Donors Unhappy About Money Not Reaching Red Shirt Victims

[webfact]

RED MONEY

Donors unhappy about money not reaching victims

By The Nation

The red-shirt leaders are back in the spotlight after donors have stepped up to ask why their contributions have failed to reach victims of the April and May crackdown and their surviving relatives.

About 10 of the donors had asked reporters at the Pheu Thai Party exhibition to voice the complaints on their behalf.

Even though a large number of visitors at the exhibition were red shirts, there were also leaflets attacking Pheu Thai candidate Worawut Wichaidit for the Surat Thani by-election and many people told reporters about the financing of the red-shirt movement.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a woman from Chiang Rai said she and her fellow red-shirt supporters had donated about Bt2 million during the red-shirt rally in Bangkok, which began on March 12.

"Later, I discovered that the funds never reached the survivors of those killed in the crackdown as pledged by the rally organisers," she said, adding she kept making contributions because of her devotion to the movement before eventually losing trust in the red-shirt leaders.

As evidence to back up her story, she showed bank records of her contributions.

The funds were transferred to two individuals - a woman known as Maem, who claimed to be the sister-in-law of red-shirt leader Veera Musigapong, and a man called Tum who acted as an aide to Maem.

The Chiang Rai woman said she was informed by Deputy House Speaker Apiwan Wiriyachai that he had heard about a scam luring red-shirt supporters into making financial contributions, adding that the main opposition party and the red-shirt movement had paid Bt100,000 to cover funeral costs for each victim.

Apiwan said he had received a number of complaints related to donations made to the red-shirt movement, but denied that Veera's sister-in-law was involved in any way. He said none of the complainants had mentioned the involvement of Veera or his relatives in the scam.

Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan said in a telephone conversation, he had asked Veera to provide financial records on compensation and relief payments in order to clear up any lingering doubts about the movement's funds.

Jatuporn also admitted that he knew Maem, though they had lost touch after the crackdown.

Maem, he said, was responsible for cooking meals during the rally, adding that she was also in charge of those injured in the April 10 bloodshed.

He said that though donations had been solicited, he and the other rally organisers were not in charge of keeping records. He also claimed that the movement did not have a lot of money, which is why the main opposition party had to step in and assist victims and their relatives in the face of the crackdown.

He urged donors to identify themselves and provide records of their contributions so doubts about how their money was spent could be dispelled.

-- The Nation 2010-09-30

[asiawatcher]

"... "Later, I discovered that the funds never reached the survivors of those killed in the crackdown as pledged by the rally organisers," she said, adding she kept making contributions because of her devotion to the movement before eventually losing trust in the red-shirt leaders.

As evidence to back up her story, she showed bank records of her contributions.

The funds were transferred to two individuals - a woman known as Maem, who claimed to be the sister-in-law of red-shirt leader Veera Musigapong, and a man called Tum who acted as an aide to Maem."

Surprise surprise!!!

[Cuchulainn]

........a woman from Chiang Rai said she and her fellow red-shirt supporters had donated about Bt2 million during the red-shirt rally in Bangkok, which began on March 12.

"Later, I discovered that the funds never reached the survivors of those killed in the crackdown as pledged by the rally organisers," she said, adding she kept making contributions because of her devotion to the movement.......

A fool and his/her money are soon parted. Stupid

[whybother]

... before eventually losing trust in the red-shirt leaders.

Eventually?? Why did it take so long?

[craigt3365]

Too funny...if these guys get into power, there will be no differences in government. Still the same corruption, just going into different pockets. Amazing at how gullible people are....

[givenall]

... before eventually losing trust in the red-shirt leaders.

Eventually?? Why did it take so long?

What a surprise, corruption at all levels, this must be Thailand. I think this is why when the news people find an honest man like a taxi driver, they will immediately put him on the spot light so they can hide behind one good thing will all the corruption that is going on over here

[Buchholz]

a woman from Chiang Rai said she and her fellow red-shirt supporters had donated about Bt2 million during the red-shirt rally in Bangkok, which began on March 12.

She could empathize with Thaksin. He's given Billions (with a "B") to the Reds and has diddly squat to show for it, as well.

Edited September 30, 2010 by Buchholz

[elshaheen]

Welcome to the new Red Party (Thai <deleted> Thai).

[thurien]

What a surprise, corruption at all levels, this must be Thailand

don't forget, nothing better than the tsunami could happen to these scum bags - many new, rich people at that time

Edited September 30, 2010 by thurien

[tomyummer]

He urged donors to identify themselves and provide records of their contributions so doubts about how their money was spent could be dispelled.

