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Suthep plays down 'sovereignty' claim


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Suthep plays down 'sovereignty' claim

THE NATION

Yingluck orders senior police to handle lese majeste claim against Ko Tee

BANGKOK: -- ANTI-GOVERNMENT protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday retracted his claim of state "sovereignty" for his movement, saying he was merely describing a hypothetical scenario that could develop should caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra be required by a Constitutional Court verdict to step down, creating a political vacuum.


Suthep, the secretary-general of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), said the people could claim sovereign power in accordance with the Constitution's Article 3 if Yingluck is forced to step down, leaving the nation without a government. "As sovereignty would return to the people, we could set up a National Assembly and a People's Council to reform the country," Suthep told Defence Ministry permanent secretary Nipat Thonglek in a meeting at the ministry yesterday.

Suthep's move to claim state sovereignty for the anti-government movement raised eyebrows on all sides, including among his own allies. His opponents characterised the statement as an attempt to change the ruling system of the country, and vowed to take legal action against him.

Nipat said he would relay Suthep's message to the Armed Forces, adding that military personnel would have to form their own judgement on it.

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said yesterday that he had no idea whether Suthep's proposal was illegal. "If the idea is against the law, the authorities must take legal action. The Army will not side with those who violate the laws," he said.

"As the Department of Special Investigation [DSI] has taken action in this case, I don't need to make any comment," he said, referring to a demand by Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit that the general take action against Suthep.

Asked if the Army has a clear stance on Suthep's statement, Prayuth said he had already made it clear that wrongdoers must face legal consequences. The police and the DSI, have a duty to handle the issue, he said.

Prayuth has come under pressure to act in Suthep's case, as the Army chief earlier ordered legal action against a group of people in Chiang Mai who espoused the idea of separating the Northern region from the rest of the Kingdom.

"There are many illegal ideas concerning the monarchy, sovereignty and territory. We should discuss these issues together," the Army chief said.

A group of 50 members of the Democracy Lovers Network led by Sanchai Suaypromraj yesterday filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division accusing Suthep and other PDRC leaders of insurrection.

As evidence, the group submitted a video clip of Suthep's speech on Saturday in which he said he would claim sovereign power. The group also submitted newspaper accounts of the incident published the following day.

Separately, acting PM's secretary-general Suranand Vejjajiva said Yingluck had ordered him to instruct National Police chief General Adul Saengsingkaew to take charge of proceedings against all the accused in a case involving an alleged lese majeste violation. The order came after a video clip emerged on social media of Pathum Thani red-shirt leader Wuthipong Kotthammakhun, aka Ko Tee, giving an interview to foreign media discussing his rivals in the anti-government protest movement.

Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday the party was preparing to seek police action against the red-shirt leader, citing the lese majeste law.

Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has assigned the party's legal team to submit a complaint concerning the video clip to Yingluck, her deputy Chalerm Yoobamrung, and DSI chief Tarit Pengdith. The latter two are the chief and the director of the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order respectively. Deputy Democrat leader Sathit Pitutecha said he would ask the Criminal Court to revoke bail for Jatuporn Promphan, leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, in light of the latter's recent speeches, and would ask him to clarify his accusations relating to the ammat, or "elite".

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-- The Nation 2014-04-10

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This will complete what I have been saying for 2 weeks now.

Thaksin wants Ko Tee silenced.

The Thaksin regime realized that they blundered when they allowed talk of secession echo from the UDD stages, and quickly moved to wallpaper over it when the army perked up over it.

But Ko Tee kept running his mouth off.

They arranged for the police to close his radio station before it even broadcast anything and arrested 4 of his mob outside the NACC the next day for the cache of weapons... But still that didn't quieten him down.

So it has come to the last solution.... Bang him up in prison.

The last thing they want is this loose cannon blowing their cover. He is a fly in their ointment for their master plan of civil war and separation of the state.

They will also see a bonus in this action to justify charges against the PDRC for the same on the pretense that they are cracking down on it (including their own)... But it won't wash....

While the courts will be more than happy to lock up Ko Tee, they will throw out the charges against the PDRC.

