The Nation: The Junta, Immunity and the Election

According to The Nation:

The Council for National Security Friday sent an urgent letter to the Election Commission, telling it to halt an investigation against body on ground that its actions have legal immunity granted by the interim charter.

The EC is investigating whether the CNS has issued a secret order considered by the People Power Party as attempts to prevent it from winning the election.

EC commissioner Sodsri Sattayatham said the CNS reasoned in its urgent letter that the CNS had immunity under the interim charter so its actions could not be taken any legal action against.


Now, read this and this from Bangkok Pundit. And the Thai documents here.

Now, put it together with what coup apologist Thepchai Yong wrote yesterday:

We may quickly summarise the purpose of the[military and police] polls this way:

First, they show that the PPP is a force that is invisible. Second, they show that the State will have to do more if it is to prevent the old power clique - in the form of PPP - from returning to power.

It is going to be the State vs Money in the December 23 election. The State has a vested interest in preventing Thaksin's cronies from returning to power. After all, the military coup was staged last year with the single purpose of ousting Thaksin from power. The military will not cling to power but has promised - and is now fulfilling the pledge - to push the country back to democracy. And the top brass has enjoyed a big reward, as witnessed by a significant rise in the fiscal budget allocated to military spending. Thailand's neighbours should not feel nervous about Thailand's move to increase its military budget. There was a recent news report showing the military will use its hardware for peaceful missions rather than war. A junior military officer flew his helicopter to pick mushrooms for his mother. Tanks will either sit and rust, or be diverted for road construction tasks.

Still, at this point, the military can't afford to allow the PPP to gain power. Such a victory for the old enemy would make a mockery of the coup. So the generals will be sending their people to villages in the PPP power-bases to try to influence the outcome of the election.

They should already have set a goal in their minds about the targets for the election - to make sure PPP is confined to the opposition bloc. This honourable mission will also ensure that the Democrats win a high enough percentage of the vote to form a coalition government with other parties and leave the PPP out in the cold. The Puea Pandin Party is likely to benefit most from this State-backed mission to keep seats from the PPP in the Northeast.

But the State-backed effort to uproot the PPP will face strong resistance in the form of big spending by the famous man in exile in London. Every politician would love to get a piece of the London pie. Some might even get help from State election funds at the same time as they are stuffing money from the "Londoner" into their back pockets. In Thai politics, you never know the true story unless you follow the money trail.

Given this State backing, the Democrats should be able to form the next government. But the honeymoon period will be short-lived. Party politics will be intense. There is the prospect that PPP supporters may rock the boat by resorting to street demonstrations against any new coalition formed by the Democrats.

And with what Chang Noi wrote Monday:

First, to win the "war for the people", the Army must be an exemplary institution which is worthy of the respect and support of the people.

Certainly in recent months the media have carried few or no stories about soldiers engaged in protection rackets, drug dealing, or other misdemeanours. Army radio is currently broadcasting a line which goes like this: the Thai Army is unique amongst the militaries of the world in that it works for the people and is responsible in large part for the country's successful development; this fact has gained acknowledgement all over the world.

Second, the Army must gain the support of other official agencies as allies in this war for the people. Under the conditions created by the coup, Army men have had the opportunity to insert themselves into the workings of government at all levels. The Army must use this position to persuade officials to embrace the view of the current situation outlined above, and to accept the implications for action.

Third, ministries and other bureaucratic agencies must draw up long-terms plans and insist upon following these plans in their day-to-day operations so that politicians who are put in charge of these agencies will not be able to implement the policies they promise to the electorate.

Fourth, as a first stage of regaining popular support, the Army must concentrate on merchants, businessmen, and the middle classes. Programmes with this target have already been launched.

Fifth, the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) units at the regional and the provincial level must play the key role in mobilising people at the grass roots to support the Army. These Isoc units can use the kamnan, village headmen, and other official bodies at the local level as their tools to win the "war for the people". The recent changes, which have converted the kamnan and village headmen back from elective to bureaucratic positions, are consistent with this strategy.

Ideally the provincial Isoc units should take control of issues like drugs, illegal migration, terrorism, poverty eradication, drought and flood relief so that these policies are more efficient and help win popular support. To ensure success, Army officers need to be better educated and more politically aware so that they are more effective leaders. Demobbed soldiers should be organised to supplement the serving troops, given that the military budget is still insufficient.

Sixth, if these plans are made known to the public, there is a risk that the Army will be accused of digging up the past and reviving dictatorship. Hence, these plans must be implemented using a softly-softly approach, and winning the support of strategic allies at every point.

And now, read the junta's spin in The Nation today:

CNS calls for second opinion


The Council for National Security yesterday petitioned the Election Commission seeking a review after its fact-finding committee concluded that the junta had acted with bias ahead of next month's general election.

Just trust us, they say:

Surayud said he would wait for the EC to rule on the matter before deciding his next move.

He said he had not discussed the issue with Deputy Prime Minister Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who was the chief of the junta that deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra last September.

The government and the armed forces, particularly the Special Warfare Command, which is considered close to Sonthi, remained firm on their neutral stand although some civilians or soldiers might have strayed to get involved in politics, Surayud said, adding that he was trying to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

"I think Army chief General Anupong Paochinda made it sufficiently clear in his recent interview about keeping the military out of politics," he said.

Sonthi said he would not worry if he lost his job as chairman of the government-appointed committee in charge of fighting money politics. Many see his committee as a vehicle to counter the PPP.

"I will leave it to the prime minister to decide my fate," he said.

He said he knew in his heart that he was neutral but his responsibility for security affairs might require of him what anyone in his position would do.

Basically, the junta wants carte blanche to do whatever it wants under the guise of sovereign immunity and amnesty, and they think they can get away with meddling in the election if they issue enough non-denial denials and sink their conspiracy in the bowls of the bureaucracy.

The Nation: Will Surayud Remove Sonthi?

PM: Sonthi may be removed as chairman of anti-vote buying panel

The Nation

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Thursday that Deputy Prime Minister Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin would be removed as chairman of the national committee to fight vote buying if the Election Commission rules that the Council for National Security is biased against the People Power Party.

Surayud said he was awaiting a ruling of the EC before making a decision on Sonthi's chairmanship of the anti-vote buying committee.

The PPP has filed complaint with the EC that the CNS, when headed by then army chief Sonthi, had issued a confidential document, instructing the Army to pick on the PPP to try to prevent it from winning the upcoming election.

Surayud said the government would handle the issue with impartiality.


Now, here is an article in the Bangkok Post which says that the CNS is guilty:


EC cites CNS for ordering suppression of its opponents

MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

The investigation committee of the Election Commission (EC) ruled the Council for National Security (CNS) had failed to be neutral by issuing an order in a classified document to suppress its opponents. Copies of the document ended up in the hands of the People Power party which counted itself as the target of the suppression order.


