Media Smoke Screens?!

[george]

Raid on casino fails to deflect interest from rally

BANGKOK: -- Just hours before the Feb 4 anti-Thaksin rally, police raided a casino allegedly belonging to Por Pratu Nam At a meeting called by the prime minister's wife, MPs were told not to bring pro-Thaksin demonstrators to Bangkok Minister Newin could very well be given a heftier portfolio in the next cabinet reshuffle

Given its timing, the recent crackdown on one of the country's biggest and perhaps most well-established casinos could not be seen otherwise but as an act to eclipse the anti-Thaksin rally at the Royal Plaza.

It came as anti-Thaksin sentiment led by media maverick Sondhi Limthongkul and political friction in the ruling Thai Rak Thai party heightened.

The raid, which took place just hours before the demonstration and netted more than 200 gamblers, simply failed to do the job.

While it remained unknown if the media was accustomed to such a trick or if the rally was a phenomenon, it was not the first time the government threw up a smokescreen like this.

Just before the censure debate in the previous administration, the government unveiled an ambitious plan to purchase shares in the Premier League's Liverpool football club. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra camped out at Suvarnabhumi airport when the CTX explosives scanner deal was under fire.

Last year's raid on another casino in the Tao Poon area was also widely considered as a staged act designed to quell a conflict between estranged Thai Rak Thai member Sanoh Thienthong and Mr Thaksin.

On the eve of the rally, a high-ranking police officer reportedly met key government leaders at a hotel in Bangkok in attempts to stem the rally.

The idea of raiding the gambling den was floated.

The casino in question was allegedly run by Phaijit Thammarotphinit, aka Por Pratu Nam, known to have close connections with senior government officials and political appointees.

The tycoon allegedly paid no less than 10 million baht a month to police and occasionally opened the premises for "staged" raids to keep the heat off local authorities.

The Feb 4 crackdown was likely another staged act, yet with a different motive, especially when the head of the task force is Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavej, the police inspector-general.

However, even though more than 200 punters were arrested and chips worth tens of millions of baht confiscated, the raid failed to make headlines.

And when Plan A failed, the police threatened to seize Mr Phaijit's assets.

Mr Phaijit, who insisted on his innocence, turned up at the Royal Thai Police headquarters on Monday to deny his involvement.

A heated argument between the tycoon and Pol Gen Seripisut produced evidence - 62 cars that were pawned with Mr Phaijit. The tycoon, according to media reports, looked pale and admitted to the charges.

It was still hard to believe that Mr Phaijit would be so naive as to walk straight to the police headquarters and get himself cornered.

Pol Gen Seripisut's harsh criticism against the city police and his threat to confiscate the assets were unusual.

The police force is currently waiting to see how things are going to unwind, but several believe that the casino will soon be operational again.

The crackdown was not only a political game, but also a power play within the police force. Pol Lt-Gen Viroj Chantanrangsi, the city police commissioner, did not pay much attention to the raid.

He later transferred four officials, apparently out of pressure. One of them is a classmate of Pol Gen Seripisut.

The lady holds a meeting

Behind every successful man is a woman, so the saying goes. And this is proved once again in the government's handling of what turned out to be the largest anti-government rally in five years.

As the rally roared, compounded by the resignation of two ministers, the various factions within the ruling Thai Rak Thai party thought better and decided to set aside their dissatisfaction for now and join forces to face the impending battle.

Except for Wang Nam Yen - the faction led by veteran Sanoh Thienthong and home of the two ministers who quit - senior members of all other "wangs" agreed that the Feb 4 rally, led by media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul, represented the toughest challenge yet for Prime Minister Thaksin.

Core members joined by the party leader's wife Khunying Potjaman held a strategic meeting at party headquarters intended to be a sign of support for Mr Thaksin.

It was decided there and then that Thai Rak Thai MPs be instructed not to lead pro-Thaksin demonstrators to Bangkok but instead to limit gatherings within their own provinces.

This was some days before the rally - during a period marked by Mr Thaksin's expression of fury against opponents. The source of his confidence: the 19 million votes he won in the last election.

The reaction sparked serious concern among former activists in the party - a group of about 10 - who know something about gauging public sentiment. Led by list MPs Sutham Saengprathum and Veera Musikapong, they wrote to Mrs Potjaman a letter containing a message meant for Mr Thaksin. They reminded him that people had the basic right to rally and deserved protection without being kept at arm's length by any "organised counter-mobs."

That letter seems to have led to the instruction to the MPs.

Mr Sutham, a student leader during the Oct 6, 1976 bloodbath, was appalled that some Thai Rak Thai members chose to counter-attack Mr Sondhi by whipping the undercurrent. The lack of discretion and a sound strategic plan would only worsen the already precarious political situation, he said.

Throughout Saturday, Mr Thaksin's close aides, including ex-activists PM's Secretary-General Dr Prommin Lertsuridej, government spokesman Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, Deputy Transport Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, and PM's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva, monitored the situation at Government House. They, too, coordinated closely with Khunying Potjaman to keep Mr Thaksin from reacting verbally in a way that would further enrage the rallying public.

In such a crisis, only one person could speak with Mr Thaksin in a way others dared not. To the party members, Khunying Potjaman was the heroine who stood by Mr Thaksin's side, tried to calm him down and kept him from uttering words that would only make matters worse. Without her, the day could have turned out differently, not as peacefully as it did.

Newin likely to be rewarded

Few politicians can match the tact and talent of Newin Chidchob when it comes to wooing his boss. He has proved to be highly adaptable to any political role assigned him and has managed to dodge criticism from society or powerful figures in the government.

Anti-government movements are pressing on against Prime Minister Thaksin, who is facing heavy onslaught over the tax-free share deal and the huge ethical question mark attached therewith.

All this is set against the emerging corruption allegations directed at the prime minister's close aides.

The situation has driven key government figures including Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, Yongyuth Tiyapairat and other Thai Rak Thai MPs to repeatedly defend the prime minister and party members.

The defence may have been successful to a certain extent, even though it has also chiselled down the government's standing among educated people.

In the meantime, the ones with better insight into politics are taking a different road. Mr Newin knows well how to avoid the bullets as he actively proceeds with his attempts to suppress pornographic CDs and magazines, and makes them news.

In the process, he is raking in popularity. Although Newin "lost" to Khunying Sudarat when he was removed as deputy agriculture and cooperatives minister, he managed to become PM's Office minister in charge of "every issue" particularly to serve "Master Thaksin". With this portfolio, he is raising his profile within the party.

When Suriya Jungrungreangkit faced a censure debate, the one who helped cushion him was Mr Newin. Mr Newin taught Mr Suriya tactics to cope with the debate and provided him with information to back his defence.

Mr Newin was assigned to supervise traffic solutions for Bangkok when Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin of the Democrat party appeared to be outperforming the government in traffic management.

When the media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul staged the anti-government rally at the Royal Plaza, Mr Newin was accused of moving backstage to block Mr Sondhi's supporters from other provinces.

Some weeks earlier, when the Sondhi rally moved from Lumpini Park to Government House and subsequently clashed with police, Mr Newin was said to have been one of the figures instrumental in making the number of protesters look smaller than it actually was.

In the next cabinet reshuffle, which Mr Thaksin has promised would follow the senatorial election, Mr Newin may be rewarded with an even more important ministerial portfolio.

--Bangkok Post 2006-02-09