Shutdown is illegal, govt warns

[billd766]

"Shutdown is illegal, govt warns"

Why is it against the law to join the protest? Annoying, disruptive, counter-productive, yes, all of these. But illegal? Is it against the law because it is against PT's wishes?

I would assume that it's illegal because Suthep has not said it would be a simple protest. He has called on people to block traffic in the entire city, cut electricity and water supply.

What part of that seems "legal" to you?

Demonstrations are disruptive. Not illegal. That's what seems legal to me. The water supply and electricity threats were directed at specific buildings I think. Yes they are illegal but the protests, despite the fact they will cause a lot of problems are not illegal.

Right, blocking all the traffic in a city is not illegal. How about you try it in London, Paris, New York. Let's see if they believe you that it's completely legal.

Are the governments of the UK, France and the USA led by a convicted criminal from offshore? Thailand is and the Dear Leader is the sole cause of this.

[daboyz1]

Are the governments of the UK, France and the USA led by a convicted criminal from offshore? Thailand is and the Dear Leader is the sole cause of this.

100% agree. That's the crux of the problem right there.

[billd766]

Suthep is baring his naked rear end at the law and doesn't give a <deleted> about laws. He has warrants and struts around like an idiot thinking to himself he god almighty and untouchable

Strangely enough so does your Dear Leader.

At least Suthep is doing it Thailand unlike your cowardly DL skulking in Dubai.

[billd766]

How can any of these government officials be taken seriously when some of them gave moral and financial support to the protesters that shut down Bangkok in 2010?

In 2010, they were forced to resort to such means just in order to win their democratic right to vote because it was clear from all the interviews he was giving on such new channels as CNN and BBC that Abhisit was going to postpone elections for as long as he could using any excuse that he could

And the same thing would happen again if they were to overthrow the democratic process again

How can you postpone an election that was never called? The Abhisit government in 2010 was under no obligation to call elections at the time of the hostage taking of Bangkok. He didn't need to call elections until 2012. As a matter of fact he offered to call them in November 2010, almost 2 years earlier than he needed to in order to appease the red thugs. The red shirts initially accepted this compromise, but then reneged. I suspect the man in Dubai wouldn't be happy unless he got all or nothing. In the end Abhisit called elections a year earlier than he had to. The election actually took place in July 2011. Seems all those people died for nothing in 2010.

Thaivisa should have a pinned topic that explains how elections and parliament works in Thailand. My fingers are getting tired of typing the same thing over and over and over.

July 11 was 6 months earlier than he had to, not a year. He should've held them in 09 imo. But anyway, you're criticizing the red shirts for not taking his first offer - which in retrospect, yes, they should have - yet you're supporting Suthep's group who won't accept a house dissolution at all?

I mean, far be it from me to accuse you of double standards or anything...

Then why didn't Thaksins lot call an election instead when they got kicked out?

Far be it for me to accuse you of double standars or anything.

[JRSoul]

Suthep is baring his naked rear end at the law and doesn't give a <deleted> about laws. He has warrants and struts around like an idiot thinking to himself he god almighty and untouchable

You do understand that a warrant is quite different to a conviction? How do these warrants compare to those issued on the unelected, but convicted, man running the last government?

As an ex-police officer, doesn't it bother you supporting a convicted criminal with serious charges still to face?

[chooka]

Suthep is baring his naked rear end at the law and doesn't give a <deleted> about laws. He has warrants and struts around like an idiot thinking to himself he god almighty and untouchable

Strangely enough so does your Dear Leader.

At least Suthep is doing it Thailand unlike your cowardly DL skulking in Dubai.

So another poster who automatically thinks if we aren't following this dangerous raving lunatic Suthep then we must be with Taksin As I have stated numerous times I think they are both crooks and neither can be trusted and should be sharing a cell. Suthep has brained washed you in thinking you are either with us or against us.

If Somchia the noodle maker with a clean record, ethics and integrity was leading this movement then I might consider following it but when the biggest loony and dangerous man to ever have stepped foot on the planet is leading these nutjobs and lunitics then I will continue to sit on the fence and laugh my arse off at his crazy antics and stupid remarks.

[Bluespunk]

"Shutdown is illegal, govt warns"

Why is it against the law to join the protest? Annoying, disruptive, counter-productive, yes, all of these. But illegal? Is it against the law because it is against PT's wishes?

Why don't we try this: you get several hundred people together, go to a busy major traffic intersection in the capital city of your country, and block it. I'm guessing the authorities in your country would consider that illegal (and your "shutdown" probably wouldn't last very long either).

If I felt strongly enough about something I would. It is my democratic right to protest.

