Samak Sundaravej was elected

[soundman]

People who care about the rule of law abhor military dictatorship.

... and they also abhor civilian dictatorships.

Civilians can be voted out. Juntas cannot

Tell that to the Filipinos with their "civilian" Marcos for 20 years.

Or to any other political parties in Singapore.....

[Plus]

The junta restored the rule of law. The only thing they destroyed was the book.

Suspension of electoral democracy for a few months is nothing comparing to benefits of restoring the rule of law.

You give the junta too much credit.It couldn't have cared less about the rule of law.Not only did it launch the criminal coup (for which it then pardoned itself) but tried to launch a black propaganda campaign to frustrate the PPP victory, including attempting to pervert the EC and Supreme Court.It failed to demonstrate any serious corruption charge for which the coup was nominally launched.It didn't bother with the more serious civil right abuses (drug war, Tak Bai) since it was complicit directly or indirectly in those horrors.Its puppet government was spectacularly incompetent and the puerile economic policy slowed down the country's growth.

"black propaganda campaign to frustrate the PPP victory" - when I read that plan, it didn't mention PPP, it mentioned parties trying to restore "old power", which even PPP officially denies as TRT is banned from politics. Post election "silent coup" rumors failed to materialise.

"attempting to pervert the EC and Supreme Court" - huh? The EC did all it could to endorse PPP's victory as early as possible.

"It failed to demonstrate any serious corruption charge' - it wasn't supposed to. They set up independently operating body to do that. That's how the rule of law should work.

"It didn't bother with the more serious civil right abuses (drug war, Tak Bai)" - one thing at the time. Those abuses had no direct connection to the current situation.

"Its puppet government " - Surayud's was nobody's puppet, and his ministers were given free hand in whatever they were doing (or not doing most of the time). CNS had little say in how country was run and had no leverage against Surayud.

"puerile economic policy slowed down the country's growth" - turned out it didn't, have you seen the numbers?

[sriracha john]

Samak lets it be known he's not Thaksin's puppet

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday put more distance between himself and Thaksin Shinawatra who is preparing to return to fight criminal charges.

In an interview with Government House reporters, Samak said Thaksin had phoned to congratulate him after the royal endorsement of his premiership.

Asked how he would deal with the strong public perception that he is Thaksin's nominee, Samak said: "Thaksin has called it quits politically. He will stand in court for trial on charges against him, and he wants to live in Thailand.

"So he will have to come back, but I personally do not know when he will return. That's not my business. More importantly, I'm Mr Samak, not Mr Thaksin."

During his campaign for Thaksin's allies in the People Power Party for the election, Samak publicly admitted he was a proxy for Thaksin who had been barred from active politics by the Constitution Tribunal for five years. Since then Samak has become more defiantly independent, even though he remains sympathetic to the former premier, ousted by the military coup on September 19, 2006.

Thaksin is facing a criminal charge in the Supreme Court for allegedly abusing his power while in office over a multi-million-baht land transaction. He also faces another charge from the Department of Special Investigation of failing to disclose his assets according to the securities law. On these issues, Samak said the former premier would have to deal with them through the justice system.

"I intend to serve the country and the public interest. The new Cabinet and I won't have any honeymoon period. We'll start working right away and will try to manage several of the most important issues and projects simultaneously especially the economy and mega-infrastructures, as well as the prolonged unrest in the South.

"As a coalition government of six parties, we will try to do our best to avoid political squabbles and frequent Cabinet reshuffles every six months or so. Yet, a lot will depend on karma," he said.

Critics have pointed out Thaksin and his allies will pull the strings behind the Samak administration, leaving little room for the prim minister to manoeuvre, as evidenced by the choice of Cabinet members.

Throughout his decades-long political career, Samak has always put a high priority on pushing for mega-investment projects.

Besides the six mass transit train projects for Bangkok as proposed by previous governments, the premier is touting his new pet scheme aimed at diverting fresh water from the Mekong River bordering Laos and Vietnam into the country's north-eastern provinces.

