PM Prayut: 'Citizen-State' policy is not 'Populist'

[webfact]

PM: 'Citizen-State' policy is not 'Populist'



BANGKOK, 21 September 2015 (NNT) - Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the government’s citizen-state policy was not a kind of populist policy but was a means of cooperation between the government and the people.

He explained that the newly launched policy emphasized on empowering the people to drive the country forward by themselves for the sake of public interest and social equality.

Such a policy would strengthen Thailand by making people of all levels have happiness and satisfaction with what they are and currently have. When the people are strong, he said, the country will be immunized from global changes and will not allow external pressure to threaten their country.

The Prime Minister also said that the government must support the people to be knowledgeable and ethical while the country’s administrators must have good governance. To him, honesty is a crucial thing and corrupt people must be prosecuted.

He stressed that the government has attempted to establish social equality. He has an intention to set up a fund to purchase mortgaged land from indebted people in order to help relieve their debts.


-- NNT 2015-09-21

[KarenBravo]

"He has an intention to set up a fund to purchase mortgaged land from indebted people in order to help relieve their debts".

In other words Son of Rice Buying Scheme............

[webfact]

PM stresses need for elected govt but rejects populism
The Nation

Prayut and Somkid refute claims that their policies mirror Thaksin's populist agenda

A Democratic society needs an elected government and good governance, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the man who led the coup last year that toppled an elected civilian government.

"We have to look at what happened in the past," Prayut told an economic forum at Muang Thong Thani, "so we can develop full, conflict-free democracy and move the country forward."

Prayut has always maintained that the military coup in May last year was intended to end a political squabble between political groups and begin reforms to pave the way for democracy and reconciliation.

While many observers inside and outside the country have called for elections soon to restore democracy, the rejection of the draft constitution last month effectively delayed the election.

The country is already democratic, Prayut insisted, so there is no need to rush.

"[You] should rather think of how to make the country peaceful and secure," Prayut suggested. "I wish to build strength and democracy in this country, so [you] should spare me some time."

Speaking about his fight against corruption, the premier said has ordered the setting up of a legal mechanism to cope with corrupt individuals, whether offering bribes or receiving them.

"If nobody offers bribes then nobody can receive them," Prayut explained, "so they also need to be prosecuted.

"Our national anthem clearly states that Thailand is a nation state (Pra Cha Rat) not populist (Pra Cha Ni Yom)," he said, in an apparent attempt to defend his economic policy, which has been widely criticised for its similarities to the populist agenda of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

'Communities must be strengthened'

Prayut said local communities must be strengthened, especially in terms of agriculture. Crop rotation practices must be adopted, together with market support from the government, he said.

"We have to move the country forward by starting with local communities, so we can create security, prosperity and sustainability to the country," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak defended his economic policy of strengthening the grassroots economy. He refuted criticism from an analyst that the policy would not help boost the country's GDP (growth domestic product).

Speaking at the same forum as Prayut, he said: "The analyst said this policy will not help improve the economy but investment in the country's basic infrastructure will help prop up GDP. You reporters please tell the analyst to do more homework to acquire more knowledge about the conditions of Thai society.''

The seminar, entitled "Strategies for the public and private sector teaming up to boost grassroots economy'', was aimed at getting concerned agencies to think of ways to get the country out of a black hole in six aspects: politics, economics, social, environment, morality and human development.

Somkid said neither he nor Prayut had much time to work and they had never considered furthering their own political paths.

"Please trust me that if I still have the energy, I will help bring about the development of grassroots economy, without any thought of my own political future. I can envision my future and I see myself happily playing with my grandchildren in a united and peaceful society,'' he said.

Dr Prawase Wasi, chairman of the Right Livelihood Foundation, said no single agency could achieve the goals of the seminar.

"We need co-operation from the state, the private [sector] and the people to achieve the objectives, which we call "triangle moves the country forward".

