PDRC leader Suthep praises Army Chief for declaring martial law

[umbanda]

Very smart!....Very well planned! I have to agree that the Thai Military knows how to deposes a Government without an evident coup....

[jcsmith]

It is still not enough for him. He will never stop no matter what the final outcome is. He wants a total dictatorship with him as the supreme commander just like in north korea. When are you people going to arrest this piece of trash.

Supreme commander? No that's Thaksin's goal. Why do you continue to distort what he has said with this 'mind-reading' rubbish.

He wants an interim PM - not himself - and the good riddance of the Shin kleptocracy, reforms (which you have been reminded of before), and then an election.

Probably too reasonable for you to grasp.

This was a coup, let's not pretend otherwise. An elected government was once again overthrown in an attempt to allow for power to be appointed and to spend as much time as possible before ever holding another election, which they are destined to lose. It's a ridiculous cycle that keeps happening again and again, and somehow people keep finding ways to justify.

[khunken]

Here you see only bought and coerced elections; hence the anti-gov't protest. Why are posters so daft to notice or deny that?

Because it's not true. No respectable journalist, organization, foreign government or even opposition politician has ever said that the 2011 election was won by anyone other than the party that received the most votes. If that's not the case, please post a link. Just one will do!

A determined search of the 'net will reveal isolated incidents of shenanigans, but this is true anywhere in the world. Whatever else it also has, Thailand has "free and fair" elections.

Red villages, bribes, handouts etc. can't be generalized as true and a norm from other countries if you wanna compare; unless to similar banana republics. You're not going to pull up instant google admissions to see that votes were bought then or in other elections, it or see data reports of course; its not in the books any more than the rented mobs paid handouts in 2010, c'mon. What are you thinking?

Just get talking to some local rural farmers, namely Isarn, and some basic reasoning and observation will show you what a farce the elections are, and of course they get handouts. Keep them poor and they are really easy to buy too. That is why PTP campaigns heavily there, easy to swindle on the backs of the uneducated and poor.

Isnt vote buying as you claimed a yellow or red card offense by the EC? Between you and the EC with the full investigative resources, would I believe you with your basic reasoning and observation? It is a fair election mate. If there are vote buying, it's on both sides. The EC and international observers have not raised any issues and EC have validated all MPs. Give it up with your continuous rethoric on the same subject. That also include populist policies which all parties and government are guilty to win votes and remain in power anywhere in the world.

Yes vote buying is an offence punishable by a yellow or red card. What you ignore is that the EC haven't the resources to monitor every single voting booth and what goes on before and after voting. International monitors are a joke as far as vote buying is concerned as they have even less people on the ground - for a very short time - to view the various processes employed by the buyers. The international monitors are only there to verify that the voting and counting are generally acceptable according to international practise.

Yes, some vote buying takes place outside Isan & the north but that only makes it worse. The various methods used are too numerous to list and red shirt villages (there are thousands of them) make any pretence of voter choice farcical.

I'm not one to make populist policies illegal (virtually an impossible task) but voters might be better off if it was mandatory to cost - in detail - how any populist plan will be funded. Some debate or questioning of political leaders over their proposals on TV would also open the eyes of some voters.

Elections here are only partially democratic. Governments who abuse their power in many ways are undoing any good that might accrue from an election. Amnesty anyone?

[khunken]

It is still not enough for him. He will never stop no matter what the final outcome is. He wants a total dictatorship with him as the supreme commander just like in north korea. When are you people going to arrest this piece of trash.

Supreme commander? No that's Thaksin's goal. Why do you continue to distort what he has said with this 'mind-reading' rubbish.

He wants an interim PM - not himself - and the good riddance of the Shin kleptocracy, reforms (which you have been reminded of before), and then an election.

Probably too reasonable for you to grasp.

This was a coup, let's not pretend otherwise. An elected government was once again overthrown in an attempt to allow for power to be appointed and to spend as much time as possible before ever holding another election, which they are destined to lose. It's a ridiculous cycle that keeps happening again and again, and somehow people keep finding ways to justify.

No there wasn't (isn't) a coup. You need to learn about the difference between martial law and a coup. A government that totally abused their power resigned because a massive street protest convinced the senate to reject an amnesty bill (not the first attempt at one either) to bring back the owner of the ruling party,

All you're doing is parroting what has been trotted out thousands of times on this forum & repetition doesn't turn a lie into the truth.

[klauskunkel]

Now that we are past the flower phase, how about dinner and a movie?

[connda]

Boring

[Mr Yim]

We dont need to read reports what Suthep says. . . we have half a dozen or more Suthep clones on TV, who continually spout the same nonsence.

[bangon04]

Annnddddd! Bingo - he just broke another law as of this morning.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNPOL5705210010003

The POMC has declared that any broadcasting of individuals who are not government officials will be prohibited from giving any political views or opinions on national television, as the center wishes to prevent escalation of protests and crowds becoming riled up after listening to such broadcasts.

Therefore, according to the martial law that has recently been invoked, all operators of media, which include print media, television, radio, press, hosts and/or anchors will not be allowed to interview or invite any individual who is not currently in a governmental position to publicly air their political opinions.

The NNTB is allowed to report it under that law (government organisation), but he's not supposed to say it.

He has the right to get up on stage and say it to the people there.

If a reporter reports it, then it is down to the reporter or the medium, so long as Suthep has not broadcast it himself.

Prayuth has allowed the protests to continue at their sites.

It is a bit different to what is happening at the UDD camp which is actually broadcasting their rally on internet radio.

So you jumped the gun on that one matey.

no he hasn't gatherings of more than 5 people are banned

the photo in the OP shows him breaking the law....oops

By the way, why is Suthep the only one in the photo who is smiling? Everyone else looks borderline miserable.. maybe because they are an illegal gathering?

[Fookhaht]

Oh, the reversal of fortunes that can take place in just 24 hours!

The object of his praise is now his captor.

It could make for a pretty good B-grade political thriller...if it didn't contain so much tragic comedy.