Reports Of Suthep Meeting With Army Chief Denied

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11 December 2013, 15:36

(11 December) The Royal Thai Army has denied the report that anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has secretly met with army chief, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha.

A number of media agencies have previously reported that Mr. Suthep met with Gen. Prayuth along with former Minister of Defence, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, and former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, Gen. Anupong Paochinda, yesterday at the headquarters of 1st Infantry Regiment.

The report fueled rumours that Mr. Suthep might be courting the military strongmen into launching a military coup or pressuring Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra to resign from her position as a caretaker Prime Minister.

But Col. Winchai Suwaree, deputy spokesman of the Army, said no such incident has occurred. Mr. Suthep did not visit the 1st Infantry Regiment, while Gen. Prayuth and other former commanders mentioned in the news reports were at the Regiment headquarters yesterday, according to Col. Winchai.

"There is no reason or necessity for such discussion to happen anyway," Col. Winchai said.

The deputy spokesman also dismissed reports that Ms. Yingluck would meet with the military leaders today.

"The Commander-in-Chief will give his support in finding the solution of this crisis in accordance with proper procedures, and within appropriate boundary," Col. Winchai assured reporters, "He will not express any personal comments".

Gen. Prayuth wished all sides to avoid confrontation, violence, and unlawful activities, Col. Winchai added.

Mr. Ekkanat Prompan, spokesman of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King as Head of State (PCAD), likewise dismissed the rumours that PCAD′s secretary-general had met with Gen. Prayuth.

In the press conference earlier today, Mr. Ekkanat also accused Mr. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a famous academic from Chulalongkorn University, of "conspiring with Thaksin Regime to defame the people" by expressing his anti-PCAD views in interviews with foreign press.

"He tries to destroy the power of the people. He insults the people′s movements," Mr. Ekkanat said, "The academic tries to paint the movement as a power consolidation into the hands of Mr. Suthep. That is not true. Our movement is about giving power to the majority of the people".

Mr. Ekkanet urged the public not to believe such "distortion" of academic principles by Mr. Thitinan.

He also branded the media reportsthat anti-government protesters have stolen personal belongings of state officials during their occupation of Government Complex as yet another "false propaganda" with an aim to discredit the "people".

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Academics Band In Defence Of Electoral Democracy

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11 December 2013, 13:18

(11 December) Responding to the anti-government protesters? demand that an unelected ?People′s Council? be established, a group of academics has formed a counter assembly to defend Thai electoral democracy.

The academics said the purpose of the ′′Assembly for the Defense of Democracy" (AFDD) is to insist on the electoral politics as a legitimate path all sides must take in order to push the changes they wish to see, instead of calling for extra-constitutional intervention to achieve their objectives.

The AFDD is led by prominent academics such as Mr. Charnvit Kasetsiri, former rector of Thammasat University; Mr. Kasien Techapira, writer and lecturer at Thammasat′s Faculty of Political Science; Mr. Worachet Pakeerat, lecturer at Thammasat′s Faculty of Laws and leader of the ′Enlightened Jurists′, advocates for a more liberal political system.

More than 150 academics, lecturers, students, and civil servants have given their signatures in support of the AFDD′s formation, the group said.

Also present at the press conference yesterday was Mr. Prachak Kongkirati, another political science lecturer from Thammasat University, who announced the three stances adopted by the AFDD.

Firstly, Mr. Prachak said, the Assembly disagrees with the idea of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) which proposed the formation of the ′People′s Council′ to rule Thailand as an unelected transitional government and transform the nation into "absolute democracy".

Since no provision of the 2007 Constitution allows such body to be formed, ′People′s Council′ would amount to a de facto coup d′etat against the government, Mr. Prachak said. He also argued that the idea behind ′People′s Council′ neither adheres to the principle of equality nor reflects the diverse backgrounds of Thai citizens.

Furthermore, the academic announced, the AFDD objects to any attempt to derail Thailand′s upcoming election, including the PCAD′s campaign calling for His Majesty the King to replace Ms. Yingluck with an unelected Prime Minister as caretaker leader of the nation.

