inside Wat Pathum, a designated safe zone many protesters fled to after the red shirts dispersed on May 19, but were still shot inside the temple. So how do these numbers all add up to 91?
And then there was this very interesting detail made during the announcement:
Autopsies on 89 Thais, including 11 policemen and soldiers, confirmed that all had died from bullet wounds.
"Investigators fail to identify killers of foreign journalists", Deutsche Presse Agentur via The Nation, August 23
Again a considerably spectacular claim by the authorities, if you think about that various sources claim different causes in various cases such as the death of Col. Romklao Thuwatham during the clashes on April 10, as he was reportedly killed by a bomb. On the other hand though other news sources have reported that the DSI "had received only 42 autopsy results from officials in each jurisdiction," (Source) so it is highly possible that all the 42 autopsies report that they all have died from bullet wounds and the rest might have from other causes as well.
Another focus of the announcement were the deaths of the two foreign reporters, Japanese Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto and Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi.
In the deaths of two foreign journalists, Reuters Japanese cameraman Hiro Muramoto, 43, and independent Italian press photographer Fabio Polenghi, 45, Pol Col Narat said investigators could only conclude they were killed by high-velocity bullets. They have not been able to identify their killers.
However, it could not yet conclude who fired the weapons due to lack of witnesses at the scene, and some of their belongings such as mobile phones and digital cameras had disappeared. [...]
He said the DSI had paid special attention to the two cases since they were delicate and could affect Thailand's relations with Japan and Italy.
"Little progress in red probe", Bangkok Post, August 23, 2010
It is delicate indeed, as on the same day the Japanese foreign minister was on a visit to Thailand and also visited the site Muramoto died.
He was shot in the chest during the clashes on April 10, at Khok Wua intersection, not far from the Democracy Monument as the last pictures on his camera filmed the carnage between soldiers and red shirts.
Fabio Polenghi was killed during the final push of the military onto the red shirts protest site at Rajaprasong on May 19. German journalist Thilo Thielke has published his and his colleagues' investigation into the death of the Italian at New Mandala. Key excerpts of this very detailed account include...
On 21 May, two days after the Fabio’s death, the Police Forensic Institute did a forensic examination. The day after, Fabio Polenghi’s body was cremated in a simple and emotional ceremony attended by his younger sister Isabella, his friends, and his colleagues. Three months later, the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) – the “Thai FBI” – which is in charge of the investigation of Fabio’s killing, still refuses to publish the forensic report. “The investigation is not finished yet”, says Colonel Naras Savestanan, the deputy-director general of DSI. He says he cannot answer basic and crucial questions such as those about the kind of bullet which killed Fabio, the angle and distance of shooting and the location of the killer. Other important questions deal with the location of military sharpshooters who killed many demonstrators on that day as well as the location of the mysterious Black shirts – the armed wing of the Red movement. But also here, the questions find no answers. Or only very vague ones. (...)
“It is more likely that the Italian journalist has been hit by fire from advancing soldiers at the ground level, on Rajdamri road. I cannot see clearly why sharp shooters would particularly target him”, says a journalist who was on the military side on Rajdamri on 19 May. The type of bullet which killed Fabio, if it is revealed publicly someday, is not the most crucial element as Black shirts and military personnel have used some similar weapons. The most important elements are the entry point of the bullet, the description of the wound and the shooting angle, which could cast some light about the location of the shooter. Without these data, there will be no certainty on the identity of who killed the Italian journalist.
"Who killed Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi?", by Thilo Thielke, New Mandala, August 17, 2010
There's still much yet to be investigated and there's still much unknown about the circumstances of the victims. But initially the DSI announcement revealed basically nothing new. We already knew that the two foreign journalists were shot, we already knew that nearly all of the victims died unnaturally and we also already knew that the authorities' inquiry into the deaths will be sluggish at best and will have to do much more in order to convince us that, as they said it, "truth will be established" - but will the public also fully know about it once the investigations have concluded?
Confusion Before Saturday's Protests over Preah Vihear
Note: This post has been originally published on August 7, 2010 in series of guest blogger posts forBangkok Pundit at AsianCorrespondent.
Veera Somkwamkid, leader of the Thailand Patriot Network (photo courtesy of Eric Seldin aka @thaicam, click here to see the rest of his gallery)
As previously blogged here, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), by the time you read this, are now on the streets again to protest in front of Government House over the ongoing Preah Vihear temple issue, despite the emergency decree - or are they?
Over the course of Friday, developments changed rapidly over the legality of the protests, the venue and in the end who's actually in charge of the protests that have witnessed a fallout between different fraction of the protesters. On Friday morning this was the status quo:
PAD to gather in front of the Govt House starting 8AM tomorrow, to pressure the Govt to cancel MOU43 http://bit.ly/9vptQH
Tweet by @TAN_Network (TAN News Network) on Friday, Aug 06, 2010 at 05:31:44
(Note: TAN News Network is the English language sister channel of ASTV, the PAD's news outlet)
But there were still questions about the legality of the protests, since we still have a state of emergency ever since the anti-government protests some months ago. On this issue, the first conflicting reports appeared. First it was reported the Center for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has issued that the rally "does not violate the emergency decree". In a way the CRES would legitimize the protester's claim why they don't violate against the state of emergency. Last week, when the same protesters were rallying in front of the Bangkok bureau of UNESCO, many were claiming to "protect the country" so they would not violate the emergency decree.
But then the local police has announced the area around Government House is a no-go area. So, the police disagrees with the army. Well, that's not the first that has ever happened.
Short time later though, ASTV reported that the CRES has done a complete 180 degree turn of its earlier decision and also banned protesters from the site. Later that day, CRES has announced more details on the ruling:
CRES announces Government House 'off limits'; four roads around complex closed from 8pm, violators face two years imprisonment,Bt40,000 fine
Tweet by @MCOTEnglishnews (MCOT English News) on Friday, Aug 06, 2010 at 13:08:52
With the legality dealt there were still confusions on who actually are protesting on Saturday and where to go now since Government House was declared off-limits.
