‘Popcorn Gunman’ Jailed After Supreme Court Overturns Acquittal

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7 November 2018, 13:07

Vivat Yodprasit, at front, shows police how he allegedly fired an assault rifle at pro-government protests in a crime re-enactment staged in March 2014.

BANGKOK — A man accused of mortally wounding an elderly vendor during a protest in 2014 was convicted and sentenced to nearly 40 years in jail Wednesday.

Overturning a lower court’s verdict acquitting Vivat Yodprasit, the Supreme Court found him guilty on multiple counts including manslaughter, firearm-related charges and violating the emergency decree imposed at the time. Vivat was given a jail term of 37 years and four months. He has already served four years in jail since his arrest.

The Feb. 1, 2014, shootout between pro- and anti-government protesters left Arkaew Saelew, 72, paralyzed. He died seven months later. Prosecutors identified Vivat as the balaclava-clad gunman who fired his assault rifle – concealed in a popcorn bag – in Arkaew’s direction.

Although the appeals court said there was no credible witness implicating Vivat, the high court ruled that CCTV footage and photos posted online were sufficient to establish that the defendant and masked gunman were the same.

Vivat’s own brother Ekkarin Yodprasit delivered damning testimony to the court, saying the gunman in the footage resembled the defendant, according to the verdict.

Vivat, who was arrested a month after the gunfight and became a cause celebre among those agitating for a putsch, denied the allegations and said he was tortured in police custody. Police deny the accusation.

The 2014 shooting broke out after anti-government protesters seized ballot equipment intended for a snap election in Lak Si district, prompting pro-government counter protesters to march there in an effort to defend the polling station.

The election was eventually voided by the court, and the military staged a coup three months later in May.

Review: ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ Falls Flat

By

Associated Press

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7 November 2018, 13:01

Film Review - The Nutcracker and the Four Realms — This image released by Disney shows Keira Knightley, left, and Mackenzie Foy in a scene from "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms." Photo: Laurie Sparham/Disney via AP

So Disney has gone ahead and made a Christmas movie from “The Nutcracker.” Is this what we’re doing now? We’re making big Hollywood movies from 19th century ballets? Anyone have any fresh ideas at all? Talk about low-hanging fruit: It’s a sugar plum.

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ” is visually marvelous, inconsistently acted and rather incoherent in that fantasy genre way. There’s not even that much dancing, to tell the truth. Little kids might end up too scared and adults may need several shots of insulin.

There’s a lot of stuff going on here so hold onto your popcorn. The story is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original 1816 tale, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” which went on to become a celebrated ballet with stirring music by Tchaikovsky. (One likely selling point for Disney is the soundtrack to the film is royalty-free.)

Screenwriter Ashleigh Powell has spun a tale of a spunky and brainy 14-year-old Clara who adores elaborate gear mechanisms and quotes Newton’s Third Law. One morose Christmas, she gets a present from her late mother that sends her on a quest to the Land of Snowflakes, the Land of Flowers, the Land of Sweets and the Land of Hokum — sorry, that last one is the ominous Fourth Realm, which is overrun by rodents and fog and demented Cirque du Soleil performers.

Clara must unite all these divisive parallel worlds in time to return to her sad family and celebrate, well, being together. There are elements of Lara Croft, “The King and I” and “The Chronicles of Narnia” here, and it’s safe to say the whole film would fall apart if not for a brilliant performance from Mackenzie Foy (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”) as Clara. Soft, angry, tender, pained and regal — Foy is absolutely luminous, both a tomboy and a princess. She speaks through her eyes and really digs into lines like “The real world doesn’t make sense anymore.”

AP18292835849833 — This image released by Disney shows Mackenzie Foy, left, and Jayden Fowara Knight in a scene from “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.” Photo: Laurie Sparham/Disney via AP

The rest of the cast is uneven, to put it politely this Christmas period. Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy seems to have modeled her character on Elizabeth Banks’ role in “The Hunger Games” but thought the other actress was underplaying it and so has brought twice as much irritating energy, including saying things in squeaky voice like “Isn’t it magnificent?” ”banish’d,” ”tres chic” and “oh, poo.”

