lewy67

"We thought in 1997 that we needed to empower strong government and political parties [but] we got governments that were too strong, who dictated [terms] to the Parliament and attempted to control watchdogs and independent agencies," he said.

Yes there is only one institution in Thailand that has the god given right to dictate terms to the parliament and it isn't the political parties. Hence 20 constitutions. Cut the military budget and the number of generals both by 80% and you may see a constitution that stands the test of time.

.. or you may see one political group take charge because they are prepared to use violence and terrorism against those who oppose them. That's how the Nazis did it.

Sort out the broken society before you cut the power of the Army.

Nice to see you use the Nazi comparison. As a supporter of the current nationalist, militarist government you are well placed to know all about fascism. I reckon it's what Prayuth's followers see when they look in the mirror.

"We thought in 1997 that we needed to empower strong government and political parties [but] we got governments that were too strong, who dictated [terms] to the Parliament and attempted to control watchdogs and independent agencies," he said.

Yes there is only one institution in Thailand that has the god given right to dictate terms to the parliament and it isn't the political parties. Hence 20 constitutions. Cut the military budget and the number of generals both by 80% and you may see a constitution that stands the test of time.

The general is a buffoon. I wonder if he knows that Harry Lee said this about the RTA in Forbes Magazine 2012:

Thailand itself transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a democratic constitutional monarchy. Regular and rambunctious elections are held, but the army continues to stage coups whenever it considers the government unreliable or going against the monarchy. Over the last 80 years there have been 11 successful coups and 7 failed ones. The most recent was the ouster of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September 2006. The military’s interference has resulted in a perpetual state of political uncertainty and has shaken investor confidence.

He also wrote this:

The arrival of Thaksin Shinawatra permanently changed Thai politics. Before he came onto the scene, the Bangkok establishment dominated all sides of the political competition and governed largely to the benefit of the nation's capital. If there had been disagreements among the Bangkok elite, none were quite as ferocious as the ones to come. Nor were any of the quarrels as divisive as those that arose during and after Thaksin's term. What Thaksin did was to upset the apple cart of the Thai political status quo by diverting to the poorer parts of the country resources that had previously been hogged by Bangkok and its middle and upper-class residents. Thaksin's was a more inclusive brand of politics that allowed the peasants from the north and the northeast to share in the country's economic growth. A gulf had already existed before his arrival, created by the Bangkok-centric policies of his predecessors. All he did was to awaken the people to the gulf — and the unfairness of it — and to offer policy solutions to bridge it. If he had not done so, I am convinced that somebody else would have come along to do the same.Lee Kuan Yew One Man's View of the World:

Lee, as with Thaksin, was a thinker and a doer. The general in the other hand is neither a thinker nor a doer.

'Martial law caused tourist numbers (of the quality Chinese kind) to surge'

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has organized a project to promote the civil sector's participation in corruption prevention in Bangkok.

The civil sector, including the military, are the greatest beneficiaries of corruption in Thailand and have been since 1932. They are dedicated along with the NACC, and the NCPO to maintaining the corrupt status quo.

It is impossible for her or anyone else to get a fair trial when there is no separation of powers in Thailand. The executive, legislative and judicial branches are all controlled by the military in the post coup set up. Anyone who is not part of the military - elite cabal, including the ex democratically elected Prime Minister. have no access to justice or any chance of a fair trial.

The cache consisted of two shotguns, four BB guns, one handgun, one homemade "pen gun," one hand grenade, one rifle, and over a hundred bullets for the firearms, said Maj.Gen. Adisorn

.

So the military disappear the girl a few days ago but the press get onto it which foils their dastardly plans then they plant a cache including four BB guns and some red truth today bags and backpacks in a nondescript temple and point a finger at the evil reds. Couldn't write this script

Martial law will have to be in place for years to protect us from the BB guns

It's more about the theft of power from the voting public than anything else. An appointed senate should never have the power to override what the electorate has voted for. An appointed senate has to be subservient to the democratic chamber otherwise the system is anti -democratic. It seems the whole premise of this charter is an anti-democratic theft of power from the people / voters in favour of placing power in the hands of the few, 'good people,' who are the elite.

This is the method of operation of military/police/government authority when dealing with those who saw what they should not have seen and those who know what should not be known in third world countries with totalitarian governments. Nothing new here.

If that is your premise, can you explain the 5 year delay?

The malfeasance case brought by the NACC against Abhisit and Suthep only happened last month. Abhisit claimed that Prayut was pulling the strings. No need to, 'disappear,' her until the NACC acted and fingers were pointed.

