Post-Poll Tensions Rise for New Thai Leader

[StrontiumDog]

Thaksin Critics Plan Yingluck Protests - WSJ.com

Post-Poll Tensions Rise for New Thai Leader

Activists Seek Anticorruption Probe, Alleging Thailand's New Leader Concealed Assets of Her Fugitive Brother

By JAMES HOOKWAY And WILAWAN WATCHARASAKWET

BANGKOK—A group of die-hard anti-Thaksin activists is stepping up its campaign for authorities to charge Thailand's new leader with perjury in a sign that tensions could resurface in one of Southeast Asia's most volatile nations despite last weekend's decisive election.

Path Back to Power?


Take a look at Thaksin Shinawatra's unfinished political career.

The critics said Tuesday that they will launch new protests to press the country's anticorruption watchdog to investigate Yingluck Shinawatra, the presumptive next prime minister, for allegedly concealing assets of her fugitive brother, ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

While the political temperature in Thailand has eased considerably since the vote, which Ms. Yingluck's party won in a landslide, the proposed protests is a reminder of the hazards that may lie ahead for her once she takes power, analysts said.

If any protests gained momentum in the months to come, they could complicate Thailand's delicate political balancing act just as it is showing signs of stabilizing after several years of turmoil.

Anti-Thaksin protests paved the way for a military coup that toppled Mr. Thaksin in 2006, and a blockade in 2008 shut down Bangkok's international airports.

Led by Tul Sitthisomwong, a medical lecturer, the activists say that Ms. Yingluck perjured herself when she told Thailand's Supreme Court last year that she had bought 20 million baht, or around $660,000, of shares several years earlier in the telecommunications company that Mr. Thaksin founded, Shin Corp.

The Supreme Court later ruled that Mr. Thaksin had attempted to conceal ownership of his shares in Shin Corp.—later sold to Singapore's Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd.—by claiming to distribute them among his family in order to circumvent rules prohibiting politicians from owning stock.

It also confiscated $1.46 billion of Mr. Thaksin's assets, infuriating the businessman, who later described the ruling as a way to curb his political reach after the army forced him from office.



Ms. Yingluck and her aides in the pro-Thaksin Puea Thai, or For Thais, Party, couldn't immediately be reached to comment, but she has previously denied any wrongdoing. Mr. Thaksin has always maintained his innocence.

A prominent Puea Thai candidate, Nattawut Saikua, said Dr. Tul should reconsider his protest plans because the people of Thailand have already voted. "It's time to move on," Mr. Nattawut said.

Officials at Thailand's Department of Special Investigations are probing the allegations to decide whether to pursue a case.

Dr. Tul said in a telephone interview that his group, the Network of Citizen Volunteers Protecting the Land, will begin protesting at the headquarters of Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission on July 12.


Reuters Thailand's presumptive next prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, right, greets guests in Bangkok on Tuesday.


He said the campaign also aims to prevent Thailand's populist politicians from using their electoral mandates to put themselves above the law—such as by passing an amnesty law that might enable Mr. Thaksin to return to Thailand a free man and evade imprisonment on a 2008 corruption conviction.

"Even though Puea Thai won a landslide majority in Parliament and probably feels quite powerful at the moment, we'd like to remind them that they can't do everything they want," said Dr. Tul, 45 years old.

However, the activists, known informally as the "multishirts" because anybody can join their rallies—not just anti-Thaksin protesters who have been known in the past for their yellow attire—might not attract the kind of crowds that have shut down large parts of Bangkok in the past, according to analysts.

"With a landslide victory in the election, it will be difficult for smaller players like Dr. Tul to generate a lot of support," said Pavin Chachavalpongpun at the Institutes of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

Still, many in Bangkok's middle classes are alarmed at the prospect of another pro-Thaksin government taking over power, especially as some similar efforts in the past have snowballed into bigger affairs. Social-networking sites such as Facebook have been deluged with anti-Thaksin messages.

Some people are concerned that Ms. Yingluck's populisteconomic policies, which include increasing Thailand's minimum wages and guaranteeing higher prices for farmers, could speed up inflation.

Others are worried about Puea Thai's campaign pledge to bring Mr. Thaksin back from his self-imposed exile in Dubai, though in recent days the party has indicated it may be willing to hold off on trying for now.

The telecommunications billionaire is a deeply divisive figure.

He is adored in many parts of rural Thailand for his cheap health-care and easy-credit policies but reviled among some of Thailand's traditional ruling elites for the way he easily dominated the country's fragile democracy and for his alleged corruption.

Thailand's courts already have shown a willingness to take a stand against Mr. Thaksin's supporters. The Constitutional Court removed two pro-Thaksin prime ministers in 2008, one for accepting payments to appear on a television cooking shows, and another for buying votes. When the army toppled him, top generals also justified their actions by accusing him of undermining the authority of <redacted>.