To understand who were are dealing with, it has to be noted that it is not actually the PAD (the yellow shirts) that are leading the latest Preah Vihear protests, but the Thailand Patriot Network (TPN) of Veera Somkwamkid. More on him later, but it can be already said that these two groups are affiliated with each other. Officially, the PAD (especially with Chamlong Srimuang being present all the time) are there just to support this campaign.
The more surprising (or not) was the announcement in the early evening that the PAD would move its protest somewhere else:
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday said that yellow shirts have agreed to move their rally from the Government House to Kilawes Stadium in Din Daeng area. The decision to move the rally site came after two-hour-and-a-half meeting between Abhisit and representatives of yellow shirts network.
"Yellow rally to move from Government House to a Din Daeng stadium PM", The Nation, August 2010
The Kilawes Stadium is located in the Thai-Japanese Sports Complex in Din Daeng, a Bangkok district that has been constantly the scene of street riots between protesters and soldiers in the past years. It was also reported that the protest has been 'downgraded' to a 'forum' to 'discuss' about this matter. Later, Bangkok Post reported that TPN also agrees to move.
But then in the evening, things have changed again!
Veera's group - Network of Preah Vihear Protectors - is determined to gather outside the PM's office in Government House today as planned. "We don't acknowledge the deal between the prime minister and the other group," Veera declared on television yesterday. [...]
PAD leaders were initially planning to rally in front of Government House to demand that Abhisit revoke the 2000 memorandum of understanding on boundary demarcation with Cambodia as well as voice their opposition to Preah Vihear's inscription as a World Heritage Site.
The Dharma Army Foundation, led by Chamlong Srimuang, later agreed to gather at the Thai-Japanese Stadium in Din Daeng today to express their views, concerns and visions with respect to Preah Vihear. Abhisit was to join the forum later in the day.
However, Veera refused to compromise and continued calling on people to join his protest.
"Defiant PAD group to go ahead with rally", The Nation, August 7, 2010
Evidently, Veera and his group have deflected from the PAD to stage their on protest at Government House, despite the area being sealed off. This apparent split between him and the PAD goes back on a series of incidents and partly some mudslinging between the two. Last year, Veera has led a group of 4,000 protesters under the PAD banner to the Thai-Cambodian border to protest about this very Preah Vihear issue that ended in riots with locals. The following day, the PAD leaders in Bangkok have denied any connections or endorsement to this group and their actions.
Then, earlier this year in June, Veera and the PAD were reported to have fallen out with each other. Matichon has obtained email exchanges between the PAD leaders with the PAD supporter's group in the US and Veera answering questions to someone. In the first mail, the PAD leaders have responded and denied to accusations made by Veera, an anti-corruption activist and until recently host of his own show on ASTV. The accusations includes being overcharged by ASTV to hold his own show, in which as a consequence Veera pulled it off the air and offered it to For Humankind TV (FMTV), that belongs to the religious buddhist sect Santi Asoke, of which PAD leader Chamlong is a devotee. I will not further go into the details of the two mails, as they go too deep to be relevant to this topic.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how and if at all the security authorities will deal with the two protests, especially the one in front of Government House. If the UNESCO protest of last week is anything to go by, it can be expected that the security forces will be far more lenient to the PAD and their affiliated groups than they were with the red shirts. Let alone the fact that prime minister Abhisit has met with these group for talks (again) shows that the what influence they still have over the government and also one must not forget that the yellow shirt leaders still have not been charged for the seizure of Government House and the Bangkok airports in 2008, as they indictments have been repeatedly postponed just as recently as last week.
We can also expect that both these groups will further push their nationalistic agenda under the pretext of 'protecting' the country. Whether the government will give in to the protesters (in a way they already did) or not, this will further complicates the already tense relations between Thailand and Cambodia.
Pongpat's Acceptance Speech - A Lèse Majesté Case?
Note: This article was originally published on July 31, 2010 in a series of guest blogger posts for Bangkok Pundit at AsianCorrespondent.
On May 16, when the street battles between the soldiers and the anti-government protestors were bringing large parts of Bangkok to a grinding halt for days already, elsewhere life went on as nothing has happened as for example the Nataraj Awards, the national television and radio awards, took place that evening.
The most notable moment during the award ceremony was the acceptance speech of actor Pongpat Wachirabanjong for best supporting actor. Here's the video with English subtitles.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/6xYfbUIGqW4&w=600&h=360]
The speech has, as evidently seen in the video, touched many Thais and hit a nerve among a certain people. It was forwarded via email, Twitter and heralded as the 'best speech ever' or 'or true patriotic act of loyalty'.
Last week, the very same actor has been hit with a legal charge for lèse majesté...
Actor Pongpat Wachirabanjong will be summoned to hear his lese majeste charges on July 29, and if he fails to show up after two summons have been issued, police will seek an arrest warrant for the man, Deputy Bangkok Police Chief Pol MajGeneral Amnuay Nimmano said yesterday.
The police are also planning to invite witnesses, lawyers and Thai language experts to listen to the actor's acceptance speech at this year's Nataraj Awards as part of the investigation. Amnuay said the case should be concluded within a month.
Despite media and social networks describing Pongpat's speech as a moving declaration of his love for His Majesty, singer Phumpat Wongyachavalit filed a lese majeste complaint against the actor on June 23, accusing him of using inappropriate words.
"Pongpat summoned to hear charges", The Nation, July 22, 2010
Police Wednesday summoned Pongpat to surrender to face lese majesty charge after a singer filed complaint with police, alleging Pongpat had insulted His Majesty the King by simply calling His Majesty as "father".
