Newspaper, Internet Site Gagged By Thaksin

[haha]

just curious...

I have many friends who own property in thailand.

do you think they should be concerned if a "coup" occurs?

personally, I was thinking of buying a condo here in the near future. but I'm wondering about the logic of doing that now.

[Jai Dee]

SPOKESMAN OF THE ROYAL THAI ARMY DISMISSES RUMOURS ABOUT POSSIBLE COUP WITHIN ARMY

Spokesman of the Royal Thai Army Akhara Thipharoj (อัคร ทิพโรจน์) dismissed reports of a possible coup with the Thai Army. He said the rumour was groundless.

He added that Royal Thai Army abides to its duty under the Democracy Act and that the head of the Royal Thai Army wants to see the army from all units to work as a team.

The spokesperson also said the media should be professional athical as such reports can cause damage to the reputation of the Thai Army in addition to creating confusion amongst the public.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 24 November 2005

[The_Other_Mac]

just curious...

I have many friends who own property in thailand.

do you think they should be concerned if a "coup" occurs?

personally, I was thinking of buying a condo here in the near future.  but I'm wondering about the logic of doing that now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. Bear in mind that Thailand's economy boomed the strongest while under military dictatorship. Life will go on as normal (unless you're unfortunate or foolish enough to be in the line of fire).

[bulmercke]

just curious...

I have many friends who own property in thailand.

do you think they should be concerned if a "coup" occurs?

personally, I was thinking of buying a condo here in the near future.  but I'm wondering about the logic of doing that now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All this talk of a coup is ridiculous - and as the The Nation reported today, it appears to have been instigated by Thaksin himself or one of his "lieutenants".

But it does give the government an excuse to label all supporters of Sondthi as "pro-revolution", anti-Thaksin "trouble-makers" hel_l-bent on bringing about a coup and ultimately a change of government.

Of course, this is rubbish, but it is none the less very convenient for the government to label Sondthi and his supporters this way.

It gives them the mandate to deal harshly with these "unpatriotic" felons intent on bringing down a "democratically" elected government.

Krue See.....Tak Bai.....Lumpini (probably not.....but if they could get away with it.....they would).

Anyway, if Sondthi remains at large and does appear at Lumpini tomorrow, expect a very, very tense situation.

[Jai Dee]

Well, the situation seems to have been defused by the courts last night... I heard on the radio this morning that the gag order against Sonthi has been lifted, but I believe the rally tonight in Lumpini Park is still planned to go ahead.

I will post updates as they become available.

[udon]

More info here http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf...71228%26par%3D0

I would certainly steer clear of the rally in Lumpini Park today..... some of the TRT thugs may cause trouble.

Edited November 25, 2005 by udon

[andyfletch]

In the Bangkok Post today:

MEDIA RESTRAINING ORDER EASED

Court allows Sondhi some space to criticise Thaksin

The Civil Court yesterday partially lifted an order restraining Manager Daily founder Sondhi Limthongkul, his media firms and executives from criticising Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The court said Mr Thaksin was a public figure and Mr Sondhi and the nine other parties, as members of the media, had the right under the constitution to monitor his work and present news.

They can now criticise Mr Thaksin over his family and relatives, his alleged conflicting business interests, his alleged use of the people's resources and his alleged plan to sell his shares and leave the country.

They still cannot distribute the tape recordings of their 1st, 3rd and 4th mobile Thailand Weekly talk shows, or criticise Mr Thaksin for his activities before he came to power, such as his close ties to the late supreme commander and 1991 coup leader Gen Sunthorn Kongsompong which allegedly secured him the Thaicom satellite and mobile phone concessions.

On Nov 17, the court accepted a lawsuit filed by the prime minister's lawyer, Thana Benjathikul, against Thaiday Dot Com Co, its executives Supachai Wongworachaset, Jittanart Limthongkul, Patchara Samudavanija and Khunthong Lorserivanich, Thailand Weekly talk show co-hosts Mr Sondhi and Sarocha Porn-udomsak, Manager Media Group Plc and executives Saowalak Thiranujanyong and Panjapat Angkhasuwan.

