Red Sunday group leader Sombat spearheads Thai rice-purchase plan

[douginbkk]

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

Yes, I think there's some truth in that. Take Nattawud for example, in 2010 he had little to lose. Now he's made millions and has a cushy position as Dep Minister of Commerce. He's not going to put it on the line to fight for the rights of the poorest against his own party. I'd be surprised if he even stuck his neck out too much to fight the PDRC or military (in the unlikely event of a coup). Too much to lose.

Nattawut at least opposed the amnesty bill

I might be wrong on this, but I thought his opposition to the Amnesty Bill resulted in an abstention? If I'm right, that was some pretty lame "opposition".

Yep, if he opposed it, he should have voted against it.

Sent from my i-STYLE Q4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Bluespunk]

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

Political office.

[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?

Yes you can buy food, take care your kid, family.... in reality you are just a looser, just your fascist leader did this making the country looking like a third world, i hope you proud yourself.

nobody want to buy rice, because what you do to the country, and i see most people see now Yellow = just Be YELLOW means coward not responsible for actions happen

Get your facts straight. Nobody wants to buy our rice because of the idiot rice scam. From world's number 1 rice producer to number 3. As for the rest of what you're trying to say, I won't make fun of your Yingluck level English but unfortunately, no one understands what you're trying to say.

[icommunity]

Yes, the rice farmer should be reminded of falling into the trap of the dem's PDRC/PCAD and don't be used by the PDRC as they're not truly sincere in helping them. They have been wanting the scheme abolished. Instead of focusing in fighting and surfacing traders, farmers, millers, warehouse owner, officials and politicians involved in alleged corruptions and irregularities, they fight to get the scheme abolished.

The dem and its PDRC/PCAD are engaging in an unethical, shameful exploitation of the farmers.

[icommunity]

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.

Hmm 20 million for the farmers and 280 million for another land plot in the south.

Not doing bad there is he. Maybe I should go out, raise 1 million for them and pick up royalties of 12 million for my self.

The farmers will see through this as they spread the 20 million across the north. less than half a baht per person. Excuse them if they don't take Suthep Seriously in this.

That was a groundless accusation with the thinnest of circumstantial evidence which has been shown to be wrong, the land deal was made long before the protests started and it was made by a group of which Suteb's son was a member, Suteb himself had nothing to do with it.

So please show us some real proof or stop spreading your lies.

As for the amount of money donated being small, it is quite a lot considering it is being given by the so called 'elite' who the red shirt 'leaders' and media keep trying to encourage their followers to kill.....I wouldn't give them anything personally given what the red shirts did here in 2010...And this is 20 million after only 2 days, no doubt more can be raised and probably will, it is just the beginning.

Now please take your negativity elsewhere.

How many millions the dem's PDRC/PCAD targeted to raise? They are exploiting the rice farmers.

[Bluespunk]

Yes, the rice farmer should be reminded of falling into the trap of the dem's PDRC/PCAD and don't be used by the PDRC as they're not truly sincere in helping them. They have been wanting the scheme abolished. Instead of focusing in fighting and surfacing traders, farmers, millers, warehouse owner, officials and politicians involved in alleged corruptions and irregularities, they fight to get the scheme abolished.

The dem and its PDRC/PCAD are engaging in an unethical, shameful exploitation of the farmers.

The Dems are not pdcr. pdcr are not Dems.

The farmers have been betrayed by PT. they alone are responsible for this rice debacle.

pdcr have plenty of own flaws. No need to put PT's onto them as well.

[tingtongteesood]

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.

Hmm 20 million for the farmers and 280 million for another land plot in the south.

Not doing bad there is he. Maybe I should go out, raise 1 million for them and pick up royalties of 12 million for my self.

The farmers will see through this as they spread the 20 million across the north. less than half a baht per person. Excuse them if they don't take Suthep Seriously in this.

That was a groundless accusation with the thinnest of circumstantial evidence which has been shown to be wrong, the land deal was made long before the protests started and it was made by a group of which Suteb's son was a member, Suteb himself had nothing to do with it.

