PAD Stands Firm On Not Moving Rally Site; Demand Political Changes

[webfact]

PAD stands firm on not moving rally site; Demand political changes

BANGKOK, March 5 -- In defiance against the imposition of the Internal Security Act by the government, the yellow-clad movement, or the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), on Saturday reiterated that its members who are now holding a rally on Bangkok’s Rajdamnoen Nok Avenue would not disperse even at police request, as the area is needed to hold an annual Red Cross Fair, said PAD core leader retired Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang on Saturday.

It shows that police is trying to use legal means to intimidate PAD members so that they could leave the area before March 15 as demanded by them, Gen Chamlong said, adding that the fair, of which most of the shops were private businesses, could be relocated. Police should think twice before taking any drastic action against the demonstrators.

PAD members have been holding their rally in the area since January 25 demanding the ouster of the government under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, charging that the government is neglecting its duty, which caused the country to lose territory around the disputed Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia. The movement is planning to collect 20,000 signatures on a petition to impeach Mr Abhisit, as required by the Constitution, and present it to the Constitution Court.

On Friday, Gen Chamlong also demanded that Thailand’s political system should be amended temporarily for at least four to five years before a general election is held. He said he would reveal details of the political amendment later.

His call was made as Mr Abhisit has said he would dissolve the House and call for a general election later this year.

Meanwhile, PAD spokesman Panthep Puapongphan said his group rally would not affect plans to organise the Red Cross Fair and that his group had in 2006 held a demonstration which coincided with the fair and that it went smoothly then. He said his group would retaliate against the government from next Monday on the imposition of the Internal Security Act.

The Civil Court on Friday rejected petitions filed by the PAD against Mr Abhisit, the cabinet and the national police chief over the imposition of the Act and six related orders. The movement had earlier asked the court to issue an injunction against the Act and those related orders. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-03-05

[Robby nz]

Wont even move for a charity Red Cross fair, shows what careing people they are.

Methinks time to bring out the APC again and chase them out of town.

[Thailand]

Time for action now not inaction.

The govt has not learned anything from the "red" fiasco last year, the PAD should have been moved immediately and the leaders jailed.

Perhaps Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuan could be sent on a fact finding mission to the Thai/Cambodian border, get him to cross accidentally and voila-one more sorted.

[TAWP]

I'm bored - APC time.

[isanbirder]

Who runs the country, Government or PAD? Clearly the PAD.

[landofthefree]

Who runs the country, Government or PAD? Clearly the PAD.

Clearly not Abhisit. Why aren't troops or mysterious men in black shooting them? Maybe something to do with money because obviously if you are rich you don't have to obey the law.

[TAWP]

Who runs the country, Government or PAD? Clearly the PAD.

Clearly not Abhisit. Why aren't troops or mysterious men in black shooting them? Maybe something to do with money because obviously if you are rich you don't have to obey the law.

The black clad ones are not shooting anyone now since 1) It is PAD that is out, not the UDD, the latter that the black clad figures are a part of 2) several of their key-figures have been either killed or arrested.

Edited March 5, 2011 by TAWP

[UberBraun]

 Time to start cracking heads, me thinks.  Who do the PAD think they are?  They obviously have no clue what a democracy is.  It is not telling the police (or the government) what to do.  It is not blocking roads ad infinitum.  It is not inconveniencing others.  It is not a rule of the minority.

The government had better do something very soon or else this could deterioate into something akin to what happened with the reds last year.  And no one wants that.

It is no wonder that no one in this country has any respect for the law, it is because the law is never enforced.

Justice delayed is justice denied.

[jdinasia]

Actually ... even though I consider the PAD a spent force (useless and not standing for anything real) standing fast at THIS location is an act of civil disobedience and relatively minor.

The ISA wasn't used on the reds to force them to move, and I am sure that the reds do not want "double standards", so unless the PAD start lobbing petrol bombs like the reds did on April 9th (the day before the government first tried to move them last year) .............

Personally I would like to see them moved, I am, however, pro-democracy enough to think that peaceful protest in a limited area that does the country no real harm, is fairly acceptable.

[jdinasia]

Who runs the country, Government or PAD? Clearly the PAD.

Clearly not Abhisit. Why aren't troops or mysterious men in black shooting them? Maybe something to do with money because obviously if you are rich you don't have to obey the law.

Hmmm the reds certainly had plenty of money backing them and it didn't help. The men in black WERE reds (Sae Daeng's ronin.)

