View Full Version : Removing Thaksin Mindfully
Regarding the latest criticism of the current government (see http://2bangkok.com/news04h2.shtml#Thirayuth), what is your opinion on the Prime Minister?
1. You like him/mostly agree with his actions?
2. You don't like him/mostly disagree with him?
3. You don't know, you don't care, you don't think you have enough knowledge of Thai politics to judge him, or you partly agree, partly disagree?
The Enforcer!
30-07-04, 06:26 PM
It is not for me to "interfer with the internal affairs of another nation" but if I were I would have to say that I am disappointed.
Someone with that such business connections, parliamentary majority, personal and family wealth should have made a big difference to the ordinary people of Thailand.
Sadly I cannot see this.
The Enforcer!
Nekochan
03-08-04, 12:33 AM
Ho ho ho,
I do not want to criticise anyone in particular. I believe in non-interference that a society will be on the right course of development by its own people. It sounds like Starfleet's Prime Directives!! I do not think it is right or wrong or appropriate or not to say so, but I did vote!!
You may think this is a problem of attitudes of people whom I think care less about their own society. It is not our business or I just don't care.
Have you ever seen people using mobiles phones during movies? and no Thais stop that!! Driving thru red light? Traffic NOT YIELD to pedestrian?
To be Kreng Jai is not that really bad .... but they need to understand the word "CIVILTY"!! "PUBLIC PARTICIPATION" and blah blah blah.
Democracy is not like instant MAMA noodle!! It is an on going progress that a nation needs to achieve..... (A MUST) and I hope Siam will do it well!!
The Enforcer!
12-08-04, 10:27 AM
It sounds like Starfleet's Prime Directives!!
Actually it was Yes Prime Minister! Although I admit it is very similar to the Prime Directive.
The Enforcer!
No use arguing whether there's an able enough successor to take over his throne at this point.The man has clearly abused his power to gain gigantic monetary benefits for his self and family.Even there's no one leader to succeed him,so ,let it be!But Thaksin must go,,,that's for sure.
The Enforcer!
07-03-06, 06:30 AM
Thaksin must go,,,that's for sure.
A lot of people would agree (and possibly a lot would not) but in my understanding of the 1997 Constitution there is not a lot any ordinary person can do about until he loses an election or his party kick him out.
The Enforcer!
Scuba22
08-03-06, 07:22 PM
[under the] 1997 Constitution there is not a lot any ordinary person can do about until he loses an election or his party kick him out.
Yeah, that's the problem. If under the current law terrible things are happening, then the only solution is to change the law. A Constitution isn't the word of God, it was made by the people, people make mistakes, and the people have the choice to undo those mistakes.
The US fought a bitter and bloody Civil War due to a Constitutional Crisis, Europe went through centures of bloody battles before getting to the current status of stability. Lots of other democracies are still a bit of a mess - India is chaos, Japan and Singapore have one-party rule. The road to democracy has never been easy or quick, it's amazing that anyone would think otherwise.
Cheers,
Scuba22
Not often we get to see a complete translation of an anti-Thaksin speech. Here's one from long-term thorn in the side of successive Thai governments, Sor Sivaraksa. This is from a recent speech at Sanam Luang. No date given:-
Removing Thaksin Mindfully
We all must understand that this struggle against Thaksin Shinawatra is a confrontation with Mara: this is a ‘just’ war; that is, the Good will prevail over Mara through nonviolent and dhammic means, employing sincerity, compassion, transparency, humility, patience, wisdom, and solidarity.
We must not forget that the Lord Mara is wily, intelligent, and devious. Two days ago, he mobilized hundreds of thousands to come to his rally by fooling them, by bribing them. He believed that it was legitimate to do so. Put differently, he has consistently seen injustice as justice, has deliberately confused the distinction between lies and truths, the Wrong View and the Right View, the Devil’s Discus and the Lotus. He had bought votes. He had used all sorts of trickery in the general election. He had lied to the people to gain their votes. The sad part is that many Thais still hold him in awe: they are still mesmerized by Thaksinism.
Admittedly, he had once fooled me too. I had firmly believed that he would gradually diverge from his Wrong Livelihood, which has enabled him to accumulate massive wealth. Many of us felt that he had already done his share of getting rich, and therefore he would now work selflessly for the people by narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor and by cultivating Right Livelihood; that is, simplicity and humility (along the lines advocated by the King). I was wrong.
We believed that he had made an honest mistake in the concealment of his financial assets in 2001. So we helped mobilize the people to support and sympathize with him. We wanted him to have an opportunity to work for the people. We believed that the Constitutional Court would serve as a major pillar in upholding justice and accountability in society. In the end, Thaksin narrowly escaped a five-year ban on holding political office. We failed to see that the judges of the Court were filled with prejudices, and many were quite devious. Moreover, that the Court recently rejected a petition to impeach Thaksin is yet another proof that it lacks neutrality—that it is under the influence of the Lord Mara.
For long, people like me have closely followed the administration of Thaksin Shinawatra. It took awhile before we could call a spade a spade and see through Thaksin’s web of deceits and the devastation his policies has wreaked on society. We are not surprised that many people are unable to see this fact. The government has intervened in the workings of the mass media. Thaksin bought several media companies himself and destroyed many others. The mass media have engaged in self-censorship. Several independent reporters and journalists were fired. TV and radio programs critical of Thaksin were shut down. Lackeys were promoted to eulogize the wonders of Thaksin, demonize his opponents, and spread lies and half-truths. (One or two of them just fell from grace recently, however. And soon Thaksin will follow suit.) All in all, the mass media are no longer free and independent.
For many years, many have already pointed out Thaksin’s deviousness, and so I won’t repeat their points. I’d like to stress that he’s very corrupt and manipulative, and has broken all of the Five Precepts, which serve as the minimal basis for creating a just and peaceful society.
Violating the First Precept, Thaksin has used legal and extra-legal measures to kill thousands (many were probably innocent) in his ‘war on drugs.’ Several international human rights organizations have heavily condemned these measures. But many Thais chose to remain oblivious to this fact and to continue supporting Thaksin—seeing violence as a ‘necessary evil.’ Some monks have even publicly supported the killing of drug suspects. Countless also ‘disappeared’ in Narathiwat and Pattani provinces as a result of Thaksin’s policy on ‘quelling’ the Southern unrest—that is, state-sponsored violence. Thaksin has helped fanned parochial nationalism. Buddhists were pitted against Muslims, and Thais against Malayans. All these are quite unprecedented. And we must not forget the unleashing of violence on those demonstrating against the construction of the Thai-Malay gas pipelines—or of the Pak Moon Dam for that matter, or the fact that he risked the lives of Thai soldiers by sending them to Iraq in order to curry favor from the lords of the American empire. He also allowed the Americans to operate a secret detention center in the kingdom to torture ‘terrorist’ suspects.
