Thanathorn, leader of the Future Forward Party (FWP) (Photo: Nattaro Ohe / Shutterstock.com)
It seems strongly that Thailand is still a long way from a real democracy now that the board does everything to eliminate a political rival. The popular Thanathorn Juangroongruankit, party leader of Future Forward Party, was told by police on Saturday that he faces charges of sedition, aiding a suspect to avoid arrest and participating in a banned gathering.
If found guilty, he could be sentenced to years in prison. Due to the sedition charge, Thanathorn will also be tried by a military court.
The allegations relate to an incident on June 24, 2015. The New Democracy Movement, a group mainly consisting of students, then held a demonstration against the junta at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, which Thanathorn was also present. When the police arrived, a few fled in a minivan, later revealed to be owned by Thanathorn's mother. Thanathorn has said that he merely gave a lift to a student who was walking home on Rama IV Road.
Future Forward (FFP) unexpectedly became a major political party in Thailand in the March 24 elections, with 6,2 million votes they are now even the third largest party in the country. Something the junta doesn't like because Thanathorn strongly opposes the army. For example, he has proposed abolishing conscription, making major cutbacks in defense and reducing the bizarrely high number of generals. In addition, he also wants to change the constitution, which the junta has established to keep power in the Senate.
Some political experts believe Thailand's unrest will return if Thanathorn, who is particularly popular with young people, students and academics, goes to prison.
Source: Bangkok Post
Various embassies, including the Netherlands, came to support Tansthorn. According to the junta, the charges for the alleged offenses of sedition, gathering of more than 5 people and demonstrating) are absolutely not politically motivated.
Other Future Forward members (Piyabutr), activists and a journalist are also under fire. For example, a voice TV presenter and Bow would have discredited the Electoral Council.
In other news: after long deliberation, the Electoral Council has decided to use a distribution key that benefits the junta and causes the 'pro-democracy coalition' to lose its majority. For example, Future Forwars will probably lose 8 seats, which will benefit 1-seat parties. A parliament with a lot of parties does not make forming a stable coalition any easier.
Resources and more:
- https://m.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1657764/thanathorn-grilled-by-police
- https://m.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1657608/thanathorn-faces-three-more-charges
- http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30367218
- http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2019/04/06/more-than-25-parties-to-be-allocated-party-list-seats-ec/
Piyabutr, the secretary general of FFP, has been charged with 'contempt of court' and a violation of the 'computer crimes act'. FFP is also accused of wanting to depose the monarchy, although the 112 pizza law has not actually been abused by the NCPO since last year. The Computer Crimes Act seems to be the generals' new toy to deal with people with wrong opinions/views. And (substantiated) criticism against a judge / court is enough in Thailand to find an indictment for contempt of that fantastic Thai rule of law in your mailbox.
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1654876/future-forward-party-in-hot-water-over-lecture
- http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30367332
Well… you don't actually belong if you don't have any charges against you. All political celebrities have preceded him…..
Knowing that the lese majeste law has been applied minimally since 2014, I would not be so afraid. Fortunately (or not?), judges are sensitive to public opinion and the opinion of significant others.
Piyabutr, a (constitutional) law scholar and lecturer at Thammasat University, released a video in early March criticizing the dissolution of the TRC party by the Electoral Commission. According to Piyabutr, political parties are important because they enable people with similar views to jointly influence government policy through the principles of the democratic constitutional state. But that over the past 13 years, laws have been (ab)used as a political instrument, which has led to doubts among people about the actions of 'independent bodies' and the Constitutional Court. Dissolving a party 17 days before the elections affects the conduct of the elections. It deprives a party of its opportunity to fight/compete and destroys the intentions that voters of that party have. It also damages confidence in free and fair elections.
But his words to this effect would, according to the NCPO, constitute contempt of court (criticism is contempt, ladies and gentlemen, so beware). And the computer uploading of his statements that "undermine national security or frighten the public" also earns him a Computer Crimes Act prosecution.
There are also other people who have filed complaints against Piyabutr, as he allegedly wants to overthrow 'the democracy with monarch as head of state'. They refer to his academic work and books he wrote as a lecturer at university.
In an op-ed by the Bangkok Post, the newspaper warns of a tsunami of lawsuits on both sides, further divisions and a decline in confidence. The Electoral Council had already raised eyebrows long before the elections, but all this only makes more citizens wonder what the hell the Electoral Council, etc. are doing.
But don't worry people, according to Electoral Councilor Sawang Boonmee, all complaints are unfounded and the Thai election process is one of the world's most secure and resistant to fraud or deceit. But if people have hard evidence of abuses, they are requested to provide this and the Electoral Council will consider it seriously.
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1659160/piyabutr-faces-two-charges
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1658764/tsunami-of-poll-suits
- http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30367375
So that's how it works. If someone is more popular than the incumbent, you look into his past and then - after almost 4 years (!) - institute a prosecution for sedition and participation in an apparently forbidden demonstration.