The PAD are hardly getting ANY press in Thailand except on very slow news days ... they aren't stopping commerce ... they haven't incited violebce. Certainly our "isanbirder" and "landofthefree" do not want double standards do they?

[isanbirder]

Who runs the country, Government or PAD? Clearly the PAD.

Clearly not Abhisit. Why aren't troops or mysterious men in black shooting them? Maybe something to do with money because obviously if you are rich you don't have to obey the law.

Hmmm the reds certainly had plenty of money backing them and it didn't help. The men in black WERE reds (Sae Daeng's ronin.)

The PAD are hardly getting ANY press in Thailand except on very slow news days ... they aren't stopping commerce ... they haven't incited violebce. Certainly our "isanbirder" and "landofthefree" do not want double standards do they?

No, indeed I don't. I said the same thing when the Reds blocked Rachaprasong.

[Oberkommando]

I find it deliciously ironic this government is now on the receiving end of PAD action, rather than being the beneficiary.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

[Oberkommando]

It's amusing to see posters calling for action to be taken against the PAD. Bit late now I'm afraid.

It should have been dismantled and the leaders brought to justice after the airport takeover but as it was a favoured mechanism that allowed this government into office nothing was done. It was allowed recognition and has even formed its own political wing. We even have a yellow shirt leader that praised the airport takeovers in cabinet. And don't say that charges are pending and justice will happen because we all know why that hasn't happened. Perhaps now the cases will progress as this government has fallen out of favour with the PAD? However I find it unlikely given who the PAD backers are.

The seeds were sown in allowing this mob to effectively engineer the fall of the Thaksin administration, instigating a coup and reversing the result of a general election. It has emboldened them, and also emboldened the reds, who took spirit from the PAD successes and staged their own protests and will no doubt continue to do so.

Thailand is merely reaping what it has sown in the last 5 years, and it's going to get a lot uglier soon.

[jdinasia]

It's amusing to see posters calling for action to be taken against the PAD. Bit late now I'm afraid.

It should have been dismantled and the leaders brought to justice after the airport takeover but as it was a favoured mechanism that allowed this government into office nothing was done. It was allowed recognition and has even formed its own political wing. We even have a yellow shirt leader that praised the airport takeovers in cabinet. And don't say that charges are pending and justice will happen because we all know why that hasn't happened. Perhaps now the cases will progress as this government has fallen out of favour with the PAD? However I find it unlikely given who the PAD backers are.

The seeds were sown in allowing this mob to effectively engineer the fall of the Thaksin administration, instigating a coup and reversing the result of a general election. It has emboldened them, and also emboldened the reds, who took spirit from the PAD successes and staged their own protests and will no doubt continue to do so.

Thailand is merely reaping what it has sown in the last 5 years, and it's going to get a lot uglier soon.

No result of a general election has been reversed. There was a coup that removed an extra-constitutional caretaker government. There have been 80+ PAD members sentenced for the TV station incident. There has been no reds sentenced for the riot in 2007. The PAD cases ARE proceeding and at a pretty standard pace, if you doubt this look at the time-frames it took on the Thaksin cases and ask yourself why his ex is still not serving her sentence.

Your statement about who the PAD backers are needs clarification.

I really don't expect many major cases going forward over the Swampy rally, since it was the AoT man on the ground there that panicked and closed the airport instead of going outside and meeting with the protestors and moving them to the parking structure or some place appropriate.

AFAIK nobody has been charged in the grenade attacks that were almost a nightly occurrence against the PAD after Gen Sae Daeng announced they would start.

[jayboy]

I really don't expect many major cases going forward over the Swampy rally, since it was the AoT man on the ground there that panicked and closed the airport instead of going outside and meeting with the protestors and moving them to the parking structure or some place appropriate.

Here we go again.The tired old lie that the AOT was in fact the guilty party - not the fascist PAD mob.The only slightly surprising thing with this piece of dishonesty is that it is repeated despite having been long since exposed as spurious.

One wonders what audience this kind of dishonesty is aimed at?

[Oberkommando]

One wonders what audience this kind of dishonesty is aimed at?

Indeed, it is tiresome.

I personally witnessed armed men closing off the roads to the airport before I flew out, and only later was the airport closed after yellow-shirts had stormed the main terminal building and built a perimeter around the whole area.

