Don says envoys had no right to attend police questioning of Thanathorn

[khunpa]

They turned up and clearly must have been invited in for the briefing. So start by blaming the police chief, who welcomed them into his “house”.

 

 

[Eric Loh]

Foreign envoys and diplomats have been attending political events since Sondhi had his first political speech at Lumpini and were in the PAD and UDD camps in Government house and Rajprasong respectively. That didn't prevent 2 coups, shooting of civilians and long list of contentious court hearings. Nothing will stop the junta grand scheme of retaining power. Not to worry Don. 

[lemonjelly]

53 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

I guess that many of you who are making remarks like this one see all Thais as uneducated and ignorant people!?

Most of Thai friends, even those of them who are Thaksin supporters, are saying that Thailand should expel these diplomats for interfering in Thailand's internal affairs. And even my friend with MA and PhD form UCLA, who used to be MP in Thailand, UN envoy for Thailand and Human Rights Commissioner (he was in the group of foreigners that first visited Aung San Suu Kyi after she was put in house arrest by the Burmese junta), says that what these diplomats did was not appropriate to do according to international diplomatic standards...

But hey, I guess that Thai's are all wrong and you are right...

I don’t think they were diplomats but attachés. Whilst I do agree it’s not standard protocol for embassy staff to attend such a meeting uninvited by representatives of the host government, the authorities hosting that particular meeting offered no objections to the presence of foreign embassy or UN staff. 

[Ossy]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Don said his ministry would explain its concerns to the countries whose diplomats showed up, but added that he was considering whether to “invite” them for talks verbally or with a letter.

Yes, big decision, Mr Foreign Minister Don . . . verbally or with a letter? . . . That Don feller certainly sounds like a force to be reckoned with, after putting all those horrible foreign diplomats in their place. If we take the word 'considering' as being similar to mulling, I think we can assume Don knows that he is in for more egg on his and Thailand's police procedures' faces. Now then . . . verbally or by letter? . . . No, still undecided.

[BobBKK]

Don... Don... Don...  what are we to do with you eh?

[BobBKK]

37 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Agree with your Thai friends. 

 

Ironic how many posters grumble about xenophobic Thailand, and other Asian countries, but see the West as so superior! But only the 'democratic West" of course; or should it be the countries they like to think are democratic!

 

The UN wouldn't dare try this in the West, or China and Russia. And the EU Mission, a joke!

 

No wonder Thais and other Asians have formed certain opinions about "farangs".

 

These diplomats should be warned about future behavior at least.

You are so funny

[metisdead]

Posts containing disallowed references to the current government have been removed. 

[boonrawdcnx]

Don- wink wink don’t get upset - read the signals.
Breaking every law in the country to illegally seize power, then fake an election and still pretend you act according to the law whenever it suits you just doesn’t work with intelligent people. Especially when they are more intelligent then you!

You can talk like this to your blind sheep that follow you but not the international diplomatic community.
You have just made some very powerful enemies - now go and cry on the Chinese’s shoulder they are waiting for you - because you are dancing exactly to the tune they want you to dance to!



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[hotchilli]

Right or wrong I don't rally care, but it's nice to see the police/Junta starting to think that Thailand isn't as secular as they might think, the rest of the world are in fact watching very closely... the outcome of the election might have a reaction from overseas investors/traders that they hadn't bargained for.

As for digging up 4 year old alleged offence & try to stick a charge of sedition on an opposition party leader to get him out of the way is not the way of things in a truly democratic country.

[boonrawdcnx]

 
Same as if they try it in Russia, China, Japan, EU countries, Middle East Countries, Asian countries etc etc.
 
They'd be expelled.

Really?

Now Please name the European country that is run by a military junta that has taken over the country illegally through a coup d’état and tries to silence the opposition with bogus charges and kangaroo military courts!
Idiotic politically motivated charges- “inciting unrest” because he gave a student a ride home? Laughable!

