Soldiers To Monitor Buddhist Temple's iPhone Charity Draw

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8 January 2015, 16:04

PITSANULOK — Soldiers have been dispatched to maintain order at a temple in Pitsanulok province where monks have promised to give away five free iPhones to temple-goers tomorrow.

The giveaway is a part of a tradition that typically involves monks throwing coins at crowds of temple-goers following major religious ceremonies.

Yet while most temples distribute coins and other humble gifts, Wat Ratchaburana in Mueang district will be giving away banknotes worth 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 baht, its abbot says.

The temple will also give away five free iPhone 6 Plus devices, said the abbot, Phra Kru Sitthitham Wipat.

He explained that the winning raffle tickets for the iPhones will be mixed in with the cash prizes and thrown indiscriminately into the crowds.

"We will throw the money in four different spots throughout the temple, to prevent the crowd from becoming too dense," Phra Kru Sitthitham said. "We have already requested police, soldiers, and rescue workers to assist us in the event, to deter any criminals that may blend in with the crowd."

The giveaway is scheduled to take place after a ceremony marking the construction of a new Buddha statue at the temple on 9 January.

The iPhones were donated to Wat Ratchaburana Temple by some "Thais who are living in Germany," said Weerayuth Potassa, a staff at the temple.

Over 100 police officers and soldiers will be deployed to oversee security at the temple during the iPhone draw tomorrow, said Pol.Col. Damrong Muen-artyim, an officer at Mueang Pitsanulok Police Station.

"We are afraid that a fight may break out between the people when they struggle to collect the money," Pol.Col. Damrong said. "There may also be criminals who intend to commit crimes during the ceremony."

A group of soldiers from a local military base were already stationed at the temple by today's afternoon.

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Thai Junta Gives Green Light to Bill on Mass Surveillance

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8 January 2015, 15:17

(Prachatai English)

BANGKOK – The Thai junta has approved a proposed bill which will allow the authorities to conduct mass surveillance on every means of communication in the name of “national security”.

According to Thai Netizen Network, the cabinet on Tuesday gave the green light to the proposed Cyber Security bill to establish a National Committee for Cyber Security, under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), whose former title was the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT).

The Cyber Security Bill was one of eight proposed bills on telecommunications which are aimed at restructuring and tightening control of telecommunications in Thailand.

Thai Junta Gives Green Light to Bill on Mass Surveillance

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8 January 2015, 15:17

(Prachatai English)

BANGKOK – The Thai junta has approved a proposed bill which will allow the authorities to conduct mass surveillance on every means of communication in the name of “national security”.

According to Thai Netizen Network, the cabinet on Tuesday gave the green light to the proposed Cyber Security bill to establish a National Committee for Cyber Security, under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), whose former title was the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT).

The Cyber Security Bill was one of eight proposed bills on telecommunications which are aimed at restructuring and tightening control of telecommunications in Thailand.

Indonesian Search Teams Look to Lift AirAsia Plane Tail

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8 January 2015, 14:14

An undated handout picture released by the Indonesian Search And Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on 07 January 2014 shows a part of the crashed AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 off Pangkalan Bun, Central Borneo, Indonesia. Searchers have found the tail of the AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea with 162 people on board 10 days ago. EPA/BASARNAS

By Pathoni Ahmad

JAKARTA (DPA) – Search teams were Thursday trying to retrieve the flight recorders from the tail section of the AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea in late December, officials said.

Search teams confirmed they had found the tail on Wednesday after divers took pictures of it 30 metres underwater.

The discovery raises hopes for investigators to recover the aircraft's cockpit voice and flight data recorders, known as the black boxes, which are located in the aircraft's tail section.

Three teams of divers had been sent to the location to measure the tail to determine whether it was possible to lift it with the black boxes still attached.

"I'm leading the operation to lift the aircraft's tail," Indonesian armed forces chief General Moeldoko said.

But poor visibility prevented divers from determining whether the black boxes were still attached to the tail, said Bambang Sulistyo, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

"We are waiting for the currents to subside and send the divers again."

He said the black boxes, which record the chain of events leading up to an accident, required special handling and that the approval of crash investigators was needed before lifting the tail.