"We've done some preliminary surveys on this scheme in which tunnels will also be drilled to lay down large water pipes along the routes into the Northeast, covering several hundred kilometres. "We'll also have to build a number of giant reservoirs or dams to store the water, the amount of which is estimated to be an annual 3.5 billion cubic metres," Samak said.

On the investment outlay, the premier said he had no figures yet, but noted the cost could be three times that of Pasak Jalasit Dam (about 3 Billion Baht altogether), plus other facilities.

- The Nation

[Plus]

Drill tunnel network under Isan, I suppose asecretly, as other countris will protest against unilateral decision to divert Mekong's water.

[sriracha john]

and now, the new PM begins facing Western journalists...

Samak denies being Thaksin nominee

PM Samak Sundaravej said in an interview broadast on Saturady that he is not a nominee of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra. "I'm the leader of the country, I run this country," he said in the weekend's Talk Asia show on CNN. "I have my own thinking." He admitted his close ties to the deposed premier. "What's wrong with that?," he asked. Samak gave the interview to CNN's Dan Rivers. Thailand's 25th leader, who described his job as "just bring the country back to normalcy", also discussed his post as Defence Minister and denied playing any role in the 1976 massacre at Thammasat University. On his role as Deputy Interior Minister during the massacre at Thammasat University in 1976 where 46 protestors were killed by the military, Samak said he had nothing to do with that. "For me, no deaths, one unlucky guy being burned and burned in Sanam Luang. I have no concern on that business, I have nothing to do, to deal with that at all," he said.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=125819

[gbt71fa]

A PM who keeps up his cooking show? Aren't Thais embarassed by this? If not, shouldn't they be? Also, if looks could kill, well actually, just look at his history, looks did kill. Congratulations, Thai voters!

At least Americans can breathe a sigh of relief, another leader even more embarrasing than ours, and that takes some doing.

It only takes one idiot to bring President Bush into the conversation. Of course Hillary and Obama could do better. How about this, if you hate it so much why don't you leave Thailand AND the U.S. and go hang out in the Sudan...

Edited February 9, 2008 by gbt71fa

[gbt71fa]

Surely this is against the legalities ref. the Banning the TRT and just allows them to continue under the PPP banner.

It has to an illegal arrangement be it proxy or otherwise and should therefore be undemocratic to say the least.

We keep getting the democratically elected excuse played back at us.

I would suggest otherwise !!!!

marshbags

People keep trying to sneak the "proxy" word into this and the definition for "proxy" as it applies to decision making in a legalistic sense is definitely not what is happening between Samak and Toxin....nominee is much more appropriate....and pray tell what laws is being broken with this....I think you wish that a law was being broken but if wishes were horses......

You and I might feel uneasy with a PM who simply implements another persons policies but the people who voted for Samak knew precisely that he was a nominee for Toxin so I guess for him to get the bulk of his advise from Toxin is really not so undemocratic at all....the voters are getting what he said he would provide and what they voted for. There is a precedent for this in US politics...Reagan was famous for surrounding himself with advisors and running the gov't with little of his own input....and from most reports the voters were well happy with the results......I don't particularly admire what he accomplished or how he did it but I would not go so far as to say that it was "undemocratic" for the gov't to be run that way.....please...let's NOT have a discussion of US politics.

Chownah

"most reports"? You can even ask his enemies and they will tell you that Reagan was in full and complete control, even after being shot. This is about Thailand and you cannot compare U.S. politics with Thai politics. That is like comparing Hillary or Obama to an actual human being..

[marshbags]

The Nation, Sun, February 10, 2008 : Last updated 8:08 hours

THE WEEK THAT WAS

Thaksin-era populism back as Samak takes power

Ministers of the Samak Cabinet began their first day in office by announcing a mixed bag of policies that largely reflect the economic populism of the defunct Thai Rak Thai party. Published on February 10, 2008

The populist policies include debt-suspension for farmers, village funds and other financial handouts, tax breaks for low-income earners and investing in nine routes of the mass-transit projects in Bangkok.

