Political ‘freedom’ a sham, democracy activists caution

[webfact]

Political ‘freedom’ a sham, democracy activists caution

By KAS CHANWANPEN 
THE NATION

 

file photo

 

THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has given the go-ahead for political activities to resume after four years of suppression, but doubt and distrust remain prevalent among the parties eyeing the next election.

 

Noting that the green-light order also empowers Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to propose changes if he deems any activity objectionable, law professor Ekachai Chainuvati said the “principle of legal certainty” is absent.

 

“This means there’s no certainty. If they want to amend the order, they can,” he said. “There’s nothing certain about this. They can change everything again over the next three months.”

 

NCPO Order 13/2018, issued last Friday, relaxes the ban on political activity imposed four years ago. It allows political parties to hold meetings and begin preparing for the general election now ostensibly scheduled for February 24.

 

The easing had been highly anticipated because, for the first time since the NCPO seized power in a coup, the parties will be active again. Ekachai, however, sees only limited freedom being granted.

 

On the contrary, he said, even with a return to democratic rule possibly imminent, the junta decree dictates too meticulously what the parties can and cannot do. It should have lifted the ban unconditionally, he said.

 

Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, a former law professor who is now a key member of the pro-democracy Future Forward Party, offered a similar proposal to end the political suppression.

 

He commented on Facebook that the junta had done the political parties no favours with this strings-attached order. It was not helping to standardise democracy ahead of the election, nor helping return politics to normal, Piyabutr said.

 

‘Only an excuse’

 

He said every difficulty that the parties faced stemmed directly from the NCPO, not the parties themselves.

 

“The parties would have immediate relief only if the NCPO would rescind all measures against political freedom.”

 

The junta continues to insist that some restrictions on political activity must be maintained in the interest of peace, order and public security. The violent political upheavals that preceded the May 2014 coup helped justify the military’s intervention and its tight grip on society afterwards.

 

But pro-democracy activist Nuttaa Mahattana rejects the equating of political activity with unrest.

 

“Keeping the peace is only an excuse – we should ask what the real reason behind the ban is,” she said. “The way I see it, political activity is a form of communication, and when that communication is banned, we have to ask what the NCPO is afraid people will find out about.”

 

Nuttaa said such limitations on freedom no longer served the public interest, only the political ambition of individual junta figures. Until now, she pointed out, they’ve been the only ones with the power to communicate and campaign for support.

 

Friday’s order has also prompted questions about the political reforms the junta pledged to pursue.

 

The junta first required parties to conduct extensive voting among all their members to allow fair participation in choosing MP candidates. It now backs the established system, allowing them to name a committee of 11 members and party executives to choose the candidates, at least for the coming election.

 

As for greater participation by rank-and-file party members, that’s been forgotten in favour of internal meetings and discussion, but the selection panel is under no concrete obligation to take into account the opinions heard.

 

Alongkorn Ponlaboot, a one-time reformer appointed by the junta, expressed disappointment over the back-pedalling.

 

“It’s a shame the NCPO didn’t remain insistent about the primary voting, which is the key to political reform,” he said. “Since the Constitution took effect last year, all parties should have done something to meet the constitutional requirement regarding the primary voting. “But because of time constraints, this exemption is understandable.”

 

Alongkorn said, though, that regardless of the shift, if parties are determined to make changes, they should be able to carry out primary voting on their own.

 

“The reform’s success doesn’t come from any legislation, but rather their own political will,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30354598

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-17

[Spidey]

Before the election, the Junta will give the nod to one party and one head. That person will be elected and become the new Prime Minister. Only question is which member of the Junta will it be?

 

Answers below.

[GinBoy2]

Political Freedom, oh puhleeze!

That's like saying you actually have free speech in Thailand

Welcome to Thai(LaLa)land

[zzaa09]

These activists are kinda quick towards picking up on these things, aren't they? ?

[zzaa09]

2 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Political Freedom, oh puhleeze!

That's like saying you actually have free speech in Thailand

Welcome to Thai(LaLa)land

I could easily guess that you don't keep to much company or conversations with Thai? 

Typical. 

