Yellow court day

It must have been standing room only when 96 members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, including leaders like Sondhi Limthongkul and Chamlong Srimuang, appeared in the Criminal Court for the “first hearing of charges over the occupation of Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports in 2008.” But as the Bangkok Post reports, this was not a huge milestone as the “court agreed to postpone the hearing” for some of the accused as they claimed no legal representation and a further 17 defendants have yet to be indicted.

While the judge did point out that “the charge of terrorism carries the death penalty,” it was not explained why all defendants repeatedly get bail while red shirts accused of terrorism have been indicted, refused bail and imprisoned for long terms for alleged offenses in 2010. Obviously double standards are at work in the courts.

An AFP report: states that all of the PAD members are “planning to plead not guilty…”.  It also notes that “investigations against the arch nationalist group have been sluggish, prompting resentment and claims of double standards…”. It adds: “Many leaders of the mainly rural, working class Reds were swiftly locked up on terrorism charges after their street protest in the heart of Bangkok in 2010 which came to a bloody end after an army crackdown.”

 

Who gets bail? PAD does

It is reported that public prosecutors have indicted a further eight members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy on conspiracy charges in connection with the seizures of two Bangkok airports in 2008. At The Nation it is stated that those indicted included singers, generals, NGO activists and the deputy leader of the New Politics Party.

The report says that they “are charged with assembling with more than 10 people to instigate unrest, teaming up to take over and hide in the premises of others, using force and conspiring with more than two people to violate orders issued under the security law.” Recall that hundreds of red shirts were arrested for violating an emergency decree and many of them have already been in prison for about three years.

Double standards? Of course it is, and this point is emphasized when all the PAD lot get bail.

The Criminal Court is apparently scheduling a “first hearing on April 29, which is the same day that the case against PAD leaders Chamlong Srimuang, Sondhi Limthongkul and 75 others would be heard in connection with the occupation of Don Mueang Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport.”

Interestingly, the funds used for bail were “provided by the Justice Ministry to post Bt600,000 bail for each of six suspects,” while two others used different means to get bail.

PAD leaders finally indicted

The Nation reports that 31 leading members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy were finally indicted for besieging Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports in 2008.

The report reckons they were protesting against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, which is only partly true as they were attempting to create conditions for a military coup and protesting against the government of Somchai Wongsawat. In the end, they didn’t get a military coup; instead they got a military mutiny against the government and a judicial coup. The result was the deal cobbled together by palace, military and the so-called Democrat Party that put Abhisit Vejjajiva in the premier’s seat.

Sondhi and Chamlong in royal yellow

Of course, the legal system still treats the PAD leadership with kid gloves. Only 17 of the 31 bothered to show up at Criminal Court and they were all released on bail of 800,000 baht.

The 31 included Sondhi Limthongkul and Chamlong Srimuang, as well as Sondhi’s right-wing satellite television channel, ASTV (Thailand), “which broadcast the leaders calling on people to take part in protests during the PAD-led political gatherings…”. They can enter pleas on 29 April. The report states that:

The 31 PAD members have been indicted for terrorism; forceful entry; criminal conspiracy in violation of emergency rule; destruction and obstruction of facilities at an airport; affecting safety; causing traffic jams at public places; disrupting communications; causing others’ properties to depreciate; criminal conspiracy; obstructing officials’ duties; intimidating officials on duty; intimidating others and withholding freedom.

Plenty of red shirts were jailed on similar charges and some remain in jail, having been incarcerated almost three years ago.

Xenophobia

People’s Alliance for Democracy is an odd moniker for the leadership of a gaggle of ultra-nationalist, ultra-royalist demagogues. Their followers are an odd mix of religious zealots and mad monarchists. Their politics is a cocktail of feudal nonsense about royal power and antediluvian ideas that reject notions of democracy and representation.

PAD leaders have long stoked hatred of Cambodia over the Preah Vihear temple complex and the 1962 International Court of Justice decision that went against the desires and interests of the Thai military junta of the time and the xenophobia it had stoked. Yes, they advocate against a decision made 50 years ago.

In 2013, PAD leaders have gotten together in a Jurassic zombie-like performance demanding that the Government of Thailand to oppose the ICJ’s pending interpretation of the 1962 decision.

PAD zealots

The Cambodian government has gone to the ICJ because of continuing tension over Preah Vihear as the Thai military and PAD zealots have repeatedly sought to challenge the ruling on the ground, with several armed clashes in recent years. PAD now demands that the Thai government repudiate the ICJ and “refuse to recognise the court’s pending ruling.” PAD doesn’t know what the ruling will be, but says that “if Thailand fights the case and loses, it is likely to lose the disputed area.” The zealots will be unhappy and they prefer military confrontation and fighting that saw the Abhisit Vejjajiva regime using using cluster bombs to make its territorial demands.

