Mackie

There are some here that say a head of state can only be removed by an election, no matter what crime he commits.

So obviously, they would have been against a war/coup to remove Hitler as well.

There are also some people here who think it's legitimate to remove a prime minister for hosting a cooking show or re-assigning a minister appointed by her predecessor. I think there should be legal means to remove heads of state for serious crimes, but not trivial offenses.

It's the law that perjury and nepotism are offenses that can lead to a PM's dismissal.

If the various Thaksin governments that have ruled for the vast majority of the past 15 years felt these laws were unjust, they could have easily had them changed with their majority in Parliament.

p.s. Even though he perjured himself in court, the actual permanent removal of the aforementioned PM was effected when the Party Financier in Dubai decided unilaterally to not have proxy Samak return as PM, but instead selected proxy Somchai to be PM.

Are you new to this? The 2007 Constitution written at the directions of the military included conflict of interests rules for elected officials, but not for the civil service or military. It also made half the senate appointed, making changes to the constitution impossible without the approval of the traditional elites in these appointed positions.

How convenient that you forgot to mention the most important part - there was a referendum with regard to the constitution and the majority of Thais voted yes. People who disagreed with it were given their democratic right to vote 'no'.

No matter what red supporters here are as negative as ever. Cheer up a bit. Why not joining the parties Thai Army organized for Thai people in Bangkok and Pathumthani. You could even get a free haircut.

It's not all gloom and doom, is it? Focus on positives.

Free medical check-up, free food and refreshments, free haircut, toys for kids etc...etc...

http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2014/06/01/thai-soldiers-lay-on-garden-party-in-charm-offensive/

"In the mid 1980's I was asked by an american legal institution known as the Christic Legal Institute to compile a comic book that would detail the murky history of the C.I.A., from the end of the second world war, to the present day. Covering such things as the heroin smuggling during the Vietnam war, the cocaine smuggling during the war in Central America, the Kennedy assasination and other highlights.

What I learned during the frankly horrifying research that I had to slog through in order to accomplish this, was that yes, there is a conspiracy, in fact there are a great number of conspiracies that are all tripping each other up. And all of those conspiracies are run by paranoid fantasists, and ham fisted clowns. If you are on a list targeted by the C.I.A., you really have nothing to worry about. If however you have a name similar to someone on a list targeted by the C.I.A., then you are dead?

The main thing that I learned about conspiracy theory, is that conspiracy theorists believe in a conspiracy because that is more comforting. The truth of the world is that it is actually chaotic. The truth is that it is not The Iluminati, or The Jewish Banking Conspiracy, or the Gray Alien Theory. The truth is far more frightening.

Nobody is in control.

The world is rudderless..."

Alan Moore

I think he would include Saudi conspiracy theories in this as well.

I know I do.

It hardly matters what you think. Or what I think. But it matters what he says and thinks.

Vali Reza Nasr is an American academic and author specializing in the Middle East and the Islamic world. He is currently Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. and a Senior Fellow in foreign policy at Brookings Institution.^[1]

^{http://www.pbs.org/w...views/nasr.html}

^{Further reference to numerous beheadings and killings. As far as I'm concerned, you can continue living in denial. The fact remains the same, there are radical Sunni Muslims in the deep south of Thailand who killed, kill and will continue to kill and terrorize innocent people, both Buddhists and Muslims who cooperate with Thai authorities in the name of their wicked radical Islamic ideology.}

^{by Adrian Morgan}

^{19 May, 2007}

^{http://www.islam-watch.org/adrianmorgan/Thailand-Islamist-Insurgency.htm}

Learn to use google.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/20180/southern-thailand-and-outside-influences/

This is simple anonymous report, however, if you start here and chase some links google will happily provide you, read the various journalists reports, a clear picture emerges.

Sheesh, is that it? Some anonymous geezer "believes". Hardly falls into the category of "well-documented". LOL.

Some anonymous informed geezer provided you with facts. It's your own laziness or agenda that stops you from learning a bit more about the topic. This highly educated 'geezer' warned about Saudi danger 13 years ago. And I take his 'testimony' over your 'incoherent ramblings' any time of the day.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/saudi/interviews/nasr.html

You were at a conference on counterterrorism sponsored by the State Department with people from the U.S. government. What did you feel you needed to say about Saudi Arabia, and why?