Oops. There's an error in this sentence. It's supposed to read:

"He urged donors to identify themselves and provide records of their contributions so we can track them down, force more money out of them and their families before we make them 'missing without a trace' and get back to disrupting the country."

[Insight]

Dangerously close to a bargirl thread.

Bring on the apologists!

[tomyummer]

The red-shirt leaders are back in the spotlight after donors have stepped up to ask why their contributions have failed to reach victims of the April and May crackdown and their surviving relatives.

But the contributions DID reach the victims and surviving relatives, sort of.

In the form of the new spankin' Mercedes Benzes Veera and Jatuporn used to visit victims. Or the new houses used for visits by the surviving relatives.

[trogers]

Goes to show that there never was a large base of donors requiring setting up a proper system of financial management. Principle money came from a principal.

[craigt3365]

Goes to show that there never was a large base of donors requiring setting up a proper system of financial management. Principle money came from a principal.

And went to the other "significant" principals...the true poor people only got their 500B per day, if that. I heard Jatuporn made millions of Baht during these rallies....

[OzMick]

I would be more interested in a story of aid going to victims OF the red shirts!

[otherstuff1957]

I can't seem to use the quote function for the original post, so here is a copy & paste:

Jatuporn also admitted that he knew Maem, though they had lost touch after the crackdown.

Maem, he said, was responsible for cooking meals during the rally, adding that she was also in charge of those injured in the April 10 bloodshed.

He said that though donations had been solicited, he and the other rally organisers were not in charge of keeping records. He also claimed that the movement did not have a lot of money, which is why the main opposition party had to step in and assist victims and their relatives in the face of the crackdown.

I visited the Red Camp at Ratchaprasong a couple to times and was struck by how obviously well organized and well funded they were. There were several sets of huge Amps, lights, etc.., there were several support trucks, including (in the latter stages), large mobile generators and water supplies. There was free food and water being passed out every day. There was a fairly extensive row of tents to keep all of this equipment out of the sun and rain. The Black Guards all had walk-talkies (any other weapons they had were hidden during the day and whenever any tall foreigners were around).

It was obvious that, even if none of the protesters were being paid directly (and I know people who were working at a nearby store who were offered 500b/day to join the protest) the protest cost (at least) millions.

Maybe all of the money came from grass-roots donations and not from Thaksin and his cronies, but wherever the money came from, the Redshirts seem to be much more efficient at funding disruption than they are at funding aid!

[chantorn]

Told you, lots of rotten Red apples in the bucket.

[brahmburgers]

a woman from Chiang Rai said she and her fellow red-shirt supporters had donated about Bt2 million during the red-shirt rally in Bangkok, which began on March 12.

She could empathize with Thaksin. He's given Billions (with a "B") to the Reds and has diddly squat to show for it, as well.

So true. She deserves every bit of embarrassment, cause that's all she paid for.

Here's what people like that could do with their money: contribute to designation and building a park in their hometown. The lady is from Chiang Rai. So am I. I'm endeavoring to get a modest sum (less than 100,000 baht) to build a lovely hike and bike trail of 2 Km which encircles a beautiful hill alongside the Kok River. But why invest in a natural park when you can spend 25 times that amount to give to Thaksin cronies who incite people to burn down Bangkok?

What's wrong with this picture?

Edited September 30, 2010 by brahmburgers

[Ricardo]

These were 'fake' red-shirt organisers, as no real red-shirt leader would steal, from their own people, now would they ?

One can only trust that DL, as an experienced world-class businessman, had proper financial-controls operating, to ensure that all of his funds were used for the purposes intended ? Grenades & black T-shirts don't come cheap !

[Buchholz]

a woman from Chiang Rai said she and her fellow red-shirt supporters had donated about Bt2 million during the red-shirt rally in Bangkok, which began on March 12.

She could empathize with Thaksin. He's given Billions (with a "B") to the Reds and has diddly squat to show for it, as well.

So true. She deserves every bit of embarrassment, cause that's all she paid for.

The lady is from Chiang Rai. So am I.

It really does shatter the myth that rich people are necessarily intelligent with their money and one wonders what causes so many of them to be so wasteful and stupid with it, but at least we know now that the causative agent isn't something in the local water that makes them so foolhardy.

btw, best of luck to you on your trail. Having viewed the Kok River in several beautiful settings, it sounds great.

[BigBikeBKK]

stupid is as stupid does

som nam nah :jap:

[siampolee]

Interesting to see this name pop up. ''Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan.''

