Coup Soldiers Evacuate Post Because of 'Ghost'

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29 May 2014, 13:55

Soldiers guarding Chang Wattana Road in Bangkok, 22 May 2014.

NAKHON PHANOM — A squad of soldiers has decided to leave the telecommunication hub they were ordered to occupy after allegedly encountering a female ghost.

More than 20 soldiers were sent to patrol the local headquarters of the state-owned telecommunications organisation, TOT Public Company, shortly after the military seized power in a coup d'etat on 22 May.

One of those soldiers, who declined to give his name, told our correspondent that he encountered a ghost at 2:00 a.m. on his first night stationed in the four-story building. He and his fellow soldiers had just finished their shift on the first floor when he spotted a "beautiful woman" step over six other sleeping soldiers and walk to the stairs.

The soldier said he followed the woman to the 4th floor, after which she disappeared.

The next morning, a TOT staff who worked at the building reportedly told the soldiers that the ghost was frequently seen by TOT employees as well.

According to the staff, a female construction worker died when the building was being constructed, which may have caused her spirit to wander the building.

After the news about the ghost spread through the ranks of soldiers stationed at the TOT hub, the squad decided to evacuate the building and camp outside the headquarters instead. Soldiers have continued to patrol around the building's perimeter.

It is not clear whether the soldiers' evacuation from the building has been approved by any commander.

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Aussie Tourist 'Drugged & Robbed' By Pattaya Ladyboys

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29 May 2014, 13:31

CHONBURI — An Australian tourist says he was drugged and robbed by a group of ladyboys in Pattaya yesterday.

The 46-year-old tourist told police that he was walking on Pattaya's beachside road at around 6:30 a.m. when a group of ladyboys approached and befriended him near Soi Pattaya 4.

The tourist said a ladyboy offered him a drink, which he accepted. He then lost consciousness and later woke up at Pattaya Memorial Hospital, he said.

According to the tourist, the ladyboys took his MacBook, hard drive, headphone set, and the5 500 Australian dollars he was carrying at the time of the robbery. He estimated the total loss to be over 100,000 baht.

Police in Pattaya say they are investigating the incident to locate and arrest the ladyboys.

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Cambodian Anti-Trafficking Activist Resigns Over Biography Lies Row

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29 May 2014, 13:17

<br />
Cambodian human rights activist Somaly Mam participates in the event "Women who transform the world" in Spain in March 2013 (DPA). — Cambodian human rights activist Somaly Mam participates in the event "Women who transform the world" in Spain in March 2013 (DPA).

PHNOM PENH (DPA) — Sex trafficking activist Somaly Mam resigned from her foundation amid allegations that she fabricated significant parts of her personal history of abuse, news reports said Thursday.

In an autobiography, numerous TV appearances and articles, Mam claimed a background of abandonment and abuse before being sold into sexual slavery as a teenager.

But a recent Newsweek report cited several people in her home village who remembered her attending school there until she was 17.

Her resignation was accepted following an investigation by the law firm Goodwin Procter LLP after the report, Somaly Mam Foundation executive director Gina Reiss-Wilchins said Wednesday.

The Newsweek report ran on the cover of the May 21 edition, under the tagline "Somaly Mam saved countless girls in Cambodia. Does it matter that key parts of her story aren't true?"

It also reported inconsistencies in the story of Long Pros, a member of Somaly Mam's organization who appeared on Oprah Winfrey's talkshow on US television and was profiled in the New York Times in 2009.

Long Pros had never been sex trafficked as she claimed, it said, and she did not lose her eye to an angry pimp but to surgery for a tumour when she was 13, the report cited family members as saying.

The foundation said it would remove Long Pros "from any affiliation with the organization or our grant partner, but will help her to transition into the next phase of her life."

Mam's foundation and its partner organization AFESIP have "touched the lives of over 100,000 women and girls" through clinics, safehouses, and education programs, Wednesday's statement said.

But it has also come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, starting with a series of articles in the Cambodia Daily in 2012.

Phuket Community Radio Stations Remain Closed

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29 May 2014, 13:17

(The Phuket News)

PHUKET — Community radio stations on the island have been told by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) that they should not be on the air.