Concerning the violation of the Second Precept, Thaksin has robbed tax payers’ money, siphoning it into private coffers—his own and his cronies’. They are all influential at the local and the international levels. The selling of the Shin Corp stocks is the latest evidence, and it serves as the last straw. All those who could no longer tolerate his corruption gradually came out to remove him from power. Thaksin treats the kingdom as his private fiefdom to enrich his and his cronies’ pockets. The FTA agreement with China is robbing or bankrupting poor Thai farmers; he had cracked down on Falungong followers in Siam and had refused H.H. the Dalai Lama’s entry into the kingdom to appease the Chinese leaders. Further showing his callous disregard for human rights, Thaksin has befriended the Burmese military junta—the worst of its kind in the region—and has used Thai tax payers’ money to support them in exchange for lucrative business deals. All things considered, Thaksin is more than willing to sell the kingdom and its citizens to TNCs and other countries like Singapore. If Thaksin and his pals (a handful of families) can get obscenely richer by eroding national sovereignty, so be it.
As for breaking the Third Precept, I don’t have hard evidence. But there are lots of rumors that Thaksin and his cabinet ministers have engaged in many illicit sexual reveries—that Thaksin has been unfaithful to his wife. There is even a toddler who looks astonishingly like Thaksin. All these still cannot be proven. So we may have to give him the benefit of the doubt. But truths about Thaksin’s notorious sexual life will surely surface after his fall from power—like those of the dictator Sarit Thanarat.
Now, on the violation of the Fourth Precept. Thaksin uses the mass media to deceive the people. The truth is undermined or asphyxiated. Lies and half-truths circulate endlessly. Thaksin likes to say that he was born poor, but now he’s a billionaire. His mission is to make everyone as rich as he is; that is, he’s the benchmark. Many are seduced by this promise. But with a modicum of commonsense we would realize how outrageous the promise is. We would know that his wealth was—is being—amassed through deceits and the Wrong Livelihood. It’s impossible for everyone to be a Thaksin. But it is possible for the rich to level down—to reduce their greed, for instance. It’s possible for the people to pursue a simple and humble way of life. Thaksin got rich through devious means, both legal and illegal. He makes a virtue out of thievery. Now he wants all of us to be rich by being thieves. Wouldn’t this destroy Buddhism in the kingdom?
As for breaching the Fifth Precept, Thaksin uses the mass media to intoxicate the people. The people are urged to entertain themselves to death and to worship capitalism and consumerism—at the expense of morality, social justice, environmental sustainability, local cultures, and so on.
CONTINUED NEXT POST >>>>>
Continuation of a speech by Sor Sivaraksa, recently made at Sanam Luang. Take a look around his website:-
http://www.sulak-sivaraksa.org/sulak313.php
http://www.sulak-sivaraksa.org/images/sulak/sulak5march.jpg
If we don’t understand these facts, we’ll give a free hand to a bunch of immoralists to run the country and exploit the people. Governing the country is not simply a matter of political science and the law. But it is also about ethics and legitimacy. Since Thaksin has lost legitimacy, his time is up. The sovereignty of the people enables them to remove Thaksin. Thaksin is no longer able to represent them.
When King Rama IV ascended to the throne of the Chakkri Dynasty he declared, “I will rule the land with justice.” All his successors likewise made the same declaration. King Rama IV added that his subjects and officials had the right to remove him from the throne if he had failed to uphold justice in the land. It seems that a Siamese king had the moral courage to enable his subjects to remove him. Thaksin on the other hand sees himself as above the king—who’s he to think that we cannot remove him from power? We can vote with our feet to remove him from power.
Thaksin has shamelessly argued that he must stay in power to organize the 60 th anniversary celebration of the king’s accession to the throne. This auspicious occasion should be organized by a virtuous person, not a thug who plunders his own people and country.
All of us who uphold justice must find nonviolent ways to remove Thaksin from power—the sooner, the better. It won’t be easy. We have to rely on the dhamma. We must not allow hatred, love, anger, etc. to dominate us. Verbally assaulting Thaksin may bring fulfillment in the short run. But in the long run it lacks real value. Rather, we must nurture compassion (loving oneself and others selflessly); loving-kindness (willing to serve the poor and the exploited and to learn from them); good will towards others (we must not hate Thaksin and the TRT for the karma they have committed will eventually return to haunt them); and equanimity (we must examine and overcome the prejudices in our hearts in order to prevail over devious people nonviolently).
Like in the Buddha’s confrontation with Mara, we must rely on wisdom. Wisdom is not only about correct thinking, but also about harmonizing the mind and the heart. With wisdom, we’ll be able to forgive Thaksin. Forgivingness means the absence of fear or freedom from fear. And fear is really about the greed, hatred, and delusion brewing inside of us. If we are able to overcome fear, we’ll have sympathy for Thaksin, who’s now in a living hell. And, hopefully, one day after his resignation he’ll emerge from it to be enlightened by the dhamma. This will be a long and drawn out struggle. We need to maintain patience and mindfulness. And victory will be ours. It will be a victory for the Thai people as well as for the dhamma.
Tettyan
23-03-06, 09:50 AM
I originally posted the following on JW's blog. I'm posting it again here so maybe we can have a little discussion on how the current mess might end:
The situation has reached a dead-end for all sides. The PAD's numerous "final showdowns" have failed to achieve their stated goal. Thaksin is stuck leading his party into a one-horse race. And the Democrats seem to be doing all it takes to prevent the election from taking place, to little effect so far.
Having all passed the point of no return, no side can afford to be seen as the first to back down now. The way I see things, there are a couple ways things could end.
1) The army steps in with a coup - This is absolutely the worst possible outcome, and thankfully, highly unlikely at this point. But I wouldn't count this out yet, especially if the situation turns violent and the political leadership loses control of the situation.
2) The election goes forward, with a one-party parliament that has only about 4/5 of the seats filled. Parliament opens sesssion anyway and re-elects Thaksin PM, while the Constitution Court does nothing. The PAD and opposition parties are mad as hell and step up their protests. The current deadlock drags on.
3) The election goes forward, the EC/Constitution court won't allow parliament can't open without a quorum, by-elections are called, opposition boycotts by-elections too. Again, the current mess continues.
4) Article VII of the constitution is invoked, Thaksin is forced to resign and flee the country. The PAD celebrates, but the rural masses are mad as hell. Social divisions intensify.
I don't know about you all, but I don't like any these scenarios. What needs to happen is that the gov't, the opposition parties, and the PAD need to sit down behind closed doors with a respected moderator, maybe a Privy Councillor, but preferably not Prem (not good to drag someone that close to the Palace into this). In an ideal world, this is the comprimise they reach:
*The election on 2 April goes ahead. The opposition agrees to field candidates in any by-elections that are necessary.
*Thaksin agrees to temporarily step aside by not offering himself as a candidate for PM when the new parliament convenes. Until then, he remains in his current post.
*TRD, the PAD and the opposition parties agree to support the election of a senior TRT figure who is respected on all sides as Prime Minister. The only person I can think of who fits this bill right now is Chaturon Chaisaeng.
