Thanet

OP: Have you upset anyone recently?

Heard on BBC & CNN this morning that Amnesty International has accused the junta with serious abuses of human rights. These include torture, unlawful detentions, re-education camps for anyone who voices different opinions and general terror campaigns throughout the country. Very, very damning.

They did indeed ... and the NCPO response is included

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA39/011/2014/en/3f49e974-914e-4df6-a0d9-b072a6e18f51/asa390112014en.pdf

The widespread corruption in the implementation of the project was the last straw - and no matter how Yingluck tried to distance herself from the fraudulent practices, it's hard to see how she can avoid being held responsible for such a major political debacle on a national scale.

She should be held responsible, the problem is that she would be the first. Breaking new ground is always more difficult.

So you say, but where is the evidence?

There doesn't seem to be any, does there?

No sir, incompetent Ministers SHOULD face dismisal, not "could" face dismisal.

WILL be dismissed.

How do you know that? Did you see it on the telly?

They should extend that to ANY Government Official, especially Police/Military and stop moving them to "inactive posts" . . . just sack them if they can't do their jobs or are corrupt.

Sack them? That's far too lenient. The generals have other ways of enforcing discipline, namely the "Attitude Adjustment" program:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA39/011/2014/en/3f49e974-914e-4df6-a0d9-b072a6e18f51/asa390112014en.pdf

have any of these generals with all of their stars actually fought on a battlefield where their life was in real danger? or is it all for show? I think we all know the answer to that one.

Thai soldiers fighting???? That's a rhetorical question, right?

They're all too busy pretending to be politicians.

. . . creating 12 national values for all citizens to follow.

Shouldn't there be just ten, set in stone?

That sounds totalitarian.

And no questions from the press allowed.

Loopholes, like evidence, presumably

The weakest point in the case is why the NACC cited corruption in the scheme using just the cover page of Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI)'s report as evidence.

Um, so if she's not corrupt after all, then they'll have to say sorry and give her her job back??

I'm perfectly relaxed, albeit very amused, thank you.

Now please tell me how you think he got selected to join the NLA? I'll tell you. His big bro put him there coz his big bro is the boss of the NLA and the NCPO. Can you (reasonably) imagine that any other mechanism was at play here? Just a coincidence, perhaps?

It's funny how the you yellow lot harp on so much about the gross injustice of Thaksin's little sis being given a leg up, but not Prayuth's little bro (or Bill Clinton's squeeze) enjoying the same privilege, don't you think?

<deleted>. I haven't said anything about him NOT being appointed to the NLA.

But you did concede that Preecha being appointed to the NLA by virtue of his big brother was wrong.

Actually, I've been referring to Preecha being commander of the 3rd region army. I hadn't read the caption under the photo, and the article doesn't refer to him as being an NLA member.

OMG! How many more times. Check it out, why don't you? In addition to being in the Army, Preecha most definitely IS an NLA member.

How do you think he got there?

RELAX. I didn't say he wasn't an NLA member. I said that I hadn't read the caption that he was. I had been referring to him being the commander because I didn't realise he was an NLA member.

I'm perfectly relaxed, albeit very amused, thank you.

Now please tell me how you think he got selected to join the NLA? I'll tell you. His big bro put him there coz his big bro is the boss of the NLA and the NCPO. Can you (reasonably) imagine that any other mechanism was at play here? Just a coincidence, perhaps?

It's funny how the you yellow lot harp on so much about the gross injustice of Thaksin's little sis being given a leg up, but not Prayuth's little bro (or Bill Clinton's squeeze) enjoying the same privilege, don't you think?

Now you are starting to sound ridiculous.

Do you really, seriously, and with a straight face, believe that Prayuth didn't appoint Preecha to the NLA? You really are beyond belief!

Please answer the following two questions:

1. Who is thee head of the NLA?

2. Who is the head of the NCPO, that controls the NLA?

3. Who ended his first meeting with the NLA with the question "Who doesn't agree with me?"

**** Off topic comments removed ****

Actually, I've been referring to Preecha being commander of the 3rd region army. I hadn't read the caption under the photo, and the article doesn't refer to him as being an NLA member.

