PM Prayut adamant about academics

[webfact]

PM adamant about academics
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha would not back down on prohibiting academics from expressing political views, saying: "If they don't fear [the] laws, let them [go ahead]."

The remark was made at his weekly press briefing at Government House. It was in response to the case of Chiang Mai-based lecturers being summoned by the police for violating the National Council for Peace and Order's ban on gatherings of more than five people.

The academics held a press conference last month to deliver a statement titled "Universities Are Not Military Camps" to counter criticism that higher-education institutions' teachings were against the government.

Five academics, including Chiang Mai University professors Attachak Sattayanurak and Somchai Preechasilpakul, were called to the police yesterday. They denied the charge and were discharged without bail, but were scheduled to appear in court later, a policeman said.

Prayut said they were the old faces. Military men had been sent to "talk" to them and "ask" for cooperation to give lectures that conformed to the law, he said.

The PM implied that their speeches and statements were against the law.

"Are they teaching students to be good? No. Are they teaching students to obey the laws?" Prayut asked.

Also, he said unlimited freedom of speech led to conflict. They should spread the word about how the junta was laying the ground for the country to move forward, he said.

Meanwhile, a network of international scholars known as "Scholars at Risk" has submitted a letter to Prayut urging him to direct authorities to ensure a full, impartial, timely investigation and public reporting on the incident as clearly as possible and to drop any charges or proceedings against the professors.

The letter included supportive messages for the summoned lecturers, saying they had only been exercising their rights and freedoms.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PM-adamant-about-academics-30273669.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-25

[thesetat2013]

There you have it! Unlimited freedom of speech leads to conflict. So in P's eyes this will be controlled as long as he remains in power. Points of views are to be suppressed if you don't conform to the way P wants.

So far this has only been dealt with using courts and adjustment camps. I fear it will get a lot worse and can only hope it doesn't get like N.K. With his 20 year roadmap now one can only guess at when he will step down and allow democracy to return. One also has to wonder if the people running for the next gov are going to be hand picked by him to ensure his way of thinking remains the rule for a very long time.

I was all for his coupe. Thailand needed to be rid of the T clan rule and PTPs hand in everything. P has been doing many good things for Thailand, but????

[NongKhaiKid]

Spread the word about how the junta is laying the ground for the country to move forward ?

Forget academia and become cheerleaders and this govt is supposedly committed to improving education !

[baboon]

There you have it! Unlimited freedom of speech leads to conflict. So in P's eyes this will be controlled as long as he remains in power. Points of views are to be suppressed if you don't conform to the way P wants.

So far this has only been dealt with using courts and adjustment camps. I fear it will get a lot worse and can only hope it doesn't get like N.K. With his 20 year roadmap now one can only guess at when he will step down and allow democracy to return. One also has to wonder if the people running for the next gov are going to be hand picked by him to ensure his way of thinking remains the rule for a very long time.

I was all for his coupe. Thailand needed to be rid of the T clan rule and PTPs hand in everything. P has been doing many good things for Thailand, but????

If you were not previously familiar with the expression 'Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it', you should be now. Another one is 'You made your bed, now lie in it'...

[trogers]

Unlimited freedom leads to conflict.

This was shown to be true recently in Paris.

[shirtless]

The Junta has not performed all that well ,they have overstayed their welcome , and now they are suppressing their critics , it wont be long before we see the seams of this government tear apart,

[NongKhaiKid]

The Junta has not performed all that well ,they have overstayed their welcome , and now they are suppressing their critics , it wont be long before we see the seams of this government tear apart,

A worry has to be what will be done when parnoia over losing power really sets in.

[Seastallion]

We do not want smart people giving opinions. We do not want alternative ideas flooding the brains of our people, especially not young smart people who just might start thinking independently.

Great way to move the country forward into the 21st century. Lets just keep the population dumb enough to be led like sheep.

[Orac]

Unlimited freedom leads to conflict.

This was shown to be true recently in Paris.

I suppose you are right if you mean freedom to involve yourself in extreme religious nuttery.

[EnglishJohn]

It's quite simple:

Any of them who did not speak out against the amnesty bill or the murders of protesters (or any of the other outrageous acts of Pheu-Thai) but see fit to complain now do not deserve to be called an academic at all. They are just regular Thai hypocrites with their own agenda and low ethics. They should be told to shut up because they are nothing more than political activists at a time when Thailand does not need them. They can whine at the next government all they like.

Those of good conscience who did speak out previously should be told not to incite anger in the gullible cattle but otherwise be left alone as a check-and-balance. Why do I think there will be very, very few in that category ?.

[EnglishJohn]

We do not want smart people giving opinions. We do not want alternative ideas flooding the brains of our people, especially not young smart people who just might start thinking independently.