"If they allow it, we will use a crane to lift it," he said.

AirAsia flight QZ8501 crashed into the Java Sea with 162 people on board on December 28.

The cause of the crash is still unknown, but one of the pilots requested permission to climb to higher altitude to try to avoid bad weather minutes before the plane disappeared from the radar.

So far, only 40 bodies have been retrieved and no survivors have been found.

International search teams are also trying to find the plane's fuselage, which is thought to contain many of the victims' bodies.

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Prayuth Preparing 'Surprise' For National Children's Day

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8 January 2015, 14:14

Thai junta chairman and Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha receives a portrait of himself drawn by schoolchildren in honor of Thailand's National Children's Day, 7 Jan 2015.<br /> — Thai junta chairman and Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha receives a portrait of himself drawn by schoolchildren in honor of Thailand's National Children's Day, 7 Jan 2015.

BANGKOK — Junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has a special "surprise" planned for Thai children on Saturday, his spokesperson said.

Yongyuth Maiyalap, spokesperson of the Office of Prime Minister, said the Government House will host several exhibitions and events to celebrate National Children’s Day, which falls on the second Saturday of each year.

"The Prime Minister will have a surprise," Yongyuth said. "You have to wait for that day to see what it is."

On National Children's Day, the Government House traditionally open its doors to children and allows them to take turns sitting at the Prime Minister’s desk.

According to Yongyuth, this year's celebration will also feature cultural performances, photo-ops with the Prime Minister's podium, and a motorized parade by the Prime Minister's bodyguard corps.

Gen. Prayuth will personally open the ceremony at 8.30 am and watch the cultural show at 10.30 am, Yongyuth said.

"Then the Prime Minister will give a speech to the children. It will be broadcast live on Channel 11," the spokesperson said.

As per tradition for Prime Ministers, Gen. Prayuth designated the "lesson" of this year's holiday in an announcement last month: "Knowledge and morality will lead us to the future."

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

Officials at Royal Thai Army informed the media on 5 January that the army would be moving tanks, APCs, and helicopters from various military bases into Bangkok for the occasion. The army also advised the public not to panic when they see the military vehicles.

Last year, the army issued a similar statement assuring the public that its convoy of tanks for National Children's Day should not be interpreted as a sign of an imminent military coup.

"The public should not mistake such maneuver as a military coup," the deputy spokesperson of the Royal Thai Army said on 6 January 2014.

Five months later, Gen. Prayuth, who was serving as an army chief at the time, led a coup on 22 May and toppled the elected government. He later appointed himself as chairman of the ruling military junta and was selected as Prime Minister by a legislature whose members he handpicked.

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France Mourns Magazine "Heroes" as Police Pursue Attackers

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8 January 2015, 12:46

Participants in a candlelight vigil gather silently in the thousands at Paris' Place de la Republique hours after an attack by masked gunmen on the offices of the newspaper Charlie Hebdo, leaving at least 12 dead. President Francois Hollande has called for a day of mourning as the manhunt for the perpetrators continues. EPA/IAN LANGSDON

PARIS (DPA) — France began a day of national mourning Thursday, as police hunted suspected Islamist attackers who left 12 people dead at the Paris offices of a satirical magazine.

The youngest of three suspects in the assault turned himself in to police in the town of Charleville-Mezieres, some 70 kilometres north-east of Reims, one of the areas where police were carrying out their search.

He was in custody, but had not been charged, French news agency AFP reported sources as saying.

Eight journalists, including the editor of magazine Charlie Hebdo and several well-known cartoonists, were among the dead.

Two masked gunmen with automatic rifles stormed the offices of magazine in central Paris at midday Wednesday. The attackers cried "Allah is great" and "We have avenged the prophet," witnesses said.

Two other suspects, brothers named as Cherif and Said Kouachi, aged 32 and 34 respectively, were still on the run.

They are likely "armed and dangerous," police said as they published the men's photographs in an appeal for witnesses.

Cherif was convicted in 2008 for helping to send recruits to fight for al-Qaeda in Iraq and sentenced to three years in prison.

