Pheu Thai adviser gives thumbs up to Yingluck's defence

[Lite Beer]

Pheu Thai adviser gives thumbs up to Yingluck's defence
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai Party's legal adviser Pichit Chuenban yesterday said former premier Yingluck Shinawatra's defence in the impeachment case before the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Friday had been satisfactory.

He was also confident that all questions by the NLA's committee regarding the accusation by the anti-graft agency of Yingluck's dereliction of duty in the controversial rice-pledging scheme could be answered and explained.

However, he said it still remains to be decided between Yingluck and her legal advisers whether she would attend the meeting and herself answer questions or send her representatives.

Meanwhile, National Reform Council (NRC) member Direk Thuengfang, who is one of 38 former senators facing impeachment, said that he, along with the rest of the accused former senators will hold a meeting to discuss and prepare their approach on the upcoming meeting with the NLA members.

From initial discussions, he said it is likely that one individual would be given responsibility to represent all members of the group. The group's representative will be decided at their upcoming meeting on 14 January.

NLA vice president Surachai Liangboonlertchai yesterday said the next stage of the impeachment process of Yingluck, former Senate speaker Nikhom Wairatpanich and former House speaker Somsak Kiatsuranon, would involve questioning by the NLA committee members.

The purpose of the question time is for the NLA members to hear the defence of the accused, so that the legislators were better informed in order to make an accurate judgement.

The NLA members will vote on the impeachment cases on January 23.

The impeachment cases, especially the Yingluck case, had been at the centre of nationwide attention because of worries that any decision by the NLA it would upset millions of people on one side of the political spectrum or the other.

This could deal a setback to the reconciliation efforts of the junta since the May 22 coup.

Pheu Thai interim spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said Yingluck's explanation on the much-debated rice-scheme to NLA members yesterday would provide useful information on the positive impact of the scheme to the country.

He also urged the public to examine the conduct of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) towards the Yingluck administration and Pheu Thai Party.

Anusorn questioned the country's "standard of justice". He said the anti-graft commission's sole focus had been on submitting cases against them while they had not made much progress in the suspicions of corruption in the Democrat-led government's rice-subsidy scheme.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Pheu-Thai-adviser-gives-thumbs-up-to-Yinglucks-def-30251662.html

-- The Nation 2015-01-11

[The stuttering parrot]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

[NeverSure]

"The impeachment cases, especially the Yingluck case, had been at the centre of nationwide attention because of worries that any decision by the NLA it would upset millions of people on one side of the political spectrum or the other.

This could deal a setback to the reconciliation efforts of the junta since the May 22 coup."

Exactly. I've said it before. I don't defend Yingluck whatsoever, but if the general knows anything about politics, he needs to drop this hot potato.

He is the law and can do it. He's risking a backlash which he doesn't want.

I support neither Yingluck nor the general. I just don't want the country thrown back into turmoil.

[NeverSure]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

The country is under martial law and the general is the law. The army is the law. High ranking police have been sidelined or punished. So have others. This is a purge of enemies of the elite.

I wouldn't push my luck.

[NongKhaiKid]

The problem with this is that it may result in serious unrest if YL is impeached so there's good reason not to proceed BUT on the other hand no proceedings sends out the message that for certain people here an excuse will always be found to exonerate them no matter what they have done or in YL's case didn't bother to do.

The whole mess is self-inflicted injury because of the way Thai society operates.

Edited January 10, 2015 by NongKhaiKid

[JLCrab]

Or as attributed to the late US Senate Republican Leader Everett McKinley Dirksen:

"A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money."

[Valentine]

He cannot say she was just mouthing the same old platitudes for the benefit of the gullible.

[NeverSure]

The problem with this is that it may result in serious unrest if YL is impeached so there's good reason not to proceed BUT on the other hand no proceedings sends out the message that for certain people here an excuse will always be found to exonerate them no matter what they have done or in YL's case didn't bother to do.

The whole mess is self-inflicted injury because of the way Thai society operates.

Maybe cut a deal with YL's lawyers, cut the trial short and impose a fine?

5 years, can't run for election. Where's the assurance there'll be an election in 5 years? Does Yingluck even want to run again?

The less publicity this gets the better for the general, even though I don't support the general or Yingluck. I'm just musing about the possibilities.

