PM Yingluck: Parliament dissolution obstructs rice pledging scheme

[Rimmer]

A couple of inflammatory posts have been removed:

In using Thai Visa I agree:

1) To respect fellow members.

4) Not to flame fellow members.Flaming will not be tolerated. 'Flaming' is defined as posting or responding to a message in a way clearly intended to incite useless arguments, to launch personal attacks, to insult, or to be hateful towards other members. This includes useless criticism, name-calling, swearing and any other comments meant to incite anger.

[animatic]

The woman is devoted to improving the life of poor people all over thailand. She is Aung San Suu Kui of Thailand. Praised for all her hard work by world leaders on her tireless trips to more than 50 countries. Who if not her would sacrifice oneself for the struggle of the poor against the oppressive elites of bangkok (have to be noted that it's just the elites of bangkok, not Chiang mai).

Another idiotic post comparing her with the Nobel Prize winner from Burma.

The woman is devoted to aquiring wealth and collecting handbags.

"Sacrificing herself for the struggle of the poor.......... bla bla bla" alt=bah.gif width=19 height=19>

and...two idiotic posts

Isn't obvious Spartakos is being HIGHLY ironic to the point of veiled sarcasm???

[Bluespunk]

"On her Facebook page yesterday ..."

this reminds me that we do not seem to have gotten anything noteworthy from young Oaf recently, did we?

Did he ever say anything worth noting?

[rubl]

"On her Facebook page yesterday ..."

this reminds me that we do not seem to have gotten anything noteworthy from young Oaf recently, did we?

Did he ever say anything worth noting?

'my father is not afraid to die" ?

[Bluespunk]

"On her Facebook page yesterday ..."

this reminds me that we do not seem to have gotten anything noteworthy from young Oaf recently, did we?

Did he ever say anything worth noting?

'my father is not afraid to die" ?

Ah yes, that gem. I'm guessing someone told him to shut the F up after that.

[rogerdee123]

Good Grief does she even understand what she is saying.

The farmers should have been paid a month before the dissolution. If there was a problem she should have taken care of it then. Not now two months later.

If the farmers hadn't complained would she be trying to pay them now?

She led the charge to pay that much for the rice and she was single handedly responsible for making it imposable to pay by dissolving the house.

besides all that ... she's the one who dissolved parliament .

[MGP]

This video is in Thai, but the explanation in English is at the bottom:

"The Corruption Cycle Behind Thailand’s Rice Pledging Scheme

The government announced the rice would be sold through G2G, through a company called GSSG Import & Export that is represented in Thailand by Mr. Rathanit Sojiratkul (Palm), who is an assistant to the Parliamentary Member, Mrs. Rapipan Pongruengrong, wife of Arisman Pongruengrong one of the core Red Shirt leaders.

Mr. Rathanit then issued a power of attorney to Mr. Nimon Rakdee or Joe, a right hand man of Sia Pieng. Mr. Nimon then brought the rice from the government through the Foreign Trade Department. Sia Piang sold the rice he got for less than market value, as it did not go through the bidding process, and sold it to rice mills at market value.

The government lost out in the first phase because Sia Pieng took the profit from the sell. The mills in turn sold back the rice they got from Sia Pieng to the government’s rice pledging program. The government brought this rice at a price that is 40% higher than market value. Therefore the mills made profit from selling the rice back to the government while the government lost out again for the second time as they now have to pledge their own rice.

The fact that the government lost out twice in this deal is probably not a coincidence due their misjudgment. But it is because Sia Pieng is actually a close friend of Thaksin Shinawatra. They say they are selling the rice through G2G when in fact they are selling to a company owned by Thaksin’s close friend.

Don’t forget that the money the government lost out on twice is actually our tax money."

And that video is a year old. I did not know the details of the scam, but this is gold.

I have called Suthep a fascist for calling for an unelected "people's council" and for disrespecting the PTP voters as not good people.

However, I do feel that the protests are legitimate. Whether there is a way out of this huge standoff remains to be seen.

As more and more evidence piled up about the corruption and nepotism of the Shin Clan, many people have had enough.

This was a long time coming. Thai people can be very patient and take a lot of shit, but when they have had enough of something, they explode.

I am also quite sure that there are many disillusioned PTP voters and red shirts. The PTP cannot be enjoying the same kind of support now as 2011.

Farmers being ripped off by the government that was supposed to have helped them. Some cronies stuffing their pockets by double scamming.

The PTP have been ignoring all the reports of their incompetence and thinly veiled cronyism and it has cost them dearly. Their attitude that they can do whatever the fark they want because they were elected just does not fly.

Some good might come out of this. The Dems might learn they ignore the farmers and poor at their own risk. I am skeptical.

+1 EvilDrSomkid.

Some decisions of Suteph, although they have the approval of many Thai people, are not easy to be assimilated. But IMHO this is bigger than Suthep or the Dems. People wants to stop that madness before the country goes to absolute ruin. And perhaps, if Suthep and the protesters returned back to their homes today, the Government and allies would fall victims of their own bad karma. But that may be too late for the health of the country.

