THIS IS THAILAND
A Week in Review: July 10-16, 2010
Things have a way of balancing out here...
The red shirts may have lost the recent Battle of Bangkok, but they have not yet lost their National Class War. While some of their grievances are finally being addressed, justice in Thailand sure works in mysterious ways. Find out why in our week in review…
One of the red shirts’ most ardent battle cries continues to be their claim of double standards. While red shirt leaders are currently being hunted down and charged with committing acts of terrorism, yellow shirt leaders remain free two years after occupying Government House and both of Bangkok’s airports. And whereas pro-red shirt (read pro-Thaksin) political parties are routinely dissolved by the courts, the Democrat party has been allowed to grow and prosper unhindered.
There are, of course, fundamental differences between the tactics of the yellow shirts and the red shirts, and between the campaign procedures and objectives of the Democrats and the pro-Thaksin Phuea Thai, Thai Rak Thai and the People’s Power Party. Nevertheless, the fact remains that both the yellow shirts and the red shirts committed crimes that can be classed as acts of terrorism under Thai law. Justice, therefore, must not only be blind; it must also be colour blind.
Last week, we saw perhaps the biggest sacrificial lamb since former PM Samak was removed from office for hosting a cooking show so that the yellow shirt protesters could go home.
People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) co-leader Sondhi Limthongkul was last week charged with lese majeste following defamatory remarks he made about the Thai Monarchy when addressing a yellow shirt rally almost a year ago.
In fact, Sondhi had simply been repeating a defamatory statement that had earlier been made by a red shirt member. However, persistent claims of double standards over the lack of a single prosecution of any of the PAD leaders for their occupation of Government House and both Bangkok airports in late 2008 seem to have influenced the decision to “find” a charge for Sondhi. It would appear that yellow is the new red – and Sondhi is the new Samak.
In addition, up to 80 leaders and supporters of the PAD were somewhat belatedly summonsed on charges relating to the yellow shirts’ anti-government protests two years ago.
In another development, prosecutors from the Office of the Attorney General finalised their recommendations that the Democrat Party be dissolved and that all party executives from 2004 and 2005 be banned from politics for 5 years. The list includes current PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva.
The alleged offences date back to 2004 and 2005 and revolve around claims that the party received illicit donations of 258 million baht and that it also misused a grant of 29 million baht from the Election Commission’s political development fund. The case has now been presented to the Constitution Court.
However, it wasn’t all good news for the reds last week. A 20-man police team arrested a close aide of the former red shirt military advisor, Seh Daeng. After his arrest in Lopburi on Thursday, Surachai Thewarat confessed that during April and May he fired rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), M79 grenade launchers and M16 assault rifles in eight violent attacks, four of which resulted in fatalities.
Surachai admitted that Seh Daeng had trained him and other black shirt guards in the use of weapons. He also implicated the late renegade general as the mastermind behind several militant attacks.
Surachai had earlier overseen the sale of a cache of weapons including AK47 assault rifles, M79 grenade launchers and hand grenades to undercover agents. The arms had allegedly been part of an arsenal of weapons stashed at the reds’ rally site in Rachaprasong.
Investigations into Surachai’s involvement in other cases, including the slaying of the chairman of the Nakhon Sawan Provincial Administration Organisation, Amnart Sirichai, remain ongoing.
Surachai’s arrest would appear to be a real coup (pardon the pun) for the government and, indeed, for peace in Thailand.
Meanwhile, Mingkwan Saengsuwan emerged as the latest frontrunner in the Phuea Thai leadership saga. The party has become beset by infighting and many Phuea Thai MPs in the party’s north-east stronghold are increasingly unhappy with the role of Thaksin’s cronies, including his ex-wife’s friend, Wiyadee Sutawong, and his younger brother, Payap.
Could it be that Phuea Thai is growing up and abandoning its uber capitalist master to pursue the more socialist needs of its supporters?
Paul Snowdon – July 17, 2010
Back to Naked Farang Articles
Receive weekly updates from Naked Farang by joining our Facebook group: Click here to join or log into facebook and paste this link into the address bar:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11498592846
Have your say...
Nae Rachanorarag
17 Jul 2010, 01:02
What happened to you? I've read this article and I can say that it is
misleading. What a deceptive article!
Naked Farang
17 Jul 2010, 01:03
In what way do you find it misleading, Nae?
Toni
17 Jul 2010, 03:23
Hello,
After reading your article I can say that from my first hand experience
since I work at Suvarnabhumi airport that even though the yellow has staged
a protest there, they did not cost any damage to the building. I work
there, I was (at first) very angry when they showed up. But my flight was
pushed back and was away from the gate awaiting take off. However, all
flights was called back because the deputy director of AOT decide to call
them back? Why? Because they blame it on the yellow shirt for showing up.
Which did not make any sense to us at all. Not only that, AOT did not have
any contingency plan. Therefore they were the major caused of the chaos
that was done to the airlines in general. By the way, there was a large HAJ
group stranded at Suvarnabhumi. The yellows negotiated for a few airlines
to help take those passengers to their pilgrimage. Did you know about that?