Other quick-fix programmes include low-cost computers, student loans and scholarships for poor students upcountry.

Surapong Suebwonglee, the new finance minister, vowed to revive most of the populist policies of Thai Rak Thai by promoting grass-roots consumption and announcing mega-project investments.

He not only aimed to restore foreign investors' confidence in Thailand but will also try to boost high economic growth and consumption. Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan promised to revise the price adjustment system of goods. He would like to tackle the rising cost of living faced by grass-roots people caused by growing costs of production.

He also aimed to promote agricultural goods, expand new export markets for Thailand and work on trade negotiations.

UUU

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has put more distance between himself and Thaksin Shinawatra, who is preparing to return to fight criminal charges.

In an interview with Government House reporters, Samak said Thaksin had phoned to congratulate him after the royal endorsement of his premiership.

Asked how he would deal with the strong public perception that he is Thaksin's nominee, Samak said: "Thaksin has called it quits politically. He will stand in court for trial on charges against him, and he wants to live in Thailand.

"So he will have to come back, but I personally do not know when he will return. That's not my business. More importantly, I'm Mr Samak, not Mr Thaksin."

During his campaign for Thaksin's allies in the People Power Party for the election, Samak publicly admitted he was a proxy for Thaksin, who has been barred from active politics by the Constitution Tribunal for five years.

UUU

Further cracks have begun to appear in the relationship between Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Thaksin Shinawatra, as Samak wants to have a bigger say in forming the Cabinet and hang on to his premiership over the next two to three years.

According to sources familiar with the development, Samak is now causing trouble for Thaksin because he wants to have his own way in running the government.

Shortly after his appointment as prime minister, Samak decided to reshuffle the list of Cabinet members presented to him by all six coalition partners.

He found several of the candidates to be unacceptable.

His interference in the formation of the Cabinet resulted in the removal of Chai Chidchob and Srimuang Charoensiri from the list of candidates for portfolios in the Office of the Prime Minister and Energy Ministry respectively. Chai is the father of Newin Chidchob from Buri Ram.

UUU

Academics have warned that the outgoing government's resolution to stop officials from using foreign e-mail providers may be unconstitutional.

A letter dated January 7 issued by the Secretariat of the Cabinet informed all provincial governors that the Cabinet had made the resolution in December for government officials to stop using private, and especially foreign, e-mail providers to communicate official matters within one year.

Officials who are directors or in higher positions must stop using foreign e-mail providers within three months. The letter stated the resolution was made in order to "protect official information".

Dr Sriprapha Petcha-ramesree of Mahidol University's Human Rights Studies Programme said she was afraid the Cabinet resolution would contradict the rights and freedom principals written in the Constitution.

Furthermore, e-mail systems provided by the government's offices are not reliable and have limited capacity, she said.

Dr Thaweesak Koananta-kool, former director of the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre, said the Cabinet resolution only applied to official matters, not private communication.

UUU

A panel has been set up by the Public Health Ministry to assess how plans to make Thailand a regional medical hub will effect the healthcare system - because many top medical specialists have jumped to the private sector in recent years.

The trend is particularly worrying because medical schools have reportedly lost some of their most valuable teachers to private medical facilities.

"If top medical experts really leave medical schools, grave damage is inflicted on the country's healthcare system. The government spends a lot of time and money to produce a capable medical expert," Dr Thinnakorn Noree said.

Thinnakorn heads the Human Resources for Health Research and Development Office.

In 2003, the government led by Thaksin Shinawatra launched a project to turn Thailand into a regional medical hub.

Thinnakorn said: "On the one hand, the project attracts about Bt50 billion each year for the country. But on the other hand, the Public Health Ministry and state authorities are worried about human resources available to them [given doctors shifting to the private sector]."

UUU

A leading political action group warned that the apparent "puppet" status of the Samak government would be its undoing and predicted the administration could soon come under pressure from four sectors of society.

The Campaign for Popular Democracy called the Cabinet of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej a "puppet Cabinet" due to alleged connections between several prospective ministers and more superior elements who are not entitled to hold legitimate official posts.

