NCPO to brief foreign envoys

[Lite Beer]

NCPO to brief foreign envoys
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Diplomats will be told reasons for coup; security tightened today at five locations

In an apparent attempt to update the international community about the post-coup situation in Thailand, the Foreign Ministry will on Wednesday hold a meeting between junta leaders, foreign ambassadors and Thai envoys based overseas.

Meanwhile, a joint force of police and soldiers from 42 companies (about 4,200 people) will be dispatched today to five locations in Bangkok where anti-coup protesters plan to gather, deputy national police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung said.

The permanent secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, yesterday said the ministry would invite ambassadors for a discussion with General Prayuth Chan-ocha, leader of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), and deputy junta leader General Tanasak Patimapragorn.

The aim is to explain to the diplomatic community why the military needed to seize power on May 22 and detail the NCPO's measures to restore peace in the country, according to Sihasak.

Prayuth is also the Army commander-in-chief and Tanasak, who is in charge the NCPO's security affairs, is the supreme commander of the Armed Forces.

Sihasak said Western countries, particularly the United States, Australia and the European Union, were "especially worried" about the political situation in Thailand.

Sihasak will this week inform the latest political developments to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said yesterday.

He said the permanent secretary would attend the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva and would use the opportunity to explain to member countries why the NCPO seized power.

Somyot said security forces - 15 companies of police and 27 companies of soldiers - would be stationed today at Victory Monument, Siam Paragon shopping mall, Suvarnabhumi Airport, McDonald's Ratchaprasong outlet, and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. He said the military would devise the operational response to deal with protesters.

Security forces will also be deployed at all BTS train stations and on trains, Somyot said.

He said the authorities would screen out protesters to avoid causing inconvenience to people unrelated to the protest.

In a related development, Cambodia's Ambassador to Thailand You Ay has reaffirmed to the Thai Foreign Ministry that Phnom Penh will not allow anyone to use Cambodia to campaign against the junta, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek said.

Sek said East Asia Department director-general Damrong Kraikruan had met the Cambodian ambassador over reports that former PM's Office minister and red-shirt leader Jakrapob Penkair had been using Cambodia as a platform for campaigning against the NCPO.

The Cambodian ambassador told Damrong that Phnom Penh would not allow Cambodia to be used as a base to campaign against its neighbours.

On Friday night, Prayuth addressed the country in the weekly programme "Returning Happiness to the People". He said foreign countries needed to be informed that the NCPO was working to create stability for the country following years of political instability and damaging conflict.

He urged the Information and Communications Technology Ministry and the Foreign Ministry to step up efforts to create understanding in the international community towards post-coup Thailand.

Prayuth said there would be no corruption in the development projects overseen by the Armed Forces. He would ensure that procurement projects and the project to refurbish military weapons would be in line with development plans and there would be no corruption.

-- The Nation 2014-06-08

[Lite Beer]

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[chooka]

The have tried many times to inform foreign countries of what they are doing and why. Countries like Aust, the U.S and EU just aren't accepting what they are being told. As is evident by news stories posted on thaivisa.

Edited June 7, 2014 by chooka

[Tokay]

Real nations won't accept their reasons and/or potential shenanigans. It's that simple. You either have elections or you're a dictatorship.

I personally enjoy the peace, and will admit that so far the junta has done a good job and cleaning things up and settling the children down, but please, call it what it is. It's either a democracy, or it's a dictatorship. Even if it's temporary.

We also know that as soon as the military steps down, this madness starts all over again. It's easy to agree with your armed leaders when they have surrounded you and are the only ones holding the guns. It will unfortunately be business as usual sometime in the distant future. In the meantime, if they can back off the media censorship and internet filtering, I think they are doing a good job.

[The stuttering parrot]

Foreign ministry to step up efforts to create an understanding in the international community of post coup Thailand !

I think the international community pretty much understand and have shown their feelings and intentions!

[wandasloan]

An international PR blitz. Good grief! These people and their 1955 coup manuals simply refuse to adapt, and everyone knows what happens in evolution when a species does not adapt. It's 2014, and foreigners will NOT shut up about this, and certainly won't change their minds because some general tells them to.

First of all, there are at least two (arguably three) problems. So far as business, you will never get a business to say your junta is marvelous or pathetic. Business is amoral. Business, unlike hoary old dictators, does adapt. In no way, at no time will a business NOT adapt to circumstances and try as hard as possible to continue to do business without getting entangled in the political corruption.

