Forget Thaksin, there are more important issues to deal with

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Forget Thaksin, there are more important issues to deal with
KRIS BHROMSUTHI

BANGKOK: -- Thaksin Shinawatra's controversial comments in South Korea only goes to prove that the fugitive former prime minister - perhaps one of the most divisive personalities in modern Thai politics - can still get under the skin of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

The military rulers reacted strongly and showed they were prepared to "go all the way" with the founder and former leader of the Thai Rak Thai party.

First, the Foreign Ministry announced last Wednesday it had revoked his two Thai passports. The junta then gave the go-ahead to the process of stripping him of his police rank.

Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya earlier this week ordered the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to begin an investigative process for possible action against Thaksin for violating the les majeste law, following his comments that the Privy Council was behind the 2006 coup.

Former Democrat MP Nipit Intarasombat said Thaksin's comments in South Korea had ruined all but the slimmest chance for national reconciliation.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is deliberating whether it should indict Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and the former foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul for issuing new passports to Thaksin during the Pheu Thai administration.

One could argue that the ruling junta is overreacting. After all, it wasn't the first time Thaksin had argued that the Privy Council was behind the coup.

The key reason for the junta's aggressive retaliation was more a matter of perception, to demonstrate their capabilities and to scare off any attempt to discredit their administration in the future.

It was the wrong move by the junta mainly because the result of its actions led to a consequence opposite to what the country needed.

The country and Thai politics must move on from Thaksin and his family. The result of the latest act, on the other hand, had the junta reminding the world how much influence Thaksin still possesses and how much of a threat he is, at least through their eyes.

It strengthens his position in the Pheu Thai camp, judging from several key figures who came out to criticise the junta's reaction, including Nattawut Saikua, former deputy minister of commerce and red-shirt leader, Chertchai Tantisirin, former Pheu Thai MP, and Anusorn Iamsa-ard, acting deputy spokesman for Pheu Thai.

It has also raises public awareness of Thaksin's credibility abroad as he was invited to an international event, the 6th Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul.

What the country needs is for everyone to move away from Thaksin and not look back. That includes key members of the Pheu Thai camp, who are trying to decide if their continued association with the Shinawatra family, or lack thereof, will secure them a brighter future in politics.

Thaksin's comments should not have been ignored, to be sure, but the junta's response should have been more measured and less aggressive.

If the junta is sincere in its efforts for reconciliation, then it should lead by example; after all, two wrongs do not make a right.

Plenty of more important issues are on the horizon that the media should be concerned about ahead of the general election, such as the content of the draft charter and the details of short-term and long-term reform plans for ourselves and the future generation.

These are far more important issues than the pettiness of two rival political camps.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Forget-Thaksin-there-are-more-important-issues-to--30261401.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-02

[rijb]

The junta is all about 'leading by example' ... use authoritarian control for revenge, not reconciliation.

[z42]

Well what good does it do to let a rogue criminal on the run continue running his mouth, goading Thais into talking about him then.

Thaksin is a truly rotten individual by any students, I personally believe that destroying his credibility and his platforms to run the country by proxy again as a good thing. Mistakes have been made and lessons should be learned from that, the lesson being "never let it happen again in the future"

[expat888]

They never pass on a chance to be petty.

[jaidam]

They never pass on a chance to be petty.

Only the junta is petty. When Thaksin tried to take away Abhisits cub scouts achievement badges, and retroactively fired him from his scout brigade after 40 years, that was not petty at all.

[lujanit]

Forget Thaksin at your peril!

[rhythmworx]

Scooby dooby doo where are you?

I'm going for a poo.

[ezzra]

Tell that to his throngs of followers with their hands starched out for fistful of baht, those people

see him as a demi-god, a savior and as a PM who's in his hay days business was good, very good...

there will always be a hard core followers who still enjoys his money, however, once there will be

no more money, so will be most if not all, his flowers will disappear...

[colinneil]

Why does the government keep bringing up all these comments about Thaksin?

If the powers that be had half a brain they would keep quiet about him.

