Engaged To The Northeast, Abhisit Pledges Unity

[sabaijai]

One ring to unite them all, hopes Abhisit

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was the ''lord of the ring'' as he pondered the band of gold an elderly Isan woman gave him last year. She told him it was a symbol of fellowship between him and people in all regions of the country.

At a televised press conference at Democrat party headquarters last night, Mr Abhisit raised the gold ring he said he had received from 84-year-old grandma Niam during a visit to Ubon Ratchathani province.

''When I was there on an election campaign,'' Mr Abhisit said tearfully, ''... she gave me this ring and said I was now engaged to northeasterners.''

He was recalling the meeting under a tree beside farmland in Muang Samsip district on Aug 8 last year.

''I don't know if grandma Niam is watching. But I'd like to tell her today that the man who received the ring from her will work for her, her relatives, her northeastern people and all her Thai compatriots with fairness, dedication and honesty,'' he said in a clear message to rural people, including those in the Northeast where the Democrats struggle to win votes.

''I do know that one man can neither do everything nor solve every problem. And I know that from now on I will not be able to make everyone love me, agree with me or even support me.''

--Bangkok Post

[Journalist]

Surely the whole point of the precious ring was that it corrupted those that wore it.

Eg: Gollum.

[sabaijai]

PM Abhisit vows to be 'Prime Minister for everybody'

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva pledged yesterday to reach out to people across the country to bridge the social and political divide, saying he was ready to serve all Thais.

After being sworn-in as Thailand's 27th prime minister at a televised ceremony at the Democrat Party's headquarters, Abhisit said he would defend the monarchy as an institution of reverence.

He went on to emphasise national reconciliation as the main thrust of his speech, promising to serve as leader of all Thais, no matter whether they like him or not.

He reached out to the people in the North, in the South and in the Northeast with a reconciliatory tone, promising to bring an end to the politics of division. The rural/urban divide has become politicised in recent years with the Democrats seen as serving Bangkok's elite and the South, while the defunct People Power Party represented the interests of the rural poor in the North and Northeast.

"I would like to correct the failed political system by relying on justice and the rule of law," Abhisit said. "Now our country needs unity."

He showed a ring given by Nian, an elderly Isaan woman from Ubon Ratchathani, who gave it to him during a trip to the Northeast and told him she entrusted it to him as a gift from Isaan people.

Abhisit, the 44-year-old leader of the Democrat Party, won parliamentary support to become prime minister on Monday after key factions of the defunct People Power Party and minor coalition parties switched sides to vote for him. His rise to power amid protests and political crisis represents the end of an era - almost eight years under ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Abhisit pledged to tackle economic problems urgently and to follow up popular projects started by previous administrations such as cheap medical care and village funds. His government would try to create jobs for the urban poor, invest in infrastructure and prop up farm prices hit hard by the economic downturn.

He will seek to lay down the foundation of Thailand's future growth through improvements in education.

He also spoke in English to reach out to international correspondents, investors and tourists.

"I know that for the past two to three years the pictures and the images that you've seen of Thailand have not been positive, but I also know that there are people all over the world who know Thailand better, as friends, as partners, as visitors.

"I am sure they recall Thailand as a land of smiles, land of opportunities, and land of the free.

"I know that many of you are still concerned about the events in the past particularly the closure of the airports. I would like to tell you that the Thai people regret that those incidents had to happen and we will make sure that those are things of the past. They will never happen again.

"In assuming the role of prime minister of Thailand, I also assume the role of chairman of Asean. Let me reassure you that we plan to have Thailand ready to host the Asean summit from late January onwards, so that we can all be confident that Asean can really move forward after the new Asean charter has come into force," Abhisit said at the ceremony.

--AsiaOne

[sabaijai]

New Thai PM pledges reconciliation, economic revival

18 hours ago

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thailand's new prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday he would unveil a "grand plan" for reconciliation and the revival of the economy after months of political turmoil.

