Prayut ponders martial law lifting

[webfact]

Prayut ponders martial law lifting
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thursday that he is pondering about lifting the martial law and turning to use other laws, including the interim charter's provision that gives him "absolute power".

When asked whether the Cabinet meeting in Hua Hin, Prachuab Kiri Khan, Friday would consider replacing the martial law enforcement with other laws he pointed at his head and said: "I have been thinking [that] for a long time."

A source said that the chief of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the NCPO members were thinking to replace the martial law with three laws - emergency decree, Internal Security Act, and the Article 44 of the Provisional Constitution,

The article 44 empowers the NCPO leader to issue any order "for the sake of the reforms in any field, the promotion of love and harmony amongst the people in the nation, or the prevention, abatement or suppression of any act detrimental to national order or security, royal throne, national economy or public administration, whether the act occurs inside or outside the kingdom". The orders so issued are all deemed "lawful, constitutional and final"

Asked if Article 44 was an option, he said with a smile that "I'm thinking. We will try our best to make officials comfortable when doing their duties."


-- The Nation 2015-03-26

[berybert]

It's all about ME ME ME.

[jerojero]

Does lifting Martial law mean the military has to stop kicking BIB ass? Hope not.

[toybits]

Like transferring the stick from the right hand to the left hand. Same Same No Different!

[JOC]

including the interim charter's provision that gives him "absolute power".

Anything to keep the very dangerous "too much democracy" under control!!

This guy is losing it by the minute.........................

[CiaranO]

The BIB will be happy when martial law is back in the box - its seriously affecting their tea money but will equally effect the armies when martial la wis gone.

[NongKhaiKid]

i'll bet he loves the ' absolute power ' bit.

[Always18]

Yep - absolute power trumps Martial Law every time.......................................

[JOC]

i'll bet he loves the ' absolute power ' bit.

And remember, he has already got a hand crafted throne....................

[Emster23]

"lifting the martial law and turning to use other laws, including the interim charter’s provision that gives him “absolute power”."

Gee, I forgot... who wrote the interim charter? Martial law does have some limits. He going for ABSOLUTE POWER so can be corrupt ABSOLUTELY.

[MW72]

When I read the headline I thought it was a bit of good news. You don't need marshall law to stop thugs with assualt rifles and grenades or corrupt politicians. I am sure Thailand has laws against this. The laws just need to be enforced which was the problem to start with. Then I read the bit about "absolute power" and I put my head in my hands. This could be the the start of what many of us feared and what we are not allowed to call this regime. I'll give you a clue. It starts with D and it is not Democracy.

[Fat Haggis]

The BIB will be happy when martial law is back in the box - its seriously affecting their tea money but will equally effect the armies when martial la wis gone.

Hasn's seemed to have stopped them with their traffic checkpoints around Korat, a couple of weeks back they were all over the place and at busy intersections too, and around the same time the Korat Police chief was sacked and moved for doing more checkpoints than police work.

Last week they were still out stopping cars.

[Pib]

The BIB will be happy when martial law is back in the box - its seriously affecting their tea money but will equally effect the armies when martial la wis gone.

Hasn's seemed to have stopped them with their traffic checkpoints around Korat, a couple of weeks back they were all over the place and at busy intersections too, and around the same time the Korat Police chief was sacked and moved for doing more checkpoints than police work.

Last week they were still out stopping cars.

Definitely hasn't reduced the number of traffic checkpoints over here in western Bangkok...if anything, there are more or more frequent BIB traffic checkpoints than before.

[taony]

When I read the headline I thought it was a bit of good news. You don't need marshall law to stop thugs with assualt rifles and grenades or corrupt politicians. I am sure Thailand has laws against this. The laws just need to be enforced which was the problem to start with. Then I read the bit about "absolute power" and I put my head in my hands. This could be the the start of what many of us feared and what we are not allowed to call this regime. I'll give you a clue. It starts with D and it is not Democracy.

Richardtator

[MW72]

When I read the headline I thought it was a bit of good news. You don't need marshall law to stop thugs with assualt rifles and grenades or corrupt politicians. I am sure Thailand has laws against this. The laws just need to be enforced which was the problem to start with. Then I read the bit about "absolute power" and I put my head in my hands. This could be the the start of what many of us feared and what we are not allowed to call this regime. I'll give you a clue. It starts with D and it is not Democracy.

Richardtator

Yes, the Richardhead wants to be a Richardtator

[rubl]

When I read the headline I thought it was a bit of good news. You don't need marshall law to stop thugs with assualt rifles and grenades or corrupt politicians. I am sure Thailand has laws against this. The laws just need to be enforced which was the problem to start with. Then I read the bit about "absolute power" and I put my head in my hands. This could be the the start of what many of us feared and what we are not allowed to call this regime. I'll give you a clue. It starts with D and it is not Democracy.

Richardtator

Yes, the Richardhead wants to be a Richardtator

With all this heroic fun you guys are almost eligible for the Dickin Medal

[djjamie]

Lets hope the 7%'ers do not take advantage of this lifting of martial law and corner the market on violence again.

If the red bomb, kill, terrorize or intimidate the majority Paryut will have a lot to answer for. The reds won't because they will blame the floods for the violence or say "It is a coincidence, nothing more"

[heybruce]

I get the impression that after martial law is lifted that political gatherings will still be banned, the press will still be censored, people still won't be allowed to criticize the coup or call for elections, detention without charge will still be a standard procedure, and in every other way nothing will change.

