Thailand

Thai PM tells US envoy general election can be held early next year
Source

BANGKOK, July 16 - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday briefed visiting United States under secretary of state for political affairs William Burns on Thailand's political situation and reaffirmed that a new general election can be held early next year IF the national reconciliation plan yields results, according to Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister Panithan Wattanayagorn.

Dr Panithan, acting government spokesman, said the premier has met with Mr Burns and discussed cooperation between the two countries including trade, investment and national security.

Mr Abhisit has briefed the US envoy regarding Thailand's situation and progress on the national reconciliation road map, said Dr Panitan.

The spokesman said the Thai premier assured Mr Burns that from early next year, a general election COULD be held IF national reconciliation and reform plans are kept on the track and produce a concrete outcome.

Dr Panitan said Mr Abhisit also expressed his gratitude to the US after Congress voted 411-4 in early July to call on all parties in Thailand to work assiduously to settle their differences under the premier's five-point national reconciliation plan.

"The US has good understanding and always closely monitors the situation in Thailand. They shared common idea with the Thai government on the reconciliation plan. Today's meeting between Mr Abhisit and Mr Burns is only an exchange of general ideas on the situation here and political development," said Mr Panitan.

The prime minister also clarified the senior US envoy about the extension of state of emergency in Bangkok and other 18 provinces, saying that the enforcement is needed and in accordant with the law, he said.

Mr Panitan said the premier told Mr Burns that his government is now trying to reduce the Emergency Decree enforcement, but the law is maintained in some areas to facilitate operation of concerned officials to restore order and normalcy as soon as possible.

Meanwhile Mr Burns, the State Department's number three official and at the top position for career US diplomats, was quoted by the news agency Agence-France-Presse after meeting Mr Abhisit as saying he hopes the emergency decree imposed in Bangkok since early April should be lifted as soon as possible.

He also said that Americans had been "deeply saddened" by the violence which occurred during the ten weeks of anti-government demonstrations which ended May 19 with 90 people killed and nearly 1,900 wounded from several clashes between Thai troops and Red Shirt protesters.

Mr Burns is on an official regional tour and will be in Phnom Penh on Saturday before heading to Indonesia and the Philippines, respectively.
(MCOT online news)

"Controversial ad 'not banned'
Published: 21/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
Source

The censorship board has denied banning the controversial TV commercial "Thailand, We Apologise", saying it was in the process of correcting the advert before allowing it to be aired.

Certain scenes in the commercial, lasting about 20 seconds, would be cut because they were deemed to be inappropriate and could be against the law, the board said in a statement released yesterday.The producers of the advert submitted it to the board for approval on June 21 and on June 28 they reported to the board about changes they had made to to correct some parts that the board had said were against the law.

See also: The impossible task of blocking websites

The board said the producers were now in the process of correcting the problematic parts of the commercial and would then resubmit it for approval.

Scenes to be removed include those of protesters torching public property [on May 19], security officers holding weapons and getting ready to fire them, some pornographic images, some deemed offensive to religious institutions, images of protesters [both yellow shirts and red shirts] gathering in political rallies in a way that might trigger a state of unrest or affect national unity or internal security.

Even without the approval of the censors, trailers for the commercial have been screened at certain events and released to some TV programmes that agreed to air the advert to help promote it.

The commercial was first screened to enthusiastic applause at an event called "Ignite Thailand" held at Lumpini Park on June 16.

The 150-second long original version of the commercial has been uploaded onto the internet and has been viewed by large numbers of people.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Monday he has suggested the censorship board reconsider banning the TV ad.

He said he has watched it and thinks its producers only had good intentions in getting their message across to the Thai people.

The producers of the advert said last week they were shocked to learn that it had been banned."

The banned spot:

The protests in Bangkok have been dispersed, but class hatred continues to simmer. How can Thailand solve its crisis? About one week ago the German news magazine DER SPIEGEL spoke with Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya about former Prime Minister Thaksin, the army, media censorship -- and a king who has been remarkably silent.

ABOUT KASIT PIROMYA
Kasit Piromya, born in 1944, is Thailand's foreign minister. After studying law he entered the diplomatic service and was stationed in Belgium, the Soviet Union, Indonesia, Germany, Japan and the US. He was appointed as foreign minister in the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in December 2008.

