Is Thailand now a dictatorship??

[dirtydog]

I reckon it is, and things will probably get worse.

CRISIS IN THE SOUTH: PM opts for measured start

Published on July 20, 2005

Seven of 16 emergency powers to be applied to counter militants, but Thaksin can impose others as he sees fit

The government yesterday imposed emergency rule in the three southernmost Muslim-majority provinces but opted to apply only seven of the 16 measures allowed under the State of Emergency Decree, in an apparent concession after strong criticism of the new law.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said measures involving the media would be avoided and applied only when deemed necessary, such as in cases where it was decided that media reports were intended to be misleading so as to cause fear and misunderstanding.

The decree empowers the prime minister to apply any of the measures at any time he sees fit.

The government yesterday revoked martial law in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and declared a “severe state of emergency” across the three border provinces, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told a press conference at Government House.

Earlier, security agencies suggested that four Songkhla districts that border those provinces – Thepha, Saba Yoi, Chana and Na Thawi – also be declared emergency areas.

The prime minister “saw no need” for Songkhla to be covered in the plan as violent incidents in those districts did not occur as frequently as they did in the three border provinces, government spokesman Chalermdej Jombunud said.

Thaksin told reporters that putting Songkhla under emergency rule would cause widespread concern among the public.

The Cabinet yesterday resolved to give local authorities the power to hold suspects without charge, summon people and seize documents when investigating violent incidents, seize suspicious objects, conduct searches, as well as remove or destroy parts of structures when deemed necessary.

Local authorities can also expel foreigners and ban the sale of items that could be used as weapons to create violence.

Those items could include mobile-phone SIM cards, which have been used to trigger bombs in recent attacks.

Local authorities will also have the power to call in military reinforcements to help civil officials and police curb violence.

The application of the measures will take effect when they are published in the Royal Gazette.

Other measures that have not been applied include curfews, phone tapping and a ban on public assembly, according to Wissanu.

The Cabinet yesterday appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya, who is in charge of security affairs, to head a committee to manage emergencies in the deep South, Wissanu said.

The Cabinet also agreed in principle to appoint former prime minister Anand Panyarachun, chairman of the National Reconciliation Commission, to head a committee that will accept complaints on human-right violations.

That committee will be set up after the new law takes effect, Wissanu said.

Meanwhile, Thaksin said he believed some high-ranking military officers had not worked to the best of their ability in the deep South. “These military leaders should visit the area to assist their subordinates,” he said.

Thaksin warned he would “take care of them” in a major military reshuffle next month.

the linky

[dirtydog]

EMERGENCY POWERS: Media finally unites in face of blatant assault on press freedom

Published on July 20, 2005

Editors agree PM has hidden agenda for enacting decree during meeting yesterday

The far-reaching state of emergency decree has rattled editors in the Thai news media.

Once again, media professionals have found the need to stand shoulder to shoulder to defend both the public’s right to know and uncensored freedom of expression in this country.

Editors know well that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is power-hungry and will do anything to silence dissenting voices in the media, especially when it comes to reports of unchecked violence in the deep South.

Interestingly, the 50 editors who converged yesterday at the headquarters of the Thai Journalists’ Association saw, eye-to-eye, that the prime minister has a hidden agenda. They believe he is using troubles in the far South as a pretext for enacting the emergency decree, which has been on the drawing board for some time.

Banyat Thatsaneeyavej, a retired veteran journalist from the Bangkok Post, said it was yet another vicious cycle of a dictatorial government wanting to force its voice on the media and use them as an instrument of propaganda.

She said that in her 40 years of journalism, she had been through all kind of efforts to muzzle the media. “Governments come and go. When we write nice things, they say we are going in the right direction. But once we are critical, they say we are not in tune.”

Quite a few editors said that, from now on, if the government enforced the decree and allowed officials to read emails, tap telephones and censor news, the public interest would be greatly damaged because vital information may not be reported.

Others voiced concerns about the appropriate role of the media during times of conflict, especially in the three provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.

Most media reports from southern Thailand, they pointed out, came from government sources. Even then, the government still blamed the press for sensationalism.

Generally, editors and journalists acknowledged that TV and radio would be the hardest hit by government censorship. President of the Broadcast Journalists of Thailand, Somchai Sawaengkarn, said TV and radio had been much restricted already.

The government had used the electronic media effectively to reflect government positions and to polish its image.

After three hours of discussion the country’s editors and senior journalists issued a five-point statement reaffirming their constitutional rights and public’s right to know.

Apart from expressing concern over the deteriorating condition in the deep South, they condemned acts of terrorism everywhere. They urged the government to abolish the state of emergency decree as soon as the southern crisis was contained.

The editors also demanded that the government guarantee their right to report the truth and urged it to be frank in providing up-to-date information.

The meeting yesterday was the largest gathering of editors in eight years, since July 1997, when they met to establish the National Press Council of Thailand, and in November 1990, when they campaigned to abolish the revolutionary decree No 2.

For the first time under the Thaksin administration, editors and journalists are finally united. Previously, the Thai media suffered the shame of the government’s news management strategies and its economic incentives.

