Surapong: 'Neutral PM' not acceptable to international community

[moonao]

i'll take the Americans views over a self proclaimed anti-democract elitist thug any day thank you

Yes, an American view: Lets go and invade a small middle eastern oil producing country and get rid of the dictator that we put into power a few years ago.

As opposed to elitist yellow scum: Lets go and invade bangkok, block election booths, and get rid of a democratically elected PM and replace with a dictator of our own choosing ?

[Mackie]

i'll take the Americans views over a self proclaimed anti-democract elitist thug any day thank you

Yes, an American view: Lets go and invade a small middle eastern oil producing country and get rid of the dictator that we put into power a few years ago.

As opposed to elitist yellow scum: Lets go and invade bangkok, block election booths, and get rid of a democratically elected PM and replace with a dictator of our own choosing ?

That's a very ignorant statement. Why would they invade Bangkok? Bangkok is their place. The majority of Bangkokians support them. So your analogy abysmally failed.

As for replacing a democratically elected PM. I don't know, the amnesty bill, the rice scheme scam, the computer tablet per child scam, the water management scam etc...etc...The list is getting longer by the day. The easiest way out was to postpone the election till May 2014. The caretaker government refused to negotiate and chose the confrontation and in the process wasted billions of tax payers money on failed election. Everyone knew that beforehand. Yet they stubbornly proceeded.

[whybother]

i'll take the Americans views over a self proclaimed anti-democract elitist thug any day thank you

Yes, an American view: Lets go and invade a small middle eastern oil producing country and get rid of the dictator that we put into power a few years ago.

As opposed to elitist yellow scum: Lets go and invade bangkok, block election booths, and get rid of a democratically elected PM and replace with a dictator of our own choosing ?

What? The Americans did that?

[Publicus]

Didn't the international community accept a "neutral" PM in 2006? They didn't have much choice in the matter, but they didn't apply any sanctions, did they?

The bloodless 2006 coup appeared to be just another Thailand coup by its long out of control military, yet another instance of the abnormal and abominable being so common it appeared ordinary, banal.

The coup rulers appointed as PM a retired general, a former supreme commander and sanctions were applied by the U.S. in accord to U.S. law that requires military to military cooperation and funding be terminated, or at the least suspended.

The current ongoing insurrection uses ordinary issues to impose extraordinary goals, ie, the overthrow of a democratically elected government by street mobs organized by fascists who want to establish a still anonymous feudal council appointed by oligarchs to displace parliamentary democracy, for too long a period of time, in the meantime violently attacking innocent voters so that a legitimate general election might be cancelled or severely spoiled.

If radical differences did not exist between then and now, the military would have executed a coup d'état military mutiny already, months ago. But there can't be another military mutiny against civilian authority without the most severe international consequences occurring. The same is true of any judicial coup executed to enforce the 2007 coup written and imposed constitution.

This isn't Ukraine so the European Union too will be all over Thailand this time.

[whybother]

Didn't the international community accept a "neutral" PM in 2006? They didn't have much choice in the matter, but they didn't apply any sanctions, did they?

The bloodless 2006 coup appeared to be just another Thailand coup by its long out of control military, yet another instance of the abnormal and abominable being so common it appeared ordinary, banal.

The coup rulers appointed as PM a retired general, a former supreme commander and sanctions were applied by the U.S. in accord to U.S. law that requires military to military cooperation and funding be terminated, or at the least suspended.

The current ongoing insurrection uses ordinary issues to impose extraordinary goals, ie, the overthrow of a democratically elected government by street mobs organized by fascists who want to establish a still anonymous feudal council appointed by oligarchs to displace parliamentary democracy, for too long a period of time, in the meantime violently attacking innocent voters so that a legitimate general election might be cancelled or severely spoiled.

If radical differences did not exist between then and now, the military would have executed a coup d'état military mutiny already, months ago. But there can't be another military mutiny against civilian authority without the most severe international consequences occurring. The same is true of any judicial coup executed to enforce the 2007 coup written and imposed constitution.

This isn't Ukraine so the European Union too will be all over Thailand this time.

But if both sides agree on a neutral PM, the international community wouldn't give a sh!t.

