Thailand To Jail Foreigners At Political Rallies

[Moonrakers]

On a serious note.

I think that there was an issue before where it was suspected that Burmese migrants were being paid to attend rallies, with that in mind I think that this is probably inspired by that and not so much the government being concerned about a bunch of cockneys trying to topple them.

[MyphuketLife]

Maybe the current legal workers are not happy with the current treatment, maybe they want to be able to buy land, or whatever the reason... There are plenty of reasons why migrant workers or Farang expats might want to protest (I am not one of them). You are basically saying if you don't have the right to vote you don't have the right to voice an opinion to/of the current government. Again if they are here legally why can't they protest?

Could they be paid, sure... Could the Thai's protesting be paid, sure... But payments is all speculation. And peoples voices if they choose to express them should not be supressed because they can't vote...

This protest is not about the treatment of migrant workers, or foreigners buying land, or whatever the reason... It is about bringing back a crook, who in his five years in direct charge and one year as puppet master, did nothing to improve the lot of migrant workers, or change the laws on foreign land ownership, or whatever. Would you go along to a "free Tibet" march because you wanted a pay rise?

The protest is to change the government, some of the reds want Thanksin back some do not, you can't be naive enough to think that all protestors have the same exact motive for protesting. If migrant workers or who ever is here legally want to participate in an attempt to force change in the government for WHAT EVER REASON THEY HAVE, give a valid reason why they should not be allowed to participate.

Now to answer your question "Would you go along to a "free Tibet" march because you wanted a pay rise" If I felt that freeing Tibet would have a positive effect on my pay raise then maybe I would.

Edited March 9, 2010 by MyphuketLife

[kmj]

Would you go along to a "free Tibet" march because you wanted a pay rise?

but I have the right to, without being threatened by someone to 5 years in jail... thats the point

Edited March 9, 2010 by kmj

[MyphuketLife]

Would you go along to a "free Tibet" march because you wanted a pay rise?

but I have the right to, without being threatened by someone to 5 years in jail... thats the point

Exactly

[khunjamespittman]

In a country where I have to report my status every 90 days, beside the fact of holding a valid 1 year visa and paying a nice amount of taxes each year, I dont even want to be bothered to go to those Mass Rallies and protest against whatever they, the Red Shirts, protest against (Surpreme Court etc etc.) In a country where "protesters" throw feces in to the PM's House / Residence pretty much sums up most people opinion about these protesters.

The severe drought around the corner is nothing compared to what is planed, allowed and not allowed for the upcoming days. It is time to concentrate on more important issues than migrants showing up to the rallies. Not sure if the American Engineer, Burmese Contruction worker, Philippino Nanny, German Manager, Scottish Teacher or Australian Pub Owner had any strong interest in going there.

This Topic actually deserves a poll on whether some one even had an interest to participate, attend, watch or "show up" at these rallies.

I think the point of the report in the OP isn't to stop the odd farang (no pun intended) from wandering along to join the protest, but to stop any red sympathising employer of a large group of migrant workers from "volunteering" them to go along to the protest. How easy would it be for a factory owner employing, say, 1000 Burmese to tell them they're going to Bangkok to join the demonstration, and if they don't like it they can go home? It also doesn't require a huge leap in thinking to see that such a group could possibly be seen as expendable by the red shirt leadership, opening the way for violence enacted upon them or by them.

I must say that is quite a one-sided view. If the contents of the Acts being considered is accurate in posts on TV, one could easily conclude that it says foreigners including migrant workers who attend the place themselves in grave danger of losing their work permits and being deported. Wouldn't you agree that could be the consequence?

Regards,

[MyphuketLife]

So what happens to the foreign journalists that come here to report (US, UK, Japan, Korean, Chinese)? In order to report they have to be at the protests.... This could be used as an attempt to suppress un-moderated information.

[stevenl]

So what happens to the foreign journalists that come here to report (US, UK, Japan, Korean, Chinese)? In order to report they have to be at the protests.... This could be used as an attempt to suppress un-moderated information.

Don't go looking for arguments.

Reporters have nothing to do with this.

[MyphuketLife]

So what happens to the foreign journalists that come here to report (US, UK, Japan, Korean, Chinese)? In order to report they have to be at the protests.... This could be used as an attempt to suppress un-moderated information.

Don't go looking for arguments.

Reporters have nothing to do with this.

I am not looking for arguments journalists that are reporting from/working here are "migrant workers". Tell me where it says they are excluded?

[tooninthai]

Darn it. There was me and the family going to have fun at the demo too.

Spoilsports

[Jingthing]

Our embassies have warned us. The Thai government has warned us. Any foreigner attending these red rallies who gets arrested deserves very little sympathy. Stay away. It is not for you.

Edited March 9, 2010 by Jingthing

[animatic]

On a serious note.

