Fine for bopping royalist Srisuwan

Coconuts Bangkok recently reported on the outcome to Weerawit Rungruengsiripol’s October 2022 punch-up with self-promoter and royalist Srisuwan Janya. He was fined 1,000 baht.

The 62-year-old red shirt activist “was  fined by the Criminal Court for socking Srisuwan Janya this past October as he was on his way to file his 80,000th legal complaint, which concerned a comedy special that he didn’t like.” Weerawit. who said he was sick to death of Srisuwan’s antics, assaulted him. Weerawit said he had could no longer tolerate “Srisuwan’s frequent and frivolous legal complaints against those with different political stances.”

Clipped from The Nation

Coconuts says: “While we deplore violence in pursuit of silencing or stifling even the most annoying people – Srisuwan provides a study in the gadfly’s descent from truth-chaser to narcissist – the nation was so happy to see him punched in the face  that people donated millions of baht for Weerawit’s legal defense.”

Naturally enough, serial complainer Srisuwan filed an assault complaint with the police.

Coconuts explains that “Srisuwan once fought against government corruption and for environmental causes” and that he was once “detained by the military after filing a complaint about the disappearance of a plaque commemorating the 1932 revolution that ended absolute monarchy.” Interestingly, it is said that, since then, Srisuwan has become “known for taking ultraroyalist and nationalist positions, filing complaints against those who dissent against or pose a political threat to the ruling government and monarchy.”

 

Snitch royalist and lese majeste

Self-proclaimed secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, the constantly complaining Srisuwan Janya is back to lodging lese majeste complaints.

His target this time is a Move Forward Party (MFP) executive and MP for Phitsanulok, Padipat Santipada. According to detestable attention-seeker Srisuwan, at a campaign rally on March 5, in Phitsanulok, Padipat “told supporters some royally initiated projects were riddled with graft…”.

Professional snitch Srisuwan “filed a complaint with the Election Commission…”.

Suck-up Srisuwan claims that Padipat’s “mention of the graft in the speech was defamatory to the monarchy.”  Arch-royalist Srisuwan declared “it is common knowledge that projects royally initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great and His Majesty the King, which number over 4,700, are intended for the well-being of the people…”. He did not say that the taxpayer funds these expensive propaganda pieces that are run by bureaucrats.

By using the monarchy, royalist vigilante Srisuwan hopes to have the Move Forward Party dissolved.

The suckers who suck hardest for rancid royalism

In a story at Prachatai that we already posted on, there was some interesting data on lese majeste.

Prachatai used a Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) database which lists 135 Article 112 charges brought by the authorities and 114 brought by ordinary citizens since the use of the law was reinstated to suppress monarchy reform protests.

The list is revealing of those seeking to protect the monarchy, suck up to higher-ups,  and promote themselves:

• Siwapan Manitkul – 9
• Pasit Chanhuaton – 8
• Apiwat Khanthong – 8
• Nopadol Prompasit – 7
• Anon Klinkaew, head of the People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy – 5
• Uraporn Sunthorapoj, a citizen from Samut Prakan – 5
• Nangnoi Atsawakittikorn, a former leader of Thailand Help Centre for Cyberbullying Victims and a former MP candidate for the right-wing Action Coalition for Thailand Party – 4
• Kanbongkot Mekhapraphatsakun from People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy – 4
• Warissanan Sribowornthanakit, Thailand Help Centre for Cyberbullying Victims – 3
• Raphiphong Chaiyara of the People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy – 3
• Piyakul Wongsing, People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy – 3
• Sub-Lt Narin Sakcharoenchaikun from the Thai Pakdee Party – 3
• Srisuwan Janya, serial complainer and self-promoter – 3

Updated: Lazada madness

Back in May, royalists went berserk over a TikTok advertisement produced for the Chinese firm Lazada, screaming lese majeste.

On 16 June 2022, the police arrested Aniwat Prathumthin, aka “Nara Crepe Katoey”, Thidaporn Chaokuwiang, aka “Nurat”, and Kittikhun Thamkittirath, aka “Mom Dew,” and charged all three with Article 112 offenses. Aniwat has also been charged under the computer crimes law.