"PM says police should consult special advisory panel on Pongpat's case", The Nation, July 22, 2010
This is certainly a very odd case, since the use of the word "father" (or more correctly "Father") in connection to HM the King is widely used in Thai language.
Even the prime minister got involved in this case and has suggested that the police should contact a recently set-up advisory board that deals with these kind of cases. The result came back very quick and the case against Pongpat has now been (unsurprisingly) dropped.
Nevertheless this whole strange act again shows the discrepancies of the authorities dealing with lèse majesté cases. (I'm NOT discussing the law itself!) One can be amazed by the speed the police has dealt with this charge - from filing until the dismissal it took only just more than a month. Also, no efforts have been wasted, language experts have been invited by the police to determine whether the use of word in this context was illegal or not. There are other more obvious cases that are still lingering in legal limbo.
The other point is Pongpat's speech itself. The key phrase "If you hate our Father, if you don't love our Father anymore, then you should get out of here!", which was followed by the audience cheering and applauding enthusiastically, sets a worrying subtext of "if you're not for us, you're against us" - and even more scarier was the reaction by the crowd.
Why Was The 'Sorry Thailand' TV Ad Banned?
Note: This article has been originally published on July 22, 2010 in a series of guest blogger posts for Bangkok Pundit at AsianCorrespondent. Earlier this week we have reported on the banned TV commercial "ขอโทษประเทศไทย" (Sorry Thailand). For those, who haven't seen it yet, here's the video with English subtitles:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dNIu8_-iU8&w=600&h=360]
The ban has created some considerably public uproar and the censorship board, which consists of representatives of the free-TV channels and other 'experts', has gotten itself into the crossfire of criticism.
The ad was made by a group called "Positive Network", which is made up by "people from many professions such as advertising, PR, event, regional community representatives, [corporate] companies, government officials and academics from all across the country." During the launch event on June 16, the group states that their main goal is to "terminate the divisions in society". One of the executives of the network has mentioned the launch of an advertising campaign, even though this one was called "ต่อไปนี้ถ้าเธอพูด ฉันจะฟัง" ("From now on when you talk, I will listen"). Daily News has more about the launch of the group (article in Thai).
The founder of the "Positive Network", Bhanu Inkawat, appeared on ThaiPBS recently to talk about the ad and his reaction on the ban.
Mr Bhanu Inkawat [...] said that the purpose of the advertisement is "to let the Thai people realize what problems Thailand has right now, which are not just only the protests and the burning of buildings, but many more that have their roots. So [if] we don't go to the bottom of the problem, we'll only be able to solve the problem in the short term and it will come back."
Translated from: "แจงสาเหตุแบนโฆษณา"ขอโทษประเทศไทย", ThaiPBS, July 18, 2010
The TV programme also had Kiatisuk Wattanasak, a member of the censorship committee board, to give his point of view on the issue:
"After we have [initially] watched it, we all liked this ad. However, there are a few things that are not conform with the rules [...]. [They] have not sent us any documents, nothing for us for consideration. We don't know if they had permission for [certain] footages [in the ad], even if it's news footage we have to ask if they have permission to re-air it in this ad. [...] So [without any documents proving it] how can we possibly let this through?"
Translated from: "แจงสาเหตุแบนโฆษณา"ขอโทษประเทศไทย", ThaiPBS, July 18, 2010
He also goes on to give other reasons for the ban that were reflected in a statement later this week after the board has met once again, subsequently defending it's decision to withhold the ad from airing but not banning it altogether.
The censorship board has denied banning the controversial TV commercial "Thailand, We Apologise", saying it was in the process of correcting the advert before allowing it to be aired.
Certain scenes in the commercial, lasting about 20 seconds, would be cut because they were deemed to be inappropriate and could be against the law, the board said in a statement released yesterday.The producers of the advert submitted it to the board for approval on June 21 and on June 28 they reported to the board about changes they had made to to correct some parts that the board had said were against the law.
The board said the producers were now in the process of correcting the problematic parts of the commercial and would then resubmit it for approval.
Scenes to be removed include those of protesters torching public property [on May 19], security officers holding weapons and getting ready to fire them, some pornographic images, some deemed offensive to religious institutions, images of protesters [both yellow shirts and red shirts] gathering in political rallies in a way that might trigger a state of unrest or affect national unity or internal security.
"Controversial ad 'not banned'", Bangkok Post, July 21, 2010
Taking the objected scenes out of the ad, there wouldn't be much left of it. Also, if you remove the footage of the red and yellow protests, that will totally miss the point. But looking at a statement from another board member, little does surprise me here:
The manager of Channel 7's censorship division Sneh Hongsuwan, also a member of the committee, said the panel agreed to ban the commercial because it felt the images could cause rifts in society.
"Instead of giving positive messages, it will only remind viewers about the conflict. We believe that the clashes are in the past, and we should let bygones be bygones and think about positive things. If this commercial was put on air, some images would have to be cut out," Sneh said.
"Ban of 'apology' advert puzzles PM", The Nation, July 20, 2010
Oh, how convenient! Let's forget about the past and look forward without actually considering why we're in this mess in the first place! This is a bad case of 'mai pen rai' ('no big deal') where people tend to forget about a certain issue if it is out of sight. It fits the current trend of suppressing of what happened that lead to the lastest escalation of the political crisis in some parts of society. Again, some people try to put a blanket over the ever-increasing rift and wonder in hindsight why we don't make it over to the other side. A solution cannot take place if there's not a confrontation of the problems and it's effects. But, and I realize I'm going out on a limb, part of Thai culture is to avoid confrontation and uncomfortableness with everyone at all costs.
On the other hand it is to be questioned if the ad, if it gets ever aired, would have any effect in making a change? As mentioned above, the ad is just one of many campaigns the group will do in the future. Nonetheless, the controversy can be counted as a win-win situation, since it got a certain portion of people talking about it, the original uploaded YouTube video got over half a million views and also got many people asking themselves what on earth the censorship committee was thinking.
