New assembly Act alone cannot prevent protests, a prominent red shirt says

[webfact]

PUBLIC GATHERING
New assembly Act alone cannot prevent protests
Jakkrawan Salaytoo
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- While the newly introduced Public Assembly Act was understandable, it might not prevent demonstrations from spilling out of control in the future, said a prominent red shirt said yesterday.

"Assembly is a way for people in a democratic country to air their grievances. When they feel they don't have any negotiating power, they will gather at strategic locations," Sombat Boonngamanong, widely known as Bor Kor Laijud, said at a seminar yesterday.

"They want parties in the conflict to come and negotiate. But the government doesn't seem to understand this point much."

Sombat, a leader of the Red Sunday Group, has joined and led many rallies before.

He spoke at the seminar entitled "Public Assembly Act: Is it About Legitimate Rights or Restrictions?" at Thammasat University's Rangsit Campus. The new law came into effect in August.

Sombat said he understood that the Act was introduced in response to a number of big demonstrations rocking Thailand during the past decade, some of which caused massive economic damage.

"I know this law is not about increasing state power," said the anti-coup activist. Sombat said the new law might not be the solution for as long as the government did not understand the needs of demonstrators.

But Central Police Training Division chief Maj-General Sornkrit Kaewpleuk said the Act aimed to ensure the safety of demonstrators.

"Officials from various agencies including the police force will receive proper training before being dispatched to rally sites," he said at the seminar.

He said officials would be patient and had the necessary skills to deal with demonstrators.

He said the Act did not require people to seek permission to organise a rally but it prescribed restrictions with regard to the place and time of protests and the use of loud speakers.

The organisers of rallies should send a fax or an email to the police stations in the areas where they planned to rally, he said.

"This way, police will help you check if the planned rally is legal and what forms of cooperation police would like to ask from you," he said.

"Police will respond within 24 hours. If there is no response, you can go ahead with the planned rally."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/New-assembly-Act-alone-cannot-prevent-protests-30272360.html

-- The Nation 2015-11-06

[Tatsujin]

"Police will respond within 24 hours. If there is no response, you can go ahead with the planned rally."

That's gonna come back to bite someone in the ass ...

[zaphod reborn]

As long as the redshirts promote violence, street protests will "spill out of control." Focus on controlling your leaders and supporters K. Sombat, not a Constitution which your party rips to shreds every time it comes to power.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

a lead pill for Taksin would be the only way to stop the Red shirt scourge

[smutcakes]

As long as the redshirts promote violence, street protests will "spill out of control." Focus on controlling your leaders and supporters K. Sombat, not a Constitution which your party rips to shreds every time it comes to power.

Which part of any Constitution have they 'ripped to shreds'?

I think you will find that the Constitution is amended by nearly every Government as per how the system is designed. The only people who rip it to shreds is the military. 17 times and counting.

[arfurcrown]

Certainly an interesting ''veiled threat'' if in fact not a promise from the somewhat I wish to inflict my families political and corrupt practices allied to our ultimate dynastic power ideals upon you coterie of leaders and followers and assorted accomplices.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

As long as the redshirts promote violence, street protests will "spill out of control." Focus on controlling your leaders and supporters K. Sombat, not a Constitution which your party rips to shreds every time it comes to power.

Which part of any Constitution have they 'ripped to shreds'?

I think you will find that the Constitution is amended by nearly every Government as per how the system is designed. The only people who rip it to shreds is the military. 17 times and counting.

How about calling in the riot squad to remove the opposition party from parliament so that you can push through an amnesty bill to nullify 25,000 cases of political corruption and bring back a convicted fugitive to Thailand?

Do you consider that constitutional?

[tbthailand]

As long as the redshirts promote violence, street protests will "spill out of control." Focus on controlling your leaders and supporters K. Sombat, not a Constitution which your party rips to shreds every time it comes to power.

Which part of any Constitution have they 'ripped to shreds'?

I think you will find that the Constitution is amended by nearly every Government as per how the system is designed. The only people who rip it to shreds is the military. 17 times and counting.