The NBTC explained that although private TV stations are allowed to broadcast, only government or government-affiliated radio stations may do so.

UN Calls For End of Open Defecation Practiced By 1 Billion People

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29 May 2014, 12:43

Visitors attend the World Toilet Summit in New Delhi, India on 31 October 2007. The United Nations this week said that a staggering 1 billion people worldwide still practice open defecation, calling for an end to the practice, which spreads diseases like diarrhoea, dystentery and typhoid through entire communities. EPA/MONEY SHARMA

NEW YORK (DPA) — The United Nations said Wednesday that a staggering 1 billion people worldwide still practice open defecation, calling for an end to the practice, which has an estimated annual cost of 260 billion dollars due to illness, death and loss of productivity.

The practice spreads diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A and typhoid through entire communities, the UN officials said. It has kept women under the threat of harassment, violence and rape, and has forced young girls to abandon education at puberty.

"It is high time to talk openly about open defecation, and it is high time to bring it to an end," UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson said during the launch of the world body's sanitation campaign in New York. "Let us remember that the first step to solve any problem is talking about it."

The practice is most widespread in poor and developing countries. Some countries, including Vietnam and Bangladesh, where more than 30 per cent of their populations relieved themselves in open areas in the early 1990s, ended the practice entirely in 2012.

However, open defecation lingers in dozens of other countries.

In India an estimated 600 million people – more than half the population – defecate without using a toilet or latrine. The nationwide problem has prompted new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare his support for "toilets before temples" during his campaign.

"If we could end open defecation in just 10 countries, we would see the numbers of people affected drop by 80 per cent," Eliasson said, noting that the end of the practice could mean a direct reduction of 36 per cent in deaths due to diarrhoea for children under 5.

Editorial: Fight the Coup, Not the Soldiers

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29 May 2014, 11:54

Anti-coup protesters vandalise an army Humvee during a protest at Victory Monument, Bangkok, 28 May 2014

Non-violence should be the watchword of anti-coup protesters.

On 25 May, a Khaosod English correspondent witnessed an anti-coup protester approach a soldier who was watching the demonstration silently and say to his face: "I want to take photo of you so that I can show my grandchildren what animals looked like in my time."

Although the anti-coup rallies cropping up around Thailand have been largely peaceful, almost all of them have involved at least small-scale confrontations between soldiers and protesters.

Often, these confrontations are initiated by demonstrators seeking the symbolic victory of forcing soldiers to retreat, even if it’s only a step or two. In the past week, we have seen anti-coup protesters — though by no means a majority — yell hateful things, shove themselves up against riot shields, and lob various objects at soldiers in this pursuit.

They shouldn't.

Thais have every right to be furious about the most recent coup d’état, and Khaosod English applauds the bravery of those who have defied the military’s ban on public gatherings to come out and advocate for all that is now at stake: basic human rights, rule of law, and Thailand’s electoral democracy, to name a few.

But to direct this fury at soldiers, many of whom are drafted by law, is misplaced. It should be clear that none of the soldiers deployed to contain protests had anything to do with last week’s military coup d’état. They are simply following orders that it’s possible many of them fundamentally disagree with. It is irrational and disrespectful to their basic human dignity to treat these soldiers with such scorn.

Furthermore, provoking soldiers and inciting confrontations will only weaken, not strengthen Thailand’s budding anti-coup movement. To protest the military coup — an act of aggression — in a purely peaceful manner is both more ideologically coherent than behaving viciously, and more likely to win sympathy and support from the international community.

The foreign countries and international organizations that have come out against the coup are critical allies that Thailand’s pro-democracy movement cannot afford to alienate.

Lastly, taunting security forces is just playing with fire. At some point, relentless provocation may lead to a crackdown. This would be tragic for any victims that get caught in the flames, but also for the movement as a whole. Any violence will surely deter people from participating in the protests and drain the movement’s still small numbers.

It is essential for those advocating for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law to pursue these causes with civility and non-violence.

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Junta Blames 'Technical Glitch' For Facebook Blocking

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28 May 2014, 16:43

Anti-coup protests which have been largely organised by groups on Facebook.

BANGKOK — Thailand’s military government has issued several contradicting explanations behind the temporary blockage of Facebook for millions of Thais on Wednesday.

