Criticism from EU, UN: Prayut stands firm on jailing of students

[webfact]

IN WAKE OF CRITICISM FROM EU, UN
The law is the law: PM
ANAPAT DEEECHUAY,
KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN
THE NATION



PRAYUT STANDS FIRM ON JAILING OF STUDENTS IN WAKE OF CRITICISM FROM EU, UN

BANGKOK: -- PRIME Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha stood firm in the face of growing condemnation from the European Union (EU) delegation in Bangkok and the regional United Nations (UN) rights body of the detention of 14 anti-coup students.

"The law is the law…" Prayut said, referring to the students who were arrested on Friday for allegedly committing sedition and disobeying the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)'s ban on political gatherings of five or more people.

"If there is a law and it's applied against one but not applied against others, will more people come out [to the street to protests]?" Prayut asked.

Thailand is Thailand, the premier said, adding that the students should understand the conditions Thailand is under today. He insisted that many more students welcome him wherever he visits.

The EU delegation to Bangkok issued a statement yesterday urging Thailand to consider its international human rights obligations.

"The EU believes in the right of all to express peacefully their opinions and calls upon the Thai authorities to abide by Thailand's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and fundamental freedoms must be upheld, and military courts should not be used to try civilians."

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Southeast Asia also issued a statement urging the government to promptly drop criminal charges against the students and review laws that limit freedom of expression and freedom of assembly to be in line with its obligations under international human rights law.

Academics from leading universities representing the "network of concerned lecturers" protested in front of the Bangkok Remand Prison yesterday.

They read a statement demanding the immediate release of all the students arrested. "As teachers who are conscious of our duties to students and society, we see that the detention of the 14 students for violating the coup leader's orders is illegitimate. The coup lacks legitimacy in the first place. Hence, we demand that [the authorities] release them immediately without any condition and there should not be any charge pressed against them in relation to the movement," said the statement.

The group added that students rallying for democracy is part of a learning |process that is not limited to in-class activities.

"These students are not neglecting their duty as accused," the statement continued. The group's representatives said they would continue to promote the learning process of democracy outside the classroom using different methods until Thai society become truly democratized.

Anuson Unno, an anthropologist from Thammasat University, said the network would set up a "Public Classroom" featuring the five principles - democracy, human rights, people's participation, justice and non-violence - promoted by the Neo Democracy Movement (NDM), of which the 14 detainees are members.

The group gathered 280 signatures of like-minded lecturers, such as Thammasat political scientists Prajak Kongkirati and Pongkwan Sawasdipak, who showed up at the prison.

They said at least ten lecturers would visit the detained students at the remand prison every day to provide them with moral support. Ausorn said he had talked to the detainees about what the lecturers were doing and he saw smiles lighting up their faces.

"I told them about the statement and the activities we're going to do. I told them about how we had 280 lecturers across the country endorsing the statement in one day," he said.

"They had sparkles in their eyes. They said, 'That's a lot'."

In a related development, Thai students in the US state of Wisconsin launched a Facebook campaign with #FreeThai14 hashtag to show their solidarity with the students.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/The-law-is-the-law-PM-30263485.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-01

[Bernard Flint]

The new North Korea/China but without power, laughable realy.The daily mail is still blocked, why is the man so scared

[Songhua]

"the premier said..... the students should understand the conditions Thailand is under today"

They apparently do understand it - that's why they're protesting.

[aussieinthailand]

International human rights law, Thailand is a signatory of such law and refuses it's obligations under that law

So why not remove them from the list of counties that are signatory's?

So consumed by "the law is the law" and yet actively break international law by having civilians tried in a military court when a civil court in active.

There is only one thing that make any kind of difference to Thai people that can influence change in behavior, MONEY...

[Mango Bob]

when was this law passed by a parliament and PM elected by the people?

[toybits]

Coming from a person who tears up the constitution.... Such a disconnect there really.

[tbthailand]

"The law is the law…" Prayut said,

how glib of the "PM", although he fails to acknowledge that it is his law from the interim constitution which makes his every move legal. is He fails to note that his law violates human rights - whether it is applied selectively or evenly...

Thailand is Thailand, the premier said, adding that the students should understand the conditions Thailand is under today.

yes, Thailand is Thailand, and the conditions that Thailand is under today is not only weeeeeeellllll understood by these students - "the conditions Thailand is under" is precisely what motivated the students in the first place.

But my guess is that the General - despite his seemingly apparent incompetence - is well aware of these facts...

Just a guess...

[daoyai]

George Orwell lives.

[BuckBee]

"the law is the law ..."

Really ! with all the corrupt police, politicians, monks, lottery ticket sellers the only people the amazing Junta can lock up are a few students.

When people were grenade bombing, ilegally blocking roads & harrasing the public not 1 worthy arrest was made :-/

Absolute incompetence & stupidity, but that is just normal for Thailand I suppose !

[lildragon]

Thailand is Thailand the law is the law. What a childish outlook. The sycophants will be in here soon defending this though.

[arthurboy]

If the junta leader and his cronies cannot and will not stand for peaceful public dissent and protest from university students, how is the junta going to manage the referendum on the new constitution etc.?

For one, how will the junta organise public consultations and debate? Will the participants be able to air their views without fear of arrest, readjustment training and so on?

