Suthep To Face His Critics At Military-Organised Forum

[Lite Beer]

Suthep To Face His Critics At Military-Organised Forum

BANGKOK: -- Rival political factions have agreed to meet and exchange their opposing ideas about Thailand′s future at the dialogue panel organised by the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King as Head of State (PCAD), has previously demanded that Gen. Thanasak Patimakorn, Chief of Defence Forces, grant him private audience so he can explain his idea of ′People′s Council′ as the solution to Thai political crisis.

The meeting never took place, but Gen. Thanasak′s staff later announced that the military will host an open forum in which many groups and organisations will be invited, including the PCAD. Reports suggest that Gen. Thanasak himself will attend the forum, scheduled to be held tomorrow (14 December).

Other organisations invited to the dialogue panel include the newly appointed Election Committee, the Lawyers Council of Thailand, representatives of the private sector, and the Assembly for Defence of Democracy (AFDD), a group formed by prominent academics opposed to Mr. Suthep′s demands of unelected People′s Council.

The AFDD is led by Thammasat law academic Worachet Pakeerat who has branded Mr. Suthep′s campaign as anti-democratic, and has urged the anti-government protesters to respect the legitimacy of electoral politics by participating in the upcoming election next year.

Tomorrow′s forum would mark the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of PCAD and AFDD.

The official leadership of the pro-government Redshirts, the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) has also been invited, but its chairwoman, Ms. Thida Thawornseth, has declined to participate. Nevertheless, she said other UDD leaders are free to attend the forum on their own.

Earlier today, PCAD leaders have insisted their stance in a press conference that their blueprint for Thailand′s "reform" must be implemented by the government before the next general election takes place.

Mr. Suthep argued that Thailand′s current political system is rigged in favour of Ms. Yingluck′s faction, especially her brother former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. His solution is the formation of 400-seat People′s Council which would function as a de facto transitional government of Thailand, amending laws and restructuring the nation to eradicate Mr. Thaksin′s corrupt influence.

300 members of the Council would be selected from different occupations, while other 100 would be delegated to "experts" appointed by the PCAD.

Mr. Suthep said he expected the "reform" would last for 8-14 months. A new election would be allowed to take place only after the "reform" is completed.

He also threatened to escalate his protests if Ms. Yingluck still refuses to resign from her position as a caretaker Prime Minister; Mr. Suthep had envisioned a transitional Prime Minister appointed by His Majesty the King to replace Ms. Yingluck and subsequently form the People′s Council.

"If the Prime Minister stubbornly clings to her position, PCAD will force her out with the power of the Great Mass of the People," Mr. Suthep told reporters, "PCAD will continue the rallies until People′s Council is formed".

In the same press conference, another PCAD leader, Mr. Satit Wongnongtoey, also accused the international media of harbouring bias toward the anti-government movement. He warned that foreign correspondents working in Thailand should be careful not to end up turning themselves into tools of "Thaksin′s Regime".

Meanwhile, Ms. Thida, the chairwoman of the UDD, said Mr. Suthep′s call for Ms. Yingluck to resign would lead to a dangerous "power vacuum".

"The Prime Minster has been tasked with the power from the majority of the people. She cannot abandon this responsibility," Ms. Thida said, "I′d like to ask the Prime Minister and her government to stay until the election date of 2 February 2014."

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNNE5qa3pPVGMxT0E9PQ==&sectionid=TURVd01BPT0=

-- Khaosod English 2013-12-13

[Prbkk]

Oh, great. Now threatening foreign journalists. Is anyone surprised? Anyone doubting the anti-foreigner sentiments associated with this movement should pay close attention.

[pumpuiman]

Suthep will not "discuss" anything, He will continue to threaten.

[pumpuiman]

And the foreign journalists are all reporting lies?

The protesters must be so proud to be backing these fools.

[Boxclever]

So basically the PCAD would hold the balance of power if these "reforms" where to go through.

"300 members of the Council would be selected from different occupations, while other 100 would be delegated to "experts" appointed by the PCAD"

Wow...Absolute democracy?

Edited December 13, 2013 by Boxclever

[pxlgirl]

he declared his everlasting "love" to farungs on a few occasions. Once in power, we might have some delightful days ahead of us... So be careful what you wish for.

[bubblegum]

As I see it Thailand now has to choose between bad and bad.

Is there really no one in this beautiful country with an IQ above 100 who can start a normal party ?? I wonder....

[FangFerang]

Anyone with an IQ over 100 and has no political favor is immediately dismissed.

Mai pen rhai.....

[JoeThePoster]

Mr. Suthep said he expected the "reform" would last for 8-14 months. A new election would be allowed to take place only after the "reform" is completed.

Sounds familiar. Is this Suthep's version of the Great Leap Forward ?

