Robert Amsterdam Not A Threat: Chalerm

[Lite Beer]

Robert Amsterdam not a threat: Chalerm

The Nation

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung on Friday defended his performance in allowing the entry of Canadian lawyer Robert Amsterdam despite alleged offence.

"The government does not see Amsterdam as security or social threat," he said referring to the lawyer's link to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the red shirts.

Chalerm said the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation had ordered the Immigration Police to ban Amsterdam's entry last June in the face of the political mayhem.

After the general election, a petition was lodged at Government House to revoke the entry ban, he said.

Following a review without political meddling, the Immigration Pollice agreed to grant entry for Amsterdam, he said. The lawyer has arrived since October 10.

In regard to the September complaint alleging Amsterdam to have offended the monarchy, police had forwarded the case to the Department of Special Investigation.

The DSI ruled on Wednesday that it found no evidence of lese majeste, hence returning the case to the Crime Suppression Division for further checks on other criminal offences.

The CSD has yet to draw a conclusion. Chalerm said Thai law enforcement authorities did not issued an arrest warrants nor filed any charges for Amsterdam as speculated.

-- The Nation 2011-10-14

[KKvampire]

Amsterdam was saying the sort of things that Chalerm would agree with on the Red TV channel this week, And of course he's a legal representative of a certain ex PM criminal , What a stain on the Canadian legal profession

[steveromagnino]

As long as they could sell him a Thai Elite Card and he has to pay a soapy surcharge, I can happily handle him being here; one assumes he enjoys spending time at his namesake on Rachada/Rama 9 Intersection.

If nothing else, he is charging his client an arm and a leg; hopefully he will invest that money back in Thailand. Particularly in the lucrative world war 2 bonds that Thaksin had supposedly discovered left over by the Japanese during his reign as PM. What ever happened to those???

[Jingthing]

Elections have consequences.

Who's next?

Edited October 14, 2011 by Jingthing

[ratcatcher]

As a Canadian I am embarrased by this.....................character. Period!

Edited October 14, 2011 by ratcatcher

[jayboy]

As long as they could sell him a Thai Elite Card and he has to pay a soapy surcharge, I can happily handle him being here; one assumes he enjoys spending time at his namesake on Rachada/Rama 9 Intersection.

If nothing else, he is charging his client an arm and a leg; hopefully he will invest that money back in Thailand. Particularly in the lucrative world war 2 bonds that Thaksin had supposedly discovered left over by the Japanese during his reign as PM. What ever happened to those???

Your last paragraph - Thaksin's Japanese treasure - is a useful reminder of what an idiot he could be, I mean seriously deranged !

Amsterdam is a different case.The usual response is to abuse him (anti Semitic poison in the case of one prominent Old Etonian Thai musician) without ever looking seriously at his arguments.The reality is that he is a heavy weight intellect and operator, unlike the some of his accusers (how can I put that more politely?)On the other hand he is paid for by Thaksin so that is in itself compromising.

Incidentally the Thai Government uses similar lobbyists/PR gurus - most recently in the odd case of the stranded Thai aircraft in Germany.

[geriatrickid]

As a Canadian I am embarrased by this.....................character. Period!

Apparently, the Canadian Bar does not share your views as he is considered a keynote speaker and an important "go to guy". The Canadian government doesn't share your views either. Both the previous Liberal and current Conservative governments have sought out his views. People have a short memory as this is the man that defended foreign investment interests in Venezuala against state meddling. (Remember the Four Seasons case?). This is the man that was the darling of human rights groups for his activity in Africa and this is the man that was lauded by foreign investors for taking on the corrupt Russian government in the Yukos case. Mr. Amsterdam is a competent professional that is well respected in the international law community. You may dislike his clients or his positions, but he is an effective champion on behalf of his clients.

FYI, Mr. Amsterdam was born in the USA and resides in the UK.

[philw]

As a Canadian I am embarrased by this.....................character. Period!

Apparently, the Canadian Bar does not share your views as he is considered a keynote speaker and an important "go to guy". The Canadian government doesn't share your views either. Both the previous Liberal and current Conservative governments have sought out his views. People have a short memory as this is the man that defended foreign investment interests in Venezuala against state meddling. (Remember the Four Seasons case?). This is the man that was the darling of human rights groups for his activity in Africa and this is the man that was lauded by foreign investors for taking on the corrupt Russian government in the Yukos case. Mr. Amsterdam is a competent professional that is well respected in the international law community. You may dislike his clients or his positions, but he is an effective champion on behalf of his clients.

FYI, Mr. Amsterdam was born in the USA and resides in the UK.

Nice one.

[rubl]

Robert A. is very clever in his choice of words.

"Amsterdam continued: “These are serious matters which require serious dialogue between all parties. The last thing that the Thai people need is to feel frightened and intimidated when they are speaking out about what happened on the streets of Bangkok in April and May 2010. As far as I know, there is no law in Thailand against requesting justice and urging accountability of the Army.”"