Interview:
SPIEGEL: Mr. Kasit, the world has not forgotten the images of the bloody unrest in Thailand. At the time it looked as if Thailand was on the brink of civil war. What measures is the government taking to reconcile the two political camps?

Kasit: It is not an issue of two camps. The interpretation of a divided country does not reflect the real situation in Thailand. Rather, it was created only six months ago by protest leaders to incite people to take part in the anti-government demonstrations. The Red Shirts protested in order to support the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to bring him back to Thailand without having him serve the jail sentence he has received for corruption and conflict of interest while in office.

SPIEGEL: Apart from the political attitude towards Thaksin, the farmers of the north believe they do not benefit from the country's economic growth.

Kasit: In the past 30 years, we have had a growing middle class and rising urbanization in Thailand. Poverty has been reduced greatly. If you look at this statistically, the latest United Nations figures show that level of economic disparity in Thailand is no different from that of other developing countries and even better than some developed countries. Having said that, in every society there will always be people who are not satisfied.

SPIEGEL: What is your explanation for the protests?

Kasit: The Marxist-Leninist interpretation was used by some protest leaders to paint a picture of disparity in Thai society -- between the rich and poor, rural and urban areas -- to attract supporters. This notion has also been accepted by the leftist media around the world.

SPIEGEL: But the protesters themselves are not Marxists?

Kasit: Some of their leaders are. Indeed, some are former members of the Communist Party of Thailand.

SPIEGEL: How have the leaders succeeded in gaining so much support?

Kasit: The protest is coordinated, organized and financed by Mr. Thaksin and his people. It is not something that happened naturally like in other countries, where demonstrations are spontaneous, like in Greece.

SPIEGEL: Maybe the Red Shirts learned from the Yellow Shirts? The Yellow Shirts occupied the airport in Bangkok.

Kasit: The Yellow Shirts were protesting against the Thaksin government because of corruption. The Red Shirts were protesting against this particular government in order to help Mr. Thaksin. The two causes are not the same.

SPIEGEL: They blame the government for the same things.

Kasit: Problems faced by Thai society have accumulated over the years. Although they did not start during our time in government, we are trying to address them in a sustainable manner.

SPIEGEL: What is Thailand's sickness?

Kasit: Ethics, and good governance issues. The interference of money politics. And the one who has instigated all this corruption was the former prime minister, who is now travelling around the world with foreign passports.

SPIEGEL: Wouldn't it be best to hold new elections?

Kasit: Why not? But the conditions must first be conducive.

SPIEGEL: What about elections in November?

Kasit: In early May, the prime minister offered to hold early elections in November if all sides accept his reconciliation plan, but Mr. Thaksin refused it. And then he started to have this armed insurrection.

SPIEGEL: So you are not talking about elections in November any more?

Kasit: No. That is now off the table as the protest leaders rejected the prime minister's reconciliation plan. The government is nevertheless proceeding with this five-point plan, and committees have already been set up. Everyone can participate in constructing a new Thailand.

SPIEGEL: But many media are being censored, like Prachathai.

Kasit: Well, if you have media that keep on promoting hate campaigns and reporting news that infringe upon the private lives of other people ...

SPIEGEL: So you think it is necessary to block thousands of Web sites?

Kasit: Those sites were attacking the prime minister and the royal family in a very inappropriate manner. Would you allow that in Germany?

SPIEGEL: The German government doesn't block thousands of Web sites.

Kasit: The German media does not use inappropriate language like the Thai media.

SPIEGEL: Do you think good progress has been made with the reconciliation plan?

Kasit: All the committees have now been established to promote reconciliation and reform in accordance with the Prime Minister's five-point road map, including an independent fact-finding inquiry, economic and social reform, media issues and constitutional amendments. They have to make recommendations by the end of the year. But at the same time, you also have to ask Mr. Thaksin when he is going to stop hiring consulting companies in London and Washington to do media campaigns and distorting the news.

SPIEGEL: Why does the government fear Thaksin?

Kasit: We are not afraid of him. He ran away. He fears the law. But he has been instigating the unrest and trying to bring down the government unconstitutionally. I did not run away from all my court cases. I have so many cases against me. I did not jump bail.