[FangFerang]

Khun Suthep is not a villain. He is a hero. One man against all odds, a man who has never faced charges for his shady land deals (they were all squeaky clean because he never faced charges, you see?). This paragon of proven virtue wants to fix this broken system. I laud him for his pristine efforts. He is truly a paragon among men, despite all the silly claims that he was corrupt. After all, corruption must be proven and NO ONE proves an amart guilty of anything in Thailand. You critics just go back to the drawing board. And by the way, that whole fake scandal about the Red Bull heir was a lie—just read the Thai papers and you can find how silly the whole thing was..

Suthep speaks for the people, you idiots. These claims of undemocratic power grabs and delusions of grandeur are just foreigners interfering in Thai politics. Not one single Thai really objects to Suthep, because he is an incarndine of trust.

When will you people wake up? Suthep is the Lord Buddha come back, the Christian Messiah come back and the prophet Muhammad returned all rolled into one.

The forces of good will give him the blessing he deserves. The forces of men will give him the blessings he has earned. Stay out of the way, foreigners. He has warned others about this, as is his holy right, and you are just grist under the mill if you do not heed his sacred writ..

Long live Suthep! May his shining example inspire all Thais who are middle class, and better. And I say better because if you make more money than someone else that you also are better than them.

Come on, farangs! Your cash makes you superior! You HAVE to love that. And so you can occupy the moral high ground with him... Let's have a Suthep party downtown and celebrate his wonders!

[spirit47]

When I look the international press, I must say, it not show the situation here real. The Shin-Clan is a criminal Network and was going to undermining the Constitution for get full power. Normaly they must condemned for high treason. Taksin manipulate the rural people in a manner that should people remember on Hitler. He sow a lot of hate in their heads, look at the red mob, remember 2010.

[thairookie]

Would TV members be offered a quota of seats out of the 400 available ?

[pxlgirl]

you guys... you have missed out THE REAL thing and the truth of all truths!

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2013/12/13/exclusive-suthep-is-thaksins-proxy/

[SamMunich]

"In the same press conference, another PCAD leader, Mr. Satit Wongnongtoey, also accused the international media of harbouring bias toward the anti-government movement. He warned that foreign correspondents working in Thailand should be careful not to end up turning themselves into tools of "Thaksin′s Regime"."

____________________________

Wow, this is called threatening? I doubt journos are such pussies to get scared by remarks like that.

In fact, if they want to adhere to being objective reporters of facts, they will not want to be seen as siding with the one or the other side, aka "Tools of Taksin (ToT)". Or Tools of Suthep (ToS)? How trustworthy is a text by a journo known to take sides, e.g. Nick Nostiz? Nice for the people, who like him, but unlikely to swing the believe of anybody else.

ThaiVisa is full of complaints about biased reporting by BBC AFP etc, so if Khun Sathit says something in the same way, it is a completely different thing? Gimme a break!

Let's face it, many journos write up some text, maybe not even their own, because they have to deliver home some text. And at the same, they know precious little about the country or the story they are to write about. Today here, tomorrow somewhere else, that comes with the job. It wouldn't be worthwhile a discussion, if not so many people read and believe the stuff that is written, wrong or right in content.

Much more important is, what will come out of the military-sponsored meeting... As it looks, the military is eager to show, that they have not taken sides so far.

Sam M.

Edited December 13, 2013 by SamMunich

[wayned]

'Meanwhile, Ms. Thida, the chairwoman of the UDD, said Mr. Suthep′s call for Ms. Yingluck to resign would lead to a dangerous "power vacuum".'

I thought that Yingluck was the "power vacuum"!

[Noi657]

Yes us foreigners! Let's all go home tomorrow! Let's all take our cash out of Thailand! Let no foreigner enter Thailand! <deleted>! You make me laugh! People moaning about farang, farang came, saw, invested and when people see success they want to ship you out! Thailand is a wonderful country, filled with mainly wonderful people. It's a shame a few let the side down with corruption and greed! Start thinking long term you muppets!!

[EricBerg]

An excellent initiative by the generals! They stimulate dialogue and discussion. Let's hope the meeting will be broadcasted live and will not result in shouting oneliners, but in content from the different groups.

Mr. Suthep seems to be wanting to halt democracy for a long while. How does he explain that? Why did ms. Yingluck give a diplomatic passport to her fugitive brother? How does she explain the rice scheme? Many questions can be asked. I hope people will try to answer them.

[GinBoy2]

As much as I dislike PT and all the hairbrain schemes (ohh <deleted> rice pledging), democracy is messy, Ask the Egyptians, clearly they got i wrong and army had to 'correct' their mistake. This is the same pattern in Thailand, happens over and over again. Best thing Mr Crazy Suthep could do, is beat Abbhisit over the head with a piece of 2x4 and get him to actually win once in a while

[Roadman]

Can attend Yingluck's Sunday chat which she does not have the care or grace to attend herself. Or attend the military's forum where the real power broker is.

