The Bizarre ‘Referendum’ Process

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9 July 2016, 14:43

Shouting, ‘Voting no is our right, it's not illegal!’ jailed activists were escorted to a military court Tuesday morning in Bangkok.

How much meat must a sausage contain in order for it to be labelled as a genuine meat sausage? How absurd can a referendum process get before it can no longer be called a genuine referendum?

In the case of sausages, according to an article on the BBC, a pork sausage in Britain must contain a minimum of 42 percent pork, however if it is labelled merely as a ‘meat’ sausage 32 percent meat content will suffice.

It’s much trickier when it comes to the upcoming junta-sponsored referendum on the charter draft in amazing Juntaland. Pravit Rojanaphruk

After all you cannot determine if a referendum is real or not by reducing various criteria into percentile stats like a sausage.

Developments over the past few months and weeks lead to a stronger case for labeling the referendum as ‘fake’ or a ‘sham.’

Consider the following:

Referendum Prisoners

What kind of referendum criminalizes, shackles and imprisons citizens for campaigning against the content of the charter draft?

The seven ‘referendum prisoners’ (plus 6 who got bailed earlier) detained for 12 days, experienced this firsthand recently.

The criminalization of any campaigning for or against the junta-sponsored charter draft makes no sense for a referendum that should be a process where people can deliberate and campaign freely about the content.

The public should be able to get as many opposing views and as much information as possible before making a decision in a plebiscite.

And this is taking place while the military regime exploits its dictatorial power to ensure that only positive information about the referendum airs on all TV and radio stations in the lead up to the referendum.

A Referendum without Observers

The second bizarre, if not outlandish aspect of the August 7 referendum is that Thais are unable to acquire accreditation to become election observers.

Groups like We Watch, a volunteer group with experience in observing past elections have been denied accreditation by the Election Commission because the referendum law, passed by the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly, does not contain any mention of election observers.

If the law doesn’t say it is illegal, then it should be legal, right?

The final hope lies with the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) which earlier announced plans to send in some twenty short-term observers. Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn confirmed that they’re welcome because they’re not Thai observers!

On Tuesday, with just a month left before the promised August 7 referendum, ANFREL executive director Ichal Supriadi, replied to my query about whether they have received a letter of accreditation from the Thai Election Commission already or not.

The veteran Indonesian election observer sent the following reply:

“Not yet, we will likely abort the international mission due to inadequate time to prepare.”

Instead, the junta who appointed all the charter drafters and all members of the rubber stamp parliament who approved the bizarre referendum law which criminalizes public campaigning on the charter draft gave us ‘peace centers’ in every province and district to ensure that their referendum law is strictly enforced.

Catch 22 Juntaland Style

After months of dodging questions from reporters on the same topic, Junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha recently committed himself to launching Round 3 of the junta-sponsored charter draft should the current second draft be rejected on August 7.

The first junta-sponsored draft was rejected by the National Reform Council late last year.

The public of course doesn’t know whether or not the third draft will potentially become even more anti-democratic. The risk and uncertainty is there. Also, tens of millions of Thais do not know how many draft charters would be rejected before Prayuth and his men call it quits.

Prayuth made clear that he won’t resign if the current draft is rejected on Aug. 7. Will he be saying the same thing, say 10 years from now when the 22nd or 23rd draft gets rejected in another ‘referendum’?

His deputy, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan has said the draft charter, if rejected, has nothing to do with the regime.

Perhaps Prawit forgot who handpicked the charter drafters, who approved the referendum law and who, two years ago, wrote a song asking for “just a little more time” after they staged the coup in May 2014.

Don’t ask for accountability from dictators. Dictators dictate. Dictators don’t resign. They just eventually get overthrown.

Seoul Says N. Korea Test-Fires Submarine-Launched Missile

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Associated Press

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9 July 2016, 11:41

South Korea's mock missiles are displayed at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 8, 2016. Photo: Lee Jin-man / Associated Press

SEOUL — South Korea said that North Korea on Saturday test-fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its eastern coast.

