Thread: Thai government bans goods that "cause disunity"; will jail violators for 2 years

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

You were warned when the coup happened.

No use crying about it now.

We were?

Who is crying about it?

I thought the general consensus was one of condemnation..?

November 20, 2010

The premier, however, said he planned to consult with Minister of Defence Gen Prawit Wongsuwan Saturday evening about the latest announcement of the Center for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) which prohibits sale or distribution of souvenirs that probably cause disunity.

The PM is afraid CRES's ban may violate human rights and finally induce to conflicts.

Parliament dissolution depends on situation: Thai PM - People's Daily Online

Originally Posted by Mid

The PM is afraid CRES's ban may violate human rights and finally induce to conflicts.

Simply order CRES to rescind the resolution. After all, as Abhisit has said himself, he is in charge.

Originally Posted by Norton

After all, as Abhisit has said himself, he is in charge.

indeed , question remains though ,

of what ?

Can't wait for the next Liverpool v Manchester United match.

Plenty of disunity there and everyone wearing red shirts...

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

Can't wait for the next Liverpool v Manchester United match.

Plenty of disunity there and everyone wearing red shirts...

They could just cut the satellite feed...

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

An army source said Gen Prayuth was upset when he came across T-shirts and sandals carrying photos mocking important figures.

That's democratic then... a general decides he doesn't like a T-shirt, so the next minute he implements a ban (along with fines and prison time) upon the nation. Not a judicial body or a government group, but the head of the army - the same army that like coups... There is no possible defence for this, though TH will likely try... These generals need prison time, they are raping the nation and the chances for future generations, upon thier whims...

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Gen Prayuth has also asked the media to clearly state in their news reports the name of specific red shirt groups. He insisted that groups adopted different standpoints and it would be misleading to lump them together.

& now he tells the medai what to say (not exactly a new event)...

What to say, what to hear, what to wear; the general decides. It's that simple.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

a general decides he doesn't like a T-shirt, so the next minute he implements a ban (along with fines and prison time) upon the nation.

Don't be too hard on the General. Still plenty of shirts on sale not causing disunity. Hope red is not your favorite color.

^ I'm an Ipswich fan, and I see a few blue ones there; probably be a bit tight for me though...

I hate Norwich!

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Gen Prayuth has also asked the media to clearly state in their news reports the name of specific red shirt groups. He insisted that groups adopted different standpoints and it would be misleading to lump them together.

So he's not totally dumb.

Originally Posted by Norton

The PM is afraid CRES's ban may violate human rights and finally induce to conflicts.

The irony.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010...-30142809.html

PM to discuss ban on goods with his image

By The Nation
Published on November 21, 2010

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday ordered a review of the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation's ban on sale of any goods that may create national division, especially items with his face printed on them.

Reacting to the move by Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha who has ordered concerned authorities to seize or confiscate materials or goods likely to create division, Abhisit said the ban would adversely affect constitutional rights and since the emergency decree had been lifted, the ban would not be effective. "Since I am not in CRES, I do not know details about the ban. Originally there has been concern about lese majesty offences. If that is the case, I agree that we need to be strict, but this ban concerns national rifts, so it may affect human rights. We have to find a balance and see what is suitable so this will not cause more conflicts," he said.

He said he would discuss the issue with Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan at their meeting yesterday.

Abhisit was responding to a public outcry over arrests of vendors who sold flip-flops with his face on them during red-shirt rallies, including the latest gathering on Friday at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok. With the ban not yet lifted, police have no choice but to arrest vendors with such materials and seize them.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

"Since I am not in CRES, I do not know details about the ban.

what more proof do we need that the PM doesn't run the country ?

Bangkok Post : Democracies don't ban items of free expression

Democracies don't ban items of free expression

• Published: 21/11/2010 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd announced a ban on souvenirs and other materials considered offensive to the monarchy and pandering to disunity, which the CRES said were available at Friday's red shirt rally at Ratchaprasong. The CRES issued a number of orders to prohibit the sale or free distribution of rally materials including shirts, photographs, illustrations and printed texts apparently aimed at sparking disunity in society.



Severe penalties _ up to two years in jail and a maximum fine of 40,000 baht _ were set for violating the ban, which was signed by army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha. An army source said the ban was announced after Gen Prayuth was upset when he came across T-shirts and sandals with images mocking prominent figures.

The ban is problematic for several reasons. To begin with, by what authority does the military, in this case through the CRES, have the power to arbitrarily decide what is lawful and what is not and set penalties?

It is true that Bangkok and neighbouring provinces are still under the emergency decree, but unless there are some previously obscured provisions, the decree does not remove the legislative and judicial branches entirely from the legal process.

What's more, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajjiva raised hopes that the country would be moving onto a more democratic footing just 10 days ago when he said the emergency decree could be lifted before the new year. Friday's ban is a move in the wrong direction.

A second question is why the monarchy was brought into the ban. Clearly materials with photos, graphics or text offensive to the monarchy would already be covered by the nation's lese majeste laws. No such materials have been reported.

This seems to be part of a disturbing trend to equate criticism of the government with criticism of the monarchy.

There have been items mocking government figures sold and distributed before Friday, including sandals bearing the image of Prime Minister Abhisit and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, leading to the arrest of one man under the emergency decree.