Ms. Yingluck is required by the Constitution to remain as the temporary leader until the next election and that fact should be accepted by anti-government protesters, according to Mr. Prachak.

Lastly, he said, the Assembly affirms the 2007 Constitution as a legitimate rule all sides must respect, but acknowledges that the charter is flawed in some issues. Any effort to amend the Constitution, however, must be decided by the public and done in accordance with democratic procedure, Mr. Prachak insisted.

Mr. Worachet later stressed that the PCAD′s call for a royally appointed Prime Minister would invite a dangerous path for Thailand, since it would violate the principles of rule of laws and deeply anger the Redshirts supporters of Ms. Yingluck.

Another leading member of the newly-formed AFDD, Thammasat laws lecturer Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, also voiced his concern at the press conference that the PCAD′s claims that Eastern European nations once had functional governments which resembled the ′People′s Council′ is misleading.

"These are examples of transitioning from Communist regimes to liberal democracies," Mr. Piyabutr said, "Whereas the PCAD wants us to transition from a democracy into God knows what".

Mr. Piyabutr also warned that the PCAD is walking down the path of Italian fascists prior to the Second World War by mobilising a mass movement to overthrow the government and replace it with an unelected, authoritarian regime.

Meanwhile, Mr. Thanet Aphornsuvan, dean of Thammasat′s Faculty of Arts, expressed his disappointment to see a number of scholars and many members of the middle class collaborating with the campaign to "destroy Thai democracy".

"Instead of a middle class with intellect to help develop democracy, we have a middle class that is not happy with commoners′ democracy," Mr. Thanet said, "They want a type of democracy that is not possible anywhere on earth. They want a system ruled by magicians. It′s impossible."

When someone in the crowd later asked the AFDD leaders why they had not mentioned the massive corruption allegedly committed by Yingluck′s administration, Mr. Kasien took the microphone and replied that he sympathised with the protesters′ call to eradicate corruption.

However, Mr. Kasien said, the protesters should use democracy to fight corruption instead of destroying democracy, as it would eliminate any system of check and balance, and give rise to "some other form of corruption".

"Mr. Suthep wants to stop corruption … but I want to ask him, by what? By handing all the powers to Mr. Suthep′s hands?" Mr. Kasien fumed, "What tools will the Thai people use to scrutinise Mr. Suthep, if he has already centralised all the powers into his hands?"

The academics said they have also established a Facebook page for those interested in the Assembly′s activities. As of afternoon of 11 December, the ADD′s Facebook page has attracted more than 120,000 ′likes′.

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Pheu Thai Spokesman Threatens Suthep With Lese Majeste

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11 December 2013, 12:18

(11 December) Pheu Thai Party spokesman has accused the leader of the anti-government protests of disrespecting the monarchy in his campaign to unseat Prime Minister Yingluck.

In a press conference, Mr. Prompong Nopparit criticised the secretary-general of People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King as Head of State (PCAD), Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, for refusing to stop his protests even though the Prime Minister has already dissolved the parliament and called new election.

Mr. Suthep has previously claimed to have seized power of the government in accordance with Article 3 of the Constitution, which stated that the sovereign powers of Thailand belong to the citizens. Mr. Suthep has also demanded directors of state agencies to report to the PCAD and acknowledge it as the legitimate transitional government.

But Mr. Prompong said such actions clearly amount to organising an insurrection against the state and violating the Royal Power of His Majesty the King.

According to Mr. Prompong, since Article 3 of the 2007 Constitution stated that His Majesty the King exercised the sovereign power via the Parliament, the Cabinet, and the Court as a Head of State, Mr. Suthep has disrespected the monarch by claiming to exercise the sovereign power on his own as PCAD leader.

He said he would file lese majeste charge against Mr. Suthep with the Division of Special Investigation (DSI).

Lese majeste, or insult of monarchy, can be punished with a maximum of 15 years in prison per offence under Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Codes.

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Bureaucrats To File Theft Charges Against Protesters

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11 December 2013, 11:56

(11 December) Representatives of 29 state agencies have said they will file charges against anti-government protesters for stealing their personal belongings during the recent occupation at the Government Complex.