[jdinasia]

I really don't expect many major cases going forward over the Swampy rally, since it was the AoT man on the ground there that panicked and closed the airport instead of going outside and meeting with the protestors and moving them to the parking structure or some place appropriate.

Here we go again.The tired old lie that the AOT was in fact the guilty party - not the fascist PAD mob.The only slightly surprising thing with this piece of dishonesty is that it is repeated despite having been long since exposed as spurious.

One wonders what audience this kind of dishonesty is aimed at?

Hmmm according to the board of the AoT it is FACT that the AoT guy on the ground closed it. That he was wrong to do so. The AoT would have been far better off having blamed the PAD, and thus being able to sue for damages, but they didn't.

I am not surprised that you are using this as another excuse to attack a poster though.

[Oberkommando]

No result of a general election has been reversed.

The airport takeover was specifically staged to ensure the court came to the desired decision thus removing the PPP coalition government from power.

The result of the general election was in effect reversed by the court and thanks to pressure from the PAD who would have kept up the protests indefinitely until that government was removed.

It is testament to the popularity of the PPP that they were elected despite the junta attempting to frame them with LM charges and ordering disruption to their campaigning activities, underhanded tactics, lying and cheating that was discovered but cannot be punished because it is the military that was behind it.

Really, this is basic factual stuff. Hatred of Thaksin still permeates throughout this forum I see and the same old tired rhetoric is evident despite all evidence to the contrary.

[jdinasia]

I really don't expect many major cases going forward over the Swampy rally, since it was the AoT man on the ground there that panicked and closed the airport instead of going outside and meeting with the protestors and moving them to the parking structure or some place appropriate.

Here we go again.The tired old lie that the AOT was in fact the guilty party - not the fascist PAD mob.The only slightly surprising thing with this piece of dishonesty is that it is repeated despite having been long since exposed as spurious.

One wonders what audience this kind of dishonesty is aimed at?

Hmmm according to the board of the AoT it is FACT that the AoT guy on the ground closed it. That he was wrong to do so. The AoT would have been far better off having blamed the PAD, and thus being able to sue for damages, but they didn't.

I am not surprised that you are using this as another excuse to attack a poster though.

http://cargonewsasia.com/secured/article.aspx?article=17953

AoT blames director for Thai airport closure

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The Airports of Thailand (AoT) board blamed Suvarnabhumi airport director Serirat Prasutanond for jeopardising and confusing airlines by bypassing the protocol for closing an airport on November 25 after anti-government demonstrators arrived there, according to the Bangkok Post.

An AoT board source said board members met yesterday and pointed out that Serirat had announced through the media at 9 pm on November 25 his decision to close Suvarnabhumi airport due to the presence of a number of demonstrators led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

Serirat made the announcement without following the protocol that should start with a meeting with authorities concerned, including representatives of the airlines. Then airport authorities must report their resolution to their superiors, issue a notice to airmen (Notam) to inform them of a closure and finally close the airport.

On Novemer 25, the Notam was issued at about midnight. Confusion reigned between 9 pm and almost midnight as there were flights waiting to take off and incoming flights. During this three-hour period airport officials ordered an evacuation. The order prompted ground staff to abandon their posts, although flights arrived and departed until midnight.

"If the protocol had been followed or the airlines and people concerned had been notified, the damage would have been reduced considerably and people would not have panicked. Between slightly past 9 pm and midnight, there was enough time for 30-40 flights to take off and land. During that period, demonstrators gathered just in front of the passenger terminal," said the source.

[Siripon]

I really don't expect many major cases going forward over the Swampy rally, since it was the AoT man on the ground there that panicked and closed the airport instead of going outside and meeting with the protestors and moving them to the parking structure or some place appropriate.

Here we go again.The tired old lie that the AOT was in fact the guilty party - not the fascist PAD mob.The only slightly surprising thing with this piece of dishonesty is that it is repeated despite having been long since exposed as spurious.

One wonders what audience this kind of dishonesty is aimed at?

Hmmm according to the board of the AoT it is FACT that the AoT guy on the ground closed it. That he was wrong to do so. The AoT would have been far better off having blamed the PAD, and thus being able to sue for damages, but they didn't.

I am not surprised that you are using this as another excuse to attack a poster though.

I remember reading that the AOT director at the time was a brother-in-law of Veera Musikapong, the noted red shirt leader.

Still the PAD were foolish to go to the airport as the court dismissed Somchai a mere 5 days later.

