Chalerm Orders Urgent Crackdown On Firearms To Tackle Widespread Crimes

[webfact]

DPM Chalerm instructs urgent sweep of firearms to tackle widespread crimes

BANGKOK, 29 June 2012 (NNT) – The government is stepping up the clampdown on street crimes by launching a thorough sweep of firearms in the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung said Thursday that he has instructed related officials to urgently take firearms out of the streets of Thailand after the previous administration has overly given out permits to firearm shops.

Mr. Chalerm stated that the thorough and serious sweep of weapons will continue even though he has received threats from those who have been affected by this new policy.

When asked about worries over more street protests during the next Parliamentary session in August, the Deputy PM assured that the government will employ no force in dealing with demonstrators while every step of crowd-control measures will be constantly broadcast to the public.

Mr. Chalerm is confident that the upcoming rallies will lead to no violence.

-- NNT 2012-06-29

[saltandpepper]

Which upcoming rallies is he referring to?

[crobe]

the thorough and serious sweep of weapons will continue

I will believe Chalerm when I see a thorough and serious sweep for weapons at a red shirt rally - and by thorough and serious I mean taking the weapons away, not handing them some more.

[Moruya]

Now it's an extremely sad state of affairs that the Yoobamrung family head is now seeking to blame the previous administration for making firearms avaliable.

Sad, because his sons had no problem getting hold of them long before the previous administration arrived at its prematurely short tenure.

The man has no shame.

[ballpoint]

I hear the crackdown has been extremely successful so far. They've already recovered 58 hand guns, 20 cases of grenades, 39 bullet proof vests and 29 assault rifles. Once they've packed that lot up they'll start on his second son's room.

[MunterHunter]

I guess he wants the guns off the streets in readiness for when they try and push thru the amnesty charter... guess they don't want those pesky yellows armed to the teeth this time!

[ballpoint]

I guess he wants the guns off the streets in readiness for when they try and push thru the amnesty charter... guess they don't want those pesky yellows armed to the teeth this time!

I'd say he wants the guns on the streets, but in the right hands.

[mca]

Mr. Chalerm stated that the thorough and serious sweep of weapons will continue even though he has received threats from those who have been affected by this new policy

Namely his own kids. .

[Arkady]

In a recent press article a police general blamed the Interior Ministry's gun welfare programme for the upsurge of gun violence committed by teenage hoodlums. Previously the vocational school thugs always used home made pen guns that fire a single .22 round. Now I notice that that seem to have access to .38 revolvers which are significantly more lethal, although being shot at point blank range with a pen gun is also not a pleasant experience. So there may be some truth in the policeman's quote. The ministry's gun welfare programme imports 200,000 to 300,000 .38 revolvers annnually and sells them at cheap tax free prices to anyone in the provinces who has any form of official status and that include local defence volunteers and village security guards. There is no need to present a clean criminal record and there is apparently no restriction on the number of guns an individual can own. Many of the guns are quickly sold off on the black market following a summary police report that they have been stolen. This is in sharp contrast to the strictly regulated sales of guns by gun stores which are only legally permitted to sell 30 new guns a year. Clearly a spectacularly irresponsible policy that is intended purely to line pockets at the ministry with nil regard for the consequences for the nation.

[ginjag]

Deputy P.M.If the man never had family history, and ALL his previous endeavers were successful, one would understand his thinking--GOOD, BUT bleeding crackdowns here are a 1 week wonder.

Ban the sale, confiscate all guns known to be owned in all areas. START from the top. NOT HALFWAY down the ladder, whether it be this, drugs gambling corruption.

THAILAND will NEVER be sound until the top but has been pinched out, when that happens the tree stops. These silly one offs make me sick-instead of making me more sure they have the opposite effect, too many of them and for BROWNIE POINTS and name in the headlines-sorry but Thaksin is a prime example of ego publicity.

[EyesWideOpen]

What the bleep bleep bleep ??? Chalerm should follow the news more closely. There should be a knife crackdown given the events of last month.....

[Skywalker69]

Which upcoming rallies is he referring to?

Maybe his sons are up to something.

[charmonman]

Thailand - hub of irony.

[apetley]

Just about every household in our village seems to possess a firearm of somesort.

Aint gonna happen imho.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

[dude007]

This irresponsible person better should start with sweeping his own treshold. I am sure the Yabamroong family has more fire-arms in their house than a normal farang has chop-sticks! He should start with returning his son's gun that was used to kill the policeman at point blanc in a Ratchadaphisek night club some years ago.

Who can take this person serious in his promises...

[dude007]

Do You know when Chalerm starts lying?

When his lips start moving...

Edited June 29, 2012 by dude007

[bigbamboo]

Which upcoming rallies is he referring to?

A Freudian slip perhaps?

But the right man is on the job. His own family's experience of illegal firearms and how they are obtained will be invaluable in the crackdown.

