Foreign activists to tell the story of Pai Dao Din

[rooster59]

Foreign activists to tell the story of Pai Dao Din

By THE SUNDAY NATION 

 

 

A GROUP of international activists is launching a campaign called “Bring the World to Pai” to tell the stories of Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, also known as Pai Dao Din, and other political prisoners, as well as to tell the world about the current situation in Thailand.

 

The move is to express solidarity with Thai activists opposed to the military-backed regime.

 

The five young activists, identified as Cat, Chris, Austin, Jay, and Effy from Australia, England, Canada, Malaysia, and Vietnam respectively, visited Pai at Khon Kaen Central Prison on Friday.

 

Pai ‘in good spirit’

 

Pai has been detained since December for sharing on Facebook a BBC article deemed insulting to the monarchy. His bail requests have been rejected more than 10 times since.

 

Despite months of detention, Pai remained in good spirit and told his international friends, with one of his fists up in the air, to encourage young people everywhere to carry on their struggle for freedom and democracy.

 

The five international activists would share their experience of meeting Pai and other political prisoners in their own languages to spread the word about the situation in Thailand, according to the New Democracy Movement Facebook page.

 

In its Facebook post, the anti-junta group also insisted it would continue to fight until justice and freedom are restored.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30320851

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-16

 

[Dexlowe]

Some details about how this campaign is to be carried out would be helpful. 

 

If it's arranged and organised in Thailand, these young folk are playing a risky game, I would think. But I admire their spirit.

[yellowboat]

53 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The five young activists, identified as Cat, Chris, Austin, Jay, and Effy from Australia, England, Canada, Malaysia, and Vietnam respectively, visited Pai at Khon Kaen Central Prison on Friday.

And they all headed to the Lao border that very same night.

 

All kidding aside, it is good to see young people acting so heroically, though there are plenty of men without names running around Thailand making threats or possibly worse.  The one thing the junta fears most is the international media.

[greenchair]

This is such a sad case. A fine young university student, aspiring to be a lawyer in prison for sharing a fb post. What a waste of a life. This man is not likely to recover from this experience even if he is let out. Good luck to the group, it would be so lovely to see him freed, though not likely. 

[esprit]

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

And they all headed to the Lao border that very same night.

 

All kidding aside, it is good to see young people acting so heroically, though there are plenty of men without names running around Thailand making threats or possibly worse.  The one thing the junta fears most is the international media.

Agreed and as one poster pointed out recently the Thai military are renowned for  their atrocities  in the past so I hope with the current Junta in charge youngsters rising up to support Pai  are not punished by the military as they were in 1976 and 1992.  This time with social media the world really would see the mind-set of the Junta and their Elite supporters if it were to happen.

[JAG]

Agreed and as one poster pointed out recently the Thai military are renowned for  their atrocities  in the past so I hope with the current Junta in charge youngsters rising up to support Pai  are not punished by the military as they were in 1976 and 1992.  This time with social media the world really would see the mind-set of the Junta and their Elite supporters if it were to happen.

I really don't relish the idea, but I am increasingly convinced that this regime will resort to such violence when something happens to make it feel threatened.

 

There are a number of possibilities, student unrest is one of them.

 

Maybe that will be the catalyst...

 

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

The one thing the junta fears most is the international media.

yes, however they already have a set of excuses to calm the other thais; old ones 'they dont understand us','national security','we have our own ways of doing things' and on  and on

 

love that last one : 'judge, i didnt mean to kill those 33 people but i have my own way of doing things'

[Orton Rd]

There is something seriously wrong with a country that jails people for sharing a BBC article which merely reported historical facts, and they laughably spout about re conciliation, freedom and democracy  

[esprit]

1 hour ago, JAG said:

I really don't relish the idea, but I am increasingly convinced that this regime will resort to such violence when something happens to make it feel threatened.

 

There are a number of possibilities, student unrest is one of them.

 

Maybe that will be the catalyst...

 

sorry to say I think you are right. 

[stephen tracy]

3 hours ago, JAG said:

I really don't relish the idea, but I am increasingly convinced that this regime will resort to such violence when something happens to make it feel threatened.

 

There are a number of possibilities, student unrest is one of them.

 

Maybe that will be the catalyst...

