Hello, Sidh, and belated Happy Chinese New Year to you. I’ve actually refrained from this trench warfare on New Mandala lately seeing as the blog authors have chosen to focus on other issues besides Thailand, so Thailand has been a bit off the radar (compared to previously) and so have I. But greetings, regardless!
Its good that you have faith in something, and I won’t take that away from you. But again, I remain in my trench and alas hopefully even when the Christmas carols are over we will be able to see each other in a more reasonable light.
FROM EDITORIAL:
“It is one thing for Mr Samak to downplay the horror. It is quite another for him to bury his head in the sand and ignore photographic evidence. He justifies his role in stirring the pot by claiming that he was protecting the throne. But Mr Samak’s insensitive, inflammatory and plainly inaccurate comments only serve to damage his reputation, the country and the monarchy he claims to protect.”
LINE THAT BAFFLES ME:
“He justifies his role in stirring the pot by claiming that he was protecting the throne. ”
MY QUESTION;
Does anybody reading this know if the “stirring the pot” line is in reference to 1) Samak’s right-wing activities in 1976 prior to the protest, or 2) in reference to a statement he made defending himself earlier in the week after the interview? I asked this question because if it is 1), then it would appear to point to Samak having admitted somewhere to having played some role in stirring up the bloodthirsty mob in the first place; and if it is 2) I do not understand why Samak would by dragging the throne into his defense of his stupid remarks — which seems an even more stupid thing than the interview remarks — because it leads one to ask: Protecting the throne from what?
To Mrs. Piyavadee Boonthongchai, Ed. D., Ph. D. / : Thanks for your illuminating contribution. Such clarity & depth of thought & expression is rare, especially in American English. I would like to use you as an example. May I ask where your 2 doctoral degrees came from, and when you were awarded them? Any additional information would also be helpful.
Observer: You don’t really think that I condone the muzzling of mass media, do you? BTW, Jakkraphop is sort of an obsessed confrontational extremist and thus potentially dangerous.
Isn’t it the norm that you become a homicidal politician AFTER you’ve been elected? What do you think will look worse for the monarchy, this catastrophic buffoon as their countries PR man or for a glass house to shatter only to be rebuilt again after indirect, or publicly leaked, insurances that Samak presumed their will in relation to the protests and other incidents?
nganadeeleg — However, Samak is Samak – we know what to expect, and if anything might just end up pleasantly surprised.
Samak is Samak but Samak is also now the Prime Minister. It is one thing to speak any rubbish as a private citizen, even on TV, it is another thing to do it as Head of Government. He made these remarks as the representative of the state and on behalf of the citizens of Thailand, not in his personal capacity. That is the important difference between Samak then and Samak now.
Maybe they should decide democratically whether this is important for Thailand as a whole among the people who just elected Samak or whether it’s just something that worries a small minority of intellectuals who want to have a higher weighting for their opinions in the implcit averaging effect of electoral democracy.
The only times I heard or saw anyone at all interested in 1976 in Chiang Rai was at a photocopy store across from the technical college with walls plastered with photos from the 70s protests as well as Caribou paraphernalia and at the annual festival at the old airport there was a guy selling every imaginable 70s and Caribou paraphernalia. I bought a Jit Phumisak book and a CD with a documentary on 1976. Frankly it seems to be only a minority that thinks or talks about these 70s issues at all.
Should democracy prevail or not? Or is this a special case?
Comments by maha setthi Public Health minister Chaiya on global pharma are also very inspiring: “Drug companies aren’t as rich as I am. Come and have a look at my house and see.” Surely, effective will shortly follow, if only because he can afford them.
Or if this sort of thing is important, and if what VIPs say is actually related to what they think and the potential policies they’ll come up with, maybe Abhisit should have just been appointed PM.
A late happy new year Teth!