I think this particular demo is wrong, mainly because suthep is behind it and he is a fascist loon, however, people still have the right to protest. If that is taken away then we are on the path to authoritarian rule.

Should the demo be marshalled, yes,

should it be kept away from key sites, yes,

should the police/army be on duty to stop it turning into a riot, yes,

should it be illegal to protest, there I say no.

[daboyz1]

I would rather not ask you of the 10 days and nights you spent with people that shut down the city center for two days MONTHS,

Minor correction.

[AloisAmrein]

Suthep = Thailand's Hitler

[PlastikbinLina]

How can any of these government officials be taken seriously when some of them gave moral and financial support to the protesters that shut down Bangkok in 2010?

Yes I whole heartedly agree with you daboyz1. My wife and I spent tiring and expensive days trying to get through the airport crowds to check in for our flight home. The B's were everywhere, all through the airport , sitting on the floor with their yellow shirts etc and just smiling. You know the land of (cynical)smiles type smile. And now they are here once again creating similar disruption activities but this time on our damn roads. Let's hope it all ends soon.

[aimbc]

"Shutdown is illegal, govt warns"

Why is it against the law to join the protest? Annoying, disruptive, counter-productive, yes, all of these. But illegal? Is it against the law because it is against PT's wishes?

It's against the law because the leaders of the mobs in the streets have openly declared insurrection for the purpose of overthrowing the legitimately elected government and to prevent a legally called and scheduled election being conducted in accordance with the constitution.

The leaders of the insurrection have openly declared their intent to establish an arbitrarily anointed and still anonymous "People's Council" to rule absolutely over the nation after the negation of democracy and the constitutionally scheduled election.

Any government of the world has the inherent right to defend itself against insurrection of any kind - it is the government's sovereign right to preserve and protect itself in the interests of the nation, its people, the constitution.

Citizens are responsible to themselves and to society to know these facts and to accept responsibility for their decisions and actions in either respect.

Yes in a functioning democracy. But what the govt has done so far with the affair of the nation has not been sign of a functioning democracy. Right now, there is absolutely no Check and Balance in the system. Even citizens right have been violated. The citizens asked for rice figures they are not giving it. So many others violation of ciitizens rights too lengthy to mention. This govt has lost their legitimency and no one can disagree with that.

[PlastikbinLina]

"Shutdown is illegal, govt warns"

Why is it against the law to join the protest? Annoying, disruptive, counter-productive, yes, all of these. But illegal? Is it against the law because it is against PT's wishes?

Because in any other country it would be called 'insurrection' and that means violence against any elected government.

[MikeOboe57]

Dear Publicus,

I admire your highly flexible moral guidelines. When you support a government, no matter how corrupt, criminal or unlawful its actions may be, you condemn even peaceful large scale demonstrations demanding its resignation as illegal and advocate a harsh crackdown. When you hate a government you vigorously denounce heavy handed action and demand instead all out bombing campaigns against it even without UNSC mandate - in clear violation of the UN charta - to allow some radical factions without democratic ideals to take over that country.

[catweazle]

I am absolutely not a Suthep fan, but the people of any democracy have the right to oppose and fight against a government that tries to suppress and strip the population of their given rights... I see nothing illegal here.

The fact that all of this costs us this and perhaps next high season and severely damages Thailand's reputation as a "safe and happy" tourist haven is written on another piece of paper.

Talking about paper - I will also (as suggested by another member) join the protest and lay a nice brick today for our beloved Fuehrer Suthep. Just need another Espresso and it will come out just fine...

[billd766]

Suthep is baring his naked rear end at the law and doesn't give a <deleted> about laws. He has warrants and struts around like an idiot thinking to himself he god almighty and untouchable

Strangely enough so does your Dear Leader.

At least Suthep is doing it Thailand unlike your cowardly DL skulking in Dubai.

So another poster who automatically thinks if we aren't following this dangerous raving lunatic Suthep then we must be with Taksin As I have stated numerous times I think they are both crooks and neither can be trusted and should be sharing a cell. Suthep has brained washed you in thinking you are either with us or against us.

If Somchia the noodle maker with a clean record, ethics and integrity was leading this movement then I might consider following it but when the biggest loony and dangerous man to ever have stepped foot on the planet is leading these nutjobs and lunitics then I will continue to sit on the fence and laugh my arse off at his crazy antics and stupid remarks.

Can you please explain to me how Suthep has brainwashed me? I certainly don't feel different than I did 6 months ago.

What Suthep seems to have done is to get all the small splintered groups together and going in the same direction and given them far more support than they had before.

