Army chief denies Twitter ‘IO’ campaign after documents leaked

By The Nation

 

Narongphan Jitkaewtae

 

Army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae has denied that the military hired a private company to spread pro-government propaganda through hundreds of Twitter accounts. He was responding to a leak of documents that apparently show details of the contract between the Army and the company.

 

On October 8, Twitter announced it had removed 926 accounts that had concealed links to the Army. Members of the opposition said they had already been collecting information on the Army’s information operation (“IO") activities.

 

Pannika Wanich, former spokeswoman for the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, said they planned to sue the Army for “using tax money to cause divisions and hatred among Thais”.

 

Meanwhile, the Army chief refused to say whether martial law would be imposed if ongoing pro-democracy protests escalate.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30398621

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-27

 

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12 minutes ago, webfact said:

Army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae has denied that the military hired a private company to spread pro-government propaganda through hundreds of Twitter accounts.

 

It seems that the main criteria to be the army chief in Thailand is, you have to be an outright liar, and, when caught out, just blatantly deny everything ! 

If this latest fella is not a prime example, previous chiefs, coming out with sayings like "there will not be a coup" certainly are !

Red handed!

35 minutes ago, webfact said:

Army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae has denied that the military hired a private company to spread pro-government propaganda through hundreds of Twitter accounts.

 

Because they run the operation internally?

56 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

It seems that the main criteria to be the army chief in Thailand is, you have to be an outright liar, and, when caught out, just blatantly deny everything ! 

If this latest fella is not a prime example, previous chiefs, coming out with sayings like "there will not be a coup" certainly are !

And when all fails: say it was a misunderstanding...

In that pic' is he saying

" The porky pie we had to tell was this big " .. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, the Army chief refused to say whether martial law would be imposed if ongoing pro-democracy protests escalate.

Surely it is the government not the army chief who should make the decision about marshal law.

Silly me forgot where i am.

Everybody in the country knows that IO campaigns are an integral part of the propaganda machinery of the government and the army. Hence, it would be way more face saving for the general just to say nothing instead of denying it. So embarrassing. Why does he not simply shut up?

 

By denying this IO campaign, the little general just confirmed the first one of the only three core competences of all these Thai "top generals": Lying. The remaining two core competences of them are intimidating the people by all means, and stealing from them by corruption and the misuse of taxes. That's all they can. Nothing more.

 

Wow, they listened to the Russians! 

Even a child knows to fess up to their blatant wrongdoing when asked more than once. 
 

This whole thing was proved. The company who exposed it also stated that the army’s operation to use fake accounts to promote the government was “cheerleading without fans”. 
 

My missus has always been too apathetic about Thailand’s political climate. But the more she reads about the army and elite here, the more she’s getting p***** off. The ones in charge here are just becoming more and more shameless. They will be the architects of their own demise. 

I believe him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course I don't, lying is a national sport here. ????

11 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

My missus has always been too apathetic about Thailand’s political climate. But the more she reads about the army and elite here, the more she’s getting p***** off. The ones in charge here are just becoming more and more shameless. They will be the architects of their own demise. 

There has not been such a more unpopular government in my 30 years here. They are really hated. 

 

Without the father of the nation to guide the country I fear for the future of Thailand. 

 

Too many inadequate men, crooks, mafia types, immoral cowards, sycophants and generals for the politics to work. Need to completely clear the decks and start with people with morals and integrity, if they can find them that is. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

On October 8, Twitter announced it had removed 926 accounts that had concealed links to the Army.

So does it then imply that the army then paid Twitter to hide the accounts

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

Even a child knows to fess up to their blatant wrongdoing when asked more than once. 
 

This whole thing was proved. The company who exposed it also stated that the army’s operation to use fake accounts to promote the government was “cheerleading without fans”. 
 

My missus has always been too apathetic about Thailand’s political climate. But the more she reads about the army and elite here, the more she’s getting p***** off. The ones in charge here are just becoming more and more shameless. They will be the architects of their own demise. 

She is not the only one, the majority of Thai's feel the same

The flip side of this must be the other big lie which must be doing the rounds internally that the IO was effective. Apparently this was not the case as the IO Twitter accounts garnered hardly any followers. 

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

There has not been such a more unpopular government in my 30 years here. They are really hated. 

 

Without the father of the nation to guide the country I fear for the future of Thailand. 

 

Too many inadequate men, crooks, mafia types, immoral cowards, sycophants and generals for the politics to work. Need to completely clear the decks and start with people with morals and integrity, if they can find them that is. 

This is a very good point Mr Meeseeks. I have been in the LOS about the same time and visited a lot before settling here. Prayut has now been PM for 6.5 years which up there with the long servers, Phibul, Thanom and Prem who were all there due to either coups or military support. He has taken Thailand back to an earlier era where military strongmen held power without the need of a popular support base. 
 

