Police protest over high-ranking officer's transfer embarrasses Chalerm

Charnyut Khotetham

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who is in charge of the government's "war on drugs", appeared rattled yesterday when police and local leaders protested the move of a high-ranking police officer out of Nakhon Phanom.

"The reward for being a good cop, responding to government policy, is to be transferred," read one of the group's signs.

While Chalerm was delivering an anti-drug policy speech to officials at Provincial Hall, officers from various police stations submitted a list of the names of police, military officials, kamnan and village heads who opposed the reassignment of Col Thithat Imthua, deputy provincial police chief, to an inactive post.

Other placards read, "National agenda lacks implementation because good cops are kicked out of bandits' way" and "Nakhon Phanom police, who crack down on drugs and illegal logging, rescue dogs being smuggled out of the country, get transferred.'' Chalerm's face reportedly dropped after seeing the signs. He cut short questions from reporters about the demonstration, saying he had no idea.

He said the man in question was transferred to Khon Kaen, which was a big province.

Kamsawan Bunthiam, a village head, said he had worked beside Thithat in suppressing drugs and illegal logging and did not understand why he was removed.

Kam Choomchai, 47, a police volunteer, said he wanted to ask Chalerm why the government issued a policy but did the opposite thing. He said Thithat told him the superintendent of Sri Songkram Police Station, Col Watcharin Kullasing, was also sent packing.

Nakhon Phanom police had arrested thousands of drug suspects over the last six months to enforce the government's policy but now they were confused and feared being replaced, he said.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, police are checking videos from the nearly 350 cellphones seized during a prison-wide search last week to look for clues in drug dealing by inmates.

More than 10 individuals have already been identified, said Colonel Phoodis Norrasing, deputy provincial police chief, without mentioning if some of them were guards.

Evidence has been found from information extracted so far from some handsets, personal notes written on scraps of paper and videos. The video clips appeared to show inmates openly abusing all kinds of drugs in their cells, while suggesting other activities linked to the purchase of war weapons by the convicts or their relatives during prison visits.

Police and prison guards will meet again at 1pm today to discuss further steps and investigation methods while reporting the progress of their work to superiors, Phoodis said.

-- The Nation 2012-04-30

This is all rather interesting. Not completely surprised that Chalerm does not actually want good efficient cops on the beat (just in case one of his sons hit town) but the actual cops protesting about this seems to be new, with no sign of them actually protesting about lack of kick backs. In this province, they have ample opportunity to take all kinds of bribes (aka tea money if you think it is appropriate to cutesie up the word to make it less shocking).

This is shocking! A good cop? Of course he was transferred to a larger province where his good work will have a much diluted impact on business as usual!

"Chalerm's face reportedly dropped after seeing the signs. He cut short questions from reporters about the demonstration, saying he had no idea."

The last four words say it all

"Chalerm Embarrassed"

Almost an oxymoron.

His brief clearly was to use the war on drugs to install

as many cops that lean the way of his bosses team '

that they solidify a national network parallel to the Reds,

but more powerful and easily controlled.

Suddenly he runs across a high level cop who IS efficient, (shocking)

and liked by many in his district, because he actually did his job.

Enough that many protest his removal.

That must have come as quite a shock to someone who imagines

all cops, bar none, are able to be in his pocket, or replaceable at will.

I would love to have seen his face reading those placards!

"Chalerm's face reportedly dropped after seeing the signs."

Dropped. rolled into the gutter. and never found again.

Really a lost face.

Edited April 30, 201214 yr by animatic

"Chalerm Embarrassed"

Almost an oxymoron.

His brief clearly was to use the war on drugs to install

as many cops that lean the way of his bosses team '

that they solidify a national network parallel to the Reds,

but more powerful and easily controlled.

Suddenly he runs across a high level cop who IS efficient, (shocking)

and liked by many in his district, because he actually did his job.

Enough that many protest his removal.

That must have come as quite a shock to someone who imagines

all cops, bar none, are able to be in his pocket, or replaceable at will.

I would love to have seen his face reading those placards!

"Chalerm's face reportedly dropped after seeing the signs."

Dropped. rolled into the gutter. and never found again.

Really a lost face.

I expect he had to double his ear medicine after seeing those signs .

"Chalerm's face reportedly dropped after seeing the signs. He cut short questions from reporters about the demonstration, saying he had no idea."

The last four words say it all

For the first time I firmly believe what he is saying.

The new war on drugs; as usual, lots of fiery rhetoric from chalerm and lots of big busts involving junior couriers etc., but not one drug king pin mentioned.

What do you expect from a bunch of yes men,

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

Source?

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

Source?

I'm sure if you search the forum you'll find it was posted here some weeks ago.

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

Source?

I'm sure if you search the forum you'll find it was posted here some weeks ago.

So you going to make a statement and not bother to back it up?

You know why, don't you? It's because the "source" you're referring to compared the drug clearance "success" of the democrat party for its entire term in office (over two and a half years) to the PTPs term of what just over 8 months (at the time of the OP).

Not really a valid comparison was it?

But please feel free to post another source that backs up your claim. If you don't will you be amending your post?

"Chalerm Embarrassed"

Almost an oxymoron.

His brief clearly was to use the war on drugs to install

as many cops that lean the way of his bosses team '

that they solidify a national network parallel to the Reds,

but more powerful and easily controlled.