If you think that Suthep is the biggest looney and the most dangerous man on the planet you must had led a sheltered life.

At this point in time he is a very important player in a game played in a relatively small and unimportant country in Asia and an insgnificant one to most of the world.

Nowhere have I seen that he wants to take over the country and run it for himself.

Both Thaksin and Suthep have many ethics or morals and both are most probably crooks but the main difference is that Thaksin IS a convicted criminal, facing a jail sentence which he ran away from, and Suthep has yet to be sentenced to jail and the latest run will probably be thrown away.

Thaksin wanted the amnesty for himself his friends and threw in a bonus to Abhisit and Suthep, both of whom rejected it preferring to take their case to the courts. Thaksin has always been able to come back to Thailand and fight his side but for some reason he does not want to do so. Any idea why that would be. After all he has the PTP government, the police and the DSI on his side plus the UDD and the Red Shirts too so why doesn't he just do it?

[fasteddie]

How can any of these government officials be taken seriously when some of them gave moral and financial support to the protesters that shut down Bangkok in 2010?

They have also had over three and a half years to bring to justice those who did far worse in 2010, and yet they still walk free, indeed, many of them serve this "government" in high positions...!!

So how does Surapong identify the current actions as illegal when compared to the Red Shirt tactics of that time?

"They have also had over three and a half years to bring to justice those who did far worse in 2010,"

They have charged Suthep and the Englishman.

[harber8]

Shutting Bangkok down is illegal BUT wide spread corruption is fine.

Remove democracy from this country pleeeeeeeease. It don't work.

[jaiyen]

Why do the Thai police in the the photos wear coloured scarves ? I know it is for group identification but a loose scarf around the neck makes it so simple to restrain or strangle them. Good thinking !!

Why not have pretty coloured batons or helmets !!

[fasteddie]

win by the rules? like passing a sneakily altered Bill in the final Lower House vote at 4.25am while the nation was asleep, unaware of the coming political nightmare ...

I'm afraid Yingluck deserves what she gets.

They are an elected government, they can pass any bills they win the vote on.

[Bluespunk]

"Shutdown is illegal, govt warns"

Why is it against the law to join the protest? Annoying, disruptive, counter-productive, yes, all of these. But illegal? Is it against the law because it is against PT's wishes?

Because in any other country it would be called 'insurrection' and that means violence against any elected government.

Wrong. You might want to label it an insurrection but for most of those there they are sickened by this govts corruption, criminally inept economic policies, abuse of power and the legal system it is a protest. A protest they are allowed in any democratic society. Any political system that does not allow such protests is totalitarian.

And once again I will say, I do not support suthep and his fascist council, the man's a loon, I think many of the protestors are misguided in continuing these protests, but they still have the right to protest.

[winstonc]

well, it looks like the Reds will shut down north Thailand on the 13th. I guess they didn't get their travel expenses paid this time.

yes i hear their going to shutdown tesco lotus in ubon...there is nothing they can do in the north.theres nothing up here.but these reds are bright..

[winstonc]

Suthep is baring his naked rear end at the law and doesn't give a <deleted> about laws. He has warrants and struts around like an idiot thinking to himself he god almighty and untouchable

Strangely enough so does your Dear Leader.

At least Suthep is doing it Thailand unlike your cowardly DL skulking in Dubai.

So another poster who automatically thinks if we aren't following this dangerous raving lunatic Suthep then we must be with Taksin As I have stated numerous times I think they are both crooks and neither can be trusted and should be sharing a cell. Suthep has brained washed you in thinking you are either with us or against us.

If Somchia the noodle maker with a clean record, ethics and integrity was leading this movement then I might consider following it but when the biggest loony and dangerous man to ever have stepped foot on the planet is leading these nutjobs and lunitics then I will continue to sit on the fence and laugh my arse off at his crazy antics and stupid remarks.

Can you please explain to me how Suthep has brainwashed me? I certainly don't feel different than I did 6 months ago.

What Suthep seems to have done is to get all the small splintered groups together and going in the same direction and given them far more support than they had before.

If you think that Suthep is the biggest looney and the most dangerous man on the planet you must had led a sheltered life.

At this point in time he is a very important player in a game played in a relatively small and unimportant country in Asia and an insgnificant one to most of the world.

Nowhere have I seen that he wants to take over the country and run it for himself.

Both Thaksin and Suthep have many ethics or morals and both are most probably crooks but the main difference is that Thaksin IS a convicted criminal, facing a jail sentence which he ran away from, and Suthep has yet to be sentenced to jail and the latest run will probably be thrown away.

