People's rights 'no better since 1973'

[Lite Beer]

People's rights 'no better since 1973'
Khanittha Thepphajorn
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Businesses getting far too much unfair access to public resources: seminar

Though it has been 40 years since the October 14, 1973 uprising, people's rights have still not improved, a seminar found.

Participants at a Thammasat University forum yesterday questioned the state of people's rights in Thailand, where the natural resources are being claimed for state projects or are going into the hands of capitalists, while people-initiated laws remain unimplemented and the public's well-being remains unchanged.

Sunee Chaiyaros, the vice-chairwoman of the Law Reform Commission, lamented how businesses are unfairly taking natural resources from the people.

She said that while the state asserted its right to use natural resources under government policies, the people had to exercise their rights under the Constitution and call on independent agencies for help. Though she admitted that many times these agencies do not favour the people.

"We have to review the people's democratic rights over the past 40 years and stick to them, not just for the elections, politics or politicians. We must ensure that people exercise their right to secure welfare so they can be self-dependent," she said.

The October 14, 1973 student-led demonstration, which cost many lives, was seen as the start of people rising up against dictatorship.

Surichai Wungaeo, director of Chulalongkorn University's Centre for Peace and Conflicts Studies, said he believed that democracy was the answer over the past 40 years, but this democracy has now become a problem. Nowadays, people in the same organisation - who shared similar ideologies - faced problems as they had different ideas on implementation.

Basic problems such as poverty remain unchanged and had become more complicated. For instance, people now own farmland, but cannot grow crops because of pollution.

Then there's the split between people who support different ideologies.

"If we focus on solving people's suffering without thinking of division between groups or [political] colour-codes, we should be able to review and solve these problems," he said.

Arunee Srito, leader of a group called the People Pension Network, said organisations should be punished for not implementing people-initiated laws such as the 2012 National Savings Act that the government had not pushed, or for failing to work on organic laws as required.

"I heard that the government will cancel this law. I wonder what democracy we would have if the government does this. I wonder if the constitutional clauses that allow people to initiate laws are bogus," she asked.

Human rights activist Sappasit Kumprapan said state mechanisms do not really serve the people but facilitate capitalist groups in taking local people's natural resources.

"The government calls itself a 'phrai' [civic] government against 'ammart' [elite] but I think the government is now part of the elite as many laws initiated by the people have been dropped," he said.

-- The Nation 2013-10-06

[Chittychangchang]

Sunee Chaiyaros, the vice-chairwoman of the Law Reform Commission, lamented how businesses are unfairly taking natural resources from the people.

Is this article related to the missing beer saga.

CCC

[bigbamboo]

Does the 'elite' and the 'ammart' still really exist in Thailand except for political propaganda purposes?

The only difference I can see is that between the rich and the poor ... and like most developing countries the gap is increasing.

The baht is the decider here, not ideologies.

[clockman]

The article said it all! nothing changed!

[arthurboy]

Ideologies? No.

Money, power, face, nepotism, patronage...

Yes.

sent from my hippo phone

[Thai at Heart]

Does the 'elite' and the 'ammart' still really exist in Thailand except for political propaganda purposes?

The only difference I can see is that between the rich and the poor ... and like most developing countries the gap is increasing.

The baht is the decider here, not ideologies.

The amart are very much alive and kicking.

[h90]

Does the 'elite' and the 'ammart' still really exist in Thailand except for political propaganda purposes?

The only difference I can see is that between the rich and the poor ... and like most developing countries the gap is increasing.

The baht is the decider here, not ideologies.

The amart are very much alive and kicking.

Shinawattra family as bad example....

[waza]

With the country under the dictorial control of a rampant capitalist for the last 13 years and continues today via his puppet PM sister. A man who is changing the Thai political, social, legal and economic landscape to grossly advantage business, its only going to get worse.

Red democracy in action.

[soi41]

Does the 'elite' and the 'ammart' still really exist in Thailand except for political propaganda purposes?

The only difference I can see is that between the rich and the poor ... and like most developing countries the gap is increasing.

The baht is the decider here, not ideologies.

The amart are very much alive and kicking.

Shinawattra family as bad example....

Wrong! The real amart will always consider the Shinawattras as 'phrai' !

No amount of money or political power will change that.

[soi41]

And now to the good news:

According to TAT, the number of tourists are expected to grow with 56.32% in 2014. Expected to spend 99.765 baht/day on a average!

[noitom]

You can cut and paste these articles and substitute more current issues that existed then. Conflict in the Thai south, child and human rights abuses, ivory smuggling, elite crimes with impunity, unregulated public transport, corruption, killings of Thai people by the military, floods, drug dealing and trafficking, and on and on. Nothing ever gets done. thais bluster and puff all the time about their five point programs and military reshuffles. Preposterous.

[kiwiinasia]

Why on earth would people's rights improve since 1973?

Did they pass a law saying so?

Just because you WANT something does not mean you will get it.

Better that the people ACTUALLY do something to GET their rights.

I don't think this headline will change for a long long time.