Perhaps PTP are aware that they would get charged with failing to enforce LM if they do nothing about KoTee's recent ramblings.

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I made a posting 2 months ago saying

The Protest in the streets would turn into a cat fight in the Courts

He who sit on the side line waiting

when the two parties end their fighting to him will get the spoils

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I made a posting 2 months ago saying

The Protest in the streets would turn into a cat fight in the Courts

He who sit on the side line waiting

when the two parties end their fighting to him will get the spoils

Guess that makes you a fortune teller....

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---Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday retracted his claim---

Guess that clears up the debate about whether or not Khaosod coverage of Sutheps speech was accurate and unbiased or not.

The Khao Sot English article was wildly inacurate. My guess is that it was published strictly for international consumption. Suthep used the word being translated as "sovereignty" in what seemed to me a pretty garbled rant (I wasn't there, but have reviewed the Thai press reports-including Khao Sot-Thai). What set everybody off is that the word has historically been used by coup leaders to claim absolute powers (in the name of the people, of course!). The implications of the mid-century coups & brutal imposition of totalitarian power were drawn out by KS-English and put falsely into Suthep's mouth.

--S

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---Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday retracted his claim---

Guess that clears up the debate about whether or not Khaosod coverage of Sutheps speech was accurate and unbiased or not.

The Khao Sot English article was wildly inacurate. My guess is that it was published strictly for international consumption. Suthep used the word being translated as "sovereignty" in what seemed to me a pretty garbled rant (I wasn't there, but have reviewed the Thai press reports-including Khao Sot-Thai). What set everybody off is that the word has historically been used by coup leaders to claim absolute powers (in the name of the people, of course!). The implications of the mid-century coups & brutal imposition of totalitarian power were drawn out by KS-English and put falsely into Suthep's mouth.

--S

So what is he retracting?

You can't take these translations literally. The editor thought "retract" was a cool word & wanted to use it. Suthep's clarifying what he meant by "sovereignty". He really said nothing new. "People's coup" & so on. The man's delusional--there's absolutly no constitutional pathway to what he's been demanding. But when with a new constitution every few years, who cares? The UK and Canada get along fine without a constitution--they go on custom, precedent, common law. They do that here too, more-or-less, while pretending to follow a constitution. Thus, e.g. all the confusion over whether the government can resign (not the same as calling elections BTW).

Cheers, S

Edited by sae57
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This will complete what I have been saying for 2 weeks now.

Thaksin wants Ko Tee silenced.

The Thaksin regime realized that they blundered when they allowed talk of secession echo from the UDD stages, and quickly moved to wallpaper over it when the army perked up over it.

But Ko Tee kept running his mouth off.

They arranged for the police to close his radio station before it even broadcast anything and arrested 4 of his mob outside the NACC the next day for the cache of weapons... But still that didn't quieten him down.

So it has come to the last solution.... Bang him up in prison.

The last thing they want is this loose cannon blowing their cover. He is a fly in their ointment for their master plan of civil war and separation of the state.

They will also see a bonus in this action to justify charges against the PDRC for the same on the pretense that they are cracking down on it (including their own)... But it won't wash....

While the courts will be more than happy to lock up Ko Tee, they will throw out the charges against the PDRC.

Nothing surprising from your comment, bang up the reds with the LM laws but as for Suthep, no, no, no, he's ok the video clip is just that red news paper twisting his statement he will take sovereignty himself and choose a PM, Hypocrisy at it's highest...

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You can't take these translations literally. The editor thought "retract" was a cool word & wanted to use it. He's clarifying what he meant by "sovereignty". He really said nothing new. "People's coup" & so on. The man's delusional--there's absolutly no constitutional pathway to what he's been demanding. But when with a new constitution every few years, who cares? The UK and Canada get along fine without a constitution--they go on custom, precedent, common law. They do that here to, more-or-less, while pretending to follow a constitution. Thus, e.g. all the confusion over whether the government can resign (not the same as calling elections BTW).

Cheers, S

..OK, it is clear to me now.

..Any news that reflects poorly on Suthep and his allies is actually just editors mistakenly using "cool" words.