Thaksin wanted the amnesty for himself his friends and threw in a bonus to Abhisit and Suthep, both of whom rejected it preferring to take their case to the courts. Thaksin has always been able to come back to Thailand and fight his side but for some reason he does not want to do so. Any idea why that would be. After all he has the PTP government, the police and the DSI on his side plus the UDD and the Red Shirts too so why doesn't he just do it?

because hes spineless..and a thai male...

[fasteddie]

How can any of these government officials be taken seriously when some of them gave moral and financial support to the protesters that shut down Bangkok in 2010?

In 2010, they were forced to resort to such means just in order to win their democratic right to vote because it was clear from all the interviews he was giving on such new channels as CNN and BBC that Abhisit was going to postpone elections for as long as he could using any excuse that he could

And the same thing would happen again if they were to overthrow the democratic process again

How can you postpone an election that was never called? The Abhisit government in 2010 was under no obligation to call elections at the time of the hostage taking of Bangkok. He didn't need to call elections until 2012. As a matter of fact he offered to call them in November 2010, almost 2 years earlier than he needed to in order to appease the red thugs. The red shirts initially accepted this compromise, but then reneged. I suspect the man in Dubai wouldn't be happy unless he got all or nothing. In the end Abhisit called elections a year earlier than he had to. The election actually took place in July 2011. Seems all those people died for nothing in 2010.

Thaivisa should have a pinned topic that explains how elections and parliament works in Thailand. My fingers are getting tired of typing the same thing over and over and over.

"My fingers are getting tired of typing the same thing over and over and over."

Try typing the truth, you'll find it's not the same as a lie, which has to be said over and over in the hope eventually someone might confuse it with the truth.

[gabruce]

How can any of these government officials be taken seriously when some of them gave moral and financial support to the protesters that shut down Bangkok in 2010?

They have also had over three and a half years to bring to justice those who did far worse in 2010, and yet they still walk free, indeed, many of them serve this "government" in high positions...!!

So how does Surapong identify the current actions as illegal when compared to the Red Shirt tactics of that time?

I think that he's just in favour of urban redevelopment. So, when someone wants to burn down Bangkok, that's a good thing. Stimulate the economy by causing rebuilding expenditures - the broken window syndrome - extremely flawed. There is also the matter that he was on the side of the burning last time and is the person in power this time. The current protests aren't aimed at burning down the city, so there will just be disruptions and inconvenience (and losses if tourists don't visit, delays in transporting products?, people don't eat out etc). See, it's all a matter of perspective and what you want for yourself.

[samuidave]

It's hard to imagine a mind --other than one completely captured by the propaganda of western democracy -- that honestly believe an elected person is de facto better than an unelected one, when 'elected' is limited to the ballot box. Yet jackrich et al ride on ....

When an election process is so broken that a result where 11 million voters outweigh 16 million voters, and the captured mind thinks this is all good and valid and 'legal', others must question that person's ability to see the elephant in the room.

You, jackrich, reveal far too much about your beliefs for anyone with some basic sense AND ability to look at the reality of the situation to take you seriously. On that note, thanks for the joke-post.

How can any of these government officials be taken seriously when some of them gave moral and financial support to the protesters that shut down Bangkok in 2010?

And how can they be taken seriously when they put 5 family members in top positions to be elected......It is not a government it is a Shinawatra enterprise

I'd rather have 5 members of the same family on the ballot, allowing people to have them "elected" than a non-elected "people's council".

Elections are always better than no elections, no matter who's on the ballot. People can vote "no" if they don't like the choices.

[fasteddie]

I'm curious, how much did it cost Thailand in 2010?

Economically, not as much as you think. Central World is the only mall that had insurance foer uprisings.

No kidding. Both sides are still puzzling over that one....

No need to play the protest in 2010 down. It was a terrible blow to Thai economy and a as a result of red mob terrorism more than 100,000 Thais lost their jobs. A fact. Easily verifiable if you are actually interested in facts.

Certainly am, got any?

100,000 jobs lost (though I don't believe it), would be a small price to pay, in the short term, in the fight against fascism and the reinstatement of democracy.

Edited January 5, 2014 by fasteddie

[Mystory]

Best thing for the caretaker government is too lie low. Try to ensure there are as few confrontations as possible.

Let the shutdown proceed and the wait for the people of Bangkok,who will be severely affected,to do the rest.

So civil war then width=19 alt=whistling.gif pagespeed_url_hash=3700464609>

By Civil War you mean Bangkok. This is not a civil war this is people replying to a thug. A Civil War is when a country divides and fights. Please read the above statement he never mentions civil war. Just BKK. By the government not stepping in, it is safe and incident free protests, not like 2010. This is what Suthep wants so the army will stage a coup. He knows if this last push doesnt work and the election goes ahead, he will be facing more charges against him then a corrupt MP giving out land in Phuket. Whoops same guy.