The Oxford-educated 44-year-old made the comments in his first public speech as premier after receiving an official royal decree of appointment from widely revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

British-born Abhisit, the head of the Democrat Party, won a parliamentary vote on Monday with the help of defectors from the former ruling party which was loyal to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawtra.

"It is my every intention to restore the picture of Thailand that friends all around the world used to know," he said. "I will do this through a grand plan of reconciliation based on the rule of law and democratic process."

Dressed in a white ceremonial uniform and speaking in Thai and then English, Abhisit said protests against the previous government which blocked Bangkok's airports had damaged Thailand's image internationally.

His speech gave few specific policy details but Abhisit said he wanted not just to end the turmoil "but also take Thailand forward politically and economically ".

Television showed King Bhumibol signing the decree, followed by a stern-faced Abhisit prostrating himself in front of a portrait of the 81-year-old monarch at the headquarters of the Democrat Party.

Abhisit earlier said his government would announce an economic stimulus programme by January and pledged to choose a "competent" cabinet.

His cabinet list is expected Wednesday or Thursday and a hotly-tipped candidate for finance minister is Korn Chatikavanij, a former manager at investment bank JPMorgan Chase and the Democrats' deputy leader.

Korn studied with Abhisit at Oxford, taking the same course, and told AFP on Wednesday he was "ready for the finance minister post" if asked.

"The issue of the economy is very challenging," he said, adding that Thailand not only had to repair investor confidence shattered by the prolonged political turmoil but also deal with the global financial crisis.

Around 300 policemen stood guard with sniffer dogs at the party headquarters on Wednesday, following violent protests outside parliament on Monday by supporters of the old government.

In a separate meeting with tourism industry representatives, Abhisit said he regretted the damage done to the country by the week-long occupation of Suvarnabhumi international airport and the smaller Don Mueang domestic hub.

Up to 350,000 passengers were stranded and the economy battered by the anti-government protests by the royalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) -- which counts a Democrat Party lawmaker among its key leaders.

The PAD accused the previous ruling party of being a corrupt front for Thaksin and of trying to damage the monarchy.

The airport closures only ended after a court on December 2 dissolved the ruling, pro-Thaksin People Power Party over electoral fraud charges and forced then-premier Somchai Wongsawat from office.

Abhisit faces further protests by Thaksin's supporters.

Chinawat Haboonpad, one of the leaders of the so-called "red shirts", said supporters had started gathering in Bangkok's historic district and planned to march to parliament when Abhisit gives his policy address next week.

Twice-elected Thaksin was overthrown in a military coup in September 2006 and although he lives in exile to escape a jail term on corruption charges, Thailand remains deeply divided between his supporters and detractors.

The telecoms tycoon alienated elements of the old elite in the palace, military and bureaucracy -- the PAD's core support base -- who saw his popularity as a drain on their power.

But the urbane Abhisit has repeatedly failed to connect with Thaksin's support base among the poor and his party came a distant second to the PPP in elections a year ago.

--AFP

[Spiny]

Obviously Tolkien was not on his Oxford's degree required reading list

[MyphuketLife]

politically it’s a good move and a good speech. I hope it was a sincere statement and not just a political statement. I have my doubts that someone will work for the people he thinks are Bangkok’s servants but time and his actions in the coming months will tell.

It did remind me of McCain though, McCain tried the same political tactic with a bracelet ....

[Mosha]

Surely the whole point of the precious ring was that it corrupted those that wore it.

Eg: Gollum.

Maybe he is Tom Bombadil. Not sure but didn't Sam don the ring to get past the tower guardians in Mordor?

[BFD]

Sam sure did. And good old Tommy Bomb wiggled it on his finger with no ill effects. However, I fear that perhaps our Abhisit might turn out to be a Boromir-type...

[JoeThePoster]

''When I was there on an election campaign,'' Mr Abhisit said tearfully, ''... she gave me this ring and said I was now engaged to northeasterners.''

Such exaggeration! But at least he can consider himself engaged to grandma Niam.

[Journalist]

^Yes, but Sauron's ring corrupted Sam too. He wanted to hang onto it.

Bilbo Baggins didn't want to let it go either.