 

Well, they're not buying tanks, armoured vehicles and helicopters for nothing.

[champers]

3 hours ago, JAG said:

I really don't relish the idea, but I am increasingly convinced that this regime will resort to such violence when something happens to make it feel threatened.

 

There are a number of possibilities, student unrest is one of them.

 

Maybe that will be the catalyst...

 

There have already been extra-judicial killings of individuals well reported in the press. Time will tell if there are enough brave young Thais around to bring about real change.The velvet glove already has an iron fist inside.

[JAG]

1 hour ago, champers said:

There have already been extra-judicial killings of individuals well reported in the press. Time will tell if there are enough brave young Thais around to bring about real change.The velvet glove already has an iron fist inside.

Yes it does, but I do suspect that the Thai military is something of a paper tiger. With the exception of a few "trusted" units (with very few conscripts -  but with the new kit) the rest is a pretty ramshackle outfit, which would fold quickly.

 

It's quite interesting to look back at the  footage of the 2010 fracas. There were a surprisingly high number of "grizzled veterans" in the front line - stiffening the mix? Do you remember the two soldiers (snipers) who ended up on trial (I don't remember if it ever came to anything), they were very senior NCOs from a tank regiment based away from Bangkok. Not your typical run of the mill conscripts.

Edited July 16, 2017 by JAG

[esprit]

4 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

There is something seriously wrong with a country that jails people for sharing a BBC article which merely reported historical facts, and they laughably spout about re conciliation, freedom and democracy  

Nothing wrong with the country.  Just the despicable people who control it.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, champers said:

There have already been extra-judicial killings of individuals well reported in the press. Time will tell if there are enough brave young Thais around to bring about real change.The velvet glove already has an iron fist inside.

 

I just Googled "extra-judicial killings in Thailand since 2014". All the comes it is mainly still referencing the 2500 plus murdered during the war on drugs.

 

Can you please provide links to the reports / references you quote that were "well reported in the press". 

 

Thanks in advance. 

[champers]

12 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

I just Googled "extra-judicial killings in Thailand since 2014". All the comes it is mainly still referencing the 2500 plus murdered during the war on drugs.

 

Can you please provide links to the reports / references you quote that were "well reported in the press". 

 

Thanks in advance. 

This year there was an activist shot in his home village on the pretext of him being a drug dealer. It was well reported.https://www.google.co.th/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/03/20/thailand-investigate-army-killing-teenage-activist&ved=0ahUKEwjHpouzmo3VAhVK2LwKHQEMDAUQFggbMAA&usg=AFQjCNGVqG_0efixnrAF86NWCaLxNOp6lg

Edited July 16, 2017 by champers

[Baerboxer]

31 minutes ago, JAG said:

Yes it does, but I do suspect that the Thai military is something of a paper tiger. With the exception of a few "trusted" units (with very few conscripts -  but with the new kit) the rest is a pretty ramshackle outfit, which would fold quickly.

 

It's quite interesting to look back at the  footage of the 2010 fracas. There were a surprisingly high number of "grizzled veterans" in the front line - stiffening the mix? Do you remember the two soldiers (snipers) who ended up on trial (I don't remember if it ever came to anything), they were very senior NCOs from a tank regiment based away from Bangkok. Not your typical run of the mill conscripts.

 

All organizations here, and the military is no different, are based on patronages, feudal hierarchical systems based on mechanistic control. Privilege, age, family, connections, even school, university and academy class mate loyalties are all interwoven into the very fabric. It's part of the Thai DNA and has automatic to them as any trained in muscle memory or developed skill.

 

Conscripts don't fit into that framework easily. Some maybe but the rest are, form what I've seen and been told, are just lackeys and laborers for the others. Those that seek out a professional military career are a different kettle of fish altogether. 

[Smarter Than You]

9 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

I just Googled "extra-judicial killings in Thailand since 2014". All the comes it is mainly still referencing the 2500 plus murdered during the war on drugs.

 

Can you please provide links to the reports / references you quote that were "well reported in the press". 

 

Thanks in advance. 

Urban Legend.