[Dogmatix]

'Surapong': 'Neutral PM' not acceptable to international community

BANGKOK, 6 Mar 2014, (NNT) According to the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, the international community does not accept the idea of having a Neutral Prime Minister administering the nation, adding that the Election Commission (EC) will have to be responsible for the 3.8 billion baht it spent on the February 2nd poll if it is voided by the court.

The comment was in reply to the recent rumors that the EC would petition the Charter Court to rule on the legality of last months polls, which could result in the nullification of the results.

Mr. Surapong said he could ask the Office of Auditor General and the Comptrollers General Department assistance in looking into the EC's spending whether it was transparent. He also reintroduced his idea of having the senatorial election and MP poll re-runs held on the same day.

The Deputy Prime Minister also demanded that the EC announce poll results in constituencies where the election went smoothly, claiming that the election panel might have to face legal action for failing to do so.

Regarding to Suthep Thuagsuban's attempt to unseat the caretaker Government with the help of independent agencies, Mr. Surapong said the U.S. had already expressed its grave concerns over the opposition using non-democratic means to oust the current administration. In addition, the concept of having a Neutral Prime Minister is not acceptable by an international standard, Surapong added.

-- NNT 2014-03-06

Exactly which country is it that will not accept a temporary neutral pm to push reform prior to a proper election?

Using the international community as an excuse is just pathetic, especially since I am quite sure he cannot mention even a single country as an example.

The US didn't seem to have much problem accepting such a set up in Ukraine after a corrupt and abusive democratically elected president got booted out by a popular uprising. They even want to send them money.

Surapong is obviously so obsessed with his family's fight to cling on to wealth and power that he has not been reading the papers or watching international news.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Dogmatix

[Old Man River]

i'll take the Americans views over a self proclaimed anti-democract elitist thug any day thank you

Yes, an American view: Lets go and invade a small middle eastern oil producing country and get rid of the dictator that we put into power a few years ago.

As opposed to elitist yellow scum: Lets go and invade bangkok, block election booths, and get rid of a democratically elected PM and replace with a dictator of our own choosing ?

That's a very ignorant statement. Why would they invade Bangkok? Bangkok is their place. The majority of Bangkokians support them. So your analogy abysmally failed.

As for replacing a democratically elected PM. I don't know, the amnesty bill, the rice scheme scam, the computer tablet per child scam, the water management scam etc...etc...The list is getting longer by the day. The easiest way out was to postpone the election till May 2014. The caretaker government refused to negotiate and chose the confrontation and in the process wasted billions of tax payers money on failed election. Everyone knew that beforehand. Yet they stubbornly proceeded.

Their current strategy makes the most sense, now that things are floating to the surface.

It's actually ironic, but now they are letting the country's checks and balances work (courts), and plan to get a few senators elected, and vote them out.

I wonder how the US Ambassador is going to find fault with this?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Dogmatix]

Didn't the international community accept a "neutral" PM in 2006? They didn't have much choice in the matter, but they didn't apply any sanctions, did they?

The bloodless 2006 coup appeared to be just another Thailand coup by its long out of control military, yet another instance of the abnormal and abominable being so common it appeared ordinary, banal.

The coup rulers appointed as PM a retired general, a former supreme commander and sanctions were applied by the U.S. in accord to U.S. law that requires military to military cooperation and funding be terminated, or at the least suspended.

The current ongoing insurrection uses ordinary issues to impose extraordinary goals, ie, the overthrow of a democratically elected government by street mobs organized by fascists who want to establish a still anonymous feudal council appointed by oligarchs to displace parliamentary democracy, for too long a period of time, in the meantime violently attacking innocent voters so that a legitimate general election might be cancelled or severely spoiled.

If radical differences did not exist between then and now, the military would have executed a coup d'état military mutiny already, months ago. But there can't be another military mutiny against civilian authority without the most severe international consequences occurring. The same is true of any judicial coup executed to enforce the 2007 coup written and imposed constitution.

This isn't Ukraine so the European Union too will be all over Thailand this time.

I think this is your wishful thinking. Ukraine has clearly blunted the US's appetite for supporting corrupt leaders who abuse power just because they come from elections, not to mention Egypt, Turkey and Venezuela. There has been a marked change in the rhetoric towards favouring good governance, rather than supporting any dross that comes from elections, whether rigged or not. Europe is so deep in the sh*t over Ukraine that it has no choice but to follow the US lead.