OMG! How many more times. Check it out, why don't you? In addition to being in the Army, Preecha most definitely IS an NLA member.

How do you think he got there?

No need to check. I just refer to Wiki which state that " PPP claimed absolute majority of the 480 seats".

Ahbisit elected by a coerced coalition of parties. One of this coalition revealed the intimidation factor in electing AV, Hardly a people choice and that was fully exposed when "PT won a majority with 265 seats". Again a qoute from Wiki.

Intimidation is how the yellow lot work. Close to the textbook definition of fascism.

"intimidation"? Surely something the red-shirts (who are actual part of the topic) would never ever do.

Not those peaceful red-shirts and they equally peaceful UDD leadership. At least not in the red world it would seem

Study some definitions of fascism and get back to me on which side has more similarities. The yellows correspond in many ways. The reds correspond more to revolutionary socialists. And you know the old saying (credited to the Late Margaret Thatcher) "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money".

Neither side is a good outcome for Thailand, but at least a democracy allowed the citizenry to grow tired of the red lot and kick them out. And you of all people should know where fascism eventually leads.

Not so with the yellow lot.

I'll make the analogy simpler, so that you might understand it.

Bill didn't appoint Hilary to do anything. True. The people appointed her, and she later became Secretary of State - having used her hubby's name to get famous, she passed this final and important test.

Thaksin didn't appoint Yingluck to do anything. True, The people appointed her - having used her big bro's name to get famous, she passed this final and important test.

Prayuth did appoint Preecha to the NLA. The people weren't asked.

In the last line you appear to concede that Prayuth appointing his kid bro to the NLA was wrong. Thank you for that. And he was appointed - how in heavens name else would he have got there?

Yingluck was appointed #1 on the PTP party list ticket. Thaksin could have appointed his proverbial "telephone post", and it would have been elected.

Preecha was appointed, but was he appointed by Prayuth?

edit: The people didn't appoint Hillary to anything. She stood for presidential election. She failed. Obama appointed her secretary of state.

Now you are starting to sound ridiculous.

Do you really, seriously, and with a straight face, believe that Prayuth didn't appoint Preecha to the NLA? You really are beyond belief!

Please answer the following two questions:

1. Who is thee head of the NLA?

2. Who is the head of the NCPO, that controls the NLA?

3. Who ended his first meeting with the NLA with the question "Who doesn't agree with me?"

**** Off topic comments removed ****

Sooner or later you will have to lift martial law in those areas. You think the people will forget? I doubt it.

2 coups; one military and the other judiciary said you are right. Both post coups election resulted in landslide victory for the Northern mandate.

I think you need to check the results of the 2007 "post coup" election. PPP didn't even win a majority of seats, let alone get a "landslide victory".

The 2011 election was hardly "post (judicial) coup", being 2.5 years after PPP were banned, with PTP choosing to go to parliament to elect a new PM, and unfortunately for them, Abhisit was elected.

No need to check. I just refer to Wiki which state that " PPP claimed absolute majority of the 480 seats".

Ahbisit elected by a coerced coalition of parties. One of this coalition revealed the intimidation factor in electing AV, Hardly a people choice and that was fully exposed when "PT won a majority with 265 seats". Again a qoute from Wiki.

Intimidation is how the yellow lot work. Close to the textbook definition of fascism.

Well well well.

All those people here who harped on about how unfair Thaksin was by getting his little sister in on the act.

Here we have Prayuth's little bro calling the shots, and silence from the yellow brigade here .....

But you must be all for it, right?

In this case? Not at all. I'll accept whomever the majority of the people choose.

By way of example, as it seems you really don't understand the difference between right and wrong, Hilary Clinton is bill's wife, right? She'd be a nobody otherwise - just someone waiting at a checkout queue at the local supermarket. She became known to the public because the the public elected her husband. In a free country, she has the right to use her fame and stand for president, and if the citizenry wants her to be the president, and elect her too, then that's fine.

You can't say the same about Prayuth's kid bro though. Or maybe you can, because you can't tell the difference.