With Mr. Thaksin's influence again looming over the country, analysts say there is potential for a fresh round of protests to emerge eventually—even if they aren't triggered by Dr. Tul's group.

Mr. Thaksin's critics are still well organized. During the recent elections, some Thaksin opponents launched their own campaign urging people to vote "No" on their ballots and find some other solution to Thailand's problems. A poster campaign portrayed animals such as monkeys, lizards and buffalos dressed up as politicians—a move that angered local animal-rights groups, who said the posters unfairly compared the creatures with Thailand's political leaders.

"The ingredients for another 'shirts' protest are all there," said Paul Chambers, a professor at Payap University in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

[StrontiumDog]

Yingluck Shinawatra: 'I am capable enough to make my own decisions' - Profiles, People - The Independent

Yingluck Shinawatra: 'I am capable enough to make my own decisions'

Thailand's new Prime Minister tells Andrew Buncombe that she, not her exiled brother, is pulling the strings to unite a chaotic nation

Thursday, 7 July 2011


AP
Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand's prime minister in waiting

It has only been days since she stunned the country with her landslide election victory, but the woman set to become Thailand's first female leader is already under fierce pressure to charge the outgoing Prime Minister with murder and reform the country's harsh lese-majesty law.

Even before she and her government are officially sworn in, Yingluck Shinawatra is facing demands from the political Red Shirt movement – which helped her Puea Thai (PT) party secure power – to press ahead with controversial policies that could create fresh turmoil. They could even threaten to derail her election win.

Since that comprehensive victory on 3 July, Ms Yingluck has projected a moderate, conciliatory image and said her priorities will be introducing a series of economic measures and trying to unite the country. But it is clear that the priorities of Ms Yingluck and her PT advisers are somewhat different from those of the Red Shirts whose anti-government protests last year brought the centre of Bangkok to a halt and who this week turned out in large numbers at the ballot box.

Chief among the differences concern the events of last spring when more than 90 people were killed in clashes between Red Shirts and government troops. Ms Yingluck said she supports continuing and expanding the work of a truth and reconciliation commission that is looking into the circumstances surrounding the deaths. But the activists are far more blunt, demanding that the outgoing Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, be brought before the courts for his alleged role in last year's crackdown.

In her first newspaper interview since winning the election, Ms Yingluck told The Independent and another international publication that she recognised the high expectations she now faced.

"We have to tell people what is the plan," she said. "I believe the Thai people are patient, and the people at least give me a chance to prove my ability to help them."

On the issue of lese-majesty, a defamation law for which people can be jailed for up to 15 years for comments deemed to be insulting of the monarchy, she said a review could be carried out. Human rights campaigners have argued the measure was increasingly used under Mr Abhisit's administration to silence opponents and dissidents. A number of Red-Shirt leaders face lese-majesty allegations and one, Jatuporn Promphan, is in jail.

"I think this issue is a big sensitive issue. We need to have someone specialised to discuss [this]," she said. "We don't want people to use lese-majesty too often. We don't want Thai people to misuse this law."

She also suggested that the current constitution – drawn up following the 2006 coup which forced her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, from office – could be changed after a consultation process.

"We shall ask which version people want. We have to do public hearings for this issue," she said. "We will not discuss this at the beginning. The first priority for me is solving economic problems."

At the offices of the Red Shirts, formally known as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, the chairwoman, Tida Tawornseth, scoffed at the front page of a Thai newspaper that listed seven PT priorities and admitted she did not share them.

"The first thing for reconciliation is the truth. That should come out first," she said."Everyone should go before the courts. I will not accept an amnesty [for those responsible for last year's deaths]. Reconciliation is different from amnesty."

Ms Tida said activists also wanted to rewrite the constitution and examine the lese-majesty law.

"We want to have a commission and representatives study and discuss the new constitution," she said. "It's not just lese-majesty. That is one of the points."

Another influential Red-Shirt supporter, Giles Ji Ungpakorn, who now lives in the UK, wrote that "the important question after the election is whether the Puea Thai government will match such commitments to freedom and democracy shown by those who voted for it".

He called for the freeing of all political prisoners, the scrapping of <redacted>, the sacking of the army chief, General Prayuth Junocha, and the indictment of both General Prayuth and Mr Abhisit.

Disagreements over policy priorities and the pace at which change should be introduced are common among many political parties and the movements that spawned them, particularly after an election victory.