And that's how you get rid of your opponents bit by bit. Who's next? Oh yes, Thaksin's party has ended elections as the largest party. The top of the party can therefore watch out.
There are those who still believe and reason as such that (a certain degree of) democracy prevails in Thailand. Meanwhile, the opposite is clear, I think. The current regime started with a "roadmap to democracy", presented it as such to foreign countries, giving some credit, but formulated the constitution, senate and judiciary as it saw fit. The government is becoming all the more repressive now that the elections do not show what it thought it had organized. The fact that the FFP is now the bitten dog says everything about what the government thinks Thailand should look like. In the past 6 months I have traveled through Thailand to see if I want to spend my old age there. If 9 May turns out to be as serious as the signs now indicate, I will reconsider my intention.
Why is there no comment from the US and the EU.
They seem to be okay with what's going on
The EU already has 'too many' comments, according to the NCPO. Embassy staff will be called in for an interview, because apparently they do not understand the Thai way of things and are disrupting the way things are going:
“The government on Tuesday said it will invite a group of foreign diplomats for a talk (..) Foreign affairs minister Don Pramudwinai said the diplomats' actions amount to “interfering” with Thailand's justice system. (..)
[This kind of thing] cannot happen [here],”
See:
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2019/04/09/mfa-chides-diplomats-for-observing-thanathorns-case/
The PVV asks questions in the House of Representatives about the arrest of legal activist Tommy Robinson in England. Should they be happy with that in the UK or should Geert not interfere with an arrest in a country where he has no business?
https://www.foxnews.com/world/right-wing-activist-tommy-robinson-reportedly-jailed-after-filming-outside-child-grooming-trial
https://www.stopdebankiers.com/pvv-stelt-vragen-over-aanhouding-tommy-robinson/
The diplomats came on behalf of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, UK, US, EU (there is its own EU embassy) and the UN. Countries that are known for always 'whining' about human rights. Totally disregarding the Thai way those foreigners, they don't understand this country… (sarcasm)
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1659052/don-slams-diplomats-for-accompanying-thanathorn
According to an NCPO colonel, it is right to take Thanathorn to a military court and he has nothing to fear. Comments that people fear partiality or unfair process would be misplaced.
In the meantime, criticism of the Electoral Council continues to grow, with Democrats now also commenting on the application of the alternative formula. Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, Democrat and former Electoral Council member, gave a demonstration about this (mock class). According to Somchai, among others, the Electoral Council is in violation of Article 91 of the Constitution. It was previously indicated that the electoral threshold for a seat would be 71 thousand votes, but the new formula is only about 35 thousand.
- http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2019/04/08/govt-says-trying-thanathorn-in-military-court-is-fair/
- http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2019/04/08/doubts-over-election-commissions-party-list-allocations-grow
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1658216/key-political-parties-attack-unfair-party-list-mp-formula/
How many times does the game have to be explained?
The best man will never be behind bars because it is of no interest to anyone.
Game? What game Johnny?
Can you clarify this please?
Trial in military court instead of civil court. What are the differences? In short, it means that the suspect has fewer rights. Thus, there is no possibility of appeal. And under the NCPO, the military court has made some gems of actions. So Thanthorn has nothing to worry about…
- https://freedom.ilaw.or.th/en/blog/military-court-thailand-under-ncpo-regime
- https://freedom.ilaw.or.th/en/blog/top-5-memorable-works-military-court
The headline of this posting reads: “Junta wants popular Thanathorn to disappear from the political scene”.
I think that's only part of the truth, not the most important part.
The junta is not stupid enough to think that with the possible disappearance of Thanatorn (and Pyibutr), the social democratic ideas and the dream of 6,2 million voters for the FFP will also disappear. The underlying strategy is - in my humble opinion - to provoke unrest and demonstrations by vilifying and possibly convicting the leaders of the FFP (this can already be done when going to court) so that the general public (fearful as it is) for new unrest, see the most recent NIDA poll; the business community is also concerned) quickly comes to the conclusion that the FFP are just as troublemakers as the Red and the Yellow Shirts and that politicians have apparently learned nothing from the past. And with that the FFP would lose its good image among adult Thais; and these adults must convince their children (who voted FFP in large numbers) that the FFP are simply troublemakers, red wolves in orange sheep's clothing.
In my opinion, the goal is simple: to neutralize the FFP by weakening it in every way. Intimidation, tampering with the seats, possibly some disqualifications via the violence, red, orange cards, etc. Claiming that the FFP is a danger to the monarchy, that they are Thaksin's friends or sluts. Depicting social democratic ideas as extreme left-wing, unethical. Insisting on the importance of Thainess, Thai style democracy with a fatherly leader. And so forth. Everything to keep the mafia-like figures at the top in power. If it is not possible, then it is not possible. The question is whether the population will swallow this and get back in line or will see through it and take action.
Nothing in Thailand is what it often seems to be.