State-run Media Outlets To Remind About Improper Petition For A Royal Pardon

[george]

State-run media outlets to remind about improper petition for a royal pardon

BANGKOK: -- State-rum media outlets have been instructed to launch an awareness campagin to remind the public about the improper conduct to politicise the monarchy via the pardon petition, PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey said on Thursday.

"The issue of a royal pardon has caused so much confusion and organisers of the signature campaign have been acting in reckless disregard for the law," he said.

-- The Nation 2009-07-30

[Jai Dee]

Govt to address UDD's royal pardon campaign

PM’s Office Minister Satit Wonghnongtaey said the Government will be presenting its response to the public on the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship's (UDD) petition to acquire a royal pardon for ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The minister said that upon inspection of the law it was clear the petition will be ineffective and will serve only to generate confusion among the public. The Government had also made plans to address the issue through its media, he said.

Mr Sathit said that the administration viewed the UDD’s royal pardon campaign was inappropriate as it involved the monarchy and might affect the delicate sensibilities of Thai people.

Mr Sathit added that after 20 August, the Government will be officially launching its 2012 Strong Thailand Scheme. All forms of media will be utilized to publicize the scheme.

-- NNT 2009-07-30

[george]

Military ordered to monitor the pardon petition

BANGKOK: -- Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Thursday instructed the armed forces to monitor the signature campaign to endorse the petition seeking a royal pardon for ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

In his instruction, Prawit said the armed forces are obligated to uphold the monarchy and that the pardon petition is a sensitive issue impacting on the country's revered institution.

He ordered the military leaders to ensure social peace and safeguard the monarchy.

-- The Nation 2009-07-30

[Chunkton]

An awareness campaign is a nice idea, next how about one discouraging the wholesale ripoff of the dwindling number of tourists as it just might be a contributing factor to Thailand's much higher than average drop in numbers.

[zzaa09]

Sure is nice and convenient to obtain everything one needs to know from Officialdom and it's sources.....

[Chang_paarp]

Maybe explaining to the masses that the person needing the pardon has to do from prison, or at least be in the country to be considered.

[zzaa09]

Maybe explaining to the masses that the person needing the pardon has to do from prison, or at least be in the country to be considered.

...getting far too much attention then it deserves. They'll always keep it on the front burner, perhaps without a flame but it will always be in view.

[webfact]

Interior Ministry to allow signers of pardon petition to recant

Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul on Thursday instructed local authorities nationwide to launch a counter-signature campaign for petition signers to recant their endorsement to a royal pardon for ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Petition signers can renounce the pardon petition beginning Friday at all provincial and district offices.

"I have been informed that many people now realise the truth and want to withdrawal their names, therefore I have ordered every province and district to set up a table for the people to sign and recant the petition," Chaovarat said.

-- The Nation 2009/07/30

[TAWP]

Comedy...

[RKASA]

State-run media outlets to remind

Big part of the whole problem is even having this in the first place. 

[Thai at Heart]

Interior Ministry to allow signers of pardon petition to recant

Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul on Thursday instructed local authorities nationwide to launch a counter-signature campaign for petition signers to recant their endorsement to a royal pardon for ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Petition signers can renounce the pardon petition beginning Friday at all provincial and district offices.

"I have been informed that many people now realise the truth and want to withdrawal their names, therefore I have ordered every province and district to set up a table for the people to sign and recant the petition," Chaovarat said.

-- The Nation 2009/07/30

Spooky choice of words. "Many people now realise the truth".

Sounds like a purge from a cultural revolution.

[Plus]

We now know that millions of Thais signed under this stupid petition. If they later realised it was not a good idea - is it a bad news?

[webfact]

RED SHIRTS' SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN

Petition damned as divisive ploy

By The Nation

Published on July 31, 2009

Move drags the monarchy into politics: govt. Army alert amid 'plans of unrest'

After an initial delay, Abhisit Vejjajiva's government has started a campaign to counter the red shirts' move to collect 3 million signatures for the petition of a royal pardon for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The government has instructed state-run media outlets to remind the public about the impropriety of involving the monarchy in politics, PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey said yesterday.

"The issue of a royal pardon has caused so much confusion, and organisers of the signature campaign have been flouting the law," he said.

Satit added that the red shirts were using their move to seek a royal pardon as a pretext for deepening social and political divisions. He urged the public to be cautious, or else they might play an unwitting hand in miring the monarchy in a political game.

Red-shirt leaders Jatuporn Promphan, Veera Musigapong and Natthawut Saikua have vowed to collect 3 million signatures and present the petition to the Royal Household Bureau or the Office of the Private Secretary to His Majesty the King next Friday. The move is seen as yet another attempt by Thaksin's supporters to weaken the revered monarchy.

Thaksin was found guilty in absentia of corruption over the Ratchadaphisek land scam and sentenced to two years in prison last October. He fled the country last August and has been a fugitive ever since.

Under Thai law, criminals can only petition for royal amnesty after they have served time for a certain period and expressed repentance. Thaksin has not served any time in prison or admitted to any wrongdoing. Instead, all he has done is vow to return and lead the country again.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaovarat Chan-weerakul told all provincial governors and district chiefs to set up tables in front of their offices from today and persuade people who had signed the petition to withdraw their signatures.

"Anyone who wishes to withdraw his or her signature can do so. But they must come in person with their ID cards, in order to prevent any confusion," the minister said.