Just like I called Suthep "delusional" because I think its a cool word. Here's another: "lunatic". And "dangerous". He's served his purpose.

Cheers, S

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---Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday retracted his claim---

Guess that clears up the debate about whether or not Khaosod coverage of Sutheps speech was accurate and unbiased or not.

The Khao Sot English article was wildly inacurate. My guess is that it was published strictly for international consumption. Suthep used the word being translated as "sovereignty" in what seemed to me a pretty garbled rant (I wasn't there, but have reviewed the Thai press reports-including Khao Sot-Thai). What set everybody off is that the word has historically been used by coup leaders to claim absolute powers (in the name of the people, of course!). The implications of the mid-century coups & brutal imposition of totalitarian power were drawn out by KS-English and put falsely into Suthep's mouth.

--S

So what is he retracting?

Yeah, because everyone should know the difference between a retraction and a denial. Suthep also still claims to speak for "the people." If he was so sure he had a mandate from the Thai people, why would he object to an election? Once he wins through the people's endorsement, he will certainly be able to institute all of his "reforms" that he didn't get to implement along with Abhisit the last time around.

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Suthep says sovereign claim just an assumption

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BANGKOK: -- People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) Suthep Thuagsuban dismissed his controversial “sovereign” claim a desire to make himself a single person to use the sovereign power but it is the people who own such supreme power.

He told supporters at the Limpini park Wednesday night that he had called on the defense ministry’s permanent secretary Gen Nipat Thonglek at the Defense Ministry on Wednesday and were welcomed by him to have a brief meeting to explain the movement of the PDRC.

He said he explained to the permanent secretary that his proclamation of a sovereign was just an assumption that has not yet happened.

And what he meant in declaring a sovereign was not to make himself a sovereign but it is the people who own such supreme power and he is just who will act on their behalf and on their consent.

So, he said, he explained that proclamation of a sovereign was just an assumption which has not yet happened.

He said he went on clarifying the general that in case the caretaker prime minister and her caretaker government refuse to accept the verdict of the Constitutional Court on malfeasance and irregularities involving the rice-pledging scheme, and the ruling of the National Anti Corruption Committee (NACC) that she is guilty in connection with the unlawful removal of the former national security chief Thawil Pliensri, then she has no right whatsoever to retain in caretaker role and to exercise sovereign power on behalf of the people.

She has to step down, and return sovereignty to the people as states clearly in the Constitution.

She has no right to stay on in power when verdict and ruling are handed down with result that she is wrong, Suthep said.

He said that it is not a matter of to stay or not to stay in power, but it is the virtue and responsibility that she must show as a leader, and not just to claim protecting democracy as a shield to be on the job as she always exploited for own interest.

He said this was why the people must fetch the sovereign power from the administration to undertake the formation of a people’s council, proposing a prime minister to run the country provisionally.

He also said he has no political ambition in doing so, vowing to give up politics after sovereignty is returned to the people.

He said he is ready to turn himself in to the army chief or the permanent secretary of defense to face rebellion charge if he lost in what he termed will be the final episode of the peoples’ fight to gain power back from the illegitimate government.

He promised to halt activities during the Songkran festival from April 12-15 for the people to celebrate with happiness, but would regroup for the final which may take months or years to unseat Ms Yingluck, so the country could restart reform that will bring all good things to the people.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/suthep-says-sovereign-claim-just-assumption/

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-- Thai PBS 2014-04-10

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Army chief declines to comment on “sovereign power”

BANGKOK, 10 April 2014 (NNT) - Army Commander-in-Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has declined to make any comment on anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban’s announcement to reclaim sovereign power.


Not wanting to get himself involved in the current political conflict between the government led by PM Yingluck Shinawatra and the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) led by former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban, General Prayuth said whether Mr. Suthep’s declaration of sovereign was illegal was not for him to decide, but the matter rested upon the shoulder of the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO), which had the authority to prosecute the PDRC leader if he was guilty. He also gave a firm assurance that the military would always be neutral and treat all sides equally.