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lawyer-robert-amsterdam-responds-to-arrest-threats-from-democrat-party-of-thailand-2011-10-13

As far as I know there is no law in Thailand against requesting justice and urging accountability of the UDD leader group

[serenitynow]

Robert A. is very clever in his choice of words.

"Amsterdam continued: "These are serious matters which require serious dialogue between all parties. The last thing that the Thai people need is to feel frightened and intimidated when they are speaking out about what happened on the streets of Bangkok in April and May 2010. As far as I know, there is no law in Thailand against requesting justice and urging accountability of the Army.""

http://www.marketwat...land-2011-10-13

As far as I know there is no law in Thailand against requesting justice and urging accountability of the UDD leader group

Nature has a way of making the affairs of man seem rather small and petty by comparison. It is not by coincidence that this piece of filth was flown in this week. It's important for those that are nearly drowned and destitute to be reminde to focus on what's (who's) really important.

Edited October 14, 2011 by serenitynow

[Buchholz]

Anything relevant or even contemporary to add Buchholz, remember that?

Again, Totally, utterly

Once again, I was responding to a fellow member's request for information. You should also reply to jayboy's post who also responded to the same posted comment.

I additionally have other posts dealing with the specific thread topic.

How about you?

As long as they could sell him a Thai Elite Card and he has to pay a soapy surcharge, I can happily handle him being here; one assumes he enjoys spending time at his namesake on Rachada/Rama 9 Intersection.

If nothing else, he is charging his client an arm and a leg; hopefully he will invest that money back in Thailand. Particularly in the lucrative world war 2 bonds that Thaksin had supposedly discovered left over by the Japanese during his reign as PM. What ever happened to those???

The Gold Rush discoverer is in Parliament now...

This clown deserves a picture:

Pheu Thai Party MP Police Lieutenant Chaowarin Luttasaksiri

================================================================================

In one of his earlier shining examples of stellar intelligence, the man, who is also a former Deputy Education Minister (no bonus points for guessing in which Cabinet) :

April 18, 2001

Dream of treasure turns to nightmare for Thaksin

Gold fever was replaced by red faces in Thailand on Wednesday as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra faced a chorus of mockery for taking seriously claims the economy could be saved by a treasure trove hidden in a cave.

“No gold, no bills, only red faces,” was the banner headline in the Nation daily. “Thaksin exits cave, enters the real world.”

Controversial Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri started the gold rush last week by saying that 2,500 tonnes of World War Two booty left behind by the Japanese army was hidden in a cave near the Myanmar border, stashed inside a train and surrounded by the skeletons of Japanese soldiers who had committed hara-kiri.

http://blogs.reuters.com/andrew-marshall/2001/04/18/dream-of-treasure-turns-to-nightmare-for-thaksin/

=================================================================================

When Ratchaburi Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri announced that at last a lost gold hoard had been found in a cave in Kanchanaburi province he became an overnight national hero. He has held an unwavering belief for the past decade that the Japanese had stashed some US$25 Billion worth of gold towards the end of World War II. Despite never being able to show anything concrete previously, his assertion that this time it was definitely there and could be used to pay off the Thai national debt, he was believed.

Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra even made a whirlwind visit to the Lijia cave where the cache supposedly lay buried. Media attention was frenetic, this could pull Thailand out of its economic woes, and everything will be all right again, they said.

But as the days went on the situation became more and more bizarre. No gold surfaced but suddenly out of nowhere a US war bond turned up with a face value of US$100 Million, or a photocopy of one, supposedly part of a US$55 Billion haul still in the cave. Never mind that the US never printed any bonds that had a face value of more than US$10 Million. Never mind the fact that the bond had the signature of ex-treasury official Donald Regan, who wasn't around in 1934, when the bond was dated. These small facts just got in the way of a good story.

The Prime Minister started to distance himself from the alleged find, despite giving it credibility by turning up at the cave in the first place. The international press labelled Thaksin a dream merchant following the Lijia episode.

- ThaiNews / April 2001

=================================================================================

The lost treasure of Lijia Cave is now notorious as the biggest hoax in Thailand's history.

The fraud reeled in and some argue was abetted by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin flew to Lijia on the April 13 and after being privately shown evidence by Chaowarin, made vague pledges to enlist remote sensing satellites to probe the cave.

If the find was genuine, he told reporters, it could pay off the US$61 Billion national debt from the Crash of '97. A poll released after Thaksin's visit showed 62% of Thais believed the treasure was real.

"The whole thing is a symptom of a society in crisis," says Sunai Phasuk, a former history lecturer at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. With Thailand's economy still in sorry shape, he says, "people don't have much hope, so they want the quick fix, the pot of gold." To many the Prime Minister looked like a sucker.

Tales of Japanese war gold have floated around the Thai-Burma border for decades. According to Micool Brooke, author of The Treasure of the Samurai, Japanese war veterans were arrested several times digging for loot near the Death Railway. Last year, six Thais suffocated while searching Lijia Cave.