CPD secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila said most Cabinet members would be nominees of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is facing charges for alleged corruption, or leaders of factions from the dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party who have been banned from politics for five years.

The Nation

Ref url :- http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/10...on_30064929.php

marshbags

Edited February 10, 2008 by marshbags

[rainman]

I don't see any benefits that have come to junta members one and half year after the coup.

Money maybe?

[jumnien]

I don't see any benefits that have come to junta members one and half year after the coup.

Money maybe?

Huge quantities of money!

[John K]

I don't see any benefits that have come to junta members one and half year after the coup.

Money maybe?

Huge quantities of money!

Links please.

[sriracha john]

More on the CNN interview...

PM Samak insists he isn't nominee of ousted premier Thaksin

BANGKOK – Thailand's newly appointed Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej reasserted Saturday that he was not a nominee of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Admitting that he had a close relationship with Thaksin who was ousted in a bloodless coup on Sept 19, 2006, Samak told CNN during an interview that he is the Prime Minister, not a puppet of anyone.

"I'm the leader of the country. I run this country. I have my own thinking," he said. Samak gave an interview with Dan Rivers of CNN's Talk Asia programme.

He also said Thaksin had given valuable advice to his party's economic advisory team.

- TNA

[John K]

More on the CNN interview...

PM Samak insists he isn't nominee of ousted premier Thaksin

BANGKOK – Thailand's newly appointed Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej reasserted Saturday that he was not a nominee of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Admitting that he had a close relationship with Thaksin who was ousted in a bloodless coup on Sept 19, 2006, Samak told CNN during an interview that he is the Prime Minister, not a puppet of anyone.

"I'm the leader of the country. I run this country. I have my own thinking," he said. Samak gave an interview with Dan Rivers of CNN's Talk Asia programme.

He also said Thaksin had given valuable advice to his party's economic advisory team.

- TNA

Translation they have not a clue what to do.

[sriracha john]

Still more from the CNN interview...

1976 MASSACRE

PM plays down his role

Samak tells CNN he was out of the loop

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has distanced himself from the controversial October 1976 Thammasat massacre.

In an interview with CNN which was screened yesterday and today, the prime minister responded to questions saying he had been "an outsider by that time".

Asked if he would condemn what happened in 1976, Samak said: "Actually it was a movement of some students. They didn't like the government."

Samak, a veteran politician with a right-wing track record, asserted only one person had died in the tragic event.

The event subsequently led to the killing of at least 41 leftist students and activists in Bangkok on October 6, 1976.

In 2000, when Samak was elected Bangkok Governor, Chulalongkorn University political scientist Ji Ungphakorn denounced him for his alleged involvement in inciting right-wing mobs. Samak sued Ji for defamation, but later dropped the suit.

Samak told CNN Thailand was one of the Southeast Asian countries that could have fallen into the hands of communists during the 1970s.

He denied he was former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's puppet. "No, I am myself. I'm the leader of the party. I run this country: it's me; I have my own thinking."

Asked if the controversial 76 Billion Baht, tax-free sale of Shin Corp to Temasek Group of Singapore was corrupt, Samak said: "... Put it this way: corrupt or not corrupt, huh, in the olden days, when anyone invested in this country, you can hold only 25 per cent, for the rest must be nominees, or any kind of thing."

"But he [Thaksin] decided to change that from 25 per cent to 49 per cent. Now, when he made this change he could sell his shares, it costs 73 billion, and then pay no tax because by law he doesn't have to pay tax. This is corrupt or not?

"Some say it's corrupt, but for me I say no, this is by law. This is he might take this opportunity. It must be his wisdom that he can do the trade."

Asked if prime ministers should be allowed to make money, Samak said: "For me, for me, I have nothing of that kind. But for him, it's his business. He does business, and he wants to get rid of the shares he held. To be or not be right or wrong is up to him."

"I think it's right, because it draws investors, that they can have 49 per cent; you have a proxy with only 2 per cent, so you can run the company."

