Thai Red-Shirts Warned Not To Mass During UN Chief Ban's Visit

[webfact]

UN CHIEF'S VISIT

Reds warned not to mass during Ban's visit

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

About 1,000 police and troops will guard United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon in Bangkok today.

The news came amid signs that Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha was increasingly angry at the red shirts, who have vowed to converge this after?noon at the UN-Escap office on Rajdamnoen Ave to hand a petition to the UN chief.

Prayuth vowed he would allow no red shirts to assemble in front of the UN regional office and said only 10 representatives from the group should be there today.

For the second time in a few days, Prayuth also said people opposed to the monarchy "should not complain" if they are arrested.

"The Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has concluded that we will definitely not permit any assembly [outside the UN building," he said. "If there is any doubt, representatives can be sent to tender letters to the UN secretary general.

"I beg [you] to consider that this is about national honour. Whatever you do, do it as civilised people. If you have problem and want the UN to be informed about [it], you can send documents but [must] not assemble in a large group and cause an inconvenience to peo?ple [and] to be seen by foreign?ers. I think it's shameful. Let we warn that you shouldn't do it because it is of no use."

Asked by reporters if it was appropriate for red shirts to raise the issue of the 91 people killed in the unrest in mid-year with the UN chief, Prayuth said it was up to the people making the petition to decide whether it was appropriate or not.

Representatives from the opposition Pheu Thai Party and at least three other red-shirt factions will try to submit notes of concern to the UN chief today.

A member of the Progressive Democracy Group, a radical wing of the red shirt movement told The Nation yesterday they would defy Prayuth's ban on the right to assemble.

"[We] don't care [what the Army chief said]. Nobody cares," said a female member of the group, who asked not to be named due to her daytime work as a government official. "This [bid to stop them gathering] reflects their fear."

Asked why different letters needed to be presented by var?ious red-shirt groups, she said was because not all red shirts supported Pheu Thai Party. "This is a good thing. The diver?sity reflects the fact that we're not working for Pheu Thai."

The group's letter contains material that is stronger than the one by Pheu Thai Party. Part of it says: "To stop the human rights violations and violence by the Abhisit government, we would like to ask the United Nations, as the representative of the world's nations, for imme?diate action to help save inno?cent lives and bring back basic rights to the Thai people. With help from the United Nations, we believe that political prison?ers could be freed or given bail. The state of emergency decree should be lifted across Thailand; freedom of speech, press, and expression should be returned to all Thai people; and fair treatment with respect to human rights should be taken seriously by the current Thai government."

Somyos Phruksaksemsuk, a leader of the June 24 group, another more radical wing of the reds and editor of Red Power News, which was sup?pressed by the government, said his group would read out a let?ter at 11am today in front of the UN building. The content of this note would condemn Ban for the UN's "failure" to prevent the death of 91 people from occurring and for his shaking hands with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who group claims is responsible for the deaths.

"We shall condemn Ban Ki-moon for shaking hands with the murderer so we don't need to meet Ban [in person]," Somyos said. "We were disap?pointed that the UN failed to ensure peace [in Thailand dur?ing the protests in April and May this year]."

Ban and his wife will arrive in Bangkok at 10.30am today. They are due to have lunch with Abhisit at 12.30pm. The two will then hold a joint press con?ference at 2.30pm.

The Army chief Prayuth said he had appointed his deputy Gen Teerawat Boonyapradap to oversee the security for Ban and there should be nothing to be worry about as the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation had been planning its measures for a month.

-- The Nation 2010-10-26

[chantorn]

The Red is about to get serious again. I hope 91 is the final number, and no more.

[Ricardo]

"We were disappointed that the U.N. failed to ensure peace"

The Red-Shirts seem not to understand, the U.N. is concerned with external-relations of countries, not internal goings-on, like their 'peaceful protest' and burning-spree.

Don't they cover that sort of thing, at their 'red schools', after '101 - how to set-light to tyres & burn-down buildings' ?