According to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, in his capacity as CMPO chief advisor, it is not double-standards that the CMPO will pursue treason charges against Mr. Suthep, as his declaration to seize sovereign power is clearly an act of treason.

PDRC leader Suthep said he would turn himself in to face the music when his goal was achieved, which was to topple PM Yingluck and her cabinet as well as restore democracy in this country.

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-- NNT 2014-04-10 footer_n.gif

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---Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday retracted his claim---

Guess that clears up the debate about whether or not Khaosod coverage of Sutheps speech was accurate and unbiased or not.

The Khao Sot English article was wildly inacurate. My guess is that it was published strictly for international consumption. Suthep used the word being translated as "sovereignty" in what seemed to me a pretty garbled rant (I wasn't there, but have reviewed the Thai press reports-including Khao Sot-Thai). What set everybody off is that the word has historically been used by coup leaders to claim absolute powers (in the name of the people, of course!). The implications of the mid-century coups & brutal imposition of totalitarian power were drawn out by KS-English and put falsely into Suthep's mouth.

--S

So what is he retracting?

You can't take these translations literally. The editor thought "retract" was a cool word & wanted to use it. Suthep's clarifying what he meant by "sovereignty". He really said nothing new. "People's coup" & so on. The man's delusional--there's absolutly no constitutional pathway to what he's been demanding. But when with a new constitution every few years, who cares? The UK and Canada get along fine without a constitution--they go on custom, precedent, common law. They do that here too, more-or-less, while pretending to follow a constitution. Thus, e.g. all the confusion over whether the government can resign (not the same as calling elections BTW).

Cheers, S

Canada has a constitution http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-15.html.

The UK operates according to various statutes, conventions, judicial decisions and treaties which collectively might be referred to as the "Constitution." I would imagine that if all the authority and protections described by such documents were consolidated, the result would be a constitution bigger than several Websters Unabridged Dictionaries.

The problem for Thailand is that it has a Constitutional Court that makes rulings that conflict with the Constitution and involves itself directly in Thai politics to upset any balance of power that runs against its own political agenda.

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"He also said he has no political ambition in doing so, vowing to give up politics after sovereignty is returned to the people."

He needs a major de-tox going to be very hard for this self lover self server to walk away from all the adoration of himself...constructing stage props in his image and so forth....no this won't be his last hurrah he just needs to back peddle now because he plotzed on April 5th 2014.. the uber plotz... the permanent uber plotz... the proverbial final plotz ... until the next one...

"He said he is ready to turn himself in to the army chief or the permanent secretary of defense to face rebellion charge if he lost in what he termed will be the final episode of the peoples’ fight to gain power back from the illegitimate government."

So do it... your next sentence below... just contradicts this oft told lie...

"He promised to halt activities during the Songkran festival from April 12-15 for the people to celebrate with happiness, but would regroup for the final which may take months or years to unseat Ms Yingluck, so the country could restart reform that will bring all good things to the people."

Which ..."...may take months or years to unseat Ms Yingluck".

Well which is it...? Months or years... Hark I hear a quavering squeak..... sounds like things may not be all hunky dory their maestro...better strike up the band again after Songkran.... well go on whiff yo bad self then... it is like a living OP Page cartoon in motion...

And out pops Abhisit's lil head again... it's like whack -a-mole folks...twenty baht ...whack away!!!

Seriously to all TV Posters and your extended families.... Have a safe and Happy Songkran...

Edited by DirtFarmer
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Suthep's already foolish comment - subsequently brazenly twisted beyond recognition by Khaosod - has been retracted.

The centre of the matter is this :

" She has no right to stay on in power when verdict and ruling are handed down with result that she is wrong, Suthep said. "

What Pheu Thai and their supporters will never address - even once - is what would happen if in two weeks Yingluck and Pheu Thai refused to accept the verdict of the Constitutional Court. Not one Pheu Thai supporter will address this question. Not one. Fascinating. Why ? Because it is indefensible, that's why. There would be no justification for any administration anywhere to defy a ruling from the highest constitutional court in the land. Either you respect the court or place yourself above it. There is no in-between. So if Yingluck and Phue Thai did that it would be an instant constitutional crisis. Beyond question. It would be a moment of intense embarrassment for any and all Pheu Thai supporters. Pheu Thai's narrative would crumble into pieces. International opinion has been generally disinterested up to this point. But one can be rest assured that if the Yingluck administration ever refused to accept a ruling of the Constitutional Court international attention would be riveted like a lazer beam, and international opinion would form, harden and solidify. Overnight. It would be a blanket condemnation. And that is what Pheu Thai supporters will never discuss.