Edited February 7, 2014 by MGP

[wolfmanjack]

That is a lie.

How much rice money has your brother on his account?

the 30 billion baht the current government returned to him had to come from somewhere.

[wolfmanjack]

she has an iphone ,a blackberry and a tablet as well ?

handy for facebook i suppose .......

Looks like a remote for the telly too.

at least shes not letting the stress of it all get to her ............not like all those hungry farmers

and people sleeping in tents all over the place around the city

Very funny. if i had the amount of money she has nothing would stress me out either except maybe the prospect that all my money would be taken to pay the farmers.

[Gweiloman]

I noticed that red TV members tend to avoid all news threads with "rice" in the title.

I did not come across this thread till a few minutes ago (some of us do have to work). I was surprised that it took 60 posts before the first mention of red shirt supporter appeared.

What is there to say? The rice scheme (as I have stated many times before) was poorly thought out and even more poorly managed.

But to respond to posts that only consists of insults and name calling is a waste of time and effort. I prefer to engage in conversation and debate with open minded adults who don't see the need to score cheap points just by virtue of being able to type Dubai, shopping, liar... the lists goes on.

[samuidave]

She dissolved Parliament without making provisions for payment .. it's Yinglucks fault!!!!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

IF AN HONEST PROJECT to begin, there was never a need for a loan.

It was a well designed plan to further impoverish the nation so that select, wealthy private interests could privatize all that's left behind.

It is called an economic shock, administered with a purpose. Greed and ignorance allowed the pledgers to be the "willing" pawns of the game.

[samuidave]

Obviously, its 100% to her benefit if she can get the loans. Problem is that politics has put questions on the validity of lian funding which now puts the banks in a queationable position.

Why is the validity of funding not being raisef/ resolved by constitutional court so that bank get assurity and the loans can proceed?

Why didnt questions get resolved regarding the chinese providence buyer so the rice sale would proceed?

Why should the governing peoples not first be personally liable for the cock up?

[marstons]

she has an iphone ,a blackberry and a tablet as well ?

handy for facebook i suppose .......

TV remote looks nothing like IPHONE!!! very constructive post

[samuidave]

Yingluck says ulterior power obstructs govt, rice subsidies

By Digital Content

BANGKOK, Feb 7 Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has blamed an ulterior power for attempting to topple the government and disrupting the rice pledging scheme.

On her Facebook page yesterday, she said the Finance Ministry was finding financial sources to pay farmers despite legal restrictions while the Commerce Ministry would tender rice in the state stockpiles to earn money for overdue payments to farmers.

There are unconventional and undemocratic political games with the objectives of removing the government and obstructing the present administration from successively working for the peoples well-being despite the fact that farmers themselves have been in favour of rice subsidies, she said.

She said related government agencies were instructed to solve problems which impeded payments to farmers.

Claiming that the governments policy has been accepted by farmers and has been successful in increasing farmers income in the last two years, she vowed to work with her Cabinet for the success of the project.

Political unrest in the last few months which led to dissolution of the House of Representatives and general election had restricted administrative work, she said.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister/Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan said overdue payments for farmers were Bt116 billion, plus another amount of Bt712 million for rice delivered last July-September which has yet to be paid to 3,000 farmers in five central provinces of Uthai Thani, Prachin Buri, Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya and Phetchaburi.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister/Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said on his Facebook page that the government has paid Bt600 billion for rice in the 2013/2014 crop but political conflicts, triggered by the opposition, has delayed budget allocation for overdue payments.

He said intimidation against financial institutes and state agencies has delayed the payments but it would not deter the Finance Ministry to follow the Cabinets decision regarding the rice programme.

Regarding former finance minister Pridiyathorn Devakulas proposal for national reform, he said it could take place in parallel with the election, as the country needs a fully-authorised government to solve pending problems especially economic woes.

He said Thailand has moved another step forward after successfully holding the general election in which more than 20 million people exercised their voting rights.

Mr Pridiyathorn is trapped in the same old issues similar to anti-government protesters a display of his disrespect to the voice of 20 million people who have patiently upheld democracy, he said.

Vicha Mahakhun, a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), said officials would meet with farmers in Sing Buri, Chai Nat and Ang Thong to collect first-hand information to substantiate the commissions ongoing investigation on rice pledging scandal.

Farmers from the three provinces lodged a complaint with the NACC yesterday, requesting legal action against those involved in rice pledging corruption.

He said former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom would have to testify to clarify the rice scheme before the NACC on Feb 20, to be followed by caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck and other officials.

We will urgently investigate the case which has created hardship to farmers. Corrupt people should return some money to farmers. I was intimidated and warned against investigating the case but I do not feel depressed. I was told to stay in a safe house, he said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-02-07

This isn't journalism, this is stenography.

[MAJIC]

The Cheques are in the Post!