I see the trench warfare still runs on (here with KhunSomchai). Relative to you, I am in the ‘opposite trench’ and, like many Thais (not all I agree with you), I have been in mourning. Like many Thais, I wore black/white and I paid my respects at the Grand Palace (I wasn’t ‘forced’ – as I’ve mentioned in a post before, I will never be caught in pink unless my Mum forces me to as I usually give in to her. My Aussie friends don’t understand why at this age I still do what she says!). Frankly, I will say losing HM Princess Galayani felt much like when I lost my grandmother some years ago. You may say that there are absolutely no evidences of the good things she did for the Thai people televised round the clock on TV after she passed away but I just prefer to be “deluded” and secure in the belief that here was someone who did wonderful things for the country which really makes me feel good… Just a greeting from my side of the trench. Cheers.
Very shocking indeed…
And taking AjarnChirmsak off air just after a week or so in office is a very bad sign.
The message is increasingly clear here of entrenched self-righteousness PMSamak’s “I was 1000% right in 1976” continuing PMThaksin’s “I was 1000% right (save for the “honest mistake” in 2001) 2001-2006″ practices and policies.
No lessons learnt here. No compromises. Democracy is again equated with the ballot box which gives the government complete licence to appoint who they want and implement whatever policies they want. Eventually they might even wear down the self-righteous Bangkokians, tired of the fight, turning them into ‘good’, ‘passive’ citizens with mega-projects all round.
The silence from the October people such as Surapong and Chaturon is as shocking… Or is this all PMThaksin’s puppet show as the Thairath political news team seem to subscribe to: the grand return of the Master (“NaiYai”). By then Bangkok MUST SEE that he is the best option they have between Coup and Nominee governments. Only he can provide political stability and steriods to economic growth.
The Democrats can only stick to their ‘ideals’ for so long. The longer time they spend in opposition in this atmosphere, the more they will bleed (again). And who dares finance the losing horse and anger the Master who is slowly gaining back his lost powers (taken briefly by a group of nice soldiers)? (Here, the semblance to a very popular children’s novel is unintended)
Your predecessor, Thaksin Shinawatra, was criticised for a pretty brutal campaign against Muslim fighters in southern Thailand. Many people who were innocent were caught up in that violence. Do you support his policies in southern Thailand?
Actually, he doesn’t mention any policy. The wrong that he committed, somebody says that… ahh… he says that it… ahh… it’s not quite so important mandate, and that’s all. That is what he mentioned.
But if we refer to Tak Bai, the Tak Bai incident, when many young Muslim men were beaten and rounded up and their bodies were stacked into trucks, many of them suffocated and died…
Where?
At Tak Bai.
Tak Bai? Ohh… You have heard about that incident? Did you?
Of course, we’ve seen the footage.
Ahh. There’s a group of them make a violence there in the south. Thirty-two of them. And they fled to live in the mosque. And then the military asked them to come out. They doesn’t come out. So the military must get in. So the mosque is a clean place, that the dirty man, any kind of weapon, cannot get in. But they just going there, so they just killing from outside. So… 32 of them die. And then that is in the Krue Se. And in Tak Bai they just come to make a shouting. To make a shouting and then any kind of thing to bring six people out from jail. So the whole day, this is the time of the, they don’t eat anything, they don’t eat in the daytime. So, thousands of them just going there around the police station and something like that. So they end up with the… they say that, ok, we’ll let them have the preparation to bring them back, the six people, but they don’t, they, in the evening time, so they make a roundup (cough) for all those people and put in the truck.
Many of the families would suggest that there were very innocent people rounded up there amongst the…
Aww, the innocent people. When that type of movement, around that thing, is innocent or not, I have no idea, but those people going fled in the truck, if they strong enough when they standing in the truck, it’s ok. But they spent the whole day, doesn’t eat, doesn’t drink water, doesn’t even swallow any kind of thing, because in the month of that thing, so, they just fall on each other. And 78 die, from so many truck, loading, running by… [?] So that’s it. It’s a tragedy. It happened. Nobody intend to kill them. They die because of their physical. But they has been caught just to get into the barrack. So, so what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with that? What is the execution of that? What is it?