The lawsuit sought one billion baht in compensation from the 10 for allegedly accusing the prime minister between September and October of helping a Shinawatra family-owned company acquire a Thaicom satellite concession.

The court then ordered the 10 to place a two-million-baht damages deposit, stop criticising Mr Thaksin and stop distributing the tape recordings of their 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th mobile Thailand Weekly shows.

In Yasothon, the provincial court yesterday rejected a request by a Yasothon police officer to issue a warrant for the arrest of Mr Sondhi and Ms Sarocha on lese majeste charges.

``The accused directly criticised the prime minister. They sometimes referred to the Royal Family, which is deemed improper. However, this is not considered lese majeste according to article 112 of the Criminal Code,'' the court ruling said.

Suwat Jitjan, chairman of the Law Society of Yasothon, said the court made the right decision.

In Udon Thani, Mr Sondhi yesterday went to Wat Pa Ban Tad to meet the temple's abbot Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno. The revered monk invited Mr Sondhi and Mr Thaksin to see him so he could ask the two to reconcile.

Mr Thaksin did not show up.

Luangta Maha Bua said Mr Sondhi had not committed any offence against His Majesty the King and he could continue with his campaign to prevent the country being further damaged. Mr Thaksin's multi-million baht lawsuits against Mr Sondhi were not justified, the monk said.

Before Mr Sondhi's arrival at the temple, two men had a brawl after one caught the other removing banners he had put up with messages criticising Mr Sondhi.

[Jai Dee]

BURNING ISSUE: Round 10 at lumpini: will it be a knockout?

Published on November 25, 2005

A large crowd is expected to attend Sondhi’s show in Bangkok amid expectations of further anti-government revelations.

All eyes will be on “Muang Thai Rai Sapda” (Thailand Weekly) talk show at Lumpini Park today to see media tycoon and critic Sondhi Limthongkul’s rally against the prime minister.

The size of the crowd that gathers at Lumpini Park will be an indicator of the fate of both men.

Sondhi’s massive Friday rallies have grown bigger and bigger since his television programme was cancelled by Channel 9. The number of spectators has grown from hundreds to tens of thousands.

There are high expectations that Sondhi will disclose more government controversies today. And if he doesn’t, it would disappoint his fans and could erode soaring interest in what he’ll say.

Last Friday’s event was claimed to be the biggest anti-Thaksin rally in Bangkok since the PM came to power in 2001. Some reporters put the crowd at about 40,000 but the Manager website claimed 80,000. Wet weather may have kept many more from attending.

Today’s programme is the 10th and a big crowd is expected. Sondhi has been all out to boost his support by mobilising as big an audience as possible. He has claimed up to 200,000 could attend. Hundreds of thousands more are likely to watch a live broadcast via manager.co.th website and the ASTV1 cable channel broadcast via satellite.

The crowds attending the shows have shocked Thaksin. He is afraid of them – that’s why he has tried to silence Sondhi by all means.

Last Thursday, a lawyer for the prime minister won a court order to gag Sondhi. But the media tycoon was not intimidated. He made more disturbing revelations – that Thaksin’s younger sister Monthatip had been allowed to use a state aircraft to carry relatives and friends from Bangkok to Chiang Mai to attend a party to celebrate her birthday and inaugurate her new home.

Yesterday, there was a further move to try to block Sondhi from getting on stage. A senior Yasothon police officer asked a local court to approve an arrest warrant for Sondhi and his co-host Sarocha Pornudomsak after accusing both of them of lese majeste during their previous talk shows. But the court dismissed the request.

Several days ago there was talk of a coup d’etat being hatched and that Sondhi’s Friday gatherings were a rehearsal to oust Thaksin.

But it seems more likely that Deputy Transport Minister Phumtham Wechayachai’s comments were simply aimed at stopping people attending Sondhi’s show. Such talk may have been designed to scare people away from an anti-government rally, by suggesting things may become violent.

Earlier in the week, top military officers moved to subdue Sondhi, which drew criticism as to whether such acts were appropriate.

Supreme Commander General Ruengroj Mahasaranond, a close associate of Thaksin’s cousin and former Supreme Commander Chaisit Shinawatra, gave a direct warning to Sondhi to stop invoking the monarchy – or he would face the wrath of the military.