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PM-stresses-need-for-elected-govt-but-rejects-popu-30269208.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-21

[NongKhaiKid]

It would be a populist policy if he was describing any government other than his own.

[BigBadGeordie]

Prayut said "Crop rotation practices must be adopted.

Please to see he is on the ball there with the development of agricultural methods!

. By 1800, many European farmers had adopted a four-year rotation cycle developed in Holland and introduced in Great Britain by Viscount Charles "Turnip" Townshend in the mid-1700s. The four-field system rotated wheat, barley, a root crop like turnips, and a nitrogen-fixing crop like clover. Livestock grazed directly on the clover, and consumed the root crop in the field. In the new system, fields were always planted with either food or feed, increasing both grain yields and livestock productivity.

Read more: Crop Rotation - History - Farmers, Fallow, System, and Plot - JRank Articles http://science.jrank.org/pages/1870/Crop-Rotation-History.html#ixzz3mKF4iGW3

Yet the government continues to develop crop zones, for sugar cane as an example, promoting monoculture acrross whole provinves.

Edited September 20, 2015 by BigBadGeordie

[bruceybonus]

Prayut said "Crop rotation practices must be adopted.

Please to see he is on the ball there with the development of agricultural methods!

. By 1800, many European farmers had adopted a four-year rotation cycle developed in Holland and introduced in Great Britain by Viscount Charles "Turnip" Townshend in the mid-1700s. The four-field system rotated wheat, barley, a root crop like turnips, and a nitrogen-fixing crop like clover. Livestock grazed directly on the clover, and consumed the root crop in the field. In the new system, fields were always planted with either food or feed, increasing both grain yields and livestock productivity.

Read more: Crop Rotation - History - Farmers, Fallow, System, and Plot - JRank Articles http://science.jrank.org/pages/1870/Crop-Rotation-History.html#ixzz3mKF4iGW3

Yet the government continues to develop crop zones, for sugar cane as an example, promoting monoculture acrross whole provinves.

He's probably been talking to Jethro Tull via one of his "fortune tellers"

[canuckamuck]

Who gets the land?

[robblok]

Who gets the land?

Good question.. real good one. I hope the poor people can still use it while its held by the state.. but this being Thailand I wont hold my breath.

[cockatoowho]

In a nutshell, what's mine is mine and what is yours will become mine.

[Toscano]

A Nice Red Shirt !!! There is a difference between the people cooperating with the government and the government cooperating with the people .

To have the people driving the country forward , means direct Democratic representation in government , " Government of the people by the people for the people ".

That is a far cry from cooperation with an unelected government that is not a representation of the people . The practice of democracy isn't necessarily populist , but it does require the majority of the country to support it . The people of a country have to decide for themselves what gives them happiness and satisfaction .

[waldroj]

"...making people of all levels have happiness and satisfaction with what they are and currently have"

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed.

[Jimbo2014]

Hopefully some of it gets cleaned up and turned into park land. However there are 100 and 1 schemes to profit from this. For example its very common to do what we call the Bondie scheme here. Purchase land from a friend at (on paper) very high prices, take out a massive loan, purchase more land debt free which you give you your kids or other trusted confidant - and then declare bankruptcy when the banks come a callin'. In past years bank officers have also been in on the scheme. Now the beloved general offers a simpler solution for close bankrupt friends and colleagues. Have the state buy the debt. If this all sounds crazy, then you havnt lived in Thailand long enough.

Side note for humor: "The country will be immunized from global changes and will not allow external pressure to threaten their country." Ah yes - progressive globalized policies. Long live protectionism and bring back the horseshoers and carriage makers.

[RickBradford]

"Teach your child how government works -- snatch their candy away from them and tell them to <deleted> off."

[Laughing Gravy]

The country is already democratic so no need to rush (an election).

Which dictionary did he look that term up in. It must have been a Burmese or North Korean one.

The idea that Thailand is not ready for democracy is ludicrous. What should be said is the ruling elite will not allow a democracy to be in power unless it is their democratic party leading it.