What is wrong with innocent people dying?
What is the incident that had happened? Everybody in the country know what had happened. And seventy… they fall down on each other. And then 78 died.
So you’re saying they died because they fell on top of each other?
Yes. Nobody kill them. Everybody knows it was…
Not because they were packed into trucks without enough air?
When people get in the truck, in the good shape, and running, actually nobody think they will be like that, but if they people happen not to eat, not to drink, not to swallow, and then somebody fall down the other on the top… So 78 died, out of 1300.
Ok. I’d like to go back to 1976 and the Thammasat University protests, where hundreds of students were beaten, shot, lynched and burned. Historians…
Yeah, where did you get that report?
Historians suggest that you on your radio programme urged mobs of people to turn out and attack the students…
How old are you at that time?
(Pause)
How old are you?
Let me refer to…
Do you born yet?
Do you deny that…
I haven’t got any concern. They write some dirty history to me. I brought the case to the court, so many of them, all time to time. The three incident of that time, only one guy died in Sanam Luang, because somebody beat them and burn them by the… by the… by the… by the wire, uh, by the… by the… by the tire. And this only one. Three thousand student is in the Thammasat University. So they were caught there, and then the military would like to bring them out. So they take the shirt, and like this, like that, uh, like the, bring the shirt and put it on [gesturing to tie hands behind back with opened shirt]. Three thousand lying on the ground of Thammasat University football field. So that they bring all the truck to bring them, put in the shirt and put them on, and then going to let them out to the barrack. Then the only way not to let the people being harmed. Three thousand of them. And then they going out there and so many afraid they fled into the jungle, so many go back home. And then, nobody die in Thammasat University. And the student try to go to the barrack… [?] just to bring the… Nobody die, not…
Well with all due respect, historians refer to it as one of the worst atrocities in Thailand’s history.
That is a dirty history. Somebody did it. Somebody write something dirty like that.
Well with all due respect, I’ve actually watched the footage…
What the footage?
Of that incident…
The killing?
Yes, I have seen…
It’s impossible.
I have seen people being beaten…
Yes, true, in Sanam Luang, yes.
…their limp bodies on the ground…
Yes, that’s true, that is one guy.
You’re saying one…
Yes.
Human rights groups would suggest it was dozens of students, possibly in the hundreds.
For me, eh, for me, eh, if I am dirty, I am concerned with many thing, I cannot come this far. This dirty history always come. I just have a, a lady like you come from far away, asking this question. Even the Thai, they dare not ask this question to me. If I am a dirty man like that, I cannot get, when I run as the governor of Bangkok, somebody bring this case again. “Oh, a murderer with the blood in the hand cannot run as a governor.” I bring the case to the court. So the judge says that, “Khun Samak, we are going to run, eh? Please forgive them, that misunderstanding, just forgive them and withdraw the case and then a good thing to you.” So I just think, I agree with the court, with the judge, so I withdraw the case. And when I ran, eh, I got over million vote in Bangkok. Never before. The highest anyone get is 700,000. I got over one million. And then, how about a man, a dirty man like that being elected? The ward is two million something. I got over one million, and the rest, somebody got one hundred, uh, five hundred thousand. And, is not a proof that the people of Bangkok, educated people, four million voters, they come to vote with two million, one million, over a million voted for me, and the rest, chose a small fraction for others.
Alright, you are facing corruption charges over your term as Bangkok governor…
And then the corruption charge, can they do anything to me yet? So it’s a dirty trick that they… [?] I sue the chairman of the two court. So until now the case run for two years. Why two years cannot bring me to the court yet? Not the, the case is not to the court yet. Any case, bring, three years ago, with the putting a garbage, anything. The cost may be 9000 but that last for ten years. But it finish for three years until now. It’s nothing wrong with it, but they want to destroy me. Somebody, I call it a dirty hand, a black hand nobody sees, an invisible hand, want to destroy me. Now, you must stay long enough. Even for anywhere in the world, can you, can see that, must I be in jail with this case or not? It’s a dirty trick to Samak to put it in. If a man like I says that, “You, this reporter, you are lousy girl, you kill someone, you are [?]”, will you be like that? No. No.