Edited June 29, 2012 by bigbamboo

[Skywalker69]

Do You know when Chalerm starts lying?

When his lips start moving...

Yes but this time he must have run out of ear-medicine, again.

[jalansanitwong]

I hear the crackdown has been extremely successful so far. They've already recovered 58 hand guns, 20 cases of grenades, 39 bullet proof vests and 29 assault rifles. Once they've packed that lot up they'll start on his second son's room.

Just wait till they get to the youngest sons bedroom on the other side of the palacial mansion.. That will be a bigee!!!!

K.Dueng can always escape by choosing anyone of a 100 luxury cars out the back. Humvee sounds good.

[ramrod711]

Thailand - hub of irony.

True,well said, Thaksin says if the reconciliation bill doesn't work he will spend a lot of money at the arms merchants, meanwhile his henchman is going to crack down on weapons.....<deleted>?

[swifty5x5]

Let me get this straight, he's going to take away permitted firearms and leave just the criminals with guns.

[hansnl]

In a recent press article a police general blamed the Interior Ministry's gun welfare programme for the upsurge of gun violence committed by teenage hoodlums. Previously the vocational school thugs always used home made pen guns that fire a single .22 round. Now I notice that that seem to have access to .38 revolvers which are significantly more lethal, although being shot at point blank range with a pen gun is also not a pleasant experience. So there may be some truth in the policeman's quote. The ministry's gun welfare programme imports 200,000 to 300,000 .38 revolvers annnually and sells them at cheap tax free prices to anyone in the provinces who has any form of official status and that include local defence volunteers and village security guards. There is no need to present a clean criminal record and there is apparently no restriction on the number of guns an individual can own. Many of the guns are quickly sold off on the black market following a summary police report that they have been stolen. This is in sharp contrast to the strictly regulated sales of guns by gun stores which are only legally permitted to sell 30 new guns a year. Clearly a spectacularly irresponsible policy that is intended purely to line pockets at the ministry with nil regard for the consequences for the nation.

You have no idea at all about lethality of small arms rounds.

The .22 LR is the round of choice for illegal use at close range.

Because It tumbles so nicely

[jackhardoon]

dpm charlerm should start with his sons first they probably have a pink version of the famous .45 1911he would like to finish the pink panther outfit that he always wanted

[Ricardo]

Thailand - hub of irony.

or Hub of iron-mongery ?

Can it be very long, before a 90-day deadline is promised, for DPM Chalerm to have cleansed the country of all weapons ?

[TackyToo]

Now it's an extremely sad state of affairs that the Yoobamrung family head is now seeking to blame the previous administration for making firearms avaliable.

Sad, because his sons had no problem getting hold of them long before the previous administration arrived at its prematurely short tenure.

The man has no shame.

A media survey of Nonviolence International revealed:

"Minimal restrictions until 2000, allowed purchase and registration of some 4 million firearms in Thailand. However, experts indicate that in fact nobody really knows how many guns, legally or illegally are in the country."

However, one can assume that 12 years after the old statistics and the turmoil of the recent past, there are a lot more weapons in the country. Especially when the numbers of registered weapons extrapolated from 2000 to 2002 by 158 983 steely conflict aides!

Btw, forgot this already?

In the second half of November 2009, the media reported about a new project, which was initiated and launched by the Thai Interior Ministry: All employees of the Ministry and all the deputies, were offered the purchase of weapons for personal use and enjoy a 50% discount!

Sakda Khongpej, Chairman of the Committee on the Affairs of the House of Representatives and Pheu Thai deputy, was quoted as saying: "If ministers have nightly meetings with villagers, it can be very dangerous. Politically motivated violence can break out at any time."

A member of the Chart Thai Pattana Party, who already owned a couple of weapons, ordered three more for his personal safety.

The same MP then promoted his idea, ​​the (buy one get one for free) weapons trade, should be accessible to ordinary citizens. A wild speculation raises the question who would probably apply for the first license for the sale of arms in his constituency?

A handy name for such an enterprise would be "7 ó 'Glock".

[Thrilla]

You posters are so cruel,

how can you possibly ridicule a man with a pink Bentley ?

[lovetotravel]

How about a crackdown on corrupt police to help tackle widespread crimes? If they just did what they were suppose to do, Thailand would be a much safer place. I know, I know. I'm dreaming.

[trainman34014]

How about a crackdown on corrupt police to help tackle widespread crimes? If they just did what they were suppose to do, Thailand would be a much safer place. I know, I know. I'm dreaming.

How about a clampdown on Chalerm opening his mouth?

[maidu]

I wonder how Chalerm comes up with his weekly bright ideas?

While cradling his Johnny Walker, as he's sitting on his gold enameled royal throne, he deftly reaches for the ivory handle to enact a badly needed royal flush.

[mrtoad]

He is obviously taking his meds at this point, good old JW Black