At the other end of the spectrum is Jayden Fowora-Knight — he’s awfully wooden and just because he plays a former nutcracker is no excuse. There’s also Helen Mirren, who portrays the leader of the Fourth Realm with such a swashbuckling style that she’s missed when not on screen. Plus, poor Morgan Freeman tries to bring dignity to Clara’s eccentric godfather, but he’s had better lines in Mountain Dew commercials.

AP18292835618340 — This image released by Disney shows Helen Mirren in a scene from “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.” Photo: Laurie Sparham/Disney via AP

Directors Joe Johnston and Lasse Hallstrom also called on Misty Copeland, principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre, to play the main doll in a ballet within the movie, which was a wise move. But other poor decisions mar the film, including dressing Eugenio Derbez and Richard E. Grant in over-the-top costumes and telling them to act as if they just snorted a case of Snickers bars. And there’s a moment late in the film when you realize that some of the best acting has been delivered… by a digital mouse. (Hey, this is Disney, remember? The Mouse always rules.)

The real stars of this film are the hundreds and hundreds — sit through the credits and marvel at the number — of visual effects folk who have let us swoop over these snowy cities and forests on the wings of a bird, who use thousands of wriggling mice to come together to make one big Mouse King, and who make a legion of tin soldiers marching look positively frightening. And the lush orchestrations of Tchaikovsky, with sections repeated in different styles, show off this classic work well.

Disney has potentially opened the door with a sequel if this one succeeds. But, to be frank, it rather limps to the goal line: Clara’s relationship with the nutcracker soldier ends chastely and she offers a vague promise to return — hopefully with an acting coach — to the land of sweets, flowers and snowflakes. But take your time, Clara. Don’t rush on our behalf.

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” a Walt Disney Pictures release, is rated PG for “some mild peril.” Running time: 99 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

Story: Mark Kennedy

Enjoy Free Shows When Iconsiam River Mall Opens

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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7 November 2018, 12:14

The opening show on Nov. 9 at Iconsiam in Bangkok.

A Chinese boy band concert, Thai dance performances, magicians and more will entertain shoppers when riverside megamall Iconsiam opens this weekend.

Expected to draw many mall-goers and tourists, the event will include several free shows and international acts both days.

Siam Piwat; the developer behind Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery; is spending a staggering 1 billion baht to promote the opening including a number of free shows.

Here’s what can be watched for free at the new megamall.

Read: A Look Inside the New Iconsiam Mall (Photos)

Outdoors

F4 Concert

Chinese and Taiwanese celebs Dylan Wang, Darren Chen, Connor Leong and Caesar Wu who starred in the 2018 remake of the “Meteor Garden” series will grace their fans with a free concert at 7pm on Saturday in the outdoor River Park area, in what will most likely be the biggest draw of the event.

Big Riverside Show

Thai artists will perform traditional and modern dance and music in the “Eternal Prosperity” show about Thailand’s past, present and future relationship with the Chao Phraya River. The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra will also perform a song titled “Icon of Dreams” dedicated especially to the mall.

Sculptures decorating the 1,000sqm stage are designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the artist behind Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple in Chiang Rai and a statue of Saman Gunan, the former navy seal who died rescuing 12 boys and their football coach from a cave in July.

The spectacle won’t just be on land. On the water, Sri Mahasamut sailing junks will sail riverside. By air, 1,500 drones will perform. It’s billed as the first large-scale drone performance in Thailand and the drone show with the largest number of drones used in a Southeast Asian show.

Both Saturday and Sunday from 8:10pm to 8:50pm in the River Park area.

Dancers are expected to dance by the river until 10pm, with light shows projected on nearby luxury buildings Magnolia Waterfront Residences and The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

Indoors

Magic and Ballet

European magicians, Russian ballerinas and Canadian acrobatics?

Watch a show involving four nationalities: Spanish magician Charlie Mag, known for using live doves, will perform with Vinz, a French magician. St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater troupe will pirouette, and audiences will have a rare chance to see Erika Lemay, Canadian dancer and acrobat, perform “Physical Poetry.”

The shows are 30 minutes long and are at 2:30pm and 6:15pm on Saturday at the G floor Iconluxe Hall.