In Thai history they move the capital quite often. I think it is time for another shift to Swampy Airport.

[chooka]

Suthep is baring his naked rear end at the law and doesn't give a <deleted> about laws. He has warrants and struts around like an idiot thinking to himself he god almighty and untouchable

Strangely enough so does your Dear Leader.

At least Suthep is doing it Thailand unlike your cowardly DL skulking in Dubai.

So another poster who automatically thinks if we aren't following this dangerous raving lunatic Suthep then we must be with Taksin As I have stated numerous times I think they are both crooks and neither can be trusted and should be sharing a cell. Suthep has brained washed you in thinking you are either with us or against us.

If Somchia the noodle maker with a clean record, ethics and integrity was leading this movement then I might consider following it but when the biggest loony and dangerous man to ever have stepped foot on the planet is leading these nutjobs and lunitics then I will continue to sit on the fence and laugh my arse off at his crazy antics and stupid remarks.

Can you please explain to me how Suthep has brainwashed me? I certainly don't feel different than I did 6 months ago.

What Suthep seems to have done is to get all the small splintered groups together and going in the same direction and given them far more support than they had before.

If you think that Suthep is the biggest looney and the most dangerous man on the planet you must had led a sheltered life.

At this point in time he is a very important player in a game played in a relatively small and unimportant country in Asia and an insgnificant one to most of the world.

Nowhere have I seen that he wants to take over the country and run it for himself.

Both Thaksin and Suthep have many ethics or morals and both are most probably crooks but the main difference is that Thaksin IS a convicted criminal, facing a jail sentence which he ran away from, and Suthep has yet to be sentenced to jail and the latest run will probably be thrown away.

Thaksin wanted the amnesty for himself his friends and threw in a bonus to Abhisit and Suthep, both of whom rejected it preferring to take their case to the courts. Thaksin has always been able to come back to Thailand and fight his side but for some reason he does not want to do so. Any idea why that would be. After all he has the PTP government, the police and the DSI on his side plus the UDD and the Red Shirts too so why doesn't he just do it?

Very simple you said that thaksin was my dear leader because I am against Suthep. You were insinuating exactly the same as that brainless idiot Suthep in that you are either with us or against us.

I still believe that Thaksin and Suthep are twins both corrupt but Suthep is a brainless twerp and an extremely dangerous man.

[Mackie]

I'm curious, how much did it cost Thailand in 2010?

Economically, not as much as you think. Central World is the only mall that had insurance foer uprisings.

No kidding. Both sides are still puzzling over that one....

No need to play the protest in 2010 down. It was a terrible blow to Thai economy and a as a result of red mob terrorism more than 100,000 Thais lost their jobs. A fact. Easily verifiable if you are actually interested in facts.

Certainly am, got any?

1000,000 jobs lost (though I don't believe it), would be a small price to pay, in the short term, in the fight against fascism and the reinstatement of democracy.

Obviously you are not. You can't even quote the figure right. And I was being generous with the figure 100,000 plus. I haven't included bankrupted businesses. English Wikipedia is your friend, United Front For the Democracy.

You'd better stop kidding yourself that Thailand under the current government is democracy. Democracy requires accountability, responsibility and transparency from people occupying higher places and this current lot offers none. No checks, no balances. They're robbing the country blind and only an imbecile would sit on his or her ass doing nothing waiting for the inevitable economic collapse. Those guys literally think that democracy means I was elected and I can do whatever I want without being hold accountable or facing any consequences. Literally.

Also educate yourself on what happened in 2010. The life is not black and white as you would like people to believe, there are shades of grey. Read through it, you might learn something.

Descent into Chaos

Thailand's Red Shirt Protests and the Government's Crackdown

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2011/05/03/descent-chaos-0

[chainarong]

"Shutdown is illegal, govt warns"

Why is it against the law to join the protest? Annoying, disruptive, counter-productive, yes, all of these. But illegal? Is it against the law because it is against PT's wishes?

I would assume that it's illegal because Suthep has not said it would be a simple protest. He has called on people to block traffic in the entire city, cut electricity and water supply.

What part of that seems "legal" to you?

Demonstrations are disruptive. Not illegal. That's what seems legal to me. The water supply and electricity threats were directed at specific buildings I think. Yes they are illegal but the protests, despite the fact they will cause a lot of problems are not illegal.

I think in most countries you need a permit to protest , march , whatever, if a permit is not issued then it is ilegal