Junta vows ‘soft’ approach as multiple groups mobilise

[webfact]

Junta vows ‘soft’ approach as multiple groups mobilise

By THE NATION

 

 

March on Govt House by power plant protesters today poses another key challenge to NCPO order.
 

AS PROTESTERS, including opponents of coal-fired power plants and pro-election groups, increase pressure on the junta, security officials have said they would use a “soft approach” to maintain order, but also look into “financiers” who allegedly backed anti-junta groups.

 

Power plant protesters will stage a demonstration in front of Government House today despite a protest ban at the venue. Protest leader Direk Hemnakhon said yesterday that protesters would march from the current demonstration site at the United Nations building on Ratchadamnoen Avenue to voice their demands for the permanent cancellation of coal-fired projects in Krabi and Songkhla’s Thepa district. 

 

The group acknowledged the protest ban regarding the area around Government House, but had to march since members had staged a hunger strike for nine days and the government had not accepted their demands, he said.

 

Army commander General Chalermchai Sitthisart said protests against the power plants had been peaceful, but a rally at Government House would have larger-scale consequences. 

 

Authorities would need to take action and enforce relevant laws, as at the least the protest would cause traffic congestion, he said.

“Officials will take good care and provide assistance. I don’t think there will be any problems,” Chalermchai said.

 

He added that he did not think the UN’s recognition of the protest would have any negative effects for Thailand. The government was dealing with the matter “properly”, he said.

 

“There are both opponents and supporters of the power plant project. The government has to deal with the matter carefully. The parties involved must take part to consider this matter together,” he said.

 

Protesters said the group had already notified police about their march to Government House and assured them that they would not cause chaos or break the law.

 

On February 9, Metropolitan Police announced a 50-metre area around Government House as a no-protest zone, forcing coal-fired power plant protesters to relocate their venue to the UN building.

 

There were 69 persons participating in the hunger strike against the power projects yesterday. They said they would not consume anything except for water, milk and coconut juice until the government orders a permanent cancellation of both projects in the South. 

 

Ten people have been hospitalised during the prolonged hunger strike.

 

Authorities take legal action

 

Protester Somboon Khamhang said the Civil Court would issue a judgment today on the police order that would force them to leave their current site at the UN offices. The protesters had already complied with the Public Gathering Act, as the group had notified authorities that the protest would last until February 28, he said. 

 

The power plant protesters form one group of many exerting pressure on the junta to meet their demands. 

 

Other groups include the Democracy Restoration Group and Start Up People, which are demanding not only an election, but also for the junta to step down and allow a return to democracy.

 

Four assemblies, each lasting for a few hours, have taken place so far with participating activists having been charged with allegations including breaking the junta’s order against sedition, which could land offenders in prison for up to seven years.

 

Prosecutions are ongoing with some activists having been released without condition and others on bail, while many are still continuing to hold assemblies.

 

Top-ranking security officers are standing firm on statements that they will be able to control the escalating assemblies to maintain the “order of the country”.

 

They also said they would track down unspecified “financiers” that they suspected were sponsoring protest groups organising anti-junta actions.

 

“I think most Thai people also want an election, but they understand our procedures and allow us some time,” said Army chief Chalermchai. “That is better than confronting each other and making the conflicts return.”

 

National Security Council secretary-general General Wanlop Raksanor added that he did not expect many people to join the anti-junta rallies. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30339246

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-20

[Samui Bodoh]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Four assemblies, each lasting for a few hours, have taken place so far with participating activists having been charged with allegations including breaking the junta’s order against sedition, which could land offenders in prison for up to seven years.

Can someone explain to me why holding an assembly (the newspaper's word) constitutes sedition with a potential 7 year jail term?

 

 

[tracker1]

Didn't they vow there would be elections as well ! just saying

[cornishcarlos]

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

There were 69 persons participating in the hunger strike against the power projects yesterday. They said they would not consume anything except for water, milk and coconut juice until the government orders a permanent cancellation of both projects in the South

 

They said they would not consume anything except for water, milk, coconut juice, somtam, gai yang, kow neow, pad ped moo, plah ra, moo tod, geng jood and I sacream until the government orders a permanent cancellation of both projects in the South. 

