Pheu Thai Gets Some Behind-The-Scenes Support

[Lite Beer]

OPINION

Thinking anew: Pheu Thai gets some behind-the-scenes support

By Chularat Saengpassa

The Nation on Sunday

Former Thai Rak Thai strategist Phumtham Wechayachai doesn't deny his talents for politics but says he's respecting the terms of his five-year ban

A former executive of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party, Phumtham Wechayachai has been banned from engaging in official political activities since 2007. He's not even allowed to vote. He does, however, have the right to speak and with a general election just two weeks away, his name is inevitably cropping up in news reports.

That's not just because Phumtham is a shrewd political observer but also because Pheu Thai Party's ongoing election campaigns cannot help but bring to mind those of Thai Rak Thai (TRT), for which the former deputy transport minister was a key strategist.

Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's youngest sister and the Pheu Thai prime-ministerial candidate, kicked off her political debut with the catchy slogan, "I am here to solve problems, not to seek revenge". Her party also has talked adopted the "Think Anew, Do Anew, Pheu Thai Again" lobby, which is almost identical to the TRT's "Think Anew, Do Anew" concept.

Last but not least, the Pheu Thai Party has now announced, "Thaksin Thinks, Pheu Thai Does, People Behind the Scenes support". So, quite naturally, political punters are drawing the conclusion that Phumtham is among those people behind the scenes.

In a recent interview with The Nation, Phumtham gave a non-committal smile when asked if that were true, but said he had no intention of hiding his past experience or his talent for achieving some real "political impacts".

"I had a fair amount of political potential," he says.

However, he flatly denies any suggestion that he had been involved in politics since the Constitutional Court ruled to ban him from politics for five years.

He has even made a point of avoiding social events so as to avoid potential upsets. "I don't want people to look at me and think 'here comes the troublemaker'," stresses the former TRT deputy secretary general.

But Phumtham has no intention of walking around with his head bowed.

"I've let my political rivals use their potential to solve problems in our society. But if they are going to chase us into a tight corner, we (he, Dr Prommin Lertsirudej and Phansak Winyarat) are going to fight back," he warns.

Court battles would be the first step and indeed lawsuits have already been filed against People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader Sondhi Limthongkul.

The yellow-shirt leader accused Phumtham of undermining the democracy and the monarchy, an allegation that the courts have found groundless. With a guilty verdict from both the Criminal Court and the Court of Appeals, Sondhi is now appealing to the Supreme Court in his bid to try to evade a six-month jail term.

Phumtham has agreed to drop his defamation against the Democrat Party and its key members, though.

"I've decided to be forgiving after Democrat Party spokesman Dr Buranat Samudharak wrote to me," he says, but does not elaborate as to what further steps he would take if he continues to be cornered.

Political observers consider Phumtham, 58, a powerful force. Red shirt leaders Natthawut Saikua and Jatuporn Promphan used to be his close aides and he admits that given his personal connections with certain Pheu Thai politicians, it's simply not possible to remain quiet all the time.

"But I have tried to not engage in the party's activities. Of course, I'm not comfortable with the political ban. But I have always been determined to accept it because I want the tension in the country to ease," he says.

He also dismisses any suggestion that he has told Natthawut and Jatuporn what to do over the past few years.

"They are more capable than I. I couldn't control hundreds of thousand people the way they can," he says.

Phumtham may not have been addressing the crowds from a stage but he was one of the key men behind the immense success of the TRT, which spawned the red-shirt movement.

And Phumtham was with Thaksin when the former PM decided to set up a new political party. According to many, Phumtham decided to use his marketing communication skills for the TRT and this worked like magic.

"I have a lot of admiration for Thaksin," says the former student leader said, "But my future does not depend on him".

Phumtham's five-year political ban will expire in May, after which he is expected to jump into politics once again.

He demurs, however, saying it's too early to comment on his political future but acknowledging that he has continued to monitoring political development all these years because he's been worried about the country.

Twitter users will know that that Phumtham regularly offers his political views via his @Phumtham account. Many of the comments are clearly attacks on the policies of the Democrat-led government. Yet, Phumtham insists his comments are made in the nation's best interests.

"I don't go to social-media networks for malicious purposes. I don't hold ill will towards anybody. I just think that I should make some comments because these may help uphold justice and promote the right things," he says.

-- The Nation 2011-06-19

[Emptyset]

This chap is another ex-CPT leftist guerrilla from the October 76 generation that seems to have lost his way (along with Dr Prommin Lertsirudej mentioned in the report). I slightly prefer the former leftists that joined Thaksin to the ones that joined PAD. But in the end they're both wrong. Both wrong but not completely wrong, of course.

[MILT]

He also dismisses any suggestion that he has told Natthawut and Jatuporn what to do over the past few years.

"They are more capable than I. I couldn't control hundreds of thousand people the way they can," he says.