Stilt Walkers

Australian-based stilt-walking group Empress Stilt Dance will perform a high-flying show depicting lush butterflies and flowers. The 30-minute shows are at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm on Saturday and at 4pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pm on Sunday at G floor, Iconluxe Hall.

‘Sawasdee Withee Thai’

See a modern Thai dance show that conveys the flowing movements of water. Dancers will dance among a floral art installation by renowned Thai floral designer Sakul Intakul. Parts of the arrangements include flowers up to a diameter of 9 meters and height of 1.2 meters.

Shows are at 2:15pm, 6:15pm, 7:15pm and 9:45pm on both Saturday and Sunday and will last 10 minutes each on the G floor, Iconluxe Hall.

Welcoming Garland Show

Flower garlands are given by Thais as welcoming gifts to visitors. Naturally, Iconsiam will have a 17-meter high stage, with people dressed as roses, jasmine and white champaca flowers dancing in the air among a giant flower garland. Their choreography will pay tribute to the Thai art of garland weaving.

The show will be supplemented by Chinese acrobats and ballads from Ekkarong band by Jiraphan Angsawanon and singer Saowanit “Kob” Nawapan.

The Saturday and Sunday shows are at 3:15pm and 6:15pm on the M floor’s Charoenakorn Hall.

Art installations

Various art installations will be in the mall for longer than a weekend.

“Concentration,” a modern art installation of Thai silk fabrics by Thai designers will be on display in Rassada Hall on the first floor until Dec. 31.

A display of 700 LED sticks and balls will change lights in response to movement and music in the interactive “Phenomenal Designs for the Eyes and Mind” on the mall’s third floor until Nov. 27.

A ceramic exhibition celebrating Thai handicrafts named “Siam Tum Mue” by ceramic artist Vipoo Srivilasa will be on display on the Iconcrafts area on the fourth floor until Jan 20.

How to get there

There are several ways to get to the new mall.

From BTS Saphan Taksin exit No. 2, find shuttle boats with Iconsiam signs at Sathorn Pier. Or, ride a shuttle bus from BTS Krung Thon Buri exit No. 4. Public buses number 4, 6, 84, 88, 89, 111, 149, 167, and 177 will also pass the mall.

ถ้าไม่รู้มองผ่านๆเหมือนแม่งเป็นห้างของแอปเปิลไม่ใช่ห้างไอคอนสยามอ่า#AppleIconSiam pic.twitter.com/wd3JFNfNpG

— แบงค์ยี่สิบเอ็ด (@bankpiwat) October 31, 2018

Japan’s Takashimaya to Open With Iconsiam

Riverside Megamall ‘Iconsiam’ Gets November Launch Date

Invoking Section 44, Soldiers Seize Thaksin-Yingluck Calendars

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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7 November 2018, 11:43

Soldiers and police seize calendars bearing pictures of former leaders Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatras in Ubon Ratchathani.

BANGKOK — Using emergency powers granted by the junta, soldiers and police confiscated piles of calendars Tuesday from a home in the northeast.

The 2019 calendars, which bear the images of former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra, were seized in Ubon Ratchathani province as potential evidence in an investigation to see whether they break any laws, police said. The raid took place just as a police commander said he had ordered the force to monitor distribution of the calendars.

Sarawut Chanthadee, resident of the home raided by the security forces, said soldiers told him that their policing powers under Article 44 of the junta-sponsored constitution had been invoked to search his residence without a warrant.

Article 44 of the previous charter, enshrined in the current constitution, gives junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha sweeping extralegal powers.

Sarawut said the raid frightened his 2-year-old son.

“When my son saw so many officers, he was upset and couldn’t stop crying,” Sarawut told reporters. “I was upset, too.”

Police said they found 10 crates of calendars. They were taken to the Warin Chamlap Police Station for further examination.

Sarawut claimed he doesn’t know who sent him the calendars. Police are expected to question him later today.

In Bangkok, two student activists protested the latest crackdown on imagery related to the Shinawatra siblings, who retain strong influence in politics, especially the Redshirt movement.

Standing in front of the Ministry of Defense building, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and his friend Tanawat Wongchai offered to give the army commanders one of the calendars so they wouldn’t have to raid civilian homes for it.

