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Witnesses Recall Military Actions In May 2010

(12 September) A fish
vendor and a rescue worker told the Criminal Court yesterday about how military personnelshot at
them during clashes between the military and the Redshirts around Lumpini Park in May
2010.

The testimonies were given as part of the inquests into the deaths of 3 individuals
killed at the park on 14 May 2010: Mr. Piyapong Kittiwong, Mr. Prachuab Silapan, and Mr. Somsak
Silarat. The court is trying to establish whether the security forces had been responsible for the 3
deaths.

The military has repeatedly denied any responsibility to the deaths of civilians in
the 2010 crackdown, arguing instead that they had been killed by the shadowy armed militants. Over
90 people lost their lives in the violence which had engulfed Bangkok for 2 months.

Mr.
Thongchai Henglian, a fish vendor, told the court he was riding a motorbike to buy fish at the
market, passing along Rama IV Road. He spotted a group of protesters on the road, and went to
observe the gathering, parking his motorcycle at Lumpini Police Station.

Later, Mr. Thongchai
said, he mingled with the protesters and journalists, while rows of soldiers armed with automatic
rifles stood at some distance away.

Then, according to the witness, gunfire erupted, and he
saw bullets crashing into trees and pillars along the road, so he ran toward the pavement around
Lumpini Park with a journalist, who was taking shelter 5 metres away from him.

Mr. Thongchai
continued that he heard the said journalist crying in pain that he was shot, so he attempted to
rescue the man, but came under fire himself. He was shot twice in his hip as he had his back to the
soldiers who were positioned 200-300 metres away, he said.

Soon, a group of people carried
him away to safety. Doctors later extracted bullets from his body, and the wounds reportedly showed
he was shot from behind.

Another witness, Mr. Preecha Nuwongsi, told the court he has been
working as a medical rescue worker at Vajira Hospital for 16 years. On the day of the incident, he
had received an emergency call that the soldiers were clashing with the protesters and there were
injured individuals in Lumpini Park, so he and his team drove the ambulance to the
scene.

Once he arrived there, Mr. Preecha said, he found a dead body in the pool near Gate 2
of the park, so he crawled toward the body (later identified as Mr. Piyapong), as there were
occasional gunfires. Having reached the body, he dragged it to the ground with a rope then carried
it to the ambulance.

However, Mr. Preecha testified, gunfire erupted in the direction of his
unit. He said he saw dozens of soldiers pointing their guns at his direction, so he shouted at
them to cease firing while his team waved a Red Cross flag, but, according to Mr. Preecha, the
soldiers continued to fire their weapons for a while.

After his team managed to escape, they
were informed by the police that a dead body had been found near Gate 3 (later identified as Mr.
Prachuab). The body had gunshot wounds on the chest, Mr. Preecha said, and there were soldiers in
the vicinity where Mr. Prachuab′s body was found.

The witness told the court that no weapon
was found on neither Mr. Piyapong nor Mr. Prachuab.

Meanwhile, Mr. Saengpetch Ruenrom, a security guard of the park, testified that he had not
seen any armed militants in the park, but he had seen a large group of soldiers armed with M-16
rifles and shotguns around the park.

The last witness, Mr. Terdsak Duangpapeng, another
security guard, confirmed to the court that he had seen no armed militants among the protesters
throughout the incident.

The next trial will be held on 8 October.

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Prime Suspect In 'Stolen Visa' Case Arrested

(12 September) The
immigration police said they have arrested the Thai woman who had been issuing unauthorised Thai
visas to a number of foreigners using visa labels stolen from the Thai Royal Embassy in
Malaysia.

Previously, the police have apprehended several foreigners who attempted to cross
the Thai borders with the visas which had been reported stolen.

The arrests led to a
stunning revelation that 300 visa labels had been missing from the Thai mission in Kuala Lumpur, and
some of the visas had been used in successful border-crossing.

The case has been considered
as the most serious breach in Thai immigration security in many years.

Yesterday, the
immigration police have announced in a press conference that they have arrested Ms. Piyamart
Bandasakdi, 39, in connection with the crime. A Cameroonian national arrested in Thai-Laos border
has indicated that he acquired his unauthorised visa from Ms. Piyamart, the police said.

Many
other individuals arrested in the same manner have also implicated Ms. Piyamart, according to the
police.