- The Nation

[sriracha john]

Looks like to me to be more than 1 ...

[Heng]

I don't see any benefits that have come to junta members one and half year after the coup.

Money maybe?

Huge quantities of money!

Links please.

Spot on. There's simply no proof.

p.s. Thank goodness!

[Tony Clifton]

Samak allows PTV to broadcast Government's policy announcement

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Saturday gave tacit support to pro-Thaksin unlicensed satellite station, PTV, by allowing it to broadcast the House session when the government announces its policy statement.

Samak gave the approval when Veera Musigapong and other PTV founders met him to seek the permission.

When reporters reminded him that the PTV was sued by the Public Relations Department as broadcasting without a license, Samak argued that ASTV of the Manage Group also broadcast without license.

Samak said the government enact new laws to legalise these unlicensed stations.

- The Nation

=======================================

An extremely weak attempt to rewrite history by the new PM.... as what really happened with ASTV was that after they were denied a license after applying, they then sought and WON the court's approval to broadcast, whereas PTV never even applied for a license.

Court rules for Sondhi

The Administrative Court yesterday ordered authorities to desist from shutting down the ASTV satellite service of government critic Sondhi Limthongkul and his media group’s website.

- The Nation / Published on Feb 3, 2006

Amazingly, this court victory occured while Thaksin was still PM.

I bet you can smell this one all the way from Hong Kong and London. Here's another attempt at getting PTV off the ground, without saying it's PTV to begin with. Neutral station my ass... This is nothing but the work of Jakaprob Penkair trying to revive PTV without going through the normal channels and procedures for doing so, anyone objecting will of course be demoted or moved elsewhere, out of the way. The PTV case will be expedited by this government.

Samak keen on opening an independent TV station

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Sunday hinted that an independent television station would soon spring into operation.

How soon?

"Justice is not seen when the most neutral, the best and viable television station is closed," Samak said on a state radio. He did not mention the iTV, though. Of course not, it 's PTV Service Pack 2 he's talking about

He added that within one or two days, he would prove that capable people would have a channel where their abilities could be put into great use. One or two days to setup a tv station??? AH, now we know how soon. The only way to do that is to start where PTV left off, studio and equipment still sitting there intact.

"They will have a channel where they can work independently . Then, we will see which stations - the independent or the public television stations, is better," Samak said in response to a suggestion that his government should crack down on media outlets critical of government.

The Nation

For those who think there may be a rift between Samak and Thaksin, nothing but a theatre play to better serve the Little Emperor in exile. This bunch of clowns with the Thaksin Turbo on full blast are proving within their actions within their first week in power that they'll be gone by the end of APRIL, and, if Thaksin hasn't set foot in Thailand by then, he never will again.

Khun Jaruwan and her team of auditors must be next.

.

Edited February 10, 2008 by Tony Clifton

[younghusband]

Looks like to me to be more than 1 ...

These are horrifying photographs but I think it's right to remind people of the tragedy at Thammasat given Samak is now PM.

There is a great deal of information available on the internet as to exactly what happened back in 1976 at Thammasat, who was involved, who in the Bangkok elite lent support to and financed the right wing murdering thugs etc etc.I'm all for going back into history and holding people like Samak to account.If these poor victims were with us now they would have much to say about unpunished wickedeness and believe me it would not just be about Samak.

[marshbags]

The Nation, Mon, February 11, 2008 : Last updated 0:12 hours

EDITORIAL

Populism back - but at what cost?

Samak's plans to reintroduce TRT policies must not come at the cost of bankrupting future generations Published on February 11, 2008

Under pressure to fulfil pre-election promises made to party supporters, the Samak government has announced plans to implement a wide range of populist policies similar to those that were so expertly exploited by the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party to grasp political power and maintain loyalty. The new government is losing no time assuring the public that it intends to make good on most, if not all, of its promises, which include some utterly ludicrous ones that would require a huge amount of taxpayers' money without any evidence that they would benefit the general public.

