Chalerm: Nothing Wrong With Priewpan Visiting Thaksin

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POLITICS

Nothing wrong with Priewpan visiting Thaksin: Chalerm

THE NATION

Priewpan

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday defended the national police chief's visit to Hong Kong to meet fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong reportedly made a one-day trip to Hong Kong on Tuesday to wish his former brother-in-law a happy birthday.

Chalerm said the police chief had done nothing wrong and that he would not penalise Priewpan for not arresting Thaksin because Thai laws cannot be enforced in foreign countries.

"I think it was appropriate [for Priewpan]," Chalerm said. "Besides, he has no jurisdiction to arrest anyone outside Thailand."

Priewpan had permission for a leave of absence to travel to Hong Kong, Chalerm said.

"Instead of punishing him, I intend to ask what he and Thaksin talked about," he said, alluding to speculation that Thaksin's ex-wife Khunying Pojaman na Pombejara is pushing for her brother Priewpan to join the Cabinet following his retirement in September.

In fact, Chalerm said he doubted that Priewpan actually met with Thaksin, alluding to his own trip to Hong Kong last week, during which he insists he did not meet Thaksin.

In a related development, Priewpan's designated successor General Adul Sangsingkaew dismissed speculation that he too had met Thakisn.

"I did not go to Hong Kong," Adul said, speaking at Government House on the sidelines of a meeting on drug suppression chaired by Chalerm.

-- The Nation 2012-07-26

[FOODLOVER]

Yeah, nothing wrong with the Police Chief who is Thaksins ex brother in law taking leave of duty to visit said convict to receive his orders.

SOP in LOS or just more BS from TS? ROFL if it were not so sad!

[KireB]

If a country's national police chief is visiting a high profile criminal on the run, you know you have a slight problems in terms of respecting law and order.

Here we see a prime example of the root of the current state of affairs in Thailand! No law and order, no check and balances, national division and above all: no democracy!

[maidu]

Chalerm can justify anything. He can justify murder in cold blood, if one of his family members is implicated. He can justify getting drunk on duty. He can justify a policeman not arresting a fugitive from Thai justice (an oxymoron, if ever there was one). His take on law enforcement is subjective to the 10th degree.

[Moruya]

What a joke the Thai police are

[Crushdepth]

Nepotism at its finest, governance at its worst.

[daboyz1]

Nothing wrong? This is getting funnier by the moment. I'm sitting here trying to come up with some kind of analogy to this, and I'm coming up blank. The police chief should be fired for sure.

The guy is wanted in Thailand, and the police chief flies to go say happy birthday? Sure this is a notthenation article. It has to be.

[Pseudolus]

The irony that in prisons in Thailand there is no uniform. Maybe that is because the criminals in Thailand all wear uniforms already.

[jerrysteve]

I see nothing wrong with Priewapan Visting Thaksin in Jail & and Handcuffed to the Bars.

[Thai at Heart]

Interchange the word thaksin with the words criminal on the run, and see how it scans.

[scorecard]

Nothing wrong? This is getting funnier by the moment. I'm sitting here trying to come up with some kind of analogy to this, and I'm coming up blank. The police chief should be fired for sure.

The guy is wanted in Thailand, and the police chief flies to go say happy birthday? Sure this is a notthenation article. It has to be.

Sure there is something wrong,

it's the fact that this wonderful country is held to ransom by incapable people who have no values and no morals, and no respect whatever for the rule of law, and no intent to show themselves as role models. In fact just the opposite.

[Crushdepth]

The worst part? The police chief still has his job this morning. If anyone still needed evidence of the subversion of the legal system, this is it.

[Skywalker69]

Nepotism at its finest, governance at its worst.

they all swim in the same dirty pond.

[chotthee]

An police offer not arresting a known fugitives is itself commit a crime, and deserves jail sentence.

Didn't the government (not just this one, but Mark's govt as well) always claim that they could not arrest Thaksin because Interpol could not locate Thaksin?

[maidu]

Rule of law in Thailand? Ha. All is subjective. Thais are governed by sentiments relating to:

gaining face, and ritual and superstition, fake smiles, money and more rituals.

and very little to do with a personal moral compass, telling the truth, maturity.

[daboyz1]

An police offer not arresting a known fugitives is itself commit a crime, and deserves jail sentence.

Didn't the government (not just this one, but Mark's govt as well) always claim that they could not arrest Thaksin because Interpol could not locate Thaksin?

What Interpol warrant? As far as I know there isn't one.

[Misterwhisper]

Technically speaking, it was not wrong of Priewpan to visit Thaksin in HK, because 1) he had taken leave of duty, 2) Thai arrest warrants cannot be executed abroad, and 3) no Thai official would be allowed to make an arrest without the consent of the respective government.

On ethical and moral grounds, however, it was extremely wrong and is just one more example (in an already very long list) that goes to show that the words "ethics" and "morals" do not exist in the vocabularies of the very same people who govern us and hold top state positions; the very same people who expect from us that WE uphold the principles of ethics and morals at all times; the very same people who drag us before courts if we don't; the very same people who should be role models, but are consistently not.

The right thing for Priewpan to do would have been to politely decline Thaksin's invitation, explaining to him that since he held the highest police job in the country and because Thaksin was a criminal on the run with an outstanding arrest warrant on his back, it would be wrong for him to attend the birthday bash. I am sure Thaksin would have fully understood Priewpan's dilemma and accepted the rejection - NOT.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Misterwhisper

[daboyz1]

Technically speaking, it was not wrong of Priewpan to visit Thaksin in HK, because 1) he had taken leave of duty, 2) Thai arrest warrants cannot be executed abroad, and 3) no Thai official would be allowed to make an arrest without the consent of the respective government.