Ms. Piyamart has reportedly confessed that she was introduced to the trade of by an
Indian national called Mr. Kumar Rames (spelling derived from Thai text). Ms. Piyamart said she had
met the man in 2012. She told the police she charged her customers 30,000 baht per
person.

However, she admitted to issuing the stolen visa labels to only 3 individuals, 1
Nigerian, 1 Cameroonian, and 1 Filipino. While the Africans have been arrested, the Filipino
reportedly managed to return to the Philippines with the stolen visa.

Pol.Col. Chartchai
Iam-saeng said Mr. Kumar has a romantic affairs with someone in the Thai Embassy at the Malaysian
capital, which allowed him to have an access to the visa labels. According to Pol.Col. Chartchai,
Mr. Kumar also has connection with staff in other Thai Embassies.

The police are trying to
locate the Indian national, he said.

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Redshirts Offer Traditional Skirt To Abhisit

Protesters wearing 'paa tung'

(12 September)
Angered by the Democrat Party chairman′s remark in which he called Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra a stupid bitch last week, scores of Redshirts today staged a protest against him in
front of the Parliament House.

The Redshirts were led by several Pheu Thai Party women MPs,
such as Ms. Sunee Leungvichit and Ms. Udomrat Arphonrat.

They said they were incensed by Mr.
Abhisit′s remark uttered on a Democrat-organised rally last week. In the incident, Mr. Abhisit
observed that Ms. Yingluck had to preside over the opening of a reality show called Thailand Smart
Lady because if the contest is about finding a stupid bitch, no one would be able to compete with
her.

Mr. Abhisit has since refused to apologise for the remark which was criticised by many
allies of Ms. Yingluck. He also claimed he did not mean anyone in particular, but he indirectly
confirmed it was Ms. Yingluck he was referring to by saying he merely followed what Google has
suggested.

Today, the protesters gave speeches attacking Mr. Abhisit for the remark. Some
held signs saying Please respect the motherly gender, and Stop insulting women.

The
Redshirts also brought along the Thai variant of sarong (paa tung) to the protest, which they
said Mr. Abhisit should wear. The gesture is supposed to be a sarcastic response to the former
leader, as they accused Mr. Abhisit of lacking the quality of a true man by insulting Ms. Yingluck
in such way, and he should be wearing a skirt instead.

The protesters later submit a letter
to Mr. Visut Chaiyanarun, Deputy House Speaker, demanding that the Parliament′s ethic committee
investigate Mr. Abhisit′s action.

After having submitted the letter, the Redshirts gave Mr.
Visit the traditional skirt, telling him to pass it to Mr. Abhisit.

It is not the first time
paa tung has been invoked by the Redshirts in the response to Mr. Abhisit′s remark. On 10
September, a number of Pheu Thai MPs, including Ms. Sunee, lifted up the piece of cloth during their
press conference in which they denounced Mr. Abhisit.

In that press conference, Ms. Sunee
suggested Mr. Abhisit should cover his head with the sarong.

However, some feminists were
irked by the invocation of paa tung as a weapon against Mr. Abhisit′s alleged misogynist
remark, because it ends up implying that to wear the skirt or to be called a woman is somehow an
insulting term.

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'Banharn's Mistress' Rumour Leads To Legal Complaint

(12 September) A young
actress and TV personality has filed complaint with the police after rumours on the social network
alleged that she is a mistress of former Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-Archa.

Previously, a
photo showing Mr. Banharn placing his hand on the back of the actress, Ms. Sornslip ?Manao?
Maneewan, started circulating on social network sites, and the rumour about their supposed romantic
relationship quickly followed.

Ms. Sornsilp is well-known for her roles in drama series
produced by Channel 7.

The picture was later reposted along with a text alleging that Ms.
Sornsilp
is Mr.
Banharn′s minor wife (mia noi), and she had caused marital discord which ended up driving drove Khunying
Jamsai, Mr. Banharn′s wife, away to the Buddhist nunnery.


Speaking to the press yesterday, Ms.
Sornsilp, who had won the contest of Miss Teen Thailand in 2008, explained that she had been a
friend of the former Prime Minister′s family for quite a while now, and that she respects him
personally because Mr. Banharn is an icon of Suphanburi Province – her hometown.