Alright, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for speaking…
No, do believe me. Frankly speaking, you must [?] like that. Someone put a dirty [?] on someone. If I’m a dirty man like that, if I’m corruption, why I was elected?
Alright, we have to leave it there…
Why this party get 233 seats? Why? Why the one who is very clean get 165? Why? Just ask me the question… just answer the question to me.
Alright Mr. Prime Minister, we have to leave it there. Thank you for talking to 101 East.
Thank you for coming, but please, uh, do some homework. Don’t get some information and ask the question. If I am not real, uh, I cannot come this far. Thank you for coming. That’s enough.
So the military would have a coup to protect the monarchy from people who acted on behalf the the miltaries previous crimes in the name of the Monarchy. Lot’s of glass houses, or glass residences of other sorts. I don’t expect that there are a lot of people at the top who want Thai and int’l media sniffing around 1976 too much. Paul Handley’s treatement of the period is certainly informative.
Srithanonchai,
Not sure if you are approving or disapproving Chirmsak’s removal. It is hardly a surprise. It is a safe bet that all junta stooges appointed for the purpose of cementing junta power and harassing Thaksin will not be removed and replace by Thaksin’s stooges appointed for the purpose of cementing Thaksin’s power and harassing the junta (and their allies).
Looks like it was not just a ‘slip of the tongue’ because the comments appear to have been repeated in at least 2 separate interviews.
However, Samak is Samak – we know what to expect, and if anything might just end up pleasantly surprised.
Jakrapob on the other hand is a worry – what a hypocrite!
DAAD/UDD/PTV drama queen to media watchdog for fairness.
(I shudder to think about what would happen if he rose even further to a position of real power)
I agree with KB that Samak is not a good look for Thailand, but then again neither was Thaksin (apart from his money).
Whatever you think about Surayud’s government, at least he gave the appearance of a statesman to the outside world.
“He justifies his role in stirring the pot by claiming that he was protecting the throne. ”
Do you suppose this “stirring the pot” line is in reference to Samak’s right-wing activities in 1976 prior to the protest, or in reference to a statement he made defending himself in the last day or so?
Chirmsak stops hosting radio talk following threat
Former Bangkok senator Chirmsak Pinthong Wednesday gave up hosting in his daily radio talk show after he criticised Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej for allegedly covering up the Thammasat University massacre of October 6, 1976.
PM’s Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair, who supervises the Public Relations Department, telephoned production house Fatima Co to give notice that he might not extend its airtime contract, a company source said.
The explanation given was that the show’s content had to be adjusted to match the new programming schedule, the source said.
The company asked Chirmsak about Jakrapob’s reason. He understood the situation by withdrawing as a radio host, the source said.
“Chirmsak’s Views” was broadcast from 89pm on FM105, which is under the PRD.
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Samak’s disgrace
Teth,
Nice to know we agree on something.
How does it feel, knowing what you know now to have backed the horse Samak and the man who nominated him into making the Prime Ministershit?
Samak’s disgrace
What a disgrace this man is.
When will he die and those perpetrators of 6 October along with him? (Of non-violent causes, of course).
More on the 2008 Thai Studies conference
Hello, Sidh, and belated Happy Chinese New Year to you. I’ve actually refrained from this trench warfare on New Mandala lately seeing as the blog authors have chosen to focus on other issues besides Thailand, so Thailand has been a bit off the radar (compared to previously) and so have I. But greetings, regardless!
Its good that you have faith in something, and I won’t take that away from you. But again, I remain in my trench and alas hopefully even when the Christmas carols are over we will be able to see each other in a more reasonable light.