I think that there was an issue before where it was suspected that Burmese migrants were being paid to attend rallies, with that in mind I think that this is probably inspired by that and not so much the government being concerned about a bunch of cockneys trying to topple them.

There is worry that numbers can appear swelled by migrant workers

happy for a full day or two's pay just to stand around.

So this is the gov. telling them that happy little pay day might cost them.

If Red Thais want to rally, let them, if they want to create a false sense of size to

fool people that the movement is bigger, not fair play.

[Moonrakers]

So what happens to the foreign journalists that come here to report (US, UK, Japan, Korean, Chinese)? In order to report they have to be at the protests.... This could be used as an attempt to suppress un-moderated information.

Don't go looking for arguments.

Reporters have nothing to do with this.

I am not looking for arguments journalists that are reporting from/working here are "migrant workers". Tell me where it says they are excluded?

There is no point in splitting hairs as it achieves nothing. It is obvious what they mean, after all do you really thing that they would have any intention of jailing BBC/CNN reporters etc?

[Thai at Heart]

I must say that is quite a one-sided view. If the contents of the Acts being considered is accurate in posts on TV, one could easily conclude that it says foreigners including migrant workers who attend the place themselves in grave danger of losing their work permits and being deported. Wouldn't you agree that could be the consequence?

Regards,

One would have to conclude, that whilst the intention of the warning isn't meant to include your "farang" workers on work permits, one would assume that they would be treated in exactly the same fashion under the letter of the law. One would assume that if the authorities scoop up/arrest thousands of people they aren't likely to treat a farang CEO any differently from a Burmese shoe maker. A foreign protester is a foreign protester.

One issue is that there could be a significant amount of "white faces" who might join the protests and as such they would make firstly great stories for the global news and also secondly make it increasingly difficult for the authorities to control the situation (shoot into the crowds) if they need to.

[Scott]

The barring of foreigners from the protest is interesting. Does anybody know the legal basis for this? Is it in the ISA, or does the ISA allow for it?

[neverdie]

Personally I dont have any problems being excluded from such lunacy as this. What alot of people don't realise is, at gatherings like this the mood can change very very quickly (especially here in Thailand) and one moment everything seem relatively fine and then the crowd turns and people get injured and killed.

If you go to an event like this as a foriegner, your a first class idiot.

Edited March 9, 2010 by neverdie

[dominique355]

Right so!

Put everybody who is protesting in jail, especially non-Thai citizens.

After all, they are not humans and have no human rights, just barely tolerated here (that is as long as they have money left to spend).

Also put in jail immigrant workers (= expats) with cell phones on them or who gather in groups of more than 2 persons. They are disturbing the piss (I mean the peace).

[MyphuketLife]

So what happens to the foreign journalists that come here to report (US, UK, Japan, Korean, Chinese)? In order to report they have to be at the protests.... This could be used as an attempt to suppress un-moderated information.

Don't go looking for arguments.

Reporters have nothing to do with this.

I am not looking for arguments journalists that are reporting from/working here are "migrant workers". Tell me where it says they are excluded?

There is no point in splitting hairs as it achieves nothing. It is obvious what they mean, after all do you really thing that they would have any intention of jailing BBC/CNN reporters etc?

What the person who wrote it means(Assuming your assumptions are right to begin with), and how its implemented on the ground are often two different things. The fact is it says migrant workers, it does not exclude a certian group of migrant workers.

I would also like to know what laws allow them to do this?

[awayfoe]

Bad news.....I had already purchased my bozo the clown outfit for this friday

funny same in germany in 1936 la nuit des longs couteaux

[webfact]

I have removed all posts bearing the "red march picture".

I will undelete these posts if the poster of this picture shows a written publishing approval

of the persons shown in the picture.

Poster also need to prove this picture was taken in Thailand.

[Old Man River]

So what happens to the foreign journalists that come here to report (US, UK, Japan, Korean, Chinese)? In order to report they have to be at the protests.... This could be used as an attempt to suppress un-moderated information.

Don't go looking for arguments.

Reporters have nothing to do with this.

I am not looking for arguments journalists that are reporting from/working here are "migrant workers". Tell me where it says they are excluded?

There is no point in splitting hairs as it achieves nothing. It is obvious what they mean, after all do you really thing that they would have any intention of jailing BBC/CNN reporters etc?

A voice of reason. Thanks for bringing a little bit of realism into this.

[hammered]

The barring of foreigners from the protest is interesting. Does anybody know the legal basis for this? Is it in the ISA, or does the ISA allow for it?

My guess is that it is referring to all the cheap labour here who are often not on a passport/work permit like us but on a card and iirc it limits them to the locale in which they work. To really know you need to look at what the cabinet deciison said in Thai and not the English reproted tranaslation or even what a minister said. The details will likely be quite precise.

[Scott]

Thanks Hammered, that's helpful.