But their common fear and disgust over Thaksin’s usurpation of power has narrowed their divisions. Yesterday, they sent out a strong signal that the public’s right to know and media professionalism in reporting and disseminating news and information had to be protected. And they are ready to fight back.

The big question is how long this solidarity will last.

Kavi Chongkittavorn

will toxin kill them aswell?



the linky

[dirtydog]

SUPINYA TRIAL: DAY ONE

Published on July 20, 2005

Shin witness: She did it for the fame

Firm’s legal adviser says government never helped company

The ruling Thai Rak Thai Party has never used its power to help Shin Corp – a communications conglomerate owned by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s family – a prosecution witness told the Criminal Court yesterday on day one of media campaigner Supinya Klangnarong’s defamation trial.

“Thai Rak Thai has never helped [Shin Corp] or used its political power to help [it],” said Shin Corp legal adviser Suphot Vatitphan.

Media members and the public packed the small courtroom to hear Suphot’s testimony.

Shin Corp is seeking Bt400 million in damages from Supinya and the Thai Post newspaper for comments she made in an article published in the paper in July 2003.

Supinya, general-secretary of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform (CPMR), was quoted as saying in the paper that the firm’s profits jumped after Thaksin came to power.

Suphot told the court Supinya had defamed Shin Corp in order to gain fame. “Her intention was to gain fame,” he said.

He said Shin Corp did not benefit from its former owner running the country as Supinya had claimed.

Supinya looked slightly tense yesterday as she listened to the plaintiff’s witness. “My confidence is growing, but I’m also worried,” Supinya told reporters, adding that she believed she would prevail.

The public has donated Bt1 million into a fund to help her fight the case and Supinya said she should have enough money to keep fighting until at least the end of the year.

On the other side of the world on Monday, an international campaign to get Thaksin to drop the case was launched by the London-based World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).

The WACC’s campaign has already attracted famous names like American critic of US imperialism Noam Chomsky and free-media authority Robert McChesney.

“Media scholars from many continents are signed up,” said Ubonrat Siriyuwasak, associate professor of Mass Communications at Chulalongkorn University and CPMR chairwoman.

“There has never been anything like this. Everyone knows it’s important, both in its symbolic and real terms, because [the lawsuits] trampled on the freedom of expression.”

Shawn Crispin, Asia programme consultant for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said the criminal and civil lawsuits filed against Supinya had already served their purpose by largely keeping her from monitoring the government.

“That’s bad for press freedom. That’s bad for Thailand,” Crispin said.

A media-law expert from the International Bar Association has also flown to Bangkok from London to observe the trial for two days.

Supinya’s pro-bono lawyer, Nikhom Chompuchart, of the Law Society of Thailand, asked Suphot during his afternoon cross-examination of the witness how much he knew about businesspeople-turned-politicians furthering their business interests.

“I don’t know,” Suphot replied.

Nikhon told The Nation he that he was more than 50 per cent confident of winning the case.

Somporn Pongsuwan, lead lawyer for Shin Corp, refused to say how confident she was of winning.

The cross-examination of Suphot continues today, with defendant witnesses scheduled to begin their testimonies on August 3.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

of course him becoming thailands dictator didnt effect his companies profits.

the linky

[Fabian]

What you mean "become"?
Wasn't it Toxin who said that democracy was not his intention?

[poolcleaner]

What's this thread about?

DD have you been sneaking into ThaiVisa again??

This is definitley one of their "Woe is me and all of us" threads if ever there was one.
I couldn't believe the doom and gloom merchants over there who seem to log on only to spread the news of the impending finale of Thailand's 'Golden Years' for expats, teachers, whoever due to 'Toxsin' or bird flu, AIDS, Moslems, SARS, closing bars early.
This happy little group, who regularly tell us every six months how they're "packing their bags as we speak and heading for the next 'great haven' Korea, China, Botswana, have been predicting the 'end of life as we know it' ever since I landed in Thailand (hmm.., maybe it's got something to do with me *sniffs armpit*)
Well it's all still here and I can't say I've noticed any drastic changes in my time here so Thaksin can be a dictator for all I care I'm confident I will still work, eat, go to Cowboy regardless of what happens upstairs politically.

Just ask reg. He knows

[Fabian]

Well it's all still here and I can't say I've noticed any drastic changes in my time here so Thaksin can be a dictator for all I care I'm confident I will still work, eat, go to Cowboy regardless of what happens upstairs politically.

Just ask reg. He knows

You know, dictatorship is a stable form of government. Not too bad unless you are against the dictator and voice it.

[dirtydog]

well it used to be bars open 24 hours and up to them, but im sure nothing has changed,,,,,

[poolcleaner]

well it used to be bars open 24 hours and up to them, but im sure nothing has changed,,,,,

What I meant was, apart from the changes the 'dictatorship' has made, life for expats remains the same.

So yes, you can't drink everywhere all day and night but if you know where you certainly can drink till 6.00am.

I still haven't heard of the mass queues at the airport full of farang waiting for the first flight out of here!!
In fact everytime I go to Pattaya there seem to be more bars than last time.