Samak’s disgrace
FROM EDITORIAL:
“It is one thing for Mr Samak to downplay the horror. It is quite another for him to bury his head in the sand and ignore photographic evidence. He justifies his role in stirring the pot by claiming that he was protecting the throne. But Mr Samak’s insensitive, inflammatory and plainly inaccurate comments only serve to damage his reputation, the country and the monarchy he claims to protect.”
LINE THAT BAFFLES ME:
“He justifies his role in stirring the pot by claiming that he was protecting the throne. ”
MY QUESTION;
Does anybody reading this know if the “stirring the pot” line is in reference to 1) Samak’s right-wing activities in 1976 prior to the protest, or 2) in reference to a statement he made defending himself earlier in the week after the interview? I asked this question because if it is 1), then it would appear to point to Samak having admitted somewhere to having played some role in stirring up the bloodthirsty mob in the first place; and if it is 2) I do not understand why Samak would by dragging the throne into his defense of his stupid remarks — which seems an even more stupid thing than the interview remarks — because it leads one to ask: Protecting the throne from what?
Samak’s disgrace
I took some photos of the red stone monument to the massacre. It’s times like this that you realize that monuments really do matter.
http://jotman.blogspot.com/2008/02/thais-dare-not-ask-this-question-to-me.html
The electorate and the “acute state of Thai politics”
To Mrs. Piyavadee Boonthongchai, Ed. D., Ph. D. / : Thanks for your illuminating contribution. Such clarity & depth of thought & expression is rare, especially in American English. I would like to use you as an example. May I ask where your 2 doctoral degrees came from, and when you were awarded them? Any additional information would also be helpful.
Samak’s disgrace
Observer: You don’t really think that I condone the muzzling of mass media, do you? BTW, Jakkraphop is sort of an obsessed confrontational extremist and thus potentially dangerous.
Samak’s disgrace
Observer,
Isn’t it the norm that you become a homicidal politician AFTER you’ve been elected? What do you think will look worse for the monarchy, this catastrophic buffoon as their countries PR man or for a glass house to shatter only to be rebuilt again after indirect, or publicly leaked, insurances that Samak presumed their will in relation to the protests and other incidents?
Samak’s disgrace
nganadeeleg — However, Samak is Samak – we know what to expect, and if anything might just end up pleasantly surprised.
Samak is Samak but Samak is also now the Prime Minister. It is one thing to speak any rubbish as a private citizen, even on TV, it is another thing to do it as Head of Government. He made these remarks as the representative of the state and on behalf of the citizens of Thailand, not in his personal capacity. That is the important difference between Samak then and Samak now.
Samak’s disgrace
Maybe they should decide democratically whether this is important for Thailand as a whole among the people who just elected Samak or whether it’s just something that worries a small minority of intellectuals who want to have a higher weighting for their opinions in the implcit averaging effect of electoral democracy.
Whether Samak is vindicated or not, he still faces potential jail time if the two years he
was sentenced to for the last time he couldn’t control his mouth is upheld.
The only times I heard or saw anyone at all interested in 1976 in Chiang Rai was at a photocopy store across from the technical college with walls plastered with photos from the 70s protests as well as Caribou paraphernalia and at the annual festival at the old airport there was a guy selling every imaginable 70s and Caribou paraphernalia. I bought a Jit Phumisak book and a CD with a documentary on 1976. Frankly it seems to be only a minority that thinks or talks about these 70s issues at all.
Should democracy prevail or not? Or is this a special case?
Comments by maha setthi Public Health minister Chaiya on global pharma are also very inspiring: “Drug companies aren’t as rich as I am. Come and have a look at my house and see.” Surely, effective will shortly follow, if only because he can afford them.
Or if this sort of thing is important, and if what VIPs say is actually related to what they think and the potential policies they’ll come up with, maybe Abhisit should have just been appointed PM.
More on the 2008 Thai Studies conference
A late happy new year Teth!
