As Thailand gets ready to go to the polls again, a total of 187,950 police and army personnel are set to man 87,824 polling booths countrywide from Sunday through August 19, referendum day, when eligible voters will go to the booths to cast their votes regarding the draft constitution, a senior police officer said Sunday.
Pol. Gen. Vichian Pojposri, acting deputy national police chief, said after presiding at the opening of a peace center for the draft charter that police and army personnel would also provide protection for transporting ballots and ballot boxes in cities and remote areas.
The number of police in the troubled southern provinces – Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat – will be tripled on August 19 to provide protection to election officials and people travelling to the polling booths, said Pol. Gen. Vichian.
Meanwhile, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office Thirapat Serirangsan said he still did not know whether the cabinet would declare August 20 a public holiday.
It would be positive if that day is declared a public holiday as it would be convenient for upcountry people now working in Bangkok to leave for home and exercise their voting rights, said Mr. Thirapat. Link
This is one of the most outrageous things I have ever heard. A military junta takes over the country by force, its hand picks the people to write the new constitution, and now its soldiers and officers will be manning the polling booths while people vote for or against a constitution that it has spent millions of baht propagating.
Where is the outrage? Oh, I see The Nation has written another piece about Thaksin. I wonder if one of those dozens of internatinal NGOs or news organizations will say anything about this? Will any of the foreign embassies make a comment? No.
Joseph Goebbels would be proud.
Thaksin does it again
20 hours ago
4 comments:
I think Fonzi the junta was worried those ex-TRT paymasters and thugs will again revert to their old vote-buying habits . . . pushing Baht 200 and Baht 500 notes to make sure the YES vote wins . . . to guarantee election time again.
Lieutenant Sunisa Lertpakawat's "Thaksin, Where Are You?" book is even more of a hypocrite BS.
The state oppression on both her individual, professional, and journalism right is downright dictatorship. Yet the Nation still thought of her as a culprit instead of victim.
Oh, where was that battle cry about government suppressing the media through wealth and power now?
It would have been hilarious if it had not ruin a woman life...
I really love your insight into Thai politics. Would you be interested in Guest posting on my site or may I repost a few of your articles with full credits to you and your blog?
Oops, forgot the link, my blog is at http://www.bangkokdiaries.com
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