The three were arrested by Technology Crime Suppression Division police, Thidaporn in Ayutthaya, Aniwat at Don Muang airport, and Kittikhun in Bangkok’s Wang Thong Lang district. Each was released on bail of 90,000 baht.

The charges stemmed from a “Lazada clothes shopping clip features Thidaporn in traditional Thai costume and sitting in a wheelchair, while Aniwat was seen accusing Thidaporn, who plays her aristocratic mother, of stealing her clothes.”

The video immediately drew criticism from ultra-royalists who claimed the video mimicked royals, including Princess Chulabhorn who is sometimes seen in a wheelchair. The royalists also reckoned the advertisement mocked the disabled, but that was a smokescreen for their real complaint based on their own hypersensitivity on things royal. Their immediate reaction led to a hashtag campaign on Twitter to boycott Lazada, a call taken up by the Royal Thai Army, Royal projects and foundations, among others.

Clipped from Thai PBS

Lazada issued an apology, as did “Intersect Design Factory, the company which hired the influencers to promote the Lazada sales campaign…”. It was serial campaigner and royalist activist Srisuwan Janya who lodged a complaint with the Technology Crime Suppression Division police, “accusing Aniwat of offending a member of the royal family.”

Aniwat refused to “issue a public apology or show regret has only added fuel to fire.” Quite correctly, but further angering ultra-royalists, in a television interview, Aniwat said that “anyone has the right to wear a traditional costume,” and that “the so-called reference to a Royal was imagined by the netizens.”

Army chief Gen Narongpan Jitkaewtha quickly announced “that he has banned members of all military units to stop buying goods from Lazada. He also banned all Lazada delivery trucks and motorbikes from entering Army compounds.”

Joining the royalist pile-on, Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed his “concern about the clip on May 7 and noting that Thais love and respect the monarchy.” Meanwhile, the “Digital Economy and the Society Ministry also instructed the Police Technology Crime Suppression Division to check if the TikTok clip violated any laws.”

Aniwat had earlier gained online followers “among youngsters fed up with General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s style of governance. She has openly pushed for the PM’s resignation and often criticized his supporters.”

Of course, Princess Chulabhorn is not covered by Article 112 but that has never stopped bizarre lese majeste cases in the past.

Update: Coconuts Bangkok reports on the arrest of Kittikhun “a transgender blogger and  model known as Mom Dew, [who] was being held Thursday afternoon at the Technology Crime Supression Division in Bangkok’s Lak Si over a complaint that she impersonated the Queen Mother Sirikit in an ad campaign that was quickly pulled after it aired last month.”

Like Chulabhorn, Sirikit is not covered in Article 112. To refresh memories, Article112 of the Criminal Code states, “Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years.”

Further updated: Pavlov and Srisuwan

For those who don’t recall, Pavlov trained – conditioned – animals. When referring to Pavlov’s dogs it is a nod to the experiments Pavlov did in conditioning dogs to salivate through a learning process that results from this pairing, through which the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a salivation response that usually provoked by the potent stimulus of food.

From SimplyPsychology

PPT has referred to Pavlovian political responses in several posts over the years (see here). But today’s report that the forever complaining Srisuwan Janya has made yet another complaint takes the cake.

In the parliamentary debate on the 2023 Budget Bill on Thursday, Move Forward MP Jirat Thongsuwan raised a question regarding the “Defence Ministry spent as much as THB7.57 million to hire the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) to examine 757 GT200 devices, or THB10,000 per device.”

The GT200 is “a fraudulent ‘remote substance detector’ that was claimed by its manufacturer, UK-based Global Technical Ltd, to be able to detect, from a distance, various substances including explosives and drugs…. [T]he device has been described as little more than ‘divining rods’ which lack any scientific explanation for why they should work.”

The controversy over these money-making devices for the heads of agencies that purchased almost 1300 of them in Thailand has gone on for more than a decade. As Jessada Denduangboripant, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Science, pointed out, the “GT200 is amazing. It can waste the state budget all the time. The devices have been locked up for 14 years, but they are still moved out to waste the budget. It’s really a tool to make money.”

What’s remarkable in the story on Srisuwan’s salivating response. Raised by an opposition politician – Srisuwan hates them – the serial complainer made PR by stealing the limelight:

Activist Srisuwan Janya said he will petition the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to look into the army’s hiring of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) for 7.5 million baht to examine fraudulent bomb detectors purchased years ago.