When no government official came out to meet them, the pair left the calendar on the sidewalk.

เห็นทางกองทัพส่งทหารไปตามขอปฏิทินทักษิณ-ยิ่งลักษณ์จากชาวบ้านในต่างจังหวัด…

โพสต์โดย Tanawat Wongchai เมื่อ วันจันทร์ที่ 5 พฤศจิกายน 2018

บกยดปฏทนทกษณ7 — Soldiers and police seize calendars bearing pictures of former leaders Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatras in Ubon Ratchathani.

UN Expert Warns of ‘Rushed Plans’ to Repatriate Rohingya

By

Associated Press

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7 November 2018, 10:48

A Rohingya man stretches his arms out for food distributed by local volunteers, with bags of puffed rice stuffed into his vest in 2017 at Kutupalong, Bangladesh. Photo: Bernat Armangue / Associated Press

GENEVA — An independent U.N. human rights expert is urging a halt to “rushed plans” to repatriate some Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

Special rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee said a lack of guarantees the refugees wouldn’t face new persecution if they returned home was concerning.

Lee cited “credible information” that some refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh fear their names turning up on a list of thousands of people who could be repatriated.

Hundreds of Rohingya in Bangladesh refugee camps could start going back to Myanmar next week under a deal the countries struck last year.

The U.N. insists the returns must be voluntary. Lee has repeatedly said conditions aren’t ripe for safe repatriation.

Critics say Myanmar’s military raped, murdered and tortured Rohingya and burned their villages, sending over 700,000 fleeing to Bangladesh since August 2017.

Muslim Concern About Vaccine Fuels Thai Measles Outbreak

By

Associated Press

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6 November 2018, 17:39

A health worker prepares a syringe with a vaccine against measles in August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Leo Correa / Associated Press

BANGKOK — Health authorities are racing to contain a measles outbreak in the country’s southern provinces, where 14 deaths and more than 1,500 cases have been reported since September.

Officials blame the comeback of the disease on low vaccination rates in the south caused by misconceptions among the Muslim population about the nature of the vaccine.

Islam prohibits the consumption of pork, and vaccine makers sometimes use gelatin derived from pork products as a stabilizing agent. However, health official Vicharn Pawan said Thailand imports measles vaccine products that do not contain porcine gelatin.

The recent cases in Buddhist-dominated Thailand’s Muslim-majority southern provinces represent half the total for the whole country since the beginning of the year.

Measles cases nationwide have increased in recent years, the Health Ministry said. Last year, nearly 3,000 cases – with no deaths – were reported, compared to just over 1,000 in 2012. According to the U.N.’s World Health Organization, this year Japan and Brazil have also reported measles outbreaks, while Europe experienced a surge in 2017 with more than 20,000 cases and 35 deaths.

“Increasingly, there is a lot of misunderstanding about vaccinations that spread around Muslim communities here. Some said it is against their religion to receive vaccine shots, while others think it’s not safe,” said Anchanee Heemmina, a rights activist who lives in an affected area in the south.

The Indonesian Ulema Council, the religious body governing the world’s largest Muslim population, had to deal with the same problem earlier this year when some local Muslim groups declared their opposition to the vaccine. It ruled that Muslims were allowed to use such vaccines out of necessity until other options were available. Its statement came after a measles outbreak in Indonesia’s eastern province of Papua was believed responsible for the deaths of as many as 100 children.

The Indonesian controversy may be responsible for the concerns among Muslims in Thailand and other countries.

According to the Health Ministry’s Prevention and Control office, the misunderstandings about vaccinations have resulted in some areas in which only 60 percent of the population receives immunizations.

For highly contagious diseases such as measles, the World Health Organization says at least 95 percent of the population must be vaccinated for a community to be considered immune to the spread of the disease.

Health authorities have posted messages from local religious leaders on their websites urging people to accept vaccinations.

One video message from the Central Islamic Council of Thailand explains that even if vaccines contain religiously prohibited items, the medical benefit to a person and the community would take precedence.

Health workers meanwhile are visiting schools and homes in areas with measles outbreaks to target children under age 5 for free vaccinations, offering them also to others who are judged vulnerable. They are also trying to spread the word that Islamic religious bodies have given their approval for the use of such vaccines, said Vicharn Pawan, director of the Health Ministry’s Bureau of Risk Communication and Health Behavior.

