Khaosod has a detailed report on the Hawaii trip arranged for General Prawit Wongsuwan. This little piece of arrogance and opacity is creating considerable public debate. And the censorious regime is doing all it can to avoid scrutiny.
The report states that Maj. Gen. Kongcheep Tantravanich, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, and who was on the flight has stated: “If we disclose the list, what good will that do?” And the regime refused to “confirm or deny the authenticity of what’s alleged to be a leaked passenger list…”. That list is said to include the name of an Army Channel 5 “TV reporter rumored to be a romantic partner of the general.”
The report reproduces the leaked list, but get it fast as already bits of the report have been removed: “The original image published with this article, which showed photos purporting to be of Chonratsamee Ngathaweesuk in Honolulu, were removed at the request of the management of Khaosod, which owns Khaosod English.” Here’s what PPT believes to be that removed picture, taken from Khaosod’s emailed stories list.
The reporter has denied she traveled to Hawaii. She states that she read the news live on TV in Bangkok when the trip took place.
Khaosod states that it has “filed a request Wednesday under the freedom of information law requesting the Defense Ministry disclose the names of the 38 people in Prawit’s entourage.”
Maj. Gen. Kongcheep, who was on the flight, said the request was being considered an unspecified committee. He stated: “Steps must be taken in accordance with protocols…. Is it [disclosing the list] appropriate or not? If it affects national security or affects any agency, then we will not disclose it.”
Another junta cover-up that confirms the junta and Prawit have things to hide.
Political Prisoners in Thailand 