Mr Srisuwan, secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution, on Saturday on Facebook said the procurement of GT200 detectors reflects poor budget planning that lacked proper scrutiny.

This additional case involving the GT200 warants investigation, but so does the procurement by some who remain in power – think Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha who when Army boss in 2012 stated that not only was the device still used, he defended it: “I affirm that the device is still effective. Other armed forces are also using it…”. In fact, with”four army commanders in a row spoke glowingly and positively of their effectiveness.” That’s Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who led the 2006 coup and Gen Anupong Paojinda, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha and Gen Prawit Wongsuwan who all led the 2014 coup and now lead the military junta.

So Srisuwan now puts the spotlight on himself, and we’d expect that, like thousands of other complaints he’s made, that this is nothing more than a PR stunt. Why isn’t he following up on the “investigations” on the GT200 that go back more than 10 years. Which of the military bosses has been charged for this massive fraud? Where’s Srisuwan on those cases?

Frankly, we think Srisuwan’s complaints costs the taxpayer a huge amount of money for little good. He promotes himself but not much else. Maybe someone should investigate his serial complaining?

Update 1: It is reported that the “Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has said that the army does not need to examine fraudulent GT200 bomb detectors as a lawsuit seeking compensation from the distributor has been finalised.”

Update 2: The Army has now “stopped conducting expensive tests on the bogus GT200 bomb detectors after the issue sparked an uproar about taxpayers’ money being wasted.”

 

Making 112 connections

Since the 2006 military coup, rightist regimes have made lese majeste a charge that can be used internationally. The result has been that several persons outside Thailand have been charged.

Most recently, Thai PBS reports that serial yellow-shirt complainer and attention seeker Srisuwan Janya has taken a new path to lese majeste repression when he combined the international and the national. ,”lodged a complaint with the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) police … seeking legal action against administrators of the ‘Youth & Direct Democracy TH’ Facebook page for posting images of Thai protesters in a German town, allegedly containing messages deemed to insult and intimidate the Thai monarchy.”

In addition, he demanded that the police charge “45 other individuals who, he alleged, had shared the content on social media.”

Srisuwan said the protesters in Germany, who he alleges are “Thais,” with “some of them living in exile to escape lèse majesté prosecutions … staged the rally on Saturday in Kirn … to coincide with the protests in Thailand, organized by the Free Youth movement…”. He claimed he had a list of names for the police.

Srisuwan, seems to be the self-appointed secretary-general of the Complain About Everything Association or the Thai Constitution Protection Association, with the report stating he is a “solo activist.”

He has also “submitted a petition to the National Human Rights Commission … to rule on whether the Saturday’s protest at Din Daeng intersection was peaceful, creative and without arms, as claimed by the Free Youth movement and its supporters.”

He said that, before the protest on Saturday, the Free Youth movement sent a letter to the NHRC asking the commission to send officials to observe the protest, which the movement claimed to be peaceful and in line with the principle of free expression.

The NHRC assigned commissioners Preeda Kongpaen, Asst Prof Suchart Setthamalinee, Sayamon Kaiyurawong and Wasant Paileeklee and some officials to observe the protest.

Of course, Srisuwan reckons the protesters were violent and “wants the commission’s ruling to be used as a basis to take action against the movement, in accordance with the computer crime law.”

We can only think that the last words are in error, for as far as we know, the violence was physical rather than digital. However, Srisuwan often comes up with loopy legal interpretations, so who knows.

Art vs. lese majeste

Prachatai reports on yet more lese majeste cases.

It states that two Chiang Mai University students, Withaya Khlangnin and Yotsunthon Ruttapradid, “have received police summonses on charges under the lèse majesté law and the 1979 Flag Act for an art installation piece exhibited at an event in March 2021.”

Their case stems from a complaint made by serial complainer and attention-seeker Srisuwan Janya who claims to be Secretary-General of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution. We assume he protects the military junta’s constitution because he’s a fan.

He “filed a complaint against them for an art installation piece they exhibited during the 14 March 2021 protest at Chiang Mai University.” Srisuwan claims their art “violated the 1979 Flag Act and that messages written on the piece violate Section 112 of the Criminal Code…”.