But they highlight the challenges facing the 44-year-old Ms Yingluck as she seeks to juggle competing interests. She is at pains to play down the prospect of the imminent return to Thailand of her brother, who many analysts believe remains the controlling hand behind PT. "My brother is highly experienced politically," she said. "But I am capable enough to make my own decisions... So I think I [will] do the leadership myself."

More than a year after the Bangkok violence, the commission tasked with investigating the circumstances has yet to make its final report. One of the most controversial incidents took place at Bangkok's Wat Patum temple, where hundreds of protesters converged after troops forced them from the camp they had established nearby. Six people were killed and others wounded.

Last year, a leaked report by police investigators suggested that special forces troops had fired into the temple from their positions on an overhead railway line.

A senior member of the commission said this week that inquiries were ongoing.

But he said the army had still not made available around seven soldiers the commission wished to interview. "We're told they are now based in the south," said the official.

Who is Yingluck Shinawatra?

* Yingluck Shinawatra is set to become Thailand's first female prime minister. But it's her family name, not her gender, which has attracted most attention since her political career began in earnest just two months ago.

* Born in 1967, Ms Yingluck is the youngest sister of Thailand's controversial former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was forced from power by a military coup in 2006. He now lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid a prison sentence in his homeland.

* A successful businesswoman by trade, this sibling connection was the closest thing Ms Yingluck had to experience in the political arena until May, when she was announced as the prime ministerial candidate for her brother's former party, Phea Thai.

* Critics have been quick to point out the 44-year-old's lack of political experience, and her brother remains a divisive figure, despite the power he still yields among the nation's key political figures.

* However, Ms Yingluck has so far proved popular among Thai voters. Her brother won favour for her among his supporters by describing her as his "clone", but she has also been lauded for her down-to-earth approach to meeting voters.

[StrontiumDog]

Bangkok Post : Perils lie in wait if reconciliation is just a slogan

Perils lie in wait if reconciliation is just a slogan

SPECIAL REPORT: In the election, Pheu Thai and the red shirts had a strong, successful alliance. With the popularity contest over and reality sinking in, will their agendas clash?

• Published: 7/07/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Pheu Thai's likely prime ministerial candidate Yingluck Shinawatra has yet to form a government but she has made it clear that national reconciliation is top of her agenda.

The question is, how to make it happen.

What Ms Yingluck has made known so far regarding this issue is as follows.

First, her party will allow the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) led by Kanit Na Nakorn to continue its investigation into what led to the April-May clashes last year.

Second, her party is likely to explore the possibility of issuing a law to pardon those involved in legal action stemming from the Sept 19, 2006 coup, both political and criminal cases.

Ms Yingluck's brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted by a coup.

She said in an interview on Monday that she would ask authorities to reopen an investigation into legal cases involving her brother and several others whom she believed were wrongly convicted or tried.

Thaksin fled into exile to avoid a two-year jail term for misuse of authority when he allowed his then wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra to enter a bid for state land in the Ratchadapisek area.

Ms Yingluck said she would set up a multi-sector panel to look into the amnesty issue.

If relatives of red shirts killed or injured during last year's clash are not satisfied with the TRCT's work under the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, will they be happy to see it carry on under Pheu Thai?

Pansak Srithep, father of 17-year-old Samaphan, who died in clashes on May 15 last year at Soi Rangnam, said it is still unclear to him how Ms Yingluck will proceed with reconciliation.

A committee of relatives of the April-May victims has announced that unless the truth about the clashes is told and justice served, there will be no reconciliation.

"An imprecise concept of reconciliation is unacceptable as it means the rule of law will be sabotaged," said Mr Pansak, 44.

"My son is dead. I need no remedy other than the truth to heal my soul."

Santipong Inchan, 25, who lost the sight in his right eye on April 10 last year after being hit by a rubber bullet, said he did not want an amnesty because he did not commit any offence.

People who took lives and injured others during last year's clashes had to be punished, he insisted.

"The government must proceed with seeking out the truth. It must not try to compromise with conservative forces and convince us to forgive and forget," he said.

"We voted you in. If you neglect this mission [of bringing justice to red shirt victims], we will bring you down," Mr Santipong said.

Asked about Ms Yingluck's call for an independent panel to pursue the amnesty idea, Kritaya Archavanitkul, a key member of the People's Information Centre for the April-May 2010 Crackdown, asked how such a panel could suddenly come into being.

"Who will sit on the committee? What will the nomination process be?" she asked.

Ms Kritaya said the panel would look more legitimate if it was set up by parliament, not by the government.

Many red shirts want changes to Article 112 of the Criminal Code concerning lese majeste.

Critics have accused Pheu Thai, Thaksin and the red shirts of being disloyal to the monarchy, and attempted to charge them with supposed breaches of Article 112.

The accused say Article 112 has been exploited as a political weapon rather than a device to protect the monarchy.