Thailand is totally depending on foreign countries be it through tourism or the export industry. They do not have the standing to piss of the rest of the world and they should realize that soon. Their Chinese masters are creeping closer slowly but steady and these fools don’t even realize it because they are busy picking childish fights with the west!

If they think the West is bad then wait until the Chinese are in charge here - they are already getting there economically - soon there will be people calling themselves “Chinese-Thai” like in the Philippines looking down on the locals and using them as cheap labor - I know what I am taking about because I worked very closely with a billionaire there - US$ billions that is - not pesos!


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[jonclark]

1 hour ago, Kasset Tak said:

I guess that many of you who are making remarks like this one see all Thais as uneducated and ignorant people!?

Most of Thai friends, even those of them who are Thaksin supporters, are saying that Thailand should expel these diplomats for interfering in Thailand's internal affairs. And even my friend with MA and PhD form UCLA, who used to be MP in Thailand, UN envoy for Thailand and Human Rights Commissioner (he was in the group of foreigners that first visited Aung San Suu Kyi after she was put in house arrest by the Burmese junta), says that what these diplomats did was not appropriate to do according to international diplomatic standards...

But hey, I guess that Thai's are all wrong and you are right...

Last thing Thailand needs is to start expelling diplomats. 

 

Consider how that can spiral and result in tit for tat expulsions and a very political spat played out in the international media. Appropriate or not Thailand needs to just suck it up. 

 

This was a message from the international community along the lines of: we are watching and will not sit by idly. Thailand and its politicians love the international spotlight when it is positive. Rather than spitting its dummy out publicly a far better response would have been to publically welcome scrutiny by observers of the legal process and dealt with concerns more privately. 

[Eric Loh]

Quote astonishing to read posters choose protocol correctness over an attempt by the junta to silence oppositions to dictate election results.  Just where are their moral compass. 

[chainarong]

One can understand the confusion in the International ranks when someone who supposedly committed a offence back four,  five years ago is now the subject of a trumped up charge , mainly because Thanathorn rattled the socks and jocks off the Junta darlings in winning so many Parliament  seats, what if Thanathorn  never stood or formed a political party, would Thanathorn still have been charged, creates intrigue in anybody's language, Prayut has proven that as a junta leader he is up with the best of the despots, with his kniving ways, as a leader of a nation , now that's another subject 

[metisdead]

A post containing off topic obfuscation comments about Thaksin has been removed as well as the bickering replies.  

[JAG]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Quote astonishing to read posters choose protocol correctness over an attempt by the junta to silence oppositions to dictate election results.  Just where are their moral compass. 

Spinning wildly, as they always are when they go in to bat for their junta.

 

Not that they don't support democracy of course but...

[Eligius]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Quote astonishing to read posters choose protocol correctness over an attempt by the junta to silence oppositions to dictate election results.  Just where are their moral compass. 

Exactly, Eric (above). You know, Christ had a word for such types who 'cleave to the letter of the law and ignore the spirit of the law': HYPOCRITES!

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, metisdead said:

A post containing off topic obfuscation comments about Thaksin has been removed as well as the bickering replies.  

 

Thank you very much.

 

 

 

[Zack61]

6 hours ago, DPKANKAN said:

If everything was above board with the election etc., the Junta boys would not be getting their knickers in a twist now would they????

Nothing to hide nothing to fear 

[metisdead]

Off topic deflection posts and replies have been removed. 

[chama]

15 hours ago, z42 said:

Starting to unravel. The more noise that is made here, the more i suspect that this issue may snowball in a way the Junta won't like.

Rigging an election is 1 thing, hitting a popular politician with a tsunami of blatantly bogus charges after the election is another, but looking to haul in foreign diplomats to dress them down for no reason is something else. Hope it does blow up in the Junta's face.

 

Not sure if "here" is the place that will get traction but I agree the more the blatant abuse of power stays in the media the more likely this will bring about needed change.