This followed an open letter to Sondhi from Maj-General Pruen Suwannathat, commander of the Royal Guard’s 1st Infantry Division and a former classmate of the PM, who also called on the government critic to leave the monarchy out of his personal quarrel with Thaksin.

The irony is, the more the PM tries to subdue his opponent, the bigger his audiences get. People are curious about what Sondhi will say next. Many may have heard about some scandals but just enjoy a free debate on what it all means.

The premier may well be fearful of what other controversies his former friend will reveal. More wounds could be opened today. The most scary for the PM is what Sondhi might tell the public about his family – and that could prompt strong retaliation.

Source: The Nation - Fri, November 25, 2005

[Jai Dee]

Thai court lets foe criticize PM

Ruling is latest salvo between publisher, Thaksin

Friday, November 25, 2005 Posted: 0000 GMT (0800 HKT)

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- A Thai court on Thursday rejected a request for an arrest warrant for a newspaper publisher who has relentlessly accused Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of corruption and abuse of power, while a separate court lifted part of a gag order preventing him from criticizing the Thai leader.

The decisions were partial victories for Sondhi Limthongkul in his escalating war of words with Thaksin, which has contributed to recent fissures in the prime minister's once-invincible administration and triggered concerns about possible political instability.

Thaksin -- whose party won an overwhelming victory in parliamentary elections just nine months ago -- has come under increasing pressure over several issues, including his handling of a bloody Muslim insurgency in the country's south and the privatization of state enterprises.

Thaksin had sought the gag order along with damages of 1 billion baht (US$24.3 million; euro20.8 million) from Sondhi and nine associates for allegedly defaming him.

The order, issued last week, was partially lifted Thursday by Bangkok's Civil Court, said Sondhi's lawyer, Suwat Apaipakdi. He said criticism of Thaksin's actions as prime minister will now be allowed because he is accountable as a public servant.

But remarks about Thaksin's activities before he became prime minister are still barred, he said. Sondhi will continue to seek to have the injunction entirely revoked, he said.

Sondhi has charged that Thaksin, a telecommunications tycoon before becoming prime minister, made corrupt deals with the government to obtain various business concessions which made him one of the country's richest men.

He has also accused Thaksin of abusing his power as prime minister and usurping the king's rights by allegedly conducting an improper religious ceremony in Bangkok's Temple of the Emerald Buddha, an area restricted to King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his family.

Sondhi's mention of the monarchy -- an institution deeply revered by most Thais -- greatly intensified emotions on both sides of the political dispute.

Police in northeastern Thailand applied to a court in Yasothon province for warrants against Sondhi and journalist Sarocha Phon-udomsu, claiming they had committed lese-majeste -- the crime of insulting the monarchy -- by referring to the king in their criticisms of Thaksin.

Any action or words considered insulting to the monarch is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Several senior army officers also issued public warnings to Sondhi, contributing to an atmosphere of unease because of the history of frequent interventions by the Thai military in politics in the past.

Thaksin has been at odds with the press since taking office in 2001. Critics say his administration has manipulated press coverage, forced the cancellation of TV and radio shows that criticized him, and colluded with political and business allies to take over media companies to eliminate independent news outlets.

However, some reports say personal and business differences between Thaksin and Sondhi may also be behind their feud.

[Insight]

If something big doesn't happen this Friday, it'll be next Friday, or the Friday after, and so on...

Many Thais I know want to go tonight, but feel intimidated by the possibility it could all go off. Can't blame 'em really.

[Highwayman]

I hear people say watch it on television but we haven't been able to get ASTV1 on our cable feed for days now since it was pulled. They also say many thousands will watch it on the net but that can't be right. Few people in Thailand would have a fast enough internet connection to watch streaming video surely.

Maybe l've missed it but has Chuwit had anything to say on all of this?

[JRinger]

August 6, 2005: Thaksin speaks about the free press Prime Minister Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra gave a speech at the 15th General Assembly of the Confederation of Asean Journalists in Bangkok. As PM Thaksin and his party operatives are constantly being criticized for their attempts to control the TV and print media, it was a remarkable speech.