Clearly wearing or selling sandals with images of the prime minister or other prominent public figures is in bad taste, but should it be against the law in a democratic nation?

When asked what criteria would be used to judge whether a particular item is capable of sparking disunity in society, Col Sansern conceded it may be difficult to make that determination. He then said it would be up to the police to judge what might cause disunity.

Friday's ban is reminiscent of the order from Gen Prayuth against political protest during the visit of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in late October after it was learned that political groups and human rights activists wanted to air their grievances before Mr Ban. Gen Prayuth took it upon himself to outlaw demonstrations not for security reasons, but because he felt they would embarrass the country.

Disunity in any society is inevitable, and attempts to stifle expressions of dissent, even when they are obviously in bad taste, will only lead to more disunity and possibly hostility. Instead of showing a thin skin and making more dubious arrests, the government should be trying to reach out to the opposition and show there is room for dissent in a free society, as long as it is peaceful.

Having said that, congratulations should be given all around for the overall handling of the red shirt rally on Friday by the government, security forces and the red shirts themselves. A crowd estimated from 6,000 to more than double that assembled peacefully at Ratchaprasong intersection and was allowed to express their opposition to the government. Then, thankfully, they went home.

It is still a long road to national reconciliation, but the first and most important step is to stop the fighting. Now hopefully it will be possible to begin a real dialogue. Efforts to impose a ban on freedom of expression only postpone that day.

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

^
Well said. The guy clearly is a crackpot.

This is the second ridiculous thing he's said in just a few weeks (the first demanding that the Reds must not demonstrate outside the UN building when Ban Ki-moon was here because it would embarrass Thailand in front of foreigners)

Expect more

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

An army source said the ban was announced after Gen Prayuth was upset when he came across T-shirts and sandals with images mocking prominent figures.

The Army has always made the rules in Thailand and does not serve the people, the government nor the electorate, now we can see this clearly again.

Nor does it care about human rights, fairness or equality and neither do the people that control it, lest you be fooled into thinking otherwise.

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

An army source said the ban was announced after Gen Prayuth was upset when he came across T-shirts and sandals with images mocking prominent figures.

The Army has always made the rules in Thailand and does not serve the people, the government nor the electorate, now we can see this clearly again.

Nor does it care about human rights, fairness or equality and neither do the people that control it, lest you be fooled into thinking otherwise.

Yes, but many circles continued to be fooled. I don't believe it's very clear at all, as many are blind towards the under-presence of militarism {for decades}. There hasn't been any shifts, waves, or periods of decline. Despite the surface folly that some would like to promote or imagine.

Hope that nobody invades Thailand, as the army will be too busy conviscating these souveniers to do any defending
Anyhow, what in the hell has it got to do with the General, or has Thailand become part of Myanmar.

Some are just learning as to the real reason for a strong standing military presence in Thailand. Nothing whatsoever to do with foreign invaders.

When an army general makes up laws, and implements them, upon whims then it is very very clear.

The PM, government and legal instituitions were not involved. It was a personal whim by somebody carrying a big gun who is outside of the legal process for making laws.

It does not get any clearer or more extreme than this.

The general needs prison time.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

When an army general makes up laws, and implements them, upon whims then it is very very clear.

The PM, government and legal instituitions were not involved. It was a personal whim by somebody carrying a big gun who is outside of the legal process for making laws.

It does not get any clearer or more extreme than this.

What's even more macabre is the integrated casualness of understanding and acceptance to this militaristic arrogance of influence. Better chance that the average Somchai is touched by the rotating lookalike General-Superior-of-the-month then he would be by his local "civil" representative.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

The general needs prison time.

Or something else a bit ... swifter.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

When an army general makes up laws, and implements them, upon whims then it is very very clear.

The PM, government and legal instituitions were not involved. It was a personal whim by somebody carrying a big gun who is outside of the legal process for making laws.

It does not get any clearer or more extreme than this.

The general needs prison time.

Indeed, do you remember this....kept the important bits....

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingn...hai-army-chief

'I don't hate Red Shirts,' says Prayut

• Published: 6/10/2010 at 09:58 PM
• Online news: Breakingnews

Thailand's new army chief vowed on Wednesday to stay out of the country's colour-coded politics, playing down his image as a vociferous opponent of the anti-government "Red Shirt" movement.

Thai General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, seen here in September 2010, has vowed to stay out of the country's colour-coded politics. The Thai army chief played down his image as a vociferous opponent of the anti-government "Red Shirt" movement.

"I have never said I hate Red Shirts... Thais have one colour," General Prayut Chan-O-Cha said at his first news conference since taking the job on October 1.

"We are not involved in politics," he added. "There is already a lot to do."

<snip>

Prayut said that another coup "should be out of the question" but appeared not to rule out the possibility of military intervention completely.

"Whatever can stabilise our country, go ahead and do it, the army will support it, but when our country is in jeopardy we will act," he said.

<snip>

Prayut said the army was not responsible for the deaths of protesters.

"We are not killing or injuring them. We have told them not to join rallies again because lives are at risk when there are weapons involved," he said.

<snip>

Both were central to the 2006 coup that ousted tycoon-turned-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is a hero to many of the Reds for his policies for the masses but reviled by the Bangkok-based elite.