Yingluck can either learn now that she needs to be in attendance at the military forum or wait until later after the dictatorial hand that her criminal brother wishes has been played, to be forced to attend an Army forum to understand how it is going to be.

Her call as to whether that process is implemented now while she has some control of it, or later where the Military has full control. Her thick brained criminal brother should now understand that. But then he does not care for others, only how much power and wealth he and his can grab. Ca cera cera.

[Tokay]

Oh, great. Now threatening foreign journalists. Is anyone surprised? Anyone doubting the anti-foreigner sentiments associated with this movement should pay close attention.

Let me speak on behalf of all apologists...

It could happen anywhere. I've lived here for 100 years and I've never witnessed any ant-foreigner sentiments.

[noitom]

Suthep need not be concerned about foreign journalists writing with Thaksin bias. The Thai press has done a great job on their own of publicizing Thaksin and making him headline and byline news for the past seven years.

[DGIE]

let's see who will respond to Suthep's call for a dialogue

[Prbkk]

"In the same press conference, another PCAD leader, Mr. Satit Wongnongtoey, also accused the international media of harbouring bias toward the anti-government movement. He warned that foreign correspondents working in Thailand should be careful not to end up turning themselves into tools of "Thaksin′s Regime"."

____________________________

Wow, this is called threatening? I doubt journos are such pussies to get scared by remarks like that.

In fact, if they want to adhere to being objective reporters of facts, they will not want to be seen as siding with the one or the other side, aka "Tools of Taksin (ToT)". Or Tools of Suthep (ToS)? How trustworthy is a text by a journo known to take sides, e.g. Nick Nostiz? Nice for the people, who like him, but unlikely to swing the believe of anybody else.

ThaiVisa is full of complaints about biased reporting by BBC AFP etc, so if Khun Sathit says something in the same way, it is a completely different thing? Gimme a break!

Let's face it, many journos write up some text, maybe not even their own, because they have to deliver home some text. And at the same, they know precious little about the country or the story they are to write about. Today here, tomorrow somewhere else, that comes with the job. It wouldn't be worthwhile a discussion, if not so many people read and believe the stuff that is written, wrong or right in content.

Much more important is, what will come out of the military-sponsored meeting... As it looks, the military is eager to show, that they have not taken sides so far.

Sam M.

The implied threat is pretty obvious and while I agree that most journalists would not be intimidated by it, it does reflect the anti-foreign bias of this would-be regime. Not a single credible media source is supporting any of their proposals, nor academic, legal, busiiness, trade, tourism groups. Mr Suthep has no credibility, no support, a dubious past, interesting close relatives. Most significantly, Thais are leaving him in droves. No doubt many hate Thaksin, some with good cause. If Suthep is the answer, <deleted> is the question?

[indyuk]

The fact that the basis of the Suthep proposal is that he will run Thailand with his committee of "friends" and a members house of four hundred (selected) representatives. This formula is not proffered with good will it is to be implemented by him with threats and menaces if Thailand does not accept his offer.

This has been tried in Thailand 1n the 1950's it is utter insanity, as all dictatorships are.

[Robby nz]

Makes me smile every time I see someone calling Suthep an idiot, stupid, as bad or worse than Thaksin or any of the other silly things they say about him.

Consider what he has achieved in the last 45 days.

He has got hundreds of thousands of ordinary Thais from all walks of life out on the streets to vent their previously hidden feelings about the corrupt PT Government.

He has got the Amnesty bill scrapped, a bill that would have exonerated all the red shirt leaders and their boss Thaksin, would have dropped over 25 thousand corruption cases at present under investigation, corruption that has cost the country billions of baht. A bill that would have set a president that corruption can be excused. He did this even though the same bill would have also excused him of any charges against him.

He has got the PT Govt to resign.

He has got every group in the country realalising that there needs to be some sort of reform to clean up politics.

And now he has got these groups talking about it and in most cases coming together to talk about it.

Sure they are not all coming together as yet, but give it time it will happen.

In the mean time there are those who have vested interests in keeping things the same and they are the ones who will eventually have to be pushed out in order for the country to move forward.

[Prbkk]

Makes me smile every time I see someone calling Suthep an idiot, stupid, as bad or worse than Thaksin or any of the other silly things they say about him.

Consider what he has achieved in the last 45 days.

He has got hundreds of thousands of ordinary Thais from all walks of life out on the streets to vent their previously hidden feelings about the corrupt PT Government.

He has got the Amnesty bill scrapped, a bill that would have exonerated all the red shirt leaders and their boss Thaksin, would have dropped over 25 thousand corruption cases at present under investigation, corruption that has cost the country billions of baht. A bill that would have set a president that corruption can be excused. He did this even though the same bill would have also excused him of any charges against him.

He has got the PT Govt to resign.