SPIEGEL: Which role can the king play in this process of reconciliation?

Kasit: He is above politics.

SPIEGEL: Many people say he has the power to unite the people.

Kasit: It is not his constitutional obligation.

SPIEGEL: What is the role of the monarchy in Thailand?

Kasit: It is the symbol of the country.

SPIEGEL: In the United States, you said: "I think we have to talk about the institution of the monarchy, how it would have to reform itself to the modern globalized world." How should the monarchy reform itself?

Kasit: The institution of the monarchy is a self-evolving one. His Majesty the King introduced the philosophy of a sufficiency economy for the Thai people to meet the global challenges, and he has many thoughts on the preservation of the environment. As for the problem of the lèse majesté law (editor's note: legislation banning insults against the royal family), about six months ago, when there was international criticism of the law, we subsequently set up an advisory committee to advise the police department in order to prevent political interferences or the law from being used for political purposes.

SPIEGEL: So it has been abused in the past?

Kasit: Of course it has been abused! Many people abused it on all sides. One of the opposition leaders charged me with lèse majesté because of my speech in Washington. I think this is abuse. I must now go to court.

SPIEGEL: There have been 18 military coups since 1932. Can you really call Thailand a democracy?

Kasit: That is a very unfair question. It takes a lot of time to become a full-fledged democratic society. We are struggling with ourselves. Having said that, despite the challenges we have faced, we have never deviated far from the road to democracy which is what the Thai people want. Look at Germany: How did you end up with Hitler?

SPIEGEL: Is it correct that you compared Thaksin to Hitler?

Kasit: Well, that is my political opinion. He can charge me. He interfered in the judicial process. He mixed business with politics, he appointed his cousin as the army chief. He appointed his friends in all the independent bodies. He started to monopolize economic activities. He was on the way to having absolute power.

SPIEGEL: That's why you call him a terrorist?

Kasit: From his actions, he is a terrorist under Thai law.

SPIEGEL: Did he use arms to topple the government?

Kasit: He supported people. There should be no difference between shooting people yourself and having people shoot on your behalf.

SPIEGEL: During this conflict more than 80 people died, more then 2,000 people were injured. Many are believed to have been shot by the army ...

Kasit: I don't know about that. You should wait for the results of the investigation. We have nothing to hide. Let the truth come out. But one should not prejudge the outcome of the inquiry. Do not specify that the army killed the people without evidence.

SPIEGEL: What do you think? Who shot the people, if not the army?

Kasit: Look at German history: What happened when Joschka Fischer was on the streets in Frankfurt? Wasn't there shooting at that time? It is also possible that the Red Shirts were shooting among themselves in order to pass the blame to the government.

SPIEGEL: What political consequences might the outcome of the investigation have? Do you think the government might resign?

Kasit: We are a country with the rule of law. We are not a banana republic. The judicial process will go on and the professionalism of our judicial process is second to none. You should not have any doubt about that.

SPIEGEL: We are talking about political responsibility.

Kasit: If there is a judgment and if the prime minister is wrong, he will go to jail. If I am wrong, then I will go to jail. I am not going to run away, like Mr. Thaksin.

see here

There is hope as long as there are editors in Thailand who have the possibility to publish commentaries as the one quoted below which I found in Bangkok Post today:

The bright yellow washing detergent
Source Bangkok Post
Published: 1/08/2010 at 12:00 AM

If it looks like a Hindu, if it was built by a Khmer and if it has all the characteristics of a Cambodian then it must belong to Thailand. But rest assured, the dispute over the 4.6 square kilometre portion of the Preah Vihear temple isn't really about the 4.6 square kilometres.

It isn't even about Preah Vihear itself. Therefore, this commentary will not dwell on who Preah Vihear really belongs to.

Though this must be said, people seems to neglect the fact that another World Heritage site, Vihear Phra Mongkolpitr in Ayutthaya, may be taken off the World Heritage list by Unesco. The reason is because it's so poorly run that it has become more like a weekend market filled with garbage.

And we, Thailand, still have the gall, the audacity, to make claims with the World Heritage Committee.

But this isn't about Preah Vihear or Vihear Phra Mongkolpitr. This is about the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). This is about the New Politics Party.

