Red Sunday group leader Sombat spearheads Thai rice-purchase plan

[webfact]

Red leader spearheads rice-purchase plan
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Red Sunday group leader Sombat Boonngam-anong will raise funds to help buy rice from the stockpiles of the troubled pledging scheme. Sombat said yesterday that two bank accounts would be created, one by the Mirror Foundation and the other by the Duang Prateep Foundation, to help buy unsold rice from the government's inventory.

The Duang Prateep account will be used to purchase rice for needy children cared for by the foundation.

Rice purchased through the Mirror Foundation will be for personal consumption of the buyers. Sombat said people would be able to stock many bags of rice that would last half a year or so.

He said he would work out the details with the government yesterday and make another announcement within the next few days.

Sombat called the move by the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee to raise funds to help rice farmers a cynical attempt to exploit them in its effort to overthrow the caretaker Yingluck Shinawatra administration and establish an unelected "People's Council".

Many rice farmers in the pledging programme have been unpaid for months, and protests have erupted independently of the PDRC campaign.

"They're exploiting the farmers' sentiment," he said, referring to the PDRC. He also had a message to rice farmers: "Don't be used by the PDRC. They're not truly sincere in helping you."

Sombat acknowledged that the rice scheme was encountering problems but would not call it a failure, as the intention was good. He said whether the prime minister issued a public apology or not was up to her, but it was more important for the government to get the money for the rice farmers quickly.


-- The Nation 2014-02-11

[zydeco]

If the road to hell is paved with "good intentions," just imagine where one with bad intentions leads you.

[Yunla]

Sombat called the move by the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee to raise funds to help rice farmers a cynical attempt to exploit them in its effort to overthrow the caretaker Yingluck Shinawatra administration and establish an unelected "People's Council".

I agree 100% with this assumption. However, the fact remains that PTP created this opportunity for their opponents. If you don't want to dance, get off the dancefloor. Wake up and smell the stolen rotting rice, etc.

[TVGerry]

Hahaha riiiiight! And you guys are helping the farmers out of the kindness of your hearts?

Your darling leader and his cronies came up with this idiot scam and rather than help the farmers, they ended up screwing them. How many more rice farmers have to kill themselves before you idiots admit this scheme is not only a failure but a monumental waste of tax payer money? PRDC use these farmers to overthrow the Poo government? How about the Shinawatras using them for their votes and then screwing them over?

[Robby nz]

In other words, "Oh <deleted> why didnt we think of that first "

A cynical attempt to make it look like his group cares for the farmers.

[Bluespunk]

"Sombat called the move by the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee to raise funds to help rice farmers a cynical attempt to exploit them"

""They're exploiting the farmers' sentiment," he said, referring to the PDRC. He also had a message to rice farmers: "Don't be used by the PDRC. They're not truly sincere in helping you.""

So in other words he's accusing pdrc of doing the same thing as PT has for the last three years.

[JRSoul]

I doubt any farmer left destitute by the government's inability to pay will refuse help because it lacks 'sincerity'.

[JRSoul]

Yingluk publicly apologising for the stupid rice policy her brother created and ordered her to implement - that's likely, I don't think.

I'm afraid the humility gene is completely missing from the Shinawatra bloodline, and very rare in the rest of the Thai-Chinese ruling class.

[Chupup]

Wonder if all the talking will amount to anything substancial or just disapear like so many of these schemes

[Siripon]

Too late Sombat, the great reformer Suthep was there first and has already raised millions. Hey, it's taken the Democrats 13 years to catch up with Thaksin regarding public relations but they've finally made it.

[SABloke]

Asset manager to client: I know my last inestment resulted in a 90'% reduction in your poryfolio value, but I wouldnt call it a failure...you see,I had good intentions. BS.

Nothing indicates how much they are going to pay for the rice. Also, wouldn't it be considered illegal or at least unethical for a charity to spend donations pirchasing grossly inflated products? They'd be able to help more people if they bought from other supplirrs at the market price.

Sent from my GT-S7270 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Bluespunk]

Too late Sombat, the great reformer Suthep was there first and has already raised millions. Hey, it's taken the Democrats 13 years to catch up with Thaksin regarding public relations but they've finally made it.

Have the Dems announced a policy as well? What is it? Don't see any mention of it, or the Dems for that matter, in the article.

Mind, I do recall a plan they had a few years back that appeared to be working quite well, without destroying the rice industry. What ever happened to that now?

Edited February 11, 2014 by Bluespunk

[mightyatom]

What a <deleted> plan.

How much rice are they expecting to buy?

It is is anywhere enough to make even a slight difference, then isn't that going to affect the rice on the shop shelves?....lol

Best part:

I don't think the scheme is a failure as the intention is good.

Even if the intentions were good, it is still a failure.