AOT left all passengers. Yellows provided food and drinks. Did you know
that. As a staff who works for this industry for over 20 years, I blame all
the mess at the airport on AOT and AOT only for trying their best to cause
chaos to all airlines with their immediate shut down of the place. I was
the one in distress because of the relocation of the aircraft and
passengers. So, trust me. I know first hand what went on there. What really
went on there. So do not call them TERRORIST....No damage was done, nothing
was stolen or broken. Yellow did not burn down the airport like what the
reds did to my shop at Center One. I have a small shop there selling
trinkets I bought from the crews....Well? Where's my shop now? What did my
shop do to enrage these so called reds to get it burn down? My co-workers
in downtown Bangkok was forced to buy red trinkets to show their support
when they have to go through the reds to work. Did you know that? Their
purses was searched and when the red guards see something they like they
take it. Did you know that? Did you see the first poster they put up with
the pictures of The King and Queen insulting them? I don't think so. So
what happened in downtown Bangkok was done by DOMESTIC TERRORIST. That I am
sure. Comparing that to the bombing of Oklahoma City is the same thing not
9/11.
Abisit is doing nothing about those who have insulted The King. YES! I love
my King and my country. What I have seen first hand comparing between the
yellow and reds is one is being killed while protesting. The other is
destroying anything in their path. I really don't care what happens to the
democratic party for I feel they are just letting corruption flow just as
Thaksin rob this country.
As for Samak (not to speak ill of the dead, but) what has he done since he
was in office but wreck the whole system by listening to Thaksin? Cook.
Does Obama have a cooking show? Did Blair have a cooking show in England? I
don't think so.
In conclusion. This is not a class war. It is just a way to reinstate
Thaksin and make him President. If enough stupid people believe that The
King do nothing, I guess the north would still be producing opium. There
would not be the Royal Rain Project for drought areas of Thailand. So, yes!
If you can see the difference between the red and yellow and why all hell
has broken loose in this country then there is no use letting you know
about this. Right?
Nae
17 Jul 2010, 03:28
@Toni Well said krub, my dear sister.You made your point very well.
Naked Farang
17 Jul 2010, 03:43
@Toni: As I pointed out in my article, there are fundamental differences
between the tactics of the reds (violent) and the yellows (peaceful).
Nevertheless, under the legal description of what constitutes terrorism in
Thailand, occupying the airports and Govt. House were both acts of
terrorism.
Just as the reds must be punished for their crimes (which were far more
severe than those committed by the yellows), so the yellow leaders should
be prosecuted for their criminal activities.
There may be major and fundamental differences between the crimes
committed, but you can not choose to prosecute one group and not the other.
By allowing the yellows to get away with what they did, a dangerous
precedent was set that the reds exploited.
Regardless of who has the moral high ground, the law must be enforced. Let
the law courts decide on the punishment of each individual.
And finally, it IS a class war. Unfortunately, it was hijacked and
exaggerated by Thaksin et al for their own personal gain, but they could
only do so because such a class divide exists in Thailand.
James Grant
17 Jul 2010, 09:01
Another well written article.
This will probably really drive the page hits up. I did a double take after
reading the comments on FB. Nice one.
Nae
17 Jul 2010, 15:08
To the best of my knowledge, the investigation on this case hasn’t been
completed, and the yellow-shirts are currently facing their trial in the
judicial system. In fact, these charges brought against them are excessive
and unfounded, since Director of Suvannabhumi Airport Serirat Prasutanont
was the one responsible for the airport closure, not the PAD. Ironically,
the police also charge against those singers and the presenters who were
attending the rallies, even though they are not the leader and noticeably
harmless. On the contrary, many cases of the red-shirt leaders are
extremely delayed, such as the lese majeste crime commited by Mr. Jakkrapob
Penkae. As you maybe aware, the police officers are mostly “Tomato” serving
the crook Thaksin. If this is truly a class war as you mentioned prior,
then Mr.Thaksin is one on the top rank, since he can intervene in the
police investigation by using his bribery connection.
Naked Farang
17 Jul 2010, 19:57
@Nae: The fact is that the law was broken by the reds and the yellows.
There is no denying that the reds committed far more violent acts and
caused far more damage and, therefore, should be dealt with more severely.
However, the laws of the land must be followed without favour or
persecution.
Whether this is possible is another question. As I also mentioned in my
article, it appears that some yellow shirts have been belatedly charged
just to keep some balance. This obviously poses several questions about the
impartiality of the current legal system.
It also seems strange that the English red shirt supporter who was arrested
has been processed and released already, but cases against yellow shirt
leaders have still not been processed some 2 years after their protests, or
for that matter certain cases against red shirt leaders, particularly
Arisman for the violence at the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya.
On a separate point, it is true that the yellow shirts did not close the
airports, but that is a weak argument. The airports had to be closed
because of the protest, in the same way that Siam Paragon, Central World
and several other businesses had to be closed this year because of the red
protests.
