BANGKOK — Junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha addressed Thai children in a televised speech last night on the occasion of Thailand’s National Children's Day.

In the speech, which was broadcast on all state-owned TV and radio channels, Gen. Prayuth advised Thai children to strictly practice the "Twelve Values," and have a "correct understanding" of society. 

"If we only learn about freedom and democracy, without learning about duty, or if we only focus on materials and technology, we will not survive," Gen. Prayuth said. 

He also elaborated on the "lesson" for this year's Children's Day, which he penned last month: "Knowledge and morality will lead us to the future."

"We have to understand what knowledge is, how we can educate ourselves, either by personal education, formal education, leisure education, or out-of-school education," the junta chairman said. "Reading books, learning from experience, learning from facts, all these are knowledge."

He continued, "And what is morality? It is knowing what is good, and doing it. Don't do what is bad. Always act morally and think of other people. Be generous. As for 'leading us to the future,' if you are not moral people, and if you are not knowledgeable, you will be doomed. You won't have any certain future. You may be in jail, or lose your jobs, or become addicted to drugs."

"So think carefully on these lessons," Gen. Prayuth advised. "Knowledge and morality will lead us to the future. I don't want you to just memorize the motto and forget about it later, after you have gotten your prize or sung your karaoke."

Gen. Prayuth was referring to activities held at the Government House today, which include traditional art performances, a parade by the Prime Minister's bodyguard corps, karaoke booths, exhibitions about Thailand's neighboring countries, and a tour of the Prime Minister’s office.

Other state agencies will also hold activities to mark the holiday. The main highlight will be military parade and display of weaponry by the Thai armed forces.

The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd., which oversees flights in Thailand, announced yesterday that flights to and from Don Mueang International Airport in northern Bangkok will be delayed due to airshows involving jet fighters of the Royal Thai Air Force over the facility's airspace throughout 10 January. 

Some flights can be delayed up to 60 minutes, the agency warned. 

BANGKOK — Royalists in Thailand have called for boycotting a UN agency that reportedly helped a lese majeste suspect escape the country.

According to a report on the New Zealand Herald newspaper, Ekapop Luara, 23, was assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in his escape from Thailand to New Zealand last year.

Ekapop has been charged with lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) for a speech he made at a Redshirt rally in November 2013.  

Ekapop is believed to have fled Thailand shortly after the military staged a coup on 22 May 2014. He posted on his Facebook several weeks ago that he is now living in New Zealand, claiming to have been granted asylum by NZ authorities. His Facebook account has since been deactivated. 

After the report on the New Zealand Herald spread across social media, aided by a translation to Thai that appeared on the right-wing Thai newspaper Naew Na, a number of royalists in Thailand have started calling for a "boycott" of the UNHCR for allegedly helping the "anti-monarchy" suspect.

The campaign, which appears to be coordinated by several Facebook pages, has also urged all Thais to refrain from donating to the UN agency. 

King Bhumibol is widely revered as a demi-god in Thailand, and many of his supporters view any critical remark of the Thai Royal Family as an attempt to overthrow the monarchy.

Section 112 of Thailand's Criminal Codes, the law known as lese majeste, criminalizes defaming His Majesty the King with a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail. The law is often interpreted to stifle any discussion that touches on the Thai monarchy.

"The UNHCR has received so much help from His Majesty. They were allowed to work fully on Thai soil, which led to their Nobel Peace Prize in 1982," a blogger on OK Nation wrote. "But in 2014, the UNHCR betrays His Majesty and grants a refugee status to a suspect who violated Section 112."

Several Thai royalists claimed on their Facebook accounts that they have already ceased donating to the UNHCR.

One of the users, named Saijai, also wrote that the UNHCR staff asked her to reconsider her decision because donations to the agency are only used in providing assistance to refugees who have been affected by war, famine, and other plights.

However, Saijai said she stood firm and insisted to cease her donation.

On 6 January, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a diplomat from the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok to express its concern over reports that Ekapop is residing in New Zealand.

"Mr. Ekapop is using his status granted by the New Zealand government to engage in political matters that affect the national security of Thailand, at a time when Thailand is moving forward and seeking a national reconciliation," said Sek Wannamethee, spokesperson of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

The MFA also asked the New Zealand authorities not to allow anyone who violates Thai laws to use its country as a base for political activities, Sek told reporters.