It was a close vote:

A source on the committee said the majority cited Article 57 of the election law, which prohibits any government officials from abusing authority to unfairly treat any candidate, and Article 74 of the 2007 constitution, which requires government officials to remain impartial of politics.

The minority did not think the CNS was in the wrong. They cited Article 309 of the 2007 constitution, which legitimises any actions under the interim charter carried out before the present constitution. This included the CNS instruction.

They felt the order was a ''follow-up mission'' of the Sept 19, 2006 coup which the CNS engineered.

If those idiots on the minority of the EC use this logic for the rest of the election season, we are in for some interesting rulings.

Bangkok Post: General Sonthi Doesn't Rule Out Coup If He Doesn't Like the Results of the Election

Sonthi plays coup card

Bangkok Post

Coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratkalin refused to rule out staging another coup d'etat if the People Power party (PPP) loyal to ex-premier Thaksin Shinwatra wins the election on December 23.

"It is a future matter that we shall have to wait and see," Deputy Prime Minister Sonthi said when he was asked whether a coup will be staged if PPP gets to form a new government.

The military's definition of Thai democracy: Throw a coup when you don't get the politicians you like into power.

New York Times/BBC: Burmese Revolution

Seth Mydans

New York Times

BANGKOK, Sept. 24 — Myanmar’s military junta issued its first warning on Monday after a month of widening antigovernment demonstrations, saying it was prepared to crack down on the Buddhist monks who are at the heart of the protests.

Speaking on state television, the junta’s minister of religious affairs told senior Buddhist clerics to rein in the tens of thousands of monks who have marched through several cities in recent days.

If not, said the minister, Brig. Gen. Thura Myint Maung, unspecified action would be taken against the monks “according to the law.”

He said the protesting monks had been instigated by the junta’s domestic and foreign enemies, the same accusation that had previously been made against members of the political opposition. Any action against the monks would be extremely risky for the government because of the reverence in which they are held in Myanmar, a Buddhist nation. The warning came at the end of a day when protesters filled the streets in greater numbers than ever, pushing their confrontation with the military government toward an unpredictable and possibly dangerous outcome.

Continued


Here is The Nation's hypocritical Editorial on Burma

EDITORIAL

Burma needs the world's help

The Nation

The UN Security Council must intervene now before the protests in Rangoon end up in bloodshed Published on September 25, 2007

Peaceful demonstrations against the Burmese military junta have been held daily for the past month. In the past week, thousands of Buddhist monks have taken to the streets in the former capital and commercial centre of Rangoon and other cities around the country. They have vowed to continue to express their discontent with their repressive military rulers. Few people expected that the demonstrations in mid-August against a dramatic rise in oil prices would escalate into the current full-blown mass demonstrations led by Buddhist monks.

The international community must not let the Burmese people down this time. They have endured brutal repression over the past 19 years and have shown their resolve and demonstrated that they want change, not only in their everyday lives, but also in the country's political, economic and social spheres as well. Students who were active in the pro-democracy movement two decades ago, many of whom were arrested and tortured, are rejoining the demonstrations with high hopes. Now Buddhist monks around the country are taking over the leadership of the anti-government protest.

Continued


The Nation really has some balls.

It supports, condones and propagates for a military dictatorship at home while condemning a junta in a neighboring country.

I have no doubt it my mind that if Thaksin supporters hit the street and threatened the military regime, The Nation would be at the front of the line in support of the junta eliminating the Thaksinistas. After all, The Nation, notably Sopon, has been crying about the failures of the junta in ridding the country of all Thaksin elements, as if they were rats who needed to be exterminated.

Now, The Nation wants the UN to intervene in Burmese politics. Imagine if the UN had sided with Thaksin and against the junta, The Nation would launch such a right-wing nationalist propaganda campaign against foreign interference that it would make your head spin.

But in The Nation's deluded world, a military junta in Thailand is good, but a military junta in Burma is bad. How it gets away with this hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me.


Jotman has been actively blogging about Burma lately. Check it out here.

Bangkok Pundit has also been actively blogging on Burma here and here.

Siam Sentinel here and here

Shawn Crispin has done some reporting on Burma and the internet here.

Follow the Asia Sentinel's report here and here.

Irrawaddy is doing some comprehensive reporting here.


New Mandala on Burma here, here, here , here , here, here, here



These are my thoughts, which generally are aligned with the posts at Bangkok Pundit.

At the government level, I think the Thai government prefers the status quo.

If Burma descended into civil war, the Thai government would be in a precarious situation. It is not prepared for a refugee problem on the borders with Burma. It is not prepared for a backlash in Thailand, public opinion wise, if Burmese monks are killed by the military. It is not prepared for the economic instability that will be caused by a civil war in Burma or a Burma that becomes a stable democratic republic that quickly liberalizes its economy. And it is not prepared to deal with China(the Burmese junta's chief patron), which might pressure Thailand into doing its bidding.

Lastly, in the short-term, it may have repercussions for Thai politics, because of the Thai military's close business relationship with the Burmese military e. g. Chavalit(a general with concessions in Burma who might become part of a winning coalition after the next election), Surayud(who took a hard line against Burma as army chief while Thaksin took a softer approach because of business connections with the junta) and General Sonthi (who will become deputy PM in charge of national security, still retains the title of junta chief, and has cozy relations with the Burmese junta.)

The Economist: No Such Thing as a Good Coup

The long march back to the barracks

Aug 23rd 2007

From The Economist print edition

There may be such a thing as a good coup; Thailand's was certainly not one

FROM Pakistan to Fiji, from Bangladesh to Thailand, the men in green are finding what they should have known all along: that it is far easier for soldiers to topple an elected government than to manage their own exit from the front of the political stage. Many generals, however, never learn that lesson. What is surprising in Thailand, which on August 19th held a referendum designed to smooth their exit (see article), is that so many of the country's elite cheered them on when they staged their coup a year ago. Critics of the coup—such as this newspaper—were denounced for misunderstanding both the depth of the evil of Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister they deposed, and the wonders of Thailand itself.

We had no fondness for Mr Thaksin: the human-rights abuses perpetrated by the security forces on his watch were deplorable and some of his nationalist economic policies were loopy. But he had a mandate. His Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party won 375 of the 500 lower-house seats in the last valid election, in 2005. Democracy produces some nasty leaders. But that is no reason for ditching it. Even the best-intentioned coups leave an ugly mess, such as that now facing Thailand.

----

In May a constitutional tribunal created by the junta found the TRT guilty of electoral fraud and dissolved it. But the charter-drafters wanted to make it harder for any other dominant majority party to emerge in future. For that reason, the new constitution tweaks the voting system in favour of smaller parties. This is ironic: the whole point of Thailand's last democratic constitution, passed in 1997, was to free the country from the cycle of weak and unstable coalitions and frequent coups. The danger is now that the charter will succeed too well and Thailand will be back to weak governments.