*The new PM forms a "grand coalition" cabinet (Thai cabinets are limited to 36 members). Half of the seats (18) go to TRT figures. Another 9 seats, including key posts such as Defence and Interior, will go to respected outsiders on whom all parties can agree. If they can't agree, then the Privy Council should suggest candidates for these posts. Another 8 should go to the opposition parties - according to the quotas from the last parliament, 5 should go to the Democrats, 2 to Chart Thai, and 1 to Mahachon. The remaining one minister should be nominated by the 5 leaders of the PAD - this minister shall be a Deputy PM without portfolio.
*After the election, a blue-ribbon commission on consitutional reform should be appointed. TRT, the opposition parties, and the PAD should each nominate a representative to sit on the panel, while the remaining 6 should be appointed by the Privy Council. The commission will have one year to study and recommend a package of constitutional and political reforms.
*New elections will be called 90 days after the political and consitutional reforms are passed, giving everyone enough time to switch parties or start new ones should they want to.
*At this point, Thaksin can make his political comeback. As part of the deal, however, he should pledge to serve only one term should he win.
Well, this may sound a little too idealistic, as it will require everyone to swallow a little pride. Some of you may say that it's unrealistic, and I wouldn't blame you. But I'm very frustrated that up to this point, no one has offered any realistic solutions to this crisis. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but I was hoping to start a little discussion on how to end this mess. I'd like to hear more ideas that would allow us to avoid one of the 4 scenarios I listed above.
Cheers,
Tettyan
A few minor additions to your (2). I'd say this election is already done and dusted. It's only a matter of Thaksin temporarily reallocating a few monetary resources. The opposition suffers from the same problem as Thai Ruk Thai: no real ideology, just an obsessive intention to live like a hog at the taxpayer's expense:-
(5) The election goes forward, with a one-party parliament that has only about 4/5 of the seats filled. Parliament opens sesssion anyway and re-elects Thaksin PM, while the Constitution Court does nothing. The PAD and opposition parties are mad as hell and continue their slowly declining protests. The current deadlock gradually subsides. We then return to Thaksin 'business as usual'.
Tettyan
24-03-06, 07:39 AM
(5) The election goes forward, with a one-party parliament that has only about 4/5 of the seats filled. Parliament opens sesssion anyway and re-elects Thaksin PM, while the Constitution Court does nothing. The PAD and opposition parties are mad as hell and continue their slowly declining protests. The current deadlock gradually subsides. We then return to Thaksin 'business as usual'.
You just described TRT's dream outcome. While certainly possible, I can't imagine how Thaksin can remain an effectual leader under this scenario. We might have something a little short of 'business as usual'.
You just described TRT's dream outcome. While certainly possible, I can't imagine how Thaksin can remain an effectual leader under this scenario. We might have something a little short of 'business as usual'.
But what makes you think Thaksin can't live with that? After all, the main intention of his clan and party is not to impress people with their political acumen and sensitivity. It's just a flat-out power & money grab. Those who can't be silenced with a little cash, will be silenced by bullets.
Of course, you are probably thinking about how he will eventually have to bow out. Just take a look at all those out-of-control generals, politicians and PMs in the past. They all accumulated enough cash & power to remain untouchable in their retirement. The fact of the matter is that there isn't a single individual in Thailand who can stop him getting away with it. And a gradual slide from mainstream politics will suit him just fine.
The Enforcer!
24-03-06, 08:36 AM
As far as I can read the situation only direct intervention by His Majesty or by the Armed Forces can topple Taksin.
> The General Election will not topple him.
> Sondhi's protests will not topple him.
> The Courts will not topple him.
> He is too hard-hearted to resign, allow a time of healing, constitutional change then fight a fair election say in six month.
So I guess it is Taksin as PM until 2010.
The Enforcer!
There was a post on one of the other threads about how Thaksin and his "empress and princess" were boo'ed while at the Emporium (gawd, i wish i was there at that time). Money can't always buy respect and the press airing your dirty laundry raises the price. The increase in the freedom of the press over the last few weeks has been encouraging, but how long this trend of an increasingly free press remains far from certain. Just this morning, open the newspapers and we are back to the TRT/government sacking editors, filing lawsuits, etc.
Unfortunately, it has all the telltale signs of a roundtrip back to "business as usual" as you all are talking about.
--dingo
Scuba22
24-03-06, 10:19 AM
One factor worth considering is how long the rural support for Thaksin will last as interest rates rise and the burden of all those government loans starts sinking in.
If Thaksin is right, and his policies will end poverty in three years, then to be honest, I don't really care if he's a dictator, muzzles the press, or helps himself to big money.
But I don't think this is going to happen. He's been extraordinarily lucky to be part of a global economic boom since he was elected. The transition from post-crisis doldrums into this boom had little to do with his policies, IMHO; a monkey doing nothing would have gotten this level of growth with US consumers spending their way to oblivion on the back of a massive housing bubble and rampant overcapacity beng built in China during a historically low interest rate environment. If you let loose a pile of lending in these conditions, of course things look rosy.
There are serious signs of trouble in all these areas. The US housing bubble is cooling off, that will hit consumer spending reasonably soon. Interest rates are going up globally. Inflation is hitting Thailand. If there's a run on the dollar, all of these will be exacerbated.
At that point the perfect economic storm hits Thailand: sagging exports, rising interest rates leading to lower consumer spending and increased debt service payments, all with rising inflation.
Those hardest hit, as always, will be the rural poor. Will they continue to back Thaksin? I doubt it.
I've thought that the current dump-Thaksin movement was premature, that it would happen in another 5-6 years. That would be keeping with the 20-year cycle of Thai politics (major upheavals in the 30's, 50's, 70's, 90's) and would have a scenario where TRT's disasterous economic policies sink the country into another crisis, but by that time they have control of so many levers of power that there's no way to unseat them. The middle classes take to the streets as now, but the country folk join them. Thaskin's cronies jump ship and he flees the country to wherever he's stashed his assets inthe meantime, paving the way for a new generation of crooks to take over.
OK, sorry for the long digression, back to the question at hand: I like Tettyan's suggestion - but I think that that won't be the end of it. After the Thaksin comeback, I think we're still going to see the crisis scenario.
Cheers,
Scuba22
As far as I can read the situation only direct intervention by His Majesty or by the Armed Forces can topple Taksin.
The Enforcer!
And I'm afraid I'm cynical enough to believe that ONLY the latter has the capability, if they feel like it. And it certainly isn't likely to happen anytime soon. He still has his uses to them. When he eventually becomes an inconvenience to them, they MIGHT consider dumping him. And of course, whoever thinks he is getting the AFs to act on the nation's behalf is sadly deluded. The AFs only get involved for their own ends. We should never forget that they practically sidelined the monarchy for a couple of decades. Indeed, you might argue that they have only encouraged its ascendancy for their own ends.
Tettyan
24-03-06, 06:26 PM
OK, sorry for the long digression, back to the question at hand: I like Tettyan's suggestion - but I think that that won't be the end of it. After the Thaksin comeback, I think we're still going to see the crisis scenario.