How about calling in the riot squad to remove the opposition party from parliament so that you can push through an amnesty bill to nullify 25,000 cases of political corruption and bring back a convicted fugitive to Thailand?

Do you consider that constitutional?

got a link to that one?

[phoenixdoglover]

As long as the redshirts promote violence, street protests will "spill out of control." Focus on controlling your leaders and supporters K. Sombat, not a Constitution which your party rips to shreds every time it comes to power.

Which part of any Constitution have they 'ripped to shreds'?

I think you will find that the Constitution is amended by nearly every Government as per how the system is designed. The only people who rip it to shreds is the military. 17 times and counting.

How about calling in the riot squad to remove the opposition party from parliament so that you can push through an amnesty bill to nullify 25,000 cases of political corruption and bring back a convicted fugitive to Thailand?

Do you consider that constitutional?

got a link to that one?

I wondered about that as well.

Numerous online sources are available. Here are some typical descriptions:

"The House of Representatives voted 310-0 early on Friday to pass a draft of the amnesty bill after 19 hours of heated debate during which lawmakers opposed to it walked out."

"Lawmakers voted 310-0 in the early hours of the morning to pass the legislation, with four abstentions, according to a parliamentary official.

Government whip Amnuay Khangpha said the opposition Democrat Party -- which opposes the amnesty -- refused to take part in the vote, which came after about 19 hours of heated debate."

"Thai MPs, together with MPs of sympathetic minor parties, hold a 300-member majority vote, and the amnesty legislation was passed by a 310-0 vote when opposition Democratic Party members and others walked out in protest."

I was unable to find any news source describing a "riot squad" or any other action to clear out the opposition.

In fact, it was widely reported the opposition purposely boycotted the vote, and 4 Parliament members of the opposition actually resigned before the vote to help organize and lead opposition street protests.

[bangrak]

"Police will respond within 24 hours. If there is no response, you can go ahead with the planned rally."

That's gonna come back to bite someone in the ass ...

Indeed, as IMHO it should have been the exact opposite: no response = negative response = no rally!

And the organisers should first submit a preliminary report stating all details of the planned rally, and meet about it with the authorities: police, city, supervised by interior min. official: motto of the rally, involved groups, individuals in charge of organisation, security, first help, hygiene, ..., number of expected participants, number and list of security people inside the rally, start- and end-point, (fixed!) itinerary, start- and end-time (max. from morning till late afternoon of one and the same day!), ...organisation(s) and representative individuals(!) RESPONSIBLE(!) for any and all damage caused occuring during and 'around' the rally or a direct consequence of it, etc.

Well, a bit like it happens in some of the better, truly, democratic countries...

[khunken]

Which part of any Constitution have they 'ripped to shreds'?

I think you will find that the Constitution is amended by nearly every Government as per how the system is designed. The only people who rip it to shreds is the military. 17 times and counting.

How about calling in the riot squad to remove the opposition party from parliament so that you can push through an amnesty bill to nullify 25,000 cases of political corruption and bring back a convicted fugitive to Thailand?

Do you consider that constitutional?

got a link to that one?

I wondered about that as well.

Numerous online sources are available. Here are some typical descriptions:

"The House of Representatives voted 310-0 early on Friday to pass a draft of the amnesty bill after 19 hours of heated debate during which lawmakers opposed to it walked out."

"Lawmakers voted 310-0 in the early hours of the morning to pass the legislation, with four abstentions, according to a parliamentary official.

Government whip Amnuay Khangpha said the opposition Democrat Party -- which opposes the amnesty -- refused to take part in the vote, which came after about 19 hours of heated debate."

"Thai MPs, together with MPs of sympathetic minor parties, hold a 300-member majority vote, and the amnesty legislation was passed by a 310-0 vote when opposition Democratic Party members and others walked out in protest."

I was unable to find any news source describing a "riot squad" or any other action to clear out the opposition.

In fact, it was widely reported the opposition purposely boycotted the vote, and 4 Parliament members of the opposition actually resigned before the vote to help organize and lead opposition street protests.

Poor effort to find what you really didn't want to find.