This would suit the military-royalist elite. They could go back to running the country from behind the scenes. But there is a risk of stagnation. Thailand's economy is already growing slower than its neighbours' in part because of the continuing political uncertainty. A fractious coalition government, or one run by bumbling generals, might make things worse.

Read the rest here


If you want to read some great comedy, go over and read the reaction over at The Nation.

Korbsak Sabavasu, recipient of General Saprang's propaganda slush fund money, seems to still have his panties in a bunch about Thaksin hiring American lobbyists.

The rest are upset because The Economist refuses to believe The Nation's unsubstantiated propaganda about Thaksin.

Of course, I am not allowed to comment, because The Nation has made me persona non grata over there and eliminates my blog account every time I make a comment, which demonstrates that The Nation believes in free speech only for itself and its ideological allies.

Bangkok Post: Those Wacky, Wacky Thai Generals

NEXT ARMY CHIEF

WASSANA NANUAM

Defence Minister Gen Boonrawd Somtas yesterday denied there were any divisions among the three candidates for the army's top post, saying the upcoming military reshuffle was likely being exploited to stir up political turmoil.

His comments followed rumours that assistant army chief Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr was plotting a coup to prevent his junior Gen Anupong Paochinda, also assistant army chief, from being promoted to become army commander.

It was also reported that elements of the old power clique were backing the army chief-of-staff Gen Montri Sangkhasap to take up the top post.

''They don't have conflicts, but it is outside elements. As individuals, they are not divided,'' said Gen Boonrawd.

Gen Saprang had ordered a check on the commanders of some 50 combat units in the central, northern and northeastern regions to gauge his support, said a military source.

Most combat units under supervision of the First Army Region were said to be loyal to Gen Anupong while those in the Second Army Region were reportedly loyal to Gen Sonthi, the source said, adding Gen Saprang appeared to have overwhelming support from the Third Army Region, where he was commander before moving to Bangkok.

According to the source, Third Army commander Lt-Gen Jiradej Kotcharat told his subordinates in a recent meeting that relations between Gen Saprang and Gen Anupong remained strong.

''Both of them understand each other and they are not affected by the rumours,'' said the source.

It was believed that the rumours were spread by the old power group who did not want either of the two men to rise to power, said the source.

Gotta love the selfless Thai generals who are always looking out for the best interests of the country.

General Saprang: Wah, I didn't become chief, Wah, I am going to start another coup because I didn't get my way. Wah, it is all Thaksin's fault that I am so short.

Looking for the right (and loyal) man

The question of who will be the next army commander-in-chief is creating such pressure within the top echelons of the military that rumours are flying of the possibility of another coup


By WASSANA NANUAM

Gen Sonthi has revealed the qualifications of his successor on several occasions. The next army chief must not be tainted by corruption, for example. The general has also said he prefers a ''good man'' over a capable one. Training a good man to become capable at a job was possible; teaching a capable man to be morally good was impossible.

Loyalty to Gen Sonthi would be key. The next army chief would be the one he deems as unconditionally faithful to him. He must be ready to protect him from the wrath or revenge of Mr Thaksin and his supporters if he chooses to retire and live a civilian life away from politics. At the same time, the chosen one must be able to provide him with the necessary support and power base should he decide to enter politics.

How about a general who actually performs his duties by protecting the country from its external enemies instead of meddling in politics?


EDITORIAL

It may or may not be a coincidence that Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and Council for National Security chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin share a common opinion about coups d'etat. When asked by reporters on separate occasions about the possibility of another coup, the two men gave similar answers. The premier said it would depend on whether the government leader strictly observed good governance or not. Gen Sonthi said it would depend on whether the government leader was honest and loyal to the country.

Both answers were blunt and straightforward but troubling, especially at a time when the country is gradually shifting off the yoke of military rule towards democratic rule, with general elections tentatively set for Dec 23. It would be even more disturbing if the same view - that a coup might still be unavoidable -were held by Gen Sonthi's successor in the army and by other top military officers.

Notice that a Thai general never acts because of any legal obligation to protect and defend the constitution. They just do what they want and hell with the law.

Activists, politicians sceptical of Chavalit

Former PM has little to offer, say critics

ANUCHA CHAROENPO AND MANOP THIP-OSOD


'Gen Chavalit claims to represent a chain linking politicians together, but I think it's more of a rusty chain that is ready to snap at any time,'' he said.

The coming together of veteran politicians was ''like putting old wine in a new bottle'', he said. To be a true third choice, a party must be represented by people with a good knowledge of the country's fundamental problems.

What can you say about the Big Jiew? He was a disaster in the nineties, he was disaster as Thaksin's deputy PM, and he is so old and senile now that whatever comes out of his mouth will be a hundred times more buffoonish than before. But, if he makes a come back, I will have a lot of material for this blog.

Asia Sentinel: Thailand’s Constitutional Merry-Go-Round

Daniel Ten Kate

20 August 2007

The country’s 18th charter exposes Thailand's deep political divides


Thailand’s vote Sunday to accept the junta’s constitution highlights the country’s deep regional divide instead of serving as a ringing endorsement of a new dawn for the country’s immature democracy.

The country’s 18th constitution, spawned in the wake of last September’s military coup that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, clears the way for an election at the end of the year that will likely see a party of ex-generals led by retiring coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin attempt to cling to power.

-----


One thing seems clear. Instead of “restoring democracy,” the coup leaders have simply rewritten the rules to favor themselves—an abuse of power akin to that for which they tossed out Thaksin. Now the conflict looks set to continue as various groups struggle for power, and only a few continue to fight for a real democracy.


No doubt


Link

The Junta Crushes the Right of Free Expression forTaxi Drivers

Taxi drivers warned over anti-charter stickers

Wattana Kamchoo, Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation

Interior Minister Aree Wongsearaya yesterday said he had ordered the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Metropolitan Police to investigate taxis that display stickers against the draft constitution.

He said the Interior Ministry was checking the stickers.

He also called on people to inform the ministry, the BMA and police if they knew of vote-buying by groups opposed to the draft constitution ahead of the national referendum on August 19.

Notice all the Gestapo tactics. If this was happening in a European country, there would be international condemnation. In Thailand, business as usual.

"It is not against the law to display stickers, as long as drivers have not been hired to do so by groups who want to reject the draft charter," Aree said.

I don't get this logic. How else are groups supposed to organize politically? Through message osmosis?

However, Prime Minister's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan warned that taxi drivers who display the stickers on their cars might be breaking the Motor Vehicle Act. Thirapat said the Motor Vehicle Act stipulated that a taxi driver cannot display a sticker which may be considered as advertising.