So really, Abhisit's literary parallel here is about as inappropriate as he could possibly manage !

[sabaijai]

If you read the article, you'll have seen that it wasn't Abhisit's analogy. It was the Bangkok Post's.

[jbowman1993]

If you read the article, you'll have seen that it wasn't Abhisit's analogy. It was the Bangkok Post's.

That's just semantics Sabai, especially when you are dealing with these hatemongers.

[Siripon]

Surely the whole point of the precious ring was that it corrupted those that wore it.

Eg: Gollum.

Aphisit never said anything about Lord Of The Rings, that's the BP headline writer, he was speaking about the Ubon grandmother's gift of the ring. Shame he didn't slip into speaking Issan, like Khun Chuan did when he went canvassing in Issan, that would have made his speech even more interesting and fun!

[Mosha]

Or better still he should have tried his Geordie on them.

[marshbags]

Bangkok Post, Thursday, December 18, 2008 13:37

PM to visit Thaksin stronghold

New prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, vowed Thursday to visit the poor northeast, a stronghold of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, where he has struggled to win support.

British-born Abhisit, an urbane Oxford graduate whose name means "privileged," lost elections a year ago after failing to make any dent in Thaksin's support base in the populous northeastern region known as Isan.

He was finally voted into power Monday during a special parliament session after a court dissolved the Thaksin-linked ruling party and Abhisit's Democrat Party lured small parties and defecting MPs to their side.

Abhisit has said his cabinet list will be ready Thursday and will be unveiled after royal approval, likely on Friday.

He told a Thai army-run TV station that he was ready to reach out to people who did not vote for him.

"When the appropriate time comes and I have a mission, I will travel there," he said, referring both to Isan and to Thaksin's northern home town of Chiang Mai.

Twice-elected Thaksin was overthrown in a military coup in September 2006 and although he lives in exile to escape a jail term on corruption charges, Thailand remains deeply divided between his supporters and detractors.

Ref url :-

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=135479

Unquote

marshbags

Edited December 18, 2008 by marshbags

[midas]

i am staying in Isaan at the moment - the trouble is here where I am they

will not even listen to him on the tv. Theyhate him and when he comes on the tv

they change channels and hiss at him

I think he portrays a far more positive image of Thailand than say the TV chef

- but they are not worried about that here in the N East

[londonthai]

for him it's a PR stant to broadcast on mass media, instead of a political program with reforms and social change. He does realise he is not welcome north of bangkok

[Mosha]

Well Toxin is equally despised down here, but he did visit Ranong. When a stage performer from the south, Ekachai, jokingly (he says) told people to vote for Thaksin, he ended up in Ranong hospital. Someone fied a stone from a catapult at him, and it knocked him out.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Mosha

[Gravelrash]

If you read the article, you'll have seen that it wasn't Abhisit's analogy. It was the Bangkok Post's.

That's just semantics Sabai, especially when you are dealing with these hatemongers.

Hatemongers? What justification do you have for that inane comment? Too lazy to read, yes, but where is the hate?

In fact the only hate mongers were the PAD, of whom thankfully we are being spared their constant flow of bile.

[marshbags]

for him it's a PR stant to broadcast on mass media, instead of a political program with reforms and social change. He does realise he is not welcome north of bangkok

You can rest assured this is not a PR stunt and it compliments his stated intentions to be a PM to all Thai and will do so as soon as it is favourable, carry out his intentions and visit.

He has as you problably know already said he intends to keep the populist programmes in force that genuinely benefit the citizens in the North, North East areas, especially the genuine poor who up till now are still as poor as they were when the TRT party bullshit came about, what 7 years ago !!!!!!!!!!

Oh i forgot to take into account the 100 to 500 bribes he enriched them with, every time their vote was required.

Give him a chance, he deserves it.

marshbags

Edited December 18, 2008 by marshbags

[Jingthing]

It did remind me of McCain though, McCain tried the same political tactic with a bracelet ....

A 100 percent false statement and I think you know it. McCain used jewelry from dead American soldiers to justify his pro war position. No parallel whatsoever to this gesture by Abhisit.