Great way to move the country forward into the 21st century. Lets just keep the population dumb enough to be led like sheep.

Never met a smart red-shirt. All the smart Thais I know are anti-red shirt.

Why would a smart person support Thaksin + Pheu-Thai ?. They only stand for corruption.

The smart people stand for reforms ASAP and a government from free and fair elections.

No need to ask which camp you fit into.

[englishoak]

It's quite simple:

Any of them who did not speak out against the amnesty bill or the murders of protesters (or any of the other outrageous acts of Pheu-Thai) but see fit to complain now do not deserve to be called an academic at all. They are just regular Thai hypocrites with their own agenda and low ethics. They should be told to shut up because they are nothing more than political activists at a time when Thailand does not need them. They can whine at the next government all they like.

Those of good conscience who did speak out previously should be told not to incite anger in the gullible cattle but otherwise be left alone as a check-and-balance. Why do I think there will be very, very few in that category ?.

Your a terrible advert for them, stop embarrassing yourself, shame on you for supporting muzzling of any free speech.

Begone foul green thing, back to the depths of the jungle with you.

[waldroj]

Empathy, Prayut, empathy!

Leaders inspire, thugs intimidate!

[Emster23]

"Are they teaching students to be good? No. Are they teaching students to obey the laws?" Prayut asked."

These matters are usually covered in grade school or kindergarten, which apparently Prayut wants Universities to model themselves after. Close your mind, close your eyes and especially close your mouth is what he wants. Dang, classes have more than 5 people (usually) and if a work around of "distance learning" was tried then would leave open for computer crimes act.

[oneday]

"If they don't fear ME, let them [go ahead]."

[chainarong]

Whilst the Junta is in power this will crop up regularly as it did when Thaksin tried to model the constitution his way and the reason is as plain as the nose on your face , the academics are teaching the students the right way , all about democracy and what is not democratic is a Junta, taking hold of power at the point of a rifle and Ret General Prayut - O can say what he likes , you cannot alter the truth Prime Minister, speaks for itself really.............................................

[chainarong]

We do not want smart people giving opinions. We do not want alternative ideas flooding the brains of our people, especially not young smart people who just might start thinking independently.

Great way to move the country forward into the 21st century. Lets just keep the population dumb enough to be led like sheep.

The dumb down effect has been a success for some time, educated people might ask questions, some embarrassing , like how come one Ex General can have so much money.

[MZurf]

We do not want smart people giving opinions. We do not want alternative ideas flooding the brains of our people, especially not young smart people who just might start thinking independently.

Great way to move the country forward into the 21st century. Lets just keep the population dumb enough to be led like sheep.

Never met a smart red-shirt. All the smart Thais I know are anti-red shirt.

Why would a smart person support Thaksin + Pheu-Thai ?. They only stand for corruption.

The smart people stand for reforms ASAP and a government from free and fair elections.

No need to ask which camp you fit into.

"Never met a smart red-shirt. All the smart Thais I know are anti-red shirt."

John, as has been pointed out in a previous post you really should stop embarrassing yourself by writing posts like these. Continuously calling people who are against the junta stupid is just wrong coming from a person who is so clearly not very bright.

"The smart people stand for reforms ASAP and a government from free and fair elections."

What reforms John?? The lottery reforms?

[BritTim]

The current administration admires China. They want to emulate China's success. Unfortunately, they are adopting all that is bad about China (stiffling dissent and democracy) while being incapable of copying its positive aspects (placing competent administrators and technocrats in leading positions, building a first rate education system). The result is not pretty though, to be fair, Thailand has had a succession of hopeless governments since the departure of Prem in the 1980s (Anand excepted) and Prayut's lot are not clearly worse..

Edited November 25, 2015 by BritTim

[happy Joe]

Unlimited freedom leads to conflict.

This was shown to be true recently in Paris.

Fully agree with you.

Unlimited freedom of expression makes is an abandonment of power in favor of any kind of lobby groups:

- Policy

- Religious

- Financial, Advertising, nationalist and ethnic etc.

It's time to require evidence before letting these preachers speak. Freedom to say anything and to advocate fanciful theories is a sham.

[DavidBonnie]

Dear Me, what is most frightening is that some ostensibly educated foreigners still believe that Takhsin was the root of all evil. Wake Up.

[aussieinthailand]

We do not want smart people giving opinions. We do not want alternative ideas flooding the brains of our people, especially not young smart people who just might start thinking independently.

Great way to move the country forward into the 21st century. Lets just keep the population dumb enough to be led like sheep.

Never met a smart red-shirt. All the smart Thais I know are anti-red shirt.

Why would a smart person support Thaksin + Pheu-Thai ?. They only stand for corruption.