Advertising?

Taxi drivers have been displaying stickers saying, "We take passengers but not the draft constitution", while the government has warned the stickers might be against the referendum law.

Doesn't look like advertising to me.

Cab driver Supong Chanthasane, 33, said he had seen some of his fellow drivers put the stickers in their vehicles and was interested in the wording. "I asked my friend to get one for my car to show that I will reject the draft," he said.

I love Bangkok taxi drivers-- except the ones that have taxis that smell like dirty socks.

He said he did not know it was against the law and, if the police asked him to remove the sticker, he would ask why. "It is my right to show that I will not support the draft. I am not persuading anyone to do the same, I just want to express my view," he said.

Good for him.

However, some taxi drivers said the police had warned them to remove the stickers.

More Gestapo tactics.

I like taxi drivers. They are not idiots, at least many of them. They know a lot about politics, because that is what they hear all day on the radio as they sit in horrible traffic. And, quite frankly, I have heard them make more original and insightful arguments over the years than what I have heard from the high and mighty usual suspects that pontificate on TV.

Bangkok Post: 200,000 Police, Military to Man Polling Booths

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.

Asia Times: The Coup and Succession

ASIA HAND

Toward a less democratic Thailand


By Shawn W Crispin


Money Quotes:

The military's proposed new charter aims to uphold the monarchy strongly and simultaneously to prepare the country for a smooth royal succession - only this time through fortifying the military rather than the establishment of new democratic institutions. King Bhumibol turns 80 on December 5, and the new charter requires the next elected government to implement the monarch's inward-looking "sufficiency economy" concept and provide enough military force, weapons and modern technology to protect the monarchy, national security and interests, and democracy.

Many royalists feared that while in office a politically ambitious Thaksin could have moved to complicate the royal succession, explaining perhaps many of the new charter's provisions giving appointed officials discretionary censure and impeachment power over elected politicians, including the prime minister. Among the military's initial justifications for launching last September's coup were charges that Thaksin was disloyal to the throne - an explosive accusation that protest leaders had articulated during their anti-government rallies. A Thai court this year dropped the military's lese majeste charges against the deposed premier for lack of evidence.

Those concerns could also help to explain some of the illiberal measures in the military-appointed government's proposed national-security legislation, which if enacted would give the army commander more power than the prime minister during - undefined in the bill - times of national crisis. Opposition politicians and pro-democracy groups have protested the bill as a major step backward for democracy and have said it should not be passed until a new democratically elected government is in place.

Thailand's military leaders mobilized royal symbolism when launching last year's bloodless coup, and former TRT politicians are now complaining that the CNS is employing the same tactic in the run-up to the upcoming national referendum on the new charter. Some political analysts believe the CNS would likely interpret a majority "yes" vote at the referendum as a democratic endorsement of both their coup and their 11-month term in power. In turn, they say, the interim government may try to ram through the controversial national-security bill this year, perhaps at a time when the population and news media is distracted by the election campaigns of the new political parties expected to contest the next polls.

The unspoken subtext to all this is that the military is first and foremost loyal to the Thai crown and that the impending royal succession has important implications for political stability, national security and social cohesion. The new draft constitution and the proposed national-security legislation, although not overtly, speak to those concerns. And so long as the generational passing of the crown is still on the horizon, the Thai military will remain visible and highly influential in managing Thailand's new era of less democratic politics.


I wrote about this before. The coup was not just about Thaksin's corruption, but had to with succession also. The old money and aristocratic elite did not want Thaksin and his parevenu Chinese capitalist minions having a say about succession or leading the country during a very sensitive time.

Also, one must remember that Shawn Crispin with Rodney Tasker reported in the Far Eastern Economic Review back in the early 00's that King Bhumibol was not happy about Thaksin's business relationship with the Crown Prince, a story which almost got them arrested and deported.

You can read a short synopsis about it here.

Bangkok Post: Community Radio Broadcasts Interview with Thaksin, Junta Gestapo Agents Pay a Visit

After Thaksin calls, officials drop by

BangkokPost.com


The military junta and the Public Relations Department on Thursday inspected the Confidante community radio station hours after ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra called to talk to listeners on-air. The station then went silent. Council for National Security chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin said that he assigned the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) to find more information on the radio station and report to the CNS.

In the broadcast, which was repeated by the Confidante station just before it went off the air, Mr Thaksin called for an early election, and said people would not tolerate any delays in the election, points he has made in previous interviews overseas.

Bavorn Techa-in, chief of the National Broadcasting Commission which is under the government's PRD, said he was assigned to inspect the station, which is in the northern Bangkok suburbs in Nonthaburi province.

Mr Bavorn said the station had been set up unlawfully. He denied, however, that there was any order to shut down the station.

Mr Bavorn may have been economical with the truth. Other media reports quoted the chief of the PRD as saying he had issued an order to close down the radio station.

Either way, Confidante radio stops airing its program on Thursday afternoon. One report quoted staff as telling the PRD inspectors that broadcasting equipment was broken, and they had to send it out for repairs on Thursday morning.

The inspectors seized a tape recording of the 15-minute call and talk by Mr Thaksin, who phoned the station from London late on Wednesday.

Mr Thaksin called the low-powered community radio station, which can be heard in many parts of Bangkok.

Announcer Chupong Theethuan told the AFP news agency he was "shocked and speechless" when he realised the person on the other line was the ex-premier.

It was the first time Mr Thaksin had spoken to any Thai media since the Sept 19 coup. Mr Thaksin said he believed people would not tolerate any delays in the election.

He told the Council for National Security and the government that they need not worry about him, but instead should use their time to solve problems of the country.

He thanked his supporters and gave them encouragement to go through the problems they faced.

The content of the broadcast was not especially newsworthy. Mr Thaksin said much the same thing in interviews with the foreign media earlier this year.

The ousted premier mentioned buying Manchester City league but refused to give details. He only said it will benefit Thailand if he purchased the Premier League team, without clarifying how.


1997 Constitution

Section 63. No person shall exercise the rights and liberties prescribed in the Constitution to overthrow the democratic regime of government with the King as Head of the State under this Constitution or to acquire the power to rule the country by any means which is not in accordance with the modes provided in this Constitution.


Section 65. A person shall have the right to resist peacefully any act committed for the acquisition of the power to rule the country by a means which is not in accordance with the modes provided in this Constitution.


My stance is that as long as Thaksin has not been indicted, hasn't had his liberties restricted through a legal process, and has not been convicted of a crime, he can do whatever he wants as long as it is within the law.

I don't see any harm in talking to his supporters on the radio. He didn't ask anybody to rise up against the government or tell his supporters to go on murderous rampages in his name.