Dr. Shinawatra said he was proud that Thailand's press was among the freest in the region. "This is clearly demonstrated by the local newspapers' freedom to criticize me as they please, and they often exercise such freedom with relish. ... The media's criticial analysis is crucial ... Any society with one version of the truth is condemned to go down in history [in a negative way]." [unquote)

Looks like you're alone on this one

Edited November 25, 2005 by JRinger

[The_Other_Mac]

Few people in Thailand would have a fast enough internet connection to watch streaming video surely.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The slow internet speeds that we are all familiar with, are due to content coming from overseas. The international connection is the bottleneck. Note that many, perhaps even most websites about Thailand are hosted overseas, for various reasons such as reliability, cost, and decent English-speaking technical support. It makes no difference whether your website name is .com or .th - either can be located anywhere in the world.

However if a webmaster plans to stream video to viewers within Thailand, they would be crazy to use a server anywhere other than within Thailand. There are various video-on-demand services available (Thai soundtrack), and I'm told they are actually fairly usable on a True connection.

[george]

Perfect streaming quality here (so far...):

http://www.manager.co.th/thailandweekly/

Click on the upper right LIVE banner.

[kenk3z]

To me it seems the whole idea of starting rumors of a "coup" (or just references to it) has to do with intimidating people not to show up at Lumpini for the talk show. I doubt there is anything involved on the part of Sorocha and Sonthi other than freedom of the press to the extent of uncovering corruption.

I don't know why the PM doesn't take the following strategy about these accusations:

1) "I didn't do it. There can be no proof of this because I didn't do it."

or

2) "Yes, I did do this, and I can see how it gives the impression of corruption. I'm sorry. I won't do this again.

Why try to suppress the press? Does the PM really need that much more money than he already has?

kenk3z

[Jai Dee]

LUMPINI RALLY: Sondhi: Wissanu is a liar

TRT calls urgent press conference as fierce critic delivers more body blows. It may not have been a knockout punch, but media tycoon Sondhi Limthong-kul delivered a few serious blows to the authorities last night during his broadcast to his weekly anti-government rally at Lumpini Park.

The highlight of his speech was a claim that the Supreme Patriarch was fit enough to perform his duties when Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam appointed another monk in a caretaker role.

In a speech beamed to the park in central Bangkok from Wat Pa Baan Tad in Udon Thani province, the media tycoon showed a video clip of the Supreme Patriarch at a drawing and essay competition held to mark his 90th birthday. Sondhi claimed the video was recorded on January 13, 2004, the same day that Wissanu issued the order to appoint the caretaker patriarch.

The audience at Sondhi’s 10th “Thailand Weekly” talk show was estimated at more than 50,000, significantly more than the number at the session last week.

“Wissanu Krea-ngam is a big-time liar,” shouted Sondhi, referring to the deputy PM’s claim that the Supreme Patriarch was no longer fit to carry on. Critics have accused the government of having a hidden agenda with regard to the appointment.

In his second punch of the night, Sondhi claimed that the C-130 aircraft that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s sister used to fly her friends and relatives from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on November 14 was specially chartered.

Sondhi showed a copy of a document containing a list of regular Air Force flights on that day and reiterated that there were flights to other provinces, but not Chiang Mai.

“This obscene flight also installed 20 VIP seats and ordinary people who could otherwise fly [as the government claimed] were thrown out. They’re just lying.”

The media mogul went on to attack Thaksin for purchasing a special plane for official duties, dubbed Air Force One. He said it was inappropriate because, even in Britain, such a purchase was turned down in favour of extra security for Queen Elizabeth II.

Sondhi also claimed that police officers in all the provinces in the Northeast had been instructed to issue arrest warrants against him and Sarocha Porn-udomsak, his “Thailand Weekly” co-host, to stop them addressing the crowds. He said the order was an abuse of state power.

“This is how the state power is used. Do the police serve the people or Thaksin Shinawatra? They’re using all the police to sue me but let me ask, do the police have anything better to do?”

Sondhi said that those close to the PM had “freaked out” when they saw the size of the crowd at Lumpini Park.

“They didn’t realise that so many people hated them,” he told the cheering audience through the numerous video monitors in the park.

Countering Sondhi’s aircraft allegation last night, Air Force chief-of-staff ACM Sukampol Suwannathat said the flight of Thaksin’s sister Monthathip Kovitcharoenkul was not exclusively arranged for the group.

