webfact Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 FCCT 'ordered by NCPO' to cancel panel discussion on missing plaque By The Nation BANGKOK: -- The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) has cancelled its panel discussion titled “Memories of 1932: The Mystery of Thailand’s Missing Plaque”, scheduled for Wednesday night, “on the orders of the National Council for Peace and Order”. The FCCT posted on its website and Facebook on Wednesday morning that the decision to cancel the discussion was made after it received a letter from Lumpini Police asking it to call off the event scheduled for 7pm this evening. According to the letter, the police said they had been contacted by “relevant officials”. “In the letter, the police said these officials believed that the event posed a threat to national security, and that it could be used by unscrupulous individuals to stir up disorder,” the FCCT announcement stated. The FCCT said it disagreed with this assessment, arguing, “Our events are always well-moderated and allow for constructive and civilised discussions. This particular event was on a topic of great historic and contemporary relevance, with a panel of distinguished speakers. However, the FCCT has been given to understand that this cancellation is on the orders of the National Council for Peace and Order, and we have no choice but to comply,” it said. Instead, the FCCT said it would mark World Press Freedom Day with an alternative panel of speakers, to be confirmed later, who would discuss the state of media freedom in Thailand at a time when Thai journalists face new regulations which would impede their ability to scrutinise those in power. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30314085 -- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinneil Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Ordered to discuss the missing plaque? Ordered to cover up what happened, would be a better headline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 It's always amazing that the police can issue a legally binding "order" based on requests from un-named " relevant officials", quoting spurious reasons like "...a threat to national security, and that it could be used by unscrupulous individuals to stir up disorder". The "relevant officials" seem to like to remain anonymous? Doesn't do much for "transparency"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Shhh ! another thing you cannot talk about. regards worgeordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pookiki Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 (edited) I was going to see a dentist this week, but he told me that he couldn't discuss removing plaque! Edited May 3, 2017 by pookiki grammar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misterwhisper Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 (edited) The fact that the removal of this plaque - which basically commemorated the country's switch to parliamentary democracy; whether that was successful or not is irrelevant - cannot be discussed or even mentioned, strongly suggests that the removal was officially ordered. And that is also why the police will not investigate. What entity possibly ordered the removal can of course also not be discussed or even insinuated. Edited May 3, 2017 by Misterwhisper spelling correction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clockman Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Bring back Winston! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pookiki Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 7 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said: The fact that the removal of this plaque - which basically commemorated the country's switch to parliamentary-democracy; whether that was successful or not is irrelevant - cannot be discussed or even mentioned, strongly suggests that the removal was officially ordered. And that is also why the police will not investigate. What entity possibly ordered the removal can of course also not be discussed or even insinuated. Doesn't bode well for elections next year, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baboon Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 24 minutes ago, clockman said: Bring back Winston! Churchill or Smith? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Loh Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 25 minutes ago, pookiki said: Doesn't bode well for elections next year, either. Doesn't bode well for the future of Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCC1701A Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 its interesting that a story about the press losing their freedom can still be published. perhaps soon even that will be squashed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksidedog Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Given Prayuts attitude towards the plaque, I don't think anyone can be in any doubt exactly who ordered its removal. Its sensitive nature involving as it does, democracy, a thing unlikely to be seen here again soon, speaks volumes. I hope if a statue of Prayut ever goes up that someone nicks that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowboat Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 3 hours ago, webfact said: “In the letter, the police said these officials believed that the event posed a threat to national security, and that it could be used by unscrupulous individuals to stir up disorder,” the FCCT announcement stated. Again only "bad" people would be interested in this. So anyone who is interested in the events commemorated on the plaque are either terribly misguided or "bad". FCCT will need to move to a neighboring country if it wants to hold substantive discussions regarding Thailand. Thailand use to be wonderful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tukkytuktuk Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 What a fuss over a round piece of metal cemented into the middle of a road. Before it was removed I bet none of you had even known it existed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisakiman Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 17 minutes ago, tukkytuktuk said: What a fuss over a round piece of metal cemented into the middle of a road. Before it was removed I bet none of you had even known it existed. The plaque itself is irrelevant. What