Many Thais took to other social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, to express their shock and outrage when they realised they could no longer access their Facebook accounts at around 3 pm today. The hashtag "#facebookdown" started "trending" on Twitter in a matter of minutes.

The hour-long suspension of the social media site came a day after Thailand’s military government, the National Council of Peace and Order (NCPO), announced plans to intensify online censorship, causing many to believe the junta was behind the shutdown.

This suspicion was initially confirmed by a permanent secretary of the Information and Communications Technology Ministry (ICT), who told Reuters that the government had “blocked Facebook temporarily,” and was planning to “call a meeting with other social media, like Twitter and Instagram, to ask for cooperation from them.”

"Right now there's a campaign to ask for people to stage protests against the army," Reuters quoted the permanent secretary, Surachai Srisaracam, as saying. "So we need to ask for cooperation from social media to help us stop the spread of critical messages about the coup."

Spring News TV also reported that Mr. Surachai said the NCPO had “asked” ISPs in Thailand to shut down Facebook as part of the military’s ongoing effort to quash dissent.

However, an hour after Facebook's access was first cut off, Mr. Surachai changed his story. Mr. Surachai told reporters in a press conference that the temporary blockage was actually the result of a technical glitch, not an order from the NCPO to shut it down. He said that the site was inaccessible because Thailand's "internet gateway" had temporarily failed due to a spike in users' activity. Mr Surachi blamed the Spring News TV reporter’s "misunderstanding" for the earlier report.

The article was later pulled out from Spring News TV's website.

In an urgent televised announcement, NCPO spokesperson Col. Winthai Suwaree also stressed that the "gateway," and not the NCPO, was to blame for the disruption of Facebook. He said the ICT has been contacted to fix the issue immediately.

Facebook was eventually restored for most users by 5 pm. Nevertheless, many people continue to express suspicions that the NCPO was responsible for the mysterious shutdown.The anti-coup protests that have been popping up on a daily basis in Bangkok have been largely organised through Facebook, and the military has repeatedly warned Thais against posting "inciting" messages on social media, threatening transgressors with prosecution.

Pattharaphon Tanngam, a reporter of state-owned Thai PBS station, later claimed on her Twitter account that sources inside the ICT told her they were ordered by the NCPO to shut down Facebook for "1-2 hours" to test the public's reaction.

After the public reacted with widespread anger, the ICT decided to restore access to Facebook, Ms. Pattharaphon said, quoting anonymous sources.

Thai’s use of social media has been rapidly increasing in past years. According to one estimate in 2012, Bangkok was ranked as the city with most Facebook users in the world with its over 8 million users.

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Farmers Unearth 2.5 Million Baht in Gold Under Orchard

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28 May 2014, 15:38

Gold plates found in Patthalung province, May 28 2014.

PATTHALUNG — A gold rush is now underway in Patthalung province after a local farmer found plates of gold buried beneath his palm tree orchard.

Rawee Thabsaeng, 54-year-old resident of Khao Chai Son district, said he found the gold on 25 May in the field where he had planted small palm tree shoots two weeks ago.

According to Mr. Rawee, the gold was buried 10-20 centimetres below the ground along with other small trinkets such as earrings and brooches. The plates have a Japenese inscription on them, leading Mr. Rawee to believe the gold might have been buried by Japanese soldiers during their occupation of Thailand in the Second World War.

After the news got out, hundreds of local residents and farmers rushed to his orchard for more gold, Mr. Rawee said. More than 100 gold plates, worth around 25,000 baht each, have been unearthed so far, said a local administrative official.

Yesterday afternoon, over 500 people were seen digging in Mr. Rawee's palm field, undeterred by constant rain showers of. Shouts of joy signalled every time a new plate was found.

Mr. Rawee said he has not barred neighbours from digging up the gold because he sees the gold rush as "a way to distribute wealth" among the local community.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Surasak Ramayanond, commander of Phattalung provincial police, said the police have already inspected the area and determined the gold to be genuine. An initial investigation also revealed that the gold was "antique" and not associated with any recent cases of theft, he said.

Police have been dispatched to guard Mr. Rawee's field to provide security to the residents, Pol.Maj.Gen. Surasak added.