Cheers,
Scuba22
I also thing the anti-Thaksin movement is premature, but for reasons in addition to what you cited. The problem is that even if Thaksin isn't what's best for the country, many rural voters seem to think so. From their point of view, no other party has every tried addressing their concerns, and they wouldn't be wrong to say so. The Democrats deserve to share in the blame for allowing Thaksin's rise, as they have absolutely failed to present a vision for the future of rural Thailand. Thaksin, on the other hand, has bought the loyalty of rural voters by promising them a dream (whether it's sustainable is another matter). They're not going to sit idly after their supposed 'savior' is dumped by a spoiled, middle-class urban mob in the name of "democracy".
Thus, as much as I hate Thaksin, I think the way Sondhi, Chamlong & Co. (who have their own skeletons in their closets) have chosen to try to remove Thaksin is the WRONG way. Before all this happened, I always thought the ideal scenario for getting of Thaksin is to let him serve a few years. Like you, I've always believe that "Thaksinomics" is unsustainable, but it will take some time before that becomes apparent to most voters. Eventually, Thaksin will run out of tricks to keep the economy going in the short term. Cracks will start to show in his economic model, Thaksin's magic will wear off, and people will start to view him as just another politician.
Meanwhile, the Democrats get their act together, put together a sustainable platform that addresses rural voters' concerns, and rebuild their local organizations. One idea is that they can try establishing party branches in as many districts as possible and offer free consultation services for people with everyday problems - resolving debt issues, dealing with officials, etc. Just a little idea, in case anyone is listening. The Democrats need to become a NATIONAL party if they ever hope to take power again, they can no longer just rely on their base of southerners and urban professionals to deliver enough seats to leverage their way into power through backroom coalition deal-making. Only then Thaksin can be toppled in the proper way - through an election.
If this is too difficult, then refer to my earlier post. One point that the opposition should push if they every try negotiating a compromise with Thaksin is that if he is allowed to return to power, he should promise to retire from politics after serving only one more term.
Cheers,
Tettyan
Scuba22
24-03-06, 07:57 PM
I'm with you 100% Tettyan - I find the opposition's incompetence to be even more aggravating than Thaksin's deception and stupidty (that is, if he really beleives that he's going to solve poverty in 3 years by handing out government loans to everyone).
In many ways, I think him leaving now would get him off the hook as the damage from his policies will only show up on his predecessor's watch, just as the benefits of Chuan's policies showed up on his watch. Although I have zero evidence, I also suspect that Thaksin and his current cronies' actions had much to do with the excesses of the mid 90's that led to the 1997 crisis; so it's a particular irony that he holds himself up as a savior from that. I fear that this cycle is returning again.
But it's also impossible to get excited about the opposition, whether it be PAD or the Democrats or anyone else I've seen yet. They seem to be reduced to simply taking opposite sides from Thaksin, whereas I think the real thrust should be to point out that Thaksin's own policies don't match his rhetoric.
Here's what I'm looking for: someone who truly believes in capitalism and free trade (vs. Thaksin who claims to, but is really a government welfare recipient - BTW, what happened to that thread "Thaksin - capitalist & businessman?", I can't seem to find it), and who has an understanding of rural development to the depth of a Muhamad Yunus or Hernando deSoto. That's my ideal leader.
Anyone come to mind?
Cheers,
Scuba22
Tettyan
25-03-06, 08:19 AM
Here's what I'm looking for: someone who truly believes in capitalism and free trade (vs. Thaksin who claims to, but is really a government welfare recipient - BTW, what happened to that thread "Thaksin - capitalist & businessman?", I can't seem to find it), and who has an understanding of rural development to the depth of a Muhamad Yunus or Hernando deSoto. That's my ideal leader.
Anyone come to mind?
Cheers,
Scuba22
Supachai Panitchpakdi (http://www.wto.org/English/thewto_e/dg_e/sp_e.htm)
If only he can be persuaded to leave his cushy job at UNCTAD that he's only held for six months...
Wisarut
26-03-06, 10:29 PM
Well, ther are a widespread rumours by Thai netters as follows:
The Great leader and the Political Euniuches like Newin are plannign to INSTIGATE the people as the way to FORCE General Sondhi Bunyakalin to declare EMERGENCY:
1) Hiring the former Khmer Rouge as mecernaries inside Caravan of the Poor to RAPE and PILLAGE Bangkokians ....
2) After forcign the Declkaration of Emergency Decree, they will ask Visanu to draft the Decree to GRANT the power to PM as "Sumpreme Commander of International Combined Forces" as the way to Mobilize 5000 Singaporean troops in Kanchaburi, Udornthani and Khonkaen to Suppress the revolts even though they are actually fuel more Fires alogn the streets in BKK
3) The monks undere influence of Dammakaya also stage the revolt so the can MURDER monks who take side with reformer and democratic activisst ... alogn with RAPE, SODOMIZE and Pillage .... since they have been BRAINWASHED by those from yuwasong.org (the propaganda machine run by Damakaya alogn with other ultraconservative monks) that :
"Murdering People's Alliance for Democracy is a VIRTUE, NOT a sin at all!"
4) DISARM all Thai Armed Forced ... Forcing all Thai solder so SURREENDER so before Ovedrthrowing the King ... and Decreate Republican regime in Thailand
// ----------------------------------------------
I've thought that the current dump-Thaksin movement was premature, that it would happen in another 5-6 years. That would be keeping with the 20-year cycle of Thai politics (major upheavals in the 30's, 50's, 70's, 90's) and would have a scenario where TRT's disasterous economic policies sink the country into another crisis, but by that time they have control of so many levers of power that there's no way to unseat them. The middle classes take to the streets as now, but the country folk join them. Thaskin's cronies jump ship and he flees the country to wherever he's stashed his assets inthe meantime, paving the way for a new generation of crooks to take over.
The timing issue is one in which we could all have a long discussion and only come to the conclusion that there is no right answer.
i would tend to believe it wasn't as much as timing as the messenger/message. Clearly the opportunity was there (not sure anymore). However a few things strike me:
1) Sondhi had the balls to confront Thaksin, but not the moral authority. If he had remained sidelined longer after the PAD "took control", this might have been OK, but seems like he quicky re-emerged and gave Thaksin an easy out for explaining the unrest.
2) The initial calls for resignation where just too much. Maybe it is nothing more than the result of frustration with what the system has become, but maybe they should have pressed for more realistic goals such as independent review of the whole Shin deal, etc. The outright calls for resignation really didn't take Thaksins reaction into account.
3) The democratic party is disappointing. As much as I think Aphisit (sp?) seems to have the right ideas, it is not clear the leadership is in place to put the rubber to the road (so to speak).
4) Whatever is left of this whole thing, the PAD does need to make sure that press independence doesn't once again revert back to pre-Shin Corp sale days. It has gotten better this last few weeks, and that might be the only real lasting effect of all this effort. Maybe this new-found independenc will last a bit now that the Shin empire advertising baht and ITV are not controlled through nominees....
in general though, i think the only thing more time would have bought the PAD is time to figure how to get their (well meaning) heads out of their aXXes.
just opinions.
dingo
Scuba22
27-03-06, 08:58 AM
Of course a lot of this discussion is pur speculation, but I think it is clear that the support Thaksin continues to enjoy in the countryside is making it that much more difficult to unseat him by any means. My main argument is that with more time, as the realities of Thaksin's policies become more apparent, that support would have faded.
