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Re: Protests update
Prawit advises US ambassador to 'think before speaking'
Published: 30/11/2015
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Monday advised United States ambassador Glyn Davies to think carefully before speaking after his remark on the Thai military rule.
He claimed the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which seized power last year, provided more freedom than other juntas and was developing sustainable democracy in the country.
Gen Prawit was responding to Mr Davies' comments at a Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand speech Nov 25 where he hit out at "the lengthy and unprecedented prison sentences handed down by Thai military courts against civilians" for breaching Section 112 of the Criminal Code, better known as the lese majeste law..... (read more).... http://m.bangkokpost.com/news/780725
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Re: Protests update
01 December 2015
Rajabhakti Scandal: Redshirt Leaders Released
By Teeranai Charuvastra
BANGKOK тАФ The two Redshirt leaders said last night they were released from military custody hours after being detained while en route to a тАЬcorruption inspection tour.тАЭ
Jatuporn Prompan and Nattawut Saikua were released hours after soldiers detained them in southwest of Bangkok on Monday morning as they spoke with reporters about their plan to travel to the Rajabhakti Historical Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, which has become mired in allegations of graft..... (read more).... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... section=11
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Re: Protests update
Yingluck barred from talking politics at EU parliament
Submitted by editor2 on Wednesday Dec 2, 2015
The Supreme Court has prohibited Yingluck Shinawatra, a former elected Prime Minister from Pheu Thai Party, to fly to Europe.
According to Khaosod News Agency, Supreme CourtтАЩs Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Wednesday, 2 December 2015, denied a request of Yingluck Shinawatra to travel to Europe to share her views on Thai politics..... (read more).... http://prachatai.org/english/node/5660
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Re: Protests update
vpn or proxy needed in Thailand
Thai politics
The stench of military corruption
November 29, 2015
Giles ji Ungpakorn
The stench of junta corruption in the case of the gross and distasteful тАЬRachapakтАЭ monument park simply will not go away. General Prawit, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, along with Generalissimo Prayut, have repeatedly tried to pass the buck and claim that it is тАЬan internal army matterтАЭ or that it is тАЬnothing to do with the governmentтАЭ because it is about the affairs of a private foundation. General Teerachai, the commander of the army has tried to brush off the affair and General Udomdet, chairman of the Rachapat Foundation and deputy Minister of Defence has equally tried to deny any wrong-doing..... (read more).... http://free-proxyserver.com/browse.php? ... zlIdc&b=29
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Re: Protests update
vpn or proxy needed in Thailand
Thai Junta Shuts PublicтАЩs Ears to Bad News
Posted on December 1, 2015 By Our Correspondent Economics/Business, Headline, Thailand
Prayuth says things are fine
But while censorship is rife, the economy continues to flag
When the international edition of the New York Times was delivered in Thailand on Nov. 30, the front page of the paper featured a large white blank space. In other editions, the paper featured a detailed story by staff correspondent Thomas Fuller on the growing paralysis in the Thai economy.
That white space is emblematic of both the inability of the generals to run what had been Southeast AsiaтАЩs most vibrant economy, and their desire to keep it from a country that unfortunately knows pretty well what the state of the economy is. The junta has sought to shut down any and all critical reporting and internet blogs. Asia Sentinel is regularly blocked in Thailand.... (read more).... http://free-proxyserver.com/browse.php? ... FjJpc&b=29
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Re: Protests update
Thaksin's New Year message greeted with warning
Published: 02/12/2015
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has sent an early New Year message, wishing for the return of democracy in Thailand -- a move quickly countered with a warning from a key cabinet minister.
With 2016 still four weeks away, Thaksin surprisingly sent his New Year greetings to his supporters on YouTube on Tuesday, advising them to be patient in the year to come as democracy will eventually be restored to the country.
"Please be a bit patient, because no one can defy democracy," he said from an unknown location. Rights and freedoms of citizens were being curbed, but these restrictions would eventually end, he said, without mentioning the government or National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) by name.... (read more).... http://m.bangkokpost.com/news/782925?re ... put%3Dhtml
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Re: Protests update
A Law unto Themselves
Submitted by prachatai on Thu, 03/12/2015
Sorry, but are we living under a military dictatorship or not?
This morningтАЩs paper has a lead that says the military are about to throw Deputy Defence Minister, former Army Commander-in-Chief and chairman of the Rajabhakti Park Foundation General Udomdej Sitabutr to the anti-corruption wolves (or at least those of them who are less selective in their outrage).
And right below that is a report of former тАШgraft-bustingтАЩ Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka getting busted for, er, graft. The Unlucky Ducky with the son as personal secretary on a government salary was always suspiciously aggressive against any corruption with a Shinawatra name attached to it, but otherwise not interested. But being only half-good at fighting corruption is a mite different from indulging yourself..... (read more)..... http://prachatai.org/english/node/5661
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Re: Protests update
This article is not available for print in Thailand, removed from International NYTimes
The Opinion Pages | Op-Ed Contributor
The Thai Monarchy and Its Money
By TOM FELIX JOEHNK
DEC. 3, 2015 BANGKOK тАФ The Crown Property Bureau, which manages the Thai royal familyтАЩs properties and investments, controls assets that may amount to as much as 1.9 trillion baht, about $53 billion. It is the biggest corporate group in the country and one of the biggest landholders in the capital. It is also one of the more mysterious arms of the Thai government..... (read more)... http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/opini ... share&_r=0
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Re: Protests update
Prawit puts brakes on Democrat meeting proposal
Published: 04/12/2015
A Democrat Party plan for a meeting hit a dead end on Friday after Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon remained firm on the ban on gatherings of political parties.
Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva sent a letter to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) on Friday asking the junta to reconsider the ban and citing the party's need to call a meeting.
The junta slapped a ban on all political parties in Order No. 57 announced on June 7 last year, two weeks after it seized power from the Yingluck Shinawatra government in a coup.... (read more).... http://m.bangkokpost.com/news/785289
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Re: Protests update
ThailandтАЩs Generals Shoot Economy in the Foot
Military junta lacks the vision to fix an economy in disarray, while ChinaтАЩs slowdown slams AsiaтАЩs weak links.
By William Pesek
December 4, 2015
MondayтАЩs edition was a bizarre one for New York Times readers in Thailand: the middle of the front page featured a large blank space. For readers elsewhere, it contained a strongly critical story about the economy. Namely, how the generals who grabbed power in May 2014 are shooting one of AsiaтАЩs most promising nations in the foot.
The juntaтАЩs amateurish shot at censorship is a timely metaphor for ThailandтАЩs own disappearing act on the world stage. General Prayuth Chan-ocha justified his power grab in ways coup leaders often do: weтАЩll restore order, stability and competence to a government thatтАЩs lost its way. Yet 561 days on, Southeast AsiaтАЩs No. 2 economy is in disarray, investors are fleeing and PrayuthтАЩs regime looks increasingly desperate..... (read more)..... http://www.barrons.com/articles/thailan ... ighlight_1