That's not a very good analogy. Bill didn't appoint Hillary to anything. Hillary decided to run for president, and put herself to the voting public. Yingluck wasn't even in politics until she was appointed number 1 party list candidate for PTP and therefore a pretty surefire bet for being PM.

On the other hand, Thaksin did appoint relatives to various important positions, including police chief. One of the reasons he was kicked out was because he was trying to appoint his brother-in-law as army chief.

Prayuth appointing his brother to an important military position is wrong, that is, if he actually did appoint his brother.

I'll make the analogy simpler, so that you might understand it.

Bill didn't appoint Hilary to do anything. True. The people appointed her, and she later became Secretary of State - having used her hubby's name to get famous, she passed this final and important test.

Thaksin didn't appoint Yingluck to do anything. True, The people appointed her - having used her big bro's name to get famous, she passed this final and important test.

Prayuth did appoint Preecha to the NLA. The people weren't asked.

In the last line you appear to concede that Prayuth appointing his kid bro to the NLA was wrong. Thank you for that. And he was appointed - how in heavens name else would he have got there?

Well well well.

All those people here who harped on about how unfair Thaksin was by getting his little sister in on the act.

Here we have Prayuth's little bro calling the shots, and silence from the yellow brigade here .....

But you must be all for it, right?

In this case? Not at all. I'll accept whomever the majority of the people choose.

By way of example, as it seems you really don't understand the difference between right and wrong, Hilary Clinton is bill's wife, right? She'd be a nobody otherwise - just someone waiting at a checkout queue at the local supermarket. She became known to the public because the the public elected her husband. In a free country, she has the right to use her fame and stand for president, and if the citizenry wants her to be the president, and elect her too, then that's fine.

You can't say the same about Prayuth's kid bro though. Or maybe you can, because you can't tell the difference.

There is no definitive list.

Just keep trying different banks, different branches and even different staff in the same branch.

You will get one eventually.

Amazing Thailand

Unfortunately our esteemed leaders cut the education budget (although they found funds to increase the already bloated defence budget) and worthwhile reform beyond teaching kids the patriotic values seems about as likely as an election in the next few years.

Well said. The only real changes in education have been towards a nationalistic curriculum of blind obedience.

Hardly a recipe to encourage free and innovative thought.

We get lots of new tanks though.

Unfortunately our esteemed leaders cut the education budget (although they found funds to increase the already bloated defence budget) and worthwhile reform beyond teaching kids the patriotic values seems about as likely as an election in the next few years.

The past esteemed leaders gave out in a bloated allowance to education the worlds highest budget-population- and it showed what ?? if it was cut and no improvement money is saved--but as you know every gov dept., is shaking with fear re corrupt spending of education funds--and were never checked.

Now it is thoroughly checked.

How do you know it's thoroughly checked?

You saw it on Thai television, or in the local papers, right?

For all you know, it could actually be a lot worse. The news is censored theses days, old chap.

Jesus! What a bizarre thread.

Okay, Thanong is obviously enamored with Gen. Prayuth and critical of the the PTP, so its hardly worth commenting on his remarks. But what is the point of his statement, "Japan's military build-up in this region is a source of concern ... " ?

Does he believe that a democractic Japan is becoming a security risk to the Asia-Pacific region and to Thailand because of its recent military build-up to counter increasing military threats from China and North Korea to its own national security? It's almost as if he sees Thailand and China bound together in some kind of mutual form of government (ie., nation led by an unelected politburo) that would cause Japan to become a source of concern. Or hhe is just caught in his own trash of comments.

All totalitarian states need an external enemy. It keeps public attention focused elsewhere, and justifies draconian invasions of privacy.

So much talking.

Maybe all this hot air about how Thailand will turn on a dime could be harnessed to generate electricity, or some other useful purpose?

For the time being the army boys are doing way much better than the previous lot. Nobody in their right mind would want lil sis, Chalerm and Tarit back. That is the only thing that matters. Now see if Prayuth can push things further with this team.

By 'doing', you mean talking. We've heard lots and lots of talking so far.