Dialogue To Reopen Chaeng Wattana Road Begins

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27 January 2014, 15:29

(27 January) The negotiation between governmental officials and anti-government leaders to re-open the Government Complex has begun.

Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) has previously vowed to reclaim Chaeng Wattana Road and reopen state agencies in the area which have been closed down by anti-government protesters for weeks.

Led by activist monk Luang Phu Buddha Issara, the group is allied to People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD), which threatens to occupy key roads and intersections across Bangkok until Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra resigns.

The negotiation took place in a military base, and was attended by Buddha Issara and governmental officials whose offices are currently closed down by the protesters. Members of the press were allowed to observe the dialogue.

Mr. Thongchai Chasawad, Director of the Department of Consular Affairs, began the dialogue by telling Buddha Issara that the shutdown of the Department′s headquarters has forced the officials to greatly decrease the number of passports issued for Thai citizens, from 6,500 booklets per day to 2,500 booklets per day,

Officials are also struggling with "tens of thousands" of backlog cases, Mr. Thongchai said, such as inspection of foreign individuals who wish to participate in businesses in Thailand.

Mr. Thongchai then assured the monk that the Department will not interfere with the protesters in any way once it is allowed to reopen its headquarters.

Later, Mr. Tawatchai Thaikiao, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, informed Buddha Issara that the Ministry has been likewise severely affected by the protests.

According to Mr. Tawatchai, the Ministry has been unable to carry out numerous tasks related to court orders, such as probation and other legal execution operations, since the shutdown began.

A representative from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also told the monk that officials cannot follow up on complaints of illegal deforestation or regulate emissions as long as the Ministry remains closed down.

Replying to the officials, Luang Phu Buddha Issara claimed that these problems would not escalate much as the protests would only last "less than 2 weeks from now".

"The world won′t be warmer in that period," the monk said, "The protesters neither released emission into the air, nor cut down any forest".

He insisted that the protesters are doing their best to keep Chaeng Wattana Road open for 24 hours, but admitted that due to "security concerns" the protesters have to regularly set up roadblocks.

As the negotiation reached this point, Luang Phu Buddha Issara suddenly noticed the presence of Lt. Sunisa Lertpakawat, a spokeswoman of CMPO, and asked her why she was included in the negotiation.

Lt. Sunisa replied that she was there to assist the press, but Buddha Issara demanded that she leave immediately, citing concerns that presence of representatives from any political agency would jeopardise the negotiation.

"It causes me to be suspicious," Luang Phu Buddha Issara explained.

The CMPO spokeswoman then bade farewell to the monk and immediately departed from the negotiation venue.

Officials described the dialogue as inconclusive at the moment, but Pol.Maj.Gen. Adul Naronssak, deputy commander of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police, said that he remains "hopeful" of the negotiation outcome.

"This negotiation was not conducted under the emergency decree," Pol.Maj.Gen. Adul said in a press conference, "It′s a dialogue by Thais people to start a discussion and jointly find a solution".

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Matichon Denies 'Hiding' Thaksin's Interview Text

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27 January 2014, 14:27

(27 January) Matichon Publishing has refuted the allegation that the company has withheld the publishing of interview records with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The allegation was put forth by Mr. Somkiat Onwimon, a senior media expert who recently joined the ranks of speakers at protests organised by the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

During a speech criticising former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra last night, Mr. Somkiat told the crowd that he intended to read to them his translation of a book called "Conversations With Thaksin", which was written by an American author, Tom Plate.

The book is described as a record of hours of interview the author conducted with the ousted leader of Thailand, which, according to Mr. Somkiat, contained "many issues that Mr. Thaksin has spoken that damage [or destroy] himself".

Mr. Somkiat then proceeded to allege that the book is not available in Thailand, because Matichon Publishing holds the publishing rights of the book yet refuses to translate and print the books for Thai audience, implying that Matichon has conspired with Mr. Thaksin to hide the damaging parts in the interviews.

However, a quick search on the internet would have informed Mr. Somkiat that Matichon has translated and published "Conversation With Thaksin", under the Thai name of ′Chab Kao Kui (Knee-Touching Talk) : Thaksin Shinawatra′, since 2012.

Matichon Publishing named Mr. Suranand Vejjajiva, who is currently serving as the Secretary-General to the Prime Minister Office, as the translator of the book.