"The government will be questioned by civil society groups about how it will review Article 112," Ms Kritaya said.

If a Yingluck-led government chooses to leave the law untouched, many supporters would be unhappy, she said.

Pheu Thai has not declared its stance. Natthawut Saikua, Pheu Thai list-MP designate and a leader of the red shirts, says only that the party will not attempt to amend Chapter 2 of the constitution concerning the monarchy.

Prawais Prapanugool, lawyer for Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, who was sentenced to 18 years in jail for lese majeste, believes the "reconciliation" agenda is but a slogan that Pheu Thai Party recites to appease its critics in the military and conservative establishment.

"It looks like the kind of reconciliation where no one will be punished for the deaths and injuries.

"And there will be no review of the problematic lese majeste clause and its applications. And finally there will be an amnesty for all sides," said Mr Prawais.

Some fear red shirt MPs in Pheu Thai could hijack the party's agenda and cause social tensions to flare up again. Mr Natthawut said the red shirts have never attempted to force the party's hand.

"I insist, however, that someone must be made accountable for the 92 deaths. This is no longer an issue for the red shirts only. It has become a problem for the whole of Thailand," Mr Natthawut said.

[StrontiumDog]

Quite the hornets nest....

People, quite rightly, wanted change. They voted for it.

Now people are already pressing for it, but the government hasn't even taken up office yet.

How Yingluck deals with all these various factions is going to be the making or breaking of her tenure. She can choose to comply and accede to the demands of her electorate (a wise idea), or she could choose the Thaksin control, threaten, manipulate and centralise method...

It appears, at this stage anyway, that people wont accept the second option.

They want to see results and soon! Palpable results.

Pressure is only going to build the longer nothing happens.

Yingluck needs to be decisive. And soon! Or she may be in real trouble.

It is one thing to stir the hornets nest, but quite another to avoid being stung. Running only delays the inevitable....unless of course you are extremely fleet of foot or have somewhere to hide!

[StrontiumDog]

Analysis: Thai rural majority can't be ignored - Forbes.com

Analysis: Thai rural majority can't be ignored

By GRANT PECK , 07.07.11, 06:29 AM EDT
BANGKOK --

Thailand's landslide election result underlines the enduring influence of fugitive, populist ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra, but also confirms that the rural majority he awakened can never again be dismissed.

As his allies prepare to take power, with a strong mandate from Thailand's countryside and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra as prime minister-elect, they must tread lightly to restore equilibrium to a polarized nation and avoid any turbulent backlash from the military-backed elite in Bangkok that they have challenged.

"Winning an election in Thailand ... is very different from actually governing a divided society in which powerful interests are loath to give up their privileges," said anthropologist Charles Keyes of the University of Washington.

Much will depend on Thaksin himself, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and now lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a two-year prison term for conflict of interest. The billionaire businessman wants to return - and perhaps get back some of the $1.53 billion of his assets seized by the government.

Yingluck could ease the way, but the merest hint of rehabilitating the former leader sends his opponents into a rage.

Yingluck, 44, who jumped into politics this year from her brother's business empire, has so far ducked talking about specific plans for Thaksin's return, and has said her priority will be "how to lead the country to unity and reconciliation."

Thaksin's ouster, by a military that accused him of corruption and disrespect for the monarchy, sparked several years of sometimes-violent struggle between supporters seeking to restore his political legacy, and opponents contending he was a corrupt scoundrel intent on autocratic rule.

His loyalists won a 2007 election, but the Bangkok elite dismissed the outcome as bogus democracy, saying Thaksin's political machinery won by purchasing votes or duping uninformed farmers in the provinces.

But rural and poor Thais have continued to embrace Thaksin as the first leader to take their interests to heart, with programs such as subsidized housing and health care after he first won office in 2001.

The pro-Thaksin forces, this time under the banner of the Pheu Thai Party, came back even stronger for the second election held since he was deposed. In Sunday's vote, they won 265 seats in the 500-seat lower house of parliament, as compared with their nearest rival, the ruling Democrats, who won just 159.

"The lesson is that the persons who believe they make the best decisions for Thailand - the unelected at the head of the military and in other institutions that have long had a hand in political decision-making - are not with most voting Thais," said Kevin Hewison, a Thai scholar at the University of North Carolina.

"Even with a third-string team, the people have chosen (Pheu Thai) in what for Thailand is a landslide. That's an emphatic statement about the wrongs that have been done since the 2006 coup. It remains to be seen if the 'unelected bosses' are listening."

The military, which has launched 18 successful or attempted military coups since the 1930s, has insisted it will not intervene this time.

The huge electoral mandate handed to Pheu Thai would make that awkward - but not impossible - and the messy aftermath of the last coup already has left it discredited among many Thais.