The amnesty bill went through many phases, starting with amnesty only for those protestors who did nothing more than protest. It became clear over time that that was a smokescreen for the real amnesty bill - give the self-exiled crook an amnesty for all the court cases waiting for him to appear.

The incident where the police were called in to remove members of the opposition was on an earlier vote around August 2013. Here's one version:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662145-thai-opposition-mps-in-parliament-brawl-with-police/

[Thai at Heart]

When they feel they have no negotiating power they will gather at strategic locations?

Isn't this what a parliament is for. To represent the wishes of the people? The yellows protest the reds and reds protest the yellows. Seems everyone more or less knows their positions and the govt don't have to listen that is what a ballot box is for.

[yardrunner]

As long as the redshirts promote violence, street protests will "spill out of control." Focus on controlling your leaders and supporters K. Sombat, not a Constitution which your party rips to shreds every time it comes to power.

As long as any political party promotes violence, street protests will "spill out of control." All parties should focus on controlling their supporters , not a Constitution which any party rips to shreds when it comes to power

[Mudcrab]

Sombat need to learn to be a leader of people, not a rabblerouser.

They way forwards is through negotiation by elected leaders, not by encouraging mob protests.

[phoenixdoglover]

...I wondered about that as well.

Which part of any Constitution have they 'ripped to shreds'?

I think you will find that the Constitution is amended by nearly every Government as per how the system is designed. The only people who rip it to shreds is the military. 17 times and counting.

How about calling in the riot squad to remove the opposition party from parliament so that you can push through an amnesty bill to nullify 25,000 cases of political corruption and bring back a convicted fugitive to Thailand?

Do you consider that constitutional?

got a link to that one?

Numerous online sources are available. Here are some typical descriptions:

"The House of Representatives voted 310-0 early on Friday to pass a draft of the amnesty bill after 19 hours of heated debate during which lawmakers opposed to it walked out."

"Lawmakers voted 310-0 in the early hours of the morning to pass the legislation, with four abstentions, according to a parliamentary official.

Government whip Amnuay Khangpha said the opposition Democrat Party -- which opposes the amnesty -- refused to take part in the vote, which came after about 19 hours of heated debate."

"Thai MPs, together with MPs of sympathetic minor parties, hold a 300-member majority vote, and the amnesty legislation was passed by a 310-0 vote when opposition Democratic Party members and others walked out in protest."

I was unable to find any news source describing a "riot squad" or any other action to clear out the opposition.

In fact, it was widely reported the opposition purposely boycotted the vote, and 4 Parliament members of the opposition actually resigned before the vote to help organize and lead opposition street protests.

Poor effort to find what you really didn't want to find.

The amnesty bill went through many phases, starting with amnesty only for those protestors who did nothing more than protest. It became clear over time that that was a smokescreen for the real amnesty bill - give the self-exiled crook an amnesty for all the court cases waiting for him to appear.

The incident where the police were called in to remove members of the opposition was on an earlier vote around August 2013. Here's one version:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662145-thai-opposition-mps-in-parliament-brawl-with-police/

And it's too bad you didn't read that item carefully. This incident was not about the amnesty. It was about the proposed change to make the Senate fully elected. The incident related by EJ is false.

"Thailand's parliament briefly descended into chaos Tuesday as opposition lawmakers brawled with police during a debate on controversial proposals to amend the constitution."

[Thai at Heart]

Problem is, it has been proven that sustained public protest has the power to bring down a govt. Why wouldn't u protest if that is the outcome?

[FangFerang]

The law allows Bangkok residents to protest, wave their flags, and go home each day, and makes it strategically impossible for people from outlying areas to protest in the capitol.

They are stacking the deck one card at a time, and think the sack of gunpowder they are sitting on is rice.

The riots in Phuket, sadly, are a taste of things to come unless balance is achieved -- being neither rule-by-mob, nor rule by the elite, nor politics of the gun.

I have great hope for Thailand. Like all people everywhere, they learn when they have to learn, and not one moment sooner. Even in the West, we pat ourselves on the back and march to whatever drum our team is beating...and that will change because it has to, not because anyone just wants it to change.