Therefore, "Matichon Ltd and Matichon Publish would like to stress that [Mr. Somkiat′s] speech is completely false," the company said in a statement posted on its website.

The company also denied allegation that the book contained some of Mr. Thaksin′s remarks which could be deemed offensive to the monarchy.

Throughout the five sessions of conversation with Mr. Thaksin, each one lasting two hours, Mr. Thaksin has never defamed His Majesty the King in any way, the statement says, citing the author′s foreword in the book.

Matichon, the owner of Khaosod newspapers, has been regularly accused by anti-government critics of harbouring pro-Thaksin agendas.

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CMPO To 'Reclaim' Chaeng Wattana Road

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27 January 2014, 10:21

(27 January) Governmental officials have announced that they will persuade anti-government protesters to leave their rally site on Chaeng Wattana Road.

Supporters of People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) have been camping around the Government Complex since evening of 12 January as part of their "Bangkok Shutdown" campaign.

Their numbers have been visibly dwindling in recent days.

Officials said the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) will spearhead a negotiation with the protesters in order to "reclaim" the area, and re-open state agencies in Government Complex currently shut down by the protesters.

Those closed down agencies include the Ministry of Justice, the Division of Special Investigation (DSI), the Department of Consular Affairs, and a number of state telecommunication offices.

It is unclear whether PCAD core leaders will agree to engage in the negotiation.

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EC Chairman Denies Conspiring With Protesters

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26 January 2014, 20:44

Pro-election rally in Ubon Ratchathani province, 26 January 2014

(26 January) Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) has denied the allegation that the EC is conspiring with anti-government protesters to derail 2 February election.

The EC has come under a barrage of criticism after its officials seemingly gave up organising advance voting sessions in many polling stations today almost as soon as anti-government protesters showed up to disrupt the election.

But EC Chaiman Supachai Somcharoen explained that the officials had been instructed to quickly abandon the polling centres in order to avoid violent confrontation.

He cited the clashes around Thai-Japan Stadium in Din Daeng district last month as an example, in which anti-government protesters repeatedly attempted to enter the stadium to disrupt the election registration held there, only to be driven back by riot police. One policeman and one anti-government protesters were shot dead in the clashes.

"We have instructed all officials to avoid confrontation," Mr. Supachai, "If they cannot proceed, they can cease the voting".

Mr. Supachai also claimed that EC officials had no choice but to cancel the voting session in the face of anti-government protesters who besieged their polling stations.

Governmental officials have previously threatened to take legal action against the EC for abandoning their duties, but Mr. Supachai downplayed those threats, stating that he is used to receiving all kind of accusation.

"I believe the court will listen to our reasons, because we have facts to confirm them," Mr. Supachai announced.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the public should file legal complaints against anti-government protesters who barred them from exercising their constitutional rights to vote.

The EC Chairman also stressed that the election should be postponed so that the ongoing political crisis can improve, and confirmed that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has agreed to meet with EC officials on 28 January to discuss poll deferment.

The Constitutional Court has previously ruled that the EC and the government have a joint authority to postpone the 2 February election, but governmental officials said the poll would go ahead as planned.

Mr. Supachai said such confidence might be misplaced, expressing his worry that the 2 February election might not be "transparent or clean as required by the laws". He also worried that the doomed election might end up wasting 1 billion baht of public fund in arrangement costs for nothing.

"Even if it′s clear that the election will take place on 2 February, the Parliament won′t be able to be assembled nevertheless, because the MPs would be less than 95%" of the available seats as required by the laws, Mr. Supachai warned.

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Somchai: Today's Violence Justifies Poll Postponement

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26 January 2014, 19:53

Police officers escort a woman away from a group of anti-government protesters at a polling station in Bueng Kum district, 26 January 2014

(26 January) The 2 February general election should be postponed due to the violence which accompanies today's advance voting, an Election Commissioner insisted.

Mr. Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, who oversees the arrangement of elections nationwide, also said he has already halted seminars and training session for over 1 million election staff because it would be a "waste of budget" since the election might not be held on 2 February anyway.

The Election Commissioner has previously echoed the demands of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) that the 2 February election be scrapped.

Hundreds of PCAD supporters today marched to various election stations in Bangkok and other provinces to disrupt the advance voting sessions. Many of the election venues were subsequently closed down by EC officials almost as soon as the protesters showed up; out of Bangkok′s 50 polling stations, more than 40 have been shut down.