This is about the yellow shirts.

In 2005 when the PAD came out in droves and shook the capital city of Bangkok, they managed to bring the poor and elites together.

Covered head-to-toe in sunscreen, high society khunyings put on their Gucci sunglasses and donned yellow silk blouses and flowery hats. Umbrellas in hand, they took to the streets with their prai counterparts.

How was this possible? The PAD's slogans sang to everyone's heartstrings: down with corruption, taking pride in nationalism and - last but not least, in fact, it's definitely the most - protect the royal institution.

It was simple political ingenuity. It was brilliant.

Suddenly, Thaksin Shinawatra making funny faces during an audience with His Majesty the King became a matter of national controversy.

''He made funny faces. He must be a traitor!''

''He made funny faces. He must want to bring down the monarchy and become president!''

Smack it, wrap it and pack it - the people bought it, hook, line and sinker.

If that wasn't enough, there's Preah Vihear - a place most Thais had never even heard of until the PAD mentioned it.

Sovereignty. Pride. Nationalism.

''That traitor is trading our heritage, our land, our history, for a casino in Koh Kong!''

''He's in collusion with a foreign country!''

Oh how that whipped the Thai people into a fury - then and now.

I say then and now, because that is the cow that the PAD will milk until it runs dry. But you see, this cow never runs dry, for her name is ''pride'', ''nationalistic pride''.

Never mind the corruption bit - any old political movement can sing that tune. But nationalism, sovereignty and the royal institution? Now that is some strong detergent for a thorough washing of the brain.

Do not be surprised that the yellow movement, which has been relatively quiet over the past year, is now making plenty of headlines.

They have merely been building their political networks.

Do not be shocked that Major General Chamlong Srimuang can led a political gathering of hundreds of people to the Unesco offices in Bangkok - a city under emergency decree where a political gathering of the red shirts means a police round-up and into the prison they go.

But a political gathering of the yellows? Well, here's a newsflash: the emergency decree has been renamed ''the Emergency Red Only, with Special Exception to His Excellency Chamlong Srimuang the Untouchable Decree''.

Do not even raise an eyebrow that the yellow banners of nationalism, sovereignty and the royal institution are flying again.

After all, they are now the New Politics Party and Bangkok district elections are coming up.

As well, the general election - by all accounts - could be coming as soon as early next year. Not to mention, the Democrat Party might be dissolved by the Constitution Court over alleged illegal donations.

Somebody is licking their chops at filling the vacuum.

On the Preah Vihear issue, if we were to look at the Thai press we would see columns and articles decrying: ''Abhisit is acting too late!''

''The government is losing our sovereignty!''

''Ignorance and lethargy are causing us to lose our national integrity!''

Well, the mind of the media is as easily washed as anyone else's. It is all playing into the hands of the yellow shirts.

Naturally, in the past week the prime minister came out swinging hooks and uppercuts about saving the integrity of 4.6 square kilometres that looks like a Hindu, was built by a Khmer and has all the characteristics of a Cambodian - all of which supposedly stands on Thai soil.

Fortunately for the prime minister, victory to Thai pride was hailed and integrity was safe. We managed to get a delay in the decision because we threatened: ''We're gonna quit and won't play with you guys anymore! Boo hoo!''

At the heart of it, the prime minister didn't have much choice. Failing to act, he may have been branded ''a sell-out'' or even ''a traitor''. No politicians, especially ones in government, can afford that.

Shouting the slogans of pride, nationalism, sovereignty and the royal institution worked out wonderfully for the yellow shirts four years ago in helping to bring down Thaksin Shinawatra. Today, the same slogans will help to expand their political power.

Patriotism is the love of one's country. Nationalism is the vanity of one's country. You see, dear readers, it is not about 4.6 square kilometres. It is not about Preah Vihear.

It's about the yellow shirts. It's about the PAD.

It's about the New Politics Party making its move to win the Thai people's hearts and minds, and hence our votes, by appealing to that basest of society's instincts - nationalism.

Quite a complete political analysis of the situation, refering to Thailand's past, presence, and future, can be found h e r e.

