Ex-commerce minister vows to carry on his criticism of the government and NCPO



BANGKOK: -- Former commerce minister Wattana Muangsuk announced on Tuesday that he would continue to criticize the government and the National Council for Peace and Order “because free expression is a universal right and if anyone speaks out of line there is the law to deal with it already.”

The defiant core member of the Pheu Thai party showed up at the Bangkok South Criminal Court on Tuesday to report himself to the court after the expiry of the first 7-day detention period.

The enquiry officer asked the court for permission to detain Mr Wattana for another seven days pending investigation. The police request was endorsed by the court which also granted bail to the ex-minister who is due to show up before the court on March 26.

Mr Wattana later told the media that he would continue to speak his mind against the government and the NCPO because he has the right to free expression. He also said that he would not appeal to the court again against his overseas travel ban because the ban is illegal and he has the right to travel to anywhere he wants.

The ex-minister however admitted that he felt heavy-hearted with the charge of violating the computer crime law against him because he didn’t know which part of the message he posted in his Facebook page is a lie.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/155225


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-16

Free speech , Only if its positive , TIT

Nice to see a politician with some spine who is speaking up for what is right, instead of being a "sheeple".

Do remember though that when this man was in earlier administrations he wasn't so enthusiastic and keen on those administrations and its members being criticized for their actions and involvement in matters and being subjected to public scrutiny.

Seems as if he is suffering from selective amnesia.

Edited March 16, 201610 yr by shunter

Nice to see that Wattana has decided not to play dead.

Freedom of expression is only valuable when exercised.

A silent majority is an irrelevant majority.

When's this guy and Yingluck going to Jail?

His fate hangs on media coverage. If there's enough coverage by media and social media, he stands to go down in history as a national hero. Let's hope so.

Do remember though that when this man was in earlier administrations he wasn't so enthusiastic and keen on those administrations and its members being criticized for their actions and involvement in matters and being subjected to public scrutiny.

Seems as if he is suffering from selective amnesia.

Have the people who made these critics been invited for "adjustment sessions" by the previous government?

His fate hangs on media coverage. If there's enough coverage by media and social media, he stands to go down in history as a national hero. Let's hope so.

His status as a national hero may be enhanced when he donates a few billion baht to compensate the people for his part in the rice scam. A pity he didn't exercise his freedom of speech when asked about the mounting losses.

This guy and Jatuporn must work in tag team when it comes to complaining.

Even when they had nothing to complain about under the previous regime they still managed to find something or someone that upset them.

Maybe Ritalin might help calm them down.

His fate hangs on media coverage. If there's enough coverage by media and social media, he stands to go down in history as a national hero. Let's hope so.

His status as a national hero may be enhanced when he donates a few billion baht to compensate the people for his part in the rice scam. A pity he didn't exercise his freedom of speech when asked about the mounting losses.

He spoke quite a lot about the rice scheme. It was all denying though. Denied G to G deals were fake. They turned out to be fake.

In fact one person that criticised him and his boss were not so lucky as to be sent for attitude adjustment. One can only dream that attitude adjustment was all that became them. He disappeared only to be told "the driver did it" when his body was discovered.

another ptp scumbag that needs to be locked up, he was in the thick of all the rice corruption but now tries to bullsh*t his way out of it all and claim innocence and that he is being treated unfairly, typical crap from the ptp/reds, they wouldnt even know what the word honesty meant.

"The defiant core member of the Pheu Thai party showed up at the Bangkok South Criminal Court on Tuesday to report himself to the court after the expiry of the first 7-day detention period.

The enquiry officer asked the court for permission to detain Mr Wattana for another seven days pending investigation. The police request was endorsed by the court which also granted bail to the ex-minister who is due to show up before the court on March 26."

So he is being detained while out on bail?

When's this guy and Yingluck going to Jail?

just before the wheels fall off?

another ptp scumbag that needs to be locked up, he was in the thick of all the rice corruption but now tries to bullsh*t his way out of it all and claim innocence and that he is being treated unfairly, typical crap from the ptp/reds, they wouldnt even know what the word honesty meant.

Add morals and ethics.

His fate hangs on media coverage. If there's enough coverage by media and social media, he stands to go down in history as a national hero. Let's hope so.

His status as a national hero may be enhanced when he donates a few billion baht to compensate the people for his part in the rice scam. A pity he didn't exercise his freedom of speech when asked about the mounting losses.

Or support freedom of speech for all Thai citizens including the good lady accountant who spoke up.

And pity his paymaster also didn't support freedom of speech when he tried to gag folks including reporters by suing them for massive amounts, and some will no doubt recall the incident when a foreign reporter asked the paymaster an awkward question - response from paymaster 'idiot scum' and the reporter was deported the next day.

What about him criticising the shin clan governments?

If this does not happen he ijust continues to be a puppet of the puppetmaster wanting to bring him back to power and business

Brave man. Respect.

It looks like junta lovers need to let off steam as they currently don't have much other opportunities with other Junta-related news.

another ptp scumbag that needs to be locked up, he was in the thick of all the rice corruption but now tries to bullsh*t his way out of it all and claim innocence and that he is being treated unfairly, typical crap from the ptp/reds, they wouldnt even know what the word honesty meant.

Add morals and ethics.

the most ridicule thing is when he claims to speak in favor of democracy

another ptp scumbag that needs to be locked up, he was in the thick of all the rice corruption but now tries to bullsh*t his way out of it all and claim innocence and that he is being treated unfairly, typical crap from the ptp/reds, they wouldnt even know what the word honesty meant.

Add morals and ethics.

Morals and ethics are absent with the current lot as well of course, didn't see you complain about them.

A nonsense post has been removed as well as an inappropriate reply.

Do remember though that when this man was in earlier administrations he wasn't so enthusiastic and keen on those administrations and its members being criticized for their actions and involvement in matters and being subjected to public scrutiny.

Seems as if he is suffering from selective amnesia.

He's lucky. Telling a court their ruling is illegal so he won't respect it. (Seems I remember PTP members often say that). In many countries he'd be done for contempt of court.

Select amnesia - part of the usual do as we say, not as we do and don't dare question us PTP mentality.

It looks like junta lovers need to let off steam as they currently don't have much other opportunities with other Junta-related news.

While the Shin squad labor away trying to divert, distort, and change any thread that exposes more PTP hypocrisy.

Free speech - blow a whistle at a certain person, get your mam's house machine gunned.