Second, the simplistic, solipsistic view of the junta's effect on the world is [expletive deleted]. An "international public relations blitz" as the junta is advertising will fail to convince the West, or the East or the next-door neighbours, none of whom back or ever will publicly back this 20th century adventure. All of them will continue to hope, and many of them will say over and over on every attempt to "blitz" them that they hope the generals will end it before yet another army-induced round of bloodshed forces them to end it. None of them thinks army pipe dreams and promises about August, 2015 justify the means.

The army may even gain a bit more support in the very short term if it goes the xenophobia route. And then it will absolutely blow up like all previous xenophobia campaigns and simply guarantee yet another military bloodbath.

The best thing the army can do about foreign relations right now is shut up. Get on with the job, and if anyone asks just say, "this is for Thailand" and shut up again. In 2014 it is absolutely impossible to find a government that will publicly endorse what the Thai military have done, not one. Yes, there are worse countries, and worse governments. So what?

To make foreign governments and groups shut up, it is necessary for the generals to clam up first and go dead silent, then hope no one notices the thousands of 3am raids, the neutering of all checks and balances and the massive corruption now looming, along with the intense block of pretty well every important civil right. The more the army talks about it, the more foreign stuff it will bring down on its own head from governments, but particularly from well-funded, very active and even vindictive foreign activists. This regime cannot afford scrutiny. If it invites it, it will deserve every bit of nasty attention it gets.

We also know that as soon as the military steps down, this madness starts all over again. It's easy to agree with your armed leaders when they have surrounded you and are the only ones holding the guns. It will unfortunately be business as usual sometime in the distant future. In the meantime, if they can back off the media censorship and internet filtering, I think they are doing a good job.

You are extremely optimistic. I can't remember the last time the army was given a chance to stand down. In pretty well every such case in the past 80 years, the army was made to stand down, usually after (and because of) a bloodbath. The military will be exceptionally fortunate AND talented to get to August 2015 without a repeat performance. Certainly these "now shake hands and let's have a hug" shows won't get us there. Treating citizens like kindergarten students most assuredly is NOT the answer. So far, the army hasn't shown a smidgen of a page of a plan that can possibly work. Let's hope it does so, and very, very quickly. If not - it's killing fields again.

.

Edited June 8, 2014 by wandasloan

[IamNoone88]

Personally I could not give a damn about what the US or Australian government think about the coup in Thailand. The people leveling the critisism remain unaffected by domestic events in Thailand and watch from their ivory towers in tinsel town. We had to deal with the daily effect of an unstable and totally ineffective administration for longer than I care to remember and the negative effects on our business and staff and situation that was totally out of control.

General P need not explain himself. Perhaps the US and Australia should be coming with offers of help and support - which can be politely declined. They did nothing when there was blood on the street and now they complain under the banner of democracy. Empty vessels always do make the most noise.

No need to kowtow to these envoys. There is too much good work on the homefront to be done.

[lomatopo]

Waste of time.

According to Thai officials, foreigners cannot comprehend the complexity and issues unique to Thailand - maybe because the biggest issue(s) cannot be publicly discussed.

Deputy army spokesman Col. Weerachon Sukondhapatipak said the clampdown was necessary because “if you let people talk at the moment, they will talk with emotion, they will be very critical.”

Edited June 8, 2014 by lomatopo

[chooka]

Personally I could not give a damn about what the US or Australian government think about the coup in Thailand. The people leveling the critisism remain unaffected by domestic events in Thailand and watch from their ivory towers in tinsel town. We had to deal with the daily effect of an unstable and totally ineffective administration for longer than I care to remember and the negative effects on our business and staff and situation that was totally out of control.

General P need not explain himself. Perhaps the US and Australia should be coming with offers of help and support - which can be politely declined. They did nothing when there was blood on the street and now they complain under the banner of democracy. Empty vessels always do make the most noise.

No need to kowtow to these envoys. There is too much good work on the homefront to be done.

I think the reason they want to try and convince the world is because tourism is taking an almighty hammering and billions of baht has stopped coming into the country. Story after story on here about the effect the coup has had on tourism. The Junta needs foreign countries to downgrade their travel warnings and encourage them to send their people to Thailand to spend. Unfortunately the world is not sucking up what they say, they need to try harder.

[The stuttering parrot]

If Thailand want to be part of the international community then they better take notice of what the intl community feelings are on the coup otherwise they will find themselves isolated and it will cost the thai economy .

They are a member of the UN so I'd like to see a please explain request come from there!

[chainarong]

Memo NCPO when you brief the Australian envoy , Explain to him " Why" the Australian Chanel is off air and to newsman Jim Middleton, I thought you would have more sense than to air that UDD interview , Jim , you lowered your colours Thursday night mate. I rest my Case.