I see the trench warfare still runs on (here with KhunSomchai). Relative to you, I am in the ‘opposite trench’ and, like many Thais (not all I agree with you), I have been in mourning. Like many Thais, I wore black/white and I paid my respects at the Grand Palace (I wasn’t ‘forced’ – as I’ve mentioned in a post before, I will never be caught in pink unless my Mum forces me to as I usually give in to her. My Aussie friends don’t understand why at this age I still do what she says!). Frankly, I will say losing HM Princess Galayani felt much like when I lost my grandmother some years ago. You may say that there are absolutely no evidences of the good things she did for the Thai people televised round the clock on TV after she passed away but I just prefer to be “deluded” and secure in the belief that here was someone who did wonderful things for the country which really makes me feel good… Just a greeting from my side of the trench. Cheers.
Samak’s disgrace
Very shocking indeed…
And taking AjarnChirmsak off air just after a week or so in office is a very bad sign.
The message is increasingly clear here of entrenched self-righteousness PMSamak’s “I was 1000% right in 1976” continuing PMThaksin’s “I was 1000% right (save for the “honest mistake” in 2001) 2001-2006″ practices and policies.
No lessons learnt here. No compromises. Democracy is again equated with the ballot box which gives the government complete licence to appoint who they want and implement whatever policies they want. Eventually they might even wear down the self-righteous Bangkokians, tired of the fight, turning them into ‘good’, ‘passive’ citizens with mega-projects all round.
The silence from the October people such as Surapong and Chaturon is as shocking… Or is this all PMThaksin’s puppet show as the Thairath political news team seem to subscribe to: the grand return of the Master (“NaiYai”). By then Bangkok MUST SEE that he is the best option they have between Coup and Nominee governments. Only he can provide political stability and steriods to economic growth.
The Democrats can only stick to their ‘ideals’ for so long. The longer time they spend in opposition in this atmosphere, the more they will bleed (again). And who dares finance the losing horse and anger the Master who is slowly gaining back his lost powers (taken briefly by a group of nice soldiers)? (Here, the semblance to a very popular children’s novel is unintended)
Samak’s disgrace
[…] also: Samak’s disgrace (New Mandala); Only 1? (Bangkok […]
Samak’s disgrace
Thanks to K.B. for putting the You Tube link of an interview that he also did with 101 East.
I thought it is better to put some of it on the record, as they don’t keep transcripts on the Al Jazeera site.
Topics covered here:
1. Killings in Narathiwat in 2004.
2. Thammasat, 1976
3. Corruption allegations as Bkk governor
Interview with Samak Sundaravej
101 East, Al Jazeera, 9 February 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuoqLiLSgnI
Part 2
Start: 3:41
Your predecessor, Thaksin Shinawatra, was criticised for a pretty brutal campaign against Muslim fighters in southern Thailand. Many people who were innocent were caught up in that violence. Do you support his policies in southern Thailand?
Actually, he doesn’t mention any policy. The wrong that he committed, somebody says that… ahh… he says that it… ahh… it’s not quite so important mandate, and that’s all. That is what he mentioned.
But if we refer to Tak Bai, the Tak Bai incident, when many young Muslim men were beaten and rounded up and their bodies were stacked into trucks, many of them suffocated and died…
Where?
At Tak Bai.
Tak Bai? Ohh… You have heard about that incident? Did you?
Of course, we’ve seen the footage.
Ahh. There’s a group of them make a violence there in the south. Thirty-two of them. And they fled to live in the mosque. And then the military asked them to come out. They doesn’t come out. So the military must get in. So the mosque is a clean place, that the dirty man, any kind of weapon, cannot get in. But they just going there, so they just killing from outside. So… 32 of them die. And then that is in the Krue Se. And in Tak Bai they just come to make a shouting. To make a shouting and then any kind of thing to bring six people out from jail. So the whole day, this is the time of the, they don’t eat anything, they don’t eat in the daytime. So, thousands of them just going there around the police station and something like that. So they end up with the… they say that, ok, we’ll let them have the preparation to bring them back, the six people, but they don’t, they, in the evening time, so they make a roundup (cough) for all those people and put in the truck.
