News from Thailand – June 10, 2014
Thailand can go to the polls, because the law that regulates the elections has been reactivated by the military authority (NCPO). But that doesn't mean elections are coming soon. Reconciliation and reform first and only then is the time ripe for elections, is the mantra of the NCPO.
In addition to the law on elections, the NCPO yesterday lifted the suspension of two other laws: the law on political parties and the law on referendums. However, political parties are still not allowed to develop activities, registration of new parties is not possible and the parties do not receive the usual remuneration from the Political Parties Development Fund.
The NCPO was in a decisive mood yesterday, as it has been decided to extend the investigation time for complaints about local elections from 30 to 60 days. And that inspired the Electoral Council to ask the NCPO to grant the same extension for complaints about electoral fraud in the national elections. It is important that the Electoral Council must confirm at least 30 percent of the candidates elected to parliament within 95 days of the elections if parliament is to take office.
In the meantime, the Electoral Council is not standing still. The council is preparing sixteen projects aimed at involving the public in the elections and preventing electoral fraud. Public participation is one must because legislation alone cannot make good politicians', says Electoral Commissioner Prawit Rattanapian.
The Electoral Council celebrated its 16th anniversary yesterday. During a merit making ceremony at the government complex on Chaeng Watthana Road, the electoral commissioners offered gifts to monks.
– 'Return Happiness to the Public' is the name of the TV programme. Coupleider Prayuth Chan-ocha (photo home page) could not give any guarantee for this on Friday. About energy prices (electricity, petrol, diesel, natural gas, butane gas) he only said that the military authority (NCPO) will review the price structure 'to find the best way for fair pricing'. An eighteen-member committee, dubbed the National Energy Policy Council (NEPC), has been rigged by the NCPO to formulate "criteria and conditions."
That must be done carefully, Prayuth said, because "the matter is complex and has many facets." "Hasty decisions on price cuts, which some groups have called for, could have serious consequences for the transportation industry, product prices and public utilities."
In addition to the NEPC, the junta has also set up the Energy Planning and Policy Committee. The committee has eleven members. They are tasked with determining energy prices and contributions to the State Oil Fund (a fund from which fuel is subsidized), managing the fund in the event of fuel shortages, and setting electricity rates.
Manoon Siriwan, energy analyst and former director of state oil company Bangchak Petroleum, believes that subsidizing the diesel price from the State Oil Fund should end. But the fund is still needed to stabilize energy prices when prices on the world market fluctuate too much, he says. PTT Plc, the other state oil company, agrees. Without a fund, there is no government mechanism to manage price fluctuations and possible shortages, says director Pailin Chuchottaworn.
– It is for Thai Airways International business as usual at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. THAI flights between Jinnah and Suvarnabhumi will also continue as normal. A Thai plane will depart this afternoon for the Pakistani airport, which was attacked by terrorists yesterday. A fight between them and security personnel killed 29 people, including 10 militants.
THAI flies to Jinnah five times a week. During the attack, a THAI plane from Muscat was unable to depart for Bangkok. The passengers, including three Thais, were evacuated. The aircraft resumed its flight last night after the airport was put back into use.
– Red shirt core member Arisman Pongruangrong reported to the military authorities yesterday, disproving reports that he had fled. Arisman is one of 34 persons summoned by the NCPO on Sunday: suspects in old lèse-majeste cases and red shirts.
Arisman is a former pop singer who has turned to politics. In 2009, he led a group of red shirts that disrupted a South East Asian leadership summit in Pattaya. In May 2010, he fled to Cambodia after the army ended the weeks-long occupation of Ratchaprasong by red shirts.
Arisman apparently has improved his life, because he has promised a song to compose to promote unity and reconciliation.
– Two leaders of the anti-government movement (PDRC) have been jailed. They had breached their bail conditions by participating in PDRC rallies anyway. The two are being prosecuted for the occupation of Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports in late 2009.
– The junta receives support from the Democratic party to give priority to doubling railway tracks and to put the expensive toy of the Yingluck government, the construction of four high-speed lines, on hold for the time being.
The doubling of 1300 kilometers of railway is an idea of the Chuan government and adopted by the Abhisit government (Democrats). The Yingluck government pushed it into the infrastructure plans, for which it wanted to borrow 2 trillion baht. The Constitutional Court overruled that.
Democrats spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut says that of the four lines, only the Bangkok-Nong Khai line is the most cost-effective, as it could connect Laos, the deep-sea port of Laem Chabang in Chon Buri, Cambodia and Myanmar. China is eyeing that connection with greedy eyes.