So please show us some real proof or stop spreading your lies.

As for the amount of money donated being small, it is quite a lot considering it is being given by the so called 'elite' who the red shirt 'leaders' and media keep trying to encourage their followers to kill.....I wouldn't give them anything personally given what the red shirts did here in 2010...And this is 20 million after only 2 days, no doubt more can be raised and probably will, it is just the beginning.

Now please take your negativity elsewhere.

How many millions the dem's PDRC/PCAD targeted to raise? They are exploiting the rice farmers.

If you want to condemn anyone for exploiting the farmers then that falls squarely on Taksin's shoulders for suckering them into his populist policies to buy their votes. This is fine for you when it helps the fugitive and his red militia, but as soon as anyone else tries to use the farmers for political leverage you start whining 'wah wah they have it in for my dearly beloved leader, why are people so mean ?! Wah wah'. I have no sympathy whatsoever. This is a problem completely of Taksin and his cronies making and if the roles were reversed they wouldn't skip a beat in trying to take as much advantage as they possibly could of the situation. This is the game of politics, stop whining and accept it.

At least PDRC is trying to do something to help the farmers. As for how much they are going to raise, how do I know ? Ask Suteb...

[Crushdepth]

While this is a worthy initiative, it isn't going to shift more than a few tonnes of rice, tens of tonnes at best.

[kikoman]

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.

I think that is a great idea, I was planning to stock up on rice because on the uncertainty of the political situation, can't not think of not better way then to purchase it to help the unpaid farmers.

Now the yellows want to clear our dance-floor, and they sure hope for rotten rice, and I would buy some to make some "rotgut licquer"

Cheers

[Thait Spot]

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.

I think that is a great idea, I was planning to stock up on rice because on the uncertainty of the political situation, can't not think of not better way then to purchase it to help the unpaid farmers.

Now the yellows want to clear our dance-floor, and they sure hope for rotten rice, and I would buy some to make some "rotgut licquer"

Cheers

If you can gether together 47 friends and a few large boxes you could help

Start by giving the first friend 1 grain of rice

The double it to the next friend to 2

Then carry on until all your friends are complete

and then do the same to you

Now if you all go home and sell what you have and give the farmers back the proceeds the job will be done

[kikoman]

Yes, the rice farmer should be reminded of falling into the trap of the dem's PDRC/PCAD and don't be used by the PDRC as they're not truly sincere in helping them. They have been wanting the scheme abolished. Instead of focusing in fighting and surfacing traders, farmers, millers, warehouse owner, officials and politicians involved in alleged corruptions and irregularities, they fight to get the scheme abolished.

The dem and its PDRC/PCAD are engaging in an unethical, shameful exploitation of the farmers.

The Dems are not pdcr. pdcr are not Dems.

The farmers have been betrayed by PT. they alone are responsible for this rice debacle.

pdcr have plenty of own flaws. No need to put PT's onto them as well.

The Dems are not PDRC, there you go again,

Who stated the PDRC, (9) Democrats and assume roles of leadership in the PDRC, what PDRC leader is a 34 year elected Democrat veteran, which is the only political party to boycotted the election and why was the boycott only effective in the area that is known as the Democrats stronghold and who is trying to place condition on participating in a new election.

If it looks like a Dem, Quacks like a Dem, walks like a Dem, surprise It is a Democrat!

Cheers

PTP must take full responsibility for non-payment to the farmers for their rice up until they became a caretaker government, When PTP became a Care Taker Government that responsibility was shifted to The E. C. , the EC now bears that responsibility for non-payment since last December to today!

Edited February 11, 2014 by kikoman

[Bluespunk]

Yes, the rice farmer should be reminded of falling into the trap of the dem's PDRC/PCAD and don't be used by the PDRC as they're not truly sincere in helping them. They have been wanting the scheme abolished. Instead of focusing in fighting and surfacing traders, farmers, millers, warehouse owner, officials and politicians involved in alleged corruptions and irregularities, they fight to get the scheme abolished.