[Buchholz]

It's amusing to see posters calling for action to be taken against the PAD. Bit late now I'm afraid.

It should have been dismantled and the leaders brought to justice after the airport takeover but as it was a favoured mechanism that allowed this government into office nothing was done. It was allowed recognition and has even formed its own political wing. We even have a yellow shirt leader that praised the airport takeovers in cabinet. And don't say that charges are pending and justice will happen because we all know why that hasn't happened. Perhaps now the cases will progress as this government has fallen out of favour with the PAD? However I find it unlikely given who the PAD backers are.

The seeds were sown in allowing this mob to effectively engineer the fall of the Thaksin administration, instigating a coup and reversing the result of a general election. It has emboldened them, and also emboldened the reds, who took spirit from the PAD successes and staged their own protests and will no doubt continue to do so.

Thailand is merely reaping what it has sown in the last 5 years, and it's going to get a lot uglier soon.

A rather amusing one-sided distortion of history.

There's not been a shortage of violence used against PAD for a long time, whether it was the reoccurring grenade attacks or the police injuring hundreds with their lethal exploding tear gas canisters.

Why wasn't the Red Shirts dismantled and their leaders brought to justice after their July 2007 violence? We even have any number of prominent Red Shirts who are Members of Parliament and in key positions with the Opposition Party that were instrumental in the mayhem of last April/May, as well as the mayhem of the previous April to that.

I have no doubt the Red Shirts will, indeed, "get a lot uglier soon."

[jayboy]

One wonders what audience this kind of dishonesty is aimed at?

Indeed, it is tiresome.

I personally witnessed armed men closing off the roads to the airport before I flew out, and only later was the airport closed after yellow-shirts had stormed the main terminal building and built a perimeter around the whole area.

The trouble is that the PAD movement has the support of a number of foreign "useful fools", as Lenin called them in the context of the horrors of the Soviet Union.One wouldn't compare the two in all respects of course but for some there is no crime, no lie, no abuse that wouldn't attract support, albeit guarded, if it could be lined up against the Redshirts and the arch demon Thaksin.In the case of the elite and their mainly Sino Thai middle class hangers on this is in some ways understandable (if not entirely rational because a fairer and more peaceful Thailand benefits everybody).However for some their objectivity is long gone having been consumed by hatred and in some cases fear.Thailand desperately needs a commentator with the honesty and vision of George Orwell, someone who despises Thaksin but can see and describe the repulsiveness of the elite forces ranged against the movement Thaksin started

It's more surprising that some foreigners go down this line.There is a case to be made against "rule by the mob", but it involves conceding some ground and understanding what is meant by enlightened self interest.Again with some foreigners I have been astonished to find out how appallingly ignorant many are of recent Thai history.

[jdinasia]

No result of a general election has been reversed.

The airport takeover was specifically staged to ensure the court came to the desired decision thus removing the PPP coalition government from power.

The result of the general election was in effect reversed by the court and thanks to pressure from the PAD who would have kept up the protests indefinitely until that government was removed.

It is testament to the popularity of the PPP that they were elected despite the junta attempting to frame them with LM charges and ordering disruption to their campaigning activities, underhanded tactics, lying and cheating that was discovered but cannot be punished because it is the military that was behind it.

Really, this is basic factual stuff. Hatred of Thaksin still permeates throughout this forum I see and the same old tired rhetoric is evident despite all evidence to the contrary.

Please feel free to show us some evidence of "framing" etc .... Not just make claims for it. Show us the "basic factual stuff"! What I am seeing is unsubstantiated claims that actually fly in the face of facts coming from you, and no actual facts with any support.

The PAD went to Swampy to confront the current PM (Thaksin's Brother-in-law). Your claims otherwise make no sense, since the courts already had the PPP case (with video evidence) and PPP was doomed already.

[TAWP]

Again with some foreigners I have been astonished to find out how appallingly ignorant many are of recent Thai history.

Indeed, and I would include Oberkommando in that group.

[Siripon]

I find it deliciously ironic this government is now on the receiving end of PAD action, rather than being the beneficiary.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

I don't think the government is quaking in its boots over the PAD's 3 men and a dog. I see Suriyasai has some sense and has left the present PAD entourage.

[jdinasia]

[

I remember reading that the AOT director at the time was a brother-in-law of Veera Musikapong, the noted red shirt leader.

Still the PAD were foolish to go to the airport as the court dismissed Somchai a mere 5 days later.