Or will any 'public consultation' simply be a farcical stage managed event with a foregone conclusion.

Not looking good is it, Prayut?

[Kalbo]

"If there is a law and it's applied against one but not applied against others, will more people come out [to the street to protests]?" Prayut asked.

Errrrrrmmm, pssssstt, Herr General, this is one of the major reasons why the reds initially rose to power.

[Tatsujin]

These "upper" people (Government, Military, Politicians etc) all live in their own little fantasy worlds where the law somehow just doesn't apply to them ...

[h90]

The new North Korea/China but without power, laughable realy.The daily mail is still blocked, why is the man so scared

Most blocks and all the system for blocking was made under the Shinawatra governments.

[h90]

"If there is a law and it's applied against one but not applied against others, will more people come out [to the street to protests]?" Prayut asked.

Errrrrrmmm, pssssstt, Herr General, this is one of the major reasons why the reds initially rose to power.

aeh no.....the reds were complete dead since they got the pardons decades ago. Only when Thaksin put in massive amounts of money they got active again. Now with the cut in money they fade away again.

[BestBitterPhuket]

The law is NOT the law in Thailand. Prostitution is illegal and so is riding a bike without helmet is illegal. The majority of the police force is breaking the law. The Ref Bull heir and many of the rich and famous get away with breaking the law all the time. There is hardly any real rule of law in Thailand, just the rule of money and connections.

[BuaBS]

Another post on criticising Thai politics/human rights/economics by outsiders . This time from the EU & UN for a change. Why does the EU stick to solving their own problems.

Prayut is right and should not listen to others meddling in Thai affairs . Like Nuland said f the EU.

[LannaGuy]

the law is NOT the law if it is imposed by an unelected Junta - human rights law also allows freedom of speech

[baboon]

"He insisted that many more students welcome him wherever he visits."

That can be read two ways...

[baboon]

Another post on criticising Thai politics/human rights/economics by outsiders . This time from the EU & UN for a change. Why does the EU stick to solving their own problems.

Prayut is right and should not listen to others meddling in Thai affairs . Like Nuland said f the EU.

So you can't criticise a serial rapist because you once nicked a pencil from the office, then?

[dabhand]

The new North Korea/China but without power, laughable realy.The daily mail is still blocked, why is the man so scared

Ahh, that old chestnut of the Daily Mail blockage. Just a little research on ThaiVisa would show that the blockage is for an unconnected, unmentionable, reason.

But, then, you probably knew that already, didn't you?

[baboon]

The new North Korea/China but without power, laughable realy.The daily mail is still blocked, why is the man so scared

Ahh, that old chestnut of the Daily Mail blockage. Just a little research on ThaiVisa would show that the blockage is for an unconnected, unmentionable, reason.

But, then, you probably knew that already, didn't you?

Do you agree with the blocking of the Daily Mail, crappy newspaper though it may be?

[arrowsdawdle]

The new North Korea/China but without power, laughable realy.The daily mail is still blocked, why is the man so scared

He has no support, only obedience.

[arrowsdawdle]

"He insisted that many more students welcome him wherever he visits."

That can be read two ways...

Probably means that they applaud when he leaves.

[arrowsdawdle]

The new North Korea/China but without power, laughable realy.The daily mail is still blocked, why is the man so scared

Most blocks and all the system for blocking was made under the Shinawatra governments.

Where is your proof or do you make stuff up?

[Baerboxer]

The law is NOT the law in Thailand. Prostitution is illegal and so is riding a bike without helmet is illegal. The majority of the police force is breaking the law. The Ref Bull heir and many of the rich and famous get away with breaking the law all the time. There is hardly any real rule of law in Thailand, just the rule of money and connections.

The law is the law - it's just enforced and applied selectively. There is no consistency in the enforcement, vague laws are applied as the officer, prosecutor of judge thinks fit in each circumstance. There is no principle of case law so each case is individual.

But, the one thing that does seem consistent is the correlation between light sentence/no prosecution and wealth/hiso family connection. Not what you do but who you are.

The comment "the law is the law" has been made numerous times. Plenty of trials and investigations underway to demonstrate how correct that statement is. We shall see.

[joshstiles]

isnt staging and carrying out a coup against the law? what fricking law is he talking about? the law he created or the laws he through out? Cracked!!!

[BuaBS]

Another post on criticising Thai politics/human rights/economics by outsiders . This time from the EU & UN for a change. Why does the EU stick to solving their own problems.

Prayut is right and should not listen to others meddling in Thai affairs . Like Nuland said f the EU.

So you can't criticise a serial rapist because you once nicked a pencil from the office, then?

They didn't nick a pencil , they robbed the pace and set it on fire.

[BuaBS]

The new North Korea/China but without power, laughable realy.The daily mail is still blocked, why is the man so scared

Most blocks and all the system for blocking was made under the Shinawatra governments.

Where is your proof or do you make stuff up?

Interesting enough : by the end of september 2013 ( just in time before the amnestie bill was announced ), blocking of pornsites magically disappeared . Was yingluck trying to get the people hooked on porn so that they wouldn't protest (because they had their hand(s) full , or in Thai case half full) ?

By the time of the "take-over" , blocking came back with a vengeance. And it got only worse from there-on.

[jerojero]

Sure! The law is the law. That's why it's upheld by every police officer within all ranks including top brass. Give me a break!