Egypt's military assistance and foreign aid was cut off by the US in line with their laws, as you point out, but that doesn't mean the US is rooting for Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to get back in the saddle.

US aid and military assistance to Thailand is now negligible, although Thailand hates to be cut off from the annual Cobra Gold money spinner. However, if the caretaker government was forced to step down due to legal or constitutional issues and the court determined that an interim unelected PM with a mandate to prepare for new elections was an appropriate way out of the constitutional crisis, the US and Europe would probably welcome this and there would be no need even to cancel next year's Cobra Gold or strike the names of the top brass off the role of honour of Westpoint or whatever US military academies they attended, as happended in 1991. BTW Thaksin was struck off some kind of role of honour at Sam Houston University where he obtained a PhD in criminology after his conviction for corruption. I am not sure whether a discrete donation ever secured his reinstatement there.

[celso]

 

Since when did they care what the international community think. IMO Privately the international community would be glad to see the back of PTP but they cannot say that publicly.

IMO no-one outside of SE asia cares one bit who is in charge of Thailand... just like none of them said a word about the recent crackdown in Cambodia.

In 3rd world countries, expect 3rd world democracy.

Edited March 6, 2014 by celso

[Publicus]

Didn't the international community accept a "neutral" PM in 2006? They didn't have much choice in the matter, but they didn't apply any sanctions, did they?

The bloodless 2006 coup appeared to be just another Thailand coup by its long out of control military, yet another instance of the abnormal and abominable being so common it appeared ordinary, banal.

The coup rulers appointed as PM a retired general, a former supreme commander and sanctions were applied by the U.S. in accord to U.S. law that requires military to military cooperation and funding be terminated, or at the least suspended.

The current ongoing insurrection uses ordinary issues to impose extraordinary goals, ie, the overthrow of a democratically elected government by street mobs organized by fascists who want to establish a still anonymous feudal council appointed by oligarchs to displace parliamentary democracy, for too long a period of time, in the meantime violently attacking innocent voters so that a legitimate general election might be cancelled or severely spoiled.

If radical differences did not exist between then and now, the military would have executed a coup d'état military mutiny already, months ago. But there can't be another military mutiny against civilian authority without the most severe international consequences occurring. The same is true of any judicial coup executed to enforce the 2007 coup written and imposed constitution.

This isn't Ukraine so the European Union too will be all over Thailand this time.

But if both sides agree on a neutral PM, the international community wouldn't give a sh!t.

That's yet another vacuous statement given there isn't a neutral voice to be heard in Thailand, to include former interim or temporary prime ministers of previous military governments because previous coups and their rule have been entirely discredited among the majority of Thais.

[Publicus]

Didn't the international community accept a "neutral" PM in 2006? They didn't have much choice in the matter, but they didn't apply any sanctions, did they?

The bloodless 2006 coup appeared to be just another Thailand coup by its long out of control military, yet another instance of the abnormal and abominable being so common it appeared ordinary, banal.

The coup rulers appointed as PM a retired general, a former supreme commander and sanctions were applied by the U.S. in accord to U.S. law that requires military to military cooperation and funding be terminated, or at the least suspended.

The current ongoing insurrection uses ordinary issues to impose extraordinary goals, ie, the overthrow of a democratically elected government by street mobs organized by fascists who want to establish a still anonymous feudal council appointed by oligarchs to displace parliamentary democracy, for too long a period of time, in the meantime violently attacking innocent voters so that a legitimate general election might be cancelled or severely spoiled.

If radical differences did not exist between then and now, the military would have executed a coup d'état military mutiny already, months ago. But there can't be another military mutiny against civilian authority without the most severe international consequences occurring. The same is true of any judicial coup executed to enforce the 2007 coup written and imposed constitution.

This isn't Ukraine so the European Union too will be all over Thailand this time.

I think this is your wishful thinking. Ukraine has clearly blunted the US's appetite for supporting corrupt leaders who abuse power just because they come from elections, not to mention Egypt, Turkey and Venezuela. There has been a marked change in the rhetoric towards favouring good governance, rather than supporting any dross that comes from elections, whether rigged or not. Europe is so deep in the sh*t over Ukraine that it has no choice but to follow the US lead.