Even before the six-party coalition government led by the People Power Party presents its policy statement to the House of Representatives, ministers have already mentioned programmes such as debt suspension for farmers, village funds and a host of mega-projects related to urban infrastructure development, particularly the expansion of rail-based mass-transit systems in Bangkok and its environs. Other quick-fix programmes that have proven popular among the rural masses, including low-cost computers for schools, student loans and scholarships for poor students upcountry, will also be on the Samak government's agenda.

Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said such populist policies, designed to promote domestic private consumption and boost public investment, were justified. The government aims not only to restore foreign investors' confidence in Thailand but also to ratchet up the country's economic growth.

To be fair, not all of the so-called populist policies are inherently bad. Depending on public perception and how they are put into practice, some policies may have started out as populist, but then went on to become accepted by the general public. The universal healthcare scheme promoted by Thai Rak Thai prior to the 2001 general election is an obvious example of a populist policy that has become accepted by mainstream society. The truth is that Thaksin relied heavily on the good work done by public health planners, who had spent years working in the background to devise sound financing arrangements to ensure the sustainability of providing healthcare for all. Thaksin's reliance on the meticulous planning of public health planners is the reason why the universal healthcare scheme is the exception to the rule among Thaksin's numerous populist policies.

The Samak government must learn from the mistakes made during Thaksin's term that had to do with other, more damaging populist policies, of which there were many. The telltale signs of these types of policies include the half-baked nature of their conception, their obvious aim to cater to the unprincipled wants and needs of the people, and the absence of a realistic source of funding.

The reason manipulative governments, such as the Thaksin administration and now the Samak government, are likely to initially get away with introducing these types of policies, which fly in the face of the government's duty to provide the country with sound economic stewardship, fiscal discipline and public accountability, is because the quality of public debate in this country has remained poor.

Conspicuously absent from the ruling party's platform has been any sort of discussion on fiscal discipline, sources of funding and the huge impact that past populist policies have had on the country's long-term financial liability.

One of the ways that governments hide the downside of populist policies is to sweep the rubbish under the rug by forcing state-owned banks to lend or underwrite debts to finance them. This hurts not only the shareholders of those banks, but it also sets a negative precedent that tends to increase loan risks and raise banks' operating costs.

Sooner or later, the unthinking spending of taxpayers' money will begin to contribute to a looming public debt that must somehow be paid for either by the current generation of taxpayers or those in the future. The level of public debt incurred by populist policies can be kept manageable so long as the country's economy keeps growing.

Just after the interim Surayud government attempted to clean up the financial mess left behind by Thaksin, the Samak administration steps forward planning to unleash another wave of copycat populist policies. The new government must proceed carefully with its populist policies based on a careful cost-benefit analysis, with the long-term interests of the public foremost in mind.

The Nation

Unquote

The highlighted reference in red is a tribute to Sanguan Nityaramphong, along with his public health counterparts who were the true pioneers of the health care scheme that Toxin adopted as his own and is falsly credited with it,s planning, and ideas, ( prior to it,s inception ),at it,s true roots, were it rightly belongs

marshbags

Edited February 11, 2008 by marshbags

[Plus]

There is a great deal of information available on the internet as to exactly what happened back in 1976 at Thammasat, who was involved, who in the Bangkok elite lent support to and financed the right wing murdering thugs etc etc.

If I remember correctly Chownah has requested these links not long time ago, in connection with Samak. I think he was wondering if all the accusations against Samak had any ground. He couldn't find any definite proof of Samak's involvement himself.

So, the links would be appreciated, for future reference.

[sriracha john]

He does seem to be putting on several extra kilos around the middle of late...

At his PM announcement - Reuters

During yesterday's TV show - Naewna newspaper

Hard to stomach

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej took Channel 11 producers to task yesterday for the way they prepared the set for his first "Talking Samak's Way" programme.

Samak, who appeared in his "uniform" safari suit, spoke for an hour about what his government had done in the past week and what was ahead in the coming seven days.

