Pheu Thai's Chaturon fights for right to travel

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Pheu Thai's Chaturon Fights for Right to Travel
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


Chaturon Chaisaeng files his lawsuit today at the Administrative Court to challenge the government’s revocation of his passport.

BANGKOK — A leading member of the Pheu Thai Party filed suit against the military government today for “falsely” revoking his passport in August.

Speaking at the Administrative Court this morning, Chaturon Chaisaeng accused authorities of stripping him of the right to travel abroad in retaliation for his criticism of the junta, which has said it must rein in critics for the sake of political stability.

He said officials told him in August his passport was revoked by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ consular division because an arrest warrant had been issued against him, which justified revoking his travel document.

But no outstanding warrant existed at the time, Chaturon said. Although he was briefly wanted by the junta when he didn’t respond to a summons order in May 2014, Chaturon was eventually brought to the military court, and the judge allowed him to travel, he told reporters today.

“The reason for revoking my passport is false,” Chaturon said. “I’m not a person wanted by any warrant.”

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1452680435&typecate=06&section=

-- Khaosod English 2016-01-14

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Chaturon charges Foreign Ministry for taking away his passport



BANGKOK: -- A lawsuit was lodged with the Central Administrative Court against the Foreign Ministry and six other co-defendants by former Pheu Thai MP Chaturon Chaisaeng over the revocation of his passport since last August.

Charged in the court on Wednesday were the Foreign Ministry, the Consular Department, the National Police Office, the foreign minister, the national police chief, foreign permanent secretary and chief of the Consular Department.

In the lawsuit, Mr Chaturon said that the reason cited to justify the scrapping of his passport was not true. He said there was no warrant for his arrest and he did not plan to travel abroad.

The ex-Pheu Thai MP however admitted that he volunteered to be held in military custody and there was no warrant for his arrest. He alleged that the revocation of his passport was politically motivated.

Mr Chaturon said he was not sure whether he should ask the court for a stay of execution of the order scrapping his passport because he didn’t know it would be of any help for him.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/chaturon-charges-foreign-ministry-for-taking-away-his-passport


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-14

[rasmus5150]

Well, if you need to go to Dubai. You really need a passport.

[trogers]

Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat welcome you...

[Srikcir]

The grounds for the lawsuiit seem reasonable, albeit Chaturon is up against an anti-PTP junta-led government with a clear agenda to smother potential political opponents that might challenge pro-royalists in the next elections.

[Si Thea01]

What a shame.

[greenchair]

I love this guy. He calmly, but assertively stands up for his rights, always politely, with a smile. Someone thailand should be proud of being to feel like a criminal. Why does thailand take its best people and seek to destroy them for no reason.

[mango66]

Well, if you need to go to Dubai. You really need a passport.

But the Dubai man have passports on demand,

so why he not come to him to Thailand ??

[kareona]

I love this guy. He calmly, but assertively stands up for his rights, always politely, with a smile. Someone thailand should be proud of being to feel like a criminal. Why does thailand take its best people and seek to destroy them for no reason.

So true. Here are the names of some very good Thai people, politicians, writers, academics and activics who were murdered, banned from the country, thrown in jail or threatened in the past 80 years. All for the benifit of the 'good people'. This is what holds Thailand back. There are many more of course.

Pridi Phanomyong, Kulap Saipradit, Narin Phasit, Boonsanong Punyodyana, MR Nimitmongkol Navarat, Intha Sribunruang, Chit Phumisak, Puey Ungpakorn, Somsak Jeamteerasakul, Junya Yimprasert, Giles Ji Ungpakorn, Sombat Boonngaamanong en Sulak Sivaraksa

[bangrak]

Considering Mr Chaturon was granted bail on the condition he would not travel abroad without the court's permission, it seems a bit odd to me he is now 'fighting for his 'right to travel'...

And an educated man like him should know a passport is not kind of a civil right, it remains a document granted by the Int. Min., at its discretion(!), only to citizens it considers to deserve one.

It is for sure his good right to fight the decision to whitdraw his passport, what he will no doubt do to the bitter end, and while doing so IMO confirm it might be a risk to give him any, until after his courtcase, and the probable appeals to follow.

I'm not saying he is not a decent person,as I don't know him personally. But considering his, marked, political 'affiliation', and how involved he was, and still seems to be, in the parties Thaksin created to serve himself, I could not give Mr Chaturon the benefit of the doubt concerning the actions he's possibly planning, maybe outside Thailand...

[bangrak]

About passports, runners and people in self-chosen exile, there is that 'theory'(!), which, let's say, to keep it simple, is only the product of my imagination.

When the ground would(!), in the end, at last, become too hot under the feet of some of the PTP 'eminences', call it G-2-G, the rice scam in general, or other possible abuses, they would/could(?), to avoid landing in a jail, ...as long as they are left in possession of some passport(s)(!), make a well organised runner.

They would/could(?) then gather with some other presently already 'self-exiled' and 'fugitives' part of, or close too, the PTP or Mr T., too form together a 'Thai democratic government in exile', which would have several 'safe houses' in neighbouring countries, close to the Thai borders, from where they could keep in touch with delegates from 'the home front', while safely attacking the present Executive via manipulated media, and creating tensions, maybe violence, to destabilise the situation at home, make their UDD partisans and militia rise again in a next, much larger, insurrection, in an attempt to 'recuperate' the power they consider as their property, and start up again the great project of a Shins' dynasty...