The discussion was about the Taliban and the network of Taliban-like groups that span across Pakistan and Kashmir and India. Among the academics and government people who were there, there were a lot of questions as to who inspires them, where does the funding come from, and how can these networks be supported on the ground.

These are Islamic fundamentalist extremist groups in the region?

Exactly. It's the very groups that we're confronting now -- namely the Taliban and those groups in Pakistan that are supporting them and are orchestrating the demonstrations against the United States and are threatening the conduct of the war -- as well as those who are active right now in Kashmir and are precipitating additional conflict between India and Pakistan.

What do you say?

All of these groups are rooted in a network of seminaries, or as the term is called in the local vernacular, "madrassa." My argument was that the main source of funding for these groups is Saudi Arabia. In fact, this whole phenomenon that we are confronting, which Al Qaeda is a part of, is very closely associated with Saudi Arabia's financial and religious projects for the Muslim world as a whole. ...

You said that the main source of funding for these Islamic extremists--

Or at least the institutions that train them.

Vali Nasr is an associate professor of political science at the University of San Diego, specializing in the politics of Islamic extremism in South Asia. He explains how Saudi money has been funding many madrassas (religious schools) which teach its austere orthodox brand of Islam, known as Wahhabism. Nasr tells FRONTLINE that the result is "the increasing entrenchment of rigidity and fanaticism in the Muslim world," which serves as the setting for Saudi-U.S. relations. This interview was conducted on Oct. 25, 2001.

-- is whom?

It's Saudi Arabia and its network of charities and the like. The argument I make is that there is an undercurrent of terror and fanaticism that go hand in hand in the Afghanistan-Pakistan arc, and extends all the way to Uzbekistan. And you can see reflections of it in Bosnia, in Kosovo, in Indonesia, in the Philippines.

For instance, in one madrassa in Pakistan, I interviewed 70 Malaysian and Thai students who are being educated side by side with students who went on to the Afghan war and the like. These people return to their countries, and then we see the results in a short while. ... At best, they become hot-headed preachers in mosques that encourage fighting Christians in Nigeria or in Indonesia. And in a worst case, they actually recruit or participate in terror acts.

So you're saying that Saudi Arabia is funding the milieu, if you will, the atmosphere, from which this Islamic extremism has emerged?

That's correct. Saudi Arabia has been the single biggest source of funding for fanatical interpretations of Islam, and the embodiment of that interpretation in organizations and schools has created a self-perpetuating institutional basis for promoting fanaticism across the Muslim world. ... There is no other state who spends as much money at ensuring conservatism and fanaticism among Muslims. ...

No matter how much people go on about "corruption" etc, IMO Thailand was a better and more enjoyable place before thaksin took over. Since then, crime has increased, money money money has become all they care about, and the locals have become fatter ( due to eating bad food ) and less sanuk. In short the "smile" has vanished from LOS.

Does anyone that lived in Thailand/ visited a lot during Leekpai's second term disagree?

I agree in the 90s it was more fun, cheaper & more innocent here, then again it was a long time ago. Heres a question for you can you honestly tell me somewhere it hasnt become all about the money ? I mean west, east. Europe the US, Thailand, China, Vietnam where ever you care to look.

Back in the 90s it was the top 1% owning 50% of the worlds wealth, now its the top 0.1% owning that 50% the other 0.9% own 20% and the remaining 30% is spread around about 3 billion people.... it is the same wherever you go. The world is on fast forward and the wealth is consolidating in fewer hands every year. Sure Taksin was no better than a Gordon Geko but really hes one of many players that given the chance are just as interested in only themselves, the difference was some crumbs were scattered about for the poorer class to pick on. It wasnt like that under Leekpai for them....

Just out of curiosity, how did you arrive at 3 billion people? You do realize that there are 7 billion people in the world, don't you? It doesn't have to be the same wherever you go, individual countries simply can take stand and refuse to be globalized the way multinational corporations force them to do. I would loathe to see South East Asian culture being destroyed the same way European culture and heritage was. I prefer multipolar world instead of unipolar world forced upon nations.

Scathing article in today's New York Times..

What do you think how much money did cost to publish that rubbish in NYT? It didn't come cheap. But dear leader is known to have deep pockets. He can continue wasting his own money, the gig in Thailand is over. His clique will not be wasting Thai tax payer money any longer.