The dem and its PDRC/PCAD are engaging in an unethical, shameful exploitation of the farmers.

The Dems are not pdcr. pdcr are not Dems.

The farmers have been betrayed by PT. they alone are responsible for this rice debacle.

pdcr have plenty of own flaws. No need to put PT's onto them as well.

The Dems are not PDRC, there you go again,

Who stated the PDRC, (9) Democrats and assume roles of leadership in the PDRC, what PDRC leader is a 34 year elected Democrat veteran, which is the only political party to boycotted the election and why was the boycott only effective in the area that is known as the Democrats stronghold and who is trying to place condition on participating in a new election.

If it looks like a Dem, Quacks like a Dem, walks like a Dem, surprise It is a Democrat!

Cheers

I will say this slowly. Please read.

The. Dems. Are. Not. Pdcr.

Part 2

Pdcr. Are. Not. The. Dems.

Part 3

No. Matter. How. Much. You. Want. It. To. Be. So. It. Is. Not.

[kikoman]

Yes, the rice farmer should be reminded of falling into the trap of the dem's PDRC/PCAD and don't be used by the PDRC as they're not truly sincere in helping them. They have been wanting the scheme abolished. Instead of focusing in fighting and surfacing traders, farmers, millers, warehouse owner, officials and politicians involved in alleged corruptions and irregularities, they fight to get the scheme abolished.

The dem and its PDRC/PCAD are engaging in an unethical, shameful exploitation of the farmers.

The Dems are not pdcr. pdcr are not Dems.

The farmers have been betrayed by PT. they alone are responsible for this rice debacle.

pdcr have plenty of own flaws. No need to put PT's onto them as well.

The Dems are not PDRC, there you go again,

Who stated the PDRC, (9) Democrats and assume roles of leadership in the PDRC, what PDRC leader is a 34 year elected Democrat veteran, which is the only political party to boycotted the election and why was the boycott only effective in the area that is known as the Democrats stronghold and who is trying to place condition on participating in a new election.

If it looks like a Dem, Quacks like a Dem, walks like a Dem, surprise It is a Democrat!

Cheers

I will say this slowly. Please read.

The. Dems. Are. Not. Pdcr.

Part 2

Pdcr. Are. Not. The. Dems.

Part 3

No. Matter. How. Much. You. Want. It. To. Be. So. It. Is. Not.

I will tell even more Slooowwwlllyyy.

You are either misrepresenting the truth again or are in fact clueless!

Edited February 11, 2014 by kikoman

[Bluespunk]

@kikoman

Once more you descend into abuse because you can't handle being corrected. Or wrong.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Bluespunk

[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.

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!

Sorry JRSoul.

I meant after an audit of each warehouse.

Starting from the first warehouse. count all the rice physically, have the count endorsed by an independent source who is at site, let's say a finance ministry official and a commerce ministry official.....lol.

Also the count also signed off by the warehouse manager.

Then distribute all that rice to farmers who bring in their voucher, that is how much they leave with.... all documented and the vouchers retained for audit, overseen by commerce ministry official.

Then move to the next warehouse... rinse and repeat.

So long as everything is transparent, the government have no voice. It will at least remove some 10 million from the stockpiles, saving expenses and at least the farmers have something to eat and sell.

It's more than the government are doing and they are not even clever enough to work it out for themselves that this is better than nothing for the farmers.

[Emptyset]

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?

Sombat isn't supporting the PTP and I doubt whether Kru Prateep is these days either. Just because they don't support Suthep and the old elites in their plans for an unelected council doesn't mean that Thaksin is their 'darling leader'. If you knew anything about either of them you wouldn't say that. You're talking about people who've worked their whole lives to support the poorest in society. If you were talking about Jatuporn or Nattawud, you might have a point.

