Commentary On Current Issues

[marshbags]

B.Post>>Perspective >> Sunday August 12, 2007

COMMENTARY

THONGBAI THONGPAO

Quote

Proper procedures

Last week, newspapers reported that a female army officer was facing a disciplinary probe because she had been abroad for 21 days without seeking prior permission from her commanding officers as required by the army's regulations.

This in itself should not have made headlines. But her story occupied the real estate of every newspaper because she wrote a paperback book based on her trip to London to interview a Thai politician in exile there. The book was titled Thaksin: Where are you?

In fact, if the author of this book were a man and if it weren't about such a famous man like former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the incident should not have been of interest to anyone. But since the person in question is a pretty young woman who went on a limb to interview Mr Thaksin, it gripped the attention of the public, who lean toward sympathising with her. Some people even go so far as saying this fragile woman is being bullied by the men in green, who happen to be the powers-that-be these days.

Unquote

Please go to the url for the full article.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Perspective/12Aug2007_pers14.php

The truth is not bias...simple isn,t it.

Break the law and expect arrest, now there,s a sobering thought and yes the times are changing if you look further than the headlines and see the reality check that,s slowly taking place.

I certainly do

marshbags

Edited August 12, 2007 by marshbags

[PeaceBlondie]

I was amazed last week to see a Thai TV station broadcasting what appeared to be an interview with Taksin. I thought the media was still banned from publishing interviews. The junta still seems to consider him toxic. I see the lady lieutenant has resigned.

Does Thailand have any female generals or admirals? What's their highest rank for women?

[londonthai]

the female officer (or any army officer) wouldn't be able to get a permission to leave the country to interview the politician who was outed by the military regime. Her option was to travel without the permit and face charges after return. Looks like she would like to develop her writing skills and career as a writer rather as to serve as a killing mashine.

the more soldiers/officers leave/are thrown out from the army - the less controll the army has over the public life

[ColPyat]

"This is exactly what I have hoped to see in our courts and judicial process for a long time. The two judges have set a highly respectable standard for the courts, an important prerequisite for peace and justice to prevail in this country."

Another quote from his commentary.

With all the talk about the law and due process, how can our coup apologists from the legal profession combine their sense of due process and a basically illegal military coup. Can any of them point out the provision in the then valid '97 constitution that permits a military coup in a political crises?

Or is the law only relevant as long as it supports one's own political convictions?

[sriracha john]

Any Army officer, male or female, in any nation's Army that goes AWOL for 3 weeks is going to find themselves in hot water.

Some people even go so far as saying this fragile woman is being bullied by the men in green

I would say that those that characterize her as such need to become aquainted with the 21st century equality amongst the sexes in the armed forces.

I know a large number of women in the U.S. military who would be extremely irate at such demeaning, sexist, and patronizing depiction of their service to their country as that statement indicates.

Edited August 12, 2007 by sriracha john

[londonthai]

as I can see it's not awol but travelling abroad without superior consent.

females are not equal physically to men (females are smaller, shorter, have less muscles, can't run as fast as men due to the different pelvis build, not saying about the pmt and eventually taking care of the kids to the far greater extend males do).

as to serving 'their country' - they join the army to make a wage. Some desert, some get killed, some leave the army and become pacifists

[sriracha john]

Disobeying orders is no less an offense for any Army officer, male or female, in any nation's Army.

In regards to the posted remark, the physical differences between men and women have no relationship to the issue. Men weren't physically beating her up.

Most officers in any military if they no longer desire to be in the military resign before committing an offense.

Most officers have motivations other than making a wage as for their reasons for becoming officer.

[rychrde]

yeah, great plan by the woman, but why did she come back to LOS?? a bit of the plan hadn't been thought through!