[Longtooth]

The Red is about to get serious again. I hope 91 is the final number, and no more.

Why can't rule of law be the supreme power, and NO more deaths?

P.S. The artic?les' repor?ting was OK, b?ut this is ver?y ann?oy?ing?!!

Edited October 26, 2010 by Longtooth

[yellow1red1]

poll,,,, wots worse in eyes of World for Thailand?

A. for UN chief to be swamped

OR

B. show that the military has the Kingdom under control

... rolling on floor laughing emoticom..

[hammered]

They dont sdeem to understand what the UN is or what its role is, or maybe they do and it is just to gain PR. The UN has condoned and provided cover for a huge amount of deaths and has regimes that make Thailand look a dream state as its members.

It is a pity that those who claim to be non-pertisan defenders of human rights have never done anything about the several thousand killed in Thailand's largest human rights infringement in decades. That in itself undermines any claim they have as human rights activisits which is very sad. It seems there is a huge double standard here mixed up with hypocricy.

The 91 deaths need to be talked about and investigated but so do the thousands they ignore

[rubl]

Asked why different letters needed to be presented by various red-shirt groups, she said was because not all red shirts supported Pheu Thai Party. "This is a good thing. The diversity reflects the fact that we're not working for Pheu Thai."

You don't count as protest group if you don't have your own name, program, five-point plan. The diversity reflects a profound ability to co-operate and red-shirt brotherly love.

- Pheu Thai Party

- National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship

- Progressive Democracy Group

- June 24 group

Who's missing ?

Note Mr. Ban will be in Thailand less than 12 hours. I doubt he can spare more than a few minutes per delegation. 'Hello, thank you, next'

[rubl]

poll,,,, wots worse in eyes of World for Thailand?

A. for UN chief to be swamped

OR

B. show that the military has the Kingdom under control

... rolling on floor laughing emoticom..

C. show that democracy loving red-shirts don't need help to make fools of themselves.

[givenall]

poll,,,, wots worse in eyes of World for Thailand?

A. for UN chief to be swamped

OR

B. show that the military has the Kingdom under control

... rolling on floor laughing emoticom..

C. show that democracy loving red-shirts don't need help to make fools of themselves.

All talk and no action is the governing method of the Thai government. We need a new PM. Thai people seem respect the mob more the rule of government

[jayboy]

They dont sdeem to understand what the UN is or what its role is, or maybe they do and it is just to gain PR. The UN has condoned and provided cover for a huge amount of deaths and has regimes that make Thailand look a dream state as its members.

It is a pity that those who claim to be non-pertisan defenders of human rights have never done anything about the several thousand killed in Thailand's largest human rights infringement in decades. That in itself undermines any claim they have as human rights activisits which is very sad. It seems there is a huge double standard here mixed up with hypocricy.

The 91 deaths need to be talked about and investigated but so do the thousands they ignore

Agreed.The common denominator of course is an unaccountable military, prone to wrap itself in the flag when its crimes are invoked.

In the broader context I think Thailand will always get a passing grade from the UN,Europe,USA etc essentially because more is right than wrong ...and there are far worse regimes out there.It's to nobody's benefit to besmirch the Thais.None of this means that the brutalities,greed and selfishness of the elite won't for internal reasons be punished.

[webfact]

SIDELINES

From low down dirty shame to worse sinister game

By Sopon Onkgara

The Nation

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit Thailand today as part of his Asian tour covering four countries, during which he will attend the Asean meeting hosted by Vietnam. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will get the opportunity to discuss various topical issues of mutual interest with the UN supremo.

Of course, Ban is also likely to encounter public pressure groups. Some will be political activists, notably the red shirts, who will be eager to highlight their campaigns and twist facts to impress upon the UN chief that they have been subject to abuse and unfair treatment.

The red shirts have continued their campaigns here and abroad, with posters screaming lies to the world about how troops engaged in a massacre during crowd control to restore peace on May 19.