On ethical and moral grounds, however, it was extremely wrong and is just one more example (in an already very long list) that goes to show that the words "ethics" and "morals" do not exist in the vocabularies of the very same people who govern us and hold top state positions; the very same people who expect from us that WE uphold the principles of ethics and morals at all times; the very same people who drag us before courts if we don't; the very same people who should be role models, but are consistently not.

The right thing for Priewpan to do would have been to politely decline Thaksin's invitation, explaining to him that since he held the highest police job in the country and because Thaksin was a criminal on the run with an outstanding arrest warrant on his back, it would be wrong of him to attend the birthday bash. I am sure Thaksin would have fully understood Priewpan's dilemma and accepted the rejection - NOT.

Exactly. I suspect if he didn't go, you'd see him somewhere on Sukhumvit with a whistle directing traffic.

[chotthee]

An police offer not arresting a known fugitives is itself commit a crime, and deserves jail sentence.

Didn't the government (not just this one, but Mark's govt as well) always claim that they could not arrest Thaksin because Interpol could not locate Thaksin?

What Interpol warrant? As far as I know there isn't one.

"Thaksin had been given an Interpol “red notice”, which is recognised in a number of countries and serves as the legal basis for provisional arrest"

http://www.intellasia.net/thai-ministry-to-seek-interpol-help-for-thaksins-arrest-96931

[daboyz1]

An police offer not arresting a known fugitives is itself commit a crime, and deserves jail sentence.

Didn't the government (not just this one, but Mark's govt as well) always claim that they could not arrest Thaksin because Interpol could not locate Thaksin?

What Interpol warrant? As far as I know there isn't one.

"Thaksin had been given an Interpol “red notice”, which is recognised in a number of countries and serves as the legal basis for provisional arrest"

http://www.intellasi...ns-arrest-96931

LOL!! That is more than 3 years old. There is no red notice for Thaksin.

Here's something a little more recent.

""Interpol never issues red notice against Thaksin

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255408160002

[rubl]

Government makes huge progress. Many have visited k. Thaksin to congratulate him with his birthday.

[jerrysteve]

How inappropiate and hightly unethical for Khun Priewapan to visit the known criminal Thaksin...without handcuffing him and bring him

back to serve his time in prison.

In most countries Priewpan would have been Fired on the Spot upon his return.

As a policeman is an officer of the court.

Obstruction of Justice is a crime that both undermines the government he has sworn to protect. By all rights, Priewpan should be arrested

and thrown in Jail. No Bail.

What a Sham

Thailand doesn't need any help from outside sources to insult its reputation as a country, they are doing an absolute splendid job

all by themselves...

[ramrod711]

In fact, Chalerm said he doubted that Priewpan actually met with Thaksin, alluding to his own trip to Hong Kong last week, during which he insists he did not meet Thaksin.

There was nothing wrong with Priewpan meeting with Thaksin because ......well....he probably didn't meet him.....me either...honest.....trust me, I wouldn't lie. What a disgrace.

[OzMick]

How could you expect Chalerm to understand the ethics of the situation?

"He has all the qualities of a dog except loyalty". Paul Keating

[Buchholz]

Technically speaking, it was not wrong of Priewpan to visit Thaksin in HK, because 1) he had taken leave of duty, 2) Thai arrest warrants cannot be executed abroad, and 3) no Thai official would be allowed to make an arrest without the consent of the respective government.

On ethical and moral grounds, however, it was extremely wrong and is just one more example (in an already very long list) that goes to show that the words "ethics" and "morals" do not exist in the vocabularies of the very same people who govern us and hold top state positions; the very same people who expect from us that WE uphold the principles of ethics and morals at all times; the very same people who drag us before courts if we don't; the very same people who should be role models, but are consistently not.

The right thing for Priewpan to do would have been to politely decline Thaksin's invitation, explaining to him that since he held the highest police job in the country and because Thaksin was a criminal on the run with an outstanding arrest warrant on his back, it would be wrong for him to attend the birthday bash. I am sure Thaksin would have fully understood Priewpan's dilemma and accepted the rejection - NOT.

Fully agree with your 3 points with the addition that since he did go, that, as an officer of the court, he was duty bound to do nothing less, as a minium, than to encourage the wanted fugitive to turn himself in.... rather than pay homage to the convict on his birthday and simultaneously ask the criminal for a job in his Cabinet.

Also fully agree with the complete lack of ethics and morals your highlight.

.

[yoshiwara]

The Police Chief of Thailand wants us to think he is a loyal puppy and he has succeeded.

[MILT]

"And now for something completely different"

Edited July 26, 2012 by MILT

[h90]

The worst part? The police chief still has his job this morning. If anyone still needed evidence of the subversion of the legal system, this is it.

Why not he is Thaksins staff. The brother of Thaksins wife. His job is what his boss tells him to do.

So he keep his job.

[drdoom6996]

He has to get his orders from sombody, and Sis is never to be found. Except on tablet give away day.

[khunken]

How could you expect Chalerm to understand the ethics of the situation?

"He has all the qualities of a dog except loyalty". Paul Keating

Not quite. He certainly has loyalty to Thaksin & more like the qualities of a dingo.