The protesters led by People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) had seized the compound of Government Complex in northern Bangkok from 26 November to 1 December in an effort to pressure Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra into resignation.

On their return to their workplace after the protesters had departed, many officials said their desks had been ransacked and their personal belongings stolen.

Pol.Lt.Col. Pong Sangmurin, commander of Thoong Song Hong Police, told our correspondent the police have already investigated the scene, collecting fingerprints and other evidence for further prosecution against the alleged theft.

The police officer said he expected the officials to file charges at his police station today.

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Yingluck Distraught By Campaign Against Her Family

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10 December 2013, 20:57

(10 December) Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra expressed her distress over the anti-government protesters? demands that she and her entire family must be expelled from Thailand.

In an emotional press conference at the Army Club – which served as a temporary Cabinet meeting venue – this morning, Ms. Yingluck said the protesters should acknowledge the fact that she had already caved in to many demands of the anti-government movements, such as her decision to dissolve the House and call a new election.

"It′s just my feeling. I believe everyone has feelings. I have feelings, too," Ms. Yingluck, with tears in her eyes, told reporters, "The way they talk about my family… well, we are all Thais. Has it come to the point that we are not allowed to put our feet on the soil of Thailand? Is that how it′s going to be?"

She added, "I have taken so many steps back that I don?t know how to step back any further. Can you at least give me some fairness".

The press conference was her first public statement since she announced that she would submit the request for parliament dissolution to His Majesty the King yesterday. Despite Ms. Yingluck′s announcement, anti-government protesters led by People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King as Head of State (PCAD) has escalated its campaign to unseat her.

PCAD secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban has insisted that Ms. Yingluck and her Cabinet must resign, as contrary to the Constitutional provision which requires her to stay on as caretaker Prime Minister until the next election. Other PCAD leaders also demanded in their speech that the entire Shinawatra family leave Thailand.

Ms. Yingluck stressed in the press conference that she could not quit her position, because it would amount to disrespecting the Constitution.

She also urged the protesters to demand changes in accordance with the Constitution, especially on the day (10 December) that Thailand observes the enactment of the first official Constitution 81 years ago.

"All of us Thais have to join hands in defending democracy and the Constitution," Ms. Yingluck said, adding that the PCAD protesters should stick to electoral politics instead of prolonged street protests or any extra-constitutional methods.

Asked whether she would run in the next election, however, Ms. Yingluck said she had not discussed about the matter with Pheu Thai Party, since she is too preoccupied with daily functions as Prime Minister along with other Cabinet members.

When a reporter asked her whether she could still handle the situation, the Prime Minister said she is personally anxious about the possibility of another violent confrontation.

The reporter who brought the question about PCAD′s campaign against her family later apologised to Ms. Yingluck for visibly causing her much distress in the press conference, but Ms. Yingluck, wiping her tears, told the reporter it was in fact a good question.

"I have wanted to speak out about the matter for a long time anyway," she said.

Around 200 anti-government protesters led by former Democrat MPs were also gathered in front of the Army Club, blowing their whistles and shouting their defiance against Ms. Yingluck. They dispersed peacefully after rallying for around 30 minutes.

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3 Lese Majeste Cases To Be Decided This Week

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10 December 2013, 11:05

Protesters demanding amendment of Article 112 during their demonstration in Bangkok, 29 May 2012.

(10 December) Three separate trials on lese majeste charges will be decided later this week, legal advocacy group iLaw has reported.

Lese majeste, or perceived insult of the monarchy, is punishable by up to 15 years in prison according to Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Codes.

The first case to be ruled this week is a Supreme Court trial involving Mr. Bundit Aneeya, a 73 year old writer, as the defendant. He is accused of disseminating documents deemed offensive to the monarchy during a panel discussion event organised by Election Committee of Thailand in 2003.

The lower courts have sentenced Mr. Aneeya to 2 years in prison, but the defendant has appealed the verdicts, arguing that he was not mentally sane at the time of the incident. The verdict will be read out on 11 December at South Bangkok Supreme Court.