Anyway NYT, CNN, BBC lost all credibility in 2010. Many of us were here and witness first hand what was going on. Their reporting back then was nothing short of disgrace. Nothing changed.

So know you believe that Thaksin has bribed the NYT to say what he wants. Alice in Sunderland time again.

I'm sorry, but it isn't my fault that you are ignorant and not aware of the well known fact that Thaksin employed a number of PR agencies to push his agenda through the western media. It's a fact which could be easily verified. There is really no excuse for your mental laziness.

Scathing article in today's New York Times..

What do you think how much money did cost to publish that rubbish in NYT? It didn't come cheap. But dear leader is known to have deep pockets. He can continue wasting his own money, the gig in Thailand is over. His clique will not be wasting Thai tax payer money any longer.

Anyway NYT, CNN, BBC lost all credibility in 2010. Many of us were here and witness first hand what was going on. Their reporting back then was nothing short of disgrace. Nothing changed.

Unlike those brave buddhists who attack muslim women and children in Myanmar. Or those brave christians in africa like the lords army who have commited crimes that would make a Nazi blush.

The real issue is not muslims but fanatics of all types who believe they serve a higher 'good'

A la Redshirts

You managed to take an unrelated topic and still had a sook about the redshirts.

While ignoring the violence of your beloved yellows too. Such a sad life some people have

If anyone needed an example of hypocrisy that is your post. First of all, the topic is about radical Muslims attacking innocent civilians in the deep south once again. So it is about radical Muslims. Them continually attacking and killing civilians is the real issue as far as Thailand is concern.

Nothing to do with Buddhists in Myanmar or Christians in Africa.

Are these terrorists really that stupid that they think bombing a shop will make any difference to any government anywhere in the world? At least go for the people who make the decisions not the innocents who can do nothing about it.

But of course that would require a modicum of courage and bravery, not something readily associated with your bog standard muslim footsoldier.

It's all about intimidation. For radical Muslims, everyone who cooperates with the government is an enemy. They target loyal Muslims too. Every now and then they need to set an example for the rest of the community. Terror in its simplest form. By the way, they kill teachers just for doing their job in the Deep South.

The Federation of Teachers of Three Southern Border Provinces today (Friday) issued a statement condemning the brutal murder of a female teacher in Yala province on the same day.

The latest victim of senseless violence in the Deep South was identified as Ms Siriporn Srichai, a teacher at Ban Tabangdee-ngee school in Tambon Sataeng, Muang district of Yala. She became the 170^th teachers killed in the restive region during the past ten years.

Ms Siriporn was riding a motorcycle from home to school Friday morning. She was approached by two suspected insurgents riding in another motorcycle. Then the pillion rider shot her at point-blank range with a pistol and fell on the road. The two assailants then poured gasoline on her body and set in on fire.

Mr Boonsom Thongsriprai, president of the federation, said he felt very sorry for the incident which he described as brutal and heart-shattering. However, he said he wondered why Ms Siriporn travelled alone despite the fact that security forces were available to provide protection to travelling teachers.

The police say no high-level politicians found involved in rice mortgage graft yet. It really made me laugh. The police in this country really takes people for absolute idiots. Everyone knows that Chalerm (man with many functions) was effectively running the police force on behalf of his master.

"I'm Thaksin's servant"

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung

The police force in Thailand had better refrain from making any statements in the future. They're simply insulting Thais and everyone else's intelligence with their ridiculous announcements.

Electing far right, racist, xenophobic, anti-semitic MEPs is truly shocking. Something is very wrong in Le Republic.

UKIP are xenophobic but have done very well in trying to get rid of the racists and anti-semites that support them. Farage is entertaining, but in all reality they are a joke party and a protest vote against the mainstream ineffectual parties.

The turn-out in the UK says it all. Some earthquake!!

Abject nonsense. UKIP won the European election in the UK. They've done pretty well in the local elections too. I don't see any joke. They are on their way to the Westminster.

European Elections: UKIP Tops British Polls

Sky News – 1 hour 16 minutes ago

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/european-elections-ukip-top-british-polls-221803283.html#OvZdSz6

Try reading their manifesto and their policies then you might see the joke! Yes, they won the Euro election on a tiny turnout and as an anti-EU/immigrant protest. They have zero chance of winning a General Election. Zero.