And these dunderheads who run the government don't seem to get that every time they make a big deal about Thaksin, he becomes a big deal.


Here is more in the Bangkok Post on the same story:


FM station raided and shut down

Thaksin interview on air sparks crackdown

Yuwadee Tunyasiri


Broadcasting regulators yesterday raided and shut down a community radio station which ran an interview with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and threatened to crack down on thousands of illegal community radio stations. The FM 87.75 station was raided and closed down yesterday after the Public Relations Department, the regulator of community radio stations, found that it had no licence to operate.

Department chief Pramoj Rathavinij said yesterday that he ordered drastic measures against the stations which aired comments from Mr Thaksin for national security reasons, adding the department would take this opportunity to deal with around 3,000 illegal community radio stations across the country.

The deposed leader called three radio stations known to be sympathetic to him on Wednesday night.

Besides the FM 87.75 community radio station, he called the FM 92.75 taxi drivers' community radio and the internet radio station run by the Saturday Voice Against Dictatorship website.

Continued


I thought one of the reasons for the coup was that Thaksin was censoring his political opposition.

I guess all the hypocritical Thaksin haters are happy that their beloved junta is now playing from the same play book.


Update:


Two men arrested for running community radio station without license


Two men were arrested Friday for operating 92.75 MHz community radio station without license.

Police and Public Relations Department officials raided the station of the Taxi Drivers Club at 2:30 pm and arrested the house owner, Shinawat Haboonnak and the station director, Phansak Sabu.

The two were charged with operating the station without license.

Police and the PR Department officials took the action after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra called into the programme to talk to his supporters.

Shinawat said the station had stopped broadcast on air for four days because its transmitter broke down. However, the station broadcast through its website, www.shinawatradio.com.


I wonder where are all the free speech and human rights groups. Where is the mainstream media?

Junta agents shut down a community radio station and arrested the operators for interviewing Thaksin. Other stations are on the hit list.

In Chiang Mai, three anti-coup activists were detained by junta agents and taken to a military based for "questioning."

All this is happening and nobody does anything.

But hey, as long as some people can simmer in their hatred for Thaksin, it is OK for the rest of us to suffer under this new seeping totalitarianism.

Bangkok Post: Thai Totalitarianism Coming to Cyberspace

Thailand gets new cyber crime law

By Supichaya Rakbua

Bangkok Post

The chief immediate effect of the new bill will be to outlaw any attempt to get around government censors to access any of the tens of thousands of sites censored for moral or political purposes, or "to damage the country".The government pushed the new law by saying it hopes the bill will provide an effective legal tool to fight cyber crime, including theft of data and chatroom contacts that lead to rape.

The National Legislative Assembly approved the Cyber Crime Bill, which gives officials power to crack down effectively on hacking and internet-related crimes through harsher punishments.

The bill sailed through its third reading on Wednesday by a vote of 119 to 1. It requires royal endorsement before it can be formally enacted into law.

The bill regards as a crime the intention to withhold internet protocol (IP) addresses and violators are subject to severe punishment, according to the NLA special committee assigned to scrutinise the law.

The IP is a unique address used to identify computer users while communicating with others on the network. However, the committee said, "ill-intentioned users" often hide or falsify their computer addresses so that they can easily carry out illegal acts and get away with them.

The committee believed tighter controls on IP addresses would help tackle the root cause of cyber problems.

Penalties apply to all illegal acts using the internet, including those carried out abroad and deemed to "damage the country both directly and indirectly".


I thought this last coup was supposed to bring more democracy and political freedom.

The generals lied, of course, and there won't be any consequences for their lies.

Now, what were the reasons for the coup again?

Here is the rundown of the what has occurred since the "democratic" coup:

Thaksin is free and still has all his money.

Thai Rak Thai party members are free, organizing to be in power again, and still have all their money.

No indictments against anybody for any corruption or malfeasance during the Thaksin years.

More corruption since the coup.

More terrorism since the coup.

No democracy since the coup.

A horrible constitution will replace the 1997 constitution.

The generals are dipping into the state coffers for propaganda purposes.

The generals are dipping into the state coffers for political purposes.

The generals are putting themselves at the helms of state agencies again, interfering in business again, and taking pleasure trips all over the world using the tax payer's money.

The economy has stagnated and by all indicators slowed a lot since the coup.

The generals handpicked legislators have passed laws that are moronic.

The general's policies in the South have led to more violence.

The general's economic policies have caused a lack of confidence in the foreign community.

The generals have nationalized a foreign asset, iTV.

The generals have wages various right-wing nationalist propaganda campaigns to boost their popularity.

The generals have dressed themselves up in yellow and have hidden behind sufficiency theory to justify their horrible performances and idiotic policies.

And now, the "democratic generals" are putting the screws to those in cyber space who oppose their idiocy. Why shouldn't they? The generals already have the Thai broadcast media, the newspapers, and radio stations in their back pocket, so why shouldn't they control the internet also.

But, of course, only Fonzi at his insignificant little blog and a few others are bothering to point any of this out, as Thai totalitarianism continues to roll on without any criticism.

Thai Military: Totalitarianism, Here We Come!

CNS accused of secret army operations

Military denies any wrongdoing

Cache

Bangkok Post

The pro-Thaksin website www.hi-thaksin.org has published an article attacking the Council for National Security (CNS) and exposing what it calls a ''secret budget'' for mobilising mass support for the coupmakers. The unnamed author of the article claims to have received documents detailing a budget and plans to deploy forces of the First Army Region under the command of Prayuth Chan-ocha.

The article claims that the First Army Region plans to monitor and handle ''suspicious activities'' in Bangkok and other central provinces to prevent unrest.

A total of 319.1 million baht has been allocated for the operations, it said.

Some 64.9 million baht is earmarked for Bangkok, with operations in small communities in the capital receiving funding of 35,000 baht, the article claims.

It goes on to say that over 212.3 million baht will be spent in the central provinces, with 13,000 baht to be given to each village and 41.9 million baht set aside for management and other costs.

''The money is a special army budget which the CNS requested from the government. It is for gathering intelligence and pre-empting the efforts of the old power clique,'' the article claimed.

The author said the money was no different than a secret budget, since there are no avenues for it to be scrutinised.

The article also stressed that the money would be used for marshalling mass support for CNS chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, which is an imitation of political canvassing by politicians.

However, Lt-Gen Prayuth shrugged off the claims made on the website. He said he had acted in line with army policy.

Such operations need expenses and allowances to run, he said, adding they were intended to serve communities, not seek political gain.


This article is disturbing on so many different levels.


1. It disturbs me that Hi-Thaksin.org has to do the job of the Thai media. Thai journalists are lazy and incompetent, no doubt, but they should at least verify the story instead of just regurgitating the information of a pro-Thaksin website.