The missile was fired from a location near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, said an official from Seoul’s Defense Ministry, who didn’t want to be named, citing office rules. He couldn’t immediately confirm how far the missile traveled and where it landed.

North Korea’s acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development for rivals and neighbors because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. While security experts say it’s unlikely that North Korea possesses an operational submarine capable of firing missiles, they acknowledge that the North is making progress on such technology.

North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is believed to be advancing its efforts to miniaturize nuclear warheads mounted on missiles through nuclear and rocket tests.

North Korea last test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it as a success that strengthened its ability to attack enemies with “dagger of destruction.”

The North also test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Dec. 25, but that test was seen as failure, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North first claimed a successful submarine-launched missile test in May last year.

The latest launch came a day after U.S. and South Korean military officials said they were ready to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea to cope with North Korean threats.

Seoul and Washington launched formal talks on deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year. China, Russia and North Korea all say the THAAD deployment could help U.S. radars spot missiles in their countries.
Story: Kim Tong-Hyung

Pro Boxer Ruenroeng Qualifies for Rio Olympics Despite Loss

By

Associated Press

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9 July 2016, 11:18

Amnat Ruenroeng, at left, trades punches with China's double Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming during their IBF flyweight title belt boxing match March 7, 2015, in Macau. Photo: Kin Cheung / Associated Press

VARGAS, Venezuela — Professional boxers Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand and Hassan N’Dam of Cameroon have won spots at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics despite losing in the final qualifying tournament in Venezuela.

Ruenroeng and N’Dam both advanced far enough in the tournament to qualify for Rio even with losses in Friday’s bouts.

They are the only prominent boxers who took advantage of AIBA’s controversial decision to allow pros to compete for spots in Rio.

The 36-year-old Ruenroeng was stopped in the second round of his lightweight bout against Mexico’s Lindolfo Delgado. Ruenroeng also fought at the Beijing Games.

N’Dam lost a unanimous decision to Colombia’s Juan Carlos Carrillo, 24, who knocked out two previous opponents in Venezuela. The 32-year-old N’Dam competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Jenphop Apologizes to Families of 2 Grad Students He Killed

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Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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8 July 2016, 18:21

Jenphop Viraporn, in white, leaves the court building in Ayutthaya province on Thursday with his uncle Charoen Yodkaewlah.

AYUTTHAYA — For the first time, businessman Jenphop Viraporn met with families of the two graduate students he killed in a fiery car crash four months ago, and offered an apology in person.

Although the 37-year-old millionaire offered an apology in Thursday’s negotiation session, arranged by court officials, Jenphop did not yet agree to any financial compensation for the victims’ families.

Jenphop’s not-guilty pleas to most of the charges pressed against him remain unchanged.

“This first round of negotiations went well, because both sides understood that it was an accident,” Jenphop’s uncle Charoen Yodkaewlah told reporters after the meeting. “But we couldn’t reach an agreement, because it was the first time we met face-to-face.”

Charoen said Jenphop didn’t meet with families of the two victims – Krissana Thaworn and Thantapat Horsaengchai – earlier because he spent several weeks as a monk. His family has said Jenphop’s ordination was meant to make merit for the two victims of the crash

“If he came as a monk it wouldn’t be appropriate,” Charoen said.

Jenphop, whose wealthy family owns a luxury car business, did not speak to reporters at the court. He’s currently out on bail, having posted a 200,000 baht bond.

On March 13, Jenphop crashed his Mercedes-Benz into the back of Krissana’s car at a speed of 250 km per hour, killing the 32-year-old graduate student and his classmate, Thantapat, 34.

Jenphop has been charged with refusing to take a sobriety test, which under the law automatically leads to another offense, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He also faces charges of fatal reckless driving and obstruction of justice.

The suspect confessed to only one of those charges, fatal reckless driving, and contested all others. Vichian Chupthaisong, the lawyer for the victims’ families, said the court cases will proceed despite Jenphop’s verbal apology.

“[They] want society to realize that his action led to loss and emotionally affected those who suffered the losses,” Vichian told reporters on Thursday. “So they want to set an example, so that people will be more responsible when using the road.”