If the general puts the hammer to Yingluck he risks throwing Thailand into chaos. There are so many Thais who either aren't educated as to what has happened or don't care, but Yingluck is still very popular in many areas of the country.

[lewy67]

Stop, Take a deep breath and look what is really happening here. The NACC, an appointed body, is asking the NLA, a military appointed legislative body, to impeach and judge 38 elected senators, who through a largely elected parliament, tried to amend the undemocratic military constitution and make it more democratic by making changes that would see all senators chosen by the people. Elected officials accused and judged by a military appointed Kangaroo assembly on the recommendation of a Kangaroo independent body the NACC.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/38-ex-senators-meet-discuss-impeachment-case

Edited January 10, 2015 by lewy67

[Valentine]

Stop, Take a deep breath and look what is really happening here. The NACC, an appointed body, is asking the NLA, a military appointed legislative body, to impeach and judge 38 elected senators, who through a largely elected parliament, tried to amend the undemocratic military constitution and make it more democratic by making changes that would see all senators chosen by the people. Elected officials accused and judged by a military appointed Kangaroo assembly on the recommendation of a Kangaroo independent body the NACC.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/38-ex-senators-meet-discuss-impeachment-case

Stop clouding the issue as it is more to do with the fact of trying to ramrod through the legislation by a devious process.

[thesetat2013]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

Don't you mean 'why should she attend' she will only be showing them how ignorant she is to what happened in the rice scheme?

Everyone knows your opinions are biased against anyone opposing the Thank clan. Just as everyone now knows the losses incurred by that rice scheme. Just as everyone knows she never attended meeting with that scheme. Just as everyone knows she never followed up checking any reports given to her.

Get your nose out of Thanks butt so your eyes can see past his a-- to what was really happening with this scheme.

[thesetat2013]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

Don't you mean 'why should she attend' she will only be showing them how ignorant she is to what happened in the rice scheme?

Everyone knows your opinions are biased against anyone opposing the Thank clan. Just as everyone now knows the losses incurred by that rice scheme. Just as everyone knows she never attended meeting with that scheme. Just as everyone knows she never followed up checking any reports given to her.

Get your nose out of Thaks butt so your eyes can see past his a-- to what was really happening with this scheme.

[Robby nz]

Yes why should she turn up and answer questions, she is likely to give the wrong answers.

Completely different from reading a statement prepared by the spin doctors.

A big risk, could show how little she really knows about what went on and stuff up the whole defense.

Why not just drop the whole thing in case she makes a fool of herself and anyway we need to appease the reds so they don't make trouble.

That all those billions have been lost as well as international confidence in Thai rice, and that the Thai people, including the farmers and their children will be paying for these losses for years to come has nothing to do with it.

That it will send a message to future politicians that they can do pretty much as they like or as little as they like with no chance of retribution, well so what, politicians are special arent they ? The law shouldn't apply to them, ordinary people should get down on their knees and worship them as they seem to think is their right.

NO.

Politicians are just people who have been put in a job by the people to do a job on their behalf, if they didnt do that job in a satisfactory manner they should be removed from that job and censured the way any other employee would be.

Stay strong NLA look at the facts of this and the other impeachment cases and judge them on the basis of law and the principals of right and wrong, don't be intimidated by talk of uprisings or setting back reconciliation for these are just side tracks by those with a political agenda.

If those who stand before you have broken the law or failed the country and the people by not doing the job they swore before the King that they would do, vote to impeach them for that is a part of the job that you have sworn to do.

[lewy67]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Stop, Take a deep breath and look what is really happening here. The NACC, an appointed body, is asking the NLA, a military appointed legislative body, to impeach and judge 38 elected senators, who through a largely elected parliament, tried to amend the undemocratic military constitution and make it more democratic by making changes that would see all senators chosen by the people. Elected officials accused and judged by a military appointed Kangaroo assembly on the recommendation of a Kangaroo independent body the NACC.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/38-ex-senators-meet-discuss-impeachment-case

Stop clouding the issue as it is more to do with the fact of trying to ramrod through the legislation by a devious process.

You are wrong. Presenting the facts is not clouding the issue. Please provide a counter argument where your opinion is supported by facts that can be verified or continue with your drivel.Your choice.