BTW, the British press has called Abhisit (who is known in the UK as MARK VEJJ.

OBAMARK

Obamark is actually copying Obama as I suggested he do some weeks ago (no I am not suggesting he got the idea from me, the idea was obvious). Obama is trying to unite a very divided nation, just like Abhisit. I would expect Abhisit to associate himself politically to Obama if he stays in office long enough to do so, with a very public Abhisit-Obama meeting. Obama's first international trip as President is scheduled to be in SE Asia, probably Indonesia, it could happen there. There are a number of parallels and it can only help Abhisit to do so.

Someday, probably sooner than he wants, Obamark is going to have to prove the legitmacy of his government at the POLLS. He can't win now and he knows it. He needs to get bigger. There is a saying, you can't beat a somebody with a nobody. Compared to the Thaksin puppets, Abhisit is still a nobody. He needs to hustle hard to become a SOMEBODY quickly and just being a pretty faced PM is not enough.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Jingthing

[cmsally]

Looks like the army has a little reeducation to do first in order to smooth the path.

Anuphong on the North East

Anupong on the Northeast and Abhisit

Posted by Bangkok Pundit | 12/18/2008 06:00:00 PM

The Bangkok Post:

The army plans to visit red-shirted groups in the Northeast as part of a mission to ease social disunity.

Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda has ordered military officers to launch the mission to the Isan region, a stronghold of the defunct Thai Rak Thai party founded by Thaksin Shinawatra.

The North and Northeast are dominated by pro-Thaksin supporters, known for wearing their symbolic red shirts.

Many of them have announced they will stage protests against the new Democrat party-led government.

"Basically I love Isan people," said Gen Anupong.

"We can't force them to love certain people. If they get angry, we have to talk with them calmly.

And I want to talk with them," he added.

"Soldiers can go into the local areas and talk to the people there. We're most willing to do that if it's not interfering with politics," Gen Anupong said.

BP: And why didn't the military go and talk with PAD then? It sounds like the military's campaign last year after the coup.

On Abhisit:

The general yesterday also commented on accusations that Mr Abhisit had evaded conscription.

He said the case is 21 years old and the statute of limitations on it has already lapsed.

BP: So it is not he did no wrong, but a jurisdictional issue that the statute of limitations has expired? If that is the case, fine, just be clear that what he did was illegal, but no action can be taken.

[Kharzi]

You can rest assured this is not a PR stunt and it compliments his stated intentions to be a PM to all Thai and will do so as soon as it is favourable, carry out his intentions and visit.

He has as you problably know already said he intends to keep the populist programmes in force that genuinely benefit the citizens in the North, North East areas, especially the genuine poor who up till now are still as poor as they were when the TRT party bullshit came about, what 7 years ago !!!!!!!!!!

Oh i forgot to take into account the 100 to 500 bribes he enriched them with, every time their vote was required.

Give him a chance, he deserves it.

marshbags

If it were not for Thaksin there would be no ' populist ' programmes to maintain. The TRT bullshit, as you put it, marked a departure from the traditional realpolitik in that they actually thought the poor were worth bribing as opposed to the arrogant contemptuous indifference normally shown by the ruling elite which considered the masses to be simply fodder for their wealth generators.

Abhisit is paying lip service garnering as much support as he can without actually offering anything to the poor. His party has no policies which is hardly surprising since it has no manifesto or doctrine upon which they might be based. That is nothing new in Thai politics which is all about managing the tensions that may arise within the ruling elite whilst they carve up and apportion the cake. The lad is simply window dressing for the same old same old and obviously so.

Quite why observers here think he is tantamount to Christ the Redeemer is really surprising and is perhaps more telling of their seeming naivety.

[permanent_disorder]

If you read the article, you'll have seen that it wasn't Abhisit's analogy. It was the Bangkok Post's.