Many of the families would suggest that there were very innocent people rounded up there amongst the…
Aww, the innocent people. When that type of movement, around that thing, is innocent or not, I have no idea, but those people going fled in the truck, if they strong enough when they standing in the truck, it’s ok. But they spent the whole day, doesn’t eat, doesn’t drink water, doesn’t even swallow any kind of thing, because in the month of that thing, so, they just fall on each other. And 78 die, from so many truck, loading, running by… [?] So that’s it. It’s a tragedy. It happened. Nobody intend to kill them. They die because of their physical. But they has been caught just to get into the barrack. So, so what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with that? What is the execution of that? What is it?
What is wrong with innocent people dying?
What is the incident that had happened? Everybody in the country know what had happened. And seventy… they fall down on each other. And then 78 died.
So you’re saying they died because they fell on top of each other?
Yes. Nobody kill them. Everybody knows it was…
Not because they were packed into trucks without enough air?
When people get in the truck, in the good shape, and running, actually nobody think they will be like that, but if they people happen not to eat, not to drink, not to swallow, and then somebody fall down the other on the top… So 78 died, out of 1300.
Ok. I’d like to go back to 1976 and the Thammasat University protests, where hundreds of students were beaten, shot, lynched and burned. Historians…
Yeah, where did you get that report?
Historians suggest that you on your radio programme urged mobs of people to turn out and attack the students…
How old are you at that time?
(Pause)
How old are you?
Let me refer to…
Do you born yet?
Do you deny that…
I haven’t got any concern. They write some dirty history to me. I brought the case to the court, so many of them, all time to time. The three incident of that time, only one guy died in Sanam Luang, because somebody beat them and burn them by the… by the… by the… by the wire, uh, by the… by the… by the tire. And this only one. Three thousand student is in the Thammasat University. So they were caught there, and then the military would like to bring them out. So they take the shirt, and like this, like that, uh, like the, bring the shirt and put it on [gesturing to tie hands behind back with opened shirt]. Three thousand lying on the ground of Thammasat University football field. So that they bring all the truck to bring them, put in the shirt and put them on, and then going to let them out to the barrack. Then the only way not to let the people being harmed. Three thousand of them. And then they going out there and so many afraid they fled into the jungle, so many go back home. And then, nobody die in Thammasat University. And the student try to go to the barrack… [?] just to bring the… Nobody die, not…
Well with all due respect, historians refer to it as one of the worst atrocities in Thailand’s history.
That is a dirty history. Somebody did it. Somebody write something dirty like that.
Well with all due respect, I’ve actually watched the footage…
What the footage?
Of that incident…
The killing?
Yes, I have seen…
It’s impossible.
I have seen people being beaten…
Yes, true, in Sanam Luang, yes.
…their limp bodies on the ground…
Yes, that’s true, that is one guy.
You’re saying one…
Yes.
Human rights groups would suggest it was dozens of students, possibly in the hundreds.
For me, eh, for me, eh, if I am dirty, I am concerned with many thing, I cannot come this far. This dirty history always come. I just have a, a lady like you come from far away, asking this question. Even the Thai, they dare not ask this question to me. If I am a dirty man like that, I cannot get, when I run as the governor of Bangkok, somebody bring this case again. “Oh, a murderer with the blood in the hand cannot run as a governor.” I bring the case to the court. So the judge says that, “Khun Samak, we are going to run, eh? Please forgive them, that misunderstanding, just forgive them and withdraw the case and then a good thing to you.” So I just think, I agree with the court, with the judge, so I withdraw the case. And when I ran, eh, I got over million vote in Bangkok. Never before. The highest anyone get is 700,000. I got over one million. And then, how about a man, a dirty man like that being elected? The ward is two million something. I got over one million, and the rest, somebody got one hundred, uh, five hundred thousand. And, is not a proof that the people of Bangkok, educated people, four million voters, they come to vote with two million, one million, over a million voted for me, and the rest, chose a small fraction for others.