[Freed1948]

^^^^

You have not presented ANY facts. Just biased opinions.

She is guilty as charged and must be punished.

However the punishment must take into account the current situation.

[DKUNPUTAF713]

Posted Today, 05:53

The stuttering parrot, on 11 Jan 2015 - 05:49, said:

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

The country is under martial law and the general is the law. The army is the law. High ranking police have been sidelined or punished. So have others. This is a purge of enemies of the elite.

I wouldn't push my luck.

High ranking police sidelined or punished has absolutely nothing to do with the "purge of enemies of the elite".

It goes much higher than that which can not be discussed here.

[DKUNPUTAF713]

Stop, Take a deep breath and look what is really happening here. The NACC, an appointed body, is asking the NLA, a military appointed legislative body, to impeach and judge 38 elected senators, who through a largely elected parliament, tried to amend the undemocratic military constitution and make it more democratic by making changes that would see all senators chosen by the people. Elected officials accused and judged by a military appointed Kangaroo assembly on the recommendation of a Kangaroo independent body the NACC.

http://englishnews.t...mpeachment-case

Concur!!!!!

[maapaa]

Follow the laws, impeach her, let her red killers uprise ... then shoot them! Do Thailand that favour!

[Valentine]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Stop, Take a deep breath and look what is really happening here. The NACC, an appointed body, is asking the NLA, a military appointed legislative body, to impeach and judge 38 elected senators, who through a largely elected parliament, tried to amend the undemocratic military constitution and make it more democratic by making changes that would see all senators chosen by the people. Elected officials accused and judged by a military appointed Kangaroo assembly on the recommendation of a Kangaroo independent body the NACC.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/38-ex-senators-meet-discuss-impeachment-case

Stop clouding the issue as it is more to do with the fact of trying to ramrod through the legislation by a devious process.

You are wrong. Presenting the facts is not clouding the issue. Please provide a counter argument where your opinion is supported by facts that can be verified or continue with your drivel.Your choice.

In the article you cite the senators do not say anything about kangaroos. In fact it was only statement saying they will meet to discuss the case. Do you in fact know how the NACC are selected & endorsed by HM?

http://thaifinancialpost.com/2014/04/10/supa-piyajitti-selected-as-new-nacc-member/ about who replaced a retiring member &

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/senate-endorses-appointment-nacc-members

showing how it was picked during the YL government.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Valentine

[Rumble]

No body should be above the law, allow the system to proceed as required, guilty is guilty, innocent is innocent.

Now you know why education has been deprived from the poorer masses. because it is easy to buy and control uneducated people.

[WhizBang]

She got a thumbs up from the PTP and the man in Dubai for her lack of defence of the real issues. BIG surprise.

This is a lose lose situation. If she is convicted (impeached) the red shirts will rise up and reek holy he!!. If she is not convicted, but let off the hook, it sends the message that you will not be held accountable for corruption and the damage inflicted on the country, and the country will continue down the slippery slope.

This is where the rubber meets the road. Does the junta really want to reform this country or not? (My money is on NOT) Holding Yingluck, et al, accountable and seizing their assetts and meeting out jail time will send shock waves through Thai Ho-So society. Just be prepared to deal harshly with the red terrorists.

Otherwise, be prepared to write Thailand's future off.

[brucec64]

Yes why should she turn up and answer questions, she is likely to give the wrong answers.

Completely different from reading a statement prepared by the spin doctors.

A big risk, could show how little she really knows about what went on and stuff up the whole defense.

Why not just drop the whole thing in case she makes a fool of herself and anyway we need to appease the reds so they don't make trouble.

That all those billions have been lost as well as international confidence in Thai rice, and that the Thai people, including the farmers and their children will be paying for these losses for years to come has nothing to do with it.

That it will send a message to future politicians that they can do pretty much as they like or as little as they like with no chance of retribution, well so what, politicians are special arent they ? The law shouldn't apply to them, ordinary people should get down on their knees and worship them as they seem to think is their right.

NO.

Politicians are just people who have been put in a job by the people to do a job on their behalf, if they didnt do that job in a satisfactory manner they should be removed from that job and censured the way any other employee would be.

