I think you’ve misread me. I said they are NOT going to prosecute every instance of LM. It’s no surprise Suthep or many many others, on both sides, have not been prosecuted.
Matt Owen Rees – “The authorities are not going for every case of LM misinformation or incitement.” Clearly not – or else Suthep would have been charged with LM by now.
The authorities? I like that statement. Military dictators in the shade of North Korea, has authority only through the barrel of a gun. How the West (champion of democracy) can ignore these mass arrests and political purge – I don’t know.
I agree with you that, unfortunately, there are not easy solutions or even obvious ways forward. It seems a shame to have to reluctantly accept yet another coup as fait accompli, but likely alternatives currently available seem worse. Perhaps constant non-violent pressure and comment can prevent the military straying from its proclaimed intention of reasonable reform and return to elected government. Long term reform in attitudes and institutions, not just quick fixes in laws and regulations, will be more difficult and problematic.
I suppose one can draw hope from the fact that situations in past even worse than this in terms of violence and ideological conflict (1933, 1947-49, and 1976, for example) improved over time.
I think the Thais just hate to have to prosecute Falangs. The bad publicity and all, must be an absolute nightmare. It’s the same fear of the publicity backlash from the western press that keeps NM accessible. So, it’s far, far easier to be hammered with this LM if you are a Thai.
Technically, I suspect many of the contributors to this site have breached the LM law, myself included.
I’ll bet the site is carefully monitored; I wouldn’t be surprised either if the Thai authorities are posting to NM under the guise of ordinary members of the public.
The authorities are not going for every case of LM misinformation or incitement. They presumably are weighing up the merits they see in individual cases.
I don’t think NM is under any danger, nor is Marshall
Khun Niphon,
I agree your other questions are worth discussing, but unfortunately I don’t see any easy solutions due to the way Thai society has been structured where there is not even consensus that the law should be applied equally & fairly to all.
Do you really think that I give any credibility to the rants of AMM and his absurd fixation on 112 and not on the true problem of politicians taking advantage of and using the poor rurals as voting machine where you just put in money to get a vote?
Whilst we might not know his thinking, a look at his Privy Council appointments might give us as good a clue as anything.
(not sure if that qualifies as ‘hard evidence’ but I doubt anyone would dispute that he had a choice in who he appoints)
Other positive developments in ties include the holding of annual leader’s retreats, re-establishment of links between both countries’ stock exchanges,
I should add to that that, if he did so, it would go a long way towards keeping the military in check. And it is the military that is the eternal wild card that so undermines constitutional government. Never mind the coups; even during times when a democratically elected government is in office, it always has to keep a weather eye on the military. Equally groups opposing the elected government, such as the PDRC and the PAD earlier, look to the army to achieve their undemocratic aims for them. A democratically minded King could do a great deal to avert this. Constantine in Greece in 1968 and Juan Carlos in Spain in 1981, both did this.
As an afterthought I wonder if Songsuda will use this as a platform for another bid to reclaim her dad’s share of the US$30 billion or so in looted assets that was confiscated from the three tyrants after their ousting in 1973.
I don’t believe it is realistic to say that the King can see “his role as one that is constitutionally outside of political conflict”. Outside democratic political conflict, certainly, but not outside the Constitution. The last and earlier constitutions specify that Thailand has “a democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State.” If this means anything at all, it is surely that the King is the head of a democratic state. Should he therefore not be the last line of defence of that democracy?
“Thailand adopts a democratic regime of government (my italics) with the King as Head of State.” This rubric, or something close to it, has been written into all Thai constitutions at least since Sarit ousted Phibun in 1957. Surely the inference to be drawn from it is that the role of the constitutional monarch is as leader and thus defender of the “democratic regime of government.” So how many times has H.M. The King, failed to endorse a despotic military takeover?
Enrico #10. Kraisak Choonhaven is still active. I spotted him denouncing the Yingluck government on the PDRC’s Asoke stage a couple months back as I was popping in for a sharpner nearby on my way home. He didn’t play his guitar (they had a very loud rock band for that) but, nevertheless, seemed popular with the crowd who seemed neither deaf nor mute.
notdisappointed–You tell us we should ignore the fact that Suthep was a demagogue and focus on his message, and yet in the very same breath you can’t refrain from prefixing Thaksin’s name with ‘felon-in-flight’. In other words: Suthep=demagogue-ignore that!, vs. Thaksin=felon-in flight-very important! Thank you for yet another example of the double standard, as if we haven’t had enough.
How can you have a democracy that doesn’t “rely on the vote”? Voting is surely the essence. We can all agree that a properly organised civil society requires more than that, but the principle of one person, one vote, regardless of wealth, education, occupation or whatever, is surely fundamental. Anything else looks to me like simply trying to manipulate the outcome.
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Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
I think you’ve misread me. I said they are NOT going to prosecute every instance of LM. It’s no surprise Suthep or many many others, on both sides, have not been prosecuted.
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
Matt Owen Rees – “The authorities are not going for every case of LM misinformation or incitement.” Clearly not – or else Suthep would have been charged with LM by now.
Interview with Joe Gordon: Lèse majesté and democracy
@Notdisappointed studied in the Kim Jong Eu school of democracy.. what do you expect? Making friends is not high on the agenda..