Censorship on TV in Thailand has always been a delicate matter and, as 2Bangkok.com shows with examples of censoring smoking on 'The Simpsons', it is also pretty inconsistent. Many measures appear to many just downright absurd and this case shows yet again how outlandish and outdated the rules are. Speaking of outlandish, have you spotted the larkorn (soap opera) scene in the ad? Yeah, that kind of nonsense of women slapping each other is the norm! Hypocrisy in Thai lakorns - that's a whole double standard case in itself!
Housekeeping: Panel, Berlin & Guest-Blogging
Got some housekeeping announcements here for you: First off, the panel discussion we have hosted here in Hamburg last Monday went really well! I will write a round-up about this event (and the academic conference in Trier as well) soon, because secondly...
I'll be on the road again for the next few days, this time to a workshop at Humboldt University in Berlin about the Thai political crisis (they even have the same title "Thailand am Scheideweg" as ours!). They don't have a website for this event but you can read the programme here (PDF). I'll also give a little talk about myself and about the panel in Hamburg.
And finally, political blogger Bangkok Pundit has announced that he'll take some time off during the next few weeks. I'm happy to announce that I will be guest blogging for him during his break alongside other well-known bloggers. I want to thank Bangkok Pundit and his blogging platform AsianCorrespondent (AC) for this opportunity! Naturally, there'll be some slight chances. During the time of my guest blogging, most articles will be published on AC first and then on this blog one or two days later. Certain topics such as academia and general housekeeping will stay here.
Make sure to follow me on Twitter (@Saksith) for all the latest posts (and rants).
UPDATE: Venue Changed! – Announcing: Panel on the Thai Political Crisis at the University of Hamburg
Note: Official announcement in German language below.
I'm happy to announce one of the reasons why I have been very busy the last few weeks: The student body of the faculty of Thai Studies at the University Hamburg, Germany (which I'm a member of) are hosting a panel discussion on the ongoing political crisis in Thailand. Since events of this kind about this topic on an academic level are rare in Germany, this is a great opportunity to fill this void.
We have invited, in my opinion, the best German-speaking experts on Thailand to discuss the causes, the protagonists, the issues of the political situation and are also trying to answer the question, if there is a way out of it.
The speakers are Dr. Wolfram Schaffar, political scientist at the University of Hildesheim and Dr. Marco Bünte, research fellow with the GIGA Institute of Asian Studies. Oh, and some Thai blogger is also on the panel...
Prof. Volker Grabowsky, head of the department of Southeast Asian Studies, will give an introductory essay.
The title of the event is "Thailand am Scheideweg?" ("Thailand at the Crossroads?") and takes place on Monday, 5 July 2010 at 18.30h at lecture room C in the main building at the University of Hamburg. Note: this event is in German.
If you know anybody in or near Hamburg, please pass this on to them!
------------------------Official German announcement------------------------
Der Fachschaftsrat der Thaiistik an der Universität Hamburg lädt ein:
"Thailand am Scheideweg?" Podiumsdiskussion zur politischen Krise in Thailand
Diskussionsteilnehmer: Dr. Wolfram Schaffar, Universität Hildesheim Dr. Marco Bünte, GIGA-Institut für Asienstudien Saksith Saiyasombut, Student und Blogger
Einleitender Vortrag: Prof. Dr. Volker Grabowsky, Leiter der Abteilung Südostasien, Universität Hamburg
Für zwei Monate waren große Teile Bangkoks von den größten politischen Demonstrationen des Landes lahm gelegt worden. Die so genannte „Vereinigte Front für Demokratie und gegen Diktatur“ (UDD), auch bekannt als die „Rothemden“, protestierte gegen die Regierung von Premierminister Abhisit Veijajiva und forderte diese auf, das Parlament aufzulösen und Neuwahlen auszurufen. Die Proteste wurden am 19. Mai 2010 nach einer mehrtägigen militärischen Operation aufgelöst. Insgesamt kamen bei gewaltsamen Ausschreitungen in den zwei Monaten über 85 Menschen ums Leben, über 2000 wurden verletzt. Seit dem Militärputsch gegen den damaligen Premierminister Thaksin Shinawatra im Jahr 2006 befindet sich das Königreich Thailand in einer politischen Krise, die das Land immer mehr in zwei politische Lager spaltet.
Die Abteilung Sprachen und Kulturen Südostasiens und der Fachschaftsrat Thaiistik an der Universität Hamburg lädt zu einer Podiumsdiskussion mit Thailand-Experten ein, um zu ergründen, wie es weiter in Thailand gehen soll. Wie konnte es zu dieser politischen Krise kommen? Wer sind diese politischen Fronten und was sind ihre Positionen? Hat die Demokratie in Thailand noch eine Chance?
Zeit: Montag, 5. Juli 2010, 18.30 Uhr bis 20.30 Uhr Ort: Hörsaal C, Hauptgebäude, Universität Hamburg, Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1, 20146 Hamburg
:)
Burmese Arrested Among Redshirts
Thirteen Burmese migrant workers are among the hundreds of anti-government Redshirt protesters currently being held by the Thai authorities, according to a Burmese advocacy group in Thailand. The group, the Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB), confirmed that 13 of the 422 detained Redshirt protesters identified by the Thai government earlier this week are Burmese nationals.
The Burmese detainees, all of whom are men, remain in police custody. Ten are being held at a police station in Pathum Thani Province, two others are in another province and the remaining one is in a special detention center, according to TACDB.
“We don't know if they were arrested during the protests or because they violated the recent nighttime curfew,” said Myint Wai, an official from TACDB, adding that his group is now trying to provide legal counsel to the detained Burmese. (...)