2. The story is probably true, however, because the army didn't deny it.

3. If this story is true, then that means the army is using the taxpayer's money to spy on people who have not committed any crimes or not suspected of committing any crimes.

4. It is using the tax payer's money to bribe people into mobilization in order to do what, exactly?

5. With all the problems in the South, one would think the army would use its money to deal with an actual terrorism problem in the South rather than a potential Thaksin supporter problem that has no signs of materializing.

In other words, the army doesn't do anything to end the violence in the South, yet puts it resources into solving non-violent political problems that are within the bounds of the law.

6. There is also a gestapo element to this whole operation that doesn't sit well with me. Why are Thais in the central region being treated as enemies of the state when they have done nothing wrong?

Asia Times: Thai Military Bank's Capital Problems

ASIA HAND

Thai Military Bank in the line of fire

By Shawn W Crispin

BANGKOK - Soon after Thailand's military seized power last year in a bloodless coup, the Thai Military Bank (TMB) started to bleed cash. Now, the military-affiliated bank's dubious plan to raise US$1 billion in new capital threatens to set off new bouts of political and financial chaos.

TMB - Thailand's fifth-largest bank by assets, which maintains the personal bank accounts of many senior military officials - saw its overall retained losses jump from 44 billion baht (US$1.3 billion) at the end of last September to about 55 billion baht by year's end. The bank announced a 12.3 billion baht financial loss for 2006, a negative-257% swing from the 7.8 billion baht profit turned the previous year. Over the past calendar year, TMB's shares have fallen from about 5 baht to 1.8 baht per share at present.

To cover those losses and expand new lending, TMB unveiled plans this week to raise $1 billion in new capital through a rights issuance and debentures, which if fully subscribed would nearly double the bank's current capitalization. However, the question circulating in Thai banking circles is what foreign investor would possibly subscribe to the offerings in light of the bank's continued poor profitability, weak asset quality and new non-performing-loan risk.

A billion dollars is not chump change.

Last year, many foreign investors were peeved that TMB's management waited to announce the multibillion-baht loss until after it raised 10 billion baht in new capital through a rights issue. That track record will raise red flags with potential overseas investors for the new offering, and if, as many Bangkok-based banking analysts expect, it goes highly undersubscribed, the Ministry of Finance will likely - and because of its current military affiliation, controversially - be called on to use public funds to mop up the excess shares.

Of course the taxpayer will have to pick up the tab for the TMB's poor management and the military's greed and stupidity.

"It's the talk of the town in Thai banking circles," said one managing director of a big foreign bank, who requested anonymity. "And not only because it's the military's bank that is at risk of failing at a time it's in [political] control." It's still unclear whether investor realizations about the true scale of TMB's financial problems could have the same contagion effect that the collapse of a little-known finance company, Finance One, eventually had on the entire banking sector in 1997.

I don't know if I agree with this apocalypse scenario. The possibility exists, however. The thing is that there hasn't been a world-wide correction in a long-time. People seem to forget that the 1997 crisis brought about an overall reevaluation of financial sheets in emerging markets across the board.

At the height of the Asian financial crisis, Thailand's top three privately held commercial banks - Bangkok Bank, Siam Commercial Bank and Thai Farmers Bank (now known as Kasikornbank) - all raised enough capital to clean up their balance sheets substantially and boost their capital-adequacy ratios. The big three also by and large restructured their management and operations, specifically to guard against the profligacy and misjudgment that brought on the banking sector's collective 1997 collapse.

TMB, in comparison, has been a laggard on both fronts. After the crisis, TMB executives had trouble raising new capital in London and New York because of the bank's titular association with the armed forces, a foreign perception it has tried to change through its recent English-language rebranding to "TMB". When TMB finally did raise foreign capital belatedly 2000, it didn't raise nearly enough to deal with the scale of its underlying non-performing-loans problems.

Hopes ran high that TMB's strategic tie-up with Singapore's DBS Bank in 2004 would lead to substantial managerial and operational overhauls, including through a downsizing of staff levels and of its 374 branch network. However, Singapore's top bank only has a 16% minority stake, allowing it just two seats on TMB's board and only marginal managerial control. United Kingdom-based ratings agency Fitch Ratings released a report in January that said the TMB-DBS tie-up "has yet to yield any material improvement in the bank's financial performance, operations or franchise, which remain poor".

TMB looks like it is in big trouble. Why should it reform when the military has it covered?

The military government in effect nationalized Shin Corp subsidiary iTV by revoking its operating concession after the television station refused to pay more than $2 billion in court-ordered fines. Meanwhile, coup leader and TMB board member Sonthi has hinted at possible further asset seizures through public accusations that the Singaporean government has eavesdropped on coup leaders' private conversations through the communications satellites it now controls through its investment in Shin Satellite. And in Thailand's current nationalistic environment, it's highly unlikely that any major Western bank or private-equity outfit would take the chance on a military-affiliated bank.

These generals didn't see that getting revenge against Thaksin and Temsaek would actually have consequences in the real world. Seriously, who trusts the Thai military? Who would give their money to the Thai military?

At the same time, Thailand's central bank has been lenient toward TMB since the coup, allowing it in December to make a controversial coupon payment to shareholders of its so-called hybrid Tier 1 securities despite last year's extraordinary annual losses. Sovereign analysts, on the other hand, are not as forgiving. Fitch Ratings recently downgraded its ratings on TMB's foreign currency Tier 1 capital from "B+" to "B", in expectation that the bank will fail to make interest payments that come due in June. That lack of foreign confidence augurs ill for TMB and, by association, Thailand's military-run government.

This last paragraph is bad news. Basically, TMB will be issuing junk bonds and will hope people will buy them because the Thai generals look cute in their uniforms.

I may be wrong about this, but I thought the Shinawatras and Temasek owned a sizable chunk of Thai Military Bank.

Junta Allededly Using State Money to Hire Cronies to Produce Anti-Thaksin Propaganda

Thaksin supporters targeting CNS again


Bangkok Post


Say vested interests at work in TV campaign


YUWADEE TUNYASIRI & WASSANA NANUAM

Supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra have renewed their attacks on the Council for National Security (CNS), accusing it of having vested interests in the budget allocated for a new public relations campaign. The anti-coup website www.hi-thaksin.org yesterday published an article attacking the CNS for hiring a firm to produce a documentary highlighting the reasons for staging the Sept 19 coup that ousted the Thaksin government.

The writer of the article, using the pen name ''Pradab'', produced copies of a four-page official memo by the CNS' public relations office seeking 2.25 million baht to create the documentary to be aired on a television programme, ''Tomorrow Must Be Better''.

Assistant army chief and key CNS member Gen Anupong Paochinda approved the memo, submitted on Jan 31 this year, according to the writer.