[joecoolfrog]

13 hours ago, robblok said:

They don't want any people looking in on this because it undermines their credibility. Still, what do we expect the diplomats to do ? 

 

I like that they were there but I think they are kinda toothless tigers. 

The diplomats have , by their presence alone , sent the strong message that events are being closely monitored.

[joecoolfrog]

11 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Agree. But the Foreign Minister is correct. Foreign Diplomats, and the UN officials, do not have these rights. 

 

When was the last time diplomats from Asian countries invited themselves to attend an interview of a Western politician by his home country police?

 

The EU mission sent someone, probably doing nothing else useful anyway, some ineffective overpaid UN official, and Germany of course as they now want to project themselves as a world power all over again.

 

I have some sympathy with Germany as I believe it to be a democracy that does concern itself with some HR issues; although turns a blind eye to the criminal activities of it's businesses. The EU bureaucrat muffins and UN "Doctors" jump on any bandwagon to show they're busy doing something.

 

Regardless of the situation here, the arrogant West are in no position to lecture anyone; and certainly don't have any authority too.

 

 

Thailand wants western trade , investment and approval . That gives the USA and the EU all the authority it needs.

[joecoolfrog]

11 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Agree with your Thai friends. 

 

Ironic how many posters grumble about xenophobic Thailand, and other Asian countries, but see the West as so superior! But only the 'democratic West" of course; or should it be the countries they like to think are democratic!

 

The UN wouldn't dare try this in the West, or China and Russia. And the EU Mission, a joke!

 

No wonder Thais and other Asians have formed certain opinions about "farangs".

 

These diplomats should be warned about future behavior at least.

You are correct , it wouldn't wash with a major nation or a money bags state like Saudi.

Thailand aint either so it just has to suck it up or get completely into bed with China ( and the Thais are not that dumb)

And please less of the pleading about ethics , arrogance and hypocrisy , when have any of these things driven the conduct of the Junta.

[joecoolfrog]

11 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Same as if they try it in Russia, China, Japan, EU countries, Middle East Countries, Asian countries etc etc.

 

They'd be expelled.

So why dont the Thais do just that then , perhaps because they are fully aware that they need the west far more than the west needs them.

[joecoolfrog]

11 hours ago, Bezdomny said:

If Thailand would have biggest reserves of oil like Venezuela have, he would be already self declared president and recognized from USA and their poodles. So few small foreign officials aren't breaking any UN rules if we use same brushes?

But Thailand doesn't have oil and rice just dont cut it , the tin pot generals are toothless in international terms.

[Sydebolle]

I hate to correct, but diplomacy and its principles pre-dates the United Nations by thousands of years. While Gingis Khan already knew diplomacy (and how to break it) the more modern guidelines are outlined in the linings of the Vienna Congress (1815) and lateron the Geneva Convention (first time in 1864). 

The DOs and DONTs are outlined in the protocol and should Don Pramudwinai or his ministry have a problem with the behaviour of diplomats, then he has a tool to use.

It is called a "protest note" which he (or his staff) hand out to the affected diplomat, his bis (usually the head of mission) or through his own emissary in the country from where the misbehaving diplomat is from. In other words, if the ambassador of country A does something wrong in Thailand, then the Thai foreign minister can instruct his ambassador in country A to officially protest with the ministry of foreign affairs in country A. 

In closing, if everything was above radar, I wonder what any Thai official is worried about? Of course it is interesting to see, that this event drew the attention of diplomats - but maybe because of good reason? The official complaint by the Thai foreign ministry just added fuel to the (possible?) fire! 

[Purdey]

https://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20090520-142718.html

Thai diplomats attend trial of Aung Sang Suu Kyi. Nuff said.

[Prairieboy]

It is over and done with - move along. 

[metisdead]

A post commenting on moderation has been removed.

[DrTuner]

Well done junta, keep protesting and the western papers will keep publishing. The day when you're going to be a bona fide pariah in the world is fast approaching. Sanctions, HARD!