On 12 December, the Ratchada Criminal Court in Bangkok will decide the case in which Mr. Kittithon (surname withheld), a 51 year old retail shop owner in Samut Prakarn province, is accused of posting contents on internet that insult the monarchy.

Mr. Kittithon was arrested at his home on 30 August by dozens of police officers who also raided his house, according to iLaw, which keeps tracks of lese majeste cases.

The police also claimed they have found materials defaming members of the Thai royal family stored by Mr. Kittithon in his computer. The prosecutor told the court Mr. Kittithon intended to post these materials on the internet later. The defendant has confessed.

Lastly, on 13 December the court in Chiang Mai province will also hand down the verdict in the case of Mr. Asawin (surname withheld) who has been alleged of claiming the name of His Majesty the King in business dealing.

The defendant has contested the charge, arguing that he has been falsely implicated by rival business owners.
A number of activists and academics have previously called for abolition or amendment of Article 112 on the ground that it is a threat to freedom of speech in Thailand.

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Excise Tax Collection Lower Due To Protests

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9 December 2013, 23:05

(9 December) Excise Department Director-General, Mr. Somchai Wongsawat, said on Monday that excise tax collected in Q1 of the 2014 fiscal year falls beneath its goal.

According to Mr. Somchai, the main resource for excise tax comes from alcoholic beverage, and the Department had initially expected to collect large number of such tax in this period as many Thai and foreign tourists are celebrating the festive season.

“November to December is our high tax collection season”, said Mr. Somchai “however, the current political situation have affected our performance.”

Mr. Somchai said the political crisis led to fewer number of domestic Thai tourists and foreign tourists alike, which in turn led to fewer travels, fewer celebrations, and fewer purchases of alcohol.

Reportedly, the tax exemption enacted by the government’s populist first-car scheme also lowered amount of vehicle tax collected.

Nevertheless, Mr. Somchai said he will discuss the issue with representatives of the private sector for a solution.

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Suthep's Goals, And Thailand's Future, Remain Obscure

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9 December 2013, 21:50

(9 December) Weeks into their campaign to unseat the government, the aims and demands of the anti-government protesters remain unclear.

After weeks of intense street campaign organised by People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King as Head of State (PCAD), which saw the occupation of several governmental offices and violent clashes, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was finally forced to announce her intention to dissolve the House and call new election earlier this morning.

But if Ms. Yingluck and her advisers had hoped the move would satisfy PCAD leaders, they were proven wrong. PCAD secrety-general and former Democrat MP, Suthep Thaugsuban, simply refused to call off the protests and continued to march on Government House.

He later told the crowd the victory is not secure yet, and that he will not stop the fights until "Thaksin Regime" is completely uprooted and an unelected ?People′s Council? established to rule the country. Mr. Suthep also insisted that Ms. Yingluck cannot stay even as a caretaker Prime Minister.

However, his demand for ?People′s Council? has been ruled out repeatedly by Pheu Thai leadership, including Ms. Yingluck herself, on the ground that no provision in the Constitution allows such body to be formed. Likewise, the Constitution also clearly stated that the current Prime Minister must retain his or her position until the next election.

Furthermore, Mr. Suthep had never explained the concept of his ?People′s Council? in great details. He had vaguely described it as a body with representatives from various occupations. Earlier tonight, Mr. Suthep said the ?People′s Council? would be a part of an even bigger Prachapiwat (People′s Glorious Revolution) – yet another term that he did not elaborate.

His hope, therefore, appears to rest on the activation of Article 7 of the 2007 Constitution which, in his interpretation, would allow His Majesty the King to replace Ms. Yingluck with a Prime Minister of his own discretion.

But Mr. Suthep′s interpretation of Article 7 has been widely condemned by academics and legal experts as an undemocratic means which would allow His Majesty the King – technically a Constitutional Monarch – to directly intervene as Absolute Monarchs in the obsolete past had done.

Mr. Suthep is also thought to be working at his hardest to convince outside forces, such as the military, the judiciary, and the palace – which are understood by many anti-government activists to be hostile to Ms. Yingluck′s faction – to back his campaign and oust Ms. Yingluck in some way.