“It was a special flight originally set for Air Force cadets and students of the National Defence College on a study tour to Chiang Mai. The guests of the PM’s sister joined in later,” he said.

Sukampol warned Sondhi to be careful about falsely accusing other people and turning the public against them.

“He is just a big-mouth critic. Let him go on and one day the world will know the truth,” Sukampol said.

Meanwhile, the Thai Rak Thai Party’s spokesman’s office sent SMS messages to reporters yesterday to notify them that the party will hold a press conference today.

A source said the party wanted to counter fresh allegations made by Sondhi. The ruling party normally only holds press conferences on Sundays and after its weekly meeting on Tuesday.

Source: The Nation - November 26, 2005

[Jai Dee]

Sondhi broadcasts show from temple after ‘threat on his life’

An hour before Sondhi Limthongkul’s weekly anti-government tirade was scheduled to begin yesterday evening, people were already massing at Lumpini Park. Most of them did not know that, unlike during previous talk shows, the outspoken critic would not appear in person.

Yet that did not deter a crowd of more than 50,000 from staying and listening to his “Muang Thai Rai Sapda” (Thailand Weekly) political show – beamed from Wat Pa Ban Tat in Udon Thani.

Many people who spoke to The Nation said they did not mind that Sondhi was broadcasting his show from afar, saying they wanted to offer moral support anyway to the senior journalist and his co-host Sarocha Porn-udomsak.

Sondhi told yesterday’s audience that there had been a threat on his life and speculated that people in power had been behind it. He said this was why he was holding his talk show from the well-guarded temple.

“They are following me and a team of assassins has been set up,” he said from the temple run by revered senior monk Luangta Maha Bua, who is sympathetic to Sondhi. “There’s an ongoing attempt to eliminate me. They think if I’m gone, the movement will lose a leader.”

To stress his point, Sondhi showed footage of Luangta Maha Bua, the temple’s abbot, saying that Sondhi and Sarocha were in danger.

At the temple, only those with entry cards were allowed inside and more than 100 journalists covering Sondhi’s show were prohibited from entering. A source said that the security precautions during the show had been ordered by Luangta Maha Bua. The temple’s gates were sealed off and the premises were guarded by more than 20 policemen.

Security measures were equally tough at Lumpini Park. People entering the compound were randomly searched and police and city officials used metal detectors to screen entrants. More than 1,000 police officers were dispatched to keep order during the talk show.

The huge crowd in the Bangkok park watched a live telecast of the show on large screens. But many people in the audience complained about the poor quality of the sound.

Sondhi told his audience in the park that next Friday’s show would be cancelled because a parade would be held at the Royal Plaza in honour of His Majesty the King ahead of his birthday on December 5.

He said his show would resume on December 9. He called for half a million participants. “Brothers and sisters, it’s time to rise up! It’s time to show this government that they no longer have any mandate to rule.”

Source: The Nation - November 26, 2005

[Jai Dee]

THAILAND WEEKLY’ STILL DRAWING CROWDS DESPITE WARNING

Muang Thai Rai Sapda or Thailand Weekly talk show has been drawing huge crowds despite warnings from the ruling party which has been accusing founder of Manager Newspaper Sonthi Limthongkul (นายสนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล) of defaming PM Thaksin Shinawatra. At Lumpini Hall in Lumpini park, the programme, even without Mr Sondhi in person, drew more than 50,000 people who watched him on four big screens installed in and outside the hall. The area was dotted with banners criticising the prime minister and the state enterprise privatisation policy. Shirts bearing the message "Fight for the King" and messages opposing privatisation were on sale.

The police officers were presented at the park to provide safety visitors.

Speaking live from Udon Thani province which was broadcast live to Lumpini park yesterday, Mr Sondhi countered explanations by Thai Rak Thai spokesman Sita Divari and air force chief-of-staff ACM Sukampol Suwanathat on the use of the C-130 plane that took Mrs Monthathip's guests to her birthday and housewarming party in Doi Saket district, Chiang Mai, on Nov 14.