[SABloke]

19 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

I could easily guess that you don't keep to much company or conversations with Thai? 

Typical. 

There is no free speech in Thailand. That is a fact whether you talk to a Thai, a Russian, or any other person. Your post makes no sense.

[YetAnother]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

law professor Ekachai Chainuvati said the “principle of legal certainty” is absent.

a smart dreamer; this is thailand, the real rulers here know and impose only their own certainty

[Cadbury]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has given the go-ahead for political activities to resume after four years of suppression

But that only applies to all political Parties other than the Junta Party. The PM representing the Junta Party has been on the campaign trail for many months now handing out money to the provincial and village leaders to buy votes in the coming election.

[JAG]

1 hour ago, zzaa09 said:

I could easily guess that you don't keep to much company or conversations with Thai? 

Typical. 

Right ho, instead of these enigmatic oblique posts hinting that you are so much better informed than other posters and commentators, how about "fronting up" and making some proper observations, telling us exactly what you think the facts are, and what you think is going on. That will either confirm, refute or provide an alternative to what others say, which is after all the point of a discussion forum?

 

At the moment frankly, you are just bullshitting, based one suspects on an affected view of your own superiority.

 

PS. If the rather deliberate grammatical and syntax errors are meant to persuade us that you are a Thai, it doesn't work.

[yellowboat]

Thank goodness for Nutta.  She has been verbally abusing the junta for a very long time.  Sadly there are not enough like her.

 

It is doubtful that the buffoons running the country now will allow a rerun of the Abhisit / Yingluck contest.  They will most likely hold on to power regardless of outcome, should there even be a fair election.   The naivety from the Future Forward Party and others who expect change from those in power, and now very much addicted to that power, is distressing.  Change in Thailand will come slowly, not easily if at all. 

[GinBoy2]

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

I could easily guess that you don't keep to much company or conversations with Thai? 

Typical. 

So, I speak Thai, am married to a Thai, lived there for a decade.

 

So if you want to prove your point, write something detrimental to the junta, or that other institution...see what happens!

 

I on the other hand now live back in the US, and I am free to express whatever I want.

 

So you go for it

[nong38]

Political freedom means different things to different people, political freedom is what I say it is and can be changed to suit any situation so that it is politically correct, does not offend certain parts of the community or people who are in power and do not wish to relinquish it. Every country gets what it deserves and ultimately its the people who will decide what it wants one way or another.

[ChrisY1]

3 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

These activists are kinda quick towards picking up on these things, aren't they? ?

They should be...they're activists.

[Chris Lawrence]

Its a set up. The General doesn't even have to run in a party to get elected. So the new parties can't gather more than 5 people so they can't effectively get ready for the election. The election is overseen by the constitution which is overseen by the military.

 

Have a wild guess who will win?

[connda]

Well, the educated and academics get it.  Now if only the dirt poor villagers who received Thai Niyom 'gifts' could see though the obvious too. 

[Somtamnication]

Never truer words were said!

[hotchilli]

Get ready for mayhem... 

[1dayumay]

13 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Political Freedom, oh puhleeze!

That's like saying you actually have free speech in Thailand

Welcome to Thai(LaLa)land

There is no country left with freedom of speech. Look at many western and Northern European countries where the freedom of speech have been stolen Step by step every year.

 

in uk,Germany,Sweden, Norway and many other countries you can be jailed for just saying something not political correct about Muslims,migrants or black people, but if you are Muslim, migrant or black you can say whatever you want about native citizens.

 

Thailand, are like this because of the junta.

 

i have to laugh everytime a <deleted> on this forum criticizing Thailand for being i undemocratic, don’t have freedom of speech or is not a free country, but their home country at least within EU where democracy have been stolen from every nation step by step, countries cracking down on free speech, EU regulations on everything and makes the life complicated and unfree.

 

mecca of the stupid.

[overherebc]

Never been to speakers corner in London then?

[GinBoy2]

2 hours ago, overherebc said:

Never been to speakers corner in London then?

Well he probably has, or at least knows about.

 

But there is a very familiar and repetitive narrative from some of the Thai ‘aplogists'

 

No, what they respond with..”Ahh but what your country etc etc”.