Coups in Thailand used to be cut-and-dried affairs, with the losers skulking off to quiet retirement.

Thaksin, with a surfeit of pride and money, broke with tradition by challenging his ouster, even though he was demonized by his usurpers, banned from politics for five years along with key lieutenants and forced to fight from abroad.

Against those odds, his loyalists won the 2007 election, only to be unseated a year later by a combination of judicial rulings, military pressure and parliamentary maneuvering that brought the Democrats to power.

Thaksin's supporters blamed it all on a conspiracy by Thailand's traditional ruling elite - the military and royalists - determined not to lose privilege and power to an uppity businessman. Thaksin's foes castigated rural voters as uneducated fools for backing Thaksin and his allies.

The conflict turned into something akin to a class war.

Thaksin's supporters coalesced into the "Red Shirt" movement, staging protests last year in Bangkok that were crushed by the military and ended with more than 90 dead and 1,800 wounded.

Thaksin's supporters were outgunned in the streets, but prevailed by force of numbers in the polling booths last weekend.

The Shinawatra brand still shines in much of the country, burnished by campaign promises - A credit card for every farmer! A tablet computer for every schoolchild!

Some question whether a Pheu Thai government can afford to keep its promises. "In our view, there is downside risk on the government's fiscal position" if it implements many of its announced policies, the credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's said this week.

"In all likelihood, the immediate aftermath of the election is going to be more about Thaksin," said Hewison. "The group who designate themselves 'the people who hate Thaksin' are going to be hard at work.

"For Pheu Thai, much now depends on Thaksin being less aggressive and headstrong than he has been in the past. Has he learned to be more patient?"

[Sailing into trouble]

And so it begins. The Dems know that reconciliation means that they will become unimportant and further excluded from having any influence. Also any national stability or growth will be a great threat.

[Gerbil]

PT & the reds will self destruct by themselves - their's is a marriage of convenience and neither wants to get fucked by the other.

Throw in some cash incentives to disgruntled electees who don't get what they want in terms of cabinet posts, etc. and I wouldnt be at all surprised to see another breakaway party forming which aligns with the opposition to bring down PT.

[sabang]

Considering that the only elected PM to serve a full term was Thaksin, I certainly can't dismiss that out of hand. Then again, along with Thaksin's second term, this is the only administration to have won an absolute majority. That should augur well for it's stability.

[BobR]

Thaksin fled into exile to avoid a two-year jail term for misuse of authority when he allowed his then wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra to enter a bid for state land in the Ratchadapisek area.

He was allowed to leave under the ridiculous pretext of attending the Olympic Games. Seemed ridiculous at the time, and I'm sure Abhisit and the military have long regretted this fatal mistake. Was anyone surprised he did not return? Still this shows there are some "rules of war" among the competing elite factions that we do not fully understand.

[Perota]

The democrats big mistake was to keep Thaksin on the front page of the news since he was ousted by the military.

I think the best course of action for the new government is to totally ignore the provocation from the opposition and to go ahead with its program.

Yingluck ran a positive campaign, about progress and reconciliation, she won. The democrats ran a negative campaign, based only on their opposition to Thaksin, they lost.

Thaksin is a smart man, he completely outsmart his opponents during the past few years (some will say it isn't a big achievement, I'd have to agree, but it still shows where he stands compare to his opponents). Personally I trust him to let nobody steals his victory a second time. As the saying goes, cheat me once, shame on you, cheat me twice ...

[Butterfly]

The democrats big mistake was to keep Thaksin on the front page of the news since he was ousted by the military.

the army big mistake was not to whack him when they had a chance, I am sure a lesson learned since

[Buksida]

PT & the reds will self destruct by themselves - their's is a marriage of convenience and neither wants to get fucked by the other.

Throw in some cash incentives to disgruntled electees who don't get what they want in terms of cabinet posts, etc. and I wouldnt be at all surprised to see another breakaway party forming which aligns with the opposition to bring down PT.

The rule that MPs had to be a member of a party for 90 days to contest an election prevented them leaving TRT, for fear Thaksin would call a snap election and they'd be in the wilderness.

Sanoh was particularly pissed of about this. What's the rule in the latest consitution?

[Calgary]

Thaksin, with a surfeit of pride and money, broke with tradition by challenging his ouster, even though he was demonized by his usurpers, banned from politics for five years along with key lieutenants and forced to fight from abroad.

And it is amazing how many Farangs bought into that orchestrated demonization campaign.

But when they only read the Amart media, I suppose it is understandable.

Oops...here comes Buksida

[DrB0b]

What's the rule in the latest consitution?