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Junta Consolidates Power With Police, Governors Reshuffle (DPA)

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28 May 2014, 14:40

By Cod Satrusayang

BANGKOK (DPA) — The ruling Thai military junta said Wednesday it had ordered the reshuffle of key positions within the national police force with immediate effect.

Several provincial governors, including in the northern city of Chiang Mai, have also been reassigned to positions that hold no executive power.

Most of those that were reassigned were put in post by the previous civilian government.

Earlier Wednesday, the leadership ordered the creation of "reconciliation centres" around the country, in order "to create unity and end the division," according to an army spokesman.

The centres will be a run by community leaders chosen by the junta and will disseminate information approved by the leadership to the public.

The junta announced late Tuesday the members of an advisory council that will help it administer the country.

The council will advise the junta in several fields including security, foreign affairs and the economy.

General Prawit Wongsuwan, coup-leader Prayuth Chan-ocha's old commanding officer, will lead the council, the junta said.

Also included is Pridiyathorn Devakula, an aristocrat who will advise on economic matters. Pridiyathorn will be reprising a familiar role, as he served as finance minister under the last coup-appointed government in 2006.

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power last week after seven months of anti-government protests that led to violence and a political stalemate.

Since coming to power he has imposed a curfew, censorship of the press and summoned more than 200 people including journalists and academics, many of whom are detained on army bases.

Late Tuesday, the hours of the curfew were shortened from 10 pm to 5 am (1500-2200 GMT), to midnight to 4 am.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for the immediate release of journalists.

"Journalists are vital to the flow of information, particularly during this time of political upheaval," said CPJ deputy director Robert Mahoney.

"It's not the army's job to decide what news organizations can publish."

Army Loudspeaker 'Hijacked By Imposter' At Victory Monument, Military Says

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28 May 2014, 14:31

Anti-coup protesters at Victory Monument, 26 May 2014.

BANGKOK — The military officer who berated anti-coup protesters and called the foreign media "scoundrels" at a protest at Victory Monument earlier this week was not a military officer after all, the army has claimed.

According to deputy army spokesperson Col. Sirichan Nga-thong, the man behind the loudspeaker was an imposter who collaborated with anti-coup protesters to smear the Thai army.

"At this moment, there has been dissemination of texts or video clips that intend to portray soldiers as power abusers," Col. Sirichan said, citing the video clip of an an hour-long rant against anti-coup protesters and foreign media emanating from an army humvee at the anti-coup protest at Victory Monument on 26 May.

The video, which has since been blocked in Thailand, captures a speaker accusing anti-coup demonstrators of being unpatriotic "scums" who are being paid to protest. He also directs an unusual amount of scorn towards the foreign press covering the protest, going as far as calling them "scoundrels" who want to sabotage Thailand.

However, Col. Sirichan insisted that the speaker in question was a provocateur "dressed up in military uniform," and said that the anti-coup movement is circulating the video clip to vilify the army.

"Such action is inciting hatred against security forces. I beg you to stop," Col. Sirichan said in a press conference yesterday. "I insist that all soldiers perform their duty with restraint in every aspect."

Col. Sirichan also threatened to take legal action against those who published the video clips.

Curiously, during the several hours in which the alleged imposter was manning the loudspeaker from inside an army humvee, none of the surrounding military personnel made any effort to stop him.

In the past week, military spokespersons have made a number of bold assertions that appear to lack substantial evidence.

When a photo of a crying soldier went viral on the internet over the weekend, the army came out with a public statement clarifying that the soldier was crying from pepper spray fired by an anti-coup protester, not sympathy for the demonstrators his troops were trying to contain. Witnesses at the scene did not report seeing any use of pepper spray.

On Monday, another army spokesperson accused anti-coup demonstrations of being organised and funded by tuu maa (illegal slot machine) mafia, who allegedly pay each demonstrator 400 – 1,000 baht to join protests.

The military has repeatedly warned the media not to report any material that might "incite unrest" or undermine the mission of the National Council of Peace and Order (NCPO), which seized power from the former government on 22 May. The NCPO has already blocked over 200 websites, and is drafting plans for a internet gateway that will allow the military to censor online material more efficiently, Prachatai English reports.

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