In typical propaganda missions of falsehood, the red shirts have masked from the world the fact that they were the cause of the country's political instability, which stemmed from campaigns under massive bankrolling by the political networks under fugitive-from-justice Thaksin Shinawatra.

Their self-glorified struggle pushed the country to the edge of a deep abyss during the bloody rioting and arson in April of last year and this year, which went unchecked by the soft hand of a coalition government ridden by infighting of corrupt politicians with vested interests.

Whatever twisted facts and lies are presented by the red shirts to Ban Ki-moon, they should not get in the way of Prime Minister Abhisit providing a clearer picture to the UN chief, who will have been briefed beforehand about what actually happened in the country.

What is predictable is that the red-shirt movement will not care much about what precise information they give; they merely want the foreign media among the UN mission's entourage to consider it sensational enough to be worth reporting. The movement has been very good at what it does - capturing headlines through its activities, never mind the negative consequences for national security.

That the red shirts have been successful in surviving any backlash is mainly due to the weakness of our legal system and rule of law. Law enforcement has been so pathetic that politicians and influential vested-interest groups are able to enjoy the status of being above the law, engaging in corruption with gusto.

The decay in the structure of the judicial process emboldened the red shirts to break the law, stockpile war weapons and practically rout at least three battalions of troops on April 10.

Ban Ki-moon's visit also enables Prime Minister Abhisit to tell the world about the bloody events last year and this year - something he should have done through international press conferences right after the government was able to control the situation. But there is something more important for Abhisit to achieve this time.

It is necessary for him to reassure the UN chief and the media accompanying him that he intends to maintain law and order to preserve national security, and will give no more ground to the red shirts' efforts to destabilise the country under the financing of elements loyal to Thaksin. Unless his message is convincing, he will have failed to capitalise on Ban Ki-moon's presence here.

What the prime minister should bring to his attention is the continuing attempt by Thaksin and his cronies to engage in all sorts of sinister games of gutter politics to achieve their goal of regaining power at any cost - including creating regional instability through periodic conflict with Cambodia.

If Ban Ki-moon is keen to see stability, he should direct his organisation to contain the movements of political criminals and straighten out the soured relationship between Thailand and Cambodia. One aspect not to be overlooked is that Cambodia is providing shelter to elements loyal to Thaksin who are on a quest to destabilise Thailand.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wants to make himself heard on the international stage. This time around, it would be nice if he could spit out some facts on his relationship with Thaksin and his outlawed followers, so that the Ban Ki-moon can get some first-hand knowledge. If this does not happen, Abhisit should do it himself.

-- The Nation 2010-10-26

[rubl]

poll,,,, wots worse in eyes of World for Thailand?

A. for UN chief to be swamped

OR

B. show that the military has the Kingdom under control

... rolling on floor laughing emoticom..

C. show that democracy loving red-shirts don't need help to make fools of themselves.

All talk and no action is the governing method of the Thai government. We need a new PM. Thai people seem respect the mob more the rule of government

All talk, no action ? How about:

As for the mob, what action would you suggest ? Shoot a few and invite Mr. Ban to watch the show? Let them petition, but prevent a rally.

[rubl]

They dont sdeem to understand what the UN is or what its role is, or maybe they do and it is just to gain PR. The UN has condoned and provided cover for a huge amount of deaths and has regimes that make Thailand look a dream state as its members.

It is a pity that those who claim to be non-pertisan defenders of human rights have never done anything about the several thousand killed in Thailand's largest human rights infringement in decades. That in itself undermines any claim they have as human rights activisits which is very sad. It seems there is a huge double standard here mixed up with hypocricy.

The 91 deaths need to be talked about and investigated but so do the thousands they ignore

Agreed.The common denominator of course is an unaccountable military, prone to wrap itself in the flag when its crimes are invoked.

In the broader context I think Thailand will always get a passing grade from the UN,Europe,USA etc essentially because more is right than wrong ...and there are far worse regimes out there.It's to nobody's benefit to besmirch the Thais.None of this means that the brutalities,greed and selfishness of the elite won't for internal reasons be punished.