Why don't you find out for yourself? It's not a secret document. You're awfully opinionated for somebody who's always asking dumb questions about the most basic things but seems incapable of finding anything out for himself.

[StrontiumDog]

Thai-ASEAN News Network



There's a Catch!

UPDATE : 7 July 2011

Less than a week after its landslide win, the campaign promises of the Pheu Thai party have already begun to be undercut by conditions not prescribed on the election trail.

The party's economic team has come out to declare six priority policies to be part of Pheu Thai's declaration to the House once it forms the government. The six urgent projects are; the ending of oil fund contributions for Benzene 95, 91 and diesel, the remedying of high commodity prices, the resurrection of the 30 baht universal health program, the eradication of narcotics, the mending of international relations and the supporting of the National Reconciliation Committee.

The team is confident that it will be able to begin working on these six tasks as soon as either October first of this year or January first of 2012. For example, the team already plans to solve the problem of high living costs by hiking the minimum wage to 300 baht per day. To achieve this, the team says personal income tax will be cut from 30 percent to 23 percent by the year 2013.

On the matter of high fuel prices, Pheu Thai has backtracked on previous promises to end the National Oil Fund, choosing instead to allow Benzene 91, 95 and diesel to be imported contribution free. The difference means that the now more widely used Gasohol formula will still be levied and, more importantly, that the Pheu Thai government will have the option to bring back contribution regulations on pure Benzene and Diesel fuels in the future.

Much like the ever important fine print on advertisements, Pheu Thai's campaign promises have come with conditions and catches that make them slightly less appealing than when declared before the election. The prospective administration has predicated all of its living costs discounts to economic factors that could at any time in the future give it justification to go back on its word.

These are just the economic promises of the party, but the observation does give a view of how other more important projects, such as reconciliation, may be handled.

Pheu Thai party's staggering win margin may have put it on a high for now, but the massive support of the public also means it is deeply indebted to all the voters who chose it with the hope it would carry out its promises in a sustainable and transparent manner. The Thai people have chosen, and now they must follow up on their choice.

Post Today, July 7 2011
Translated and Rewritten by Itiporn Lakarnchua

[DrB0b]

The Thai people have chosen

Yes, they have. Pity that these so-called journalists are completely unable to accept that and resort to twaddle like the contents of the post above.

but the observation does give a view of how other more important projects, such as reconciliation, may be handled.

Ah, the real point of the article. The need for the guilty to push the idea that reconciliation really means getting off scot free. reading this nonsense (and the 100's of similar articles excreted by some "journalists" over the last few days) I almost (note that "almost", I know some of you are pretty slow) wish that PT would give some of these writers just a little taste of what the Dems dished out to the red media.

[Bettyboo]

^ yes, it's non-stop. They are very very bitter and the media is their main outlet for their dummy spitting (at the moment; EC and CC coming soon???). But, as over many years, it is all orchestrated and manipulated by the army/bluebloods, and where has it got them??? [to be fair, it has 'earned' them billions and trillions of baht over decades...]

The fact remains that the 'average' Thai voter knows it's all BS... The funny thing is when the likes of TH (yes, I see you there...) start to spin how Thaksin controls the media, uses the judiciary for evil self-means, and on and on and on...

[StrontiumDog]

Bangkok Post : Yingluck defends economic policies

Yingluck defends economic policies

• Published: 8/07/2011 at 11:33 AM
• Online news:

The Pheu Thai Party is taking into consideration the impact on all sides in finalising its economic policies, Pheu Thai's nominee for prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Friday.


Pheu Thai's top party list candidate and prime minister-elect Yingluck Shinawatra (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)

Many people, both supporters and critics, have questioned Pheu Thai's economic policies heralded during its election campaign.

Ms Yingluck said her party might have been talking about ways to lower the cost of living during the electioneering, but it must clearly explain sources of revenue as well.

"To drive our economic policies, we must not be rash and the impact on all sides must be taken into account," said the 44-year-old businesswoman-turned-politician.

[Bettyboo]

Yingluck defends economic policies

Just an example of the choice of words: "defends" presumes that it needs 'defending' and thus it must be bad... If it was the dems you'd read: Abhisit unveils economic policies. "unveils" meaning something amazing or worth waiting for is to be shown.

It's just non-stop propaganda.

Now, what has been really evident recently is how Bkk Post/the Nation set up negative hypothetical worlds such as:

"Will the Oil Fund be scrapped or not? Will the baht be allowed to float freely or be managed? Will red shirt leaders be allowed to become ministers, or will they be banished from the cabinet?" from today's Bkk post, Attack of the... Bangkok Post : Attack of the red shirts

This is soooo ideologically manipulative. It puts words and ideas into other people's mouths (and vitally in the readers mind) which were never there to start with; just a pretence for an attack. In this case: Y will mess with oil funds and the baht, and the red shirt leaders are at the heart of the kingdom (a very specific choice of the word "banished" brings in the threat to the monarchy).

