BURNING ISSUE
Govt must learn to pay heed before things get out of hand
SUPON THANUKID
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- ALL SORTS of people have taken to the streets to make their voices heard. More often than not, they cite their constitutional right to gather in public places, yet in many cases, this exercising of rights exceeds the legal limit and affects the rights of others.

The Constitution clearly states that a person - when exercising his or her constitutional rights - should in no way have an adverse impact on others.

A good example of this was the recent rubber-growers' protest in 14 provinces in the South. They had been rallying for the government to increase the price of rubber and in a move to make themselves heard, the protesters closed parts of the road and railways in many provinces.

Of course, these rubber growers have every right to demand government action to help alleviate their sufferings, but their moves to exercise such rights should not adversely affect the rights of others.

The closure of roads and railways affected everybody from train commuters and motorists to patients in the South.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong raised the issue at a recent Cabinet meeting and suggested that relevant state agencies do something before the problem is taken to the streets.

Months before kicking off their rally, the rubber growers as well as opposition MPs from the South had raised the problem of falling rubber prices, but their complaints appeared to fall on deaf ears.

If the government had followed Kittiratt's suggestion and tackled the problem before it was taken to the streets, there would have been a less likely chance of roads and railways being blockaded.

Yet, closure or no closure, the one thing that is most important is sincerity - both the protesters and the government should be sincere about solving the problem and overcoming their mutual distrust.

The government should realise that it needs to resolve the problem and rise above the belief that its political enemies are behind every protest, while the protesters need to be more receptive in their talks with government representatives.

It is always a good idea for the powers that be to reach out to protesters before the issue hits the streets. After all, ignoring people's demands is likely to incite anger and worsen the situation.

Now that the rubber growers have achieved success, the government should brace itself for more demonstrations.

However, if it pays heed to Kittiratt's suggestion, it might be able to solve problems before other people's rights are affected adversely.


-- The Nation 2013-09-13

The Nation: The peoples newspaper (since approx 3 years ago)

What a ridiculous headline. Things are out of hand already and the only thing the government MUST DO is that which is directed by by Mr. T.

Protesting beyond legal, constitutional rights is wrong unless you happen to be wearing red and Mr " White Lies " Kittirat's suggestion that state agencies do something before protests are taken to the streets is redundant as state agencies are directed by, and answerable to, the government which has shown that tolerance to views contrary to their own is at a premium.

Who in the heck writes these articles, have they really no idea?

Things got totally out of hand when convicted fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra decided on a scorched earth policy for him to "win" at all costs. This involved his armed militias seizing the Bangkok CBD, and ultimate torching of about 30 key/significant buildings, it involved threatening the arson attack on a riverside hospital which was intended to let everybody know what his aims were. So now, after horrendous intimidation, vote buying, and a win at all costs strategy he has the premiership but of a broken country. Without any effective law and order, sinking into the mire of debt, with a government that must cave in to any and all demands, it's descending deeper into anarchy which by any definition means things are already "out of hand".

BURNING ISSUE

Govt must learn to pay heed before FROM DAY ONE that Thaksin got couped out, things ALREADY got out of hand

Any Gov't in any country must keep an ear to the ground. The voice of People is the voice of God.

But it is also true that the voice of People is far too often taken over by a small group. Than the loudest group is more heard.

'Nation' - self-appointed voice of the People for the whole 3 years is one of the examples.

"Taking heed" is for dogs. Gov't must be the leading force. Whether it leads in a right direction is another question.

Is your Gov't in your country leads your People in a right direction? Everybody must ask this question.

Any Nation deserves the Gov't it has. Just as any Gov't finds its country in a situation created by this very Gov't.

And so it goes till it blows. I don't want to be near the blow-up area. It's never pretty.

Time for a cuppa...

The Constitution clearly states that a person - when exercising his or her constitutional rights - should in no way have an adverse impact on others.

So what happened in 2010? And all the other times? Unconstitutional protests? Why aren't they all being arrested then?

Pay heed means losing face or?

Any Gov't in any country must keep an ear to the ground. The voice of People is the voice of God.

But it is also true that the voice of People is far too often taken over by a small group. Than the loudest group is more heard.

'Nation' - self-appointed voice of the People for the whole 3 years is one of the examples.

"Taking heed" is for dogs. Gov't must be the leading force. Whether it leads in a right direction is another question.

Is your Gov't in your country leads your People in a right direction? Everybody must ask this question.

Any Nation deserves the Gov't it has. Just as any Gov't finds its country in a situation created by this very Gov't.

And so it goes till it blows. I don't want to be near the blow-up area. It's never pretty.

Time for a cuppa...

And that's what the PM is doing now. Having a cuppa with her brother in Montenegro.

Unfortunately the inventors of democracy left out the bit where it says ' only works if the people are educated enough to use it properly '

The Constitution clearly states that a person - when exercising his or her constitutional rights - should in no way have an adverse impact on others.

Did anyone think to tell that to the Red Shirts who screwed up the main shopping district for weeks causing billions of baht in trade to be lost, then going on to burn down large parts of the city thus causing yet more losses and stopping people from running their businesses !? Need I go on ? And yet somehow these criminals are now MP's !!