Activist seeking plaque probe held by military

[webfact]

Activist seeking plaque probe held by military 
By WASAMON AUDJARINT
THE NATION

 

 

PM says issue 'not deadly' and NHRC official seeks answers over arrest 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE prime minister and many senior government officials said the disappearance of a historic plaque was no big deal – yet well-known lawyer and activist Srisuwan Janya was arrested yesterday as he urged the PM to conduct an investigation into the matter.

 

“This issue is nothing deadly,” Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday. “I understand the sentiments. But shouldn’t we look ahead to the future instead?

 

“Arguing over history won’t do any good. It’s up to everyone’s intention on how they will move the country forward,” he said.

 

Prayut was expected to clarify doubts after authorities – from the police to the Government spokesperson’s team, Dusit district administration and the Fine Arts Department – had yet to clearly answer or take responsibility to work on the case of the missing historic plaque.

 

Last Friday, it was discovered that the 81-year-old plaque fixed at the Royal Plaza to commemorate the 1932 Revolution was replaced by a new one that has messages glorifying faith in Buddhism, the monarch and one’s own family. 

 

The plaque, known in Thai as Mud Khana Ratsadon, was fixed at the site where People’s Party leader Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena stood to read a statement to announce the end of the country’s absolute monarchy. 

 

However, the marker – hailed by red-shirts as the site where Thai democracy started – was also deemed by royalists as a black mark on Thai history, given the nation’s turbulent political record. 

 

Security personnel apprehended Srisuwan, secretary-general of the Association to Protect the Thai Constitution, yesterday while he was waiting to submit a petition to the premier urging him to investigate the missing plaque. 

 

Srisuwan and two of his followers were reportedly taken in a van from a building opposite Government House to the military’s First Division of the King’s Guard, which is nearby. As of press time, he was still under detention.

 

Srisuwan is not the first person to call for action on the matter. Students lodged a complaint with police on Sunday asking authorities to investigate, as they deemed the plaque an item of state property.

 

However, deputy national police chief Srivala Rangsibrahmanakul said police would not take up the matter unless a complaint was filed by owners of the plaque or their heirs.

 

“The plaque wasn’t owned by anyone,” Srivala said. “The government agencies denied ownership, meaning that it does not belong to the government. It’s also not an antiquity,” he said. 

 

“We don’t even know whom it belongs to. So, how could it be counted as theft?”

 

Given that a wrongdoing had yet to occur, police were not authorised to proceed or investigate the case, he said. “Anyone wanting to make this political will be considered based on the evidence available.”

 

A group of activists, who also plan to file another complaint to police, went to inspect the new plaque at the Royal Plaza yesterday. They then went to Bangkok City Hall to file a petition so they can watch footage recorded by security cameras around the compound.

 

Questions forwarded to Prayut yesterday included: Why was the original plaque replaced? Was it considered the government’s inheritance? Would his government hunt for the missing plaque? What is going to happen with the new one? Will people be allowed to perform an activity calling for a return of the old plaque? 

 

But Prayut cut reporters short on whether he would assign security forces to look into the matter, saying people should no longer call for the return of the original plaque. 

 

“It won’t be of any purpose. I don’t want conflicts to happen. I don’t want our country to be in trouble anymore,” he said.

 

In response to a potential activist movement, Prayut said: “I’m not threatening, but whatever they are doing, they should consider security laws and Article 116 [on sedition of the Criminal Code].” 

 

Deputy PM and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan also denied any knowledge on the affair. “I don’t know anything. I don’t follow this issue because it is nothing important. It’s not about people’s well-being,” he said. “I will let officers proceed on it. But who and how to proceed, I don’t know.”

 

Meanwhile, Human Rights Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit called yesterday for the officers concerned to explain why Srisuwan, the pro-democracy activist, was detained.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312639

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-19

 

[Thechook]

The stench is all over prayuth and his junta. Everything is pointing at him with him telling people to shut up and forget about the old won as we have a new one and arresting those that dare question him.

