Srikcir

This is outrageous. Those guns are fully automatic "machine gun" assault weapons which can hold either 20 or 30 rounds depending on magazine. It's quick and easy to put in a fresh magazine. With the standard NATO 62 grain 5.56 cartridge they will fire around 700 - 800 rounds per minute. The guns were probably made by Colt in the USA to very high standards. This whole thing is sickening.

There is no excuse to ever, for any reason, lose track of those guns. End of.

there is a lot of missing information in this report

Where are the guns now ?

Why did these four men remove so many weapons ?

What were they being used for ?

were they selling them ? if so to who ?

Let's add another question:

Why are civilian volunteers even allowed weapon armories much less able to remove weapons without military authority?

Whatever the practical reason for Cobra Gold and allowing US military into Thailand for aiding human trafficking victims, one thing is made clear. Prayut can be made by the USA to react to US policies in a predictable manner. This is diplomatic power that is greater than any military power.

"Diplomacy is the art of saying nice doggie until you can find a rock." - Will Rogers

The firearm was a disassembled handgun in a passenger's checked-in luggage. The gun parts were wrapped in cloth which is not x-ray proof. Nothing covert or surreptitious.

How does this become a case of "smuggling" a firearm OUT OF Pakistan?

One might better make the case of smuggling into Thailand but the firearm never left Pakistan.

In fact Pakistan is famous for its open weapon bazzars. Pakistan customs and culture of honor promote the ownership of guns. As such it has a home-grown gunsmith tradition. For Pakistanis, a gun is a social necessity as much as an umbrella is to a Brit.

So possession of the subject firearm in Pakistan is likely NOT a crime. In fact Pakistan permits the ownership of Pakistan-made heavy weaponry including the personal use of rocket-propelled grenades, short, medium, and long-range rockets, anti-aircraft guns, mortars, etc. in tribal areas!

Rather the failure to register the subject firearm with an international air carrier probably violated international civil aviation RULES. This mean a CIVIL violation probably occured subject to a fine.

Under Article 44 of the Interim Charter General Prayut can make any order he wants with the force of law. Clearly he is now at a decision point about the draft 2015 constitution. Some of his options:

- allow limited amendments on a case-by-case basis that don't defeat the NCPO's agenda

- restart the whole draft process by new appointments to the NRA and CDC

- delay the draft process until the public is more compliant to accept with no amendments

- bypass any referendum and draft amendments to have the constitution endorsed and enacted into law

The last option was used with the Junta-drafted 1997 Constitution that held up until the 2006 military coup that abolished it. Which option Prayut will exercise in 2015 will be determined by the extent that he believes the majority of the Thai people will protect their sovereignty and the extent that the minority will protect their control over the majority .

The military has followed history in all its coups and retention of its dominance over the Thai majority. As such I expect General Prayut will concede some minor alterations to the draft and proceed with endorsement without a referendum. The NLA will approve the 2015 endorsed constitution by 95%.

Prayut's Roadmap to Democracy - End of a Fair Tale

“FOCUS should be placed on empowering citizens under the new constitution”

Then how do Thirayuth and Bantoon justify a CDC writing any constitution when its members were APPOINTED by a military coup leadership that overthrew an elected government and abolished a constitution approved by empowered citizens? Where is citizen empowerment in the CDC?

Both men are simply two faces of the same coin – HYPOCRITES

Over 100 amendments proposed to the draft 2015 constitution.

There is something fundamentally wrong in NRC's approach. The United Kingdom as one of the oldest constitutional monarchies has no constitution while the USA has one of the most notable democratic constitutions with only 33 amendments since its adoption in 1789.

"Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Yuthavong revealed that the government cannot abolish the ONESQA"

The NCPO can directly abolish any organization or law it wants under Article 44 of the Interim Charter. After all the NCPO abolished the entire 2007 Constitution. The NCPO can also get its clone organization the NLA to repeal and pass laws.

So Yongyuth's revelation is nonesense.

It looks like the democratic soldier Prayut may be without a democracy.

General Prayut forgot that the highest rank in the land is not General but PRIVATE - private citizen that is.

Less than $3,000 as a campaign contribution to talk directly to quite possibly the next and first woman POTUS is cheap.

In a country where the minimum wage is upwards to $15 per hour it is affordable to most average Americans.

Most of last year's mass exodus affected the fishing fleets that lost more than 20% of their workforce.

A repeat of that this year during an even worsening economy will crash the annual GDP below 2.5%.

Government note to self: If you can't improve a flawed process, LEAVE IT ALONE.

Signapore, Japan, France, Italy, China, Canada ....

Prayut has made Thailand into the 7/11 for infrastructure investment.