The common denominator is an 'elite group' based society which in part is still stuck in a patronage system which doesn't work well with democratic ideas. Thailand has some 'families' which have ruled by connections for decennia and maybe centuries. The new elite just copies the old one. The growing middle class wants to break out of this framework without disturbing the economy, the poor have nothing to loose.

Just make sure that all groups working towards a better future don't get ensnared in the webs of the elite. The old adage 'the enemies of my enemies are my friends' sounds nice, but in history has mostly ensured more bitter fighting and misery.

[jayboy]

They dont sdeem to understand what the UN is or what its role is, or maybe they do and it is just to gain PR. The UN has condoned and provided cover for a huge amount of deaths and has regimes that make Thailand look a dream state as its members.

It is a pity that those who claim to be non-pertisan defenders of human rights have never done anything about the several thousand killed in Thailand's largest human rights infringement in decades. That in itself undermines any claim they have as human rights activisits which is very sad. It seems there is a huge double standard here mixed up with hypocricy.

The 91 deaths need to be talked about and investigated but so do the thousands they ignore

Agreed.The common denominator of course is an unaccountable military, prone to wrap itself in the flag when its crimes are invoked.

In the broader context I think Thailand will always get a passing grade from the UN,Europe,USA etc essentially because more is right than wrong ...and there are far worse regimes out there.It's to nobody's benefit to besmirch the Thais.None of this means that the brutalities,greed and selfishness of the elite won't for internal reasons be punished.

The common denominator is an 'elite group' based society which in part is still stuck in a patronage system which doesn't work well with democratic ideas. Thailand has some 'families' which have ruled by connections for decennia and maybe centuries. The new elite just copies the old one. The growing middle class wants to break out of this framework without disturbing the economy, the poor have nothing to loose.

Just make sure that all groups working towards a better future don't get ensnared in the webs of the elite. The old adage 'the enemies of my enemies are my friends' sounds nice, but in history has mostly ensured more bitter fighting and misery.

I was referring specifically about the repression aspect.But yours is an excellent and succinct post with which I fully agree.Oddly enough in today's Bangkok Post's business section Korn makes some surprisingly penetrating comments on the few "elite" business families.Why, he asks in summary, should Thailand have to kowtow to these people?

[hammered]

They dont sdeem to understand what the UN is or what its role is, or maybe they do and it is just to gain PR. The UN has condoned and provided cover for a huge amount of deaths and has regimes that make Thailand look a dream state as its members.

It is a pity that those who claim to be non-pertisan defenders of human rights have never done anything about the several thousand killed in Thailand's largest human rights infringement in decades. That in itself undermines any claim they have as human rights activisits which is very sad. It seems there is a huge double standard here mixed up with hypocricy.

The 91 deaths need to be talked about and investigated but so do the thousands they ignore

Agreed.The common denominator of course is an unaccountable military, prone to wrap itself in the flag when its crimes are invoked.

In the broader context I think Thailand will always get a passing grade from the UN,Europe,USA etc essentially because more is right than wrong ...and there are far worse regimes out there.It's to nobody's benefit to besmirch the Thais.None of this means that the brutalities,greed and selfishness of the elite won't for internal reasons be punished.

The common denominator is an 'elite group' based society which in part is still stuck in a patronage system which doesn't work well with democratic ideas. Thailand has some 'families' which have ruled by connections for decennia and maybe centuries. The new elite just copies the old one. The growing middle class wants to break out of this framework without disturbing the economy, the poor have nothing to loose.

Just make sure that all groups working towards a better future don't get ensnared in the webs of the elite. The old adage 'the enemies of my enemies are my friends' sounds nice, but in history has mostly ensured more bitter fighting and misery.

So far the new and old elite have done a pretty good job of creating emnity between groups that should have common cause

[rubl]

Mr. Ban has been in Thailand for one hour now and all is well

Only six more hours or so to go.

[silp1979]

The Red is about to get serious again. I hope 91 is the final number, and no more.