Prayut warns activists that protests will only delay poll

By THE NATION

 

 

AS PRO-DEMOCRACY activists prepare to march today to call for an election this year, junta leader General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday warned that street demonstrations would make an election even less likely.

 

“Tell them there must be peace in society if they want an election,” Prayut said. “Whether the election will happen or not isn’t up to me. It’s up to them. And I have already said it will happen in 2019. Stop this already. I’m so tired.”

 

The pro-election group led by young activists, including Rangsiman Rome and Sirawith Seritiwat, has planned to protest against the prolonged rule of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and called for the holding of an election within this year.

 

 

Rangsiman said that the demonstration would take place at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan Campus from 4pm onwards. They would not march outside the campus, he said.

Besides the election demand, the leader said the group stood firm in its stance that the NCPO be a caretaker government that run the country only up to the election and that the Army must stop supporting the junta.

 

As May 22nd will mark the fourth anniversary of the coup, Rangsiman said the group would also line up activities and movements for this month.

 

The protest today is part of a series of rallies since late January. The series is in response to the amendment of the organic law governing the MP election that could delay the election by three months.

 

 

Rangsiman also said yesterday that the recent submission of the organic law governing the Senate could further delay the poll currently scheduled for February next year, too.

 

Authorities, meanwhile, said they were prepared for the protest and warned the protesters not to break the law.

 

Deputy police chief General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said yesterday the demonstration taking place inside a university, a private estate, would not violate the political assembly law.

 

 

But whether it was an infringement of the junta ban on political assembly of five people would be decided by the Army, he said.

However, officers had been prepared for any situation that could happen, the deputy police chief said.

 

If the protesters marched outside the campus or violated any laws, legal consequences would follow, he said.

 

Those who already had a police record or an arrest warrant would be arrested if they committed any crime today, Srivara added.

Officers and plainclothes officers would be deployed, he said.

 

They would keep watch on any interference by a third party that could provoke violence, he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30344633

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-05

1 minute ago, rooster59 said:

I’m so tired.”

 

Then resign.

 

 

Edited May 4, 20188 yr by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee and general anger

3 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“Tell them there must be peace in society if they want an election,” Prayut said. “Whether the election will happen or not isn’t up to me. I

what a double-speaker: first he says, in effect , 'it is up to me', then he says 'it is not up to me'

7 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

the leader said the group stood firm in its stance that the NCPO be a caretaker government that run the country only up to the election and that the Army must stop supporting the junta.

sure hope i don't get my glasses at the same place this guy does; the Junta Is the army; stop supporting itself ?

7 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“Whether the election will happen or not isn’t up to me. It’s up to them. 

Obviously you are not listening then!

9 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“Whether the election will happen or not isn’t up to me.

Totally unbelievable!  The man with full and absolute power pretending that a few people on the street causes election delays, not his personal desire to ensure all is just as he wants it. 

Prayut warns activists protests will only delay the election.

He stood there and said it with a straight face, when all along he knows that the election will be delayed again and again, just by him and his cronies dreaming up non existent threats.

31 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

an election even less likely

so Feb next year is False News

41 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“Tell them there must be peace in society if they want an election,” Prayut said

 

Peaceful protests !! Duh... Maybe he should rephrase his comment " tell them there must be silence in society, if they want an election "

 
Peaceful protests !! Duh... Maybe he should rephrase his comment " tell them there must be silence in society, if they want an election "

Silent,obedient,slaves.

First he doesn't understand politics then he needs help to think and now he's so tired. Well Mr.P here's news for you so are the Thai people, tired of all your Bulls%%t and now you want to blackmail the people into keeping quiet while you and your cronies keep your snouts in the trough. Go away P.M>

Quote

Whether the election will happen or not isn’t up to me. It’s up to them.

Nice :-)
 

Quote

 And I have already said it will happen in 2019.

Wait, what? How can you know if it's up to them?
 

Quote

 Stop this already. I’m so tired

So go.

Edited May 5, 20188 yr by rwdrwdrwd

Now really who could not have seen that excuse to stay in power longer ?

Yes, we can't have the people determining if they want an election. Only one person can make that democratic decision.