is of importance is what the plaque represented to the Thai people, the way in which it was removed (and by whom), and the actions / reactions of the incumbent administration to the questions raised by its removal. The directive forbidding the FCCT to discuss the subject merely serves to confirm what a sensitive issue this is, and how the government was complicit in the skulduggery that was employed in its removal and replacement. The whole affair doesn't bode well for Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misterwhisper Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, tukkytuktuk said: What a fuss over a round piece of metal cemented into the middle of a road. Before it was removed I bet none of you had even known it existed. I think the issue is not so much whether people were aware if the plaque ever existed or not. What is important is what it represented, why it was clandestinely removed, why the police won't try to find the perpetrator, and why any discussion about it is suddenly forbidden. By removing the plaque, somebody has been trying to undo a significant historical event - even if only symbolically. It's a bit like when the new emperor in ancient Rome had his predecessor's name erased from all monuments; only he did it in broad daylight and not under cover of night so nobody would notice. Well, the removal of the plague has been noticed. And that's what the "fuss" is about. Edited May 3, 2017 by Misterwhisper rephrasing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Loh Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 First they came for the plaque, then they came to erase history. Then they piled on more repressive laws and soon it will be over. Version of Martin Niemoller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pookiki Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 I think I will pen a letter to President Trump to note that an important artifact dealing with the birth of democracy in Thailand has gone missing. I will include a picture and suggest that he make a replacement and present it as a gift to Thailand from the American people when Prayut visits Washington later this year! What a photo op!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nip Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 3 hours ago, Eric Loh said: Doesn't bode well for the future of Thailand. What future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Triangle Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 I think you will find that the buck stops one level above Gen P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tukkytuktuk Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 I think you will find that the buck stops one level above Gen P.He's the PM. He's in charge of the country. If not why does Donald Trump bother talking to him. If your talking about the unmentionable's then that is out of the boundaries or LM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarryP Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 5 hours ago, Misterwhisper said: The fact that the removal of this plaque - which basically commemorated the country's switch to parliamentary democracy; whether that was successful or not is irrelevant - cannot be discussed or even mentioned, strongly suggests that the removal was officially ordered. And that is also why the police will not investigate. What entity possibly ordered the removal can of course also not be discussed or even insinuated. You're not insinuating anything are you? Off with your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RigPig Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Don't forget it was not only removed but replaced, the wording of the replacement says it all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhizBang Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 15 hours ago, Golden Triangle said: I think you will find that the buck stops one level above Gen P. Anybody who believes that Prayut was the man who instigated the coup is a fool. He has someone much higher up pulling his strings. He's just the front man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesimps Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 I know who ordered the plaque's removal so I'm therefore not surprised that the same person has ordered the cancellation of the panel discussion. Sad days for this lovely country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RigPig Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 When I first got here (15 years ago) I was a bit excited that I may get to actually watch a country "grow up", but now I realise it never will, yeah it's sad but they only have themselves to blame!! And hey it's their country... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godang Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 6 hours ago, darksidedog said: Given Prayuts attitude towards the plaque, I don't think anyone can be in any doubt exactly who ordered its removal. Its sensitive nature involving as it does, democracy, a thing unlikely to be seen here again soon, speaks volumes. I hope if a statue of Prayut ever goes up that someone nicks that too. 6 hours ago, darksidedog said: Given Prayuts attitude towards the plaque, I don't think anyone can be in any doubt exactly who ordered its removal. Its sensitive nature involving as it does, democracy, a thing unlikely to be seen here again soon, speaks volumes. I hope if a statue of Prayut ever goes up that someone nicks that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godang Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Just now, Godang said: That will be protected under article 44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeupplease Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 41 minutes ago, jesimps said: I know who ordered the plaque's removal so I'm therefore not surprised that the same person has ordered the cancellation of the panel discussion. Sad days for this lovely country. Lets try again Sad days for this once lovely country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RigPig Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 27 minutes ago, wakeupplease said: Lets try again Sad days for this once lovely country. Sad days for this once lovely PROMISING country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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