RED SHIRTS' SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN

Petition damned as divisive ploy

By The Nation
Published on July 31, 2009

Move drags the monarchy into politics: govt. Army alert amid 'plans of unrest'

After an initial delay, Abhisit Vejjajiva's government has started a campaign to counter the red shirts' move to collect 3 million signatures for the petition of a royal pardon for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The government has instructed state-run media outlets to remind the public about the impropriety of involving the monarchy in politics, PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey said yesterday.

"The issue of a royal pardon has caused so much confusion, and organisers of the signature campaign have been flouting the law," he said.

Satit added that the red shirts were using their move to seek a royal pardon as a pretext for deepening social and political divisions. He urged the public to be cautious, or else they might play an unwitting hand in miring the monarchy in a political game.

Red-shirt leaders Jatuporn Promphan, Veera Musigapong and Natthawut Saikua have vowed to collect 3 million signatures and present the petition to the Royal Household Bureau or the Office of the Private Secretary to His Majesty the King next Friday. The move is seen as yet another attempt by Thaksin's supporters to weaken the revered monarchy.

Thaksin was found guilty in absentia of corruption over the Ratchadaphisek land scam and sentenced to two years in prison last October. He fled the country last August and has been a fugitive ever since.

Under Thai law, criminals can only petition for royal amnesty after they have served time for a certain period and expressed repentance. Thaksin has not served any time in prison or admitted to any wrongdoing. Instead, all he has done is vow to return and lead the country again.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaovarat Chan-weerakul told all provincial governors and district chiefs to set up tables in front of their offices from today and persuade people who had signed the petition to withdraw their signatures.

"Anyone who wishes to withdraw his or her signature can do so. But they must come in person with their ID cards, in order to prevent any confusion," the minister said.

Yesterday, national police chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwan and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) chief Adul Kowattana briefed Prime Minister Abhisit about the movement for amnesty. Adul said in reality, fewer than 1 million people had signed the petition, because the process of authenticating names, backgrounds and profiles was far too complicated, while some had changed their minds.

The NIA believes the red shirts will probably start creating political chaos from next Monday - the day Abhisit turns 45.

"I don't think we can stop the red shirts from rallying or submitting a petition. They can allow them to do that, but I'm concerned they're trying to bring the monarchy into politics. They're free to attack me, but they should not touch the monarchy," Abhisit said.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday ordered the armed forces to monitor the signature campaign.

He said the armed forces were obligated to uphold the monarchy and that the pardon petition was affecting the country's revered institution.

Prawit ordered military leaders to ensure peace in society and safeguard the monarchy.

(www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/31/politics/politics_30108760.php)

Thaksin: A Don Quixote for democracy or a Shylock for power?

Wednesday , April 1 , 2009

Thaksin: A Don Quixote for democracy or a Shylock for power?

Posted by Avudh

What ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra has been doing to rouse the crowds, like his phone-in, is nothing out of the ordinary. Desparate times call for desparate measures.

It is a pity, however, that he should have asked himself a simple question before setting out to do what a man has to do.

Can he, or will he look in the mirror and honestly ask himself whether he will still be in power if Prem Tinsulanonda and Surayud Chulanont were not in the Privy Council?

Given his mindset, it is pointless to argue whether Thaksin is justified in portraying Prem and Surayud as his demons.

He will soon find out for himself whether, by demonising Prem and Surayud, he is resolving or compounding his own predicament.

Throughout history, Thailand has proved for her resiliency time and again. The Thaksin’s wrath will come to pass just like all other aberrations.

The Privy Council is an established institution with exemplary records for more than a century. There is no reason to suspect a bad-mouthing by Thaksin can alter anything.

The story of the September 19, 2006 coup as told by Thaksin has no new information. Before the power seizure to the present, the anti- and the pro-Thaksin camps have been engaging in the disinformation campaign designed either to justify or to undermine the coup.

The rival camps have been churning out so many versions of the coup to suit their expediency.

By rehashing a coup version linked to Prem and Surayud, Thaksin has managed to swell the numbers of the red shirts. It remains to be seen whether the sentiment will be sustained enough to serve his purpose.

It is a curious fact that Thaksin is projecting himself as democracy crusader. In 2003, the Thai Embassy in Phnom Phen was torched following a riot.

The story was the Cambodian leader wanted to get even with his Thai counterpart for acting like a carpetbagger to finance an attempted coup in his country.

For a couple of days in a row, Thaksin are trying to remind how Prem donned his fatigue uniform to sway the soldiers.

He omitted to mention that the Prem’s action happened after the speculation about the government-sponsored coup in order to cling to power by crushing the yellow shirts.

Prem simply reminded the soldiers of their allegiance to the nation and the monarchy and not to get involved in the ups and downs of a government.

Thaksin has issued a passionate plea for soldiers to march back to their barracks. Who lured the soldiers into politics between 2001 and 2006? It is a classic case of a snake charmer get bitten by his snake.

To understand, but never to condone, why the coup happened, Thaksin and all parties concerned should factor in the prevailing circumstances in 2005 and 2006.

Thaksin, in particular, will have plenty of time to reflect why he became the man at the centre of the turmoil regardless of his popularity.

In months preceding the coup, the turmoil kept on intensifying to an unprecedented level. The coup is harmful to democracy, no question about it. But Thaksin appeared at the time to inflame the situation rather than pacify it.