 

Dafter by the day!

37 minutes ago, a977 said:

so are the Thai people, tired of all your Bulls%%t

 

That's the problem, not enough of them are.... Couple hundred protesters will make no real difference !!

There will be no election in Feb. 

If the Thai people still believe that there will, then they deserve everything they get...

46 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Peaceful protests !! Duh... Maybe he should rephrase his comment " tell them there must be silence in society, if they want an election "

...The silence of course demonstrating how happy everyone is with the current state of affairs. Why spoil it with an election, that being the case? 

Democracy supporters lose either way. Protest and no election. Silence and no election.

He not honest or good man.

 

6 minutes ago, Anak Nakal said:

He not honest or good man.

 

 

He not, you right

So here we go! We all knew this was coming: 'the protesters will cause the election to be delayed'. ANY excuse. And if there is silence and no protests - no election either (as Baboon has said), as Prayut will say everyone is satisfied and there is no need for an election, which might 'cause confusion'.

 

I've said it a million times, but I'll say it again: unless the Thais get off their backsides NOW and get out onto the streets (not wait for some ever-receding 'election'), unless they see the writing on the wall NOW, and DEMAND IN THEIR MILLIONS that the junta and all its evil works GO - they will have to live with tyranny for many, many more years to come ...

How I feel for this pocket Napoleon,Desperate to bring happiness to his people with days spent perusing Alexis de Tocqueville searching for answers on how to bring democracy to his goodly folk . Yet the pesky slings and arrows of outrageous protest just keep coming and now he feels tired,so very tired...but nobly,wearily he will shoulder the immense burden and soldier on.

Time for the self appointed military government to let the people vote for the government they really want.

12 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

How I feel for this pocket Napoleon,Desperate to bring happiness to his people with days spent perusing Alexis de Tocqueville searching for answers on how to bring democracy to his goodly folk . Yet the pesky slings and arrows of outrageous protest just keep coming and now he feels tired,so very tired...but nobly,wearily he will shoulder the immense burden and soldier on.

How touching. However let's hope he finds a crumb of comfort in the enriching of himself and his mates, plus getting to order an entire country about and having his backside kissed by his state funded retinue of flunkeys, the poor man...

Wearily,sadly I peruse my like emojis and see that "baboon" is not his usual happy self today.Nonetheless I do feel that we shall be reconciled and a noble spirit of harmony will,once again,exist between us...

 

Otherwise,I might be forced to go off and kiss a frog..or something.

18 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Wearily,sadly I peruse my like emojis and see that "baboon" is not his usual happy self today.Nonetheless I do feel that we shall be reconciled and a noble spirit of harmony will,once again,exist between us...

 

Otherwise,I might be forced to go off and kiss a frog..or something.

Well it was your post and the thought of poor Prayuth soldiering on. There is truly no beginning to the sacrifices he makes for the nation...

Delaying the vote any longer would only accelerate the junta's loss of public support - Nikkei Asian Review.

 

 

28 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Delaying the vote any longer would only accelerate the junta's loss of public support - Nikkei Asian Review.

 

 

And I love this photo caption from the Bangkok Post: 

 

At the recent Australia-Asean summit in Sydney in March, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha showed off two rings and a watch, but had no significant contribution to the meeting. 
 

Even the local press doesn't pretend to like him anymore. 

So delay the farcical election until such time as it is reinvented to something that at least has a small resembalance to fairness.

1 hour ago, SABloke said:

And I love this photo caption from the Bangkok Post: 

 

At the recent Australia-Asean summit in Sydney in March, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha showed off two rings and a watch, but had no significant contribution to the meeting. 
 

Even the local press doesn't pretend to like him anymore. 

http://www.eastbysoutheast.com/the-best-of-thailands-pm-prayuth-chan-ocha-a-true-april-fool/

 

The press treat him as a fool. 

Doesn't he get it? THE Majority don't like him and his personal two bit army protection racket. At first the ones who gave him a chance are now disgusted that everyone is scrutinized and need to be quiet, while the whole while their family and cronies are not on radar as is against the law to bring their short comings up. 

The definitive Catch 22!