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
The authorities? I like that statement. Military dictators in the shade of North Korea, has authority only through the barrel of a gun. How the West (champion of democracy) can ignore these mass arrests and political purge – I don’t know.
Interview with Joe Gordon: Lèse majesté and democracy
take advantage of the rural poor? at least they give them something, instead of taking every last crumb away from them.
Interview with Joe Gordon: Lèse majesté and democracy
From Prachatai English today:
“In October 2007, the military-appointed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont acquired land illegally to build a home in a national forest reserve. ”
Doesn’t it strike you funny that Thaksin would fund someone who was part of the coup to oust him?
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
Khun Nganadeeleg,
I agree with you that, unfortunately, there are not easy solutions or even obvious ways forward. It seems a shame to have to reluctantly accept yet another coup as fait accompli, but likely alternatives currently available seem worse. Perhaps constant non-violent pressure and comment can prevent the military straying from its proclaimed intention of reasonable reform and return to elected government. Long term reform in attitudes and institutions, not just quick fixes in laws and regulations, will be more difficult and problematic.
I suppose one can draw hope from the fact that situations in past even worse than this in terms of violence and ideological conflict (1933, 1947-49, and 1976, for example) improved over time.
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
I think the Thais just hate to have to prosecute Falangs. The bad publicity and all, must be an absolute nightmare. It’s the same fear of the publicity backlash from the western press that keeps NM accessible. So, it’s far, far easier to be hammered with this LM if you are a Thai.
Technically, I suspect many of the contributors to this site have breached the LM law, myself included.
I’ll bet the site is carefully monitored; I wouldn’t be surprised either if the Thai authorities are posting to NM under the guise of ordinary members of the public.
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
The authorities are not going for every case of LM misinformation or incitement. They presumably are weighing up the merits they see in individual cases.
I don’t think NM is under any danger, nor is Marshall
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
Khun Niphon,
I agree your other questions are worth discussing, but unfortunately I don’t see any easy solutions due to the way Thai society has been structured where there is not even consensus that the law should be applied equally & fairly to all.
Interview with Joe Gordon: Lèse majesté and democracy
Do you really think that I give any credibility to the rants of AMM and his absurd fixation on 112 and not on the true problem of politicians taking advantage of and using the poor rurals as voting machine where you just put in money to get a vote?
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
Whilst we might not know his thinking, a look at his Privy Council appointments might give us as good a clue as anything.
(not sure if that qualifies as ‘hard evidence’ but I doubt anyone would dispute that he had a choice in who he appoints)
Malaysia in 2014 – a perspective from Singapore
Other positive developments in ties include the holding of annual leader’s retreats, re-establishment of links between both countries’ stock exchanges,
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
I should add to that that, if he did so, it would go a long way towards keeping the military in check. And it is the military that is the eternal wild card that so undermines constitutional government. Never mind the coups; even during times when a democratically elected government is in office, it always has to keep a weather eye on the military. Equally groups opposing the elected government, such as the PDRC and the PAD earlier, look to the army to achieve their undemocratic aims for them. A democratically minded King could do a great deal to avert this. Constantine in Greece in 1968 and Juan Carlos in Spain in 1981, both did this.
Songsuda Yodmani and the 2014 coup
As an afterthought I wonder if Songsuda will use this as a platform for another bid to reclaim her dad’s share of the US$30 billion or so in looted assets that was confiscated from the three tyrants after their ousting in 1973.
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
I don’t believe it is realistic to say that the King can see “his role as one that is constitutionally outside of political conflict”. Outside democratic political conflict, certainly, but not outside the Constitution. The last and earlier constitutions specify that Thailand has “a democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State.” If this means anything at all, it is surely that the King is the head of a democratic state. Should he therefore not be the last line of defence of that democracy?
Video: Andrew Walker on latest Thai coup
“Thailand adopts a democratic regime of government (my italics) with the King as Head of State.” This rubric, or something close to it, has been written into all Thai constitutions at least since Sarit ousted Phibun in 1957. Surely the inference to be drawn from it is that the role of the constitutional monarch is as leader and thus defender of the “democratic regime of government.” So how many times has H.M. The King, failed to endorse a despotic military takeover?
Songsuda Yodmani and the 2014 coup
Enrico #10. Kraisak Choonhaven is still active. I spotted him denouncing the Yingluck government on the PDRC’s Asoke stage a couple months back as I was popping in for a sharpner nearby on my way home. He didn’t play his guitar (they had a very loud rock band for that) but, nevertheless, seemed popular with the crowd who seemed neither deaf nor mute.
Interview with Joe Gordon: Lèse majesté and democracy
notdisappointed–You tell us we should ignore the fact that Suthep was a demagogue and focus on his message, and yet in the very same breath you can’t refrain from prefixing Thaksin’s name with ‘felon-in-flight’. In other words: Suthep=demagogue-ignore that!, vs. Thaksin=felon-in flight-very important! Thank you for yet another example of the double standard, as if we haven’t had enough.
Interview with Joe Gordon: Lèse majesté and democracy
How can you have a democracy that doesn’t “rely on the vote”? Voting is surely the essence. We can all agree that a properly organised civil society requires more than that, but the principle of one person, one vote, regardless of wealth, education, occupation or whatever, is surely fundamental. Anything else looks to me like simply trying to manipulate the outcome.