He complained the producers had him sitting in a chair. He wanted a desk to sit behind so viewers could not see his paunch. He said being able to see all of him was not the image he wanted. He demanded a swivel chair, not an armchair, too.

But the new PM was happy with the programme's music.

The programme uses special effects projected behind Samak. It will be a weekly event broadcast at 8.30am.

- The Nation

Edited February 11, 2008 by sriracha john

[jumnien]

Well, Samak is getting hit hard by political opponents about his dark-skin, his unappealing nose and now his expanding waistline. It's high time the Democrats appoint Tata Young as their shadow PM in their shadow Cabinet!

[sriracha john]

Who wouldn't want to watch this every Sunday?

[jumnien]

Who wouldn't want to watch this every Sunday?

Abhisit never turned me on like he did others on this forum; but let Tata stand, or lie down, for office and you've got my full support!

Great photo!

[sriracha john]

Excerpts from...

New prime minister speaks his mind

Tells CNN only one person died in 1976 student uprising at Thammasat University

The following are portions of a recent interview of PM Samak Sundaravej by CNN Talk Asia correspondent Dan Rivers.

Rivers: So Thaksin asked you to set up your People Power party?

Samak: He said is it possible or not? I said I can do it because I lost my opportunity, too. I was in the senate, five months, and the coup kicked me out.

...

Rivers: What kind of role will Thaksin play now that you are in power?

Samak: Oh, he's the owner of the former party. He might give some support by giving ideas to this or that. Five years, such a success, so why not give some advice?

...

Rivers: Well, the reason they gave was that Thaksin was hugely corrupt.

Samak: 16 months, there is no proof. Not a single case. They set up a committee to see to it, and until now just 2 cases have gone to the prosecutor, not to the court yet.

Rivers: Do you think he's guilty?

Samak: Oh, anyone can be guilty of something if it can be proved.

Rivers: You don't think he's guilty?

Samak: I don't think anyone can do something wrong if they don't think it is wrong... So ask Thaksin, or ask his wife; they don't think they ever committed anything wrong.

...

Rivers: Would you like to take the opportunity now to condemn what happened in 1976?

Samak: Actually it was a movement of some students. They didn't like the government.

Rivers: But dozens of people, maybe hundreds of people, died.

Samak: No, just one died. There are 3,000 students in the Thammasat University.

Rivers: The official death toll was 46, and many people say it was much higher than that.

Samak: No. For me, no deaths; one unlucky guy being beaten and being burned in Sanam Luang. Only one guy died that day.

Rivers: So there was no massacre?

Samak: No, not at all.

Interview continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.net/News/11Feb2008_news14.php

Edited February 11, 2008 by sriracha john

[traveller5000]

I've just read that article from the BKK post. 2 comments:

For such a straight shooting type of guy, he seems to have great difficulty giving straight answers to straight questions.

His answer regarding "just one died" was sickening and very disappointing to say the least.

[Kna]

Cleansing democracy of socialism

Crushing the Thai Left on the 6th Oct 1976 and the consequences for present day politics

(Paper presented at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, September 2001

บทความนำเสนอที่ S.O.A.S. มหาวิทยาลัยลอนดอน กันยายน ๒๕๔๔)

Assistant Professor Ji Giles Ungpakorn

Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University,

Bangkok 10330, Thailand.

(Secretary of The 6th October 1976 Fact Finding Committee)

E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

On the morning of 6th October 1976, Thai uniformed police, alongside armed semi-fascist thugs, crushed the student movement in Thailand. This brutal state crime was supported, either directly or indirectly, by all sections of the Thai ruling elite. Their aim was not so much the crushing of the young parliamentary democracy, which had arisen after the mass popular uprising three years earlier, but the destruction of the growing socialist movement throughout the country. This was achieved in the long term also by the subsequent collapse of the stalinist Communist Party of Thailand. This destruction of the left came not only in organisational form, but also in terms of the present collective historical memory about the Thai left. The results of “cleansing democracy of socialism” can be seen in the present corrupt and money dominated system of Thai parliamentary politics. Yet, the impact of the Asian Economic Crisis and a whole new generation of people with little knowledge of the 1970s, means that socialism may yet creep back into Thai democracy. The Populist policies of the new Thai Ruk Thai government may be an indication of social pressure from below and the re-emergence of class-based politics.