Later, the
21 year old actress visited Bang Sue Police Station in Bangkok to file a legal complaint to the
officers and urge them to find the suspect who initiated the rumours.

I was very shocked
when I first saw the photo and the text said the actress, I would like to know who′s behind it,
what they want, as their post had defamed my family and Mr. Banharn.

Meanwhile, Mr. Banharn dismissed the rumour and insisted that the photograph
has been used as a political tool to damage his reputation.

He also clarified about the
origin of the photo, saying that it was taken during the football match of Suphanburi FC and Buriram
United in the stadium′s reception room. Many other people were present in the room as well, Mr.
Banharn said, including Toon, the lead singer of the pop-rock band Bodyslam.

I took
photograph with Toon, too. I placed a hand on his knee. Why didn?t they post that photo, too? Mr.
Banharn told the reporters.

He added, I don?t know why they only posted the photo of him
and Ms. Sornsilp, do they want to discredit me?

Mr. Banharn said many people had asked to
take photos with him in Suphanburi, old women, young women, but lamented that from now on he would
be more careful with requests for photos.

Asked about his wife, Khunying Jamsai,
Mr. Banharn cheerfully replied that she′s well at home.

He also stated he would not pursue a
legal action against those who started the rumour because what happened is common issue.

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Pattaya Police Arrest Ladyboy And Women Prostitutes

(12 September) Police
have launched a massive crackdown on female and transgender sex workers in Pattaya.

100
individuals were arrested late last night along the seaside road and Walking Street, the famous
landmarks of the city. 30 of them are women and the rest of them ladyboys, police said.

3
teenagers were also arrested on charge of potentially posing threats to tourists.

The
series of arrests followed a complaint from a Briton and an Italian who claimed that they had been
drugged and robbed by prostitutes earlier this week.

A senior police officer termed the
operation as a way to restore order and good tourism image to the city of Pattaya, and to prevent
further tourist-related crimes.

The sex workers were charged with prostitution and causing
annoyance to members of the public. They were later fined and released.

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'Golden Amulet' Robber Murders Monk

(11 September) An
assailant reportedly killed a monk at his temple residence in Ayutthaya Province in order to steal
his golden amulets.

Phra Chaliao Dharmwaro, 92, was found dead in Wat Tarn En Temple. He was
wearing an a necklace, but the amulet is missing from its locket. Police found bruising wounds on
his head and right shoulder.

His residence had been thoroughly ransacked, the police said. A
few Buddha figurines, the TV set, and an electric fan were broken, and a number of amulets made of
gold said to be in Phra Chaliao′s possession were missing.

Ms. Churee Nakornmuang, 53, the
monk′s daughter, said she brought food to the monk everyday, but could not locate him this morning
so she walked around the residence to look for him. She eventually found Phra Chaliao′s body near
the residence and alerted the authorities.

She believed that the assailant had broken into
Phra Chaliao′s room and fought with him, then threw the monk to his death via the window. 

Mr. Somchai Kaewnil, a local village headman, said the robber might be someone trusted by
the monk and close to him. A fellow monk confirmed that Phra Chaliao usually left his door unlocked
during the daytime.

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Former Lese Majeste Convict Visits Imprisoned Redshirt

(September 11) A group of
Redshirts have paid a visit to a local leader of the movement who is currently imprisoned for lese
majeste, after the court ruled that her protest against His Majesty the King′s Privy Councillor
amounted to insulting the King himself.

Ms. Paphachanan Ingchan was found guilty of
Section 112 of the Criminal Codes and sentenced to 3 years in prison by the Supreme Court in Nakorn
Ratchasima Province last month.

She was charged with the crime after she staged a protest in
the provice in 2009 in which she burned a coffin bearing the name of Gen. Prem Tilasulanond, the
head of the Privy Council.

The protesters also mockingly addressed Gen. Prem on the coffin
as His Highness, referring to a prominent Yellowshirt leader who had, most likely by accident,
called Gen. Prem with the honorific.

Yesterday, around 100 Redshirts visited Ms. Paphachanan
at Nakorn Ratchasima Central Prison.  The group was led by Mr. Tanthawut Taweewarodomkul, aka
Noom Red Nont, who had also been imprisoned for lese majeste and released earlier this year.