According to the memo, the documentary would contain 75 segments, each two minutes long. Each segment would cost 30,000 baht to produce.

The author queried the hiring of a private firm to make the programme, saying it was unnecessary for the army to outsource as it had Channel 5 to do the job.

The CNS was only trying to find an excuse to hire a certain private firm with close ties to it, the author said.

The article said airtime fees were not explained in the memo, indicating a possible attempt to cover up the real cost of production.

The writer said it was a waste of state money to run such a television programme, and suspected that the job of producing the documentary might be given to Chianchuang Kalayanamitr, a younger brother of assistant army chief Gen Saprang, who is deputy secretary-general of the CNS.

The CNS was earlier taken to task over the 12 million baht PR contract it granted to a team led by Mr Chianchuang.

The CNS denied any hidden agenda and maintained that it was possible to produce the documentary at a very cheap price, including the airtime fee.

Assistant army-chief-of-staff Jariya Thongthap, head of the CNS' public relations centre, said the Chianchuang team had nothing to do with running the programme.

''We have hired a small public relations team which is professional to handle the programme. We have to accept that we, soldiers, have no ability to do it,'' he said. Lt-Gen Jariya refused to identify the team.

He believed the person who handed the official memo to CNS opponents was the same person who earlier leaked the Chianchuang contract to the public.


The junta has control over all state media. It has the newspapers and Thai academics in its pocket. The Nation pumps the airwaves with its anti-Thaksin propaganda everyday. TiTV is now a mouthpiece for the junta. So why does it keep going to independent producers to produce anti-Thaksin propaganda?

Juntacracy in Action: Police Tell Rural Folks to Stay Upcountry After Songkran

Police 'ask' rural folks to stay up-country

By Wassayos Ngamkham

Bangkok Post

Political tension is expected to escalate after the Songkran holiday ends today, as a number of anti-government groups based in the provinces are reportedly preparing to stage mass protests in Bangkok. At Sanam Luang, a merit-making ceremony sponsored by the government, is to be held from today until Sunday. Officers hope people in the provinces will refrain from travelling to Bangkok to join political protests.

Deputy national police chief Wichian Potphosri said mass demonstrations in the capital could lead to public disturbances which could get out of hand.

The Interior Ministry would be largely responsible for blocking protesters in the provinces from joining mass demonstrations in Bangkok, Pol Gen Wichian said.

Police would work with provincial governors and the Internal Security Operations Command to persuade those groups and their supporters to stay in their home provinces, said Pol Gen Wichian.

He said some protesters would likely try to enter Bangkok in the guise of holidaymakers returning to the capital from the provinces.

Security measures would be beefed up at Sanam Luang, he said.

Organisers of any public gathering must first seek permission from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to use the public ground at Sanam Luang, Pol Gen Wichian said.

Such requests would be considered on a case-by-case basis in view of the fact Sanam Luang has already been booked for the merit-making ceremony sponsored by the government, he said.

Rally organisers with good records of compliance with the BMA's regulations would likely be granted permission first, he added.

Deputy governor Vallop Suwandee said almost the entire area of Sanam Luang is reserved for the merit-making ceremony.


I don't know whether to laugh or cry. The juntacrats keep finding creative ways to prevent protesters from politically expressing themselves at Sanam Luang.

Maybe the army should declare the entire South a merit making zone to keep the terrorists from attacking people also.

Also, I think it is interesting that a junta that came to power under the guise of "restoring real democracy" really takes a lot of time censoring the internet, controlling the broadcast media, limiting political freedom in the new constitution, buying off academics, politicians and journalists, and keeping rural folk from coming to Bangkok to peacefully assemble at Sanam Luang. Of course, my hypocritical detractors will say that we need to kill democracy(at least for the majority of people who are pro-Thaksin and anti-junta) in order to save it.

The Bangkok Post's Scathing Editorial Against Coup Makers and Their Paid Backers

Editorial

The Bangkok Post

Virtue never can be bought

For a regime that promised transparency and accountability, the ruling Council for National Security (CNS) has showed little of either. Like a dentist pulling teeth, the media and citizens' groups have slowly been prying out details on some very questionable operations. Far from coming clean even when found out, the military has sought refuge in the cover-up. More troubling is its recent reflex of raw intimidation. Even the government has been used to issue threats to silence those who want authorities to live up to their six-month-old promise of openness.

The latest questionable project unearthed is a planned propaganda campaign against the deposed Thaksin Shinawatra regime. The documents first surfaced on a Thaksin-friendly website, but quickly were copied and under close scrutiny on Bangkok-based Internet chatrooms.

The CNS went through the tiring ritual of an embarrassed junta unable to keep its own secrets. First came denial; the papers were a forgery. Then came anger; someone must pay for stealing secret documents, and websites hosting discussions might have to be closed.

Then came PR management attempts; the papers were just normal routine for a new regime worried about a Thaksin comeback.

It now is clear that the documents, stolen or not, are authentic. They detail a shocking effort to secretly use 12 million baht to buy or rent some of the country's most influential voices in a partisan political campaign manipulated by the military. They claim to have lined up several leading politicians and academics to attack Thai Rak Thai and the Thaksin circle _ not out of conviction that it was best for the country, but for a share of the 12 million baht. One is torn between what is the sadder military claim: That influential voices can be bought, or that they can be bought so cheaply.

At the centre of the purloined papers is a familiar figure: CNS Assistant Army chief and CNS deputy secretary-general Saprang Kalayanamitr. Just over a month ago, Gen Saprang was on the front pages after his seven-million-baht European tour. Unsurprisingly, neither he, his superiors nor the military-appointed government have accounted for that trip. Now, Gen Saprang's younger brother Chianchuang has turned up as the head of the secret, 12-million-baht propaganda effort.

Secretariat director Gen Somjet Boonthanom, who keeps the CNS budget and signs the expense vouchers, says 12 million baht isn't much. He has a point that Mr Thaksin's populist policies cost more. Of course, a regime that has to purchase simulated support probably cannot survive for long anyhow.

But he is wrong in his claim: 12 million secret baht to purchase influence is a huge amount. And there is much about the overall plan that is still unknown, let alone the details. Leaked documents, for example, claim that the military felt it could buy off ''third parties including local and international media networks, both publicly and secretly''.

Perhaps they could, perhaps not.

The propaganda plan, now in tatters, was exposed and ridiculed in the exact media that the military planned to subvert. But while Thai newspapers and many websites have uncovered the basic plan, it should be noted that the CNS also was specifically targetting broadcast media as an outlet for their information campaign against Mr Thaksin and his cronies. That branch of media remains under military control that is tighter than at any time in the past 15 years.

Academics and the leading opposition parties who were supposedly to be the front men for the military propaganda also have been mostly silent in the wake of accusations that their opinions and influence were for sale, and for a low price at that.