[Mot Dang]

It seems to me that indirectly Mr.P is asking citizens to dob in corrupt officials, business leaders etc. Thais just wont do that, for two reasons. (1) they don't want to get involved. And (2) it is more easily explained through the results of a readers poll from about 3 years ago in the Bangkok Post or Nation. The question was something like, do you believe corruption is acceptable ? I was astounded when 70% of the fairly large sample, came back and said yes it was acceptable. But only when, they as an individual, benefited from the outcome. That I believe is, unfortunately, getting somewhere near a national psych.

Mr.P, being able to conquer ingrained corruption in this country has to come from your end. Don't chicken out.

[waldroj]

"We have to look at what happened in the past…"

True, but it seems that the collective memory of this nation is somewhat lacking when it comes to remembering the past.

People seem to forget that, since 1932, Thailand has had 25 general elections and 19 coups d'état (12 of them successful). Unfortunately, as Spanish philosopher George Santayana observed, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".

Maybe the experience of democracy has been all too fleeting for the memory to remain?

The vicious circle is set to continue.

[JAG]

Prayut said "Crop rotation practices must be adopted.

Please to see he is on the ball there with the development of agricultural methods!

. By 1800, many European farmers had adopted a four-year rotation cycle developed in Holland and introduced in Great Britain by Viscount Charles "Turnip" Townshend in the mid-1700s. The four-field system rotated wheat, barley, a root crop like turnips, and a nitrogen-fixing crop like clover. Livestock grazed directly on the clover, and consumed the root crop in the field. In the new system, fields were always planted with either food or feed, increasing both grain yields and livestock productivity.

Read more: Crop Rotation - History - Farmers, Fallow, System, and Plot - JRank Articles http://science.jrank.org/pages/1870/Crop-Rotation-History.html#ixzz3mKF4iGW3

Yet the government continues to develop crop zones, for sugar cane as an example, promoting monoculture acrross whole provinves.

Khun Townsend is falang, no understand Thailand.

[Eric Loh]

A people state he said. Meanwhile he approved Special Prospecting Licenses for 12 provinces to boost gold mining disregarding people's cry of health risk. Deeds not words, Sir.

[oneday]

Sounds like vapor-ware...words...nothing but words.

[maidee]

start making some points where ordinary people can address corruption, police extra curriculum jobs like protection money , etc...

[tonbridgebrit]

It would be a populist policy if he was describing any government other than his own.

I don't think people care that much about it being a populist policy from Thaksin or from the General. As long as the populist policy is carried out, well, that's the important thing. Populist policies are, after all, popular.

[elgordo38]

A people state he said. Meanwhile he approved Special Prospecting Licenses for 12 provinces to boost gold mining disregarding people's cry of health risk. Deeds not words, Sir.

Greed will trump the common folks welfare every time.

[phoenixdoglover]

1. Why does the article reporting the Prime Minister's speech seem incoherent and rambling?

a. The Nation news reporting scrambles the order of thoughts to give the impression of incoherence.

b. The Prime Minister actually delivered a speech that was incoherent.

c. Both a. and b.

Remember, vote early, and vote often.

Edited September 21, 2015 by phoenixdoglover

[dageurreotype]

Who gets the land?

Together with the mineral rights. Junta happily throwing mining concessions, with let nor hinder from environmental groups, to ... itself. And people continually citing the RTP only for rank corruption. The Military positively dwarfs them in ill gotten gains. They have the bigger guns, after all.

[AGareth2]

Who is the new economy guru?

[waldroj]

It would be a populist policy if he was describing any government other than his own.

I don't think people care that much about it being a populist policy from Thaksin or from the General. As long as the populist policy is carried out, well, that's the important thing. Populist policies are, after all, popular.

The little general may actually be right this time.

Populist policies are merely rhetoric designed to get someone into government (or, keep to them there once they get in) by empathising with the common man.