Resistance has not been overcome. Twenty families from three villages in Yala province refused vaccinations, with 10 of the families signing formal letters stating their intention to not receive any immunizations in the future, public broadcaster ThaiPBS reported Monday.

Yala’s public health office said in a statement that its medical teams will continue to work in the communities to address their concerns.

“We are still facing tough tasks,” said Vicharn. “But health workers will continue to reach out to communities. Even if they refuse vaccinations this time around, we will have to keep up the visits and continue to deliver the message that vaccines are good for their health and their community.”

Story: Tassanee Vejpongsa

Asian Shares Mostly Higher Ahead of US Midterms Vote

By

Associated Press

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6 November 2018, 14:30

A woman walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in July in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Koji Sasahara / Associated Press

BANGKOK — Share prices were mostly higher Tuesday in Asia as investors awaited the outcome of the U.S. midterm elections.

Keeping Score

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.1 percent to 22,147.75 and the Kospi in South Korea added 0.6 percent to 2,089.62. The Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.2 percent to 2,660.33 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng bounced back, gaining 0.7 percent to 26,109.35. Australia’s S&P ASX 200 advanced 1.0 percent to 5,875.20. Shares fell in Taiwan but rose in Jakarta and Thailand. Markets were closed in Singapore for a public holiday.

Election Watch

Financial markets have been on a roller-coaster ride and the election Tuesday could roil things further. U.S. midterms, votes on lawmakers and other officials that fall between presidential elections, are often marked by low voter turnout. But political watchers are expecting voter angst over which party will control the U.S. House and Senate to drive more Americans to cast votes. Asia will be watching to see how the vote might influence U.S. trade, economic and security policies.

Analyst Viewpoint

“U.S. midterms may not spring any shocks in terms of who wins control of what but investors are understandably taking a cautious approach ahead of the results, given how markets have been over the last month,” Craig Erlam of OANDA said in a commentary.

Wall Street

U.S. stocks mostly rose Monday as financial and health care companies finished higher, while Apple and other technology companies fell further. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which owns GEICO and other insurance businesses, led the rally in financial stocks after it reported strong results over the weekend. The S&P 500 index added 0.6 percent to 2,738.31. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8 percent to 25,461.70, but the Nasdaq composite sank 0.4 percent, to 7,328.85. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks slipped 0.47 point to 1,547.51.

China-US Trade

Keeping hopes alight for a resolution of a punishing trade war between the two biggest economies, a Chinese vice president, Wang Qishan, said at a conference in Singapore that Beijing is ready to discuss issues with the Trump administration. That followed positive assessments by both Chinese officials and President Donald Trump of a phone conversation last week between Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping.

Energy

Benchmark U.S. crude slipped 20 cents to USD$62.90 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost 4 cents to $63.10 a barrel on Monday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, dropped 41 cents to $72.76 per barrel.

Currencies

The dollar rose to 113.45 yen from 113.20 yen. The euro climbed to $1.1412 from $1.1408.

Story: Elaine Kurtenbach

Red Cross Fair Moves Downtown to Lumphini Park

By

Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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6 November 2018, 13:58

Photo: The Thai Red Cross Society / Facebook

BANGKOK — For the first time, the annual Thai Red Cross Fair will come to the inner-city sanctuary of Lumphini Park.

After losing its long-time venue last year, the fair this year will be held for nine days at locations throughout the central park’s 300,000sqm area.

The fair will be divided into seven zones with booths, exhibitions and activities that range from raffles and workshops to a beauty pageant.

The event will run 10:30am to 10pm, Nov. 23 to Dec. 1. Admission is free.

217593 201184006581937 2998256 n — Photo: The Thai Red Cross Society / Facebook

Earlier this year, the Red Cross Fair – which used to take place at Suan Amphon – had to move after its permission to use Suan Amphon, a century-old exhibition hall adjacent to the Royal Plaza, was revoked this past March.

The annual fair was first held in 1922 at Sanam Luang before moving to Saranrom Palace in 1928 and then the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute (Snake Farm) in 1938.