Jenphop’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 15, Vichian said.

The March 13 accident drew widespread attention because police initially allowed Jenphop to waive a sobriety test, and did not charge him with any crime until four days had passed.

The delayed investigation led to accusations on social media that police were attempting to shield the millionaire from justice as in other high-profile cases involving the wealthy and well-connected.

Sax Duo Brings Fresh Australian Jazz to Thailand

By

Kaewta Ketbungkan, Staff Reporter

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8 July 2016, 17:33

BANGKOK — In May two Australians set off on a quest to conquer Southeast Asia. Their only weapons: Saxophones and a love for music.

Halfsound, a saxophone duo from Australia began their Southeast Asian tour in mid May. Saxophonists Ali Fyffe and Matt Hinchliffe are touring eight Southeast Asia nations in three months with the aim of solidifying their ties to the region and promoting Australian music.

Together for seven years as a duo, Halfsound have undertaken national and international tours before and picked up a number of awards. They are passionate about new, experimental Southeast Asian sounds. After completing their studies in France in 2014, the duo undertook a residency for eight months in Vietnam and three months in Thailand.

Halfsound performing in an undated picture. Photo: Chow Why / Facebook

The pair have warmed up for their Bangkok gig by playing in Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam amongst other places. They plan to play fresh saxophone pieces composed by ten young Australian artists in the Thai capital before ending their tour July 22 in Brunei.

Entrance to the concert is 100 baht and includes one beer.

The gig is on July 15, from 7pm till midnight at Cho Why, which is in Chinatown and can be reached on foot from MRT Hua Lamphong station, Exit No. 2.

Suspected Italian-Thai Workers Camp Arsonist Arrested

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Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter

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8 July 2016, 16:49

Fire strikes a workers camp in Bangkok’s Don Muang district Wednesday evening.

BANGKOK — A suspect was arrested Thursday evening in connection with the recent fire at a construction workers camp near Don Mueang Airport.

Suthep Pinngern, 60, was arrested yesterday in Kamphaeng Phet province where he was staying with relatives.

Admitting that he lived inside the room where the fire is believed to have originated from on Wednesday, Suthep, a construction worker for Italian-Thai Development PCL, denied committing arson by starting a fire which destroyed the accommodation of almost 1,000 of his colleagues.

“I left two fans, a TV and some extension leads plugged in before I walked out to buy booze,” he said at the Metropolitan Police Bureau in Bangkok Friday. “I don’t know how the fire started.”

Suthep said he fled from Bangkok because he was afraid, although he claims that he had nothing to do with starting the fire.

Sanit Mahathaworn, Interim Bangkok police chief, believes Suthep started the fire intentionally driven by stress caused by family problems.

“We issued the arrest warrant based on information from witnesses and evidence,” said Sanit. “But we can not give any more information at present.”

Inquiry Over Faulty Parachutes That Killed 2 Cops Going Nowhere: Lawyer

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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8 July 2016, 16:26

Photos of police cadets Chayakorn Puttachaiyong, left, and Nattawut Tirasuwansuk, right, taken from their Facebook profiles.

BANGKOK — Families of police cadets Nattawut Tirasuwansuk and Chayakorn Puttachaiyong watched in horror as the pair plunged to their deaths during a parachute training exercise that went horribly wrong two years ago.

An investigation later found that officials in charge had the parachute sling discreetly replaced with a cheap knockoff prior to the 2014 training exercise and pocketed the difference, yet the prosecutor still shows no sign of taking them to court, a delay described as “unfair” by the lawyer representing the families of the deceased cadets.

“The prosecutor’s still in the process of deciding whether to indict [the defendants],” lawyer Ananchai Chaiyadech said by telephone Friday. “There’s no limit to how long it’s going to take. And it’s been a long delay already. It’s been two years and three months, but the matter hasn’t reached the court yet.”