PAD wants the government to declare that “the ICJ has no authority to intervene in the dispute and it does not accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction.” Of course, PAD wants the Thai military to continue to be in place at the complex and opposes “the ICJ’s injunction which orders demilitarisation of the disputed area, saying compliance is unnecessary when the ICJ’s jurisdiction is not accepted.”

Of course, the militaristic types in PAD, urged on by former mercenary Chamlong Srimuang, believe that an appearance that Thailand has “lost” territory (that it hasn’t had) will be a boon for PAD’s tired leadership in building support for yet another push to oust an elected government.

Courts

Several news stories relate to the judiciary deserve some attention.

First, PPT has criticized several court decisions as royalist politics. However, occasionally some good sense emanates from a court. The Criminal Court has made a useful decision when it “dismissed a libel case lodged by former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva against red-shirt leader and former MP Jatuporn Promphan…”. The court ruled that democratic politics meant that, “… a verbal attack cannot be regarded as defamation in accordance with the Penal Code…”.That seems to us to be a reasonable point.

Abhisit has fired off at least four defamation cases against Jatuporn and seems likely to appeal this decision. Of course, politicians on both sides of the current political sandwich are equally likely to shout defamation and head for the courts.

Thai politics is full of allegations, some of which are outrageous claims. It makes little real sense for politicians to use defamation laws against each claim yet they tend to see the courts as a political resort when they feel  injured. It is related to what, in the context of lese majeste, David Streckfuss calls the “defamation regime”: “a social and political formation that over time develops a kind of ‘defamation thinking’ and ‘impulse’ that focuses on the insult of the defamatory statement, often at the expense of the truth” (xv).

Second, People’s Alliance for Democracy leaders and acolytes are back in court in on-again, off-again trials that date back to their actions in 2008. In one case, an appeals court has upheld one of the few convictions recorded so far against PAD. In this case, Preecha Treecharoon’s conviction for attempted murder related to his use of “a truck to run over a police officer in charge of crowd control on October 7, 2008, near Parliament.” The court increased his prison term to 34 years.

In the same report, Sondhi Limthongkul, Chamlong Srimuang, Somkiat Pongpaibul, Pipop Thongchai, Maleerat Kaewka and Praphan Koonmee “pleaded not guilty [in two cases] to criminal violations in connection with the 2008 protests at Government House and Parliament.” The charges involve “illegal assembly, breach of the peace, coercion and illegal detention…”. As usual, they sought bail and continuing delays may be expected. Red shirt leaders regularly end up in jail while PAD people almost never sit behind bars.

Wikileaks: Thaksin’s Chamlong and palace problems

PPT finally has time to get back to Wikileaks cables and is trying to look through the 6,000 or so cables and see what we missed in our past searches of them. We are doing this in a systematic way, trying to ensure that we don’t double-up and re-post something we’d commented on previously.  At present, we have worked through 2005 and are now slowly getting through 2006.

In a cable dated 21 February 2006, Ambassador Ralph Boyce discusses Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s political problems, including mounting opposition from the palace. He concludes that “[t]hings are getting worse for the Prime Minister.” Boyce states that Thaksin’s options are few as “the opposition,” while “not enormous, just won’t quit.”

Boyce sees the “anti-Thaksin coalition” as boosted by “Chamlong Srimuang, a retired general and former governor of Bangkok, was a prominentpolitical figure in the 1980′s and 1990′s” and a “prominent leader of the 1992 democracy movement” joining. He says Chamlong has “star power” and adds that his “criticism of Thaksin is especially noteworthy as he was the PM’s first political mentor…”.  Chamlong’s “Dharma Army” was set to participate in an upcoming anti-Thaksin rally. Boyce says the opposition “smells blood.”

Part of the reason for this change and polls showing a decline in Thaksin’s popularity is attributed, Boyce says, to “the modest but notable shift in the media…. Papers that formerly ignored political stories or toed the government line are cautiously increasing their coverage of criticism, particularly of the Shin Corp deal.”

Boyce then refers to “a surprisingly candid comment from a Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defense…. Admiral Banawit … noted that the [anti-Thaksin] demonstration on Sunday would be big and that ‘the government would fall’ because ‘Chamlong is very effective.’ He seemed pretty cheerful about it.” PPT assumes this is Admiral Bannawit Kengrian for Boyce comments: “Banawit is an acolyte of Privy Council Chairman Prem Tinsulanonda, which makes his enthusiasm for Thaksin’s downfall doubly interesting.” This move to palace and Prem opposition is what Boyce sees as “interesting.”