Clipped from Prachatai

The art piece features a mannequin wrapped in plastic in the middle of two red and white strips. It was shown twice.

Prachatai cites iLaw:

the students received a phone call from the police informing them of the summons. They were told that the police have sent the summonses to their home addresses in Sukhothai and Narathiwat, and that they must report to the police on 3 May, or the police will consider issuing arrest warrants.

The police planned to take them to “Chiang Mai Provincial Court for a temporary detention request.”

AT present it seems that the students and their lawyers have postponed meeting police as “neither have received the summons…”.

Land of (no) compromise II

No compromise in the “land of compromise.”

If anyone wanted to stymie “reconciliation” they would appoint those least likely to reconcile with anyone else. And, according to the Bangkok Post, that’s exactly what the regime has done.

Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha’s government “has named Suporn Atthawong and Terdpong Chaiyanant as its representatives on the proposed national reconciliation panel.”

Suporn is vice minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, appointed as a turncoat red shirt who worked to entice notheastern politicians away from Thaksin Shinawatra and over to the regime’s Palang Pracharath Party. Terdpong is a Democrat Party MP who was among their anti-red shirt partisans.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan explained their appointments, saying: “They know what they should do.” The regime’s bidding and nothing at all to do with “reconciliation.”

The Bangkok Post also reports that there can be no slack for Thaksin. Serial complainer and yellow shirt Srisuwan Janya has asked the regime’s pliant Election Commission (EC) to consider dissolving the Puea Thai Party for Thaksin’s “influence.”

All this because Thaksin supported one candidate in local elections.

It is a beat-up by Srisuwan, but the EC is such a bunch of dullards that, if ordered, they will probably take the case to the Constitutional Court.

Students rolling, royalists reacting

As demonstrations continue, it might be expected that the young students and their supporters might be losing some support by demanding reform of the monarchy and calling for an end to the military-backed regime, both seen by conservatives as the cornerstone of the status quo.

In fact, this doesn’t seem to be happening. The Bangkok Post reports two surveys, one by the seldom trustworthy NIDA Poll with 1,312 respondents and another by the Suan Dusit Poll which claims 197,029 respondents. Go beyond the headlines, and it seems that a large majority support the students and their headline three demands. It also seems that support for the regime has dropped even more.

In the most recent demonstration in Khon Kaen, a statement was issued and called:

for an end to intimidation of the people, the government’s legal action against people with different opinions, inequality in education, inequities in the justice process and the plunder of natural resources.

“We want rights and freedom and human dignity because we are not slaves. We want a democracy which belongs to the people. We want equality in education and true justice in the judicial process. We want the decentralisation of power and the right of communities to manage their own resources. We want a new democracy….

Interestingly, several of these demands have ideological continuities with the rights demands heard during red shirt rallies a decade ago. That seems organic in the sense that many of today’s protesters were very young when the red shirts rose.

When the military has its government pad out its budget through rubber-stamping in parliament, the students get more supporters.

Regime and royalist reaction is pretty much what might be expected. As well as giving the military more kit, the regime is shoring up its support among the top brass. An example it Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha’s likely pick for next air force boss. Apparently, the job requirement is that the appointee must be “intelligent, ethical, dedicated and loyal to the monarchy.” We doubt the first two criteria can be fulfilled along with the last requirement. The other loyalty must be to the regime’s leaders.

Rightists are straggling along, as yet not well organized. This means they flop back on old tactics. For example, the “independent” agencies are used to undermine those various rightists think are “behind the children.” So it is that serial complainer Srisuwan Janya “says he will petition the Election Commission (EC) to look into whether the Move Forward Party (MFP) broke the law on political parties by proposing to amend the constitution’s Chapters 1 and 2 which contain general principles and sections associated with the monarchy.” Who pays him?

And surveillance and repression continues. As would be expected, “[s]ecurity agencies are keeping an eye on political activities ahead of a planned student rally on Sept 19 to prevent protest actions that may lead to violence and unrest…”, painting a picture of “Hong Kong violence,” obviously seeking to influence and agitate the Sino-Thais of Bangkok and linking to yellow-shirt ideologues who follow Russian troll sites on “color revolutions.”