The identity cards of the brothers – both French nationals born in Paris – were found by police in their abandoned car, French magazine Le Point reported.

Charlie Hebdo is known for its unwavering stance on freedom of expression, has printed cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in the past, and was firebombed after publishing similar material in 2011.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in cities across France overnight to remember those killed.

The victims at the magazine died for "freedom," French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday, describing them as "our heroes" and declaring a day of national mourning.

There would be a "moment of contemplation" at midday (1100 GMT), and a ceremony at the National Assembly, an official statement said.

Flags would fly at half-mast for three days.

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Pattaya Robbers Crash Tourists' Romantic Evening

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8 January 2015, 12:11

A volunteer police points at the crime scene where group of robbers reportedly attacked two Russian tourists who were enjoying a romantic bottle of wine on a helipad in Pattaya, 8 Jan 2015.

CHONBURI — A group of robbers reportedly attacked two Russian tourists who were enjoying a romantic bottle of wine on a helipad in Pattaya early this morning.

Police received a report about the incident at around 01.00 am.

The tourists told police they brought a table, bottle of wine, and bouquet to a helipad on Khao Phra Tamnak hill so that they could drink the wine in a romantic setting.

According to the victims, an unspecified number of people assaulted them while they were drinking wine and stole their money and mobile phones.

Police say the attackers hit one of the Russians in the head with the wine bottle, badly injuring the tourist.

A volunteer police officer said he and his team encountered the couple prior to the attack and warned them about potential dangers.

"I told them they could be in danger, because the area looked unsafe," the officer told reporters, "But the two told us that they wouldn't be there for long, so my team went to patrol somewhere else."

Police say they are studying CCTV footage to identify and locate the thieves.

Crimes against foreigners are common in Pattaya, a resort town east of Bangkok known for its red light district.

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BKK Authorities Undeterred By 'Curse' of Ratchapisek Road

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7 January 2015, 20:45

Many believers have crossed the road to plant offerings by a Bo tree in the center.

BANGKOK — Officials at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) say they will go ahead with plans to remove offerings to "ghosts" on Ratchapisek Road, despite locals' claims that the offerings are needed to ward off a supernatural curse.

Supit Kraimak, director of Chatuchak District Office's Department of Public Cleanliness, said the BMA will remove the hundreds of zebra dolls and bottles of red-colored soda blocking pedestrian pathways on the flyover bridge above Ratchadapisek Road. Some bottles of soda have also spilled onto the road below, he said.

The zebra dolls and soda bottles were placed there by local residents who believe the offerings will appease malevolent spirits that are said to inhabit the area. According to local belief, the spirits are responsible for the many accidents on Ratchadapisek Road.

The sacred site also extends to a large Bo tree in the middle of the road. Many believers have crossed the road and risked being hit by oncoming cars to plant their offerings by the tree.

"We will use a large truck to transport all these items to dump in a [landfill] because we don't know what else we can do with them," Supit was quoted as saying by Thai Rath newspaper. "I don't want to disrespect any belief, and I am not afraid of any curse. I just have to perform my duty."

But Supit admitted that many of the district office’s cleaning staff are reluctant to participate in the operation because they are afraid of the curse.

"They want us to summon necromancers or mediums to organize a ceremony to appease the spirits. I am consulting with my supervisors about that," Supit said.

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Canadian Lawyer's Contract With Thaksin Terminated

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7 January 2015, 19:17

Robert Amsterdam discussing human rights abuses committed during the 2010 crackdown with Sunai Chulpongsatorn, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Thai Parliament, 17 October 2011.<br /> — Robert Amsterdam discussing human rights abuses committed during the 2010 crackdown with Sunai Chulpongsatorn, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Thai Parliament, 17 October 2011.

BANGKOK — The Canadian lawyer who was hired by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to represent the Redshirt movement says his engagement with the former leader has terminated.

A press release published on Robert Amsterdam’s website on 2 January 2014 states:

“Amsterdam & Partners LLP was first retained in April of 2010 by the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to defend the rights of the Red Shirt pro-democracy movement….However following a military coup last May which toppled the elected government, conditions for human rights have sharply deteriorated, and the engagement between Robert Amsterdam and former Prime Minister Thaksin has concluded.”