'Farang cannot know' - even if they do understand
Source

James, a 60-year-old American who lives in Khon Kaen with his Isan wife, still cannot get over the deadly incident in Bangkok's Ratchaprasong area on May 19, 2010. He has expressed his anger over the state's "crackdown" on red-shirted demonstrators and the arrest of the core leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).

James believes that the Abhisit Vejjajiva government is not sincere about pushing for political reforms and that it only aims at preserving the power of the traditional elite.Meanwhile in Bangkok, Brian, 45, an Australian expat working at a private bank on Silom Road, applauded the government for its decisive operation against the red shirts who had paralysed Bangkok's upscale shopping district for three months. Brian thought most of the protesters were uneducated and had been manipulated by an evil man, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and that they simply did not understand democracy.

These are just two examples but they show that stereotypes on both sides of the expat fence are as crude today as they are entrenched. While some farangs who have settled in the North and Northeast with their Thai wives wish to identify themselves as part of the red shirt movement spearheading an agenda to eliminate double standards and social injustice, other farangs who work in the capital seem to support the elitist politics, probably as it corresponds better with their values and interests of resisting a shift in the status quo.

Clearly, not only is the political fault-line running deep among the Thai people, but it also cuts through foreigners residing in Thailand whose lives have been affected one way or another by the current conflict.

For farangs who have become sympathetic with the red shirts, their political opinions have often been construed as something of a threat to the traditional elite. When this threat grows large, the Thai elite find ways to discredit their views, humiliate their status in Thai society, even label them as "the other" in the perfect world of Thai nationhood.

Traditionally, the general Thai view is that some farangs may know a lot about Thai politics, culture, way of life and so on, but they will never be able to reach the core of Thai-ness.

Farang professors might have spent years studying Thailand, but they will never understand the country in the same way the Thais do. It is with this assumption that the Thai elite continue to build protective walls against the interference from resident foreigners.

As the political conflict became increasingly brutal, the traditional elite embarked on stirring up a sense of xenophobia among the Thais.

As a result, some members of the Thai public have shown their disapproval of those certain farangs whose political viewpoints are different from theirs.

The case of the CNN reporting on the Thai crisis exemplifies how the discourse of "farangs-who-know-little-about-Thailand" has been played up in order to conceal the ugliness of Thai politics.

Most Thais who have access to CNN, particularly those who have been well-exposed to international media, were quick to bring into disrepute the credibility of the American global news network.

CNN was criticised for its allegedly biased coverage of the military operation to contain the red shirts' protest. Its correspondent, Dan Rivers, bore the brunt of criticism for his alleged "misinformation, generalisation and prejudice" as he reported the story of Thailand's conflict to the outside world. Some Thai patriots condemned Mr Rivers for failing to properly explain the political context prior to the violent clashes of May 2010.

For Thais, although Mr Rivers may be an award-winning correspondent for CNN, he "obviously lacks knowledge of Thai politics".

But all these allegations obscured the fact that some local media openly adopted a pro-government stance and rarely published any statements from the red shirt movement.

Mr Rivers was undoubtedly reconstructed into a threat to the elites' view of the world, their power and their reputation on the global stage.

There was even an ungrounded rumour going around that Mr Rivers had an Isan wife and was thus prejudiced in favour of the red shirts.

Mr Rivers refuted the rumour in one of his tweets: "To those who say I am married to a northeasterner - yes that's true, my wife is from the northeast: Australia, not Thailand! And she ain't a red shirt."

The CNN correspondent is not the first and will not be the last casualty of Thailand's political polarisation. Some of his journalist colleagues were branded "ill-equipped" to report on the Thai situation. Others were investigated for violating the lese-majeste law, including BBC correspondent Jonathan Head.

Outside the media world, a few pro-red shirt farangs have been prosecuted, jailed and deported. In this process, their intelligence was insulted not only by Thais but also by other farangs who stood on the opposite side.

Thai and farang alike did not protest when Australian Conor David Purcell and Briton Jeff Savage, who were seen at the anti-government rally, were arrested. They probably believed Mr Purcell and Mr Savage knew nothing about the Thai conflict but had agreed to support the red shirts because they wanted to become famous.