They went to greet PM Somchai. At that point they were doing anything they could do to prevent PPP from whitewashing the Thaksin mess which included trying to prevent parliament from voting on charter amendments that would have basically cleared Thaksin of everything and restored electoral rights to 111 TRT execs.

I agree it would have been foolish to go for the reasons other people are claiming, but quite simply that isn't why they went.

[Oberkommando]

Please feel free to show us some evidence of "framing" etc .... Not just make claims for it. Show us the "basic factual stuff"! What I am seeing is unsubstantiated claims that actually fly in the face of facts coming from you, and no actual facts with any support.

The PAD went to Swampy to confront the current PM (Thaksin's Brother-in-law). Your claims otherwise make no sense, since the courts already had the PPP case (with video evidence) and PPP was doomed already.

If that were the case the airport takeover, the billions lost in revenue and the loss of reputation to Thailand was all unnecessary. Strange way of "confronting" somebody; closing off roads with armed men and blocking access to the area before storming the terminal building and control tower.

The junta ordering those activities I mentioned has been well documented, I posted it here but apparently links to the Bangkok Post are not allowed so it was removed. For a political commentator I am staggered you missed that news, of course you could well be attempting to be deliberately dishonest, but I hope that's not the case.

[Oberkommando]

Please feel free to show us some evidence of "framing" etc .... Not just make claims for it. Show us the "basic factual stuff"! What I am seeing is unsubstantiated claims that actually fly in the face of facts coming from you, and no actual facts with any support.

That was also one of the main reasons for changing the constitution, as the PPP wanted to strip the junta of immunity from prosecution. They successfully blocked any attempts to change it though and when they were discovered interfering and framing PPP politicians they were immune from prosecution.

Evidence (highlighting mine):

The military junta in place since the coup, now called the Council for National Security (CNS), has sought to establish itself as the foremost governing body in Thailand at the expense of civilian administration. One example of this is a new bill on national security, the Draft Act on the Maintenance of National Security in the Kingdom, which passed its first parliamentary reading with 101 to 20 votes on November 11, and now is being reviewed for the second and third readings. If enacted, this law would give the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) - under the control of the prime minister - extensive emergency-style powers to restrict fundamental rights and override civilian administration and due process of law in parts of Thailand or the whole country at any time. No declaration of a state of emergency, or accountability to the parliament and the courts, would be required. In practice, this law would enable the military to dictate government policy easily and silently, and would also shield from prosecution those who violate human rights under its provisions.

During the lead-up to a constitutional referendum in August, Thai authorities used martial law to justify the repression of Thaksin's political allies and others opposed to the coup. Their houses were raided, political campaign material confiscated, and some were detained in military facilities.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01113.htm

[jayboy]

Hmmm according to the board of the AoT it is FACT that the AoT guy on the ground closed it. That he was wrong to do so. The AoT would have been far better off having blamed the PAD, and thus being able to sue for damages, but they didn't.

I am not surprised that you are using this as another excuse to attack a poster though.

To identify dishonesty is not attacking another poster.Anyway we are used to your resorting to this argument when you are on weak ground.

I dare say there is an audience for your theory that AOT is to blame for the airport closure.You didn't mention - but Siripon did - the suggestion there was a Redshirt influence on the decision.

Suffice it to say the Thai courts, the Prime Minister, International Safety Authorities, the local and international media etc etc all take a different view.

[jdinasia]

Hmmm according to the board of the AoT it is FACT that the AoT guy on the ground closed it. That he was wrong to do so. The AoT would have been far better off having blamed the PAD, and thus being able to sue for damages, but they didn't.

I am not surprised that you are using this as another excuse to attack a poster though.

To identify dishonesty is not attacking another poster.Anyway we are used to your resorting to this argument when you are on weak ground.

I dare say there is an audience for your theory that AOT is to blame for the airport closure.You didn't mention - but Siripon did - the suggestion there was a Redshirt influence on the decision.

Suffice it to say the Thai courts, the Prime Minister, International Safety Authorities, the local and international media etc etc all take a different view.

Not a theory ----

Straight from the "horse's mouths" .. The AOT board.

Your theory that the outcome would have been different hadn't the AOT chief on the ground at swampy just panicked, and instead followed protocol, or even stepped out and negotiated with the PAD at the time is a theory we will never know the accuracy of, since the AOT chief did panic. Who does the AOT blame, the PAD or the guy on the ground at Swampy?