Suddenly he runs across a high level cop who IS efficient, (shocking)

and liked by many in his district, because he actually did his job.

Enough that many protest his removal.

That must have come as quite a shock to someone who imagines

all cops, bar none, are able to be in his pocket, or replaceable at will.

I would love to have seen his face reading those placards!

"Chalerm's face reportedly dropped after seeing the signs."

Dropped. rolled into the gutter. and never found again.

Really a lost face.

+1

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

3000 dead, half had nothing to do with drugs: Thaksin

Dems worse and we never heard about it????

=Nonsense

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

Source?

I'm sure if you search the forum you'll find it was posted here some weeks ago.

So you going to make a statement and not bother to back it up?

You know why, don't you? It's because the "source" you're referring to compared the drug clearance "success" of the democrat party for its entire term in office (over two and a half years) to the PTPs term of what just over 8 months (at the time of the OP).

Not really a valid comparison was it?

But please feel free to post another source that backs up your claim. If you don't will you be amending your post?

The pot calling the kettle black

Maybe the empty headed policeman was transferred because it is very easy to arrest children with one pill in their pocket, throwing them in jail and ruining their lives for ever. It is not about arresting thousands of people. Arresting thousands of people means that his subordinates can collect millions a week in bribes, but it is about the big fish. Robert McNamara from the US counted his blessings in Vietnam too by counting body bags still he lost.

Maybe the empty headed policeman was transferred because it is very easy to arrest children with one pill in their pocket, throwing them in jail and ruining their lives for ever. It is not about arresting thousands of people. Arresting thousands of people means that his subordinates can collect millions a week in bribes, but it is about the big fish. Robert McNamara from the US counted his blessings in Vietnam too by counting body bags still he lost.

Considering who transfered him it's more likely because the alleged millions in bribes were non-existant, and so didn't come back up the chain of command as expected.

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

Source?

I'm sure if you search the forum you'll find it was posted here some weeks ago.

So you going to make a statement and not bother to back it up?

You know why, don't you? It's because the "source" you're referring to compared the drug clearance "success" of the democrat party for its entire term in office (over two and a half years) to the PTPs term of what just over 8 months (at the time of the OP).

Not really a valid comparison was it?

But please feel free to post another source that backs up your claim. If you don't will you be amending your post?

If you can prove that the comparison was 2.5 years to 8 months then I might consider it.

I'm confused by the people who support Chalerm and his thugee sons against all of the evidence of their multiple wrong doing!

Surely he cannot pay enough money to bloggers to whitewash his sins??

What do you expect from a bunch of yes men,

Oink.

Curious that this "story" has only appeared in The Nation, no other english media outlets. Anything in the thai media, anybody? There were other reporters there according to the OP, just seems strange they didn't pick up on it.

An efficient high Ranking Police Officer Doing his job very successfully,

seems like like he was doing it too well,and getting too close to the top drug Barons,and others at the top,not getting their usual rake off.

Obviously a lie.....impossible to embarrass Chalerm, even his sons can't do it.

Chalerm's face reportedly dropped after seeing the signs. He cut short questions from reporters about the demonstration, saying he had no idea. taking a line out of Yinglucks favourite responses

Curious that this "story" has only appeared in The Nation, no other english media outlets. Anything in the thai media, anybody? There were other reporters there according to the OP, just seems strange they didn't pick up on it.

Too bad it was in the BP then..........

If you can prove that the comparison was 2.5 years to 8 months then I might consider it.

I was wrong. It was actually 2.5 years compared to 6 months..............

Yingluck govt abandons duty to help Thaksin : Democrat

For the past eight months the government has abandoned its duty of addressing the peoples grievances, Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said Tuesday.

Despite the war on drugs, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board conceded that the arrest records for traffickers in the past six months were lower than those achieved during the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Yingluck-govt-abandons-duty-to-help-Thaksin-Democr-30180095.html

If you can prove that the comparison was 2.5 years to 8 months then I might consider it.

I was wrong. It was actually 2.5 years compared to 6 months..............

Yingluck govt abandons duty to help Thaksin : Democrat

For the past eight months the government has abandoned its duty of addressing the peoples grievances, Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said Tuesday.

Despite the war on drugs, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board conceded that the arrest records for traffickers in the past six months were lower than those achieved during the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Yingluck-govt-abandons-duty-to-help-Thaksin-Democr-30180095.html

That's way too ambiguous:

"Despite the war on drugs, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board conceded that the arrest records for traffickers in the past six months were lower than those achieved during the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration."

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

3000 dead, half had nothing to do with drugs: Thaksin

Dems worse and we never heard about it????

=Nonsense

Please see post number #27

I'm talking about Yingluck's war on drugs - not Thaksin's

Drug busts under the Dems are still way ahead despite the "war on drugs"

This says it all.

Source?

I'm sure if you search the forum you'll find it was posted here some weeks ago.

Well come on then show us !

Maybe the empty headed policeman was transferred because it is very easy to arrest children with one pill in their pocket, throwing them in jail and ruining their lives for ever. It is not about arresting thousands of people. Arresting thousands of people means that his subordinates can collect millions a week in bribes, but it is about the big fish. Robert McNamara from the US counted his blessings in Vietnam too by counting body bags still he lost.

Considering who transfered him it's more likely because the alleged millions in bribes were non-existant, and so didn't come back up the chain of command as expected.

Or more likely, the good guys were getting too close to home for Chalerm's liking !!!

-mel.