CNS statements to the contrary, conceiving and launching this disinformation campaign was worse than stealing and publicising it.

The government and the military are expected to publicise their achievements, and to criticise opponents. The media and country would welcome any such information. It is unacceptable that the CNS would hire cronies and insiders with taxpayer money. But then, a virtuous regime would never have to resort to purchasing support.

Looks like The Bangkok Post didn't pick up any checks. But I wonder about The Nation. Even though it was has been critical of Surayud, it hasn't criticized the junta that much, especially Generals Sonthi and Saparang, and there is no doubt that The Nation has been vociferously anti-Thaksin. As for the corruption allegations against the junta, it only reports whatever PTV discovers, ironically Also, since the coup, Suthichai and Thongchai have become ubiquitous on Thai TV. Personally, I think they have been "rewarded" for their loyalty to their junta, but that is only my opinion.

As for the other "journalists" and "academics," it doesn't surprise me that they sold their opinions in exchange for money from the junta. Most Thai journalists and academics don't have any integrity to begin with.

But to be fair, I hope that The Bangkok Post would have the decency to actually interview these people who were allegedly bought off. They should be given the opportunity to issue denials.


Kudos to Bangkok Pundit for his blogging on this topic. He really has done an excellent job.

The Nation's Political Desk Gives Public Relations Advice to their Beloved Junta

Web War of Words

Council for National Security fumbles as Thaksin makes a comeback in cyberspace

The Nation


There is only one thing they have in common: their eagerness to appear loyal to His Majesty the King. The surface is clear. But like every public relations drive, the devil hides in the details.

There are two opposing forces. In one corner are supporters of the Council for National Security (CNS), the fancy name the junta gave itself after toying with a number of labels that included the words "democracy" and "constitutional monarchy".

Packaging itself for public consumption has never been the junta's strong point. And in a time of political crisis - when faith and support for the CNS is on the downturn - the junta needs, perhaps more than ever, to find a spin machine that can hit back at its critics with finesse and sophistication.

But it won't be easy, because in the other corner stands the pro-Thaksin camp, waiting to bitch-slap every little thing the junta and the government puts out.

They came up with pictures of the ousted premier, his video clips, music videos and news links for other "useful" sites. They've also turned to blogs.

Tit for tat, a spitting contest - call it whatever you want - but the junta is losing out in this war being played out on the computer screens of the 10 million Internet users in the country.

And the more the government blocks the sites, the quicker new ones pop up - with the same damning message. What was once "thaksin.net" quickly became "thaksin.org". The pro-Thaksin camp works swiftly.

To be fair to the CNS, it would not be realistic to expect the junta to grasp the enormous challenges of the age of PR.

Continued


The Nation fascinates me. It openly gives public relations advice to a military junta. The Nation is so utterly shameless that it boggles my mind.

Where else in the world would a so-called called progressive newspaper be allowed to do this and get away with it?

The Nation is like the Fox News of Thailand, but only worse, because even though Fox roots for the the Republican agenda, it doesn't actually tell the Bush administration how to do PR.

Also, Fox doesn't give the Bush administration advice on how to destroy the Democratic Party.

The Nation editorial staff, on the other hand, speaks out as if it is taking hand outs from the junta's not so secret propaganda slush fund.

Who's Who of Political Insiders and Academics on Junta's Payroll

Saprang's cousin given PR work 'because of experience'

The Nation


The cousin of a key junta figure was chosen to head a Bt12-million government public relations campaign because "he is a professional and experienced at PR," Council for National Security (CNS) spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.

Chianchuang Kalayanamitr is a cousin of CNS deputy secretary-general Saprang. Sansern said the CNS could bargain with Chianchuang also because his was well-known to them. "We were able to reduce the budget from Bt25 million to Bt12 million because we could negotiate the hire," he said, after a CNS meeting yesterday.

The anti-coup website www.hi-thaksin.org claimed yesterday that several well-known politicians were part of the Bt12-million PR team. It reported earlier this week that a team led by Chianchuang had been hired for the PR campaign. The documents were signed by CNS chairman Sonthi Boonyaratglin on Feb 4.

Chianchuang has admitted taking the the work, but denied it had anything to do with Saprang.

The military, meanwhile, were trying to find the person who leaked the information, claiming the leak was a violation of the law, as the document was highly confidential.

The hi-Thaksin website has continued attacking the CNS, hinting on Monday they had more information on Chianchuang's team. Yesterday, it had a report titled "Disclosure of the Chianchuang Gangsters".

It claimed there are over 100 PR staff members. Most are academics and politicians critical of the Thaksin government, including former Chat Pattana party leader Korn Dabbaransi, Democrats Korn Chatikavanij, Alongkorn Palabutr and Korbsak Sabavasu, Prapat Panya-chatraksa, a key Thai Rak Thai member who moved to the Chat Thai party, plus ex-senator Kraisak Choonhavan. Academics included Wuttipong Piebjriya-wat, Sophon Supapong, Narong Phet-prasert, Somkiat Osotspa.However, Sophon denied he had anything to do with the project.

Wow, what a list of people on the junta's payroll.

I'm a little surprised how cheaply they sold their souls for.

But this list accurately reflects the chorus of voices the last six months that have been outspoken against Thaksin and pro-junta.

Bangkok Post: CNS Wants to Punish Leaker of their Propaganda Slush Fund

CNS hunts for people behind leak

PR project papers were classified

Bangkok Post

WASSANA NANUAM

The Council for National Security (CNS), which has been criticised over a 12-million-baht budget for public relations given to a younger brother of a key member, is trying to nail the source of the leak of the classified information to the public.

CNS vice-chairman and air force commander-in-chief ACM Chalit Pukpasuk said yesterday that anyone who had released the information would be considered to have violated the law, because it was highly confidential.

ACM Chalit denied any knowledge of the reported spending but said public relations campaigns were normal activities of any state agencies, and spending for this purpose was legitimate.

Chalit: Spending on PR is legitimate

The CNS hired a team led by Chianchuang Kalayanamitr to take responsibility for the public relations campaign.

Mr Chianchuang is a younger brother of assistant army chief Gen Saprang, who is secretary-general to the CNS.

Continued


The absurdity never ends. If this is normal behavior of a government agency, why keep it a secret?

Also, it looks like General Saprang is cashing in, the guy who considered himself the savior of the country.

He spent $175,000 on a week long trip to Europe for him and his cronies, and now his brother gets 12 million, roughly $330,000, for a secret propaganda campaign against Thaksin, which apparently hasn't worked at all.

The propaganda campaign may have not stopped Thaksin, but General Saprang has done a fairly good job of silencing the media in relation to the problems at the airport ever since he took over at AOT.