[mazeltov]

Would you go along to a "free Tibet" march because you wanted a pay rise?

but I have the right to, without being threatened by someone to 5 years in jail... thats the point

that it isn't just about some political opinion or a 'i rather like/hate Thaksin' question but have something to do with basic human right issues a lot of people on this board don't get.

on the basis of assumption, guess work, speculation, bias and soon basic human rights got denied.

a government that issue such orders demonstrate that they don't have a grasp what democracy and human rights actually mean.

this Order alone or along with the new migrant registration policy mentioned in the article should give immigrants a reason to form their own block and participate in a protest against this government.

there is a 2 -class system of immigrants and this is aimed at Burmese workers. probably nothing will happen to western foreigners, but i doesn't mean that we as the board members shouldn't mind. if i blame Thaksin on the basis of his human right record i must condemn such Order with the same stance or i would be a hypocrite.

and what if we too ...

imagine some NGO some human right nerd who wants to show up as independent observer, foreigners that try with their presence to prevent police violence. such people you have evrywhere even if the protests not their cause. peaceniks.

what is with foreigners that have family here. okay, they are not entitled to vote, but their spouses, children, adopted children, all the in-laws are. if you bring them with your pick up to a meeting point you can risk 5 years in jail.

this Order is exploitable until such extend and thats why you should be concerned, even if you don't have a pick up or red shirted relatives or don't care at all or hate Thaksin you should be concerned if civil rights have a value for you.

[mazeltov]

I am not looking for arguments journalists that are reporting from/working here are "migrant workers". Tell me where it says they are excluded?

There is no point in splitting hairs as it achieves nothing. It is obvious what they mean, after all do you really thing that they would have any intention of jailing BBC/CNN reporters etc?

A voice of reason. Thanks for bringing a little bit of realism into this.

is it just 'an argument on the internet'?

in the end its a two class distribution of human rights. voice of reason?

question solved. you can be be happy now. they are not coming to take You away, is just the others. he, he. don't have to worry about it.

[Jolene]

The issue of foreigner's aside, considering it has been amply discussed, I also noted the article which launched this thread had an interesting take on the "People's war against the Elite" rally this weekend

And I quote,"Thaksin supporters, known as Red Shirts.........will hold one of their biggest rallies.....against a Supreme Court decision"

So that is what this is all about? A million protesters and their 100,000 private vehicles converging on Bangkok are all uniformly incensed by a court decision and are going to do something about it.

That must have been the "mother of all court decisions" to inflame such a reaction. Never in the annals of jurisprudence and national historical judicial events has such fervour been generated by a single court decision. This is truly remarkable.

Lets get this right.

A momentum has been building within the ranks of the silent majority, from whom Electoral Democracy was stolen three years ago by a coup. They will recapture their Electoral Democratic human rights, either this weekend or in the future.

That is what this is all about!

A non-electoral Government and PM selection process will not be accepted.

That realization needs to sink in at some point in time.

This weekends rally will move this process along.

Edited March 9, 2010 by Jolene

[Jingthing]

Sounds great, but these days the majority clearly does NOT want Thaksin back as dictator for life, and that is on the red agenda. If they had dropped Thaksin long ago and went for a real idealistic people's movement (and PEACEFULLY) they would have picked up a lot of the educated middle class. As it is now, they probably aren't going to win, and if they do win, it will be tragic.

[scorecard]

The barring of foreigners from the protest is interesting. Does anybody know the legal basis for this? Is it in the ISA, or does the ISA allow for it?

My guess is that it is referring to all the cheap labour here who are often not on a passport/work permit like us but on a card and iirc it limits them to the locale in which they work. To really know you need to look at what the cabinet deciison said in Thai and not the English reproted tranaslation or even what a minister said. The details will likely be quite precise.

And further, the initial report which starts this thread is from the AFx news agency, which is not exactly balanced, and it's 'journalists' regularly use the current buzz words like 'elites' obviously with no real knowledge of where this manufactured word comes from.

[britmaveric]

Foreigners should stay away only exceptions I can think are accredited press/media. Why anyone want to put their arse on the line for any of these protests is beyond me - dangerous game to play!

[Jingthing]

Foreigners should stay away only exceptions I can think are accredited press/media. Why anyone want to put their arse on the line for any of these protests is beyond me - dangerous game to play!

Yet another rare epic moment of total agreement of BM and moi.

[wolf5370]

One thing that worries (well one of many to be honest) - if this is to remove the worry of immigrant workers swelling the numbers (enforced or not), then it isn't expected to be farang, but Buremese, Laos, Cambodians etc. Just how are they going to know that the protestors are immigramnts without arresting them - are they going to round up everyone? or go along checking IDs? Seems a litle hard to enforce other than the threat of the odd arrested troublemaker being caught out. Safety in numbers

Edited March 9, 2010 by wolf5370