The irony is that you'd support a corrupt politician who hasn't been noted for doing anything that's not in his own financial interests during his whole career over people like them. lol. Basically using the same justification people used previously for supporting Thaksin 'we know he's corrupt and a bad guy, but he got stuff done and helped us' ... you support Suthep despite knowing he's corrupt and self-serving because you think he'll achieve the goal you want to see. How then can you criticize others who've supported corrupt politicians for the same reasons?

Bang on the mark. Again

Sombat is right that the PDRC is exploiting the farmers' plight and you are right that the farmers' objective is to get paid, not overthrow the government. Where I think Sombat is wrong is that the scheme has not been a failure. It's clearly a gargantuan failure. I've just sent him a message to question his ongoing support for a failed scheme, I wonder if he'll answer me. He knows I'm on the "other" side, but he knows I respect him as the most genuine of the Red Shirt leadership.

I do think you're giving Sombat a little too much credit if you think he's not supporting PTP. He is a critical and objective supporter, but still a supporter. He may not like it, but I think he is merely being used as a voice of democracy allied to an autocratic regime, thereby somehow adding to its legitimacy. Also, I'm surprised you even used the word "elite" as I know you accept that there are poor and rich, rural and urban, on both sides of the divide, regardless of any affiliations to old or new elite. I'm betting that you and I agree the various unmentionables have played roles for both sides too.

If I were to be tasked with setting up a Peoples' Council, though, Sombat would be one of my top choices (Anand Panyarachun and Surin Pitsuwan both spring immediately to mind). I just wonder if they'd ever agree on anything!

Perhaps you are tying the protesters a little too closely to "supporting Suthep and the old elites"? Obviously Suthep is at the centre of the protest, but most protesters wouldn't grant him overt levels of trust (even if they "like" him), and are fully aware of his background - they're just unhappy that unsustainable populist policies are bringing the country down and the incumbent government refuses to acknowledge they were wrong because they don't want to sow doubt on their right to govern after creating an environment that they expect at least a third of the country to accept their word as gospel (even if the opportunity to do so was granted to them by past governments' apathy).

That's why Suthep has felt the need to go public with "I'm just a regular guy these days" and the "no more politics" business (although personally I suspect he has his sights set on a Privy Council role or similar), along with the convenient excuse that all of Thai politics needs reform because even the Dems can't be trusted (so what chance do any of the "less genuine" parties like PTP have?). It's still ironic though, you're certainly right there.

I find Suthep's on-stage stance to be most admirable, although I (like most protesters) am skeptical as to how genuine he really is:

"We want good people to govern"

<insert firebrand speech about how the Shins are not good people>

"Suthep Thaugsuban will not be among the good people who will govern, because he is just one of The People"

"And if these good people betray The People, then we'll come back out and blow whistles at them"

I suppose the protesters feel he is the lesser of two evils before, and there's even a chance that he is genuine... but at the end of the day, Thais like having someone to follow and that's why Suthep is still important.

When I said Sombat isn't supporting the PTP, I meant he indicated he'd switched his support to the new red shirt party, per Pravit's recent article. He also indicated pre-election in December or so that he didn't know who he'd vote for. He's hoping PT will reform itself - and obviously I am too, though I don't see it. I also hope the Democrats reform. Both parties need flesh blood. We've been hearing the same names over and over for almost 15 years now it seems.

I agree that red shirts do themselves a disservice by downplaying corruption in the rice scheme. I think the attitude seems to have been you were *stupid* if you didn't make money from it. Some of them seem to think they deserved it, and that's what irritates people most. Even if they want the scheme to continue, it's clear it needs heavy reform. Obviously they're thinking they have to defend the govt now because there's a chance it could be overthrown. Yet more autocritique would shake the govt out of its complacency - if that doesn't - nothing will. Also if you're critical of the side you support, it doesn't necessarily provide ammunition to the opposition. It can actually undercut them. If you say, we know it's corrupt, but it can be taken care of within the system we have... we don't need an unelected council to do it (one formed by an old crook himself at that)...