[steven100]

5 minutes ago, Thechook said:

The stench is all over prayuth and his junta. Everything is pointing at him with him telling people to shut up and forget about the old won as we have a new one and arresting those that dare question him.

As Khun Prayuth Chan O Cha said ...  it's not such a big deal. There are more important issues to contend with than this.

 

move on chook, and lets find some more interesting news ...

[Smarter Than You]

The authorities may be able to intimidate and cow the Thai population into silence as they seek to rewrite history and create their own reality, but they cannot do the same to the other 6 billion people of the world........which does not bode well for this nations economy and future.

[Smarter Than You]

14 minutes ago, steven100 said:

As Khun Prayuth Chan O Cha said ...  it's not such a big deal. There are more important issues to contend with than this.

 

move on chook, and lets find some more interesting news ...

How right you are!

What could we possibly have to learn from history?

Throw it all out:

US Declaration of Independence,

Magna Carta,

Napoleon's Code de Civil, 

The UN Declaration of Human Rights

....etc. 

all just toilet paper.

 

Surely it's just a matter of time now until Thailand rises to the top of every global ranking for wealth and happiness and you'll be able to proudly stand, front and centre, and say you played a small part, cheerleading this idiocy.

[rkidlad]

Click like on a post and get 15 years prison. 

 

Steal a plaque that represents a fight for democracy for Thai people - no big deal. 

 

I thought everything in Thailand was a big deal. Such a sensitive culture, right? 

[tx22cb]

I wonder why the Police, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Ministers and even the PM (with his Article 44 powers and amnesty) are petrified, and so do not want to get involved??  Scary.

[mtls2005]

I love the smell of "reconciliation" in the morning.

 

I love the police honcho who said he didn't know who "owned" the original plaque, and if it was important they shouldn't have left it there.

 

Now, if someone removes the new plaque I'm fairly sure they'd be jailed for at least 15 years.

[yellowboat]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“This issue is nothing deadly,” Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday. “I understand the sentiments. But shouldn’t we look ahead to the future instead?

Sounds like a cover up by those who are more equal than others.  It sounds as though the government is denying Thai history. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, Human Rights Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit called yesterday for the officers concerned to explain why Srisuwan, the pro-democracy activist, was detained.

Completely shameful behavior on the part of the military government.  People being held because they question a act of vandalism.  The junta is acting like that cat that has swallowed the canary. 

[NCC1701A]

any questions? there shouldn't be.

 

 

[bannork]

1 hour ago, Smarter Than You said:

How right you are!

What could we possibly have to learn from history?

Throw it all out:

US Declaration of Independence,

Magna Carta,

Napoleon's Code de Civil, 

The UN Declaration of Human Rights

....etc. 

all just toilet paper.

 

Surely it's just a matter of time now until Thailand rises to the top of every global ranking for wealth and happiness and you'll be able to proudly stand, front and centre, and say you played a small part, cheerleading this idiocy.

Erm, I think you'll find Stephen 100 ( bottles of Chang per week) was extracting the urine, as he must do drinking so much.

[cmsally]

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

Sounds like a cover up by those who are more equal than others.  It sounds as though the government is denying Thai history. 

Completely shameful behavior on the part of the military government.  People being held because they question a act of vandalism.  The junta is acting like that cat that has swallowed the canary. 

What canary? I didn't see a canary ! 

[rkidlad]

Quick question; what else can you steal that the police won't investigate and the PM says "It's no big deal"? Could be a nice little sideline to my full-time job. 

 

I know, I know! It could upset a lot of the general public, but stuff 'em, right? 

[graemeaylward]

So the plaque didn't belong to anyone! What about the paving slab it was set into. Clearly from the picture of the new plaque, set in concrete, that was stolen as well. If that doesn't belong to anyone either, then the whole of that area could be dug up and used as stone for landscape gardening :-)

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Emster23]

"...police would not take up the matter unless a complaint was filed by owners of the plaque or their heirs."

 I thought it was donated to the Thai people, so any Thai could file a complaint.

With this twisted reasoning, the "owners" should be fined 2000 baht for littering.....