Egypt's military assistance and foreign aid was cut off by the US in line with their laws, as you point out, but that doesn't mean the US is rooting for Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to get back in the saddle.

US aid and military assistance to Thailand is now negligible, although Thailand hates to be cut off from the annual Cobra Gold money spinner. However, if the caretaker government was forced to step down due to legal or constitutional issues and the court determined that an interim unelected PM with a mandate to prepare for new elections was an appropriate way out of the constitutional crisis, the US and Europe would probably welcome this and there would be no need even to cancel next year's Cobra Gold or strike the names of the top brass off the role of honour of Westpoint or whatever US military academies they attended, as happended in 1991. BTW Thaksin was struck off some kind of role of honour at Sam Houston University where he obtained a PhD in criminology after his conviction for corruption. I am not sure whether a discrete donation ever secured his reinstatement there.

The post 9/11 period of extremism waged by religious or political-cultural fascists has placed unprecedented stresses on democracy. Widespread events of the past ten to twelve years reinforce that democracy cannot be imposed out of the barrel of a gun but that neither can democracy develop from a culture of neo-fascism.

To one of your specific points, striking names of foreign graduates from the rolls of U.S. armed services academies or civilian universities is but one form of condemnation that the educational institutions and the larger society express - there is nothing new in it. While such expressions of rejection are not in the nature of providing or denying $ 1bn of aid, they make the point more than adequately.

I reiterate for the umpteenth time to the chronically dismissive that the 2007 constitution was written and imposed by the coup government without the possibility of being amended, and that as an arbitrary and elitist document forced upon the general population by military command it lacks legitimacy domestically and externally. Courts that would enforce it are by definition biased and prejudiced, equally illegitimate.

[JRSoul]

The post 9/11 period of extremism waged by religious or political-cultural fascists has placed unprecedented stresses on democracy. Widespread events of the past ten to twelve years reinforce that democracy cannot be imposed out of the barrel of a gun but that neither can democracy develop from a culture of neo-fascism.

To one of your specific points, striking names of foreign graduates from the rolls of U.S. armed services academies or civilian universities is but one form of condemnation that the educational institutions and the larger society express - there is nothing new in it. While such expressions of rejection are not in the nature of providing or denying $ 1bn of aid, they make the point more than adequately.

I reiterate for the umpteenth time to the chronically dismissive that the 2007 constitution was written and imposed by the coup government without the possibility of being amended, and that as an arbitrary and elitist document forced upon the general population by military command it lacks legitimacy domestically and externally. Courts that would enforce it are by definition biased and prejudiced, equally illegitimate.

As very little of the 2007 constitution was altered from the earlier version, your claim that this makes the courts illegitimate is rather specious and completely self-serving.

[Blackmirage2013]

It is one of the biggest embarassments to have SURABONG speak for Thailand..... He is biased, senile and just not fit to be a spokesperson for anyone but the Rotorooter sewage man....

[ManofReason]

i'll take the Americans views over a self proclaimed anti-democract elitist thug any day thank you

Yes, an American view: Lets go and invade a small middle eastern oil producing country and get rid of the dictator that we put into power a few years ago.

As opposed to elitist yellow scum: Lets go and invade bangkok, block election booths, and get rid of a democratically elected PM and replace with a dictator of our own choosing ?

That's a very ignorant statement. Why would they invade Bangkok? Bangkok is their place. The majority of Bangkokians support them. So your analogy abysmally failed.

As for replacing a democratically elected PM. I don't know, the amnesty bill, the rice scheme scam, the computer tablet per child scam, the water management scam etc...etc...The list is getting longer by the day. The easiest way out was to postpone the election till May 2014. The caretaker government refused to negotiate and chose the confrontation and in the process wasted billions of tax payers money on failed election. Everyone knew that beforehand. Yet they stubbornly proceeded.

As far as I'm aware the majority of Bangkokians are currently not located within the boundaries of Lumpini Park.

PDRC is a minority movement.

One need only recall the string of election losses or to witness how they run and hide from current elections to see this fact.

A list of policies you disagree with is put forward as a reason to overthrow the legal government of the day.... abysmal indeed.

You may have forgotten, so let remind you - Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever.

He wants an appointed council - his position is no negotiations and no elections.

The logic of this mini mob beguiles me. "We are the majority but we are scared of elections".