Yesterday, national police chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwan and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) chief Adul Kowattana briefed Prime Minister Abhisit about the movement for amnesty. Adul said in reality, fewer than 1 million people had signed the petition, because the process of authenticating names, backgrounds and profiles was far too complicated, while some had changed their minds.

The NIA believes the red shirts will probably start creating political chaos from next Monday - the day Abhisit turns 45.

"I don't think we can stop the red shirts from rallying or submitting a petition. They can allow them to do that, but I'm concerned they're trying to bring the monarchy into politics. They're free to attack me, but they should not touch the monarchy," Abhisit said.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday ordered the armed forces to monitor the signature campaign.

He said the armed forces were obligated to uphold the monarchy and that the pardon petition was affecting the country's revered institution.

Prawit ordered military leaders to ensure peace in society and safeguard the monarchy.

-- The Nation 2009/07/31

[RKASA]

We now know that millions of Thais signed under this stupid petition. If they later realised it was not a good idea - is it a bad news?

Did they? More truth from the government run media.  ????  This sounds more like Hitlers Germany everyday.

Now for the good of the people the they will protect them from a piece of paper by calling out the Army.

Who is really spinning this issue, them or Abhisit?  and does that not equal the same thing.  If you just forget about it the paper will lay in the in box un opened.  Daaaaaa.

Its only a divisive ploy if you react to it.

[animatic]

It is a pressure tactic, and theoretically could be said to be like a referendum,

and were it ignored, that the 'will of the people was being ignored also".

Not that the intelligent and thoughtful would buy this argument,

but there are enough who would if told to.

But this directly involves the monarchy as entity and person into some decision,

unless by some protocol issue it is never presented that final step.

But all I hear from the gov side is that the petition is not legal,

and to counter this with fact is a reasonable thing to do,

considering the Red Shirt organizers must know this and proceed anyway.

Pressuring HM can't be legal under several levels of Thai constitutional law...

so offering the chance to recant, once some people realize what this REALLY means,

is a way to clear their names from participating in an insult of the highest chair in the land.

Sure there is politics from both sides, but this petition is a VERY bad idea on too many levels.

Edited July 31, 2009 by animatic

[Serpico]

Why not just let the people vote for the candidate of choice?

O yea, the wrong guy will win again.....

[animatic]

Why not just let the people vote for the candidate of choice?

O yea, the wrong guy will win again.....

Reads:

The wrong guy will steal the election with his political information control machine still in place,

and then exact an psychopathicly, ruthless revenge across the board on those who opposed him.

Oh yeah that will be national reconciliation for sure....

[xminator]

We now know that millions of Thais signed under this stupid petition. If they later realised it was not a good idea - is it a bad news?

That would depend on how insisting the government is in convincing them in their wrong thinking. The region certainly have not lacked regimes that are very good at telling people what to do in very convincing ways. I very much doubt the thai junta have it in them to send wrongthinkers into the fields to work of their dangerous toughts, but the time and effort spent on their paranoid hunt and media war would be better spent getting tourists back or maybe even do something about the flu...

[coconutmonkey]

Why not just let the people vote for the candidate of choice?

O yea, the wrong guy will win again.....

Reads:

The wrong guy will steal the election with his political information control machine still in place,

and then exact an psychopathicly, ruthless revenge across the board on those who opposed him.

Oh yeah that will be national reconciliation for sure....

Both so right.

Law breaking is just part of the game by all involved. Some may be just easier to cope with than others.

[zzaa09]

The War on Us.....

[Serpico]

Why not just let the people vote for the candidate of choice?

O yea, the wrong guy will win again.....

Reads:

The wrong guy will steal the election with his political information control machine still in place,

and then exact an psychopathicly, ruthless revenge across the board on those who opposed him.

Oh yeah that will be national reconciliation for sure....

I think you take the info printed in The Nation too seriously.

They have been slandering Thaksin for years.

Do you actually believe the crap they put out?

Please list the crimes he has been convicted of.

This country was doing very well until the last coup.

You really want a gang of South East Asian Generals calling the shots around here?

You want to know what's up ?

Unfortunately, the solid information that is out there is banned in Thailand.

[animatic]

Only information banned is about LM speech,

and communist / socialist revolution mongering,

and attempts at creating a republican state.

Well porn too, but not to well done lately.

[old wanderer]

Sometimes I am amazed people have such short memories....Would you call Thaskin and his clan "friends" of the Monarchy?

While some would say Thaskin and some of his clan have only been convicted of a simple crime.....remember there are some 18+ cases waiting his reappearance here in Thailand. Until he can be brought before the court they cannot proceed with these cases. (Or stay outside the borders and let the statue of limitations run its course.)

Do you really believe the Red Shirts think they can get a pardon? (No precedent, outside the law and tradition for pardons)...and if it is rejected what a perfect excuse for anarchy, and the complete destruction of all the Thai traditions and institutions. All so one very very greedy homicidal maniac can return...

The best thing for Thailand would be if some dark night, Thaskin just disappeared as so many of his critics did. (Maybe Star Trek Scotty beamed them up, as nobody knew what happened.....just gone??)

[Serpico]

Thaksin was bringing Thailand into the 21st century.

That shook up an old institution and their elite friends. Especially at a critical time. Thaksin had to go.

All this turmoil for an unworthy son.