To believe that scenario, you have to believe that his development policies simply will not work, and I think there's plenty of reason and past experience that backs up that view. Unfortunately, I'm not sure anything short of letting the policies run their course and cause their inevitable damage will convince the Thai people how deceptive and ignorant these policies really are. I worry that if Thaksin gets booted out now, he'll never have to answer for the real damage he's done; his rural supporters will blame his successor when the bill comes due.
All that being said, I was upcountry last weekend and I didn't hear unqualified support for Thaksin. I didn't speak to very many people (only a handful in fact), but there was unanimous support for the 30B health care program. Beyond that, a lot of mixed feelings, and even some real anger at the Shin sale tax avoidance. There are people already getting frustrated that their free government cows haven't shown up and that certain people seem to be getting more than others.
Given more time, I do think that his rural support would have started slipping away.
The messengers are problematic, no doubt. However, I think the main problem is that the messages don't ring true to peoples' personal experiences or perceptions. To lots of people who don't have the slightest inkling of the vast global experience in rural development, including some educated folks who should know better, Thaksin is helping them and improving the countryside.
As for alternatives, if Supachai fits the bill as well as Tettyan says, perhaps there's a future hope...
Cheers,
Scuba22
The Enforcer!
27-03-06, 09:11 AM
Let's face, Taksin will be PM at the 2010 General Election.
The Enforcer!
the risk in waiting is that i am not sure the dissenting doctor who waits until the patient is dead looks any better than the attending physician....
since you bring up the 30 baht health scheme - lets take that as an example of where leadership is failing on the PAD/democratic side. From my understanding, this initiative didn't even originate with the TRT. Just very quickly (and rightly) seized upon. Thaksin is currently out there fear-mongering that without the TRT there would be no 30 baht scheme. However, this is incorrect as it is currently been put into law and is not dependent upon the party in 'power'.
Now, almost every piece of information on the 30 baht scheme indicates it is underfunded, as well as other issues. Doctors organizations have already come out in opposition to it due to funding limitations. Thammasat hospital has already pulled out, Sirirat hospital threatening to pull out.
Talk about a total neutralizing strategy - as well as alliance. if the democrats put forward the a plan to address the issues in the system, they will find supports in the electorate as well as medical community, as well as neutralize the TRT advantage here. Do what it takes to get the doctors behind it, even if it takes covering them for malpractice under the system (which is becoming a hot topic now and probably scaring most doctors to death).
the one farmer, one cow thing is just stupid. somebody needs to call a spade a spade here one of these days.
--dingo
Let's face, Taksin will be PM at the 2010 General Election.
The Enforcer!
hmmm. doesn't sound like the attiude of somebody that goes by the name of "the enforcer"......
Scuba22
27-03-06, 03:29 PM
Dingo - I hear what you're saying about the risks of waiting until the damage is done, but practically I wonder if there's any other way to get the message across that shiny pretty feel-good things often have some very dire hidden consequences.
I agree with your critique of the opposition, but consider what they're up against. Thaksin & TRT's messages are very clear and very appealing: vote for us and you get all this money, cheap medical care, free cows, etc. etc. What do we have to counter that- a discussion about long-term economic implications of mispriced risk?
The sad fact is that an uninformed electorate will always choose the easier sounding path, especially if they feel poor and desparate. This provides the opening for deceitful demagogues to take power and claim democratic legitimacy; and anyone taking power in that manner has an interest in keeping the electorate uninformed. IMHO, this is one of the major problems of our time - unscrupulous elites have found a way to subvert democratic ideals - and it requires a radical re-thinking of how the world is run.
I don't know how to get the alternative messages across - my own attempts to explain details of economics and science to people outside the fields (mostly artists) have had mixed success. I do think that media and entertainment need to be part of a solution - that we in areas like economics and science need to work far closer with artists, writers, etc. to inform people in a way that they can absorb. It needs to go beyond preach-to-the choir documentaries like Farenheit 9-11.
Short of getting something like that done, I fear that the only thing that will wake people up is the disaster these charlatans unleash - though I hope not.
Cheers,
Scuba22
Thaksin & TRT's messages are very clear and very appealing: vote for us and you get all this money, cheap medical care, free cows, etc. etc.
OK, i amend my idea as follows. the democrats propose a long term solution for the 30 baht health care system and also give away free puppies. Everybody loves puppies right??
Sorry for the regression - banging ones head on a wall seems to be the best option at times....
And you are right about trying to explain anything past checkbook economics to almost 98% of the population. It never took too much past that realization why most presidents in the US are those that "connected" as opposed to those that "intellectualized".
So what the opposition should be looking for is someone with the charisma and scruples, not necessarily a resume. They elected an actor president of the US, an actor president of the phillipines, the terminator govenor of california, shouldn't necessarily rule someone like that out here. Maybe people have been looking in the wrong places?
I am still not confident about the strategy to wait until things are sufficiently convoluted that people wake up. Kinda sounds like post WWI to me.
regards everyone,
--dingo
The Enforcer!
28-03-06, 07:51 AM
hmmm. doesn't sound like the attiude of somebody that goes by the name of "the enforcer"......
Sir, whilst one tries to "enforce" it is like taking a horse to water ... one cannot force it to drink!
The Thai population have been told the facts and they will make their choices - beit based on those facts or on the benefits they had had from a TRT government or on a 500 Baht note giving them food for this week.
However, incumbant Prime Ministers have a habit of winning when you do not expect it - proof I suppose that you can fool most of the people most of the time!
The Enforcer!
Tettyan
31-03-06, 09:27 PM
It's tempting to conflate all the protesters, both pro and anti-Thaksin, into one catagory. But after a month of largely peaceful protests (aside from a few cases of harassment bordering on intimidation), the first blatantly VIOLENT incident has been incited by the pro-government side. Is there anyone left out there who is willing to take responsibility?
News Editor Attacked by Pro-Thaksin Mob
By Sai Silp
March 31, 2006
A local news editor was beaten by one of a group of pro-Thaksin protestors who converged on a Democrat Party opposition rally at Chiang Mai University on Thursday.
Prachuab Wangjai, a news editor for Nation Channel Chiang Mai, run by Nation Multimedia group, was punched in the face by a man while leaving the event, which was disrupted when hundreds of counter-protestors in support of embattled Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra rushed the stage.
A witness to the attack told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the incident occurred after the Democrat Party leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, left the stage. Abhisit was reportedly also hit by a chair as protestors hurled missiles at his party. Members of the Nation Channel news team were walking to their cars when the crowd of Thaksin supporters recognized Prachuab, and one in the group punched him in the face.
Prachuab said that the incident showed how dangerous the political situation in Thailand has become.“This is my worst experience since I began as a reporter 10 years ago,” said Prachuab. “But it will not stop me from continuing my media duty.”
Prachuab filed a report with the police, but no charges have yet been made. Pol Sub-Lt Akradech Inthongchai, the officer handling the case, said that he received the report from the victim on Thursday night. The assailant has yet to be identified.
