Asian values and freedom of speech; latest in Thaksin saga

Lest gentle readers assumed that Western practices of freedom of speech were followed in Asia merely because Asian leaders said so, here's the latest dummy-spit in the Thaksin saga. The Singaporean government (you know, the one where Dear Leader Lee eventually followed Great Leader Lee into the prime ministership, and where government politicians' main source of income comes from damages awarded in libel trials by compliant judges hearing complaints against opposition politicians) hosted a "private" visit by former Thai PM Thaksin and , shock horror, didn't prevent Thaksin from criticizing the King's inept buddies who constitute the military-installed government

Thailand suspends all-high level meetings with Singapore
BANGKOK: -- Thailand Tuesday decided to suspend indefinitely all high level meetings including the planned summit later this year and a ministerial dialogue next month with Singapore as a result of the island's insensitivity to Thailand's political development. Krit Garnjanagoonchorn, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Tuesday summoned Singapore ambassador Peter Chan to lodge Thailand's protest of Singapore's action and Thaksin's interview on the island, which he used to attack the current government. "We want to show our dissatisfaction," said the ministry spokesman, Kitti Wasinond at the press conference.

Last week, Peter informed Foreign Minister Niyta Phibunsonggram and Krit Garnjanagoonchorn, permanent secretary, that Thaksin would be visiting Singapore for four days on a private visit. Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar would also host him a private lunch. The ministry informed the prime minister without any word of caution. But on Monday, Thaksin granted an interview to the foreign media, which Thailand viewed as unfriendly act.

--The Nation 2007-01-16

[bucknaway]

King's inept buddies :evil3:

[Bob]

"Inept" is probably being nice about it.
If you read the interview that Thaksin gave, it wasn't political at all in my view. As close as he got to anything "political" was his statement that he never wanted to get into politics again and his denial that he had anything to do with the recent troubles in Thailand. He really offered no criticism at all of the junta or interim Thai government. The Thai interim government's reaction shows to me that they don't have a clue what they are doing (in fact, they are acting like a bunch of tin-badge military types who don't have a clue as to how to run a government - hmmm, a pretty apt description of the current bunch).

And is Singapore going to bow and apologize? Not hardly. What do they need Thailand for?

Given my fondness for the Thai people, it's sad to me to watch the current group doing stupid things which may ruin the Thai economy. If/when that happens, everybody but the elite (the current group) suffers but, then again, that would just be a continuation of the same old story in that neck of the woods.

DELETED

[Brad the Impala]

I would love to see this country suffer from its present stupid and inept decisions.


What a curious comment about the country in which you have chosen to live!

[Hmmm]

"Inept" is probably being nice about it.
And is Singapore going to bow and apologize? Not hardly. What do they need Thailand for?


To protect Temasek's (investment arm of the Singapore gov't) 73.3 billion baht (SIN$3.1 billion) investment in Shin Corp, which is looking pretty shaky these days.


And do they think Singapore really gives a f@#k about Thailand? Of course it doesn't. What idiots.

Unfortunately for Singapore, they have 73.3 billion reasons to give a fuck about Thailand.

My favourite conspiracy theory on the reasons for the coup concerns the Temasek-Shin Corp deal. It suggests that when Mr Thaksin needed to offload Shin Corp to avoid further conflict-of-interest problems, a very important person offered to help. Even though that person was one of the few people in Thailand rich enough to buy Shin Corp, that person could not be seen to be involved in such a money-making deal (sufficiency economy and all that). However he could interest his friends in Singapore in helping out Mr Thaksin. And he would take a small share, to convince his Singapore friends that they were getting a rock-solid deal. After all, such an important person could not possibly be involved in anything shady. After the deal was completed, friends of the very important person staged a military coup. One result of this is that the assets that had been bought by Temasek might lose much of their value. Indeed foreign ownership of some of these Thai assets might become illegal. At that stage, the very important person could step in to get the Singaporeans out of their bind and save Thailand's assets, an honourable endeavour if ever there was one. Of course the amount paid would have to be substantially less than the market price.

Stranger things have happened.

Demagogues, not juntas, are AsiaтАЩs real risk

By Guy de Jonqui├иres, Financial Times
Published: January 10 2007

Is it time to bring back Thaksin Shinawatra? As one who was appalled by the scheming, unscrupulous and autocratic ways of ThailandтАЩs former prime minister, I never thought I would ask such a question. But since he was toppled by a military coup in September, the regime that ousted him has achieved the remarkable feat of making his record look slightly less dreadful.

First, the regime botched the imposition of exchange controls and had to backtrack. Then Bangkok was rocked by bomb blasts, about which the generals say they are clueless. Meanwhile, their expedient of simply saying тАЬsorryтАЭ to inhabitants of southern Thailand, whom Mr Thaksin repeatedly brutalised in the name of suppressing Islamist insurgency, has failed to quell unrest there.

{There's more}

Where is BG? Usually here defending everything Thai.



You haven't been paying attention, Botting. I have been against the coup and its noxious band of perpetrators from the very beginning. Perhaps you were thinking of Cedric?

PS: paid your taxes yet?