I have yet to see what law the petitioner violated... maybe embarrassing the military?

Sean Spicer might want to look into working over here after his gig at the white house is over. Couldn't be more difficult coming up with specious explanations.....

[maoro2013]

Sounds an excuse to arrest the person in charge of protecting the constitution.

[oztaurus]

"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"

 

"Some of the animals remembered - or thought they remembered - ......."

 

Oh just read the whole operations manual fictional allegory.

[ratcatcher]

Thieves have been known to steal bronze/brass fittings, in this case a plaque set in concrete, but in this picture is another type.

The smell from this plaque being stolen from the Royal Plaza is the same as the one you'd expect from the Chattanooga drain.

[Farang99]

" “Arguing over history won’t do any good. It’s up to everyone’s intention on how they will move the country forward,” he said. "

 

Nobody is arguing over history! There is concern that a memorial to Thailand's most significant event in the 20th century has mysteriously disappeared and been replaced by a nothing platitude, while the great one's attitude suggests that he knows all about it.

 

For those who don't know about it read Siam Becomes Thailand by Judith A Stowe

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Deputy PM and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan:

 

“I don’t know anything"

"It’s not about people’s well-being"

“I will let officers proceed on it"

"But who and how to proceed, I don’t know.”

 

And he is the deputy PM !!!

 

 

 

[lemonjelly]

To be honest, I would be worried about expressing any views here  that might be "inconvenient"... the forum owners would give members details away before you could say "attitude adjustment".

Edited April 19, 2017 by lemonjelly

[ddavidovsky]

This issue has gained far more pro-democracy publicity than the plaque itself ever generated - I doubt most people knew it existed.

They can't eradicate every photograph of it now circulating on the internet, nor prevent all the discussion of it.

With this single episode, the plaque has fulfilled its entire purpose.

[Charlie1]

If it's not that important, why the detain a protester? Bullshit!

[docshock13]

“We don’t even know whom it belongs to. So, how could it be counted as theft?”

 

Nice try. How about it belongs to all Thai people past, present and in perpetuity into the future. 

 

Amazing Thailand!

Oops! I mean Amazing Siam!

[mtls2005]

This issue has gained far more pro-democracy publicity than the plaque itself ever generated - I doubt most people knew it existed.

 

For most rational people this makes sense. However, for the ultra-royalists this plaque represents all that is wrong with "Thailand" (vs. Siam), and all vestiges of 1932 must be wiped clean.

 

 

[jonclark]

For me the most interesting fact is that the new bronze pillar refers to Thailand as Siam. A name (and by extension a country) that officially ceased to exisit a few years after the end of absolute monarchy. (Although it was used during WW2)

 

Was Siam chosen on purpose and does it indicate the ideology of those who swapped?

 

[Thechook]

11 minutes ago, jonclark said:

For me the most interesting fact is that the new bronze pillar refers to Thailand as Siam. A name (and by extension a country) that officially ceased to exisit a few years after the end of absolute monarchy. (Although it was used during WW2)

 

Was Siam chosen on purpose and does it indicate the ideology of those who swapped?

 

I get the feeling the powers that be want to see Siam restored.

[mtls2005]

Was Siam chosen on purpose and does it indicate the ideology of those who swapped?

 

Yes, and Yes.

[elgordo38]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

yet well-known lawyer and activist Srisuwan Janya was arrested yesterday as he urged the PM to conduct an investigation into the matter.

What part of "we don't care don't you understand"

[jesimps]

10 hours ago, Thechook said:

The stench is all over prayuth and his junta. Everything is pointing at him with him telling people to shut up and forget about the old won as we have a new one and arresting those that dare question him.

 

10 hours ago, steven100 said:

As Khun Prayuth Chan O Cha said ...  it's not such a big deal. There are more important issues to contend with than this.

 

move on chook, and lets find some more interesting news ...

It is a big deal and you darned well know it. It's a sinister ploy. It isn't just the removal of a plug, but the replacing of it with an entirely diferrent historical message.

 

You're on a slippery slope when your military govt starts rearranging history to suit itself.