This Thai aspect regarding expatriate foreigners unveils an irony that has long persisted in Thai society. In retrospect, the traditional elite have always viewed themselves as being caught in the dilemma of whether to wipe out the threatening farang culture or to welcome its modernity. Domestically, such a dilemma emerges as a challenge to Thai leaders, either to pursue a highly nationalistic policy in order to defend something "Thai", or to celebrate a pluralistic society. Today, the mounting Thai xenophobia has the potential to deconstruct the country's image as a land of great hospitality and open-mindedness towards foreign residents and guests.

More quintessentially, the discourse on the "impenetrable Thai world" has continued to arbitrarily serve as a political shield for traditional leaders to undermine any threat that arises from the supposedly incompatible farang world.

you may find another place to live anytime you want. until then you have no say.

Most Anglo people do not understand the culture and nature of the history of the South East Asian countries and I don't claim to, either. But while in Vietnam I did study the IChing, Buddahism, Confusious, Texts of Taoism and Mao's Little Red Book and the Ugly American.
Many countries around the world have at one time belong to a larger empire and were ruled by War Lords or self appointed Kings and some had royal blood lines by which they were ruled. And many had and still do Military Controlled Huntas established and recoginized as legitimate governments by many other countries and Thailand is one of those countries.
The relationship between "Siam" and the western world is old and contact was first made by the British but, during the American Revolutionary War, the French Navy attacked the British Navy in the seas around Thailand and the defeat of the British by the Americans never allowed them to regain the control of the "Siam" kingdom they once had. The French began to replace the British influence in the Region. And the French being French had no problems letting countries be run by corrupt royal governments.
World War I had a bigger effect in the South East Asia than hisory mentions because it meant that the US, in effect, being the dominant partner in the victory of WWI they , gladly, inherited much of the territory once controled by the French and British.
When WWII happened the US, British and Australian Forces desperately needed the help and location of Thailand to fight the Jappanesse in SE Asia and gave the Royal Governments what ever they wanted or needed and much they didn't know how to use. After WWII the US still had many major bases in Thailand and did not want to loose them. A deterent against China and Russia the US needed those bases and were willing to go along with any governemt in power to keep them and that is still true today.
It maybe true some foreign nationals got arrested for taking part in the demonstrations and the government of Thailand is censoring the news and media in and out of Thailand. Very similar to what has and is happening in Burma and China.
The one thing that I have always believed is that if you show a person in a different country the same respect you would give a friend you earn that person's respect and friendship. And if you happen to be from a "Democracy" the person who hasn't had your freedom becomes very interested in hearing and learning about how a "Free Society" works and is run. It is the desire of all people to have the same freedoms as every member or society should have but, the United States of America is the only country with a Constitution that allows us to have a "Republic" where every person is consider an equal.
The truth of the matter is: That will never happen. The "Elitists" or wealthy have no interest in allowing all of us to have the same prividliges they have and they don't want us to have the same "rights" they have.
The main weapon the governments and the wealthy use is class bigotry and racism amoung the pouplation. Especailly, here in America, where every one, except the whites, are classed by ethnic orgions. The Govt and liberals will tell you it's for the honor and antcestory and heritage. WORNG. It is to keep record of our movements and used to set up political friendly election districts to the politicians in power.
I don't know if you have racial problems in Thailand but I know that the govt is playing one part of society against the other.
This simple fact is the one thing that will always divide a populace one working class element against another falsly believing what the govt shovels out to keep our attention focused on where it should be. The realization that the Government is responsible to the people.
The American people who are viewed negatively is more than likely an unfair grouping of a few who behave badly in your politics as opposed to those who do support your countrymen in their bid for freedom.

THIS NOT DIRECTED PERSONAL TO ANYONE IN THE THREAD



all I know is it is no different any country and you can say all you want different. The rich decide and have the influence. If a poor man becomes rich only one of 2 thing happen. 1. he wastes it all and becomes poor again or 2. he becomes just like the other rich and forgets what it is to be poor.

I am so sick of listen to foreigners live here complain. The laws are bad ......the police are no good......we could not survive with out them.

if you want to live here you accept it or get out and go where you like it. of cause we have problems but so do everybody and our problems are our business. For many many years men have said I am not appreciated here I am going to leave.....I SAY SO LEAVE.....ther eis always another waiting to take your place. Stop the threat stop the whining and just leave. I promise you as we welcome the next guy we forget you aready.