For Thailand today, the reality is, no matter what he says about universal happiness, it's now 16 months since the military coup and there is little to show for it except that the country is just as divided as ever, and most Thai's are arguable worse off.

Appealing to the masses (argumentum ad populum) is not going to work unless people can actually see that real reform is taking place, with tangible benefits for them.

So, as he said, his policies are not 'Populist'. In fact, I would suggest they're more like 'Un-Populist'!

[MaxLee]

PM: 'Citizen-State' policy is not 'Populist'

Yep, it's called absolute brainwashing aka "Put up, shut up or pay for your nasty nasty UNPeace opinion."

Explain that UNPeace policy to the UN in the UNmeeting and everybody will be overwhelmed...

[taiwanatoa]

PM stresses need for elected govt but rejects populism

The Nation

Prayut and Somkid refute claims that their policies mirror Thaksin's populist agenda

A Democratic society needs an elected government and good governance, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the man who led the coup last year that toppled an elected civilian government.

"We have to look at what happened in the past," Prayut told an economic forum at Muang Thong Thani, "so we can develop full, conflict-free democracy and move the country forward."

Prayut has always maintained that the military coup in May last year was intended to end a political squabble between political groups and begin reforms to pave the way for democracy and reconciliation.

While many observers inside and outside the country have called for elections soon to restore democracy, the rejection of the draft constitution last month effectively delayed the election.

The country is already democratic, Prayut insisted, so there is no need to rush.

"[You] should rather think of how to make the country peaceful and secure," Prayut suggested. "I wish to build strength and democracy in this country, so [you] should spare me some time."

Speaking about his fight against corruption, the premier said has ordered the setting up of a legal mechanism to cope with corrupt individuals, whether offering bribes or receiving them.

"If nobody offers bribes then nobody can receive them," Prayut explained, "so they also need to be prosecuted.

"Our national anthem clearly states that Thailand is a nation state (Pra Cha Rat) not populist (Pra Cha Ni Yom)," he said, in an apparent attempt to defend his economic policy, which has been widely criticised for its similarities to the populist agenda of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

'Communities must be strengthened'

Prayut said local communities must be strengthened, especially in terms of agriculture. Crop rotation practices must be adopted, together with market support from the government, he said.

"We have to move the country forward by starting with local communities, so we can create security, prosperity and sustainability to the country," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak defended his economic policy of strengthening the grassroots economy. He refuted criticism from an analyst that the policy would not help boost the country's GDP (growth domestic product).

Speaking at the same forum as Prayut, he said: "The analyst said this policy will not help improve the economy but investment in the country's basic infrastructure will help prop up GDP. You reporters please tell the analyst to do more homework to acquire more knowledge about the conditions of Thai society.''

The seminar, entitled "Strategies for the public and private sector teaming up to boost grassroots economy'', was aimed at getting concerned agencies to think of ways to get the country out of a black hole in six aspects: politics, economics, social, environment, morality and human development.

Somkid said neither he nor Prayut had much time to work and they had never considered furthering their own political paths.

"Please trust me that if I still have the energy, I will help bring about the development of grassroots economy, without any thought of my own political future. I can envision my future and I see myself happily playing with my grandchildren in a united and peaceful society,'' he said.

Dr Prawase Wasi, chairman of the Right Livelihood Foundation, said no single agency could achieve the goals of the seminar.

"We need co-operation from the state, the private [sector] and the people to achieve the objectives, which we call "triangle moves the country forward".

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PM-stresses-need-for-elected-govt-but-rejects-popu-30269208.html

-- The Nation 2015-09-21

people will be given two main choices: whether to prolong the life of the Thai junta; or to have an elected government by late 2016, which will be lorded over by a ‘Crisis Panel’, a Thai style ‘Politburo’.

http://prachatai.org/english/category/infographic

[Praematura]

I'm waiting for the pm to do guidance tours on farms and factories like they do in North Korea.