More Red-Shirt Infighting: Jatuporn vs Panlop

8 Feb
2010

Peua Thai MP and red-shirt key man Jatuporn Promphan (photo credit: Thai-blogs.com)

With only less than three weeks to go until the potentially earth-shattering assets ruling, the last thing ex-PM Thaksin needs now is infighting within ‘his’ army of red shirts. Yet, after a meeting in Dubai attended by some of the most unsavoury individuals in the movement, it seems the red shirts are once again preoccupied with internal bickering.

Read the rest of this entry »

Borwornsak: “Thai Political Situation: Wherefrom and Whereto?”

8 Feb
2010

What Thailand needs now is not only a political reform process to resolve the political differences and find a democratic system acceptable to all sides, one that allows people to have their voices heard and hold those they elect accountable, and is resistant to manipulation for private gain. It needs more comprehensive reform that will correct the ingrained structural imbalances in Thai society that have prevented the majority of the people from having their fair share in national resources and wealth and effectively kept the patronage system alive. Then these people would no longer have to depend on politicians and their economic populism, which tends to involve reckless, fiscally unsustainable policies drawing on uncertain future money without thinking about long-term consequences. This must also includes [sic] efforts to enhance people’s awareness that their right to vote should be coupled with the responsibility and ability to hold their elected representatives accountable.

- Extracted from Borwornsak Uwanno, Thai Political Situation: Wherefrom and Whereto?

The full paper is embedded below.

(Click “read the rest of this entry” to see it.)

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hardliners

3 Feb
2010

Thaksin and hardline reds

(photo credit: Thaienews)

This photo, purportedly taken in Dubai on 3 February, shows Thaksin Shinnawatra being surrounded by some of his most trusted henchmen. Clockwise from top left: Gen Panlop Pinmanee, Thaksin, Major Gen Kattiya Sawasdiphol, Suporn Attawong, and Arisman Pongruangrong.

Each of these Thaksin loyalists is known to be inclined, albeit to varying degrees, to use violence in order to achieve whatever goals he has in mind. They can be considered members of the “hawkish” wing of the Thaksin camp. The 73-year-old Panlop was, for a while, linked with the car bomb plot to assassinate Thaksin in 2006 (yes I know, the crazy world of Thai politics). Denying his involvement, he famously declared, “If I had wanted to kill him, the prime minister [Thaksin] would not have escaped.”

Could this gathering of hardliners in Dubai be a sign of things to come?

Prof Borwornsak: “Lèse-Majesté Law Consistent with Human Rights Principle”

2 Feb
2010

During the weekend, Prof Borwornsak Uwanno made a visit to the UK to speak at a seminar at SOAS (organised by the Thai Embassy) as well as at the Samaggi Academic Conference the following day. New Mandala has already put up a report on the SOAS event. Copies of a booklet written by him were also distributed at both events.

The booklet, titled “Lèse-Majesté: A Distinctive Character of Thai democracy amid the Global Democratic Movement”, is basically a collection of Borwornsak’s earlier essays in defence of the LM law in Thailand. The essays first appeared in the Bangkok Post a while back (see here, here, and here) and there seems to be no alterations made in the booklet version. Nonetheless, for those of you who have not read them yet, you can get a general idea of his argument from the extract below.

Conclusion and Recommendations

As a Thai and a lawyer, this author believes that the three groups of insult and defamation laws in Thailand, including the lese majeste law, are consistent not only with the principles of international law and constitutional monarchy, as well as with the principle of criminology on criminalisation of acts in accordance with democratic principles. They also place limitations on freedom of expression which reflect the ethical and cultural norms that most Thais adhere to, and which are not inconsistent with the human rights principles enshrined in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

[...]

As the Buddhist law of impermanence states, everything, the lese majeste offence included, arises, exists and perishes, as the society’s ethical and cultural norms evolve also in accordance with this same Buddhist law. Nothing is permanent. “The only permanent thing is impermanence.”

- Extracted from Borwornsak Uwanno (2009). Lèse-Majesté: A Distinctive Character of Thai democracy amid the Global Democratic Movement, Nontaburi: King Prajadhipok’s Institute.

GT200 Dowsing Rod Update: Gen Anupong Bans Further Purchases Pending Investigation

29 Jan
2010

Gen Anupong, Dr Pornthip, Suthep, Abhisit
(Photo credit: 1, 2, 3, 4)

The shocking scandal of the GT200 ‘bomb detector’ continues to be the talk of the town. In my earlier post I already looked at the BBC’s exposure of the scam and the frankly unbelievable responses by PM Abhisit and other people from Thailand’s uppermost echelon. To be honest, I think this whole sorry saga has damaged the credibility of these people beyond repair, implicating a whole range of prominent people from top politicians to a celebrity forensic expert. Lives are being put at profound risk because of the continued use of these voodoo devices. Massive amounts of taxpayers’ money are going down the drain or possibly into someone’s pocket.

Anyway, here is some good news at last. Army chief Anupong Paochinda, who previously dismissed angry reporters as having been bribed to question him over the GT200’s effectiveness, seems to be going through a belated process of enlightenment. The Nation reports:

Army chief General Anupong Paochinda yesterday said he would not allow any Army agencies to make additional purchases of GT200 bomb detectors now that the United Kingdom has issued a warning saying the devices are useless.

“Since there are some doubts, we have to delay the procurement decisions until things become clearer,” Anupong told reporters, adding that his orders would not affect any ongoing purchases of the equipment.

[...]

Anupong, backing down after experts criticised the Army for purchasing useless equipment at relatively high prices, said the Army would conduct scientific tests to prove the equipment’s ability.

“I personally want to know if it really works, because my men on the ground insist it does while experts say it theoretically doesn’t,” he said.

Though it looks like the army may not be able to cancel existing orders, this decision by Gen Anupong is still encouraging. Will the other big names soon realise their horrible mistakes too? We will have to wait and see…

Older Entries