Corruption, Faulty Cable Blamed For Death of Police Parachutists

Somnuek Siangkong, spokesman of the Attorney-General, declined to comment and referred a reporter to the prosecutor in charge of the case, Kookiat Charoenboon. Kookiat is not available for comment on Friday; his aide said the prosecutor is attending a seminar outside Bangkok.

Eleven people were named as defendants by the prosecutor: seven are directors and staff of Thai Aviation Industries Ltd., the supplier that sold the faulty parachute sling to the police; three are officers in the Police Aviation Department; and one is an official of the state-owned Thai Airways who allegedly acted as a middleman between the two groups.

According to investigators, all 11 defendants were ordered to supply and fit a police training plane with a foreign-made 99,000 baht parachute cable. Instead, they allegedly installed a 9,300-baht sling made by a Thai company, which was not designed to fit the police aircraft, and embezzled the rest of the budget.

This resulted in a deadly accident on March 31, 2014, when eight police cadets jumped out of the plane during low-altitude parachuting training over Phetchaburi province, a session to which families of the cadets were invited to watch from the ground.

The faulty sling failed to snap open the cadets’ canopies, and while the six other trainees managed to open emergency parachutes and land unharmed, Nattawut, 19, and Chayakorn, 23 fell to their deaths.

Legal Purgatory

In a petition filed to the Office of Attorney-General on behalf of his clients on Thursday, Ananchai urged prosecutors to speed up the investigation because the victims’ families cannot hope to get any financial compensation until both court cases are finalized.

Parents of the two cadets said they planned to sue the defendants for a total of 99 million baht for the alleged corruption that killed Nattawut and Chayakorn, but under the law a civil case can only go ahead after the Supreme Criminal Court reaches its verdict.

“Just think about it, how many more years will the families have to wait?” Ananchai said on Friday. “Okay, let’s say, seven years before the criminal case is over. Then it goes to the Civil Court. Probably seven more years before the case is over. So it will take us 14-15 years. It’s a really long time.”

The delay in the case is partly due to bureaucracy. Because the defendants include four civil servants – three police officers and one official from the state-owned Thai Airways – the National Anti-Corruption Commission must rule first whether there is sufficient evidence of any wrongdoing.

The commission concluded there are enough grounds to prosecute the defendants, and the case was sent to the Attorney-General for indictment. But the 11 suspects effectively shut down the investigation by filing a petition asking for “fairness” from the prosecutors, saying they had been falsely implicated.

“The prosecutor has to deliberate over whether any of them were indeed unfairly accused, and which of them were not,” Ananchai said.

He said he feared it would be months or even years before the prosecutor decided to take up the case in court.

Phuket Priest Flick Pulled from Film Fest, to Show Underground

By

Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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8 July 2016, 15:01

BANGKOK — One of four films recently removed from an ongoing film festival will instead show at a Bangkok underground film club.

After being withdrawn from the annual “Thailand Film Destination Festival,” “Happy Hour in Paradise” will be screened Sunday at a private film club in Bangkok.

The film centers around Krister Hellstrom, a disgraced alcoholic Swedish priest who is tasked with building a new church in Phuket. Predictably the project falls behind schedule. Then, to further complicate things the Swedish prime minister announces plans to visit Phuket and attend the official opening of the church.

Read: Film Fest Promoting Thailand in Disarray After Censors Pull Entries

The film will screen 5pm on Sunday at the Friese-Greene Club on Sukhumvit Soi 22. Hakan Hammaren, the producer of the 2015 comedy, will be present for a Q&A session after the movie.

Admission is free. That’s the good news. The bad news: Seating is very limited. Moviegoers who wish to attend are encouraged to register their interest through the event page.

“Happy Hour in Paradise” is among four films that failed to screen at the ongoing Thailand International Destination Film Festival. The other films removed from the festival, which aims to promote Thailand as a shooting location, are “Twilight Over Burma,” “Pattaya,” and “Detective Chinatown.”

“Any movie which may cause a problem will not be screened at the festival,” Wannasiri Morakul, director of Tourism Department, told Matichon on Wednesday.