Boyce also mentions a meeting with Thaksin adviser Pansak Vinyaratn where the ambassador asks “what would happen if the situation got worse and something provoked an intervention by the Palace.” Pansak is reported to have said “TRT would not allow this to happen, tacitly acknowledging that such an intervention would be inimical to Thaksin’s interests.”

While Boyce says he can’t see any “sign as yet that the King or his closest advisors want to get drawn into this kind of political role,” the simple fact that he asks Pansak and the link to Bannawit and Prem says that the palace is deeply involved in political scheming and suggests a link to the anti-Thaksin opposition.

Bringing down the government

Many in Pitak Siam are gleeful that the Constitutional Court has refused to seriously consider petitions against its rally and that the Yingluck Shinawatra government has been spooked into invoking the Internal Security Act.

But apart from that, little seems to have changed amongst the groups that are coming together to further undermine the elected government.

According to the Bangkok Post, the big rally supporters are from “the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) … [and] several active and retired soldiers will also join the ranks, along with strategic and tactical advisers…”.

Then there is the misnamed “multi-coloured-shirt group led by Tul Sitthisomwong,” which are simply ultra-royalist-fascists; the equally misnamed ultra-nationalist “Peace-Loving Thais group led by Kanchanee Walayasevi.” Of course the shock troops provided by PAD’s Chamlong Srimuang’s Dhamma Army will be there. So will the Democrat Party-aligned “Group of People from 16 Southern Provinces led by Sunthorn Rakrong” and the dinosaur  “group of state enterprise labour union activists led by Somsak Kosaisuk, a former PAD co-leader.”

The Post tries to claim that there will be new groups attending, including “the People’s Movement for a Just Society (P-move), which consists of landless farmers, displaced people, and those affected by state projects; the Network of Small-Scale Northeastern Farmers; and the Assembly of the Poor.” All were part of the anti-Thaksin Shinawatra movements in the past and aligned with the PAD, so there is nothing new here.

It is somewhat surprising that the AoP is returning to the fascist-yellow side given that its grassroots supporters have previously rejected PAD. PPT imagines that the old pro-PAD leadership is struggling to regain control of the AoP.

For all of this claim to “variety”, the basic hue remains yellow and the “anti-government rally tomorrow is expected to be mainly Bangkok residents and supporters of the opposition Democrat Party, many of whom are unhappy with the Yingluck administration.”

 

PAD joins in

It is no surprise that the ultra-royalist and ultra-nationalist bosses of the so-called People’s Alliance for Democracy have urged supporters to join Pitak Siam on 24 November when it again stages an anti-government rally.

Co-leader Chamlong Srimuang stated: “Our country needs someone who is brave and dares to take action like us,” apparently referring to General Boonlert Kaewprasit. The grinning one went on to explain that “PAD leaders had consulted together and agreed to postpone yellow-shirt seminars in Kanchanaburi on November 24 and Phetchaburi on November 25″ in order to encourage participation in the Pitak Siam rally.

The old gang gets a crowd II

The Nation and the Bangkok Post estimate 20,000 attended the the military-royalist Pitak Siam rally at Royal Turf Club. Police claimed 6,000, but photos suggest it was larger than this.

The report says that this is a “surprisingly successful first rally…”. Not really. As PPT pointed out earlier, Boonlert said his “organisers hope to draw about 25,000 people to fill up the Royal Turf Club stadium…”. We don’t believe seasoned coupsters and ultra-royalist organizers like Chamlong Srimuang and Prasong Soonsiri were about to allow a small rally. In addition, the links to former classmate and privy councilor General Surayud Chulanont and with links to his boss General Prem Tinsulanonda were always sure to mobilize ultra-royalists.

Now the challenge for the Yingluck Shinawatra government is the Pitak Siam plan “for a bigger demonstration at Government House…”. The challenge for the old soldiers and yellow-shirted coupsters is to find reasons for people to rally with them. One strategy is the claim that the “government had done nothing to stop several people from attacking and violating the royal family…”. This is fabricated nonsense, but ultra-royalists have always been sure that “red shirts are republicans.” So the search will be on for acts of “disloyalty.”

In our original post, we noted that we expected yellow-shirted intellectuals to increase their sniping; it seems that has begun as the aged anti-Thaksin economist Ammar Siamwalla has rejoined the political fray. The Post report refers to “Surachai Sirikrai, a political scientist from Thammasat University” damning the government and making bizarre claims that Pitak Siam could grow to be a “Thai Spring.”