[binjalin]

Since when did they care what the international community think. IMO Privately the international community would be glad to see the back of PTP but they cannot say that publicly.

IMO Privately I think the international community will be glad to see the government crackdown on the fascist Suthep as I think, Privately, they support DEMOCRACY

what drivel you have connections with Obama? maybe Putin gave you a quick call? Merkel on your personal email list?

[whybother]

As far as I'm aware the majority of Bangkokians are currently not located within the boundaries of Lumpini Park.

PDRC is a minority movement.

One need only recall the string of election losses or to witness how they run and hide from current elections to see this fact.

A list of policies you disagree with is put forward as a reason to overthrow the legal government of the day.... abysmal indeed.

You may have forgotten, so let remind you - Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever.

He wants an appointed council - his position is no negotiations and no elections.

The logic of this mini mob beguiles me. "We are the majority but we are scared of elections".

"Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever."

Well, that's a lie.

[binjalin]

As far as I'm aware the majority of Bangkokians are currently not located within the boundaries of Lumpini Park.

PDRC is a minority movement.

One need only recall the string of election losses or to witness how they run and hide from current elections to see this fact.

A list of policies you disagree with is put forward as a reason to overthrow the legal government of the day.... abysmal indeed.

You may have forgotten, so let remind you - Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever.

He wants an appointed council - his position is no negotiations and no elections.

The logic of this mini mob beguiles me. "We are the majority but we are scared of elections".

"Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever."

Well, that's a lie.

it is true that Suthep never said "never" but this is a red herring

he is opposed NOW

[whybother]

As far as I'm aware the majority of Bangkokians are currently not located within the boundaries of Lumpini Park.

PDRC is a minority movement.

One need only recall the string of election losses or to witness how they run and hide from current elections to see this fact.

A list of policies you disagree with is put forward as a reason to overthrow the legal government of the day.... abysmal indeed.

You may have forgotten, so let remind you - Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever.

He wants an appointed council - his position is no negotiations and no elections.

The logic of this mini mob beguiles me. "We are the majority but we are scared of elections".

"Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever."

Well, that's a lie.

it is true that Suthep never said "never" but this is a red herring

he is opposed NOW

It's not a red herring. It's red propaganda.

[binjalin]

As far as I'm aware the majority of Bangkokians are currently not located within the boundaries of Lumpini Park.

PDRC is a minority movement.

One need only recall the string of election losses or to witness how they run and hide from current elections to see this fact.

A list of policies you disagree with is put forward as a reason to overthrow the legal government of the day.... abysmal indeed.

You may have forgotten, so let remind you - Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever.

He wants an appointed council - his position is no negotiations and no elections.

The logic of this mini mob beguiles me. "We are the majority but we are scared of elections".

"Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever."

Well, that's a lie.

it is true that Suthep never said "never" but this is a red herring

he is opposed NOW

It's not a red herring. It's red propaganda.

many dictators say "i do this for the good of the people we can have elections later" it's a yellow banana skin

[ManofReason]

As far as I'm aware the majority of Bangkokians are currently not located within the boundaries of Lumpini Park.

PDRC is a minority movement.

One need only recall the string of election losses or to witness how they run and hide from current elections to see this fact.

A list of policies you disagree with is put forward as a reason to overthrow the legal government of the day.... abysmal indeed.

You may have forgotten, so let remind you - Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever.

He wants an appointed council - his position is no negotiations and no elections.

The logic of this mini mob beguiles me. "We are the majority but we are scared of elections".

"Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever."

Well, that's a lie.

Well...no it's not.

[ballpoint]

As far as I'm aware the majority of Bangkokians are currently not located within the boundaries of Lumpini Park.

PDRC is a minority movement.

One need only recall the string of election losses or to witness how they run and hide from current elections to see this fact.

A list of policies you disagree with is put forward as a reason to overthrow the legal government of the day.... abysmal indeed.

You may have forgotten, so let remind you - Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever.

He wants an appointed council - his position is no negotiations and no elections.

The logic of this mini mob beguiles me. "We are the majority but we are scared of elections".

"Suthep is OPPOSED to any elections occurring at any time, ever."

Well, that's a lie.

No, it must be true. Look, it's in caps, bolded and underlined. Straight out of the idiots guide to trying to win an argument by fabricating your "facts".