t1401

Thaksin: I have never bullied anybody

Writer: BangkokPost.com

Published: 28/08/2009 at 03:16 PM

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has asked for sympathy from the general public following speculation he was behind the controversial ''edited'' audio clip circulated by Puea Thai.

The sound clip contains the voice of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ordering the use of force against red-shirt anti-government demonstrators over Songkran.

“I have never bullied anybody in my life. It’s me who was bullied.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/15...bullied-anybody

'Doctored clip came from SC Asset'

By The Nation

Published on August 29, 2009

ICT Ministry probe shows traces of editing in three-minute electronic file

The doctored audio clip related to the Songkran mayhem has its origin at SC Asset, a property development company run by Yingluk Shinawatra, sister of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Democrat Party spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks said yesterday.

Yingluck is an active supporter of the Pheu Thai Party.

The doctored clip was sent from the company to the Pheu Thai's public relations and information technology office before being distributed to about 30 reporters on the politics beat and circulated on the Internet, Buranaj said.

The clip, in circulation since Tuesday, was designed to smear Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Buranaj said.

The timing of the clip's release appeared to have an ulterior motive to rouse the crowds ahead of tomorrow's rally by the red shirts, he said.

Abhisit yesterday confronted a Pheu Thai Party MP, Somchai Phetpraset, over the audio clip. He caught Somchai off-guard when he asked the MP from whom he had received the clip.

Somchai met the prime minister to submit a letter to complain about alleged corruption in an Army purchase project.

"It's good to meet you here. Some said the audio clip came from you. Where did you get it?" Abhisit asked.

Somchai appeared stunned and scrambled to deny any knowledge about it: "It wasn't me. I knew nothing."

"Really! You knew nothing, really?" Abhisit shot back.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said yesterday that an examination of the audio clip in question discovered traces of editing in the three-minute-long electronic file.

Sue Lo-utai, permanent secretary of the ICT Ministry, said that experts from the media company, Kantana, were asked to analyse the clip and they found that at least 16 points covering 80 per cent of the file were altered.

ICT Minister Ranongruk Suwanchawee confirmed yesterday that the audio clip was doctored, citing findings by Kantana.

She said that it was an offence against the Computer Crime Act to spread the file through the Internet, adding that the violator would face an imprisonment of up to five years and a maximum fine of Bt100,000.

Meanwhile, a group of people were injured after 10 men in a pickup, hooded and dressed in black, threw stones and Home-made Bombs into a commercial building in which 300 members of the yellow shirts were celebrating the opening of a "We love the King" centre in Chiang Mai's Muang District.

As the yellow shirts fled, the men in black chased them with sticks, smashing glass doors and windows and a pickup parked in front of the building.

Hooded and dressed in black? Doesn't sound much like Red Shirt tactics to me. I'm afraid the term 'agent provacateur' come to mind.

Black is the new red.

From today's Xinhua news:

A "red-shirted" woman, or the anti-government protestor, wearing black shirt attends a rally at Sanam Luang in central Bangkok, capital of Thailand, on Aug. 26, 2009. (Xinhua/Thana Nuntavoranut)

travelling to Africa to look at diamond mines.

Please tell me this is hyperbole. Diamonds from Africa are not called blood diamonds for nothing. It is a horrible industry where workers are exploited and work in unsafe conditions. there is widespread child labour.

if Mr. thaksin is investing in african diamond mines he may find international sympathy will vaporize quickly.

I haven't found anything from Foreign Affairs saying he is barred from Canada.

Well, if he invests in an african diamond mine that does not have a labour and work code and gets the diamonds via the exploitation of child labour, I am sure he can then claim refugee status and kill 10 years or so waiting for a decision from the IRB.

Not ALL diamonds mined in Africa are blood diamonds.

blood diamond (also called a converted diamond, conflict diamond, hot diamond or a war diamond) refers to a diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, invading army's war efforts, or a warlord's activity, usually in Africa (source: wiki)

On his last trip to Africa in April:

"I have come to visit Liberia to explore business opportunities in the areas of mining, agriculture, and gas exploration," Thaksin told journalists after meeting the West African country's vice president earlier this week.

"I prefer to do business in Liberia because of the good business climate and the move by the country in reconstruction process," he said late on Tuesday evening.

"We want you to come and do business that will help create jobs for Liberians. We have a good business climate in Liberia," Vice President Joseph Boakai said.

and

Liberia's Information Minister Cletus Sieh told The Associated Press that Thaksin had been in Liberia earlier this week and met with the country's vice president and other officials.

"He's trying to invest in Africa and he came to Liberia to explore the possibility of investing in the gold and diamond sector," Sieh said, adding that Thaksin had arrived in Liberia Tuesday and left Wednesday.

Thaksin traveled to Liberia earlier this week to inquire about investing in diamonds, officials said, continuing his global wanderings in pursuit of business ventures. Liberia, known as a tax haven, is keen to lure foreign investors as it tries to move beyond its dark history of civil war that was funded and fueled by so-called "blood diamonds."

Liberia is one of the nations in which blood diamonds are transacted on, including deals with Al-Qeda.

- also wiki

Fascinating topic with amazing revelations available on a search here about these foreign police volunteers working in Thailand and their non-standard police tactics. I noticed it seems like this is a popular topic given the number of results that came back. I also noted a lot of unanswered questions in many of these threads regarding a whole host of issues about them. Perhaps they will finally be answered in this new show.

PATTAYA VOLUNTEER POLICE INDULGE IN UZBEK STING OPERATION

...The foreign undercover officers made arrangements with the four Uzbek women for sexual services at the Pattaya Inn Hotel, Soi B.J., Walking Street, South Pattaya, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi, Rooms 203, 206 and 207. When the love making sessions were concluded, the prostitutes asked for 2,000 baht each. The undercover representatives gave a total of 8,000 baht to the women, and the police placed them under arrest.

- Pattaya Daily News

UNDERCOVER STING NETS THREE MORE UZBEK PROSTITUTES

The Pattaya Immigration Police sent foreign undercover police volunteers, in a sting operation, to purchase sexual services from Uzbek women. The police managed to nab three Uzbek prostitutes and two Thai men, who were their agents.

On 20 September 2007, at 2 AM, Police Colonel Ithiphol Ithisarn-ronachai, Pattaya Immigration Superintendent was informed of a Thai agency that provided Uzbek prostitutes to clients in Pattaya City. Pattaya Immigration set up a sting operation, along with Police Lieutenant Colonel Prasart Kemaprasit, Central Immigration Investigator, and sent three foreign undercover police volunteers to arrange for female prostitutes from the Thai agency.

The three foreign undercover volunteers, with 4500 baht in their pockets, met with Mr. Sathaporn Jaiyos (39), from Utaradit Province, and Mr. Amornsit Chainam (33), from Ubonrachathani Province, in front of the V.C. Hotel, in South Pattaya, to buy sexual services from three Uzbek women.

- Pattaya Daily News

To give you guys at Thaivisa an update: I've been in touch with Volunthai and they are happy to get us a letter from our host school to arrange the proper visa. After following this thread, I also think they're going to start arranging visas for their volunteers in the future. I'll let you know how it works out, and thanks again for all your great visa advice!

Cheers

OzzieBruce

Too bad they are not happy to get you a work permit, which almost certainly they will not do, but then, you will likely be the one that suffers from that more than them.

Pardon will come

posthumously