Coup maker Suchinda was probably even more unpopular after having many people killed to stay in power but he was quickly ousted. The others over the last 30 years were all unpopular in their own ways but each had their own popular support bases. Even Anand who came from a coup was popular with many due to his extensive reforms.

 

Prayut and Prawit just seem able to brush off their lack of popularity and don’t make any effort to endear themselves to any particular group apart from billionaires, while they throw out Trump like dog whistle type tropes to try engage others without much success.

Once you have entrenched yourself in a certain position, you can lie and cheat and deny and deflect without ever having to fear any consequences fro your dishonesty.

 

And yet you expect - nay, DEMAND! - that people believe you and show you respect.

 

It's a disgusting attitude, actually.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

On October 8, Twitter announced it had removed 926 accounts that had concealed links to the Army. Members of the opposition said they had already been collecting information on the Army’s information operation (“IO") activities.

And yet he still denies it.

Now with one of the student protest leader, Panusaya 'Rung', being named BBC "most inspiring women" maybe it will be harder for the Junta to shut her up without the world media denouncing this  even more.  Let's hope the international media keeps tabs on her!

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/bbc-names-protest-leader-panusaya-in-global-list-of-100-most-inspiring-women

4 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Even a child knows to fess up to their blatant wrongdoing when asked more than once. 

 

Not in Thailand, even for adults let alone children, because that would mean losing face which is the most serious thing that can happen to a Thai. Even if it means them looking stupid, which strangely they don't see as losing face. They will deny deny deny, and if you persist in offering proof they'll just look through you as if you aren't there.

 

I remember reading here, long ago, of someone who wanted to buy a ticket for a particular long-distance bus that he regularly took at a particular time. The girl selling tickets said there was no bus at that time, he went and got someone from the information booth who confirmed to the girl that there was indeed such a bus, but she still refused to sell him the ticket as that would have meant she lost face. So, in the end, he had to take another bus.

But it isn't just a Thai thing. My first experience of 'losing face' came in Hong Kong, when I was in an Australian restaurant and ordered chicken wings. After a long wait with no wings in sight, I called a waiter over and asked where my order was. He went to check, and it transpired that they had sold out and the waitress didn't come and tell me because - well, you know.

 

So your comment should say, 'In the real world. where children learn at an early age...' So often in Asia, adults still have the mind of a child. By the way, I'm looking forward to a Hello Kitty case for my phone for Christmas.

Why not just be honest. The UK army it seems have almost as many working in social propaganda than they do front line troops. At any rate shows you where priorities lie, defending the borders or manipulating the population.

1 hour ago, HaoleBoy said:

Now with one of the student protest leader, Panusaya 'Rung', being named BBC "most inspiring women" maybe it will be harder for the Junta to shut her up without the world media denouncing this  even more.  Let's hope the international media keeps tabs on her!

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/bbc-names-protest-leader-panusaya-in-global-list-of-100-most-inspiring-women

She'll finish 99th against Jacinda Ardern. You can read the BBC like a book.

Next up Thailand praised for martial law and buying shipping containers to contain covid and ecigs ????

37 minutes ago, Traubert said:

She'll finish 99th against Jacinda Ardern. You can read the BBC like a book.

Yes, Traubert. We all know you have a fondness for authoritarian regimes.
 

See a shrink and talk about your childhood. 

Edited November 27, 20205 yr by rkidlad

2 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

 

Edited November 27, 20205 yr by rkidlad

9 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

It seems that the main criteria to be the army chief in Thailand is, you have to be an outright liar, and, when caught out, just blatantly deny everything ! 

If this latest fella is not a prime example, previous chiefs, coming out with sayings like "there will not be a coup" certainly are !

 

And it seems oh so easy to believe Twitter and other social media sights, especially when they say something you want to hear.

 

And of course, those sites are so honest, ethical with absolutely no agendas of their own.

3 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Now with one of the student protest leader, Panusaya 'Rung', being named BBC "most inspiring women" maybe it will be harder for the Junta to shut her up without the world media denouncing this  even more.  Let's hope the international media keeps tabs on her!

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/bbc-names-protest-leader-panusaya-in-global-list-of-100-most-inspiring-women

But you know they will just dismiss that saying poor misguided foreigners will never be able to understand Thainess and all it entails.

FAKE NEWS

Here in tvf we have likely one paid worshipper also...

9 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

And it seems oh so easy to believe Twitter and other social media sights, especially when they say something you want to hear.

 

And of course, those sites are so honest, ethical with absolutely no agendas of their own.

It wasn’t twitter who did the real investigating. 
 

Stanford Internet Observatory did the real investigation initially and twitter acted on it.
 

Twitter certainly do have agendas when it comes to politics and which side they lean towards; just not not sure what their agenda would be here. In fact, they just blocked a user today for exposing more of these IOs today. 
 

Unless of course you believe the idea of Thai tax payer money being used to promote the junta isn’t plausible? ‘Cos it seems pretty plausible to me. Well, it’s been proven.