Thanathorn reveals the way forward after Future Forward

[rooster59]

Thanathorn reveals the way forward after Future Forward

By THE NATION

 

Thanathorn, left, and Pita.

 

Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit, former leader of the disbanded Future Forward Party, on Friday unveiled three missions of his Future Forward Movement.

 

 

He was speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, which invited him and the MP of the dissolved Future Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, to speak on: “After Future Forward: What now for the opposition in Thailand?"

 

He said that the movement is not an organisation but a network of people who shared the same opinion that they would not surrender to dictatorship and they want to see a more equal society.

 

He said the group had three main missions. The first one is related to the upcoming local administration election, which he said has been dominated by a few influential and wealthy families.

 

He added that the group will leverage its strong will, its stance of anti-vote buying, and technology to bring "something fresh" to this domain of local politics.

 

The second mission is to charge forward at full steam in pursuing his party's campaigns for reform via all platforms, offline, online, on air or on ground. He believes that a creative idea can conquer guns, and vote ballots will triumph over bullets. The group will bring hope to fight fear, democracy against authoritariansim and future against the past. Once it can win the battle of ideas, it can win other wars and by that time true change will come.

 

The third mission is to establish a people's network in all 77 provinces across Thailand. It will be a network of people who stand ready to fight for democracy and human rights. Thailand needs this network of people which must be strong enough to stand against the military-backed government.

 

Thanathorn said the disbanded Future Forward Party was like a vehicle for people who stand ready to fight.

 

He said that as he is not involved in the management of any political parties, he has no authority to participate in making laws. But, he added, the good thing was he could now move freer as he was free from any rules or constraints governing political parties.

 

Thanathorn announced the formation of the Future Forward Movement after the Constitutional Court on February 21 dissolved his party, ruling that loans granted by him to the party were a violation of the related law. The court also banned its executives from politics for 10 years.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30383585

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-08

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[Chazar]

next  move send him to  jail

[Thaiwrath]

26 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

the upcoming local administration election, which he said has been dominated by a few influential and wealthy families.

It's not just the local administration elections they dominate, they practically run the country !

It will be hard to change that, with certain people at the helm, unfortunately.

[OneMoreFarang]

39 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

He believes that a creative idea can conquer guns, and vote ballots will triumph over bullets. The group will bring hope to fight fear, democracy against authoritariansim and future against the past. Once it can win the battle of ideas, it can win other wars and by that time true change will come.

Guns, bullets, fight, battle, wars...

Are we in a war? When was the last time the current government used violence to suppress voters?

Or does Thanathorn plan to bring democracy to Thailand with violent groups like the bloody red-shirts?

 

If he wants to improve things he should do it peacefully - including peaceful language. If he shows that he is not corrupt and he does a good job to make life better for many Thais then they and we will remember his work.

[bangkokfrog]

54 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If he wants to improve things he should do it peacefully - including peaceful language. If he shows that he is not corrupt and he does a good job to make life better for many Thais then they and we will remember his work.

I don't see that he is inciting violence here. His argument is that creative ideas can win against guns and votes can win against bullets. A little naive, but perhaps a pitch to the idealistic student movements. Anyway, hardly the words of the "bloody red-shirts". In terms of Thais remembering his work, it doesn't matter how non-corrupt or good he is... Thais will only remember him if he is a winner. Many denigrate him as a proxy for Big-T, but I would rather believe that he is his own man. Even if not, anything is better than the current mob of corrupt and inept fools. I wish him luck.

[TooBigToFit]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Guns, bullets, fight, battle, wars...

Are we in a war? When was the last time the current government used violence to suppress voters?

Or does Thanathorn plan to bring democracy to Thailand with violent groups like the bloody red-shirts?

 

If he wants to improve things he should do it peacefully - including peaceful language. If he shows that he is not corrupt and he does a good job to make life better for many Thais then they and we will remember his work.

