Bounty On The Heads Of PM And Gen. Sonthi

[Jai Dee]

Bounty on heads of PM and Gen. Sonthi, offered by insurgents

Supreme Commander and a member of the Council for National Security, Gen. Boonsrang Niempradit (บุญสร้าง เนียมประดิษฐ์), stated that insurgents are challenging the government by offering rewards to those able to assassinate the country's top leaders. Gen Boonsrang said that the rewards offered by insurgents will not deter the government's ambition to bring peaceful means to the region, and that state officials will not be affected in one way or the other to bring about prosperity and unity to the region.

There have been flying rumours of rewards offered by to those able to bring the heads of Prime Minister Suraud Chulanont and Council for National Security (CNS) Chairman Sonthi Bunyaratglin (สนธิ บุญยรัตกลิน).

The Council for National Security (CNS) has agreed to lift martial law in 48 provinces and keep it in place in 28 other provinces in a decision welcomed by the Campaign for Popular Democracy.

The CPD has frequently been strongly critical of the CNS for its slow progress in taking action against ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The areas where the law is still in effect include Bangkok, provinces that are strongholds of former Thai Rak Thai Party members such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Buri Ram and Kamphaeng Phet, and those southern provinces plagued by on-going violence.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 29 November 2006

[kmart]

Hmm,... Seems to be a staple response to mounting pressure or criticism; start rumours about assassination / death threats....?

[Tony Clifton]

I posted somewhere on here earlier that with the new government in place, the unrest would stop. How wrong I was.

[Jai Dee]

PM not worried about threats against him

Following the rumors regarding the placing bounty on the heads of the prime minister and the chairman of the Council for National Security (CNS), Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont disclosed that he is not worried about the matter. As a soldier, death is not a big deal and sacrificing one’s life for the country is a noble action.

According to PM, insurgent groups in the Deep South have been trying to challenge state officials by continuously stirring up chaos and violence. It is important that people give the officials enough time to resolve the problem which is not likely to end soon. He affirmed that the government will stick onto peaceful means and hoped to receive more cooperation from the local people.

Regarding the school closure in the Southern border provinces, PM said the Ministry of Education has discussed the matter with him and it is now planning preventive measures for the schools. The government will not stop teachers who would like to negotiate with the insurgents.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 29 November 2006

[hammered]

I posted somewhere on here earlier that with the new government in place, the unrest would stop. How wrong I was.

It may be that with the new government in place there is more chance of a settlement with the moderate majority in the South. This kind of settlement will not be what the more extreme elements want so they raise the levels of violence and threats to derail any efforts to reach a political settlement. At least this is what so often happens in insurgency situations when political deals are mentioned.

[cclub75]

As a soldier, death is not a big deal and sacrificing one’s life for the country is a noble action.

I'm wondering what is more stupid than a soldier ? Maybe an ex-soldier ? Or worst, a PM ex-soldier ? Or eventually a thai PM ex soldier ?

[Mid]

The government will not stop teachers who would like to negotiate with the insurgents.

[Plus]

I'm wondering what is more stupid than a soldier ?

Denigrating other people's values when one is unable to understand or appreciate them.

[cclub75]

Denigrating other people's values when one is unable to understand or appreciate them.

Plus, my msg was... a bit ironic.

I don't denigrate values that a soldier can have. I denigrate the matador-comedia-del-arte-style of all thai politicians : "I've got a bounty on my head. But I don't care to die, because i'm a soldier, dying for my country is noble" etc.

I mean : it can convinces a farmer, and probably make him crying a little bit (and women could faint).

But honestly, there is no values inside such speech : just plain zero level politics.

[Robski]

It may be that with the new government in place there is more chance of a settlement with the moderate majority in the South. This kind of settlement will not be what the more extreme elements want so they raise the levels of violence and threats to derail any efforts to reach a political settlement. At least this is what so often happens in insurgency situations when political deals are mentioned.

Off topic? I don't know, but a very good point made clearer by this from the Bangkok Post 26/11/06 posted in the teaching forum by mijan24.

All 322 schools in Pattani province will close indefinitely from tomorrow after the director of a community school was shot and burnt by Muslim militants on Friday. Bunsom Thongsriplai, chairman of the Pattani Teachers Federation, said all classes would be suspended until authorities could come up with better security measures for teachers in the province.

[younghusband]

Denigrating other people's values when one is unable to understand or appreciate them.

Plus, my msg was... a bit ironic.

I don't denigrate values that a soldier can have. I denigrate the matador-comedia-del-arte-style of all thai politicians : "I've got a bounty on my head. But I don't care to die, because i'm a soldier, dying for my country is noble" etc.

I mean : it can convinces a farmer, and probably make him crying a little bit (and women could faint).

But honestly, there is no values inside such speech : just plain zero level politics.

I'm on record as a supporter of the PM, his values and integrity even though I think he erred in accepting the junta's invitation.Nevertheless his statement was a foolishly melodramatic one.There is something rather deja vu anyway about leaders dreaming up or magnifying out of recognition assasination attempts to bolster sympathy.

[opothai]

the hard approach did not work the softly softly approach is not working,

a political solution will not work even with peace talks with some of the factions,

the only way is for the extreme insurgents to eradicate the mega extreme insurgents and then move on to the complete nutcases and so on and so on,

it will only be resolved from within the muslim community no matter what the thais offer.

and even if the south did get independance they would still fight within for supreme power.

how did iraq work

one power [ dictatorship ] the rest of the people oppressed and any rebellion crushed with death.

this is becoming the norm through out the muslim countries.

is there one muslim country where the different muslim beliefs do not kill each other?

if there is then that model should be used for the south.

tollerance is that word in the quoran

[Rinrada]

I'm wondering what is more stupid than a soldier ?

Denigrating other people's values when one is unable to understand or appreciate them.

At least it better (but only in principal) than some the nutters who profess to wanting to die for their poxy dumb azz religions.... innit..

[Scott]

I posted somewhere on here earlier that with the new government in place, the unrest would stop. How wrong I was.

I've mentioned it before, but with insurgencies in general there is very little that can be done to stop them. They have a life-cycle of their own and on average they last 7-9 years. If you hold a hard line, they fight back. If you give-in, they win, if you negotiate, they demand more. It's a vicious circle.

The last gov't made the mistake of getting or letting the insurgency get started. The previous gov't couldn't stop it and the present gov't won't have much luck either--as we have seen.

Part of the problem is an abundance of young men with little to occupy themselves--they are the life blood of these sorts of things. They will cause mayhem in the name of anything--either for or against. When the population gets a little older, they just can't be bothered to fight anymore and the whole thing stops.

Some sort of economic development and jobs for this young, male demographic group would help, but even that isn't a guarantee.