However, the show will be cancelled on nexzt Friday due to the H.M. King Bhumibol's birthday on the 5th of December and will continue on the 9th December, where the media tycoon also insisted that in the next show he will unveil some of the facts behind corruption scandals of several ministers.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 26 November 2005

[Golf]

Go, Sonthi, go!

Golf

[Ricardo]

First it was a regular weekly-scheduled military flight, now it's a one-off specially-chartered flight, either way the PM's family & friends are alleged to have flown for free , at the taxpayers' expense.

I wonder why she didn't just fly her friends up on Air Asia - if she wanted to give them a 'freebie' ?

I've also heard that the number of attendees at Lumpini Park was closer to 150,000 than 50,000. There were also at least 200 at the meeting in Taksin's home-town of Chiang Mai, which was held outside the Manager-Group's local-office, the one which called the cops last week after a suspected bombing (which the police rapidly decided had been an off-course firework).

Let's hope it all stays peaceful, for everyone's sake

Edited November 26, 2005 by Ricardo

[Sandstone Art]

When the rich gets richer, they get more stingy.

I suspect that someone must be trying to be in the good book by booking the free flight for PM's sister and guests

Now, it looks like a very bad case of backfire

[udon]

Does anyone have a pic of Sondhi Limthongkul and his co-presenter?

[francois]

hi'

“Brothers and sisters, it’s time to rise up! It’s time to show this government that they no longer have any mandate to rule.”

haa, I was waiting fot this for so long, someone who dare to open his mouth loudly to say who try to cheat Thai people ...

it looks like the beginning of what some used to call "revolution"

francois

[francois]

Does anyone have a pic of Sondhi Limthongkul and his co-presenter?

one I found ...

francois

[francois]

High ranked Monk give shelter to Sondhi :

By David Ogan 25 November 2005 16:46

The revered abbot of Wat Pha Ban Tad pledged his support and his life to defend outspoken government critic Sondhi Limthongkul while the talk show host was visiting the Udon Thani temple yesterday.

Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno announced that Sondhi was under his protection after rumors of a plot to snatch and murder the veteran journalist surfaced.

Sondhi was at the temple at the monk’s invitation. Luangta Maha Bua last week invited both Sondhi and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Udon Thani to broker a truce between the two men at the center of a national conflict between the government and its critics.

After Sondhi arrived at the temple on Wednesday afternoon, he remained suspiciously confined to his room until yesterday, skipping a morning sermon given by Luangta Maha Bua.

The monk reiterated concerns for Sondhi’s safety that were first broached by Sondhi’s attorney on Wednesday.

Suwat Apaipakdi, Sondhi’s lawyer in the various libel lawsuits filed against him by Thaksin, said at the Civil Court on Wednesday that Sondhi could not accompany Sarosha Pornudomsak, co-host of Thailand This Week, to petition their gag order due to security concerns.

The abbot said that, as long as Sondhi was at his temple, the talk show host was under the umbrella of his protection.

“I was told that there was a secret plan to abduct Sondhi while he was on temple grounds to bring him to be murdered,” said Luangta Maha Bua during yesterday’s sermon.

“Sondhi is now under my power of protection because I invited him here and that is my responsibility.”

The monk said he would lay down his life to defend Sondhi as the political commentator had become an important national figure.

“I offer my head as insurance for the safety of Sondhi while he is here.

“Sondhi has now become a person for the nation and if he dies then it means the death of everyone in the country as well.”

When Sondhi emerged yesterday afternoon, he paid homage to the monk and challenged Thaksin to appear on national television to explain the various issues that were irking the public.

“The prime minister should appear on television to answer all the questions I have asked him,” said Sondhi. “If the public can watch it then they can decide for themselves.”

francois

[bulmercke]

I attended the rally at Lumpini on Friday out of interest and to show my support for Sondhi - even though I'm a foreigner.

It really didn't matter that Sondhi was broadcasting from elsewhere - UdonThani - as the majority of those present listened to his speech on the large video monitors errected outside the hall.

The set-up was quite professional with large lanterns providing light and the sound quality was good despite some criticism from some who were evidently not present at the meet.