Crushing the Left in 1976

The received wisdom in Thai society states that “socialism is an alien creed, not popular with Thais”. Yet there was a time when a significant proportion of the population openly supported socialist ideas. In the General Elections of January 1975, three left-wing parties, The Socialist Party of Thailand, The Socialist Front and New Force Party won a total of two and a half million votes or 14.4% of the total vote (Morrell & Samudavanija 1981; 265). In addition to this, the ideological influence of the illegal Communist Party of Thailand was particularly significant among young students, trade unionists and farmer-activists. In present day Thai politics all political parties are allied to capital and business and even the memory of 1970s radicalism seems to have been eradicated. How did this happen?

In the early hours of 6th October 1976, Thai uniformed police, stationed in the grounds of the National Museum, next door to Thammasat University, destroyed a peaceful gathering of students and working people on the university campus under a hail of relentless automatic fire . At the same time a large gang of ultra-right-wing “informal forces”, known as the Village Scouts, Krating-Daeng and Nawapon, indulged in an orgy of violence and brutality towards anyone near the front entrance of the university. Students and their supporters were dragged out of the university and hung from the trees around Sanam Luang; others were burnt alive in front of the Ministry of “Justice” while the mob danced round the flames. Women and men, dead or alive, were subjected to the utmost degrading and violent behaviour. One woman had a piece of wood shoved up her vagina. Village Scouts dragged dead and dying students from the front of the campus and dumped them on the road, where they were finished-off. A young man plunged a sharp wooden spike into the corpses while a boy urinated over them. Not only did the state’s “forces of law and order” do nothing to halt this violence, some uniformed members of the police force were filmed cheering-on the crowd.

From : http://www.2519.net/

Full article here : http://www.2519.net/newweb/doc/englisharticle/clean.doc

Photo gallery here : http://www.2519.net/newweb/gallery_new/show_main.php

Ps. The victims want to forgive and forget so they didn't press charge or anything after that massacre. But it doesn't mean it's ok to twist the fact around

Most of the key people who accounted for that massacre are gone.. with painful death I might add (mostly cancer and stuff) and a lot of student who survive that day still alive so it won't be easy to twist the fact. poor poor Samak....

[Tony Clifton]

He wouldn't last 5 minutes on Hardtalk, although Thaksin would manage to squirm for about 15 until firmly grilled.

[Prakanong]

There is a great deal of information available on the internet as to exactly what happened back in 1976 at Thammasat, who was involved, who in the Bangkok elite lent support to and financed the right wing murdering thugs etc etc.

If I remember correctly Chownah has requested these links not long time ago, in connection with Samak. I think he was wondering if all the accusations against Samak had any ground. He couldn't find any definite proof of Samak's involvement himself.

So, the links would be appreciated, for future reference.

Samak is blamed for rallying the right wing murdering thugs on his radio show. He was certainly not apologetic about it on the (edit not the BBC) CNN the other day when I was watching it in Vietnam - he alluded to communists and the domino theory

The book we can not mention the name of but available all over Asia also points to his role in bringing the person back who was exiled and how Samak flew to singapore to meet up with him as a conduit for someone else.

He was also asked about being Deputy PM in 92 when the democracy protesters were shot down in their hundreds.

Its not just Samak though is it - the blood on the hands goes around a long way in Thailand over these incidents and its interesting to talk to Thai's outside their country about this where its possible to speak freely..

Edited February 11, 2008 by Prakanong

[Prakanong]

A link talking about questions asked of Samak but no answer except "it's history"

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:http%3...2%2Fjisamak.htm

Fact is they try to write 1976 out of history - too many high up's involved who are still alive and prominent today.

http://www2.hawaii.edu/~seassa/exploration...1n1-frame6.html