[baboon]

That's nice. Dissidents can relax a little now they will only face soft harassment and intimidation. Soft lengthy prison sentences doled out by cuddly generals in soft military courts. Paint the leg irons and the barbed wire in the colours of the gay pride flag, I say! Who's with me?

 

Is anyone taking odds on who they will conclude is the financier of all this unrest? No? Not even a 'Fly Emirates' football shirt for the winner...?

Edited February 20, 2018 by baboon

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Can someone explain to me why holding an assembly (the newspaper's word) constitutes sedition with a potential 7 year jail term?

Yes, I can. It's against the law. A law instituted by a military junta to maintain their authority without dissent from the populace.

[baboon]

6 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Yes, I can. It's against the law. A law instituted by a military junta to maintain their authority without dissent from the populace.

And yet the constitution that the same junta pushed through grants the right of assembly! It's a mad world...

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“I think most Thai people also want an election, but they understand our procedures and allow us some time,” said Army chief Chalermchai. “That is better than confronting each other and making the conflicts return.”

Conflicts are not the fault of the people but the army.  The army is not trusted.   If they want trust, allow campaigning, allow free speech and set a date for elections.  People are tired of the constant talk of procedures.  It is mind numbing like all things junta. 

[baboon]

6 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Conflicts are not the fault of the people but the army.  The army is not trusted.   If they want trust, allow campaigning, allow free speech and set a date for elections.  People are tired of the constant talk of procedures.  It is mind numbing like all things junta. 

"The talk knows no end because you all only speak about the law."

Prayuth Chan-ocha, May 22nd, 2014.

[YetAnother]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The government has to deal with the matter carefully. The parties involved must take part to consider this matter together,” he said.

what he is insinuating is that the government has not done their job on this matter, thus the protests;

then he asks the highly agitated parties, greatly opposing each other, to resolve the issue;

and How Exactly would that work ?

that is the job of the government 

[YetAnother]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“I think most Thai people also want an election, but they understand our procedures and allow us some time,” said Army chief Chalermchai. “That is better than confronting each other and making the conflicts return.”

flawed logic; the root causes of the discord before the coup are unchanged; 

there is no greater degree of unity than before;

party ideologies are the same;

has little to do with timeframes;

in this, the current bunch has failed us all;

their mind-numbing approach was to point a gun at two protagonists and say : 'i order you to kiss and make up';

yeah, that will work; only on the surface and for a very short time 

[Oziex1]

Soft approach, so rubber bullets only.

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, baboon said:

And yet the constitution that the same junta pushed through grants the right of assembly! It's a mad world...

The constitution does and doesn't. It contradicts its own professed Thai rights and liberties.

For example the 2017 Constitution provides under Chapter III, Rights and Liberties of the Thai People, Article 34:

• A person shall enjoy the liberty to express his opinion, make speech, write, print, publicize, and make expression by other means. Restriction on such liberty shall not be permitted, except by virtue of the provisions of the law specifically enacted for the purpose of maintaining the security of the State, protecting the rights or liberties of other persons, maintaining public order or good morals of people, or safeguarding the health of the people.

• Academic freedom shall be protected, provided that the exercise of such freedom shall not be contrary to the duties of Thai people or good morals of people and shall respect and not impede differing opinions of other persons.

But who determines "security of the State," "duties of Thai people" and "good morals?"

 

The 2017 Constitution under Article 265 also legitimizes the application of Article 44 prescribed by the 2014 Interim Constitution until a new elected government is installed.

Gen. Prayut is allowed "to order, to suspend, or to take action, regardless of its effects on the legislative, executive or judiciary" against any perceived threats to "public order, national security, the monarchy, national economy or sovereignty of the country."

So it is Prayut who determines "security of the State," "duties of Thai people" and "good morals."

 

The 2017 Constitution both gives gives and takes Thais rights and liberties. Even Abhisit has complained about the contradiction of Article 44 to the rights and liberties of Thai people mandated by the 2017 Constitution. I recall that a petition by PTP has been made to the Constitution Court on this very contradiction - but the Court has yet to even respond to the petition.

