Pitak Siam Rally Has Ended But Dissenting Voice Must Be Heard: Editorial

[Mosha]

Thanks, I thought it was, but when I mentioned Boonlert, I just got a blank look.

[Thai at Heart]

Their voice must be heard? They need to speak up a bit louder if they want this government to listen.

They apparently represent less than 50k people.

Never mind the other 100,000 or so that were blocked by police from attending.

What was the message? Call for a coup and freeze politics for 5 years and stop corruption.

1 out of 3 is obviously fine to throw the country into chaos. Why is 150k worth of voices worthy to listen to? I can find more who are now bitching that true sports lost the soccer so they have to buy a new set to box.

They will be listened to at the ballot box, so had better get busy making a better set of policies than that.

[cdnvic]

Had to remove a very inflammatory comment and a reply to it. Please calm down a bit before clicking "post".

[Arkady]

The whole thing is rather odd as Seh Ai seemed to deliberately blow himself up by saying he needed at least 100,000 people to carry on, calling for a 5 year freeze on elections, then publicly ringing up army commanders and asking them to help the rally. He then declared defeat prematurely after he had managed to attract 20,000 people on two occasions without even a coherent manifesto, charismatic speakers or funding and despite police action in blocking people from coming to Bkk. Sondhi's rally's that ended up ousting Thaksin started with only about 5,000 and built up slowly over many months to 250,000. It didn't reach a critical mass until Thaksin gave the people the finger with his Shin Corp sale.

There is something highly suspicious in Seh Ai's behaviour.

[jayboy]

The whole thing is rather odd as Seh Ai seemed to deliberately blow himself up by saying he needed at least 100,000 people to carry on, calling for a 5 year freeze on elections, then publicly ringing up army commanders and asking them to help the rally. He then declared defeat prematurely after he had managed to attract 20,000 people on two occasions without even a coherent manifesto, charismatic speakers or funding and despite police action in blocking people from coming to Bkk. Sondhi's rally's that ended up ousting Thaksin started with only about 5,000 and built up slowly over many months to 250,000. It didn't reach a critical mass until Thaksin gave the people the finger with his Shin Corp sale.

There is something highly suspicious in Seh Ai's behaviour.

There are a few dim bulbs on the social media claiming Thaksin bought him off.I don't see anything very suspicious just stupidity - a commodity not exactly in short supply among Thai army generals.

Incidentally there are various errors on your summary of the Siam Pitak rally story,some rather basic.

[DeepInTheForest]

are the conservatives listening to Labour in the UK? Has anyone really listened to the wall street protesters?

bang on the money,

lots of posters harping on about others lack of understanding of democracy lately while seemingly ignoring the realities of it.

I think you'll find they actually do listen and communicate effectively with each other, Conservative, labour and Lib Dem MPS sit on a number of very influential committees (Pension and work select committee as an example) etc, to ensure the transparency of budgets, rules being followed etc. These committees report directly to parliament, not to government.

You certainly don't get the conservatives using their positions to install friends and relatives in high ranking government positions, silencing critics, or trying to use their political position and influence to publicly discredit the leader of the opposition.

Which is what politics is in Thailand be it Dem PTP or another at the helm

Well, it may be true that British politicians are not actively employing character assassination on their political counterparts to the extent that Thais are. Maybe that's because they're so busy in other areas.

I think you'll find they actually do listen and communicate effectively with each other...

So as to better make off with the boodle?

http://blogs.hindust...-uk-government/

http://www.rightsand...ical-corruption

...to ensure the transparency of budgets...

Yes, our angels are very transparent.

http://www.independe...ry-8191062.html

Crony capitalism has also characterised political leaders’ relationships with the press. Prior to the phone hacking scandal, the shameless courting of Rupert Murdoch and other media moguls by politicians was no less unedifying for being standard practice. That cosiness went far beyond exclusive interviews and off the record briefings. Tony Blair is godfather to Rupert Murdoch’s daughter Grace. Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah hosted a pyjama party at Chequers attended by the former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks and Rupert Murdoch’s wife Wendi.

http://www.prospectm...iness-policies/

You certainly don't get the conservatives using their positions to install friends and relatives in high ranking government positions...

No, never. Perish the thought!! Low-ranking positions and influence-peddling are another matter, however.

http://www.independe...ry-8191062.html

http://politicalscra...epotism-league/

And lest the Liberals feel neglected:

http://www.guardian....stench-nepotism

My personal fave:

The site of Tory toff Ian Liddell-Grainger features the “Excellent Pussy” blog, ostensibly written by his cat Mogg. ILG has reportedly used this feline nom de guerre to pursue poisonous vendettas not only against local government staff but also his own Conservative colleagues:

The details of the long-running row are complicated and possibly irrelevant to anyone living outside Somerset, but they include calling the [retired chief executive of Somerset Council] a total twit, Judas, a little man smaller than life and twice as creepy, mad, in need of medical help (with a helpful link to a Tourette’s website), plus false allegations of adultery, lying and corruption…

http://politicalscra...-grainger-blog/

Nothing that remotely resembles a Thai politician here...

Edited November 28, 2012 by DeepInTheForest