They are also seeking to limit protest growth through political alliances with groups like the Assembly of the Poor. Hence last week’s arrest of the Assembly secretary-general, Baramee Chairat, for alleged offenses at the 18 July rally.

We doubt that these military and police spies are about preventing violence and are more about preventing protest and agitating against the “children.”

There’s a long road to be traveled.

With 4 updates: Generals, kings and isolation

After some criticism of quarantine exemptions for a visiting US military delegation, a Thai general was quoted:

A delegation led by the US army chief of staff has been required to self-isolate before their arrival for 14 days for a two-day trip under a special arrangement, Gen Somsak Roongsita, secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC) said yesterday [Sunday].

That seems pretty clear. The Thai general is further quoted:

US army chief of staff Gen James McConville will meet his Thai counterpart, Gen Apirat Kongsompong, and Prime Minister [Gen] Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday and Friday, Gen Somsak said.

But, then, as ever, things get a little murkier:

Gen Somsak said the delegation would fly from Singapore to Thailand on a private flight. “They won’t be flying directly from the US. It’s a small delegation and will be in Thailand for two days.”

They were tested and quarantined for 14 days in the US before the trip and would be tested again in Singapore and at the Military Air Terminal 2 at Don Mueang airport.

So in Singapore, they are not isolated.Just saying….

But what about in the USA? We found this official report:

REDSTONE, AL, UNITED STATES
07.02.2020
Photo by Kari Hawkins
U.S. Army Materiel Command
…
Gen. Ed Daly takes command of the Army Materiel Command as he returns the AMC flag to Command Sgt. Maj. Rodger Masker during a Passing of the Colors ceremony July 2. The Passing of the Colors was part of the change of command ceremony, and included previous AMC Commander Gen. Gus Perna and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville.

Date Taken: 07.02.2020
Date Posted: 07.02.2020 16:46….

We did a count, and we don’t think 2-9 July equals 14 days. Is the Thai general concocting a lame story for local consumption? Does he think no one will bother doing a bit of online searching? We are sure another lame story will follow. Just saying….

And what of all those who are in contact? Are they isolating after the visit? Probably not. Just saying….

And then there’s the arrival this morning of yet another special Thai Airways reportedly carrying the king and queen back to Bangkok from Germany and Switzerland for another less than one day visit. It seems the bankrupt airline is still flying special flights for the royals. And, like the king’s one other visit to Thailand, there’s no isolation, presumably as the possibility of a royal virus is a blessing. Just saying….

Update 1: If you aren’t filthy rich and are without a royal or military connection, then you can be held in contempt compared to those with status and loot. Gen Prayuth has “expressed his concerns about the future resumption of international travel under the Travel Bubble scheme, stressing Thailand must implement a vigorous arrivals screening.” Unless you are rich, royal or connected.

Update 2: We predicted another story to cover for the Thai general’s dissembling. One we saw came in the Bangkok Post. It seem that the buffalo manure is being dumped as the Post has a photo that appears to be showing that the American general hasn’t isolated for 14 days anywhere. The caption for the photo states:

US army chief of staff Gen James McConville (centre right) visits the Thai army’s combat team which joins Exercise Lightning Forge at the Schofield Barracks army Base in Hawaii before his trip to Singapore, Thailand and Japan later this week. (Photo supplied by Wassana Nanuam)

Clipped from the Bangkok Post

We can’t confirm when the photo was taken but the text above gives the impression that “before” means within the last few days and the photo shows everyone masked.

Now the official line is that the American general and his entourage will wear masks and limit meetings. Then is is added that they’ll be virus tested before arrival and on arrival. But what about all those they meet and the “liaison officers, along with health and security officials”? What about Gen Prayuth and Gen Apirat?

Update 3: Serial complainer Srisuwan Janya, who has celebrity status for his incessant attention-seeking activism, has lodged a complaint about the delegation’s visit and associated double standards.

Update 4: Because they lied, officials and army brass have been busy covering posterior and repairing their image by going above and beyond in having the American general appear to be sanitized and separated. Look at the lengths Gen Apirat has gone to. One suspects he is trying to (re)burnish his image for a political career.