"Burmese Among Redshirt Detainees", The Irrawaddy, June 12, 2010
Chambers: The Challenges for Thailand’s Military
New Mandala has posted a guest article by Paul Chambers, a senior research fellow at the University of Heidelberg, Germany and an expert on civil-military relations in southeast Asia, about the Thai military and its upcoming challenges. Key excerpt:
In the aftermath of the May 19 victory over the Red Shirts and Thaksin, Thailand’s military officer corps appears united above, but fissured below. (...) But the perils facing the Queen's Guard will be less likely to arise from Thailand’s elected civilian governments given their temporary and frail character—especially with Thaksin still on the run. Rather, the clique’s greatest challenge will be to diminish internal military resentment from junior officers and thus ensure its enhanced control over the armed forces. If Prem and Surayud successfully balance various military classes to perpetuate Queen’s Guard military control, then some semblance of unity within an arch-royalist armed forces may well persevere. Yet if such balancing is not undertaken or proves unsuccessful, then internal military divisions could become increasingly violent."The challenges for Thailand’s arch-royalist military", by Paul Chambers, New Mandala, June 9, 2010
Chambers give a very detailed account into the structure of the army's current top command line, its origin and what lies ahead. I recommend you to read it.
Al Jazeera's Listening Post on Social Media During The Thai Protests
Al Jazeera's media magazine Listening Post has reported on Thailand again in it's latest episode, this time focussing on the social media aspect during the protests especially during the deadly street battles in May. Again, yours truly was asked to give my two cents on the issue again. The Global Village Voices segment begins at the 7:20 minute mark, this time alongside Florian Witulski (@vaitor on Twitter), a German journalism-student in Bangkok who spend much of the last weeks running around the streets of Bangkok and, despite the chaos, was live-tweeting from the ground (see this profile on him at CNNgo).
For some strange reason this week, we both got subtitled...
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOrLOmbQhtY&w=600&h=360]
BONUS: German media magazine ZAPP also did a short report on Twitter's role during the clashes, featuring Eric Seldin alias @thaicam of Thaicam Production Services.
What Is Conor David Purcell Up To?
Does anyone remember Conor David Purcell, the Aussie who appeared on the red shirt stage and was fighting along with the anti-government protesters? Of course you do! How else can I explain myself that my blog post on him from earlier this month is by far the most read article on this blog. It has accumulated 1,370 clicks by today and at least nearly half of them came in this week. So what happened to him that has increased the interest again? Well, the bloke's in jail!
THAI police have arrested an Australian man in Bangkok for allegedly violating an emergency decree, after a court handed him a suspended sentence for a visa infringement.
Conor David Purcell, 30, was arrested and charged for breaching emergency law, an offence which carries up to two years jail time, Thai police said.
Speaking from his cell, Mr Purcell said he was a liaison for the military because he was the only one prepared to run through the bullets, the ABC reported.
Mr Purcell, who served for seven years in the Australian army, was working in Bangkok as a language teacher.
Sources from the immigration detention centre in Bangkok said Mr Purcell was a regular speaker at recent anti-government rallies in Bangkok.
A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said the man was detained on Sunday and charged with overstaying his visa.
"Australia Conor David Purcell arrested over Thai protests", The Daily Telegraph, May 25, 2010
Purcell has been arrested alongside a Briton named Jeff Savage, who is accused to have taken part in the looting and the burning of the Central World shopping center shortly after the military crackdown on May 19, at least he was caught on tape yelling to do so.
Well, even prime minister Abhisit had something to say about these two.
"For the Australian man it's not yet clear, but in the case of the Briton he's involved with the (red shirt) movement in Pattaya," Abhisit said. He said officials would also probe other allegations against the men.
There have been reports that Purcell was a former member of the Australian army and that he received training as a sniper, however embassy sources are understood to have suggested neither claim was true. Purcell, arrested on Sunday, is now in Klong Prem prison.
Abhisit said: "Indepth investigations will be carried out to find out whether they had any other role."
"Two foreigners arrested", The Nation, May 26, 2010
Both men showed up at the court today for their first hearing and while Savage was reported to have "broken down" (source), Purcell was in a fiercely defiant mood.
Dressed in orange prison-issue shirt and shorts, barefoot and shackled in leg-irons, a furious Mr Purcell was led in to Pathumwan Municipal Court in Bangkok yesterday, protesting that he was being unlawfully held.
Visibly angry at his detention, Mr Purcell, 29, a former soldier, refused to stand when told and then yelled at the judge that he would not accept the court's right to try him. ''Nobody in this country has authority over me,'' he said.
He brushed aside a representative from the Australian embassy who was asking him to be quiet and continued his tirade, shaking and pointing at the judge. ''I'm not under Thai law. I'm only obeying international law. I'm head of the red gang,'' he yelled.
Jeff Savage, a British man also arrested for his role in the protest, sitting next to Mr Purcell in court, burst into tears.
"Australian launches tirade in Thai court", The Sydney Morning Herald, May 28, 2010
To say the least, especially with the last sentence, he's not doing himself any favor now...
State Of A National Mind - Some Personal Thoughts
"Bullet holes at my office, 5th fl. (Chidlom)", picture courtesy of @Nok_Kasama
A lot is being said about time: that it slips by fast, that it is money, that it makes you wiser, that it gives you the opportunity to reflect and also that it heals wounds. A week ago the biggest political protests the country has ever seen was dispersed by the army in a military crackdown that itself was not the disaster that shocked the nation - it was the aftermath that has left not only parts of Bangkok, but also many parts of the country in rubbles. It was the final day of a military advance that killed over 50 and injured nearly 400 people - the total body count of the protests is 85 and over 2000 respectively. It was that May 19th, 2010 that has ripped an even bigger wound.
This was different from the deadly clashes of April 10, or any other riots that happened in the capital. We witnessed an escalation of violence, bottled-up anger and disappointment and also the definite destruction of the national myth of unity and peace. Even though the national anthem says that "Thais love peace" but the next line also states that we are not afraid to fight. But what are we fighting for?