However, many observers of Thai politics are afraid that should Ms. Yingluck′s government fall under pressure or any sort of ?coup d?etat?, the Redshirts would initiate their own campaign to retaliate Ms. Yingluck′s ousters, and Thailand might enter yet another cycle of violence that could be more devastating than 2010 unrest.

The hope that the next election, set to be the date of 2 February 2014, would help solve the crisis also remains slim, as the opposition party signals that it might boycott the election – just as it did to protest Ms. Yingluck′s brother former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.

“Our members have not yet discussed what to do in the next election. We are not going to propose another condition to the country. We do not reject the future election, if it is the best possible solution," said Mr, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, Spokesman of the Democrat Party.

He added, "It is not the time to discuss about the election yet".

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Thai-Cambodia Border Explosions Explained As 'Satellite'

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9 December 2013, 18:59

Makeshift bomb shelter in Bhumisrol village

(9 December) Mysterious explosions and subsequent metals raining down near the village on Thai-Cambodia border are caused by a downed satellite, officials said.

Locals in Bhumisrol village, which sits near the disputed territory around Preah Vihear Temple, were surprised earlier today by abrupt sounds of explosions.

Students, farmers, and other citizens immediately rushed to bomb shelters, many of them thinking another artillery duel between Thai and Cambodian armed forces over the border dispute have erupted once again.

"We heard 7-8 explosions while we were teaching," said Mr. Wutthinan Niyom, a teacher from Baan Bhumisrol school, “We took our students to hide in bomb shelters as we fear the clash between Thai and Cambodian armies have started.”

After the situation returned to normalcy, many villagers ventured out and collected many metal shards near the border, believed to have been caused by the explosions.

“At least 5 metal scraps were collected, and each of them is roughly 50 cm long” said Chief Executive of the Kantralak Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO), Mr. Chokchai Saikaew.

However, local security forces said after investigating the matter that the explosions and the metal shards came from a malfunctioned satellite which explodes on its own.

They also claimed that a similar satellite explosion occurred in 2011.

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Key Infrastructure Project 'Unaffected' By Dissolution

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9 December 2013, 17:20

Anti-government protesters in Bangkok, 9 December 2013

(9 December) Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan insisted that the 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure overhaul is unaffected by the House dissolution called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

If approved, the package would include construction of high-speed rail system and other public transports. However, many fear that the bill stands slim chance of passing considering the ongoing political crisis.

But Mr. Chatchart said the real test of the infrastructure bill is not the discontinuity in government, but the constitutional challenge filed by the opposition party; the bill′s legality is now waiting to be decided by the Constitutional Court.

“If the bill survives in the court, the next government must decide whether to submit the bill to His Majesty of King, or to leave it to be annulled” said Transport Minister. He stressed that the bill is crucial for the country’s future development and that it has been under discussion for many years.

“The bill is aimed to accelerate the progress of many infrastructure development projects, and so far, none of the project has been paused," Mr. Chatchart said, adding that the research works on the project have already started, as they do not require funding from the bill.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chula Sukmanop, the Director of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), said that OTP is processing the bill’s instruction, despite the dissolution of the parliament.

“Every mega-project needs time for research and development, and OTP is researching the project continuously in accordance with the given time-frame. We hope that the project will be ready when the bill is cleared by the Constitutional Court”, said Mr. Chula.

Mr. Amphon Kittiamphon, Secretary-General to the Cabinet, echoed Mr. Chatchart′s statement that the dissolution of the parliament does not affect the bill, as the most crucial point is the decision of the constitutional court.

So far, Prime Minister Yingluck had decided to hold the submission of the bill to his Majesty the king as the government is waiting for the decision of the court, Mr. Amphon said.

“We are currently waiting for the decision of the constitutional court. I do not wish to comment about anything before the verdict is reached. However, if the court agrees to pass the bill, the mega project will proceed according to plan", Mr. Amphon told our correspondent.

He added, "But for the sake of political courtesy, the current government [as being the caretaker government] may not submit the bill to his Majesty the King, and will wait for the new elected government instead”

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