It's close to the point (or probably beyond it) where it is just not worth reading anything they write. It's non-stop hate speech and propaganda.

[crippen]

1.00 GBP = 48.2639 THB


1.00 USD = 30.2246 THB


Somebody loves her!

suspect it's not Butterfly though.

[StrontiumDog]

What hurdles lie ahead for the new Thai government? - Yahoo! News

What hurdles lie ahead for the new Thai government?


By Martin Petty
Reuters – 1 hour 16 minutes ago


Thailand's Prime Minister-elect Yingluck Shinawatra meets with her economic team …

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Yingluck Shinawatra is putting together a new Thai government that will be expected to deliver on populist campaign promises costing billions of dollars but will need to keep inflation in check and be careful not to stir up powerful opposing forces.

The incoming prime minister, sister of self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, told Reuters on Friday that she would not be "stubborn" if some of her campaign promises did not look feasible.

Below are some of the hurdles she faces.

WHAT ECONOMIC CHALLENGES WILL THE NEW GOVERNMENT FACE?

Puea Thai campaigned on a wave of populist policies, such as minimum-wage increases, a guaranteed high rice price for farmers, cuts in corporate tax and lower fuel prices. It will be expected to deliver on those promises, but companies and economists have expressed concern about the knock-on effects.

The policies may spur consumer spending but they could also push up inflation and government debt. Some firms may not be able to afford minimum-wage increases, even with corporate tax cuts. The proposed removal of a levy on some fuels to cut pump prices may make it difficult to subsidise others, pushing up the price of cooking gas, for example, which would be unpopular.

ARE THERE ANY RISKS OF PROTESTS?

The yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) held mass rallies and blockades in 2006 and 2008 that undermined Thaksin and his allies.

The PAD's support has dwindled in the past two years but, given the staunch opposition to Thaksin among Thailand's urban middle classes and powerful behind-the-scenes figures, it could regroup and pose a serious problem for Yingluck.

The yellow shirts see Yingluck as Thaksin's proxy and have filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), urging it to disband Puea Thai on the grounds it is being run illegally from Dubai by a banned politician and fugitive felon. The EC has yet to announce whether it will pursue the case.

WILL THE MILITARY OPPOSE A PUEA THAI GOVERNMENT?

Faced with the overwhelming victory by Puea Thai, the military, which many Thais feared might try to intervene to block the party, has said it will respect the election outcome. That message was conveyed via the media by outgoing Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who is close to the armed forces leadership.

Yingluck said on Friday that she had yet to speak to army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha

She will probably tread carefully here, but she faces a dilemma: should she purge the top brass and install generals favourable to the government, risking a coup? Or preserve the current leadership, which may not be fully cooperative and might try to undermine the government if her support starts to wane?

A previous pro-Thaksin ruling party had barely any help from the military when the PAD shut down the government's headquarters and blocked Bangkok's airports in 2008. The commanders of the army, navy and air force even appeared on national television to tell the prime minister to step down.

The defence portfolio is seen as crucial to any accommodation between the new government and the military. A retired army commander in tune with the top brass would be a compromise, hence the speculation Prawit will be reappointed.

WHAT PROBLEMS WOULD AN AMNESTY BILL PRESENT?

Although not Puea Thai's official policy, the party is expected at some point to try to secure a general amnesty for people guilty of political offences, which critics say would be crafted with Thaksin in mind, allowing him to return home without serving jail time for graft. It's a divisive issue.

It would be saluted by Thaksin's supporters among the poor, but it could trigger a groundswell of discontent among the many Thais who despise him. It would definitely stir up the PAD, which could capitalise on anti-Thaksin sentiment to try to bring Yingluck down.

More important, wary of a vengeful Thaksin, those who plotted the coup against him -- the establishment and the military -- might be emboldened to start working against her.

WILL THE RED SHIRTS CONTINUE TO BACK PUEA THAI?

Probably, although its leader has expressed concern that an amnesty for Thaksin might also mean those responsible for the killing of 91 people and wounding of more than 1,800 in clashes between the red shirts and troops last year might go unpunished.

If independent investigations are deemed to have been sidelined and justice is not done, the red shirts might turn against the government. But if the army leadership is indicted, the military could strike back, perhaps with a coup.

Several red shirt leaders won parliamentary seats and the group might expect to get some cabinet positions as a reward for their loyalty. Given the revulsion towards the red shirts felt by many Thais, such a move could face a backlash.

WHAT ABOUT LEGAL MANOEUVRES?