There is no doubt that a large group of the red shirt protesters have a genuine political consciousness and want a democracy, where their vote counts, where their voices and concerns are heard in Bangkok and that their lives are improved with immediate and visible effect. Like it or not, the United Front against Dictatorship for Democracy, as they are formally called, are a political movement you cannot get rid off that easy anymore. They are here to stay! But to say that this group is only made up of uneducated, poor rural workers that are easily lured in with gloomy promises is factually wrong and devalues any reasonable discussion.
The government side, at least prime minister Abhisit, attempted a soft approach to the protesters and even when the red shirts seized the important commercial part of Bangkok, he remained relatively mild-tempered. The fact that it dragged on for nearly two months is partly because he, and probably many people in Bangkok as well, have underestimated the red protesters‘ stamina and defiance.
But, as in any conflict, the radical voices are the loudest and over the course of the protests the moderate and reasonable were being pushed aside. This was evident when Abhisit offered the red shirt leaders a so-called 'roadmap to reconciliation' that included new elections by November. It came at a time when the red shirts suffered a massive public fallout after a militant wing of the movement stormed through the nearby Chulalongkorn Hospital in search of any hidden soldiers. It was the last chance for a peaceful solution and to walk away without losing face. But any hopes were dashed when the UDD leaders failed to agree and added more and more counter-demands. This was the moment were the moderates on all sides have lost. What happened next was the beginning of the end.
Even if the protesters are now dispersed, the streets of Bangkok are clear again and many people are relieved, unfortunately though, the worst isn‘t over - the mess has just begun! What can happen now is a radicalization of all fractions. People do not want to trust each other even more, the prejudice one had of the other is now more solidified. The divide between Bangkok and the rest of the country will grow and as the mob attacks in the provinces have shown, conflicts and clashes will not take place in the capital exclusively. If we are not careful things will get uglier.
A taste of what‘s to come can be found online already in the past week where a large part of Thai netizens display their loyalty to the status quo and at the same time fiercely attack everyone who dares to criticize it or even have a different opinion. Especially CNN has come under fire for their alleged biased reporting during the protests, starting with an open letter. And even though this has already been proven to be factually wrong in many parts, people still praise this letter without any question. This single case shows that many people are less willing to hear from voices from outside and that are different to their‘s, they are immune to criticism. This marginalization of opinion diversity can only lead to isolation.
And here‘s in my opinion one of the main problems that lead to this tragedy: How can there by in any way be a reconciliation of all, if the majority refuses to listen what others have to say? How will there be harmony without understanding the issues in order to resolve them? And how will there be unity if every single Thai does not start to look at each other face-to-face on equal terms?
It is not a national tragedy just because many Bangkok residents have a few places less to make a shopping therapy. It is a national tragedy because people have been killed, damage has been done not by an foreign threat, but by Thais themselves. It is a national tragedy because never before it was shown that bluntly that the institutions and their participants, that are essential in a democratic system, are ineffective to solve problems.
Now that the government has issued an arrest warrant against Thaksin for terrorism charges, they have intensified a seemingly obsessive witch hunt that has blinded parts of the nation (including the newspaper of the same name) for years now. What many slowly seem to realize now is that even though it may have started with Thaksin, who is despite several human rights violations and cronyism according to some is unfortunately already the best what Thai democracy had to offer, this is now way beyond him now. This is a result of a collective failure that became evident during the Thaksin years and even more evident since the 2006 coup.
What I hope for this country is that the people will not try to put a blanket over the ever-increasing rift and blindly preach peace, love and unity until the next escalation. I hope that everybody will sincerely think for a moment why we got to this point and does not forget this at the next best diversion. This national wound takes more than time to heal. What it needs is a reconsideration of everything, our way of life, the definition of "Thai-ness", the way we teach our children how to think independently and openly voice their opinion, the perception of a good government, a fair and balanced media. In general, a mature democratic society where a reasonable debate can take place in order to solve the social problems of the nation.
I have my doubts though that it will happen anytime soon...
Live-Blog: Troop Movement to Rally Site, Crackdown Imminent UPDATE: Red Leaders Giving Up, Rally Site Evacuated
Reports are coming in of large troop movements towards the rally site, after there was yet another rumor by the red shirt protesters that there might a crackdown at 5 AM this morning.
More updates as they come!
For all the latest in this rapidly changing situation, follow me (@Saksith), @bangkokpundit, @anasuya, @danieljrivers, @newley, @karmanomad, @vaitor, @photo_journ, @Journotopia, @aelacallan, @agnesdherbeys, @BKKApologist, @markmackinnon and @aleithead on Twitter for live updates.
Also check this map of dangerous zones in Bangkok which will be constantly updated by Richard Barrow, AVOID THE RED AND GREEN AREAS AT ALL COST.
Feel free to comment and post footage you found online, took yourself. You can send them in to saksith [dot] saiyasombut [at] gmail [dot] com
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All times local Bangkok time
21.17h: Last update for today: I think after such an extraordinary terrible day, we all need to sit down and come to our senses for a while. I'll sure do after blogging about this for 16 straight hours.
Good Night and stay safe, Bangkok!
P.S.: Here's something to laugh in these difficult times, courtesy of NotTheNation.
20.55h: As of now, there are still major fires in various spots in Bangkok, most prominently the Central World shopping center.
Also, one red shirt leader, Dr. Weng Tojirakarn, is still missing and another one on the run, Arisaman Pongruangrong, has been reported to be arrested.
Today, six people have died including one Italian photo-journalist. The total death toll since Thursday is 42, 361 injured.
The curfew is still going until 6 AM the next morning.
20.00h: The curfew is now in effect until 6 AM in all of Bangkok and in a few provinces. 21 additional provinces are now under curfew, including Chiang Mai.