The funds were transferred to two individuals - a woman known as Maem, who claimed to be the sister-in-law of red-shirt leader Veera Musigapong, and a man called Tum who acted as an aide to Maem.

Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan said in a telephone conversation, he had asked Veera to provide financial records on compensation and relief payments in order to clear up any lingering doubts about the movement's funds.

Jatuporn also admitted that he knew Maem, though they had lost touch after the crackdown.

Also rather interesting to note a sudden increase in wealth of certain members of the Red Shirt leadership team both during and after the demonstrations.

Perish the thought that there was dishonesty involved with these high minded high principled Red Shirt leaders, surely they haven't been tainted and following the example of Thaksin ?

[hammered]

Dealing with corruption was never on the red leadership agenda. Now we see why. They are just a "political" organization iof the style as every other one. Why would anyone be surprised? As with other organizations there are those who join in under a delusion that they are different but in practice it is same ole same ole.

Edited to add: An organization as big as the red one and an organization at that that involves a lareg business clique who want to remain relatively anonymous coupled with sticking up a bunch of front leaders who werent really part of any of the funders actual close brigade was an opportunity for personal angrandisement that rarely arises even in Thai politics.

Edited September 30, 2010 by hammered

[PhilHarries]

Perish the thought that there was dishonesty involved with these high minded high principled Red Shirt leaders, surely they haven't been tainted and following the example of Thaksin ?

Monkey see, monkey do.

Funny how this fuss has erupted over Thai donations going astray. When it was foreighn donations for the tsunami...........strangely quiet.

Double standards? No never, especially within the ranks of the politicians claiming to be for the emancipation of the people. But then we all know, in Thai politics people = money.

[Moonrakers]

Surely this can't be true.

The red leaders truly love the poor Isaan folk and fight only for their plight, their intentions are not in the slightest bit self-serving.

PS

With this part of the forum as it is. I feel the need to point out that yes, I am being sarcastic.

[moetownblues]

What do you expect from Yellow shirts that's how they got rich and into power.

[slapout]

Typical ask for accounting after a charge has been made. This seems to be a familiar path followed here in Thailand,and not just in the dispersal of money. We see this type of PPP (piss poor planning) in health care, education, security, construction, etc, etc. If we were venturing into new areas/virgin territory, a hicup or three is understandable, but these activities have been documented throughout the past decades with apparently little improvement being made in correcting them.

They do seem to have adapted plans for hiding the ill gotten gains they receive, now if they would use some of that expertise toward a honest goal

Thailand could grow by leaps and bounds.

[Moonrakers]

What do you expect from Yellow shirts that's how they got rich and into power.

True

But what does that have to do with this?

[scorecard]

I can't seem to use the quote function for the original post, so here is a copy & paste:

Jatuporn also admitted that he knew Maem, though they had lost touch after the crackdown.

Maem, he said, was responsible for cooking meals during the rally, adding that she was also in charge of those injured in the April 10 bloodshed.

He said that though donations had been solicited, he and the other rally organisers were not in charge of keeping records. He also claimed that the movement did not have a lot of money, which is why the main opposition party had to step in and assist victims and their relatives in the face of the crackdown.

I visited the Red Camp at Ratchaprasong a couple to times and was struck by how obviously well organized and well funded they were. There were several sets of huge Amps, lights, etc.., there were several support trucks, including (in the latter stages), large mobile generators and water supplies. There was free food and water being passed out every day. There was a fairly extensive row of tents to keep all of this equipment out of the sun and rain. The Black Guards all had walk-talkies (any other weapons they had were hidden during the day and whenever any tall foreigners were around).

It was obvious that, even if none of the protesters were being paid directly (and I know people who were working at a nearby store who were offered 500b/day to join the protest) the protest cost (at least) millions.

Maybe all of the money came from grass-roots donations and not from Thaksin and his cronies, but wherever the money came from, the Redshirts seem to be much more efficient at funding disruption than they are at funding aid!

Tqo points:

- There is no doubt whatever that the protestors were paid, that's been proven again and again and there are several video pieces of the protestors lined and having their ID card numbers checked then being given the cash. In my soi in BAngkok the food vendors bragged continuously, almost every day for numerous weeks that they were atending the rallies for the daily hand out. Coming up to songktan then mentioned that they were not msiing a day to ensudre they had plenty of cash to go home to the provinces.

- Millions? It had to be at least one billion, to pay for: daily hand out to protestors, sometimes in the 10s of thousand and over three months or more, the food provided on site, the cost of renting the stages, sound equipment, and lots more. Do you really bekieve this came from the grass roots people?

[newermonkey]

What did they expect from a bunch of communist crooks?