However, there were never any good intentions, this scheme as well as the tablet scheme and the water management scheme were all thought up to buy votes and provide an excellent resource for corruption.... They were the only intentions, silly red man.

[mightyatom]

The ONLY way to sort out this problem is to offer the farmers their rice back and suspend the program.

They can't pay anyway and will be on their way out.

Suthep ought to help the farmers remove their own rice from the stockpiles, so they can sell it elsewhere or at least eat it.

[JRSoul]

The ONLY way to sort out this problem is to offer the farmers their rice back and suspend the program.

They can't pay anyway and will be on their way out.

Suthep ought to help the farmers remove their own rice from the stockpiles, so they can sell it elsewhere or at least eat it.

NO, NO, NO!

If farmers start removing their rice from warehouses it gives the PTP government a legal loophole to hide the enormous losses and missing rice supposedly in storage.

DON'T DO IT!

[Thait Spot]

Sutheep raises money from the people to help the farmers.

Red Sunday raises money from needy children......

The one thing that they have in common is that they won't really make a dent in the 180,000,000,000B required

[Tatsujin]

Interesting to note the relative "quiet" over the past few days from what were prolific "pro-Govt" posters . . .

[casualbiker]

Sombat said " Sombat said people would be able to stock many bags of rice that would last half a year or so."

So is that half a year before it's inedible or before it's used up.... I think inedible!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Emptyset]

I doubt any farmer left destitute by the government's inability to pay will refuse help because it lacks 'sincerity'.

The PDRC are not helping them recover the money they're owned, only lengthening the time it'll take them to get paid. Can't you see that? This is true regardless of whether the rice scheme is a failure or not and whether it's the government's fault they didn't get the money before house dissolution (which it obviously is).

[Ricardo]

Too late Sombat, the great reformer Suthep was there first and has already raised millions. Hey, it's taken the Democrats 13 years to catch up with Thaksin regarding public relations but they've finally made it.

Have the Dems announced a policy as well? What is it? Don't see any mention of it, or the Dems for that matter, in the article.

Mind, I do recall a plan they had a few years back that appeared to be working quite well, without destroying the rice industry. What ever happened to that now?

It was too restrained & affordable, failed to reward the millers & regional middlemen sufficiently, and thus failed to win sufficient votes to stay in-power ?

Just a wild guess !

[Thaddeus]

Red leader spearheads rice-purchase plan

Look, look, red good.

Much more than a day late, and billions short of a dollar.

[Emptyset]

Too late Sombat, the great reformer Suthep was there first and has already raised millions. Hey, it's taken the Democrats 13 years to catch up with Thaksin regarding public relations but they've finally made it.

The millions will help a small minority of farmers sue the govt or protest. Great. That'll take months or years. Will tie the govt up in more legal knots but won't do a thing to help farmers get their money in the immediate future. As I say the protest will only prolong the time it takes to get a elected govt in place which can borrow the necessary funding. The money will help the small minority that are protesting whilst damaging the majority who are also owed but not part of the protests. I think a million or so farmers are owed but only 20,000 or so are protesting.

Of course, I'm all for protest if they believe the scheme has failed, and they haven't been paid. But protest should be effective. And right now it can't be effective as there's no way the govt can obtain the money. And if PDRC want to help, they should do what Sombat is doing. Buy the rice and give it to the farmers. That's better publicity. Of course, like Sombat's idea, it'll only help a few whilst others go on suffering.

[JRSoul]

I doubt any farmer left destitute by the government's inability to pay will refuse help because it lacks 'sincerity'.

The PDRC are not helping them recover the money they're owned, only lengthening the time it'll take them to get paid. Can't you see that? This is true regardless of whether the rice scheme is a failure or not and whether it's the government's fault they didn't get the money before house dissolution (which it obviously is).

PDRC and the farmers have different objectives, but they coincide in putting pressure on the government to resolve the issue as soon as possible. What do you expect them to do, go home and eat grass (or hang themselves) while waiting for Yingluk to sort her mess? I hope they lodge personal suits against her and the relevant ministers.

BTW BP today has an article begins "Thaksin Shinawatra wants.........." WGAF what he wants?

Edited February 11, 2014 by JRSoul

[Thaddeus]

I doubt any farmer left destitute by the government's inability to pay will refuse help because it lacks 'sincerity'.

The PDRC are not helping them recover the money they're owned, only lengthening the time it'll take them to get paid. Can't you see that? This is true regardless of whether the rice scheme is a failure or not and whether it's the government's fault they didn't get the money before house dissolution (which it obviously is).

The plan to control the world prices of rice failed, it was never going to work, and there was no Plan B.

Now they are in a cesspit of their own making.

If someone robbed you of everything you own and destroyed your future, would you throw them a life-line if you found them drowning?

No, neither would I.