The PCAD′s campaign to disrupt the election also comes at a cost. A core leader of PCAD was shot dead and many protesters injured during a clash with pro-government counter protesters during their attempt to close down a polling station in Bangkok′s Bang Na district.

The deadly violence only supported EC′s stance that the election should be postponed, according to Election Commissioner Somchai.

"What happened today shows that an election on 2 February will bear similar problems," Mr. Somchai said, "We are concerned about possible chaos and violence, which might result in deaths and injuries, like the incident at Sri Eiam Temple in Bang Na".

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Robbed Of Voting Rights, Citizens Turn To Police

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26 January 2014, 16:22

Citizens filing complaints against PCAD and EC at a police station in Bangkok's Bang Kapi district, 26 January 2014

(26 January) Members of the public who had been barred from entering election venues by anti-government protesters are filing legal complaints in droves.

Supporters of People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) have blocked entrances to venues for advance voting in numerous districts of Bangkok and other provinces, as a part of their campaign to scrap the 2 February general election.

PCAD argues that Thailand needs "reforms" to eradicate the legacies of "Thaksin Regime" before any election can be held.

The Election Commission (EC) has subsequently cancelled the voting session in many constituencies as the result of the protesters′ campaign against the election.

Angered by PCAD and the EC, who has been accused of conspiring with anti-government protesters, many citizens in Bangkok have flooded local police stations to file legal complaints over the obstruction of their Constitutional rights to vote.

Attempts to disrupt an election is punishable by a maximum of 5 year jail sentence and a fine of 100,000 baht.

Minister of Interior Affairs, Mr. Jarupong Ruengsuwan, also urged citizens who were barred from participating in the advance session to take legal actions at their local police stations.

According to Mr. Jarupong, the Election Commission will be held responsible under the laws on charges of duty negligence if the officials refused to re-open the voting venue after anti-government protesters had left.

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Pathum Police Arrest RPG-Wielding 'Militant'

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26 January 2014, 16:05

(26 January) The police have suspected that a man who was arrested for trying to smuggle an RPG into Bangkok might be involved in the recent political violence.

Mr. Chinnarat Karnchanavichian was arrested at a police checkpoint in Pathum Thani province in the early hours of 25 January, after police uncovered a number of weapons and military hardware in his vehicle.

The search on his vehicle reportedly turned up 1 AK-47 rifle, 60 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1 RPG launcher with ammunition, 2 pocket knives, 1 cellphone, 2 safety helmets, 1 grenade, 22 caltrops, 1 flashlight, and a set of military camouflage uniform.

Mr. Chinnarat told police he had been hired by a military officer to deliver these weapons to another agent on Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok Road in exchange with 5,000 baht reward.

The suspect claimed he did not know the name of the officer who reportedly hired him, or the identity of the agent who was supposed to receive the weapons from him.

Despite many hours police interrogators spent with Mr. Chinnarat, the suspect refused to reveal any additional details, said Pol.Maj.Gen. Methee Kusolsang.

The police have charged Mr. Chinnarat with unauthorised possession of firearms and ammunition.

However, a high-ranking police officer said the police have received reports that Mr. Chinnarat might be one of the armed militants involved in the spree of violence in Bangkok in recent weeks, such as the grenade attacks and shootings on anti-government protesters.

According to the source, Mr. Chinnarat has been assigned to deliver the weapons to other militants, who would use them to cause new violence in the areas of Chaeng Wattana Road and Ladprao district.

Investigation is ongoing.

Correction: Due to an editorial error, this article was originally accompanied by a photo of weapons allegedly found near Banthat Thong Road following a deadly grenade attack on anti-government protesters on 17 January 2014. The mistake has now been fixed.

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PCAD Leader Killed During Election Blockade Rally

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26 January 2014, 15:16

(26 January) A core leader of anti-government protests has been reportedly shot dead as he led the protesters to disrupt an election venue in Bangkok's Bang Na district.

Over 300 supporters of People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) were led by Mr. Suthin Tharatin to Sri Eiam Temple in Bang Na to force the shutdown of an advance voting session held there.

However, the protesters encountered a group of Redshirts who were rallying to defend the election venue, and violent clashes ensued. Gunshots and loud explosion were heard. Mr. Suthin was later shot in his head as he was standing on a loudspeaker truck, witnesses.

At least eight people were also injured in the incident. The body of Mr. Suthin and the wounded have been transported to local hospitals.