The attack happened hours after a crowd of some 2,000 Thaksin supporters surrounded the building of Bangkok daily, The Nation, to protest the Thai language Kom Chad Luek, owned by NMG, which recently announced it would cease publishing for five days after an error in its March 24 edition was deemed offensive to Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The editor of the newspaper resigned, and a second employee was dismissed.
Supinya Klangnarong, a media activist with the Campaign for Popular Media Reform, said threats and violence against media organizations is getting worse in the days leading up to the April 2 elections, and could in the days that follow confuse people about the role of the media in Thailand.
“If some groups feel that the media is on the opposite side politically, the violence will be more frequent,” Supinya said. “It depends on the decision of PM Thaksin, whether he wants to stop this confusion by resigning or not.”
According to Prachuab, the Nation Channel Chiang Mai intends to file a complaint about the infringement of journalists’ rights and a lack of security, while also pursuing criminal charges against his attacker.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/aviewer.asp?a=5610&z=154
Democrat leaders attacked in Chiang Mai
Chairs, eggs and paint thrown at party chiefs as violent episode blights lead-up to Sunday's ballot
March 31, 2006
Democrat Party leaders were attacked and pelted with chairs and a rally they had planned for Chiang Mai was cut short by road blockages and abusive behaviour in a concerted and highly effective campaign by supporters of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday.
The supporters thwarted the Democrat Party's key members at the airport, blocked the road to the rally venue and threw chairs, rotten eggs, paint and all manner of rubbish onto the stage when they tried to address the rally.
About 100 Thaksin supporters in Chiang Mai, his home town, rushed to Chiang Mai National airport to protest the arrival of Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who was scheduled to fly in at 4pm for a speech at Chiang Mai University.
The group went inside the terminal without waiting for weapons checking and held banners with messages condemning Abhisit and the party for boycotting the April 2 election. The Democrat leader was forced to evade the protesters by leaving the airport by a rear gate, which angered the protesters who shouted insults at Abhisit and threatened tourists who witnessed the incident.
Another group of Thaksin supporters used their cars to block Nimmanahaeminda Road, where Chiang Mai University's Art Museum is located. Key members of the Democrat Party, including Abhisit, secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban and senior adviser Chuan Leekpai were stopped from reaching the venue.
The protesters also hung up effigies of the party's key members, as well as leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy like Sondhi Limthongkul and Chamlong Srimuang and then burned them.
Hundreds of people who wanted to attend the rally had to wait outside and on the streets around the museum.
The rally eventually started at 6pm, with deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr as the first speaker. Only 40-50 people who managed to get into the venue before the roadblock was erected listened to him. More Democrat supporters later climbed a fence to get in.
As Alongkorn was speaking, supporters of Thaksin verbally attacked him and the party, as well as the Chiang Mai audience, through amplifiers.
Abhisit was finally able to get to the museum at 7.20pm. He was giving his speech and telling people why the party had boycotted Sunday's election when about 300 Thaksin supporters rushed the stage. They shouted at him and other party members.
About 100 police and security officers tried to drive the protesters back, but failed and Abhisit had to end his speech 10 minutes later.
The party's spokesman, Ong-art Klampaiboon, said the rally was cancelled and no plans made for a new one.
Nobody was seriously hurt in the attack, he said, although Chuan was hit with a chair and deputy party leader Chaiwut Bannawat had to use his arms to protect himself from a thrown chair.
Some of the protesters stayed in the art museum until 8pm, while some of the key Democrat members were still there.
After the Democrat executives left, Prachuab Wangjai, editor and anchorman of the Nation Channel in Chiang Mai, was punched in the ear.
Members of the audience who turned up to see the Democrat leaders were visibly shaken by the violence from the pro-Thaksin camp. A third-year medical student at the university broke down and cried, saying all she wanted was to hear some political information but instead had to deal with barbaric people. She did not understand why the protest had got out of control and why police had allowed it to.
A university lecturer said it was not the kind of behaviour you would expect to see in Chiang Mai, so it was quite likely the protesters were hired from outside. She said it was an embarrassment for Chiang Mai people.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/03/31/headlines/headlines_30000602.php
Wisarut
31-03-06, 11:43 PM
now those who live in City of Chaing Mai feel so HUMILIAZTED buy the incident of violent harassemnt AGAIUNST Democrat that they are willing to DIG into the DARKER Past of Premier Thaksin ...... and give such info to Khun SOndhi as well as other media outlets .... but NOT thsoe Pro-Thaksin media though ....
Looks like Chiang-Mai has just been added to the list of places and things to be avoided at all costs!
Tettyan
02-04-06, 08:22 AM
Ridiculous! Now that it's come to this, I hope TRT figures and other pro-government types stop complaining about "mob rule".
On the other hand, as a result of this idiotic move, the government might unwittingly reduce the pressure on Sondhi over his own comments.
Publisher charged with lese majeste
April 2, 2006
The publisher of a banned political magazine yesterday was charged with lese majeste after publishing and distributing a quarterly that allegedly contained objectionable material.
Thanapol Eawsakul, editor and publisher of Fah Diew Kan (Same Sky) magazine, was charged by police at Samranrat Police Station.
He said the accusations were politically motivated.
His accusers were the same group that had accused Khom Chad Luek daily and anti-Thaksin activist Sondhi Limthongkul of similar charges, he said.
Surachai Trong-ngam, a human rights lawyer, agreed with Thanapol that the accusation was probably tied to the current political tussle.
"It was published and has been on the news-stands for months. But nobody [when it was first published] objected to it or accused it of lese majeste," he said.
The subject matter had become quite interesting to readers, said Surachai, who is representing the editor.
"At a time when the country is drawn into a tense situation, the topic has become quite an issue," he said.
Surachai said it was still unclear which part of the publication contained items that were allegedly lese majeste. Thanapol must report to police on Tuesday.
The edition carries a series of debates on the role of the monarchy in Thai politics. The topic has become hot since it was published in the magazine in December.
Police chief Lt-General Kowit Wattana last week banned the magazine after a group of pro-government protesters accused it of lese majeste.
On Friday, Thanapol lodged a petition with the Interior Ministry over the ban saying the confiscation of his magazine was unfair because he had not been given a chance to defend it before a seizure order was made.
Pennapa Hongthong
The Nation
Scuba22
03-04-06, 12:44 AM
Tettyan -
Are all these lese majeste charges a relatively recent phenomenon, or have they always been going on?
With the lese majeste charge being thrown about so wantonly, what kind of support do you think people would have for getting rid of it? My guess is that HM would prefer it gone. Or is that just a total non-starter?
Scuba22
Lese Majeste has been Thailand's feudal Catch 22 for decades. It has long been used to keep serfs in their place. It is the domain of complete scoundrels.
Tettyan
04-04-06, 08:37 AM
It seems as if the business community is breaking their long silence now that the election is over. And they don't seem terribly thrilled with Thaksin's efforts to cling to power. Losing support from Sondhi and Chamlong is one thing, but I imagine that it's going to be hard for Thaksin to cope if these people argree he should step aside, even if just for the time being.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/04Apr2006_news02.php
Business gives 'unity panel' the thumbs down
April 4, 2006
POST REPORTERS
Calls by caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for a national reconciliation commission to address the divide in politics and society are unlikely to ease tensions, according to business leaders and analysts.