So I hope Sombat listens to what you have to say because I'm in total agreement with that particular point. Obviously I don't think the rice scheme justifies overthrowing the whole system though. Also the reason I used 'elite' wasn't in reference to the supporters (although I'm sure you'd admit they are relatively 'elite' compared to the red shirts - recent surveys show a good proportion are earning over 60k a month), but rather to those funding the movement and planning its moves behind the scenes. People like Prawit Wongsuwan and Pridiyathorn Devakun - though I actually heard Pridiyathorn had negotiated for compromise which Yingluck had accepted but Prawit/Suthep hadn't so if not Pridiyathorn himself, others of that ilk, who were planning this well before Suthep got involved. That's the elite or amaat. Of course, Thaksin is an elite too. You see Sombat being manipulated. I see both sides being manipulated to a certain degree. But then there is no doubt their sentiments are genuine and they're obviously getting something from it, or they wouldn't be behind Thaksin and Suthep... I just think it's a shame people can't realize that their true enemies are Thaksin and Suthep. Both. Not one or the other. lol.

[khunken]

It always suits the propaganda writers to say the Dems and the PDRC are the same. While their interests sometimes converge there are many in the Dem party (e.g. Korn) who don't support Suthep beyond having the amnesty bill dropped.

Sombat is the one red-shirt leader worthy of support. Naturally he accuses the PDRC of cynicism regarding the farmers but ignores the cynicism of PTP who has used them to stay in power. The Auditor General has come to accept that about 18% of the massive subsidy has reached farmers.

Any way of getting money to the highly indebted farmers should be supported, cynical or not. As mentioned above the fund raising is a drop in the ocean compared to the B180bn still owed to the farmers.

What a pity that PTP couldn't put the collective 'brain-power' of the CMPO stooges to help the farmers instead of doing a Thaksin-AMLO on anyone with a sniff of opposition.

[icommunity]

Yes, the rice farmer should be reminded of falling into the trap of the dem's PDRC/PCAD and don't be used by the PDRC as they're not truly sincere in helping them. They have been wanting the scheme abolished. Instead of focusing in fighting and surfacing traders, farmers, millers, warehouse owner, officials and politicians involved in alleged corruptions and irregularities, they fight to get the scheme abolished.

The dem and its PDRC/PCAD are engaging in an unethical, shameful exploitation of the farmers.

The Dems are not pdcr. pdcr are not Dems.

The farmers have been betrayed by PT. they alone are responsible for this rice debacle.

pdcr have plenty of own flaws. No need to put PT's onto them as well.

The dems are not pdrc but the pdrc are the dems'.

[marstons]

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

whats to posted that's not been posted hundreds of times already.

[Bluespunk]

Yes, the rice farmer should be reminded of falling into the trap of the dem's PDRC/PCAD and don't be used by the PDRC as they're not truly sincere in helping them. They have been wanting the scheme abolished. Instead of focusing in fighting and surfacing traders, farmers, millers, warehouse owner, officials and politicians involved in alleged corruptions and irregularities, they fight to get the scheme abolished.

The dem and its PDRC/PCAD are engaging in an unethical, shameful exploitation of the farmers.

The Dems are not pdcr. pdcr are not Dems.

The farmers have been betrayed by PT. they alone are responsible for this rice debacle.

pdcr have plenty of own flaws. No need to put PT's onto them as well.

The dems are not pdrc but the pdrc are the dems'.

Nope.

[billd766]

Well if he really wants to help the public, children, farmers and the PTP to raise 130 bn baht all he has to do is buy the rice at 20,000 baht per ton.

The problem with that is that he will have to buy 6,500,000 tons of rice to do it.

Then of course there is the storage and distribution problem, the fact that perhaps half of it will be rotten, some will be fire damaged too.

Go for it and become the hero of Thailand and perhaps Thaksin will make you a minister if he ever gets the PTP back into power.

By the way that 6,500,000 tons is about what isclaimed will be sold on the international market next year but NOT at 20,000 baht per ton, more like 11,000 baht per ton.

At that price the government will only get about 71,500,000,000 for it and STILL won't be able to pay the farmers.