I love these statements. Control to site violence? Control to Burn Bangkok down? Control over the Ninja fighters? I'm taking a nap

[animatic]

We always knew the TRT War Room was quietly pulling strings

day in and day out for their master, that Kuhn T.

This is in no way a surprise.

Edited June 19, 2011 by animatic

[lungmi]

He also dismisses any suggestion that he has told Natthawut and Jatuporn what to do over the past few years.

"They are more capable than I. I couldn't control hundreds of thousand people the way they can," he says.

I love these statements. Control to site violence? Control to Burn Bangkok down? Control over the Ninja fighters? I'm taking a nap

The maoist roadmap:

1. Examine contradictions in the society.

2. Use these contradictions to create the "canon fodder" by recruiting underprivledged people.

3.A Give them training camps to be national heroes for their ideology (save the goods against the bads)

3.B. Or pay them.

4. Create special elite groups outside the mouvement. The task force for special intervention

5. Undermine the system by academics, lawyers, journalists, medias and so on. (and pay them if they not belong to 3A)

[animatic]

He also dismisses any suggestion that he has told Natthawut and Jatuporn what to do over the past few years.

"They are more capable than I. I couldn't control hundreds of thousand people the way they can," he says.

I love these statements. Control to site violence? Control to Burn Bangkok down? Control over the Ninja fighters? I'm taking a nap

The maoist roadmap:

1. Examine contradictions in the society.

2. Use these contradictions to create the "canon fodder" by recruiting underprivledged people.

3.A Give them training camps to be national heroes for their ideology (save the goods against the bads)

3.B. Or pay them.

4. Create special elite groups outside the mouvement. The task force for special intervention

5. Undermine the system by academics, lawyers, journalists, medias and so on. (and pay them if they not belong to 3A)

Ah yes

Insurrection: Routes To Absolute Power ; 101

Classes daily at Thaksin University.

[lungmi]

He also dismisses any suggestion that he has told Natthawut and Jatuporn what to do over the past few years.

"They are more capable than I. I couldn't control hundreds of thousand people the way they can," he says.

I love these statements. Control to site violence? Control to Burn Bangkok down? Control over the Ninja fighters? I'm taking a nap

The maoist roadmap:

1. Examine contradictions in the society.

2. Use these contradictions to create the "canon fodder" by recruiting underprivledged people.

3.A Give them training camps to be national heroes for their ideology (save the goods against the bads)

3.B. Or pay them.

4. Create special elite groups outside the mouvement. The task force for special intervention

5. Undermine the system by academics, lawyers, journalists, medias and so on. (and pay them if they not belong to 3A)

Ah yes

Insurrection: Routes To Absolute Power ; 101

Classes daily at Thaksin University.

Absolute power?

In Euope Thaksin"s University would be closed.

I hear about "freedom of press" is oppressed in Thailand, specially by "reporters without borders", I like them, I had astudent to work with them, now. A good organisation.

The problem is really "censorship in Thailand". Non instructed and technical qualified people of the governement (not only this gouverment) cut in an all around vision everything they suppose, LM suspicions and so on,, for them quests for breaching the peace and open discussions are at the same level.

I read censored Pracha Thai, open discussion, but some stupid comments, we have in TVF the same. That the voice of the Thai Bin Laden , his name starts with A ...., is under censorship, I agree.. His friend, his name J........., will be Interior Minsister, or Minister of Justice?

[tlansford]

He also dismisses any suggestion that he has told Natthawut and Jatuporn what to do over the past few years.

"They are more capable than I. I couldn't control hundreds of thousand people the way they can," he says.

I love these statements. Control to site violence? Control to Burn Bangkok down? Control over the Ninja fighters? I'm taking a nap

Just a remark off the mark...

Perhaps burning Central World was not a reasonable thing to do, but it is perfectly understandable. I recognize that there are some questions about who really started the fires, but even if it were the red shirt protesters, it is understandable as it was a significant symbol.

In the end, the dead protesters are still dead, and Central World re-opened just a few months later...

When I go to Bangkok, I stay near Central World. Last summer I was fortunate enough to arrive on the day of a red shirt protest, and I can tell you, besides a bit of a traffic jam, it was great. No problems, people were happy, and the street vendors did a great business that day.

And back to the subject, if the guy keeps to his political ban, then <deleted>. It's ok, right? Certainly there are things he can do with his energy and intelligence That's is his choice and he seems to be exercising it.

[tlansford]

This chap is another ex-CPT leftist guerrilla from the October 76 generation that seems to have lost his way (along with Dr Prommin Lertsirudej mentioned in the report). I slightly prefer the former leftists that joined Thaksin to the ones that joined PAD. But in the end they're both wrong. Both wrong but not completely wrong, of course.

What makes them wrong?

[moe666]

As with most leftist good talk but then after gaining power they will shut out the little guy unless you tow the party line. Also with the right wing as well.

Edited June 19, 2011 by moe666