Edited by Scamper
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For all the Suthep devotees who claim the newspaper article was a crock of lies, and your beloved leader never utter those words, perhaps a simple English lesson is in order.

DENY - Claim the words attributed to you were never said.

RETRACT - Admit the words were said and then try to take them back by claiming they were "misunderstood", or that "I didn't mean them the way they came out"

Is that clear enough for you?

Oh, and before you call me a "Red Sheeple", or something similarly stupid, I'm as much against Thaksin as anyone, and firmly believe he has done more to disrupt and destroy Thailand as anyone.

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The Ammart are incensed Suthep let the cat out of the bag. What PDRC and their backers had thought was a clear road to state power has now become more a matter of damage control during a very bumpy ride.

Asian Correspondent had an article along these lines on March 26th - a precis

However, if the Establishment intend to remove Yingluck, so they have clear control over succession, through an impeachment and have an Appointed PM, BP sees no possibility of any neutral PM being accepted by the reds. It is the height of naïvety to think that there won’t protests. BP believes this has been factored into this and why Suthep’s backers are broadly known and that they want to remove Yingluck is also known, it is taking a lot longer than initially planned. Getting someone to actually be the body that does remove her will attract a lot of attention. There is an element that it is a hot potato and no one would prefer to be the one, and it seems they are hoping the task will fall to someone else. http://asiancorrespondent.com/117256/thailand-who-is-backing-suthep-and-what-do-they-want/
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Suthep's already foolish comment - subsequently brazenly twisted beyond recognition by Khaosod - has been retracted.

The centre of the matter is this :

" She has no right to stay on in power when verdict and ruling are handed down with result that she is wrong, Suthep said. "

What Pheu Thai and their supporters will never address - even once - is what would happen if in two weeks Yingluck and Pheu Thai refused to accept the verdict of the Constitutional Court. Not one Pheu Thai supporter will address this question. Not one. Fascinating. Why ? Because it is indefensible, that's why. There would be no justification for any administration anywhere to defy a ruling from the highest constitutional court in the land. Either you respect the court or place yourself above it. There is no in-between. So if Yingluck and Phue Thai did that it would be an instant constitutional crisis. Beyond question. It would be a moment of intense embarrassment for any and all Pheu Thai supporters. Pheu Thai's narrative would crumble into pieces. International opinion has been generally disinterested up to this point. But one can be rest assured that if the Yingluck administration ever refused to accept a ruling of the Constitutional Court international attention would be riveted like a laxer beam, and international opinion would form, harden and solidify. Overnight. It would be a blanket condemnation. And that is what Pheu Thai supporters will never discuss.

No.. the center of this matter is what the piece is about it is about Suthep backpeddling...he knows he got carried away.....he is doing damage control... somebody bit his a___... he needs to soften an obvious faux pas... you can attempt to spin it any way you want and there are plenty of posts where all your "fav" issues can be hammered on.. but this is damage control...now...having said that...let us "speculate" that the rulings do not go in her favor...you seriously think Kuhn Suthep is going to fade away....? and go rant at the cat in Samui...? No I don't think so.... he is addicted to politicking... it is the only thing he knows... and to be perfectly honest here.. whether you support red or yellow or in my case neither... what is the point Scamper of discussing any of this "...what Pheu Thai supporters will never discuss...." before any verdict is handed down... unless you are privy to the facts prior to the announcement..

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nother typical out burst by a stupid ignorant expolitican. Always opening mouth and inserting foot. When are you good people of Thailand going to wake up about what this is really about? It is not about political reform as the laws are already in place, in the 2007 constitution. If he really wanted reform then why did he not start when he and his puppy abhisit were in power??

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