Alright, you are facing corruption charges over your term as Bangkok governor…
And then the corruption charge, can they do anything to me yet? So it’s a dirty trick that they… [?] I sue the chairman of the two court. So until now the case run for two years. Why two years cannot bring me to the court yet? Not the, the case is not to the court yet. Any case, bring, three years ago, with the putting a garbage, anything. The cost may be 9000 but that last for ten years. But it finish for three years until now. It’s nothing wrong with it, but they want to destroy me. Somebody, I call it a dirty hand, a black hand nobody sees, an invisible hand, want to destroy me. Now, you must stay long enough. Even for anywhere in the world, can you, can see that, must I be in jail with this case or not? It’s a dirty trick to Samak to put it in. If a man like I says that, “You, this reporter, you are lousy girl, you kill someone, you are [?]”, will you be like that? No. No.
Alright, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for speaking…
No, do believe me. Frankly speaking, you must [?] like that. Someone put a dirty [?] on someone. If I’m a dirty man like that, if I’m corruption, why I was elected?
Alright, we have to leave it there…
Why this party get 233 seats? Why? Why the one who is very clean get 165? Why? Just ask me the question… just answer the question to me.
Alright Mr. Prime Minister, we have to leave it there. Thank you for talking to 101 East.
Thank you for coming, but please, uh, do some homework. Don’t get some information and ask the question. If I am not real, uh, I cannot come this far. Thank you for coming. That’s enough.
Thank you.
End: 12:58
Samak’s disgrace
Grasshopper,
So the military would have a coup to protect the monarchy from people who acted on behalf the the miltaries previous crimes in the name of the Monarchy. Lot’s of glass houses, or glass residences of other sorts. I don’t expect that there are a lot of people at the top who want Thai and int’l media sniffing around 1976 too much. Paul Handley’s treatement of the period is certainly informative.
Srithanonchai,
Not sure if you are approving or disapproving Chirmsak’s removal. It is hardly a surprise. It is a safe bet that all junta stooges appointed for the purpose of cementing junta power and harassing Thaksin will not be removed and replace by Thaksin’s stooges appointed for the purpose of cementing Thaksin’s power and harassing the junta (and their allies).
Samak’s disgrace
Looks like it was not just a ‘slip of the tongue’ because the comments appear to have been repeated in at least 2 separate interviews.
However, Samak is Samak – we know what to expect, and if anything might just end up pleasantly surprised.
Jakrapob on the other hand is a worry – what a hypocrite!
DAAD/UDD/PTV drama queen to media watchdog for fairness.
(I shudder to think about what would happen if he rose even further to a position of real power)
I agree with KB that Samak is not a good look for Thailand, but then again neither was Thaksin (apart from his money).
Whatever you think about Surayud’s government, at least he gave the appearance of a statesman to the outside world.
Samak’s disgrace
“He justifies his role in stirring the pot by claiming that he was protecting the throne. ”
Do you suppose this “stirring the pot” line is in reference to Samak’s right-wing activities in 1976 prior to the protest, or in reference to a statement he made defending himself in the last day or so?
More on the 2008 Thai Studies conference
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Samak’s disgrace
Samak is a complete and utter embarrassment for Thailand.
The video is up on U Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuoqLiLSgnI
Samak’s disgrace
Chermsak Pinthong: The first to fall?
Chirmsak stops hosting radio talk following threat
Former Bangkok senator Chirmsak Pinthong Wednesday gave up hosting in his daily radio talk show after he criticised Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej for allegedly covering up the Thammasat University massacre of October 6, 1976.
PM’s Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair, who supervises the Public Relations Department, telephoned production house Fatima Co to give notice that he might not extend its airtime contract, a company source said.
The explanation given was that the show’s content had to be adjusted to match the new programming schedule, the source said.
The company asked Chirmsak about Jakrapob’s reason. He understood the situation by withdrawing as a radio host, the source said.
“Chirmsak’s Views” was broadcast from 89pm on FM105, which is under the PRD.
The Nation 13 February 2008