18.30h:
The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has announced curfew in Bangkok and nearby cities and provinces in the North and Northeast [Mukdaharn and Kalasin] earlier placed under emergency law.
People in areas under curfew are not allowed to leave their homes from 8pm to 6am, with immediate effect.
"Curfew in Bangkok, many provinces", Bangkok Post, May 19, 2010
18.15h: After the national anthem at 6 PM, many free tv channels have now switched to the special emergency broadcast by the government. So far, it plays patriotic music and old CRES announcements.
17.47h: Central Word, the largest shopping mall in Thailand, is still well on fire. (Picture by @vaitor)
17.34h:
17.26h: "Burnt remains of Ubon govt building ศาลากลางอุบลเหลือแต่ซาก เสา" (Picture by @dudesweet)
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17.09h: Govt spokesman appeared in yet another CRES announcement, urging all people to stay inside during the curfew (8PM-6AM), so that officials can work more effectively. Also, all TV channels will broadcast a special emergency broadcast - meaning the govt will take over the program.
16.55h:
16.37h: The Rajaprasong stage, one hour ago... (Picture by @markmackinnon)
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16.11h: CRES has just announced a curfew beginning 8 PM until 6 AM.
16.04h: Meanwhile, Channel 3 gone off air as their building is being besieged by a mob outside. Also, Bangkok Post, The Nation and Thai-Asean Network have now closed and sent their staff home. Also, journalists and photographers are being hassled and even attacked as they retreat and also take off their green press armbands.
16.01h: A sidenote: Prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has not been seen publicly all day yet...!
15.50h:
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"Udons beautiful old wooden city hall, destroyed" (Picture by @Doug_Udon)
The scene at Udon Thani, as protesters storm the city hall
15.25h: It is reported that the stock exchange is now on fire. Also, the Channel 3 building is being attacked by an "angry mob".
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15.04h:
Italian media have named as Fabio Polenghi as the photo-journliast shot and killed in clashes Wednesday between Thai troops and demonstrators in Bangkok.
The reporter was identified by a friend from television images as Polenghi, the ANSA newsagency reported.
The 45-year-old Milan-based Polenghi was reportedly in Thailand on assignment for several magazines.
"Italian reporter killed in Bangkok clashes", Deutsche Presse-Agentur via The Nation, May 19, 2010
14.42h: There are reports of riots in other cities in the country as well, such as Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani.
14.22h:
2:21pm: Thai security forces have ended their offensive at a sprawling protest encampment in central Bangkok and the situation is under control, the army spokesman said on Wednesday.
5 leaders Jatuporn, Natthwut, Kwanchai, Nisit, and Wiphuthalang have turned themselves in to police. Weng, Suporn and Arisman on the run.
Tweet by @veen_NT
14.00h: CRES is now doing a TV announcement. Army spokesman Col. Sansern describes how the operation and the reclaiming of Lumphini Park took place.
Meanwhile, it appears that the last remaining protesters have set the Eastern barricades at Ploen Chit on fire. Al Jazeera's Aela Callan reports in front of a huge smoke cloud just outside Maneeya Building, where she (and many other foreign journalists) are located as BTS Chidlom seems also covered in smoke.
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13.47h: While the main rally site at Rajaprasong is now evacuated, there are still other small stages at various spots in the city, with the largest located in Khlong Toei. Will the dispersed protesters meet up here?
13.37h: Chaotic scenes at the main rally stage, as the crowd cries in disbelief over the surrender speech by red shirt leaders Jatuporn and Nattawuth as it was cut short by loud bangs, possibly gunfire. The leaders were rushed off the stage by security guards. Last words were calling for all protesters to evacuate to the National Stadium, where authorities have set up buses to bring them home.
13.26h: Red leaders Jatuporn and Nattawuth are on the stage at the main rally site and have announced to surrender and report themselves to the police.
13.05h:
12:56pm: Thick black smoke coming out near the Asok intersection, tyres burning near the intersection as well as in front of the Sheraton hotel.
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Picture by @lindavanderwijk
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"Persistent but rather light smoke coming from Asok intersection, as seen from Sukhumvit 29, at 13.00pm" (Picture by @AndrewHurd)
12.46h: Talking about unconfirmed reports on the red leaders...
12.41h: Also still unconfirmed and conflicting are the reports on the whereabouts of the red shirt leaders, the yellow shirts's news outlet ASTV and their English-language sister channel Thai-Asean News Network are reporting that Arisman, one of the hardliners has fled. Govt spokesperson has earlier claimed "all red shirt leaders" have fled.
12.35h:There are still unconfirmed reports about the 3 shot journalists, one of them is reported death.
10.40h: Govt spokesperson Panitan makes another CRES announcement, declaring that Lumphini Park has been reclaimed and also states that some red shirt leaders were fleeing, requests citizens to call police if they spot them. Also, there are busses parked at the National Stadium that are ready to take any protester home that wants to.
10.33h:
(AP) Update: AP photographer sees 3 foreign journalists shot during Bangkok army operation, 1 appears dead.
Tweet by @babyfishie Thanyarat Doksone
10.06h:
Two bodies of civilians were found on Rachadamri Road in the protesters' encampment after troops broke through their barricades, said a Reuters witness. It appeared the protesters had suffered gunshot wounds.
"Two people killed as Thai troops and protesters clash", Reuters, May 19, 2010
A branch of Thailand's Kasikornbank was on fire in Rama IV road in central Bangkok on Wednesday, Thai television reported, as anti-government protesters and troops fought nearby.Protesters were seen burning tyres and gunfire could be heard from the area.
"Thai Kasikornbank branch on fire in Bangkok -TV", Reuters, May 19, 2010
11.03h: BBC and AP report that witnesses "have seen bodies of two men with bullet wounds".