 

It’s so repetitive and predictable, I could almost write the replies myself.

 

It’s almost like they have to over justify to to themselves why they like Thailand.

 

I love Thailand, but I’m not stupid and blind to it’s glaring faults and problems.

 

Now I’m an American and free speech is protected by the 1st amendment, hence every crazy can write/say whatever they want, but I have the choice to read or not. 

In Europe I do understand that there are restrictions on hate speech. But you know what, they can actually go to the polls and elect people to change that, if they want.

 

To argue that Thailand is in anyway close to that, is frikken delusional

[baboon]

15 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Well he probably has, or at least knows about.

 

But there is a very familiar and repetitive narrative from some of the Thai ‘aplogists'

 

No, what they respond with..”Ahh but what your country etc etc”.

 

It’s so repetitive and predictable, I could almost write the replies myself.

 

It’s almost like they have to over justify to to themselves why they like Thailand.

 

I love Thailand, but I’m not stupid and blind to it’s glaring faults and problems.

 

Now I’m an American and free speech is protected by the 1st amendment, hence every crazy can write/say whatever they want, but I have the choice to read or not. 

In Europe I do understand that there are restrictions on hate speech. But you know what, they can actually go to the polls and elect people to change that, if they want.

 

To argue that Thailand is in anyway close to that, is frikken delusional

On the World News section, I have said some pretty brutal things about Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Other posters execrate Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott.

 

Now I am off back to merry old England in November. It may be that I have Thaivisa political opponents on the same flight. However I will hazard a guess that police will not be standing by at Heathrow to arrest either. 

 

Yes, any western government needs also keeping tabs on. But here's the thing: At least we can! They get up to some pretty vile things too if they think they can get away with it, but at least we can hold them to account, form opinions and sling them out come election time...

[GinBoy2]

4 minutes ago, baboon said:

On the World News section, I have said some pretty brutal things about Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Other posters execrate Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott.

 

Now I am off back to merry old England in November. It may be that I have Thaivisa political opponents on the same flight. However I will hazard a guess that police will not be standing by at Heathrow to arrest either. 

 

Yes, any western government needs also keeping tabs on. But here's the thing: At least we can! They get up to some pretty vile things too if they think they can get away with it, but at least we can hold them to account, form opinions and sling them out come election time...

Exactly.

 

When you read some of these ‘apologist’ post, the denial is almost to the point of insanity.

 

Everyone that does, or has lived in Thailand knows the reality of the place. 

 

A ‘like’ on facebook, a repost of a BBC bio of someone who cant be mentioned, can get you banged up for 15 years!

 

Don’t think that happens in a Western country I know.

 

 

 

[GinBoy2]

Thailand is a weird bizzaro world, where you suspend disbelief to actually be to survive.

Now we've all seen the 'German shopping Mall, tanktop, fake tattoos, let alone the dog birthday party video'.

The reason I'm not actually saying anything directly, because I'd get banned. Not arrested, since I'm not in Thailand.

Now many of you are Brits I suspect. I've seen that puppet TV show from the 80's, Spitting Image.

Ever think that's possible here???

[baboon]

3 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Exactly.

 

When you read some of these ‘apologist’ post, the denial is almost to the point of insanity.

 

Everyone that does, or has lived in Thailand knows the reality of the place. 

 

A ‘like’ on facebook, a repost of a BBC bio of someone who cant be mentioned, can get you banged up for 15 years!

 

Don’t think that happens in a Western country I know.

 

 

 

What it amounts to is 'This suits me fine. Screw the Thai rabble'.

Then they go onto denouncing imperialism (while retaining their passports) yet holding the view that they are superior to their hosts. That their hosts are children. That they need a powerful hoof up their backsides.

 

Why? Because they are too stupid to figure out matters for themselves. But their self-appointed leaders are cut from the same cloth - more unruly children who take control of the playground, so how does that work? 

[GinBoy2]

18 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

I could easily guess that you don't keep to much company or conversations with Thai? 

Typical. 

So, I’m curious. I threw down the gauntlet for you to prove your assertion.

 

Haven’t seen much response from you