Mr. Tanthawut said he understood the predicament suffered by Ms. Paphachanan very well
because he had been locked away for the same offense in a Bangkok prison for 3 years and 3 months.

He told our correspondent that he planned many more activities to raise awareness about
individuals who are serving jail term for lese majeste, which he views as a political, rather than a
criminal, offence.

The Redshirts also had their own music band – called Cold Flame –
playing on the pavement as they gathered in front of the prison. Dozens of police officers and
plainclothes agents stood nearby to observe the event.

Later, Ms. Paphachanan told the
visitors through the prison bars that she felt very grateful for their visit. Even though the case
has reached its finalisation, she said, she insisted she is loyal to the monarchy.

I fell
prey to the political conflict because of my naivety said Ms. Paphachanan, known to her supporters
as he Red Lady, I never had any intention to insult the higher institution, referring to the
monarchy.

She urged the Redshirts to maintain their unity in order to fight for democracy,
and try their best to bring former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra back to Thailand. She also
demanded that the Redshirts? official leadership invest more energy into freeing Redshirts who are
serving jail term for their alleged crimes during the 2010 political violence.

Ms. Sudsawat
Sansern, commander of the prison, said prison regulation exempts Ms. Paphachanan from wearing the
manacles around her ankles because she is over 60 years old.

The commander said Ms.
Paphachanan has a number of underlying diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart-related issues,
and diabetes. Ms. Sudsawat stressed that the prison officials are paying close attention to this
prisoner.

If she is ever ill, she has the right to immediate medical care, Ms. Sudawat
said.

Ms. Paphachanan has also been developing cordial relationships with fellow prisoners,
the commander added.

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We Choose Defiance Over Image: Democrat Veteran

(11 September) Former
Prime Minister and senior Democrat MP Chuan Leekpai said the Democrat Party has chosen to sacrifice
its good image for the sake of opposing the tyrannical power of the government.

Mr. Chuan
spoke to the press after hectic weeks in the Parliament which saw Democrat MPs heckling at the House
Speaker, fist-fighting with the police, and throwing a chair.

A recent opinion poll has
claimed that the public viewed the Parliamentary chaos in negative ways, especially the latest
incident which involved a chair, while a number of analysts warned that the Democrat Party is
risking its long-tended image as a polished political party.

However, Mr. Chuan, who also
serves as a prominent advisor to the party, said his party is viewed as the bad guy because the
public had not followed the Parliamentary debates in their entirety.

They only saw the parts
when troubles happened, like the chair-throwing, but they had not realised how much pressure
[Democrat MPs] had been under, Mr. Chuan explained.

He viewed the chaos as a necessary
method to challenge the power wielded by influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra via
his sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

I acknowledge that what happened might
mislead the public to think the Democrat Party is a troublemaker of the Parliament, Mr. Chuan told
the reporters, But to work in the Parliament without tarnishing the party′s image is to be obedient
like a good kid.

That is not the way of the Democrat Party. We do not want that, he
insisted.

Mr. Chuan added that the Democrat Party is the only group that Mr. Thaksin fails to
control. Although what the party is doing might open it to attacks, but we must inform the public
about the root cause of the situation the former leader said.

He also invoked a speech given
by His Majesty the King as a guideline to stop abuse of power by the government. According to Mr.
Chuan, the King had urged everyone to reconsider what their duties are, and do their best in their
duties, instead of demanding others to perform their duties.

It is like when we hear puu
yai [adults, influential people] saying that corruption is bad, but they end up engaging in
corruption themselves. Or like talking eloquently about democracy but end up buying votes and
cheating elections, Mr. Chuan said.

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Man Threatens Rescue Workers With Gunshots


(11 September) Traffic dispute reportedly drove an angry man to fire his pistol in
the air in front of the office of rescue volunteers in Trad Province late last night.

Police
received emergency call from members of Boon Chuay Luea Foundation around 22.00 about an
unidentified man waving his handgun in threatening manner in front of their office.

Our
correspondent, who has managed to witness the incident before the officers reached the scene,
reported that the man was wearing blue sport shirts. He wandered around for the moment, then
discharged his firearm twice into the air. One bullet struck the roof of a nearby tent, but no one
was injured.

Eventually, the man raised his pistol at the direction of the office, then drove
away on his pickup truck, license plate number BJ 4399 Trad.