– Social media is an inexhaustible source of rumours. Word is currently circulating that the NCPO has already formed an interim government. Other rumours: a people's assembly has already been formed, Provincial Administration Organizations (a kind of Provincial States) are being disbanded, provincial governors will be elected from now on, each province will be divided into zones, each with a people's council, and the ratio of appointed-elected members of parliament will be changed in favor of the named. Most of those rumors are consistent with proposals from the anti-government movement.
Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the NCPO, urges the population to use social media with caution and to ask the NCPO for clarification in all matters.
– Phetcharawat Wattanapongsirikul, leader of the red shirt Rak Chiang Mai 51 group, is going to ask his colleagues in eight northern provinces to suspend their activities pending NCPO reform plans.
Phetcharawat was released by the army on Friday after turning himself in on May 30. According to a report on Spring News Cable TV, he thinks elections should be held within a year. He thinks the red shirts understand the NCPO's intentions to reform the country, ensure justice and reduce social inequality.
– In the Chalerm Phrakiat stadium in Nakhon Ratchasima, also a red shirt power base, a reconciliation meeting will be held tomorrow. The rally is attended by supporters of the anti-government movement and the UDD (red shirts) from all 32 districts in the province.
– The expression goes 'Slow justice is no justice', but it doesn't seem to apply in this case. The Supreme Court has ruled that Ban Pa Ngam resort in Prachin Buri was illegally built in Thap Lan National Park.
The case dates back to 2000, when the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) went to court. On Thursday, DNP will decide whether the demolition hammer will go in, because she wants to be absolutely sure that there are no legal obstacles. The DNP is still awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Administrative Court confirming the ruling of the Central Administrative Court. He has given the DNP permission to carry out the demolition work. [Very complicated.]
The operator has asked a local court in Kabin Buri to reopen the case because there is "new information". According to the head of Thap Lan, the ruling of the Supreme Court cannot be changed. The resort awaits the same fate as the former Ban Talay Mhork resort: the demolition hammer. In total, 400 cases about illegal construction in the park are before the courts.
– The Student Loan Fund (SLF) has asked the military authority for an additional budget of 3,6 billion baht for student loans to 804.000 students. The fund says it needs that money because the Yingluck government had reduced the requested budget of 23,5 billion baht by 6,7 billion baht and later rejected a request for an increase. The remaining budget plus repayments (10 to 12 billion baht) is insufficient for the 600.000 current borrowers and 204.000 new applications, the fund says.
The SLF was founded in 1996. It provides low-interest loans to more than four million students to date. Of these, 2,6 million have already repaid their debt.
– To bring peace to six villages in Wang Saphung (Loei), 120 soldiers were stationed there yesterday. They stay there for the time being until the problems between the villagers and the local gold mine Tungkum Co are resolved.
The situation threatens to get out of hand after 15 armed men beat up villagers guarding a concrete barrier on May XNUMX. They had built it to block access to the mine. Forty villagers were injured in the clashes. The attackers managed to break down the barrier.
The villagers are very concerned about the consequences of the mine for the environment and the health of local residents. Army commander Worawut Samran said the fire was fueled by 'a third party', presumably targeting buyers of copper ore from the mine and NGOs. Last week, the military warned the Dao Din group in Khon Kaen to end its campaign against the mine because it only adds fuel to the fire.
– In Chiang Mai, birthplace of Thaksin and Yingluck, so not surprisingly a red shirt power base, a reconciliation center has been set up. The opening ceremony took place yesterday. The center aims to create a climate 'in which people accept different political views'.
Initiatives are also being taken elsewhere in the country to reduce political tensions. In Yasothon, village chiefs drank coffee in an army base. In Kalasin, the communication department started with radio programs under the motto 'returning happiness to the country'.
– The Thai ambassadors and consuls general of 23 countries will be briefed today and tomorrow about improving Thailand's international image. They must start spreading the message that the coup was necessary to prevent further bloodshed and end the political unrest that divides the country. Today they have a meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and tomorrow with Co-leader Prayuth.
The same message will also be conveyed at the annual meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva later this week. Delegation leader Sihasak says some Western countries do not understand the situation. Talks are also planned with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the head of the European Union.
The Thai ambassador to the UN in New York will talk to Human Rights Watch and the Thai embassy in London has been asked to invite Amnesty International for a meeting.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post
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