 

 

 

[Media1]

No financiers stupid lol..They just don't want you robbing any longer and have had enough of a useless government. Move on

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Yes, I can. It's against the law. A law instituted by a military junta to maintain their authority without dissent from the populace.

While the junta has initiated several laws through its rubber stamp appointed-NLA to narrowly restrict Thai people's rights on the most trivial matters, there has been the Criminal Code’s Article 116 on sedition that has long been in effect. 

 

"The way that Article 116 was being applied by the junta had turned it into a political tool, serving those in power,.... This ran contrary to the right to freedom of expression and press freedom guaranteed in Thailand’s constitution." - Thai Journalists Association's s advisor Chakrit Permpoon.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30325660

 

A side note: "sedition" (in English translation) does not appear in the 2017 Constitution. Article 49 does refer to "overthrow."

[PatOngo]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Junta vows ‘soft’ approach as multiple groups mobilise

Does this mean they'll only use rubber projectiles in their tanks when they quell the dissent?

[baboon]

14 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Does this mean they'll only use rubber projectiles in their tanks when they quell the dissent?

I'm sure it will be cuddly toys the tanks fire, under a beautiful rainbow made of kittens...

[Eligius]

31 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

The constitution does and doesn't. It contradicts its own professed Thai rights and liberties.

For example the 2017 Constitution provides under Chapter III, Rights and Liberties of the Thai People, Article 34:

• A person shall enjoy the liberty to express his opinion, make speech, write, print, publicize, and make expression by other means. Restriction on such liberty shall not be permitted, except by virtue of the provisions of the law specifically enacted for the purpose of maintaining the security of the State, protecting the rights or liberties of other persons, maintaining public order or good morals of people, or safeguarding the health of the people.

• Academic freedom shall be protected, provided that the exercise of such freedom shall not be contrary to the duties of Thai people or good morals of people and shall respect and not impede differing opinions of other persons.

But who determines "security of the State," "duties of Thai people" and "good morals?"

 

 

 

The 2017 Constitution both gives gives and takes Thais rights and liberties. ...

 

 

Right, Srikcir! I have been saying since Day One that the Constitution effectively removes ALL rights from the Thai people as it constantly limits each pretended 'right' with the clause that this 'right' is not a 'right' if it goes against 'good morals of people'. Well, the Autocrats decide what good morals are (they have them in abundance, of course).

 

So: demonstrating against the junta is 'against good morals of people' - because the junta is run by 'the good people'; and demanding an election is 'against good morals of people', because it shows that the Thais are getting uppity and not knowing their servile, obedient place and waiting for their Masters to tell them when they can have an 'election' and what sort of 'election' should be run.

 

If I were a junta member, I could easily (within 10 seconds) come up  with any absurd 'argument' that anything the Thai people want is 'against good morals of people' - and there's an end of it (I've got my guns and tanks ready to 'prove' my case - oh-so-intelligently).

 

That is why there is only (sadly) one way forward for the Thai people (for whom all peaceful and legal routes to democracy have been fully blocked and shut down)  - and it is not through bogus 'elections' or 'delayed' elections.

 

But the Thais (I am pretty confident) will NOT take that path in sufficient numbers to bring about real change. So - nothing like real democracy (or even a vibrant semblance of it) here in my lifetime ...

[lincolnshire poacher]

4 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

Soft approach, so rubber bullets only.

No cotton wool bullets

[chama]

On 2/19/2018 at 4:35 PM, Samui Bodoh said:

Can someone explain to me why holding an assembly (the newspaper's word) constitutes sedition with a potential 7 year jail term?

 

 

Yes, the Puppet Master can, but he won't because it would uncover his plans to form his dictatorship whilst the sheepole sleep. But pressure mounts, the sheepole are awaking and the people are starting to find their voices. Have the election and this becomes a non-story. Not ready? Its been over four years with constantly slipping dates. Anything the junta wants badly enough they have gotten done, sometimes with article 44 (heavy hand?) so they can get the pre-election requirements completed with the proper attention to detail if desired. It's time to move on.

[gunderhill]

On 2/20/2018 at 5:21 AM, tracker1 said:

Didn't they vow there would be elections as well ! just saying

And  that there  would  be "no coup"