I think you are saying he should do it the right way, the yellowshirt way, the Thai way. Find a general, have a coup and then have his honorable soldiers threaten or shoot anyone who protests like the people in power always do. The red shirts by the way aren't the ones killing. They may destroy property. The current leaders were involved in the deaths of 90-100 Thais in 2010. Don't try to rewrite facts.

[thequietman]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

But, he added, the good thing was he could now move freer as he was free from any rules or constraints governing political parties.

See .............. the 'government's' actions have bitten them in the ass.

 

He's back, but better than ever. ????

[Haddo]

the full event can be seen here

 

 

[JAG]

Interesting  choice of venue and audience. Much harder to Trump up charges against him with the meeting "on the record" in this way - diplomatic presence their as well.

Of course everything that was said will be out on social media as well.

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, bangkokfrog said:

anything is better than the current

That's what I thought when George W. was president. Now I don't dare thinking "anything is better" anymore, anywhere in the world.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, TooBigToFit said:

I think you are saying he should do it the right way, the yellowshirt way,

Do you see anything more than black and white or red and yellow?

Because if the red-shirts are bad that doesn't make the yellow shirts good - or the other way around.

Thanathorn seems to have some good ideas. But he also seems to be aligned to Thaksin. How can anybody who really wants to make life in Thailand better and corruption free even talk to Thaksin?

If Thanathorn wants to do good then he should do it without the support from any known corrupt person. I know that will be difficult but it would be the honest way to do it.

[zzaa09]

36 minutes ago, JAG said:

Interesting  choice of venue and audience. Much harder to Trump up charges against him with the meeting "on the record" in this way - diplomatic presence their as well.

Of course everything that was said will be out on social media as well.

Seems as they're reaching out more toward Farang circles than Thai.

Interesting stategy.

[FarFlungFalang]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Are we in a war? When was the last time the current government used violence to suppress voters?

2014!Remember?

[OneMoreFarang]

3 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

2014!Remember?

Is the current government already in charge since 2014? That's interesting news.

[Orton Rd]

The stupidest thing they could have done is ban the FFP, and the dumb nuts went ahead and did just that ????

[bangkokfrog]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

6 hours ago, bangkokfrog said:

anything is better than the current

That's what I thought when George W. was president. Now I don't dare thinking "anything is better" anymore, anywhere in the world.

Not sure about that. Look at the buffoon in charge now. The only problem is that the only remaining opposition are, as we say in Thailand, "same same" as GWB and his ilk.

[sawadee1947]

8 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

It's not just the local administration elections they dominate, they practically run the country !

It will be hard to change that, with certain people at the helm, unfortunately.

The fish is always stinking from the head... ????

[JAG]

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Seems as they're reaching out more toward Farang circles than Thai.

Interesting stategy.

I think that Future Forward has a very slick and effective communication channel with it's Thai followers, who are, after all, the ones who will (eventually I hope) put them in power. Their dealings with foreigner (perhaps we should more accurately say international) circles are, I think, to ensure that they are recognised as a genuine political movement internationally. This they calculate may offer them some protection.

 

It didn't work for Thaksin, but he was always, despite his undoubted popularity within Thailand, always more of a "one man band". Future Forward strikes me as more collegiate and progressive, and more likely to arouse interest beyond Thailand's borders, places which the current regime know little about., and have little interest in, but places about which Future Forwards predominantly young support base are increasingly better informed about.

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Seems as they're reaching out more toward Farang circles than Thai.

Interesting stategy.

The junta's only real concern are foreigners, foreign opinion.  They need them and cannot control them.  Many past discussions like this were preceded by threats, but this one was not.  One can only wonder why? 

 

A Hong Kong friend wanted to move to Thailand, as she was sickened by the government's actions.  Her Thai friends told her Thailand was better.  Said if she wanted guaranteed freedom, Taiwan was probably best.

 

A non favorable, international spotlight is what terrifies the junta.

[nausea]

Can't keep a good man down. 