[timewilltell]

Thailand was getting nowhere fast before the coup and something had to happen. International governments want their own outcome to serve their own plans and do not give a hoot for the people of Thailand and probably could not understand what exactly is going on here even if they tried. I think there are plenty of Thais who do not know the big picture either.

Of course the military on the street will cause a drop in tourist numbers, numbers that a the TAT keep dreaming up because their budget, I would imagine, depends on results to some extent even if the measure of results is the fictitious figures released by the <deleted>.

The International community is concerned that Thailand does not end up another Burma or Cambodia and of course the risk exists that democratic elections will be delayed for reasons outside those necessary. On the other hand there is a chance that some of the corrupt cancer throughout the governmental and justice systems that has existed for so long, can be blown away leading to a better stronger Thailand. For those who complain about the coup, I can understand the resistance to losing what were perceived as their rights, but were those same rights being honoured by the politicians? I don't think so.

From what I have seen there has been an improvement since the coup. Tuk Tuk mafia and a mayor being arrested in Phuket, the hub of corruption in Thailand, corrupt police being sidelined and nepotistic appointees being thrown out. Censorship is a minus as well as a curfew and tourist income in the short term will take a hit. Sometimes better to chop off the gangrenous finger than lose your whole arm.

I hope the routing of the corrupt and evil continues unabated and that in time reforms come about to enable free democratic elections again as soon as possible and that the military leaders maintain pressure on that, their stated aim. I wish education of a people did not take generations to happen for Thailand sadly needs a high speed train to the next education level station.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[englishoak]

and at the same time as trying to convince the world they are doing whats required and to understand

Meanwhile, a joint force of police and soldiers from 42 companies (about 4,200 people) will be dispatched today to five locations in Bangkok where anti-coup protesters plan to gather

While having stood by for the past 6 mths and actively encouraged it. Good luck with that campaign

[Thanet]

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Thanet

[chainarong]

Western Governments like anything that gives the people the right to vote ,they all feel happy and glad and warm inside , never mind if that is all the people get (China) , the US has a set of guide lines that Jon Kerry refers to as democracy , Julie bishop of Australia wouldn't have a clue what democracy was and refers to Webster's dictionary for advice , the point is in-fact there is no hard n fast rule for democracy, PTP never had a clue and used the word Democracy consistently, Thailand had their Thai Democracy and from what I have seen lately , Democracy is improving with each day.

[leggo]

Unfortunately the PR campaign is already lost on foreign governments. They can't invite them to a meeting to explain their actions and at the same time send in over four thousand troops to stamp on any protests .

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[chooka]

Memo NCPO when you brief the Australian envoy , Explain to him " Why" the Australian Chanel is off air and to newsman Jim Middleton, I thought you would have more sense than to air that UDD interview , Jim , you lowered your colours Thursday night mate. I rest my Case.

Australia Network is still on the air and I believe they (ABC) ran the UDD interview to give expats and Australians both side of the story and not just the Junta's. That way people can make their own opinions. Media in Australia is not censored.

[Emptyset]

Waste of time.

According to Thai officials, foreigners cannot comprehend the complexity and issues unique to Thailand - maybe because the biggest issue(s) cannot be publicly discussed.

Deputy army spokesman Col. Weerachon Sukondhapatipak said the clampdown was necessary because “if you let people talk at the moment, they will talk with emotion, they will be very critical.”

Not to mention the conspiracy being carried out by the foreign media...

"Pol Gen Somyos warned whose who planned to join the protest either voluntarily or involuntarily to think twice that they might be used by foreign media to tarnish the reputation of Thailand. He accused foreign media of harbouring ill-intent against Thailand."

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/army-police-brace-tomorrows-anti-coup-protest/

[rebelplatoon]

People who hear but cannot listen. Coming down from their airconditioned offices on witthayoo road and actually meeting people on the street as well as in the villages that MAINLY (not all) are relieved that the tension of the divide is released. Stay on your thrones, in your limos, in your protected moo baans and report your nonsense back to your home countries.

[ginjag]

Real nations won't accept their reasons and/or potential shenanigans. It's that simple. You either have elections or you're a dictatorship.

I personally enjoy the peace, and will admit that so far the junta has done a good job and cleaning things up and settling the children down, but please, call it what it is. It's either a democracy, or it's a dictatorship. Even if it's temporary.

We also know that as soon as the military steps down, this madness starts all over again. It's easy to agree with your armed leaders when they have surrounded you and are the only ones holding the guns. It will unfortunately be business as usual sometime in the distant future. In the meantime, if they can back off the media censorship and internet filtering, I think they are doing a good job.