That's just semantics Sabai, especially when you are dealing with these hatemongers.

ohhh, yeah. the handsome unifier. fap, fap, fap.

no, that bangkok post piece just another piece of brain wash propaganda. only dumb, braindeads and those in blind love believe that crap.

simplemindedness². what we now see is a new low in the journalistic quality of Bangkok Post and The Nation.

anyway, here a few photos from that meeting under the tree, Abhisit mentioned.

this on is from Khon Kaen

this in Chaiyaphum

and here the north, Lamphun

you see he always smile. so he must be good, right?

[londonthai]

PM pledges unity ordering to move troops to NE, very diplomatic, political attitude.

Tell me that his pledges are genuine

[Plus]

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was the ''lord of the ring'' as he pondered the band of gold an elderly Isan woman gave him last year. She told him it was a symbol of fellowship between him and people in all regions of the country.

Oh come on, he's not Sam, or Tom Bombadil.

BP talks about fellowship of the ring - originally the ring was forged by Sauron, grandma got it on village fund loans, she gave it to Abhisit to to destroy it and the evil lord and forge the unity in Middle Earth Kingdom, ruled by men, not by Orks.

Now there's a fellowship - men, hobbits, wizards, elves, dwarves - they are all united against Sauron, they are all going to his heartland to finish him off.

Do you think Tolkien intended to them to kill ALL the orks after destroying the ring? I don't think so. They would have foudn their place among all other races, wouldn't they?

[sabaijai]

[jayjayjayjay]

Looks like the army has a little reeducation to do first in order to smooth the path.

Anuphong on the North East

Anupong on the Northeast and Abhisit

Posted by Bangkok Pundit | 12/18/2008 06:00:00 PM

The Bangkok Post:

The army plans to visit red-shirted groups in the Northeast as part of a mission to ease social disunity.

Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda has ordered military officers to launch the mission to the Isan region, a stronghold of the defunct Thai Rak Thai party founded by Thaksin Shinawatra.

Read and translated for Issan Bretheren by JJJJ: Accept Abhisit, the Thai Army installed PM or DIE! What a lovely bunch of coconuts, what a lovely bunch of coconut, la la la la de dah lal la la...............

Nothing short of a full pardon for Thaksin and/or, jail for every politician alive in Thailand today will settle the self destruction Thailand is moving towards. If, and only if, the sort of expectations Abhisit, Army, P..M and others have are to apply to Thaksin, then others have to have been made an example off. I remember the road that Sanoh Tianthong's company made in front of one of my projects near Aranyaprathet, it broke down in three months, then he got to contract to fix it up. Chavalit, asked for a very large sum from and old friend in the construction business, he got it, coz that's the way business was done. Thaksin cleaned up much of this, but were did it get him..............? and you PAD, Dem, elite, Army, supporters believe Suthep Thuangsban is a worthy person to support..... give me a break..........idiotic at best, hypocritical for sure.

[MyphuketLife]

Looks like the army has a little reeducation to do first in order to smooth the path.

Anuphong on the North East

Anupong on the Northeast and Abhisit

Posted by Bangkok Pundit | 12/18/2008 06:00:00 PM

The Bangkok Post:

The army plans to visit red-shirted groups in the Northeast as part of a mission to ease social disunity.

Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda has ordered military officers to launch the mission to the Isan region, a stronghold of the defunct Thai Rak Thai party founded by Thaksin Shinawatra.

They are going to "visit" the reds to ease social disunity, why did they refuse to "visit" the yellow shirt to ease the disunity....

[grandpops]

Looks like the army has a little reeducation to do first in order to smooth the path.

Anuphong on the North East

Anupong on the Northeast and Abhisit

Posted by Bangkok Pundit | 12/18/2008 06:00:00 PM

The Bangkok Post:

The army plans to visit red-shirted groups in the Northeast as part of a mission to ease social disunity.

Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda has ordered military officers to launch the mission to the Isan region, a stronghold of the defunct Thai Rak Thai party founded by Thaksin Shinawatra.

They are going to "visit" the reds to ease social disunity, why did they refuse to "visit" the yellow shirt to ease the disunity....

Absurd... How could you have expected them to visit the yellows. They were the yellows, and in more ways than one!