10.42h:
10:37am: Thai Kasikornbank branch on fire in Bangkok in Rama IV road in central Bangkok on Wednesday, Thai television reported.
10.25h:Al Jazeera was live on air when troops, APCs and also members of the press are entering the rally site after the barricade has been flattened at the Silom site.
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10.20h:
Senator Lertrat Rattavanich on Wednesday called off the Senate's involvement in the mediation to mend fences between the government and the red shirts.
"I will not today convey the message from the red shirts to the government because it is too late as decision has been made to disperse the protesters," he said.
Lertrat said the government might have no other option but to use force to disband the rally site after giving the red shirts plenty of time to end their protests.
"Senate cancels mediation talks", The Nation, May 19, 2010
9.48h:
One red-shirt protester was shot dead at Sarasin intersection on Wednesday morning, reports said.
Wattanachai Aiumnak was shot in the chest and died at the scene. His body was now being kept at the Police General hospital.
One red-shirt told reporters that he believed Wattanachai was shot by a sniper hiding somewhere near Lumpini Park, not by soldiers stationing at the Saladaeng intersection.
Pol Lt Gen Jongjate Aaojenpong, senior medical doctor at the Police General Hospital, said in a television interview that four injured red-shirt protesters were admitted to the hospital.
"Two of them were shot in the chest and stomach and now receiving a surgery" he said.
"Red shot dead at Sarasin intersection", Bangkok Post, May 19, 2010
9.39h: Govt spokesperson Panitan just appeared on TV in the first CRES announcement and spoke in English that citizens are instructed to avoid the conflict areas, as the authorities are pushing forward to the rally site.
9.33h: Pictures of flattened barricades at Sala Daeng:
Picture by Reuters
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Picture by @thidarat
UPDATE 9.27h: Twitter user @fishmyman is reporting of many roadblocks on the roads leading to central Bangkok, like this one.
UPDATE 9.08h: APCs at Sala Daeng (Picture by @vaitor)
UPDATE 8.59h: APCs are repeatedly ramming the bamboo barricades, e.g. this screencap from Thai TV (by @RichardBarrow)
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UPDATE 8.55h:
UPDATE 8.50h:
The government is determined to disperse the rally today and the only option left for the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship leaders is to surrender and enter the justice process, prime minister's secretary-general Korbsak Sabhavasu said in a television interview on Wednesday morning.
Mr Korbsak said talks between the government and the UDD to be mediated by Senate Speaker Prasobsuk Boondej has been completely ruled out now that government forces are determined to disperse the protesters.
What the protesters should do now is to stop burning and surrender, he said.
"Korbsak: Govt determined to end rally", Bangkok Post, May 19, 2010
UPDATE 8.45h: From Reuters' live-blog
More news on the two people who were shot. Reuters witness said one was shot in the chest while trying to help a fellow protester. The demonstrators responded by firing at soldiers.
8:42am: "We are still ready to talk. My line is open but the protest has to end first," government advisor Korbask Sabhavasau told Channel 3 television.
UPDATE 8.36h: Unconfirmed reports claim that at least two people have been shot. Meanwhile, it seems that the situation has clam down for now at Silom.
UPDATE 8.20h:Al Jazeera'sWayne Hay reports via phone from Rama IV Road, gunfire can be heard. He also says that gunshots are "being fired back from the barricade."
UPDATE 8.15h:
The website of Matichon newspaper quoted officials at the underground train that a group of black-clad men were trying to set fire at the Kloen Toei station by smashing the windows and pouring gasoline but managed to stop them earlier this morning
UPDATE 7.45h:
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"Thick smoke near Chulalongkorn Hospital now. 7.40am" (Picture by Thanyarat Doksone)
UPDATE 7.35h:
APC approaches Sala Deang bunker; fire exchanged
Tweet by @TAN_Network
Update: Thai troops fire guns into encampment of protesters in central Bangkok - AP
Tweet by @BreakingNews
UPDATE 7.25h: Screengrab of Al Jazeera
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7:22am: Reuters report on the tear gas fired at protesters. Witness said the tear gas was aimed at demonstrators close to the Rama IV statue in front of Lumpini park
UPDATE 7.15h:
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"bangkok burning 7 am" (Picture by @KevinRevolinski)
UPDATE 7.07h: Al Jazeera, CNN and ThaiPBS show smoke throughout Bangkok. Also, CNN's Dan Rivers has spotted 'men carrying guns, could be soldiers'.
UPDATE 7.00h: This picture is linked from Reuters' live-blog. The sign reads 'Dusit Thani Hotel' and is right at the Silom Intersection opposite of the South end red shirt barricade.
UPDATE 6.54h:
SEVEN armored vehicles and at least two vanloads of troop reinforcements have converged at the perimeter of an anti-government protest camp in Bangkok.
The armored personnel carriers (APCs) had machine guns mounted on top, and the troops were dressed in balaclavas and carried weapons and riot shields, an AFP photographer said.
Thailand's army spokesman declined to comment on whether a crackdown was imminent on the protesters, who are defying a Monday deadline to disperse after occupying Bangkok's main retail district for six weeks.
"I will not answer any questions," spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told AFP.
"Troops, armored vehicles move in on Thailand Red Shirt protests", by David Williams, The Daily Telegraph via heraldsun.com.au
UPDATE 6.47h:
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"several buildings in dindaeng set on fire" (Picture by @vaitor)
UPDATE 6.40h: CRES is airing a taped announcement from yesterday, saying that all new protest sites that have been set up outside the main rally site are deemed illegal, as is the main one itself. Also, the selling of used tires is declared illegal, since they are used in burning barricade in order to create smokescreen.
Why are they interrupting the live program right now with a repeat announcement?!
UPDATE 6.24h:
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APCs moving in to Sala Daeng (Picture by @tidarat)
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"4am more soldiers come to silom ..." (Screencap from ThaiPBS by @thaitvnews)