The smart people stand for reforms ASAP and a government from free and fair elections.

No need to ask which camp you fit into.

"Never met a smart red-shirt. All the smart Thais I know are anti-red shirt."

Wow John you really have what Thais call a small kalla, (small world of experience).

As for me I know many smart people of both sides of the political fence, and it has nothing to do with politics, if your a smart person then your a smart person...

"Why would a smart person support Thaksin + Phu Thai?. They only stand for corruption".

Hmmm not that difficult to answer john, National health scheme, micro loans to villager's so as to cut loan sharks, Paying down the national debit while increasing GDP improving employment the list goes on John,

"The smart people stand for reforms ASAP and a government from free and fair elections".

Well all the people I know want reforms and free fair elections, but there was a group out there hell bent on preventing elections wasn't there John.

"No need to ask which camp you fit into".

[Hawk]

If they don't fear [the] laws, let them [go ahead]."

Laws? Laws created by an ilegal government for the sole purpose of suppressing all freedom of speech.

[Colabamumbai]

Obviously he is not an academic.

[JAG]

We do not want smart people giving opinions. We do not want alternative ideas flooding the brains of our people, especially not young smart people who just might start thinking independently.

Great way to move the country forward into the 21st century. Lets just keep the population dumb enough to be led like sheep.

Never met a smart red-shirt. All the smart Thais I know are anti-red shirt.

Why would a smart person support Thaksin + Pheu-Thai ?. They only stand for corruption.

The smart people stand for reforms ASAP and a government from free and fair elections.

No need to ask which camp you fit into.

"Never met a smart red shirt..."

Maybe you haven't, but judging by your contributions, smart supporters of fascism would seem to be a bit thin on the ground as well!

[Reigntax]

We do not want smart people giving opinions. We do not want alternative ideas flooding the brains of our people, especially not young smart people who just might start thinking independently.

Great way to move the country forward into the 21st century. Lets just keep the population dumb enough to be led like sheep.

Never met a smart red-shirt. All the smart Thais I know are anti-red shirt.

Why would a smart person support Thaksin + Pheu-Thai ?. They only stand for corruption.

The smart people stand for reforms ASAP and a government from free and fair elections.

No need to ask which camp you fit into.

I bet your friends have never met anybody intelligent also. Well, not while in your company anyway.

[Reigntax]

Dear Me, what is most frightening is that some ostensibly educated foreigners still believe that Takhsin was the root of all evil. Wake Up.

Youre assuming that the ostensible foreigner was actually educated. Based on output, that would be a hard position to affirm.

[BlindMagician]

Unlimited freedom leads to conflict.

This was shown to be true recently in Paris.

Freedom of speech does have some limits, due to, for example, mechanisms such as society's middle ground expectation regarding rude-polite limits, legal defamation, etc.

The Paris events were not due to unlimited freedom. First, unlimited freedom does not exist for anybody on this planet. Second, its a gross oversimplification in the extreme and ignores many other factors that are surely part of the cause-effect history of the events.

Back to the OP...the circus master obviously does not get it does he. Not surprising, given his life long training and work environment, his daily experience ever since reaching some level of seniority. He seems a very one dimensional person in that respect, not able to get out of that mindset. Another very good reason why there should be clear lines drawn between government and other bodies (judiciary, military, etc) with very separate and different career tracks. The various indicators that point towards a hichachorhip might well slip ever further from a democracy, not forgetting the waiting game being played out ... the biggie event on the horizon ... could be followed by some spike changes.

[LannaGuy]

We do not want smart people giving opinions. We do not want alternative ideas flooding the brains of our people, especially not young smart people who just might start thinking independently.

Great way to move the country forward into the 21st century. Lets just keep the population dumb enough to be led like sheep.

Never met a smart red-shirt. All the smart Thais I know are anti-red shirt.

Why would a smart person support Thaksin + Pheu-Thai ?. They only stand for corruption.

The smart people stand for reforms ASAP and a government from free and fair elections.

No need to ask which camp you fit into.

very good John... all who agree with you are 'smart' and all who do not are 'not-smart' well done! a really rational, analytical and reasonable stance to condemn the majority of Thai's who voted, and will continue to vote, against the elite you love to defend.

Now go and sit down. All that thinking must be very tiring.

[kareona]

Prayut said something more what the Nation does not (want to) report. I am not allowed to write something in Thai here but this is a translation from the Matichon newspaper today. He spoke about the protesting academics, then he blew up and said in an angry voice (I saw the video too), warning the academics: 'They (the academics) could be shot at or blown up by bombs.'

He is always angry, intimidating and using foul language. If you use his kind of language with a stranger you get beaten up. Between friends it's OK.