Business leaders say the stand-off between Mr Thaksin and his detractors under the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) will likely continue, undermining consumer sentiment and the economy.
Pornsil Patchrintanakul, deputy secretary-general of the Board of Trade, questioned how a national commission would work in practice.
''Who would appoint the members? If it is Mr Thaksin, then it won't work,'' he said. ''Yes, Thai Rak Thai won a majority, but certainly not a mandate. Using common sense, it's clear that [Mr Thaksin's] popularity has fallen.''
Chantana Sukumanont, an executive vice-president at Siam City Cement, voiced disappointment with Mr Thaksin's proposals on how to end the stand-off.
''Forming an independent commission is the same idea that he proposed before the election. I don't think the situation will end,'' she said.
Even if Thai Rak Thai won a majority of the vote, this did not make up for the fact that confidence in Mr Thaksin among certain groups was very low.
''He's still the head of Thai Rak Thai, and both sides, I believe, will remain deadlocked,'' she said.
''Personally, I checked 'no-vote'. I'm not in favour of either side. I just want to see the situation end. Mr Thaksin should resign for the good of his party and appoint someone as caretaker to arrange for new elections that will be accepted by all.''
Sungsidh Piriyarangsan, director of Chandrakasem Rajabhat University's Good Governance Research Institute, said a national reconciliation commission was a promising start, but agreed the process to select its members was crucial.
''If they are neutral and truly independent, then it can help. But we need to find people acceptable to all parties. The public isn't stupid,'' Mr Sungsidh said.
If a parliament could not be formed within 30 days, it would open the door for a royally-appointed government under article 7 of the constitution, he said.
But if Mr Thaksin insisted on remaining, even with the status of the government in a legal limbo, it would likely result in even larger protests than before.
''If after 30 days, he can't form parliament, he should step down. And if Mr Thaksin insists on remaining, even as the situation remains deadlocked, then Walt Disney should consider making a comedy based on the entire situation, because this will just be one big joke,'' he said.
Pichai Lertsupongkit, a senior vice-president at Prudent Siam Securities, said he was ''very disappointed'' with the proposals floated by Mr Thaksin yesterday.
''What everyone was waiting to hear was that with the elections finished, Mr Thaksin would step down to help heal the divide,'' he said. ''Setting up a commission will only cause the problems to be prolonged into the future.'' He expected the stock market would fall sharply today due to the added uncertainties.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday closed up 0.74% at 738.67 on late buying on rumours that Mr Thaksin would leave politics to ease the situation.
Paranoia at the Pizzeria for the 'Gang of Six'?: -
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/07/19/opinion/opinion_30009071.php
STOPPAGE TIME
Talk of TRT defections has conspiracy theorists salivating
By the time this whole mess is sorted out, half of the Thai population, or foreign watchers of Thai politics, will have become fulltime conspiracy buffs.
Just take a look at the letter column on your right (or go to the letter section if you are reading this on the Net). One writer has quite a great theory, based on the subtleties of diplomatic language, about why US President George W Bush's reply to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's whining about our domestic affairs was not as polite as it looked, but in fact cold and distant.
The writer, one "George" from Vienna, just beat me to it. Like countless others, I wake up every morning looking for some new sign, simply because there is little else we can do. I have read Bush's letter 20 times, dissected it and brought particular bits and pieces to both foreign affairs and read-between-the-lines experts for consultation. The best part is most of them had already started decoding the president's letter and the one he was replying to. The analysts shared my doubts about encrypted messages, but were divided on whether there was really a call for the People Alliance for Democracy's headquarters to be nuked.
You've got to blame the man who started all of this - the one who has taught us not to believe everything we see, read or hear. For example, first we thought it was a long political break, which would last until political reforms were complete, but it has turned out to be a handsomely paid vacation and the man has now resumed office on the pretext that "my country needs me". Then he tested our brain power with a claim that one "charismatic person whose clout is outside the scope of democracy" was plotting against him.
It has been hit and miss speculating, but we have started to learn a bit. Now, whenever the man preaches national harmony, we can trust him to file 10 more lawsuits against his opponents the following week. When he says "our nation is hurt enough", speechwriters must be prepared to draft complaints against "undemocratic elements" for an international audience. And, this fresh from the news desk, he just finished delivering a speech to followers at the Dhammakaya Temple, in which he called for benevolence towards everyone including your enemies. Shall we start running for cover now?
Signs from second-tier leaders of the Thai Rak Thai Party are also getting very interesting. Six core members of the party gathered at a downtown Italian restaurant on Sunday, purportedly for a birthday party for caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak. Thaksin was not amused by reports that they plotted a mutiny at that meeting and he called an urgent session with top party members yesterday. Those who saw the group walk into the meeting with Thaksin were split over the would-be rebels facial expressions. Some described them as giving the impression of schoolboys caught reading porn books while others saw the sullen faces of Julius Caesar's murderers.
Somkid, Somsak Thepsuthin, Suranand Vejjajiva, Pinij Charusombat, Preecha Laohapongchana and Chaturon Chaisang have excited all conspiracy theorists. Now, "defection" rumours have been upgraded to speculation about a party coup. Apparently, these six young bloods now want to keep hold of the Thai Rak Thai Party rather than let it flounder with its embattled founder.
Of the six, Somkid has drawn the most attention, due in no small part to him being one of the last remaining pillars supporting a semblance of legitimacy in the caretaker government.
Have you ever played that game, where you make a little tower out of oblong wood blocks and take turns pulling a piece out until the loser collapses it? Well, Somkid's resignation is equivalent to pulling that wrong block out of the tower.
What is Somkid thinking? Pessimists see a man too loyal to his master - or too afraid of being "Anwar-ed" to lead a revolt. Admirers are giving him time, believing that when the timing is right and the "signal" from higher levels is clear, the "braveheart" side of him will finally come out. They are convinced that if he is to be the next prime minister, he won't be a puppet type, and his boss will be gone for good.
So, as we wait for the real-life political drama to end, feel free to use your own imagination. The Brutus scenario is not bad for Shakespeare fans, but voodoo enthusiasts might prefer a scarier, more mysterious ending like that in the "Blair Witch Project", given the alleged scale of supernatural elements involved in the crisis. And don't be ashamed. Every conspiracy-theory leader gets the conspiracy-theory populace he deserves.
More on a possible exit plan for TRT:-
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/07/19/headlines/headlines_30009035.php
The Nation continues to poke fun at Thailand's Berlusconi: -
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=10381
OVERDRIVE
PM's end may be at hand, but who will be his Brutus?
History is condemned to repeat itself. In appearance, the lives of dictators are unique.
Yet no matter how unique the course of their lives - their rise to power, legacy and the end of their careers - dictators, in the long history of our world, have always been bound to repeat the same pattern of triumph and, ultimately, tragedy.