He has got every group in the country realalising that there needs to be some sort of reform to clean up politics.

And now he has got these groups talking about it and in most cases coming together to talk about it.

Sure they are not all coming together as yet, but give it time it will happen.

In the mean time there are those who have vested interests in keeping things the same and they are the ones who will eventually have to be pushed out in order for the country to move forward.

Well, it doesn't make me smile to see a country ( one for which we all have affection) paralysed and divided by this guy. Ordinary people are losing their livelihoods as a consequence of these actions, foreign investors losing confidence, tourists cancelling, thugs fighting in the streets. He is no different from the previous cabal of bullies wanting to retain their ' born to rule' authority. He seems quite happy to destroy the country in his obsession with Thaksin. Everyone knows that politics is a rotten business and the majority of Thai politicians would steal a stale crust from a blind chook , if it suited them. It does make me smile to note that some seem to believe that this guy is different. Most Thais do not believe so, as reflected in the latest polls.

[tingtongteesood]

Have you actually read any of the foreign media ? They are correct that it is bias towards the government, probably because they still see the government as 'legitimate' despite their crimes and they believe the bs propaganda that comes out of the Bureau Of Thaksin Propaganda and don't bother to even try and research whether it is all true or not since what happens here isn't really important to the rest of the world....

[wwest5829]

When I look the international press, I must say, it not show the situation here real. The Shin-Clan is a criminal Network and was going to undermining the Constitution for get full power. Normaly they must condemned for high treason. Taksin manipulate the rural people in a manner that should people remember on Hitler. He sow a lot of hate in their heads, look at the red mob, remember 2010.

Spirit47, from my study I do realize that the PM Taksin was not without big problems so I do not dismiss Thai concerns along this line. However, in my view, what is currently proposed is anti - democratic and does wrong to Thailand and her people. I was extremely unhappy with having G. Bush in the American White House but my native country is a democracy and the majority of the voters elected Bush (ha! At least the second term election) so I had to wait until he was out of office. Now some of my American friends are extremely unhappy that Obama has been elected to two terms as President. Other western democratic nations have experienced the same. That is the difference in a democracy and other forms of government. I wish the Thai well in their search to see if they want a democracy. Right now, the world is watching and Thailand is losing face. It saddens me greatly.

[SamMunich]

PrBKK wrote:

...

Well, it doesn't make me smile to see a country ( one for which we all have affection) paralysed and divided by this guy. Ordinary people are losing their livelihoods as a consequence of these actions, foreign investors losing confidence, tourists cancelling, thugs fighting in the streets. ...

____________________________________________________________________________

To me the remark of Khun Sathit sounds more like somebody frustrated, that when trying to explain things to a foreigner, the foreigner does not really want to listen or even try to understand. I know that feeling from explaning "back home", that I live in Thailand...

And the same I read from PrBKK's comments, when he writes that it makes him NOT smile to read about the current upheaval (?) in Thailand.

Hey, live is not a smooth ride, as much as everybody would like it to be. I wasn't happy, that Thailand was run by a liar and criminal (as we can say now) for several years, but I had to grin and bear it. But try to look at the bright side of what is happening these days. You might (like I did) see some old friends again at the demonstration site, you might make new friends, a business opportunity might arise from such talks, who knows? If you see all in bleak colors, you don't do yourself a favour, mate. Unlike Buddhists, we only live once, so use it, enjoy it. Are you from the USofA or Europe? Then be glad about the good weather here and the better food.

And then, when you feel better again, then take a fresh look at the problems of this country and figure out, how you can help make this place a better one. And just between you and me: Believing a liar is nonsense, the same as taking a 1,000 Baht bill from the person, that steals 2,000 Baht from your wallet.

Now I hope you (all of you) have a nice weekend,

Sam

[kirk0233]

Makes me smile every time I see someone calling Suthep an idiot, stupid, as bad or worse than Thaksin or any of the other silly things they say about him.

Consider what he has achieved in the last 45 days.

He has got hundreds of thousands of ordinary Thais from all walks of life out on the streets to vent their previously hidden feelings about the corrupt PT Government.

He has got the Amnesty bill scrapped, a bill that would have exonerated all the red shirt leaders and their boss Thaksin, would have dropped over 25 thousand corruption cases at present under investigation, corruption that has cost the country billions of baht. A bill that would have set a president that corruption can be excused. He did this even though the same bill would have also excused him of any charges against him.

He has got the PT Govt to resign.

He has got every group in the country realalising that there needs to be some sort of reform to clean up politics.

And now he has got these groups talking about it and in most cases coming together to talk about it.

Sure they are not all coming together as yet, but give it time it will happen.

In the mean time there are those who have vested interests in keeping things the same and they are the ones who will eventually have to be pushed out in order for the country to move forward.Who

Who will reform Suthep's government if he is successful at becoming dictator?