Stay strong NLA look at the facts of this and the other impeachment cases and judge them on the basis of law and the principals of right and wrong, don't be intimidated by talk of uprisings or setting back reconciliation for these are just side tracks by those with a political agenda.

If those who stand before you have broken the law or failed the country and the people by not doing the job they swore before the King that they would do, vote to impeach them for that is a part of the job that you have sworn to do.

Does that include the current PM who is hiding behind a self imposed amnesty for crimes committed, or just selective enforcement against those you don't like?

[Tatsujin]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

You clearly state that the Military, and by extensions the Courts, which have been legally endorsed and approved of by the highest person in this land, have no legal status.

So you are in effect criticizing not only the Military and the Courts, but the person that endorsed and approved of them.

Hope they don't read ThaiVisa and feel the need to make an example of any foreigners here. That "free thinking" you claim to have in other threads might come back to bite you in the ass.

[Tatsujin]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

I've asked you many times to look at the "bigger picture" and not allow yourself to be brainwashed by the Thaksin mythos. He is in no way, shape or form fighting for the poor or downtrodden within Thailand.

This article/press release (which I'm sure already you won't accept or agree with) from back in 2009 goes some way to explaining that "bigger picture":

http://auswathai-sawasdee.blogspot.com/2009/07/thailand-bangkok-charges-of-crimes.html

[binjalin]

power grab plain and simple then a witch hunt but they under estimate the people's feelings and the good general is slipping slowly into an abyss

he would have been FAR wiser to reconcile, find common ground and take away the splits but he has chosen a vindictive path which may please some, including some TV armchair right wingers, but will anger millions more

The former path of the 'middle ground' would have led to the vast majority of Thais 'living with it' and could have been mostly successful - a unity government etc. with red, yellows and whites

where he goes now will not work in the long run

he maybe POWERFUL, he maybe STRONG but he is UNWISE

Edited January 11, 2015 by binjalin

[seajae]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

what you really mean is "why should she attend and make a total fool of herself" seeing she is simply not able to even answer a direct question without reading a prepared answer, she is not capable of answering any sort of question as she is simply too thick and uneducated(apart for all the paid for diplomas). Doesnt surprise me i the least that the apologists are trying to spin this the other way as they all know she is guilty as sin and that she is unable to do anything herself, how can lawyers defend her when they are simply making up answers that are all bullsh*t in the hope of fooling all the poor uneducated shin fans like they did with the speech they prepared for her friday, she isnt clever enough to make up sentences by herself(or answer a question other than one on clothes/handbags).

[rubl]

I'm sure the Pheu Thai party is hapy with Ms. Yingluck's defense statement as she read out yesterday. Their legal team wrote it and it is surely the best money can buy.

Now there seems only one minor omission, to address

2011-10-06 One day before the RPPS started, from the Commerce Minister

"Mr Kittiratt said the 430 billion baht budget is not a one-off payment but the state would gain it back when selling the milled rice."

http://en.isnhotnews.com/?p=14909

[Bakseeda]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

Of course they conspired months before, Yinluck and her cabinet tried to push through the completely illegal Amnesty Bill, they were bleeding the poor Thai taxpayers out of Billions of baht in her rice-pledging scheme and NOT for the good of the farmers... Yinluck was courting certain Army generals to join her and her brother in their push for the Republic of Thailand... She and her brother were talking treason in the worst way... something had to be done... so the General gave them enough rope to hang themselves which the over-sure Shinewatras did ..! Can you imagine "President Thaksin" their plan all along... And when the right time came . the General shut the door and called a Silent Coup with not one person injured. Now it is time for Yinluck to pay the piper... Long live the King... Death to the would be President and his family...

[halloween]

MRDA - Mandy Rice-Davies applies.

'Damned with faint praise' comes to mind. Where is the fulsome gush we expect from PTP about anything to do with the Shinawatras? Does he expect a bonus for 'satisfactory'?

[lungmi]

Why should she even attend!

Her accusers and her judges have no legal status.The coup was illegal and by his own words Suthep and the general conspired months before the coup took place.

The generals and the junta open disdain of the Shinawatras is out in public for all to see so any decision handed down to anyone should be treated for what it is.

Worthless!

Yingluck will not be present to defend herself. We have already have a stuttering parrot here.