Thaksin Thaksin !! shut up you fools, you only bring him into peoples lives, shut up, he loves you mentioning him, bringing his name into the limelight.

[Halion]

Sooner or later the lampoon politics of this country are going to have to understand that they key ingredient missing from the current culture is accountability. There can be no democracy without accountability and accountability requires audit and enforcement of law in order to be sustained and free from abuse.

Zero tolerance needs to be done and seen to be done so that both the criminals and the lemmings can see that the current administration is serious about this issue. Hanging Thaksin out to dry is as good a starting point as any. Public disgrace may help to force him back into the shadows where he truly belongs. Currently he is acting as a catalyst of descent and can and frequently does maintain that he has done nothing wrong as no action of any bloody significance has been taken against him by this blatantly nepotistic and narcissistic administration .

[Your Thainess]

Abhisit's cub scout badges

But seriously, isn't it obvious the Privy Council was one of the main driving forces behind the coup? Has anyone even denied it? How is that even remotely offensive to anyone (besides people with common sense, of course)? Do they expect people to seriously believe that Prayuth just decided to do it all on his own, spur of the moment?

[Tatsujin]

"Thaksin's comments should not have been ignored, to be sure, but the junta's response should have been more measured and less aggressive."

Well, Thaksin chose to break the under the table deal that was made where he had agreed to keep a little more quiet in exchange for no one (seriously) going after him or his top followers (sheep).

"If the junta is sincere in its efforts for reconciliation, then it should lead by example; after all, two wrongs do not make a right."

No, here in Thailand, two wrongs make you even more right than before.

[lildragon]

They empower Thaksin by being delicate little flowers and reacting to him. They are putting money in his mortal meter and showing they fear him. Which is exactly what that egomaniac wants.

A bunch of immature children playing power games at the elite level of this country. And it's the normal Thais that suffer for it.

[JAG]

They never pass on a chance to be petty.

Only the junta is petty. When Thaksin tried to take away Abhisits cub scouts achievement badges, and retroactively fired him from his scout brigade after 40 years, that was not petty at all.

Some might say that trotting this titbit out is a little bit petty but never mind!

It certainly scrapes the barrel as far as arguments for government action against the Shinawatra family goes:)

[JAG]

Just out of curiosity, was anyone from the present regime invited to the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul?

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

If we forget our past we are doomed to repeat it!! He needs to be dealt with at long last.

It would be nice to see this sociopath finally get what is coming to him. He has caused too much death and sorrow to be allowed to run free. He deserves to be charged with crimes against humanity for his extra-judicial killings of thousands during his war and drugs....plus plus plus.

[Strangebrew]

A simple solution to the whole issue of TS is to fix his wagon, I would send a covert team to plant weapons and drugs on him and to finish it off I would have let it be known his place was going to be raided thus Him being who he is will do The TS shuffle and do a runner straight to airport at which time Customs discovers the weapons and drugs He gets busted sent to jail and no bail and if right country ends up dead at there hands not Thai hands case closed.

[heybruce]

"What the country needs is for everyone to move away from Thaksin and not look back."

The economy is the worst performing in SE Asia, the draft charter is an undemocratic travesty, the election date keeps receding, and plans to extend the Prayuth Progaganda Program by 15 minutes don't seem to impress anyone. Better call out the boogeyman as a distraction.

[quandow]

"These are far more important issues than the pettiness of two rival political camps."

Pettiness is what politics is all about.

[JAG]

A simple solution to the whole issue of TS is to fix his wagon, I would send a covert team to plant weapons and drugs on him and to finish it off I would have let it be known his place was going to be raided thus Him being who he is will do The TS shuffle and do a runner straight to airport at which time Customs discovers the weapons and drugs He gets busted sent to jail and no bail and if right country ends up dead at there hands not Thai hands case closed.

Tell me, do you moonlight as Tom Clancys ghost writer?

[Yunla]

He did launch a flurry of media statements and speeches in the immediate run-up to his sister's trial, which I took as a clumsy attempt to let everyone know that he cares about his family, and by extension the whole concept of Family with a big f. And also to say the he was standing by her, and in no way did he throw her to the wolves.