Media reports identified Mr. Suthin as a prominent activist of PCAD, and a former executive of the New Politics Party, a political arms of the Yellowshirts′ official organisation: the People′s Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

Meanwhile, other smaller clashes and fistfights between anti-election protesters and their opponents were also reported elsewhere in Bangkok.

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Election Commission Gives Up On Advance Voting

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26 January 2014, 12:21

Anti-election protesters force a polling station in Bang Kapi district to close down, 26 January 2014

(26 January) Citing protests at the election venues, the Election Commission (EC) has canceled scores of advance voting locations in Bangkok and other provinces.

The move came after hundreds of anti-government protesters led by the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) marched to a number of election venues to disrupt the advance voting for the 2 February general election.

PCAD demands that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra resign from her caretaker position and calls for a formation of an unelected "People′s Council" to rule Thailand as a transitional government. The People′s Council would implement reforms deemed necessary by PCAD leadership before any election is allowed to take place.

Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the PCAD, promised last night that he would not obstruct the public′s constitutional rights to participate in the election – but he also included a thinly veiled threats about a campaign to disrupt the advance voting.

"Any residents of Bangkok who plan to go vote … please change your mind," Mr. Suthep said on a rally stage, "You′d better just stay asleep at home, because we are campaigning against the election and proposing reforms for our country".

He added, "We will be up since 6 o′clock [before] you go to election at 8 o′clock. You won′t be able to go past our crowd".

Responding to Mr. Suthep′s call, hundreds of PCAD protesters marched to various election locations in Bangkok, where they rallied and prevented many prospect voters from entering the election booths. The protesters also chained the gates of some election venues, while at many other locations crowd of PCAD supporters blew whistles to frighten away voters.

Some determined voters nevertheless made it to the election booths. A woman was even seen climbing over a chained gate in Suan Luang district to cast her ballot in defiance of the anti-election protesters.

Local Election Commission officials almost immediately cancelled the voting sessions in many of besieged election venues once the protesters showed up, such as the districts of Chatuchak, Bang Bon, Bang Krapi, and Dusit. Protesters cheered as officials announced the decision.

More than 30 out of 50 location venues across Bangkok are now reported closed down.

EC officials in southern provinces such as Krabi and Surat Thani – the heartland of anti-government movements – also announced that they would no longer organise advance voting in these locations.

The EC′s relatively quick surrender baffled many observers, as many questioned why EC directors have not requested reinforcements from the security forces to protect the targeted election venues.

Although the government has recently imposed the State of Emergency to facilitate the deployment of police forces and troops to maintain public order, officials said the responsibility to protect appointed election locations rests solely on the EC.

Any unilateral decision by the government to send security forces to man election venues might be interpreted by EC as intimidation of voting and possible illegal under election laws, according to a number of officials.

Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul also expressed his bewilderment at the EC′s reluctance to organise the election.

"EC has promised full cooperation, but today the EC ends up playing tricks by refusing to request presence of security forces," Mr. Surapong told reporters, "It is as though they don′t want the election to take place. I can′t possibly think of any other reason."

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Assassinated 'Gangster' Not Anti-Govt Protester: Police

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24 January 2014, 22:05

(24 January) The police have dismissed reports that an anti-government protester who vandalised the police headquarters sign had been killed in Ratchaburi province.

In fact, according to police statement, the assassinated man was as Mr. Suppakarn Yoobanyong, 56, who was described by local residents as an influential "gangster".

Mr. Suppakarn, who went by his nickname ′Maew Baanrai′, was found dead on his vehicle at around 13.00 today near his son′s residence in Mueang district. Police said he was shot by a shotgun on his neck and right shoulder. Two shotgun shells were also found in the crime scene.

Witnesses said Mr. Suppakarn was driving home from his son′s residence when unidentified gunmen on a white car approached the victim′s vehicle and opened fire with a shotgun. The suspects quickly fled the scene.

Police have suspected many motives behind the murder, as Mr. Suppakarn had reportedly been involved in many disputes in the province.

Mr. Suppakarn was later identified in the rumour widely circulated on the social network as a protester who helped destroy the signage in front of the Royal Thai Police headquarters earlier this week.

Police spokesman office has released statement denying the rumour, stating that Mr. Suppakarn′s son had confirmed that his father was not present at the protest at the Royal Thai Police.

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