Abhisit: PM must take rap if remarks go too far
MANOP THIP-OSOD & WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM
Bangkok Post
Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday hit back at PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair over the translation of his controversial speech on the patronage system.
The opposition leader also warned that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej must be held responsible if any remarks about the royal institution are allowed to go too far.
''Mr Samak, as prime minister, must take responsibility for any possible damage,'' Mr Abhisit said.
''The Democrat party has done its part and won't allow the situation to get out of hand.''
Where is the bloody danger?
The reaction came after Mr Jakrapob on Monday accused Mr Abhisit and the Democrat party of trying to ruin his reputation by intentionally ''mistranslating'' his speech delivered at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) in August last year.
In a televised broadcast, Mr Abhisit yesterday slammed Mr Jakrapob for trying to make the issue a personal matter between them.
''The press conference by Mr Jakrapob was meant as a digression from what he has said and done and to make it look like a dispute with me, but it is actually not so.
''This is a bigger issue, going far beyond a dispute between parties or between individuals,'' Mr Abhisit said.
He denied Mr Jakrapob's allegations that the Democrats tried to involve the royal institution in politics.
Abhisit says that he didn't involve "the institution" in politics.
Mr Abhisit said the issue was highly sensitive but that he felt the need to clarify it.
According to Mr Abhisit, Mr Jakrapob's press conference on Monday confirmed the party's view that the minister's attitude was a danger to the constitutional monarchy and that he was no longer suited for the ministerial job.
But now he says that Jakrapob should lose his job for not being monarchically correct. I wish Comrade Abhisit could explain how an attitude is a threat to the monarchy. The notion that an attitude could pose a threat to the king is so hysterically stupid that it could be considered lese majeste. Is the monarchy so weak that people's thoughts can place it in moral danger?
In his analysis of Mr Jakrapob's speech, he said it did not mention anything about a system governed by khun nang (the nobility) and the feudal system. The speech pressed for changes, he said.
According to Mr Abhisit, at one point in his speech Mr Jakrapob mentioned that supporters of the 2007 charter were people who wore yellow shirts.
''I would like to ask him if yellow shirts are the symbol of khun nang and feudalism,'' he said.
No, not a symbol of khun nang and feudalism, but rather a sign of a cult of personality that is out of control.
The Democrat leader reiterated that the translation of the speech into Thai made by Mr Jakrapob was problematic.
The Democrat leader said that while Mr Jakrapob accused his party of mistranslating the speech, the minister failed to pinpoint the parts he claimed were distorted.
The opposition leader said the problem did not originate from the Democrat party.
No, but the Democrats are exploiting this BS for all its worth.
Things began in March when Pol Maj Wattanasak Mungkitkandi, of Bang Mod police station, lodged a complaint against Mr Jakrapob, accusing him of lese majeste in his talk at the FCCT.
The Democrat party also played parts of a video clip featuring Mr Jakrapob taking a question at the FCCT.
Mr Jakrapob's remarks were made shortly after his release from prison. He was among nine leaders of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship arrested in connection with a clash with police following a rally outside the residence of Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda.
Two weeks ago, Mr Abhisit submitted the Democrats' translation to Mr Samak, pushing for Mr Jakrapob to be removed from the cabinet.
Another example of the non-interfering Democrats exploiting the monarchy to gain political points. I guess Abhisit wants to prove his love for the institution is bigger than the PPP's love for the institution.
Mr Jakrapob said the Thai translations by Pol Maj Wattanasak and the Democrats contained misleading terms and incorrect meanings.
Democrat executive Sirichok Sopha, who translated the Democrat party's version of Mr Jakrapob's speech, accused the minister of trying to confuse the public by failing to specifically point to the sentences which were translated differently and caused him damage.
Meanwhile, a team of police investigators from the Crime Suppression Division went to the FCCT on Ploenchit road to gather evidence and question staff and people who were present during the speech by Mr Jakrapob.
The investigators also asked language experts at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of arts to translate the speech into Thai.
A police source said police wanted to get hold of three Thai translations of the speech _ the one made by Mr Jakrapob, one from the Royal Thai Police Office's foreign affairs division, and the one from the language experts.
For the version to be prepared by the language experts, political science scholars will also be asked to give advice on the political meanings of the language used in the speech, the source said.
Police will consider whether to take legal action against Mr Jakrapob based on evidence including the three Thai translations, said the source.
For Buddha's sake, now you have the police, language professors, and political scientists now interpreting that stupid speech.
Thailand has become a combination of Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany to the extent that harmless speeches are now interpreted for their monarchical correctness.
Next thing you know Jakrapob will be forced to confess his counter revolutionary ideas, swear allegiance to the fearless leader, then put a bullet in his head to show remorse.
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