 

https://www.google.co.th/?client=safari&channel=mac_bm&gws_rd=cr&ei=2AtrWYPqBIn-8gXNoa2IAg#channel=mac_bm&q=2275+where+did+this+number+come+from+bangkokpundit

[onthesoi]

5 minutes ago, Smarter Than You said:

Urban Legend.

 

https://www.google.co.th/?client=safari&channel=mac_bm&gws_rd=cr&ei=2AtrWYPqBIn-8gXNoa2IAg#channel=mac_bm&q=2275+where+did+this+number+come+from+bangkokpundit

Nonsense post as usual.

[Smarter Than You]

2 minutes ago, onthesoi said:

Nonsense post as usual.

Which part is nonsense?

None of it!

 

What do you think of the Junta's actions regarding Pai Dao Din?

 

 

[Smarter Than You]

13 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

All organizations here, and the military is no different, are based on patronages, feudal hierarchical systems based on mechanistic control. Privilege, age, family, connections, even school, university and academy class mate loyalties are all interwoven into the very fabric. It's part of the Thai DNA and has automatic to them as any trained in muscle memory or developed skill.

 

Conscripts don't fit into that framework easily. Some maybe but the rest are, form what I've seen and been told, are just lackeys and laborers for the others. Those that seek out a professional military career are a different kettle of fish altogether. 

Can you bring yourself to comment on the Junta's actions towards Pai Dao Din?

[JAG]

2 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

All organizations here, and the military is no different, are based on patronages, feudal hierarchical systems based on mechanistic control. Privilege, age, family, connections, even school, university and academy class mate loyalties are all interwoven into the very fabric. It's part of the Thai DNA and has automatic to them as any trained in muscle memory or developed skill.

 

Conscripts don't fit into that framework easily. Some maybe but the rest are, form what I've seen and been told, are just lackeys and laborers f or the others. Those that seek out a professional military career are a different kettle of fish altogether. 

Absolutely. But those professional military people are inevitably the commanders, at all levels. That means that they are spread very thinly through what is a large army, hence the need to "stiffen the mix".  Fine if you are concentrating on one very specific area and task, but a problem if you need anything like a general mobilisation, especially if the  lackeys and laborers are less than willing. That, together with the chronic shortage of working equipment is what leads me to use the adjective ramshackle.

 

The interwoven (and possibly competing loyalties) which you describe will likely put a further strain on it.

[chainarong]

8 hours ago, JAG said:

I really don't relish the idea, but I am increasingly convinced that this regime will resort to such violence when something happens to make it feel threatened.

 

There are a number of possibilities, student unrest is one of them.

 

Maybe that will be the catalyst...

 

Junta will stop at nothing , even will shoot their grandmother, same same, same, as before , history repeats , hope the military are not given save face conditions , on their next surrender.

[phantomfiddler]

The struggle for freedom and democracy, really ? did the wart from Dubai bring freedom and democracy ? I think not !  Anyone with a brain must see that this situation just does not, and cannot, exist in Thailand at the present time ! What we have right now is the lessor of the two weevils, it being a situation that will hopefully improve once the influence of an incredibly corrupt family ceases to be a major contributor to the instability of this otherwise lovely country.

[Eric Loh]

19 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

The struggle for freedom and democracy, really ? did the wart from Dubai bring freedom and democracy ? I think not !  Anyone with a brain must see that this situation just does not, and cannot, exist in Thailand at the present time ! What we have right now is the lessor of the two weevils, it being a situation that will hopefully improve once the influence of an incredibly corrupt family ceases to be a major contributor to the instability of this otherwise lovely country.

The wart from Dubai only been in politics since 2001. What about the rest of the 16 coups. Are there any more warts that you forgotten to mentioned? It was a lovely country in between the coups with better economics and freedom

of expression. 

[observer90210]

Slippery terrain with big trouble or jail at arrival...

[Smarter Than You]

39 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

The struggle for freedom and democracy, really ? did the wart from Dubai bring freedom and democracy ? I think not !  Anyone with a brain must see that this situation just does not, and cannot, exist in Thailand at the present time ! What we have right now is the lessor of the two weevils, it being a situation that will hopefully improve once the influence of an incredibly corrupt family ceases to be a major contributor to the instability of this otherwise lovely country.

Wow, you've got the whole thing backwards.

How unfortunate.

Edited July 16, 2017 by Smarter Than You