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The Sydney Morning Herald comes with the story that Thai dissidents are in turmoil over a proposed emigration to, or the intention for a long-term stay in Australia by Rienthong Nanna.
Who is Rienthong Nanna? A man of 63, doctor, hospital director in Bangkok, retired police general and he is known as one of the biggest iron-eaters Thailand has when it comes to the House. And it is precisely that man who wants to go Down Under to maintain and live in the family property.
If the stories are to be believed, stories that have been running for years, threats against dissidents and their families are one of his favorite pastimes. Many people critical of the government, who threatened to be arrested on the Lese Majeste article in the constitution, the ultimate tool to get rid of political (business, personal) opponents, have fled the country partly because of him. to Down Under.
The accompanying article mentions some names of the hundreds of dissidents who have fled Thailand. Not mentioned is Nanna's call for 'Berufsverbote' for students who criticize government and monarchy.
Is the Thai government behind this? Or: how serious is this?
Stories abound in the world. People would have been nuclear poisoned or liquidated by secret commandos; you read about Russia, about North Korea, about Gray Wolves, but how true is the suspicion that those states are behind it themselves?
It is known that Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam maintain warm relations that provide for the arrest and extradition of each other's dissidents. People disappear 'spontaneously' and turn up in a cell in a neighboring country. Or are found with concrete in the belly in the Mekong.
And Mr Nanna? Wouldn't he just want to keep his father's house in Down Under and live there? Or does he want to take revenge on dissidents who have fled by still finishing 'the job'?
I'll give you the link. Judge yourself.
Thank you for posting this story Erik. I recommend everyone to read the article in the link.
Doctor Rientong is a nasty man. He is precisely the one who damages the reputation of the Royal House.
Need to be pretty casual here. A storm in a teacup.
D reasons:
– if Mr. Rientong is such an iron-eater and wants to pick up dissidents, he is of course much better off moving to Udon Thani or Khon Kaen. Thousands live there. In Australia, I estimate, less than 100.
– Those dissidents most likely live in Melbourne or Sydney (more work and you stand out less) and Rientong Gat live in Perth. The distance Perth-Melbourne is 3,500 kilometers. Bit far for work
– I think the Australian government is quite capable of intervening if Rientong does things that are not allowed in the country..
Depending on your preference, there are a lot of nasty men and women at the moment: Trump, Musk, Bolsanoro, Rutte, Va Leijen, Neymar, Ronaldo, Prince Harry and so on. My neighbor across the street is a bit crazy, drunk every day and has a gun. I'm more afraid of that.
During his birthday speech in 2005, King Bhumibol said he was not above criticism. He said:
“I must also be criticized. I am not afraid of criticism because then I know what I did wrong. If you say that the king cannot be criticized, you are saying that the king is not human. If you say that the king can do no wrong then you are not treating him like a human being and you are looking down on him. The king can do wrong.”
His son and followers like Rienthong Naenna have a very different opinion about this, according to their actions.
Rienthong does not shy away from intimidating politically dissenters by making their personal information public and calling on his supporters to clean up the 'dirt of the nation'.
He has even said that he and his hospital will not provide medical care to dissenters politically, in violation of his Hippocratic Oath.
The guy is, in my opinion, an intolerant anti-Democrat of the lowest order.
A young female doctor at his hospital signed a petition against violence during demonstrations. Rientong fired her.
Yes, and there are many more of them, in every country by the way…..and also people with more power than him.
If he really got support from the top in this country, many more dissidents would have been arrested already, in many countries. And that's not the case.
That he is not whistled back by the top in this country says enough to me.
I'm sorry to say Chris that you don't know enough about Dr Rientong Nanna and his Rubbish Collection Organisation. He is indeed supported in all kinds of ways by the army and members of the Privy Council. The main purpose, of course, is to instill fear. Read:
https://www.asiasentinel.com/p/thailand-shuts-strong-opposition-voice
TheoB, on the Facebook page of the Rubbish Collection Organization of Rientong, once mentioned the name of a dissident in Chiang Mai. That page then called on men to rape the dissident's 16-year-old daughter. Why was Rientong never charged?
How many people receive death threats every day?
And how many of them are actually killed?
Yes, it's about fear with 112 in the background.
But the real iron-eaters work secretly and not via Facebook.
I'm sure you have some evasive answers to this, Chris.
Three days after threats on the Rientong sites, poet and anti-2014 activist Kamol Duangphasuk was killed in Chiang Mai in April 112.
Tino, I found an article about it in The Guardian with a description of the person Kamol who was a supporter of the Thaksin clan and opposed to art 112. I'll look for translations of the poems.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/23/thai-pro-government-activist-shot-dead
Totally agree with you Chris. So many people are murdered in all countries of the world by all kinds of wrong political figures with money, power and / or ideology that it makes absolutely no difference what happens in Thailand. It is fortunate that you now have all the time to reply to people like Tino Kuis and Rob V., because otherwise our beautiful lovely Thailand would end up in a bad light.
Okay Pieter, you think Thailand is lovely. And you think murders don't matter, write yourself, because 'it happens in all countries of the world…'
Wonder when your eyes will open. Only when it hits you? But then it's too late….
I'm afraid you misunderstand Peter's response. Read it again. It's meant to be sarcastic.
Good thing, too! Because every political assassination is one too many….
Oh yes Peter.
Chris speaks from years of experience of online and physical threats of various kinds from intolerant individuals, which is why he can be laconic about it.
PS: It wasn't immediately clear to me that your comment was meant to be sarcastic.