Meanwhile, the Democrat Party has coordinated with the Pitak Siam events by launching a campaign to “save democracy.” Again plagiarizing red shirts, the idea-less DemoPADs have begun “opening political schools and calling on their supporters to fight against Thaksinomics.” The conservative elite’s pin-up boy Abhisit Vejjajiva made an opening speech entitled “Major institutions in a democratic system in Thailand’s constitutional monarchy.” As we noted above, the monarchy will again be front and center in the renewed attempts to overthrow an elected government.

Abhisit apparently “said the reason the party decided to launch the political schools was that the country’s political fighting had intensified and the objectives of opponents were different from the past. Democracy was being used as a tool for self gain.” None of this is new and, in fact, Yingluck’s politics have been so timid that there is simply no intensification. This is a beat-up by Abhisit and his military-royalist allies.

Old and failed former Democrat Party leader Chuan Leekpai expresed his support for the military and designated the main threat to the country as not the murdering royalist military but “… a new political disease since Thaksin has joined politics and bought political parties with majority votes…”. In other words, the majority vote amounts to nothing for the anti-Democrat Party. And, as expected, Chuan declared: “… there is a move to topple the monarchy with the committing of lese majeste offences…”. As we said, nonsense, but the plan is to destabilize, again with palace and royalist support.

The picture is pretty clear. This is a coordinated and planned move against the elected government.

As a footnote, PPT thinks it worth observing that yet another royalist overthrow of an elected government is likely to mean the end of the monarchy as republicanism will be the only alternative for those who want elections as expressions of political will to be respected.

Updated: The old gang regroups

Prasong

The Nation reports that former intelligence boss Squadron Leader Prasong Soonsiri has agreed to join the anti-government rally nominally organized by old soldier General Boonlert Kaewprasit and his Pitak Siam royalist front. Prasong is one of those who claims to have been a coup plotter in 2006 along with senior military figures. Palace insider Prasong has explained that a cabal of serving and retired military leaders, including then Army boss Sonthi Boonyaratglin, began planning the coup in July 2006. As in previous coup-plotting, Prasong says he “wants this administration ousted.”

Prasong knows quite a bit about coups. He has been involved in a range of political campaigns over many years. Prasong has a short entry at Wikipedia that mentions his role as head of the National Security Council. The entry finishes by noting that “Prasong was a central figure in the 19 September 2006 Thai military coup that overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra’s elected government…. A palace insider and favorite of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Prasong was later appointed by the junta to the National Legislative Assembly.” Prasong has also been a strong supporter of the People’s Alliance for Democracy and a strong opponent of Thaksin. Also close to the military brass, Prasong acted as a palace and junta lackey in being chairman of the committee which drafted the 2007 constitution.

Pitak Siam is boosted by Prasong’s decision to again emerge from the shadows and push for extra-judicial and extra-constitutional politics. The paper also reports that the infamous Dhamma Army is going to show up. These royalist militants are rabid supporters of the PAD’s Chamlong Srimuang and the Santi Asoke sect.

Also rejoining his old anti-Thaksin allies is General Pathompong Kesornsuk, said by the report to be a “former chairman of advisers to the Armed Forces.” That’s a pretty innocuous way to describe a man who is a rabid nationalist and royalist who appeared, in uniform, on the PAD stage back in 2006. Close to the yellow elements of the Democrat Party, like Boonlert, he has repeatedly made the unconstitutional call for the military to carry out coups, laced with neo-fascist ideology.

Boonlert

Boonlert, Prasong and Pathompong all have close relations with figures in the palace.

This group has stated “that they could no longer stand the rampant corruption and moves to defame the monarchy.” The latter is a nonsense claim, but one that will always be used even against the monarchy-timid Yingluck Shinawatra regime. They criticized Yingluck for having “failed to heed criticism from academics.” Shame on her! Heavens, the “academic” is just so very significant! While that hardly seems like a battle cry, this is a dangerous group that is able to mobilize like-minded neanderthals.

Interestingly the old gang’s almost all here! The gang that conspired to bring on the 2006 coup and then engineered the judicial coup in 2008 is coming back together. Sure, Sonthi Limthongkul is absent, but there are plenty of yellow shirts and he can make a grand entrance later. The question is how much of the old palace, military and capitalist support is also there.

Update: The Bangkok Post has a story on the participation of The Dhamma Army. Describing it as an “ultra-conservative religious group allied to the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy,” the Dhamma Army is one piece of the conservative apparatus that must come together if they are to achieve yet another unconstitutional royalist overthrow of an elected and popular government.

As another story in the Post points out, “Gen Boonlert is also trusted by Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda and by Gen Prem’s inner circle.” It is that inner circle which will be watching this test of the political waters.