This is the method of operation of military/police/government authority when dealing with those who saw what they should not have seen and those who know what should not be known in third world countries with totalitarian governments. Nothing new here.

Good post seajAe!!

And it's this very reason I have never gone along with calling them a terrorist organisation they key is in the words organisation ?

The country would be in a right predicament if the Reds had the same mindset as the terror groups in the south of the country, the level of violence and carnage would be tenfold given there's 7% hardliners !!! So we're told repeatedly!! That's just under 5 million mate, that's more than the whole RTA and yet these guys can't prioritise targets, commit attacks and cause carnage but oh my god these were the guy's that the country was on the brink of civil war with?

Bogus!!! not a chance these clowns could last a week in any sort of asymmetrical warfare, considering you have many many ex red military personnel from some big time door kicking units, and senior RTA officers who know how to plan and conduct military type operations and yet they send two clowns in a bike to throw a grenade that Can only be thrown what 50ms tops? Doesn't leave many options for your escape routes etc.

I give the UDD zero credibility as a bona fide terrorist organisation, zero direction or goals and sorry but doing this for UN intervention just doesn't add up at all.

So the UDD have really dropped the ball since the men in black gave the RTA special forces and snipers a run for their money in 2010 and the rank and file day to day protesters set fire to Bangkok buildings around the same time. All they can manage now is is a bloke who needs a few bob so his Mrs can pay the doctor's bills sitting on the back of a Honda wave lobbing a grenade into a car park of a building that isn't open on weekends. How the mighty have fallen.

Or maybe...........

Too convienent isn't it. The most interesting fact is how many supposed UDD attacks was fatal? How many bombs went off away from any people, how many grenades didn't hit the supposed target? How many pipe bombs didn't explode? Thailand looks more and more like apartheid South Africa, false flag attacks to justify the status quo.

Well, there was one killed in the Banthadthong attack mentioned on the OP, another at the Victory Monument attack; then there were two children killed in Ranong (to the Red Shirt "War Drum" convention delight) and two more children and one adult killed in another attack in Ratchaprasong, etc, etc...

So pop goes the conspiracy,

So pop does go the conspiracy! As with the evidence put forward by AleG the reds are pretty good at the killing and maiming game when they play with grenades. As with the evidence put forward by AliG the reds actually blow people up be they adults or children, be it in Bangkok or the provinces. BUT this time a couple of nuffies throw a grenade over a fence into an area where there are no people AND there just happens to be soldiers and coppers on hand to catch them. False flag attacks to justify the staus quo indeed.

The western press has described him as "splenetic". Had to look that up myself as English isn't my first language.

Spot on -

Splenetic

splɪˈnɛtɪk/

adjective

1. 1.

bad-tempered; spiteful.

"a splenetic rant"

synonyms:

bad-tempered, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, angry, wrathful, cross, peevish,petulant, pettish, irritable, irascible, cantankerous,

choleric, dyspeptic,testy, tetchy, snappish, waspish, crotchety, crabby, crabbed, querulous,

resentful, rancorous, bilious, sour, bitter, acid, liverish;

spiteful, malicious, ill-natured, hostile, acrimonious, malevolent, malignant,malign;

informal bitchy;

rare atrabilious, envenomed

PM Prayut reiterates commitment to fight corruption

Typo...

Well well. There is a God after all! Now, any jail for the yellows who shut down two international airports?

yep we should now see yellow shirt leaders doing serious jail time also. Then we should see Suthep and the Mad Monk also in prison for storming buildings and shutting down an election. Suthep himself said in 2010 it is ilegal for protestors to occupy government buildings. That is if they go after everyone and not just one side.

I don't normally post on politics threads, but this post is so true, and surely the Junta cannot just punish one side. The Reds were wrong in 2010, and the Yellows were wrong in 2008. The leaders of both must be punished, and I will have no respect for the Junta unless they play fair and jail the Yellows leaders for shutting down two airports.

The junta doesn't punish, the junta doesn't rule. Courts do..

The case has been handled in court and after a few years a ruling comes out. Next is appeal which drags things along a wee bit longer.

Similar to the 2008 'airport closure' case. The last appeal is being processed I think.

So are you suggesting that the judiciary operates independently of the junta/government and that there is an operable separation of powers in Thailand?

That's a classic.

Do you believe in Father Christmas and the tooth fairy?

He explained that there are certain sections which cannot be amended at all; sections which can be amended through parliamentary process and and which require a referendum for their approval.

Did they include the caveat that says, 'all of this applies unless the electorate get it wrong when voting for the politicians - in which case the army may choose the coup option and start the process again and again and again and again and again....................'

Imagine what the results would show if people were entitled to think and share an opinion.