[Emptyset]

In other words, "Oh <deleted> why didnt we think of that first "

A cynical attempt to make it look like his group cares for the farmers.

I think Sombat and Khru Prateep's records speak for themselves in terms of what they've done for the poorest in society. Whereas Suthep on the other hand... in any case, even if I was charitable towards Suthep and said that this was a genuine attempt to help people he deeply cares for, the point is precisely as Thait Spot says, neither group will be able to do anything to help the majority who are owed. The only organization who will be able to help them is the next government with the power to borrow money. So the sooner that happens, the better for the farmers. Then after that farmers should come out and protest if they don't want the scheme to continue. Burn down the warehouses. But make sure everyone has their money first. PTP have exploited farmers, of course, but farmers have also used them to get what they want. If they hate this scheme, they won't vote for PTP again.

[Emptyset]

I doubt any farmer left destitute by the government's inability to pay will refuse help because it lacks 'sincerity'.

The PDRC are not helping them recover the money they're owned, only lengthening the time it'll take them to get paid. Can't you see that? This is true regardless of whether the rice scheme is a failure or not and whether it's the government's fault they didn't get the money before house dissolution (which it obviously is).

PDRC and the farmers have different objectives, but they coincide in putting pressure on the government to resolve the issue as soon as possible. What do you expect them to do, go home and eat grass (or hang themselves) while waiting for Yingluk to sort her mess? I hope they lodge personal suits against her and the relevant ministers.

BTW BP today has an article begins "Thaksin Shinawatra wants.........." WGAF what he wants?

I'm not blaming the farmers for protesting. Just pointing out that if they want the money faster, they're not going to get it by helping the PDRC. Quite the opposite. The govt is trying to resolve the issue as quickly as possible - they're just severely limited in what they can do. I don't think their response has been adequate, yet the point still stands, the longer the PDRC protest goes on, the longer it'll take for farmers to be paid. Unless of course the farmers want to resolve the situation very quickly by taking up arms and overthrowing the govt by force, because that's the only way it's going to happen any time soon.

[gemini81]

So he's basically saying its better to be exploited by him & his group instead of being exploited by the opposition, as then he wouldn't get any credit.

Better to con't to demonstrate and block entrances to the swindlers' buildings..count the losses and move on worst case scenario, and vote smarter next time.

[agent69]

The poor red shirt assumes there's sitll some rice left in the government stock. I stored some rice for a few months and ended up having to throw a whole sack away because of one rice weevil infestation. Regardless of the political motivation, each plan will help the farmers. In my opinion, people should be held accoutable for their wrong doing. But it's really up to the farmers which solution they would like to choose.

[Emptyset]

I doubt any farmer left destitute by the government's inability to pay will refuse help because it lacks 'sincerity'.

The PDRC are not helping them recover the money they're owned, only lengthening the time it'll take them to get paid. Can't you see that? This is true regardless of whether the rice scheme is a failure or not and whether it's the government's fault they didn't get the money before house dissolution (which it obviously is).

The plan to control the world prices of rice failed, it was never going to work, and there was no Plan B.

Now they are in a cesspit of their own making.

If someone robbed you of everything you own and destroyed your future, would you throw them a life-line if you found them drowning?

No, neither would I.

In reality I don't know what I'd do because I'm not in that situation. But I'd think the best thing to do would be to make sure I got paid as soon as possible. And that others in my situation got paid. Then I'd take my anger out on the govt.

[Thait Spot]

In other words, "Oh <deleted> why didnt we think of that first "

A cynical attempt to make it look like his group cares for the farmers.

I think Sombat and Khru Prateep's records speak for themselves in terms of what they've done for the poorest in society. Whereas Suthep on the other hand... in any case, even if I was charitable towards Suthep and said that this was a genuine attempt to help people he deeply cares for, the point is precisely as Thait Spot says, neither group will be able to do anything to help the majority who are owed. The only organization who will be able to help them is the next government with the power to borrow money. So the sooner that happens, the better for the farmers. Then after that farmers should come out and protest if they don't want the scheme to continue. Burn down the warehouses. But make sure everyone has their money first. PTP have exploited farmers, of course, but farmers have also used them to get what they want. If they hate this scheme, they won't vote for PTP again.

I have always maintained that the rural poor in Thailand need a body that in some shape or form supports them.

The Red Shirts came the nearest to that - although they never captured the hearts of those outside the North and North East excluding the band along the west and a big nump of the lower north east.

The RS flew the flags of the farmers until they took the positively Orwellian step of trading their beliefs for the hard cash of politics.

The "breakaway" RS party will need some support and will also need to garner some friends in the south for it to be a success. It will also need leaders who can't be paid to crusade for somebody else's cause. With a decent set of national agricultural modernisation policies it could have a big role to play even as a coalition party.

The 2 bodies who are losing support from those who toil the earth and the RS and the PTP