There is growing speculation in Thai politics nowadays that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will soon lose power. But he will not go down easily (or will he eventually prevail?). If Thaksin were to "die", he would have to suffer fatal wounds at the hands of one of his aides or persons he trusts most - like the tragic end Julius Caesar faced from the knife of Marcus Junius Brutus, one of his closest friends.
Thaksin can't be compared in terms of greatness to Caesar, but the circumstances surrounding his life, his rise to power and his ambitions are quite similar to those of Caesar and ancient Rome.
Toward the end of his life, Caesar's power was almost unchallenged. He was named Dictator Perpetuus, or dictator for life, making him the undisputed leader of Rome. Everybody could recall his exceptional bravery and the military supremacy he showed on countless battlefields. Well, rural Thais love the CEO for life. He is so successful at making money that they think they can become rich like him.
Caesar launched the Gallic Wars (58BC to 49BC), during which he conquered all of Gaul (France, most of Switzerland and Belgium, expanding from Western Europe from the Atlantic to the Rhine and parts of Germania). The Gallic Wars resulted in 800 cities being sacked, 300 tribes being subdued, one million men being captured and sold into slavery and another three million dead. His conquest of Gaul constituted the greatest military campaign since those of Alexander the Great.
The CEO was so successful with his telecom empire and with political mergers and acquisitions that he emerged as the richest person and most powerful politician in the land.
In a civil war Caesar triumphed over his enemy Pompey. He pursued Pompey to Alexandria. Pompey was killed by one of Ptolemy's officials. Caesar later got in the middle of a dispute between Ptolemy and his sister, Cleopatra. Ptolemy was eliminated and Cleopatra became Caesar's wife. Later on he campaigned in the Middle East and overthrew King Pharnaces II of Pontus in the battle of Zela.
There Caesar's victory was immortalised by his words, "Veni, vidi, vici" - "I came, I saw, I conquered".
The CEO must have had the same feeling after his family sold Shin Corp for Bt73.3 billion to Temasek of Singapore; I built my business, I cut a deal, I cashed out.
As the supreme ruler of Rome, Caesar's power was undisputed. But the honours heaped upon him created a rift with the aristocrats. He was the first Roman leader to have a coin made that bore his own image while he was still alive. Some Romans were calling him Rex or king, though Caesar refused to accept the title. He proclaimed: "Rem Publicam sum! (I am the Republic!)"
Did you not hear someone say recently "I shall protect democracy with my life", or "a person with reserved power beyond the Constitution is trying to overthrow my government"?
With his great military victory that expanded the territories of Rome through most of Europe and North Africa, Caesar was honoured with the right to wear triumphal clothing, including a purple robe reminiscent of the kings of Rome, as well as a laurel crown on public occasions. Ivory statues in his likeness were carried around in religious processions. A large residence was also built for him on state property. Another statue of his likeness was placed in the temple of Quirinus with the inscription: "To the Invincible God".
The senators and aristocrats began to plot his assassination after Caesar showered contempt upon them. Brutus began to conspire against Caesar. His friend and brother-in-law Cassius and other men, calling themselves the Liberators, also took part in the conspiracy.
Did you read the article in Matichon earlier this week that reported that a group of Thai Rak Thai liberators got together on Sunday at Paesano Restaurant in downtown Bangkok to plot to overthrow the CEO?
On March 15, 44 BC, a group of senators called Caesar to the forum for the purpose of reading a petition written by them asking him to hand power back to the senate. It was a ploy to assassinate Caesar.
Mark Antony, an ally of Caesar, learned of the plot. He went quickly to warn him about the danger. But Caesar was intercepted on his way as he was passing the Theatre of Pompey. He was directed to a room adjourning the east portico.
As Caesar began to read the false petition, Casca thrust his knife at the dictator's neck. Caesar cried in Latin "Villain Casca, what do you do?" Casca, frightened, called to his fellow senators in Greek: "Help, brothers!"
Within moments, the entire group, including Brutus, were striking out at the great dictator.
In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Caesar's last words were "Et tu, Brute? Then fall Caesar!"
Caesar attempted to get away. But the wounds were so deep that he fell defensively on the steps of the portico. About 60 men or more participated in the assassination of Caesar.
You might wonder who would be Brutus in this last act of the CEO. But never mind as there could be about 60 men or more taking part in striking him down.
Thanong Khanthong
The Nation, July 20, 2006:
'Paesano Six' believe resignations are not the answer (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/07/20/politics/politics_30009181.php)
When six key Cabinet ministers gathered around a dinner table at Paesano Italian restaurant on Sunday they were sending a signal that they are willing to stage a party coup, not jump ship. "We want to protect the country and if we resign Thaksin's inner circle will have more power and take our ministry positions," one of the table of six told The Nation. PM's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva's public statement may have been less direct but it was revealing. "We are trying to find a way out for our country. It's our responsibility for our country as we are ministers and politicians," he said.
The six key ministers realise that their resignations will not make caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to give up. He might merely appoint ministry permanent secretaries as their replacements, something he has reportedly threatened to do before. Leaving Thaksin has proven to be a useless way of telling him its time for him to go. When his top two legal advisers, former deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam and former Cabinet secretary-general Bowornsak Uwanno resigned, observers were quick to say Thaksin's ship would sink. He survived; they were replaced.
The resignation of the six ministers might merely give Thaksin's inner circle of Prommin Lertsuridej, Newin Chidchob and Yongyuth Tiyapairat more power in the Thai Rak Thai Party and the government. As a result, the six ministers have to play a very tactical game with Thaksin. Even the anti-Thaksin movement has failed to overthrow him. One of their most likely options is to take over the party. The six agree that Thaksin is the problem. If they remain in the Cabinet they can keep their eyes on Thaksin, counter-balance his inner circle or - at the very least - provide an undercurrent. And when the opportunity arises they can seize power from Thaksin by asking him to step down or forcing him to do so.
If this scenario transpires, the most suitable and likeliest of the six to be the next party leader is Somkid Jatusripitak, deputy prime minister and commerce minister. Reports say he is eager to be the next prime minister and he has the full support of the five ministers who joined him for what they described as his birthday dinner. The five are Suranand, Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang, Labour Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, Public Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat and Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana. Both Somkid and Chaturon have high public profiles while Somsak and Pinij have more than 150 MPs under their control. They might be followed by Deputy Premier Suriya Jungrungreangkit who can afford to finance the party.
Some have argued that without Thaksin as its leader the Thai Rak Thai Party will collapse. However, if Somkid has less grandiose ambitions than Thaksin, if his desire is to lead a party rather than control an entire country, he may be able to ensure the party remains an integral part of Thailand's political landscape. But such speculation is a luxury for the group of six.
Now, there is only one concern - deciding when is the right time to move. July 25 may provide an answer to this question. The Criminal Court will rule on that day on a case filed by the Democrat Party accusing the Election Commission of malfeasance over April's tarnished election. If the verdict unseats the commissioners, it may provide the perfect opening for the table of six to save their party and begin healing their country.
Somroutai Sapsomboon
Jintana Panyaarvudh
The Nation
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