But unlike 7/11's Thailand won't see an economic benefit from BORROWING from other nations for 20+ years while it pays off the debt service.

Thailand could self-finance its debt but that would cut down the available cash for important government functions like the MILITARY.

Why is the government using "security officers" and "paramilitary" to detect and apprehend suspected insurgents? Is the military short of soldiers that it has to use essentially contractors?

It has been the paramilitary and security officers that have repeatedly committed atrocities against innocent Malay-Thais that has helped fuel the conflict.

"The Greek government has to be, I think, a little bit more realistic,"

That's not how Tsipras came to power and that's not how he will stay in power.

Economic SOUND BITES.

Just downgrade the waste power plant to 9.95MW.

No EIS required.

The case against Manas is the SECOND case against an military officer accused of trafficking.

Article titled "Thai officials prosecuted for human trafficking," published 2015-01-30:

"BANGKOK: -- More than a dozen Thai government officials -- including senior policemen and a navy officer -- are being prosecuted for human trafficking, junta officials said Friday, as they vowed "zero tolerance" of the trade.

Songsak Saicheua, a foreign ministry official, said at least 15 police officers were facing prosecution, alongside a Royal Thai Navy officer, two local administration officials and a social worker."

Remember the Navy filed a defamation lawsuit in 2013 against two Reuter Thai reporters for allegations that the Navy is involved in human trafficking? This accused and yet unnamed royal naval officer's "disappearance" from public does not bode well for Justice being carried out by the military in the Manas case.

To ensure total obedience is merely speculation, in all probability correct. But that is just a passing fancy in today's political climate.

The more salient feature of this however, is the creation of another political entity disconnected from the electorate, with veto power over the voters.

The allegiance to Democracy of many in Thailand's political class' is only as strong as their ability to win elections...When they cannot win elections, this allegiance evaporates quickly.

Hence the creation of so-called Independent Agencies to protect them from electoral results that do not favor them......I don't recall how many of these Agencies there are, but the list is expanding rapidly.....Their most overused one one being the NACC. The self-righteous indignation used by this quasi-judicial tool on behalf of the anti-democrats is overwhelming. The election Commission is not far behind....It even went as far as cancelling an election altogether.

These impulses even rise to the level of religious fervor.......There will be some anti-democrats tasked with judging the 'morality' of politicians...a class of people who they demonize at every turn in order to eviscerate electoral politics....Many politicians from one side of the political divide will be found wanting with respect to 'morals'.

Double standards are becoming increasingly institutionalized with the proliferation of these Agencies...

You speak well Grasshopper.

Maybe its a translation problem.

But police do not REGULATE, they enforce. Clearly the police raids are an exercise in law enforcement, however poor in judgement.

Currently only the NLA and NCPO have the power to pass laws to regulate businesses.

If the police are truly asking for legislative power, it would be inappropriate. And if the Excise Department were to grant police regulatory powers, it would be illegal.

Fourth Phase - plan the next military coup when the next elected government rebels against an undemocratic constitution.

"X-ray images of the luggage reportedly showed a handgun dissembled and its parts kept in the luggage of the five students before being unloaded in Thai aircraft TG346 heading for Bangkok, at 10.40pm local departure time."

So was it in their hand luggage or check on?

Edit: not saying one is any better than other but if check on at least they weren't trying to hijack the plane.

Don't most major airports x-ray checked luggage for just this reason?

A disassemlbled firearm in checked baggage is usually not a concern. But airport security procedures typically do not allow transport of live ammunition as it has explosive potential.

"refusing to report to the military junta and allegedly violating the lese majeste law."

Hardly crimes against the Thai people or humanity.

Je Suis Jaran

.

Tourism is the biggest revenue earner in this country

Except it's not. Exports account for more than two thirds of GDP.

But for the last 18 months tourism has accounted for almost all the increase in GDP growth rate. But being that exports account for 70% of GDP, tourism cannot alone supplant exports in revenues for Thailand to survive the current financial crisis.

Analogy - The Junta is redecorating the storefront window while leaving the building at risk from flooding.

It needs to get its priorities right - DEVELOP INFRASTRUCTURE

"one property developer has joined forces with Thailand Elite"

Any government deal with an individual or single business without following a transparent and accountable procurement process is CORRUPTION.

The government should extend this benefit to ALL property developers to be fair and just. This deal gives as a minimum the APPEARANCE of special treatment with a developer who may be suffering from financial stress and willing to do ANYTHING to sell properties in a depressed market.

Welcome to Junta Failed Reform.

The law predates the Junta

There is a law against disclosing a police checkpoint that is out in public view? Can you provide the citation for that law?

I think the violation comes under the law of "Whatever Suits the Police."