[BobbyL]

5 hours ago, Haddo said:

the full event can be seen here

 

 

Only had a quick skim through but they're very impressive. Educated, articulate (even with the language barrier), confident speakers, westernised in their approach to democracy, able to hold an audience and openly discuss their ideas.

 

Could you imagine Prayut and Prawit being able to do something like this even in Thai? Not a chance. The differences are staggering between them and the current regime. Thailand badly needs people like them for its future. 

[AussieBob18]

Brilliant - absolutely brilliant political strategy.  Hopefully they will be able to unite the Thais (red and yellow) against the Junta and win back Democracy through votes and thus avoid violence.  And if they are successful and this 'political movement' gains traction then I bet that the main SEAsia Democracies (Sth Korea and Japan) will provide encouragement and support - and hopefully so does USA.  China may control Nth Korea and Vietnam, but they will hopefully fail in trying to control/own Thailand thru the Junta - which they have been doing since 2014 - and which they ramped up since October 2016. The Junta is going to regret banning their Party - they have given them the freedom to create political dissent without the limitations of being a member of the Parliament.  In politics they say to keep your enemies close and your enemies closer - the Junta aint ever been good at politics. 

 

 

 

[DaRoadrunner]

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

vote ballots will triumph over bullets.

How can anyone vote for him when his party has been disbanded by the Courts?

[473geo]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Is the current government already in charge since 2014? That's interesting news.

Only to the deliberately obtuse ????

[scorecard]

35 minutes ago, AussieBob18 said:

Brilliant - absolutely brilliant political strategy.  Hopefully they will be able to unite the Thais (red and yellow) against the Junta and win back Democracy through votes and thus avoid violence.  And if they are successful and this 'political movement' gains traction then I bet that the main SEAsia Democracies (Sth Korea and Japan) will provide encouragement and support - and hopefully so does USA.  China may control Nth Korea and Vietnam, but they will hopefully fail in trying to control/own Thailand thru the Junta - which they have been doing since 2014 - and which they ramped up since October 2016. The Junta is going to regret banning their Party - they have given them the freedom to create political dissent without the limitations of being a member of the Parliament.  In politics they say to keep your enemies close and your enemies closer - the Junta aint ever been good at politics. 

 

 

 

Agree, however I see:

 

- Junta will continue to unethically and immorally twist whatever to stop both entities including directing the judiciary.

 

- Eventually the junta will create an enormous unethical and immoral mess using whatever means which becomes unworkable and the whole thing will collapse.

 

- I Hope that's not too far away.  

[billd766]

4 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

How can anyone vote for him when his party has been disbanded by the Courts?

He has been disbarred, the FFP have been dissolved but the idea cannot be dissolved by any government.

 

What can they do to Thanathorn now?

 

IMHO he won't flee the country which leaves putting him in jail.

 

Looking at the fiasco caused by dis barring him from politics and dissolving the FFP, jailing him would cause even bigger problems for the government.

 

The army having another military coup lead by Apirat would work in the very short term, probably until the first rounds are fired at ("the enemy aka as the Thai people"), then the <deleted> WILL hit the international fan. 

[metisdead]

An insulting post has been removed. 

[khunpa]

13 hours ago, Haddo said:

the full event can be seen here

 

 

 

Great to see the interview. There is still hope!

 

 

[daveAustin]

21 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Guns, bullets, fight, battle, wars...

Are we in a war? When was the last time the current government used violence to suppress voters?

Or does Thanathorn plan to bring democracy to Thailand with violent groups like the bloody red-shirts?

 

If he wants to improve things he should do it peacefully - including peaceful language. If he shows that he is not corrupt and he does a good job to make life better for many Thais then they and we will remember his work.

Think you misread chap. He's not advocating any of it, just the opposite. Good luck to him. Genuine bloke.

[daveAustin]

18 hours ago, Haddo said:

the full event can be seen here

Very nice, thanks. Shame all foreigners couldn't manage a collar. But great to see Thais conversing among one another on such matters in English. They have some stones. High hopes.