From 1957 to 2016, it took place at Suan Amphon. It was canceled in March 2017 following the death of the King Bhumibol.

Myanmar’s Ruling Party Wins 7 of 13 by-Election Seats

By

Associated Press

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6 November 2018, 13:30

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi delivers an opening speech during the Forum on Myanmar Democratic Transition in 2017 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Photo: Aung Shine Oo / Associated Press

YANGON — Myanmar’s ruling party led by Aung San Suu Kyi won just over half the seats in by-elections to fill 13 of the 1,171 seats in national, regional and state parliaments, according to complete preliminary results.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy took seven of the 13 seats made vacant by death or resignation. Initial results for 12 races showed it had won six seats, and the delayed result for the 13th race, for a lower house constitutency in western Chin State, gave it its seventh victory.

The results for Saturday’s polls showed the NLD generally retaining support in the country’s heartland, but yielding seats to parties representing ethnic minorities in the areas where they live, mostly in border regions.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the 2015 general election, when there was wide-ranging popular support to end decades of military rule. But minority groups have been disappointed that the government of NLD leader Suu Kyi has failed to meet their demands for greater autonomy and a halt to aggressive army activities in their territories.

While the results of the small number of races have a negligible effect on the political balance of power, the contests were being watched for trends ahead of the next general election in 2020.

The return of voters to ethnic minority parties representing their interests had already been seen in another set of by-elections last year. What this year’s polls seemed to underline was the danger to the NLD of a weak voter turnout, which was probably behind the upset defeat of an NLD candidate for a Yangon regional parliament seat.

That contest was won by a representative of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, the country’s main political grouping after the NLD. The military-backed USDP won three seats in Saturday’s polls.

Suu Kyi’s appeal with the country’s Buddhist majority has not suffered much from a crisis involving 700,000 members of the Muslim Rohingya minority who fled a brutal army counterinsurgency campaign in the country’s west. However, economic development has been lagging and is a source of disappointment among her supporters.

Police to Get to Bottom of Yingluck-Thaksin Calendars

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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6 November 2018, 12:30

BANGKOK — A deputy police commissioner said he’s ordered police to investigate whether anyone violated the law by handing out calendars bearing images of former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra.

Srivara Ransibrahmanakul told reporters the calendars had been distributed in Bangkok at Thammasat University, the Constitutional Court and the northeastern provinces of Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani. His comments came a day after soldiers visited the home of a woman who had distributed the calendars.

While Gen. Srivara said it appeared that no crime has taken place so far, police will continue to monitor the situation.

On Monday, soldiers paid a visit to the home of Wassana Kenhla and asked her to delete photos of the calendars from social media, an activist said. Media reports said she lives in Udon Thani.

“As far as I know, they did not take any legal action against her,” said Anon Chawalawan, a civil rights campaigner who has talked to Wassana. “They asked her to delete the photos, but she insisted she would not.”

Wassana posted photos of the encounter online yesterday. She wrote that she did nothing wrong.

“They came to visit me since morning. They asked me about the calendars, where I got them from and from who,” Wassana wrote. “So I asked them back, what’s wrong about it? They are for telling dates and months.”

45494961 2248058385424028 1973120366763048960 n — Image: Wassana Kenhla / Facebook

Neither Wassana nor the junta’s spokesman could be reached for comment as of publication time.

Anon, who works for legal watchdog group iLaw, said Wassana told him she recently visited Bangkok and met a friend who showed her the calendars showing the Shinawatras, both fugitive former prime ministers and political nemeses of the military government.

Wassana told Anon she brought “20 to 30” of them home. She also handed out some to friends.

Wassana maintained she doesn’t show who made the calendars, Anon said in an interview.

The incident follows similar crackdowns on public displays of allegiance to the two former leaders, who remain immensely popular among the Redshirts. Late last month, police had to walk back a threat from Srivara to prosecute anyone who shared a rap video criticizing the military government.

The junta banned distribution of similar calendars back in 2016. Soldiers also seized traditional Thai New Year water bowls from Thaksin supporters in the same year because they were inscribed with New Year greetings signed by Thaksin.

The regime said at the time that the bowls “incited division” in the country.

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