Sadly, it seems to have backfired, because his speeches coinciding with his sister's trial were not proofread by his legal minions and crossed several lines, cue backlash. I don't really see it as public or government obsession with him any more, it is just that he made himself extra visible when Yingluck's trial was nearing, and he went too far in his statements. I'm glad to see him being taken to task for those statements, and I don't see it as any less important than any other diplomatic wool-spinning.

[JohnnyJazz]

A simple solution to the whole issue of TS is to fix his wagon, I would send a covert team to plant weapons and drugs on him and to finish it off I would have let it be known his place was going to be raided thus Him being who he is will do The TS shuffle and do a runner straight to airport at which time Customs discovers the weapons and drugs He gets busted sent to jail and no bail and if right country ends up dead at there hands not Thai hands case closed.

Absolutely brilliant !

And who do you have in mind for such an operation , the A-team or the Expendable ?

Edited June 2, 2015 by JohnnyJazz

[sweatalot]

The junta is all about 'leading by example' ... use authoritarian control for revenge, not reconciliation.

persecuting a convicted criminal is revenge? I thought it is the duty of a good government

[sweatalot]

Don't forget T.

First he will not allow this by opening his mouth again and again

second: should a criminal be forgot before he is in prison?

I wouldn't mind not hearing about him until to learn in the not too far future that he is in prison.

T. always opening his populistic mouth and using his payed cronmies and SS is the one who makes it difficult to deal with more important issues

Edited June 2, 2015 by sweatalot

[sweatalot]

They never pass on a chance to be petty.

Only the junta is petty. When Thaksin tried to take away Abhisits cub scouts achievement badges, and retroactively fired him from his scout brigade after 40 years, that was not petty at all.

Really true?

I believe T. is petty and evil - but this?

[scorecard]

Tell that to his throngs of followers with their hands starched out for fistful of baht, those people

see him as a demi-god, a savior and as a PM who's in his hay days business was good, very good...

there will always be a hard core followers who still enjoys his money, however, once there will be

no more money, so will be most if not all, his flowers will disappear...

Plus there is no doubt indoctrination, with lies and untruths, is still rampant.

The udd red leaders doing this are well organized and know how and where to find groups of Thais who are unaware and will listen.

Anybody who thinks the paymaster is not behind all of this is very naïve.

More importantly this all poses a serious threat to reforms and taking Thailand forward with new thinking and new principles and even much more important move forward with new politicians who are not connected to the old parties and their thinking.

[sweatalot]

Abhisit's cub scout badges

But seriously, isn't it obvious the Privy Council was one of the main driving forces behind the coup? Has anyone even denied it? How is that even remotely offensive to anyone (besides people with common sense, of course)? Do they expect people to seriously believe that Prayuth just decided to do it all on his own, spur of the moment?

I don't care if he decided to do "it all " on his own. (btw: why not on his own? any sources?)

But I agree with that he is doing this

Edited June 2, 2015 by sweatalot

[rixalex]

Abhisit's cub scout badges

But seriously, isn't it obvious the Privy Council was one of the main driving forces behind the coup? Has anyone even denied it? How is that even remotely offensive to anyone (besides people with common sense, of course)? Do they expect people to seriously believe that Prayuth just decided to do it all on his own, spur of the moment?

Thaksin's comment wasn't referring to the coup that Prayuth presided over.

[sweatalot]

Just out of curiosity, was anyone from the present regime invited to the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul?

Just out of curiosity.

Did anybody read yesterday that Putin has 400 paid trolls

sitting in a big house shoulder to shoulder at their computers

and having to produce 160 posts each every shift?

Edited June 2, 2015 by sweatalot

[Eric Loh]

Not forget Thaksin but forget it. Just how many times in the past have the incumbent governments tried to bring him to justice, stripped him of his rank and royal decorations and pinned him with LM charges. They have tried them and done all that since the 2006 coups without success or will. Always lots of noises from the usual characters but when come to doing it, chickened out. None have the guts to do that and face world condemnation. The onus is for the accused to deny the statement. Did they?