For heaven's sake, no one ever said that they would win the general election in 2015. They haven't got a single MP at the moment. Getting into the Westminster would be a major success. Realistically speaking, 5-10 MP's would be a success. The British democracy is rigged. There isn't much difference between Labour and Tory party - they're both owned by big businesses and corporations. The change is desperately needed.

I don't think any reasonable person would complain if child killers are handed a death penalty. Perhaps that is what is needed - few death penalties so some people finally get through their thick heads that terrorism against civilians isn't 'lucrative' business any longer. Of course, before they're sentenced to death, they must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I wish continuous success to Thai army and Thai police in their fight against red terror cells across the country.

...and those rounded up and surrounded in the streets shot at if they tried to escape after being trapped there for days with no food, water or sanitation. Oh + the assination of Seh Daeng

Silly people. What's all of that to do with Abhisit and Suthep. It's not their responsibility. The martial law and the state of emergency were declared. Whoever was there had more than enough time to move out of the area. They chose not to. Perhaps they shouldn't have listened to their deluded leaders Jatuporn and Nattawut. They would've been alive today.

Once again, your falsehoods and shameless dishonesty need to be challenged by proper sources.

Descent into Chaos

Thailand’s 2010 Red Shirt Protests and the Government Crackdown

Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org

...The “safe zone” at the temple was not in a very safe location. Wat Phatum Wanaram is very close to the Central World shopping complex, which Red Shirt arsonists were torching at the same time as crowds were fleeing into the temple. Throughout the afternoon and evening of May 19, sporadic gunfire and clashes took place in the immediate vicinity of the temple.

Several foreign journalists said they saw UDD militants, some of them armed, on the street outside the temple between 2 and 4 p.m. that day. One photojournalist described running into a group of armed militants: Just before 4 o’clock, I went to Henri Dunant Road near the Paragon Shopping

Center. There were three or four Black Shirts there next to some tires and they threw something, plus there was shooting taking place. It was too dangerous

to stay there so I left. They had weapons, I didn’t see what kind. They were also being shot at, so they were taking cover. They were being shot at from

the direction of the road.187

Another foreign videographer told Human Rights Watch: “Hardcore elements were outside the temple, including some big guy whose body was later among those [found] inside the temple—I saw him outside the temple.”188 Another journalist told Human Rights Watch that “between the temple and Central World there were some tough guys, the type of people I didn’t want to be around.”189

At least two separate gunfights took place around Wat Pathum Wanaram, one starting around 4 p.m. and a second, more intense exchange of gunfire that began around 5:30 or 6 p.m. Andy Buncome, a journalist for the Independent newspaper, witnessed two major

shooting incidents at the temple:

Around lunch time, the Red Shirt leaders said that it was all over, and asked people to go home. I went out again and probably got to the temple around

3:30 to 4 p.m. Things were calm then, but tense. Some of the malls had been set on fire.…Then we heard very clear shooting. Other reporters said that the

troops and Red Shirts were shooting at each other....

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Suthep missed an earlier court appearance on the same charges as he was busy leading the anti-government campaign !!!

alt=w00t.gif> alt=w00t.gif> alt=w00t.gif> Too busy ??? Leading an anti- government campaign can not be an excuse. Not for 6 months ......

Amazing Thailand: it starts with the people !!

Only charged. He will not be convicted as you know there is no evidence to support the charges.

I agree with you that eh will not be convicted, but not because there is no evidence. There is ample evidence, but because the courts will be told by the RE not t convict him.

What would you charge him with? Both him and Abhisit acted within law. It wasn't their fault that some deluded and mislead red shirt supporters have taken arms against their own state. 2010 wasn't a peaceful protest, it was well organized armed uprising led by a renegade general.

Electing far right, racist, xenophobic, anti-semitic MEPs is truly shocking. Something is very wrong in Le Republic.

UKIP are xenophobic but have done very well in trying to get rid of the racists and anti-semites that support them. Farage is entertaining, but in all reality they are a joke party and a protest vote against the mainstream ineffectual parties.

The turn-out in the UK says it all. Some earthquake!!

Abject nonsense. UKIP won the European election in the UK. They've done pretty well in the local elections too. I don't see any joke. They are on their way to the Westminster.