The PAD has urged the EC to disband Puea Thai, while a doctor affiliated with the PAD has started legal moves against Yingluck for alleged perjury in an assets concealment case involving Thaksin. Thailand's courts have not ruled favourably in cases involving pro-Thaksin parties. If this gains traction, Puea Thai and Yingluck could have a problem on their hands.

[Calgary]

Just an example of the choice of words: "defends" (economic policies) presumes that it needs 'defending' and thus it must be bad... If it was the dems you'd read: Abhisit unveils economic policies. "unveils" meaning something amazing or worth waiting for is to be shown. It's just non-stop propaganda.

It's close to the point (or probably beyond it) where it is just not worth reading anything they write. It's non-stop hate speech and propaganda

There are many victims of this stuff, not the least of which is this new Government, but linguistically challenged Farangs are also 'victims'. And that includes almost all of them.

This is all most of them can read. No wonder TV is full of them.

They accept this stuff and confuse it with informed opinion.

And then sadly, they will defend this opinion tooth-and-nail.

I never saw propaganda in action before, and it is scary how effective it can be.

[StrontiumDog]

Thai-ASEAN News Network

3 Big Questions New PM Must Answer

UPDATE : 8 July 2011

A seasoned politician would know well that a flood of congratulations from many nations to the winner of a democratic election in Thailand and expressions of hope that the new leader will be able to restore peace and political stability to the country, are just a part of diplomatic formalities. After this, international diplomats, politicians and investors will keep a watchful eye on how well the new government can deliver on their campaign promises.

In the eyes of foreign media, the grace period for Thailand's first female prime minister could be shorter than it is supposed to be.

Typically, the honeymoon period after an election where political parties temporarily embrace one another amicably should last around 100 days. But this time, problems seem to be rearing their ugly heads already just days after the announcement of the 5-party coalition government.

The Financial Times pointed out that the key factor determining the survival of Yingluck is her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who the news agency said should have realized that he is no longer in an official position of power. If Thaksin insists on coming back to Thailand and his sister readily helps him out, any effort to forge national reconciliation will most likely be unsuccessful. Yingluck must answer the question as to whether she will serve the country or her brother.

Another challenge facing Yingluck is that she has to prove that any fence mending effort with Cambodia, who promptly declared Pheu Thai Party as Cambodia's true friend following the election, is not tinged with hidden agenda. Thai people have been frowning upon conflict of interests involving land and maritime border disputes since the Thaksin administration due to concern that it could put Thailand's sovereignty in danger.

The other challenge is the economy. The Pheu Thai Party and the Prime Minister-elect did not tell the public and their supporters during their campaign that US credit ratings agency Standard and Poor has warned that Thailand's finances will be at risk should the new government managed to make good on their promises by launching free wireless Internet in major cities, offering free tablet computers to all elementary schools, reviving the rice pledging program with guaranteed prices of 15,000 to 20,000 baht per ton, or the reintroduction of the 30-baht universal health care scheme.

Those challenges will test Yingluck's sincerity and her true motive in joining politics.

Editorial, Kom Chad Luek, Page 4, June 8th, 2011
Translated and rewritten by Wacharapol Isaranont

[Bettyboo]

^ let's cut this propaganda down to the bone:

Paragraph 1: Y is inexperienced.

P2/3: This government has problems.

P4: Thaksin (Y loves MrT, not T)...

P5: Thaksin loves Cambodia, not Thailand...

P6: Y will ruin the economy.

Dress it up any way you like, but it is PAD owned and paid for propaganda. It's non-stop, the army/bluebloods won't stop until they've driven this country to civil war...

[Seekingasylum]

Tell me, was it a blueblood conspiracy that orchaestrated one of the worst cases of organised extra judicial murder to occur in the region for years or was that Thaksin's own achievement?

Careful how you answer this(if any of you loopy PT lovers actually try that is) bearing in mind that it was Thaksin who draped himself in the flag and exhorted his police chiefs, in that peculiarly fascist way most little demagogues seem to have, that ( speaking of their drug dealer targets) they should " send them to hell...kill them off ...don't leave a trace behind because they are enemies of society". I suppose it wasn't surprising that they managed to kill 2,500 in 3 months particularly when the great CEO had told them that if each commander failed to reach their quota of bodies they would be removed from office. Funnily enough, and perhaps I may be a bit naive here in expecting otherwise, not a single major drug dealer perished in the pogrom.

Gosh was that only 8 years ago? Seems like only yesterday but I suppose it is a lifetime in politics, 2,500 lifetimes to be precise but who's counting ( apart from Drover's Dog that is) ?

What else did the Great Supremo say? Oh yes, " The Thai police can do anything " and indeed they did, and do.