Mr. Manit Tianratin, a rescue
worker, said he was having a traffic dispute with the man on his way to the office. According to Mr.
Manit, the man rolled down his window and shouted that he would get the gun from his home and pay
him a visit later. The man did show up and repeatedly call Mr. Manit′s name, but Mr. Manit
stayed inside the office.

Police officers are interrogating a man in connection with the
incident.

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Thammasat Uniform Row: Dean Refuses To Budge

Ms. Aum Neko posing with the statue of Pridi Banomyong, the founder of Thammasart University

(11 September) The Dean of Thammasat University′s Science Faculty insisted that students must wear uniforms to his class, despite the ongoing campaign led by a student calling for an end to compulsory uniform wearing.

The Dean, Mr. Pakorn Sermsuk, said that the faculty board has decided to keep the dress code requiring students to wear university uniform to TU130 class.

TU130 is a compulsory module for all Thammasat freshmen students, and is notorious for its rule that all students must wear uniform to class or risk missing the chance to earn quiz marks, which will be calculated into the final grade.

The module has come under fire from a campaign spearheaded by a transgender student at Faculty of Liberal Arts who identified herself as Aum Neko (she has refused to give her full name to the press so far).

Ms. Aum, a second year student, argued that forcing students to wear uniforms in university years is tantamount to restricting personal freedom of the students and treating them like children, instead of letting them to think for themselves.

However, Mr. Pakorn said that all 15 professors teaching the class had advised the students during introduction class that the must comply with the dress code, explaining that "the subject is about science, and scientists must strictly follow rules".

He also complained that for the past 10 years that the class has been taught, the professors have never encountered such problems before. (Presumably, even when Ms. Aum was enrolled in the class last academic year).

All universities in Thailand require their students to wear uniforms, but its efforts and severity vary from place to place.

Some buildings in Chulalongkorn University, for instance, have gone as far as banning pink shoes because the university colour is pink, while Thammasart University has relatively relaxed rules concerning the uniforms; the students are often seen going to classes in attires of their choices. However, some Thammasart lecturers, like Mr. Pakorn, are more adamant than others.

Although campaigns to end the compulsory uniform rules have been sporadically launched by progressive students in some universities, Ms. Aum′s crusade has been the most vocal in recent months.

Last week, Ms. Aum′s campaign made headlines after scandalous anti-uniform posters started appearing around Thammasart University compound. The posters depict male and female students having sexual intercourse in their uniforms.

In an interview with Prachatai, Ms. Aum explained that students should be allowed to open up to creative thinking, and release themselves from the limitations of the university’s uniforms in expressing their gender preferences.

According to Ms. Aum, Thammasat represents liberal ideology and freedom. She argued that ever since its founding in the aftermath of the 1932 Revolution which toppled Siamese absolute monarchy, the university has stood as a bastion against dictatorship in Thailand.

"The university should be reminded of its roots," Ms. Aum was quoted as saying.

The uniform, in her perspective, also separates the gender identity of male and female apart, which denotes the intolerance of the Thai society towards homosexuality.

She explained further that even though the university is generally open about its dress code, many faculties established their own rules to restrict students from casual clothing.

The activist student cited the case of Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy at Tha Prachan campus, which has a sign that says ?no uniform, no service?.

Ms. Aum′s activism, and the racy anti-uniform posters, have raised sharp debates within the community of Thammasart University.

Some have sympathised with Ms. Aum′s point that wearing uniform does not improve academic excellence in any way, whereas others argued that dropping the dress code would lead to chaos or even moral nihilism in the country as students might lose the sense of self-discipline.

In response to Ms. Aum’s protest, the University Rector, Mr. Somkit Lertpaithoon, said that the University is appointing a special commission to investigate the situation.

“I can confirm that we do not rule students to wear uniform to class, but we ‘encourage’ them to, particularly during exam season, in order to teach them about the virtues of disciplines” Mr. Somkit said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Prachya Nongnut, vice president of student affairs, said that his authority is gathering opinions, and will soon consult with the student union about the issue.

"Personally, I do not think that outfits matter equally to the things we learn in class. But the students should also be aware that their outfits indicate the respect they have toward the university.” Mr. Prachya said

He added, “Our organisation is conducting a public hearing, before we can conclude what we should wear to class that does not devalue our identity”.

 

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