Disingenuous, daft or both?

Like many others, we often find that the news emanating from the military dictatorship is confused and confusing. We tend to think this is because the members of the junta are confused by the complexities of turning a modern state into a feudal backwater.

When it comes to human rights, the junta is clearly flummoxed and out of its depth. So isolated are the junta’s members that they have no idea – none at all – about how to deal with this international issue. The average noodle vendor on Sukhumvit have more insight on such matters than any of the generals running the country.

So when The Nation reports that the junta “will clarify to the international community that Thailand,” we cringe, we laugh, we cry.

On its human rights violations, the junta says it “needs to enforce the law but it does not violate human rights…”. Now, that is pretty vague and vacant and a sensible junta mouthpiece might stop there. As most criminals know, it is always best to deny the charges.

But the sad thing is that these dolts can’t help themselves and they resort to lies: “The NCPO insists that it has never harassed anyone or violated human rights…”.

No one believes this nonsensical lie. Even the controlled media in Thailand reports harassment every single day. PPT won’t even bother listing them for anyone with half a brain can google the juntas transgressions.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam startled when he seriously stated that “the NCPO had not committed any unlawful acts but only acted under its orders.” Translation: we made the rules and we use them to put political opponents in jail, harass them, drag them before military courts, torture, disappear and preside over mysterious deaths in custody. But our rules allow the junta to do this.

Apparently, the “Foreign Ministry had been asked by a high-level committee [the junta] to steer and expedite government policies and to work proactively and explain to the world community Thailand’s context and circumstances.” If they use these kinds of sad lines to “explain,” they’ll be more of an international laughing stock than they are now.

It gets worse, funnier, sillier. The Bangkok Post reports on Justice Ministry permanent secretary Charnchao Chaiyanukit who had the junta’s tatty reputation to protect at the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review. That Review was the worst Thailand has received in living memory.

Charnchao declares that for all the criticism, “Thailand was also applauded for making progress in ensuring certain protections…. [T]he country was praised for improving its citizens’ economic and cultural rights, tightening anti-human trafficking measures, and improving healthcare access.” We can’t find this anywhere, but perhaps Charnchao confuses praise from others with chatter among the 37 Thai delegates sent to the meeting, probably while shopping.

Charnchao reckons his delegation “issued clarifications and explanations as to why it is necessary to curb human rights during the current political climate, and the forum was not a chance to single Thailand out.” In fact, Thailand was “singled out” for criticism as our earlier post shows. But Charnchai has here contradicted the junta. He says the delegation explain “why it is necessary to curb human rights” while the junta says it does no such thing. Confusingly, he then added, the “review also gave Thailand the opportunity to inform the international community on how well the country is protecting human rights…”. We guess Charnchai is not dyslexic, just disingenuous.

He then says, “It is not that the country was called by the UN to answer criticisms…”. Read the report and tell us Charnchai isn’t quite bonkers.

We can’t wait for September when Thailand can “comment.” We understand that the junta is hiring international lawyers and lobbyists to help them with this.