Of course the Prayuth fan club will be praising him for his benevolence, or criticizing him for his leniency, but that's not really a change.

[PatOngo]

When I read the headline I thought it was a bit of good news. You don't need marshall law to stop thugs with assualt rifles and grenades or corrupt politicians. I am sure Thailand has laws against this. The laws just need to be enforced which was the problem to start with. Then I read the bit about "absolute power" and I put my head in my hands. This could be the the start of what many of us feared and what we are not allowed to call this regime. I'll give you a clue. It starts with D and it is not Democracy.

Richardtator

Yes, the Richardhead wants to be a Richardtator

But they are definitely working towards Dumbocracy.

[Thai at Heart]

All very Doctor Evil....

[webfact]

PM mulls alternative to martial law
JEERAPONG PRASERTPOLKRUNG
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday he was thinking of replacing martial law with other laws including giving himself "absolute power".

"I have been thinking [that] for a long time," Prayut pointed at his head and replied when asked whether the Cabinet meeting in Prachuab Kiri Khan's Hua Hin today would consider the replacement of martial law with other laws.

A source said that Prayut and other members of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), of which he is the head, were thinking of replacing martial law with either Emergency decree, the Internal Security Act, including Article 44 of the Provisional Constitution, which gives the NCPO head "absolute power".

Asked if Article 44 was an option, he smiled and said: "I'm thinking. We will try our best to make officials comfortable when doing their duties."

He said the measure in the new law would be equal to martial law so that the people will know that the NCPO did not fully enforce it.

Prayut appeared to be in a good mood after returning from a trip to Brunei. Before he left Thailand on Wednesday, he appeared tense and angry with the media.

Article 44 gives the NCPO leader "absolute power" to issue any order "for the sake of reforms in any field, the promotion of unity and harmony amongst the people of the nation, or the prevention, abatement or suppression of any act detrimental to national order or security, royal throne, national economy or public administration, whether the act occurs inside or outside the Kingdom".

Orders that are so issued are all deemed "lawful, constitutional and final".

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees security affairs, admitted that the legal team of the NCPO was drafting a new law to replace martial law.

He said the drafting would include writing a new law and adjusting the current security law.

"We are trying to reduce pressure. The United Nations asked us to [find a new law]. I didn't set the deadline [for the completion of the draft] because it will not trouble anyone. We now enforce only summons, arrests and searches [of the martial law]," he said.

He denied the Cabinet meeting today would consider the matter.

He insisted that security law was needed to replace martial law because those who have ill intent still exist.

The voices against martial law and the use of the military court for civilians under martial law have been around even before the military coup of May 22 as martial law was imposed by Prayut when he was Army chief two days before he staged the coup.

Experts argue that the military court is not meant for civilians as defendants have no right to appeal. What's more, judges are not totally independent of the military chain of command. As for martial law, critics have denounced the use of martial law to detain hundreds without charge since the coup. The law permits detention without charge for up to seven days. Some allegations of torture have been made by detainees while under military custody, at times, in secret locations where detainees were held incommunicado.

International organisations such as the UN and NGOs like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have criticised both the use of martial law and use of the military court on civilians. As the situation drags on and more people are being put through military court, it's expected that the resistance and condemnation will continue.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PM-mulls-alternative-to-martial-law-30256840.html


-- The Nation 2015-03-27

[NongKhaiKid]

The expression 'absolute power ' has a horrible, ominous sound to it and in the wrong hands ... !

This would be no paper exercise.

[Thailand]

Scarier by the day.

Be very careful what you say on this forum.

The forum management will have no choice than to reveal real names etc if they are told to, if it has not happened already in some cases.

[Always18]

Megalomania or aspirations above his pay grade?

Many will be aware that prior to 1932, Thailand (Siam) had a 700 year history of Absolutism - that is to say, Thailand was ruled by one man with total, unfettered power.

The official title of that man was, of course, "The King"..............................

I don't believe this posting contravenes any T.V. rules, but I'll be guided by the mods on this!

[chainarong]

One notes that under any circumstances the Prayuth -O one still has absolute power , for that to be so the country of Thailand is so far from Democracy it is sickening, one man has absolute power, dangerous days indeed.

[toybits]

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thursday that he is pondering about lifting the martial law and turning to use other laws, including the interim charter's provision that gives him "absolute power".

I am surprised because in the past, there was only one person who had "Absolute Power" and that was the ________!

[quandow]

Won't be long before we hear the crazy man yell, "Off with their heads!"

Thinking about packing my bags and seeking life elsewhere . . .

[smedly]

strong words propagated by a news report from the nation which in my opinion has become another tool of the Shins since the CPL involvement

The only sentence contained in the article that actually reads correctly IMO is this - He insisted that security law was needed to replace martial law because those who have ill intent still exist.

[NeilSA1]

Scarier by the day.

Be very careful what you say on this forum.

The forum management will have no choice than to reveal real names etc if they are told to, if it has not happened already in some cases.

Members have the right to express themselves on this forum, some with transparent motives,

However I will not shed a tear if certain members are taken to task for continually using derogatory words, unsophisticated descriptions (which border on the obscene) and cowardly verbal attacks on people (who have no right of reply).

"keep it civil"

[Neeranam]

Can we stop all the talk of this - we all know that he is in power until an unspeakable event happens and up to two years after that.

Do newspapers really expect anyone to believe stories like this?