Quote. " You either have elections or your a dictatorship"

I would like to add we had this combination of Both with the PTP. This is what the main objection to the PTP government was about, they were turning that corner at the time they were kicked out.

The rest of your post is spot on, it was my first line here that I wanted to speak about.

[ginjag]

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

Hateful posting. 4 years a member been in a coma ?? Your last 5 words tells me why you are posting on TVF. Accept the results of your corrupt government, who self destructed.

Can you imagine the worlds ambassadors in Thailand being " forced at gunpoint" grow a pair.

The envoy's will not all the words carefully. J Head could report differently.

Edited June 8, 2014 by ginjag

[fab4]

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

The ambassadors didn't come the last time the army rulers had a meet and greet - they sent their subordinates, basically a diplomatic two finger salute.

[fab4]

Western Governments like anything that gives the people the right to vote ,they all feel happy and glad and warm inside , never mind if that is all the people get (China) , the US has a set of guide lines that Jon Kerry refers to as democracy , Julie bishop of Australia wouldn't have a clue what democracy was and refers to Webster's dictionary for advice , the point is in-fact there is no hard n fast rule for democracy, PTP never had a clue and used the word Democracy consistently, Thailand had their Thai Democracy and from what I have seen lately , Democracy is improving with each day.

Democracy is improving with each day.

[Thailand]

Nobody is likely to listen.

No normal country will condone a military occupation or whatever you want to call it. There are armed military with live ammunition on the streets.

Civil liberties have been curtailed,media heavily censored.

Next will be the interim unelected government,to try to make the situation look better, that will not help international relations either.

This is my third coup in Thailand, the previous 2 and all those that went before all basically ended with the same result, not likely to be any different this time.

Coups are the elites and the militaries alternative to elections.

On a different note I see that the ex top general of Egypt has just been voted president.

[ginjag]

Western Governments like anything that gives the people the right to vote ,they all feel happy and glad and warm inside , never mind if that is all the people get (China) , the US has a set of guide lines that Jon Kerry refers to as democracy , Julie bishop of Australia wouldn't have a clue what democracy was and refers to Webster's dictionary for advice , the point is in-fact there is no hard n fast rule for democracy, PTP never had a clue and used the word Democracy consistently, Thailand had their Thai Democracy and from what I have seen lately , Democracy is improving with each day.

Democracy is improving with each day.

Ha. since being elected 3 years ago democracy went over the cliff. Now you complain when we are trying to get it back.

[Thanet]

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

Hateful posting. 4 years a member been in a coma ?? Your last 5 words tells me why you are posting on TVF. Accept the results of your corrupt government, who self destructed.

Can you imagine the worlds ambassadors in Thailand being " forced at gunpoint" grow a pair.

The envoy's will not all the words carefully. J Head could report differently.

Looking at the events of the past few weeks, there are various cases of the junta forcing people to do things at gunpoint. After all, the junta are just a bunch of old career soldiers, so forcing people to do things at gunpoint is all they understand, and it's what they do best.

I didn't understand your statement: "The envoys will not all the words carefully" --- are you referring to the establishment of a dystopian totalitarian society, one in which everyone loves each other, and dissenters are intimidated into shutting up?

Edited June 8, 2014 by Thanet

[chooka]

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

The ambassadors didn't come the last time the army rulers had a meet and greet - they sent their subordinates, basically a diplomatic two finger salute.

Members of the Junta are banned from entering Australia, they have been blacklisted so I guess they are not interested in dialog with the generals and they have probably instructed the ambassador not to meet with them also.

[ginjag]

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

The ambassadors didn't come the last time the army rulers had a meet and greet - they sent their subordinates, basically a diplomatic two finger salute.

Please post a list of "subordinates" that were sent.??? your last six words are immature.

[Roadman]

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

Nothing like gross exaggerations to fit the Red mantra. The countries that matter most right now being the other ASEAN nations and other Asian countries are quite accepting of the Junta's actions. Possibly being closer to the real Thailand they have a better understanding of the real situation. Two neighbors to date have also spelt it out clearly to potential Red governments in exile that they are not welcome. Struggle to see how a slap with a wet bus ticket from a few idealistic western nations fits the "whole world despising them".

[ginjag]

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

The ambassadors didn't come the last time the army rulers had a meet and greet - they sent their subordinates, basically a diplomatic two finger salute.

Members of the Junta are banned from entering Australia, they have been blacklisted so I guess they are not interested in dialog with the generals and they have probably instructed the ambassador not to meet with them also.

Chooka -does that still stand ?? and if so back up your words with todays situation.

Why would the army want to be travelling to Aussie land when they are up to the eyeballs cleaning dung up left by PTP.