- Time Magazine / April 23, 2001

Edited October 14, 2011 by Buchholz

[KKvampire]

As a Canadian I am embarrased by this.....................character. Period!

Apparently, the Canadian Bar does not share your views as he is considered a keynote speaker and an important "go to guy". The Canadian government doesn't share your views either. Both the previous Liberal and current Conservative governments have sought out his views. People have a short memory as this is the man that defended foreign investment interests in Venezuala against state meddling. (Remember the Four Seasons case?). This is the man that was the darling of human rights groups for his activity in Africa and this is the man that was lauded by foreign investors for taking on the corrupt Russian government in the Yukos case. Mr. Amsterdam is a competent professional that is well respected in the international law community. You may dislike his clients or his positions, but he is an effective champion on behalf of his clients.

FYI, Mr. Amsterdam was born in the USA and resides in the UK.

All Pulled from his own website, what garbage, A Canadian Merceniary Lawyer who will do and say whatever his clients request of him.

[philw]

As a Canadian I am embarrased by this.....................character. Period!

Apparently, the Canadian Bar does not share your views as he is considered a keynote speaker and an important "go to guy". The Canadian government doesn't share your views either. Both the previous Liberal and current Conservative governments have sought out his views. People have a short memory as this is the man that defended foreign investment interests in Venezuala against state meddling. (Remember the Four Seasons case?). This is the man that was the darling of human rights groups for his activity in Africa and this is the man that was lauded by foreign investors for taking on the corrupt Russian government in the Yukos case. Mr. Amsterdam is a competent professional that is well respected in the international law community. You may dislike his clients or his positions, but he is an effective champion on behalf of his clients.

FYI, Mr. Amsterdam was born in the USA and resides in the UK.

All Pulled from his own website, what garbage, A Canadian Merceniary Lawyer who will do and say whatever his clients request of him.

Thats what lawyers do.................

[volk666]

Some people want us to search for truth in paid propaganda produced by a corporate lawyer? Seriously? Would you be also interested in buying a bridge over the flooded Ayutthaya?

I just want to see Democrats next move, they started provoking Chalerm to put the money where his mouth is and arrest Amsterdam knowing full well that Chalerm doesn't give a d*mn as long as the guy is paid by Thaksin. They wanted to catch Chalerm on not protecting the monarchy, he denied it, now what?

[OzMick]

As a Canadian I am embarrased by this.....................character. Period!

Apparently, the Canadian Bar does not share your views as he is considered a keynote speaker and an important "go to guy". The Canadian government doesn't share your views either. Both the previous Liberal and current Conservative governments have sought out his views. People have a short memory as this is the man that defended foreign investment interests in Venezuala against state meddling. (Remember the Four Seasons case?). This is the man that was the darling of human rights groups for his activity in Africa and this is the man that was lauded by foreign investors for taking on the corrupt Russian government in the Yukos case. Mr. Amsterdam is a competent professional that is well respected in the international law community. You may dislike his clients or his positions, but he is an effective champion on behalf of his clients.

FYI, Mr. Amsterdam was born in the USA and resides in the UK.

All Pulled from his own website, what garbage, A Canadian Merceniary Lawyer who will do and say whatever his clients request of him.

Thats what lawyers do.................

Telling lies in court will get a lawyer disbarred very rapidly. Mr Amsterdam solves that problem by telling his lies out of court. Remember the "missing red-shirt skeletons" a complete and utter distortion of truth, a bald-faced lie laid directly at his door.

[OzMick]

I know this is probably a silly question, but has anybody actually read his book "Massacre in Bangkok"? I havn't, and have no intention of doing so (the first lie is in the title !) but it apparently caused somebody to file a lesse majeste complaint. It would certainly be interesting to know if that was justified.

Yes, I know that the DSI has said it wasn't, but I hold that decision with the same amount of credibility as Thaksin's and the red-shirts' claims to have done nothing wrong.

Edited October 14, 2011 by OzMick

[Jingthing]

He was born in the USA but he's a Canuck citizen.

[MAJIC]

name='serenitynow' timestamp='1318600909' post='4765436']

name='rubl' timestamp='1318600443' post='4765427']

Robert A. is very clever in his choice of words.

"Amsterdam continued: "These are serious matters which require serious dialogue between all parties. The last thing that the Thai people need is to feel frightened and intimidated when they are speaking out about what happened on the streets of Bangkok in April and May 2010. As far as I know, there is no law in Thailand against requesting justice and urging accountability of the Army.""

http://www.marketwat...land-2011-10-13

As far as I know there is no law in Thailand against requesting justice and urging accountability of the UDD leader group

Nature has a way of making the affairs of man seem rather small and petty by comparison. It is not by coincidence that this piece of filth was flown in this week. It's important for those that are nearly drowned and destitute to be reminde to focus on what's (who's) really important.

And isn't it also odd, that the most ghastly lying creeps on the Planet,

have always got the right ugly features to fit their slimy trade?

Edited October 14, 2011 by MAJIC

[george]

Thread closed pending moderation.