The New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok has not responded to Khaosod English’s requests for comment.

Since staging a coup on 22 May 2014, junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has stepped up prosecution of lese majeste suspects. Gen. Prayuth, considered a hardline royalist, has also granted military courts – which do not permit appeals – jurisdiction over lese majeste cases.

Among those currently facing prosecution are two theatre activists accused by the military of insulting the Royal Family by staging a play about a fictional monarch in October 2013. The two activists have been held in prison since they were arrested last August, with the court repeatedly denying their requests for release on bail. 

The growing persecution has forced a number of activists and academics to flee Thailand and seek asylum in foreign countries. Apart from Ekapop, other notable exiles include transgender activist Saran Chuichai and historian Somsak Jeamteerasakul, who say they are living in France, as well as Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a political science scholar who lives in Japan. 

BANGKOK — Pheu Thai politicians have expressed their confidence in former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s defense of the corruption allegations filed against her by Thailand’s national anti-graft agency.

Yingluck, the sister of influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, appeared before the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) this morning to counter accusations that she failed to prevent corruption in her administration’s rice-pledging scheme, a policy that helped carry her and the Pheu Thai party into power in 2011.

Under the scheme, the government bought rice from farmers at above-market prices, which led to huge stockpiles when the state was unable to sell the paddies on the international market without incurring major losses. 

According to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the rice scheme cost the state more than 500 billion baht in damages due to corruption and mismanagement. 

The junta-appointed NLA has been tasked with deciding whether the NACC’s charge – that Yingluck failed to stop the rice program’s alleged graft – is grounds for impeachment. If found guilty, the former Prime Minister will face a five-year ban from politics.   

Critics say the case is a politically-motivated effort to curb the influence of the Shinawatra family, whose parties have won every national election since 2001. 

In her testimony this morning, Yingluck insisted that she was innocent of the charges, and that the rice-pledging scheme benefited the nation and Thai farmers in general. She also argued that the current constitution does not grant the NLA authority to impeach her.

"I was removed from my position as Prime Minister. I have no position left to be removed from," Yingluck told the lawmakers, who were appointed by the junta following the 22 May coup that ousted her government. 

Pichit Chuenban, former Pheu Thai MP and the head of Yingluck’s legal team, told Khaosod that he thinks Yingluck provided an excellent rebuttal to the NACC's allegation.

"I want to know how NACC will take responsibility in its groundless accusation against the former Prime Minister," Pichit said. "However, what concerns me now is the fact that people who are opposed to Yingluck will build pressure on the NLA."

The NLA hearing is set to resume on 16 January, and the legislative body will deliver its verdict within 30 days. Pitchit said his legal team will meet to discuss their strategy on 12 January.

Worachai Hema, another former Pheu Thai MP, said he gives Yingluck an "A" for her performance today. 

"However, Mr. Vicha Mahakhun, the committee member of the NACC, gets an F," Worachai said. "If you look at Yingluck's confident explanation, she countered Vicha with precise and accurate information, facts, and reasons. She managed to destroy all of Vicha's accusations."

Worachai also stressed that neither the Pheu Thai Party nor the umbrella organization of the Redshirts, the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), were responsible for a small rally in front of the Parliament building this morning. 

"There has been an allegation that the UDD organized those people. That is false," said Worachai. "The UDD has nothing to do with it. Don't accuse us falsely."

Political gatherings are currently banned under the junta, which has maintained nationwide martial law nearly eight months after the coup.

Yingluck is widely seen as a "proxy" for her brother Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. Thaksin fled Thailand shortly before a court convicted him of corruption in 2008 and has been living in exile ever since, but retains significant influence over his political dynasty. 

Yingluck led a pro-Thaksin government from 2011 to late 2013, when she dissolved Parliament to call a snap election in the face of mounting anti-government protests, which were sparked by her party's attempt to absolve Thaksin's corruption conviction. 

Yingluck was unseated shortly before the 22 May coup in a court ruling that found her guilty of abuse of power for transferring a national security chief in 2011. 

Several weeks later, the military staged a coup against what was left of her administration. The junta leader, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, was later chosen as Prime Minister by the NLA, a body whose members he handpicked. 

The NACC is also requesting the Attorney-General take up a case against Yingluck in Criminal Court. If found guilty, Yingluck could face up to 10 years in prison.

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