Sky News – 1 hour 16 minutes ago

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/european-elections-ukip-top-british-polls-221803283.html#OvZdSz6

I see pro-reds are here in numbers already scaremongering, ranting and complaining instead of actually thanking honourable general for rounding up the thieves and squeezing some money out of their secret accounts so the cheated farmers could be paid. It's early days. Give old fella some time. You might be surprised with the amount of money recovered.

Don't be a missionary. If you don't want to speak, Thailand won't make you speak. Thais will not make you sing the glorious praises of General Failure who by merely appearing on TV made Lipton Tea taste better than ever in the annals of human history. At least one country does that, and this isn't it. If you want to be a clam, be a clam.

If you want to speak, Thailand won't make you put tape over your mouth, that is voluntary. I've lived in Thailand longer that most Thais. When I have something I want to say, I can say it respectfully, to people who will sometimes listen, some of whom might agree with me. And I have, and I do, and I most certainly will.

I've been here for a coup or two, and there's not one of them ended without bloodshed. We all of us, I sincerely hope, pray that this one will be the exception. But all Thais have the right, even the duty, to speak and act and do the right thing. You can too, if you want. Or not, up to you. Just don't be ordering the rest of us and most especially don't think that because you have the spirit of righteousness that no one else has it.

And where can I go to get some of that free Lipton?

.

Stop that nonsense right now. If you want to be dishonest here at least get your facts straight. The coup d' etat in 2006 was as peaceful as walk in the park. Bloodless. You're pathetic, you really are.You don't even know basic facts about Thailand and their culture.

Well there goes TVF. Only pro-yellows can comment, centrists and pro-reds no longer welcome.

Good luck with monetizing that. I hope the boys and girls offshore share the limitations of our restrictions in their own way...

That's nonsense and you know it. For the past two, three days I could barely sign in on TVF without having problems. Time and time again. And I'm pro-coup d'état. On the other hand, I've seen you made quite a lot of posts without having any problems.

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From my understanding, 2 grenades, some rounds of ammunition, not a single firearm. iow, a fraction of what Suthep's thugs had at their 'peaceful' rallies. just a little perspective, that's all.

They simply didn't have all their tools yet and were caught before the act, if the army had waited it could/would have been much worse, just a little perspective on your perspective, that's all.

Yes I wish the army would be that active in Southern Thailand. They seems to have no tools at all. Complete double standard. Just yesterday Thai's in Southern Thailand got killed because the army is busy in the North and Bangkok.

Do you think it's easy to fight Muslim insurgents? Get some perspective. We left Iraq - couldn't defeat them, we're about to leave Afghanistan defeated by the very same enemy. Get some perspective.

The army did great job in catching those red terrorists. One grenade was enough to kill children in Bangkok and Trat. You seem to have forgotten that.

All staged for the foreign media in hope that the police or army would resort to violence. Typical of Thaksin. Using every single opportunity to score cheap propaganda points.

Being the self confessed global military policeman with an appalling record of supporting rogue governments/militias/insurgents I continue to be amazed at the denial of Uncle Sam's (tacit) support of so many wrongs, when it suits.

Now Gen Prayath's actions just don't suit the NWO, so watch out Thailand!

I'm pleased with the actions of the coup to date, and so are Thaksin's red shirt farmers, or at least they will be once paid in the near future. I pray for an early inclusive reform process leading to true democratic elections without the vote buying!

People who talk of and bang on about "true" democracy as opposed to democracy per se have an agenda that is inconsistent with democracy so they therefore need to be checked in place.

"Absolute" democracy is another dead give away of the agenda types.

And as has just been demonstrated, people who seize power in the name of "true" democracy are people who are up to no good whatsoever.

People who talk of and bang on about democracy per se have a dark agenda here that is inconsistent with real democracy so they therefore need to be checked in place. They need to be continually exposed for their hypocrisy on this forum. Especially Americans who blabber about democracy whilst supporting fascist junta in Ukraine where neo-Nazis burned people alive without any consequences. (Odessa massacre).

Banging on again I see ranting against Neo-Nazis in Ukraine while supporting fascism in Thailand and, in fact, denying fascism exists in Thailand.

Bang on.

Oh no, I'm not ranting. I see that your cage has been truly rattled just by exposing your own hypocrisy. I don't deny fascism in Thailand. I see fascism in the red mob movement. I've seen their storm-troopers in action, I've seen red-mob village volunteers in action etc...etc....The whole UDD/Red mob movement is some sort of perverted mix between communists and fascists. Not even a D of democracy.