Those attending - Sondhi's supporters - were - without exception - civil and responsible members of Thai society - from all walks of life - young and old a like - who had simply come to listen to Sondhi and express their support for a brave individual who has the temerity and strength to stand up to this authoritarian government and the gross abuses of power that have resulted in endemic corruption, the rendering useless of government bodies, by the selective appointment of politically motivated nominees, the curtailment of free speech in the media - television - radio - and the majority of newspapers and the arrogant, determined and ruthless punishment and supression of any who dare to challenge the current intolerant state of affairs in this country.

More than anything, a sweeping sense of frustration and outrage, and an inherent belief by ordinary people in what proper and fair government should be, has resulted in the very large numbers seen at Lumpini in the last few weeks.

Last Friday there was, without question ,a "feeling of fear" generated by the over-wheming police presence, whose number was totally in excess of the proper police levels required for such an event -

And those who attended the event, myself included, were not daunted by this obvious attempt at intimidation and will not shy away from similar events in the future.

[bulmercke]

Phil McDonald had this to say in this week's "Farang Affairs" column:

http://farangaffairs.com/pmach/splash.php

Do you agree?

Me personally....well I agree with somethings Phil says, but I particularly take exception to the last few lines:

"Sondhi has little regard for the law, lacks honesty, integrity, character, responsibility and loyalty to those who helped him get back on his feet."

"Everything Sondhi says and does is out of self-interest aimed only to serve and benefit himself."

Sorry....totally disagree with you there mate....the guy should be applauded for his brave and courageous stand against this government and it's totally corrupt and authoritarian rule.

And let's not forget....at this very moment in time....he's taking sanctuary at a Buddhist temple in Udon Thani and is in fear of his life for his outspoken criticism of the powers that be.

Worth remembering when so few other Thais have had the temerity and gall to stand up to this totally unacceptable state of affairs.

The article:

MOVERS, SHAKERS, ######S

Sondhi Limthongkul. . .

This champion of freedom and democracy built his media mini-empire on the back of dodgy loans. He went down the gurgler in 1997, owing a few billion baht. He did a runner and subsequently used his connections to avoid facing bankruptcy charges. He has not paid back one baht of the money he owes, which includes provident fund contributions by former staff at Asia Times and Asia Inc magazine.

He was resuscitated by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra – who owed him a favor over some dodgy share deal in the 1990s – and given some radio time and public sector advertising contracts. The two were close, but then had a falling out, and next then you know the military is threatening of a coup.

Sondhi has little regard for the law, lacks honesty, integrity, character, responsibility and loyalty to those who helped him get back on his feet.

Everything Sondhi says and does is out of self-interest aimed only to serve and benefit himself

Edited November 27, 2005 by bulmercke

[Camelot]

I could agree with much of the above if Phil McDonald was talking about himself. If he's talking about Sondhi he's as way off course as he usually is, and I've known Sondhi since 1978.

Inflated egos do not fare well in glass houses, do they Phil? Sure, Sondhi is no saint but who among us is?

[bulmercke]

(courtesy of francois) - previous post

Another fine man: Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno

"The revered abbot of Wat Pha Ban Tad pledged his support and his life to defend outspoken government critic Sondhi Limthongkul while the talk show host was visiting the Udon Thani temple yesterday.

Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno announced that Sondhi was under his protection after rumors of a plot to snatch and murder the veteran journalist surfaced."

[Jai Dee]

OPPOSITION BELIEVES THE GOVERNMENT STILL WANTS TO CONTROL THE MEDIA POWER

The Deputy Spokesperson of the Democrat Party, MR APHIMONGKOL SONAKUL (หม่อมหลวง อภิมงคล โสนกุล), deems that the government still has an idea to control the mass media since its business has a high value. Furthermore, certain people who are involved with the government would benefit from such control. However, he said the Opposition will continue to investigate the government’s performance.

The Deputy Spokesperson of the Democrat Party also commented on the government’s decision not to amend Article 80 of the Frequency Allocation Act, in which the authority of the National Broadcasting Commission will temporarily be transferred to the National Telecommunications Commission. He said the government is intending to reduce the political pressure as many parties have opposed this issue.

Concerning the government’s plan to regulate the local cable radio, he said the government is trying to interfere with the media performance.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันพุธที่ 30 พฤศจิกายน 2548