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Re: Protests update
Thailand: The ‘police state’ behind the tourist paradise
By Matthew Tempest
Mar 15, 2016
The European Union is watching closely as the military junta currently in power in Thailand is accused of a multitude of human rights violations.
In November 2015, barely a year after the coup, the human rights situation had degenerated to the extent that the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on General Prayuth Chan-ocha to: “stop arbitrary arrests and detention, overturn convictions and sentences…release human rights defenders, media workers and individuals sentences or charges for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression or assembly.”
That was just one of a 14-point bullet list of demands.....(read more)... https://www.euractiv.com/section/tra...rism-paradise/
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Re: Protests update
Foreign journos in Thailand say military gatecrashed movie screening, filmed guests
16th March 2016
FOREIGN journalists in Thailand have taken to Twitter this week to protest the presence of military officers at a film screening event held at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) Monday.
BBC News Southeast Asia correspondent and FCCT vice-president Jonathan Head said the soldiers gatecrashed the Contemporary World Film Series of 2016 screening to monitor the event, while filming attendees, including diplomats, with their cameras..... (read more)..
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/...filmscreening/
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Re: Protests update
"It's easy to control someone you don't empower."
The Thai Junta and their new constitution.
12 years of education is no longer guaranteed to Thai kids.
Kids get 9 years guaranteed under the new Junta government.
At least the rich kids are still guaranteed a basic education.
I wonder where all the cut education budget money will go.
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail...ate=06§ion
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Re: Protests update
Appointment of military chiefs to senate will prevent coup: deputy junta leader
Submitted by editor2 on Thu, 17/03/2016
Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, Defence Minister and deputy junta leader, defended the junta’s proposal to reserve seats for military chiefs in the Senate, saying that the plan will prevent coups d’état in the future....(read more).... http://prachatai.org/english/node/59...edium=facebook
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Re: Protests update
Horror headlines, tourism and the Thai junta
BY PAUL SANDERSON, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR – 17 MARCH 2016
Thailand’s economy increasingly depends on tourism, but the junta’s reaction to crimes against tourists leaves a lot to be desired, writes Paul Sanderson.
The Thai junta has been putting the well-worn maxim that there is no such thing as bad publicity to the test. They have responded to a series of crimes against foreigners with almost uniformly callous and blunt statements, yet visitors are coming in greater numbers than ever: Thailand fell just short of 30 million tourist arrivals last year.
Yet, for all the negative headlines, tourism has been one of the few bright points in an otherwise faltering economy..... (read more).... http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newman...he-thai-junta/
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Re: Protests update
Good Children of a Country Without a Future – Literature meets politics at double event in Ubon Ratchathani
Posted on 03/18/2016 by The Isaan Record
UBON RATCHATHANI – Two literary events in Ubon Ratchathani last week opened space for academics, students, and writers from Isaan and other regions to publicly discuss the intersection of literature, gender, and politics in times of severely restricted freedom of expression.
Celebrating a budding genre of Thai literature in response to the political turmoil of the past ten years, the events..... (read more).... http://isaanrecord.com/2016/03/18/go...n-ratchathani/
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Re: Protests update
Minority rights in Thailand’s draft constitution: the most uncivilised country in ASEAN
Posted on 03/04/2016 by The Isaan Record
GUEST OPINION by John Draper
Last year’s (2015) draft constitution offered nothing to Thailand’s 47+ million ethnic minorities, particularly the Thai Lao, as I wrote in a column here. In this year’s constitution, available in Thai here, there is actually a section on ethnic minorities, Section 67, which reads thus:
Section 67. The State shall promote and protect the Thai people of various ethnic groups so they have rights to carry out their lives in society voluntarily following their original cultures, customs, and ways of life to the utmost without undue interference as long as such is not contrary to public order or the good morals of the people or poses a danger to the security of the state or health.
In this section, the state apparently makes the commitment to promote and protect “the Thai people of various ethnic groups.” However, it does not define any of the groups. It cannot because... (read more)... http://isaanrecord.com/2016/03/04/mi...ntry-in-asean/
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Re: Protests update
Thai Government, Commission Clash Over Drafting New Constitution
March 17, 2016
Ron Corben
BANGKOK —
Thailand’s military government and constitutional drafting commission are in a stand-off after the Cabinet called for a new charter to include a non-elected senate and an appointed prime minister over transitional five year period. The government’s proposals have triggered sharp reactions from major political parties amid warnings of potential conflict if the proposals are included in the new constitution.
The commission’s draft allows for the election of a 500 member House of Representatives. A 200 member senate would be elected by interest groups and organizations.
But the government’s proposals call for a 250 member appointed Senate, including reserved seats for.... (read more).... http://m.voanews.com/a/thai-governme...n/3241542.html
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Re: Protests update
Pravit Rojanaphruk
19 March 2016
The Real Influential Figure
The crackdown on the so-called ‘influential figures’ or mafia by the military junta over the past two weeks has proven popular. Suan Dusit Poll earlier this week claimed 74 per cent of respondents support the move although only 42 per cent believe the crackdown will be successful. As many as 81.59 per cent of respondents said they dare not report about mafia or influential figures for fear of being intimidated or harmed. Only 11.93 per cent are fully confident that the junta will manage to eradicate mafia and influential figures.
Influential figures and mafia are common in Thailand, especially in..... (read more).... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail...te=06§ion=
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Re: Protests update
THAI MIDDLE CLASSES ARE VIOLENTLY OPPOSED TO DEMOCRACY
MARCH 20, 2016
Giles Ji Ungpakorn
Over the last few decades, so much nonsense has been written about the so-called progressive power of the “middle classes”. Yet the Thai middle classes are usually selfish, grasping, backward-looking and cowardly.
Recently a bunch of middle class yellow shirts, supporters of thuggish Democrat Party politician Sutep Teuksuban, paid a solidarity visit to the “popcorn” gunman who is now serving a long prison sentence for firing an automatic rifle at people supporting the right to vote in the 2014 election. One person was killed and 3 more seriously injured as a result.
The “popcorn” gunman fired his rifle from inside a large green and yellow popcorn sack. He and a number of other gunmen collected their weapons from the back of a vehicle at Lak Si in Bangkok before going on a violent rampage..... (read more).... https://uglytruththailand.wordpress....-to-democracy/