Maybe the had a crackdown on people's rights and we missed it.

Edited October 6, 2013 by kiwiinasia

[khunken]

Yes, people have to fight for their rights. They would help matters along if they could get together and form a party that had some of the following:

1) An ideology

2) No vote buying

3) Democracy within the party

4) An anti-corruption policy

5) Checks & balances are supported

6) Free speech & opinion allowed (tackle the Lese Majeste & defamation laws)

7) No nepotism

8) Appointments are based on merit

9) No degree necessary to be elected

10) Top-to-bottom police reform

11) top-to-bottom military reform

12) Bail laws reformed

13) An anti-monopoly body formed - with teeth

And much more.

[phantomfiddler]

Let,s face it, democracy does NOT work in a thirdworld country. One person one vote could not be a more ridiculous requirement of this totally abused political system. For an ignorant unemployable street beggar to have the same voting power as a university lecturer of economics is as ludicrous as it sounds. Add to this the fact that any street bum is going to vote for whoever promises them the most free handouts (usually forgotten after getting into power). Voting should be limited to those who are gainfully employed and have some idea of what makes a nation tick over successfully, otherwise we will have to put up with that dreadful family until the cows come home

[tomross46]

Yes, people have to fight for their rights. They would help matters along if they could get together and form a party that had some of the following:

1) An ideology

2) No vote buying

3) Democracy within the party

4) An anti-corruption policy

5) Checks & balances are supported

6) Free speech & opinion allowed (tackle the Lese Majeste & defamation laws)

7) No nepotism

8) Appointments are based on merit

9) No degree necessary to be elected

10) Top-to-bottom police reform

11) top-to-bottom military reform

12) Bail laws reformed

13) An anti-monopoly body formed - with teeth

And much more.

This is what the students wanted in 1973. All happened many were killed, I do not care what PM Samack said, and we are still being by everything that is bad.

[otherstuff1957]

Wrong! The real amart will always consider the Shinawattras as 'phrai' !

No amount of money or political power will change that.

The grandson of a Thai princess and the son of an MP a Phrai?? I don't think so. It's his actions that have placed him beyond the pale, not his ancestry.

Edited October 6, 2013 by otherstuff1957

[h90]

Does the 'elite' and the 'ammart' still really exist in Thailand except for political propaganda purposes?

The only difference I can see is that between the rich and the poor ... and like most developing countries the gap is increasing.

The baht is the decider here, not ideologies.

The amart are very much alive and kicking.

Shinawattra family as bad example....

Wrong! The real amart will always consider the Shinawattras as 'phrai' !

No amount of money or political power will change that.

Everyone knows the big money in Thailand

CP

The beer families

the banks

some car manufacturer

the Shinawattra clan

They are all the same Chinese like the Shinawattras just they have even more money. They control Thailand.

Beside them you have the royal family.

And than some corrupt politicians.

There is no invisible other group. All these super rich are relative new rich Chinese...20-70 years, most came in or just after WW2

[tragickingdom]

The people's right are no better thanks to the relentless efforts of newspapers like the Nation and thr Royalists yellow shirts. The constitution is toilet paper for them and the current constitution is laughable. On top of that if you are in their team you will always get a amnesty and you simply rewrite the charter so you can keep on losing elections without losing too much power.

[technology]

"The government calls itself a 'phrai' [civic] government against 'ammart' [elite] but I think the government is now part of the elite as many laws initiated by the people have been dropped," he said.

Indeed, the Shinawatra dynasty that has ruled Thailand for the vast majority of the last decade has attempted to coddle this false notion that it represents phrai.

Its actions and legislation over this time has repeatedly shown it is just as ammart as its predecessors and isn't the slightest bit interested in changing that resulting in the false flag phrai vs ammart.

[ccarbaugh]

I was here in 1973- during the "student demonstrations."

About the only thing that HAS changed it the majority of

Thais attitudes about "farangs."

In 1973, a much higher percentage of Thais weren't of

the attitude that they were the superior-nationality. They

were much more frindly, helpful, considerate, accepting...

So, the "successes" of the past 40 years has been to

commercialize a much-increased percentage of the Thai

populace-(consumerism,) to instill in them a superiority-complex,

to assure them that "non-thais" are inherently inferior and that they have

no reason whatsoever to associate with them- beyond

having as many commercial transactions as possible.

Now, all the "if you don't like it- go home" crowd can fire-away!

[apetley]

Let,s face it, democracy does NOT work in a thirdworld country. One person one vote could not be a more ridiculous requirement of this totally abused political system. For an ignorant unemployable street beggar to have the same voting power as a university lecturer of economics is as ludicrous as it sounds. Add to this the fact that any street bum is going to vote for whoever promises them the most free handouts (usually forgotten after getting into power). Voting should be limited to those who are gainfully employed and have some idea of what makes a nation tick over successfully, otherwise we will have to put up with that dreadful family until the cows come home

Except for the fact that all the nice middle class families that live in the same soi as the inlaws took their 300 bht and voted as required in the local election yesterday.

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