According to the statement, Amsterdam has launched a new campaign aimed at bringing criminal charges against “the coup leadership and those responsible for the 2010 Bangkok massacre.” The effort will be conducted on a pro bono basis, independent of any active political figures or parties in Thailand, the press release says.

“We are grateful to Khun Thaksin for the opportunity to become involved in these issues, and wish him the best in his endeavours," the statement says. "Our focus now will be to pursue alliances with civil society, NGOs, and other politically independent groups to continue advocating for the rights of citizens through all available avenues.”

Amsterdam and his international law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP were first retained by Thaksin to represent the umbrella organization of the Redshirts, the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), following the 2010 military crackdown on Redshirt protesters that left more than 90 people dead, mostly civilians.

Since 2010, Amsterdam has been pushing for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for allegedly committing a crime against humanity by authorizing the crackdown on Redshirt protesters. The ICC has yet to take up the case.

Noppadon Pattama, a legal adviser and spokesperson for Thaksin, confirmed today that Amsterdam is no longer working for the former leader.

"The contract has expired, and there is no renewal of the contract, because there is no particular work or agenda at the moment," Noppadon said. "Let me stress that there is no dispute between [Thaksin and Amsterdam]."

Although Thaksin was deposed in a military coup in September 2006 and has been living in exile since 2008 to avoid a corruption conviction, the former Prime Minister still retains significant influence as the de facto leader of the Redshirt movement.

While Redshirt supporters hail Thaksin as a champion of the poor, many rival Yellowshirt activists in Thailand consider the former leader a corrupt tyrant who posed a threat to the Thai monarchy.

In April 2014, Yellowshirt activist Thaworn Senniam filed a complaint with Thai police accusing Amsterdam of committing lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) during one of his Skype calls to a Redshirt rally that month.

In the Skype call, which was broadcast to demonstrators and translated into Thai by an assistant, Amsterdam urged Thai authorities to amend the lese majeste law, which criminalizes defaming the monarchy by up to 15 years in prison.

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2014 Tourist Arrivals in Thailand Drop By 6.6 Percent

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7 January 2015, 15:22

New Year's Eve in Pattaya, a popular destination for Russian tourists that had a week turnout this year due to the fall of the ruble.<br /> — New Year's Eve in Pattaya, a popular destination for Russian tourists that had a week turnout this year due to the fall of the ruble.

BANGKOK — The number of foreign tourists who visited Thailand in 2014 is down 6.6 percent from the previous year, a Thai government official confirmed.

"24.7 million tourists visited Thailand in the year 2014, which is a 6.6 percent decrease compared with 2013," said Kobkarn Wattanavarangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports. "They generated 1.13 trillion baht in revenue, 5.8 percent less than [the previous year]."

Kobkarn attributed the decline in tourist arrivals and revenues to the political crisis in Thailand during "the first half of 2014," in which parts of Bangkok were paralyzed by street protests that aimed to topple the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The protests, which occasionally turned violent, came to an end when the military staged a coup and declared nationwide martial law in May 2014. The military junta also imposed a 10 pm – 6 am curfew in Thailand for several weeks.

Tourism experts and economists also say that martial law, which remains in place today, has dissuaded many potential foreign tourists from visiting Thailand. More recently, the dramatic fall of the Russian ruble has further damaged tourism in popular destinations for Russian tourists such as Pattaya and Phuket.

According to Kobkarn, the government's goal of increasing "quality tourists," defined as high-spending and culturally sensitive visitors, also failed this year, with numbers showing no increase in the average income of foreign tourists in 2014 as compared to 2013.

"It's not much different to previous years," she said.

In an effort to revitalize growth in the tourism industry – a major source of revenue for the Kingdom – Thailand’s tourism authorities have launched a campaign called "2015: Discover Thainess" to promote Thai "values" and the uniqueness of Thai culture.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said the campaign will incorporate the "Twelve Values" that Thai junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha wants all Thais to practice.

"We have scheduled a host of events that are specially designed to showcase "Thainess," or the distinct character of the Thai people and our unique culture," Thawatchai said on the TAT website.

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