Practically all leading figures, the socalled aristocracy, turned their back on him. By staying silence about the coup, the aristocrats, like Prem and Surayud, spoke volumes on how they viewed him.

To the vast majority of Thai citizens trying to overcome the turmoil, the choice presented to them in 2006 was not to choose between good and evil but to pick between bad and worse – coup or Thaksin.

Time will tell - which of the two, the 2006 coup or Thaksin’s runaway power, is more harmful to democracy.

Then society can put behind the political polarisation. Thaksin will earn his place in history either as a crusader or an exploiter of democracy.

(http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/topboot/2009/04/01/entry-1)

The Battle for Thailand

Can Democracy Survive?

Bertil Lintner, July/August 2009

Summary --

After widespread civil unrest, Thailand remains deeply polarized, its economy is contracting, and its king is getting older. Whatever the outcome of the present crisis, the future of Thai democracy does not look good.

BERTIL LINTNER is a Swedish journalist and author living in Thailand. He was a correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review from 1982 to 2004.

Over the past three years, Thailand has lived through a military coup, six prime ministers, and widespread civil unrest. The ongoing crisis grabbed headlines last year when protesters occupied two international airports, and it culminated this April in violent clashes in Bangkok. Observers have wondered how what was once such a promising democracy could devolve so quickly.

Today, a semblance of normality has returned to Thailand. But the battle for the country is far from over, and its future remains uncertain. The fractures that led to the confrontation in the first place have yet to be mended. Thai society has become deeply polarized, with different elites jockeying for power and the urban population pitted against the rural population, the north and the northeast against Bangkok and the south, and the poor against the rich. With Thailand's economy now contracting, these divisions might become even more salient. To make matters worse, speculation abounds about the health of the country's 81-year-old monarch, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has traditionally stood for stability and continuity.

Whatever the outcome of the present crisis, the future of Thai democracy does not look good. Thailand's democratic institutions remain weak and vulnerable to interference by unelected institutions, such as the military and the judiciary. Unless Thailand develops solid, independent state entities that can bridge the gap between various interest groups, the situation will only deteriorate.

THAKSIN'S TENURE

It all began with the meteoric rise of Thaksin Shinawatra, an immensely wealthy telecommunications tycoon who became prime minister in 2001 after his party -- the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais), or TRT -- won the general election by a landslide. (Thaksin's 2005 electoral victory would be even more spectacular.) He ran on a platform of reform, but once in power he flouted democratic rules.

(www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65157/bertil-lintner/the-battle-for-thailand)

Someone to keep us guessing

By Tulsat@hotmail.com
Published on July 24, 2009

Newsrooms are being filled with educated as well as simply clueless guesses about the "big surprise" being planned for ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's 60th birthday celebrations in various provinces. Here is a summary of all the theories we have heard:

1. There will be some sort of a major announcement. A scenario, brought up by aPheu Thai Party MP, has Thaksin declaring that he has "forgiven everyone" and is carrying no more grudges. He will say that it is time national reconciliation started, but that it wouldn't be possible until one of the key coalition parties makes the first move.

2. There will be a jaw-dropping state-of-the-art video linkage that will make his well-wishers feel as if he were "there" in person. (Imagine Princess Leia in "Star Wars" being beamed up for Luke Skywalker by R2-D2.)

3. A combination of the two: a state-of-the-art link-up in which Thaksin hopes for peace in his motherland.

4. He delivers a shocking speech declaring that he will return to acknowledge his punishment, serve his jail term and then launch a political comeback. (This idea came from an entertainment beat reporter, seriously!)

5. A gigantic gimmick designed to embarrass his opponents, probably in the form of remote-controlled projects related to the economy. Many people believe this could possibly be true because the "big surprise" would be more about substance than form. Moreover, it fits the circumstances when news of the "big surprise" first broke. At that time, Thaksin didn't appear to be in a mood to forgive anyone and told somebody he had called that the Democrats were screwing the economy, before declaring that he had a "big surprise" planned for the country on his birthday.

6. Don't laugh, but actually there are people who think that the first, second and fifth scenarios will take place at the same time. Thaksin, visiting as a hologram, will declare that he has absolutely no hatred left in his heart, then he goes ahead to give the Democrats a good spanking before announcing projects like scholarships and transforming the People's Station (formerly D-station) into a free tutoring channel employing expensive, qualified lecturers.

7. He will become a monk. (We hope this doesn't happen because the last time that an ousted leader in exile took up the saffron robes, it triggered one of the blackest chapters in Thai history.)

There you go. I personally hope it is scenario No 1, but my head tells me it will most probably be No 6. Well, whatever it is, it would still be a nice surprise if Thaksin spends some big bucks on Thailand, no matter what his motive is.

(www.nationmultimedia.com/topstory/30108234/Someone-to-keep-us-guessing)

Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra now on Facebook, Twitter

Thaksin now on Facebook, Twitter

Writer: Bangkok Post.com

Published: 24/07/2009 at 03:38 PM

Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra has opened more channels to contact with his supporters, using the social networks Facebook and Twitter, his former legal adviser Noppadon Pattama said on Friday.

Thaksin was currently living in Dubai, he said.

The fugitive politician would stay connected to his supporters through the two social networks starting Saturday morning Thailand time, he said.

He was expected to first give suggestions to the government about ways to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, he said.

Mr Noppadon said the government had limited the way Thaksin could communicate with his supporters, so he he had opened new channels to communicate with them.

Source : bangkokpost.com,July 24, 2009