Frothy Cocktails in the Lab, DJs on the Slab at Phuket’s ‘Z1mplex’

By

Mongkorn Timkul, Correspondent

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8 July 2016, 13:44

A DJ presides over Phuket's Z1mplex in a June 7 photo. Photo: Z1mplex / Facebook

Oh, Phuket. Jacked-up prices, watered-down Thai food and sleazy nightlife. These are the things that come to mind. But if you’re heading down south and want something different from the already established tourist traps, then here’s a place to check out if you want that next level cocktail experience.

This week I want to introduce you to a mad scientist of sorts. Blending art and science into a cocktail glass is graphic designer and winner of the Cannes Lion winner Parist “Tom” Auttayatamavittaya and his girlfriend Chanida “Nan” Yantapanit. They opened Zimplex in 2011. They met working in Bangkok before Tom decided to head back to his hometown and try his luck freelancing in advertising and maybe make a name for himself as a DJ. Setting up shop in Phuket, the couple soon found out things would be much more difficult than in Bangkok.

“Phuket clubs are mainly into house music; I’m more into different underground sounds,” Tom said. “We couldn’t open another venue focused strictly on DJs and underground music, so I started experimenting with creating cocktails.”

Much experimenting later – Tom says 20,000 glasses worth – Zimplex is now the go-to place for locals in the know.

Located in Talat Yai the bar sits camouflaged in a row of shop houses. Finding it can be difficult but when you do, walking in feels like stepping into Blade Runner. The interior has a retro-future feel with wooden decor of a 19th century Apoteka albeit lit by neon. A wooden booth overlooks the bar with a luminous glowing cross. Like a pulpit for some New Age religion, the booth is where visiting DJs sermonize on special occasions.

Behind the bar Tom is in a lab coat, and like a mad scientist he mixes together liquids that bubble, foam and change colors while Nan takes on the role of a lab assistant. Once finished the elixir inside each glass is a world of Tom’s creation. I could see a galaxy in mine!

I asked where he learned how to make his cocktails.

“We started by telling ourselves that we’re not going to reference stuff from books or the internet. We’re just gonna learn on our own,” Tom explained. “I also wanted to challenge myself and use my talent to the fullest.”

Both Tom and Nan’s creativity has made them stand out and given their venue a cult-like status. Unlike some of Bangkok’s world-renowned joints, Zimplex can be a pain in the ass to find, so don’t go there without doing some google mapping first.

You’ll most likely need to rent a car or motorbike as well or prepare to fork out some serious cash for a taxi. If you’re in the area Saturday, I’ll be in the booth.

Until then, Dub be good to you.

Z1mplex is open daily 9pm to 1am. It’s located on the south side of Phangna Road about 200 meters west of Surin Road.

Court Orders Lese Majeste Facebookers to be Freed

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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8 July 2016, 13:03

Police on April 29 escort Harit Mahaton to the military court in Bangkok, where judges ordered he and another suspect, Nattatika Worathaiwit, to be remanded.

BANGKOK — After languishing in prison for over two months, two people accused of insulting the monarchy in their private Facebook messages secured their bail release on Friday.

Nattatika Worathaiwit and Harit Mahaton are set to be freed from the Central Women’s Correctional Institution and Bangkok Remand Prison, respectively, by Friday night, their lawyer said.

“We’ve got their bail release. They will be released this evening,” Winyat Chartmontree said by telephone, adding that their bond money was set at 500,000 baht each.

Clutching bedding for her imprisonment, Nattatika Worathaiwit is escorted by police on 29 April to the military court in Bangkok, where judges ordered her and another suspect, Harit Mahaton, to be remanded.

Nattatika, 43, and Harit, 26, have been in custody since April 27 when they were taken by the military in pre-dawn raids on their homes. They will stand trial in military court on charges of royal defamation, as well as facing sedition charges for running anti-junta Facebook pages.

The military tribunal has repeatedly rejected bail requests for the two defendants, and their lawyer Winyat said he had no idea why the court finally consented to their freedom Friday.

“I can’t guess why. But we have always insisted that the defendants won’t flee the country,” he said.

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