News from Thailand – June 21, 2014
A case of patriotism gone too far or making a white impression with the junta? The Ministry of Education last week asked the junta for a list of patriotic songs. Those songs should be played twice a day in all public schools: in the morning at the opening and during the lunch break.
Suthasri Wongsamarn, permanent secretary of the ministry, said she had tears in her eyes listening to those songs last month when she was declaring the coup. And that is why she wants to promote the songs in schools to stimulate the patriotism of students.
The ministry previously announced that it wanted to review history education and introduce the new subject of citizenship studies. It should deal with the rights and obligations of Thai citizens.
The underlying message of these plans is clear, writes Bangkok Post. The country has problems because the population is not patriotic enough. In short: the people are the problem. This analysis is clearly wrong. The people are not the problem, but the ministry is, the newspaper says sternly.
– In March of this year, a bicycle path was opened that was built around Suvarnabhumi airport. The start is not hard to find, it is located southwest of Suvarnabhumi. Cyclists can embark on a 23,5 kilometer journey, undisturbed by walkers, traffic lights, motorcycles and ramps, with a fantastic view of planes taking off and landing. My love, what more do you want? All information can be found in the attached box.
– After two days of fierce opposition to the relocation of minibuses from Victory Monument to Makkasan ARL station, SRT Governor Prapas Chongsanguan has turned around like a leaf on a tree. All that was needed was the junta's commitment that the move was a temporary measure.
The move aims to put an end to the rather chaotic traffic situation on the square and in surrounding streets. Prapas' resistance was motivated by the prospect of leasing the site to the Ministry of Finance. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) owes 100 billion baht to Finance; she wants to develop the site for commercial purposes.
From July 1, minibuses will therefore park at the Makkasan Airport Rail Link station and on a site under the Expressway at the Asok toll booths. Passengers will continue to board at Victory Monument, where the vans will drive to when all seats have been sold.
At the moment there are six places around Victory Monument, where the vans are parked. The vans parked at the Pong Lee restaurant move first. Then the others follow: Fashion Mall, Rajavithi Hospital, Phahon Yothin Road and two places under the Expressway towards Chaeng Watthana Road and Din Daeng.
– The Transport Co Ltd, operator of Mor Chit bus station, has, at the request of the junta, scrapped the 10 baht that taxi drivers have to pay to pick up passengers. The measure aims to alleviate drivers' financial hardship caused by the high cost of living and reduced income during the six-month protests, said Nirandon Samutsakhon, commander of the 11th Military Circle.
Nirandon is tasked with tackling the chronic problems of public transport, such as the extortion of taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers.
– The Stop Global Warming Association has not succeeded in stopping the construction of dikes on eleven industrial estates through the administrative court. The Central Administrative Court rejected the association's request yesterday, arguing that the land manager, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, was not at fault. There is no indication that the IEAT is denying public access to project details.
The association went to court in February 2012. She demanded an environmental impact assessment, health report, public hearings and compensation for local residents affected by the construction because the course of natural waterways could be affected. According to the court, the construction will not have serious consequences for local residents, as determined by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
– The Thailand Environmental Institute (TEI) will submit a wish list to the junta on Monday, including the introduction of a green tax according to the principle 'The polluter pays'. Legislation in this area was set aside by the previous government. The industry would henceforth have to pay for waste water and the emission of greenhouse gases and electronic equipment would have to be charged with a processing fee.
According to TEI president Owanruedee Chotichanattaswewong, production costs will only increase by 0,5 percent due to all these measures, "which is very little." But little progress has been made. I would like the NCPO to take action.'
Owanruedee said this yesterday at a meeting of the TEI dedicated to pressing environmental issues, such as forest management, air and water pollution and waste management. According to her, the processing of hazardous waste should have priority. The problem is how to limit the power of local politicians with regard to illegal dumps.
– The police commander of Wang Thonglang district has been suspended after a large illegal (and quite luxurious, judging by the TV images) casino was discovered in his area. On Thursday, agents and soldiers raided the 'Number One' casino on Soi Saha Kan Pramun. They found 27 baccarat tables and 1.000 sets of playing cards and chips worth 2,9 million baht. 37 staff members were arrested; customers were not there. The police had been tipped off about the casino.
Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, acting chief of the municipal police, calls the casino manager's claim that a senior figure had given permission for the casino to be unfounded. The manager has been detained for questioning and is also found to be the owner of a golf practice range in Meng Chai. The police are investigating who all invested in the casino. The casino was registered as a golf training ground in 1997 under the name 'Number One'. The building had also been renovated, without a permit.
– For the time being, the police assume that two bundles with 42.800 state lottery tickets fell from a Thailand Post van, when the car was on its way to the Ayutthaya provincial office. The driver and co-driver are not (yet) suspected. They found the bundles missing upon arrival and then also found out that the rear door was unlocked. One of the two men then jumped on the motorcycle to reconnoitre the route followed, but he found nothing.
Witness testimony and camera images do not indicate that the door was opened on the way. Whoever finds and returns the lottery tickets will receive a reward of 20.000 baht. The lottery tickets have a sales value of 3 million baht. Serial numbers are not included in the draw.
– That much is clear: the reappointment of Panu Uthairat, former deputy governor of Yala, as secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center has not been well received by resistance groups in the South. Yesterday morning, banners protesting against Panu were found in XNUMX places in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces. The texts warned against 'incidents due to the return of Panu' and criticized his functioning during his first term.
In Chanae (Narathiwat), rangers detained a man after he put up a banner with a similar text. He has also confessed to hanging other banners.
Panu says he does not care much about the threats. He hopes that the situation in the South will improve now that the junta is going to reorganize relevant services in the region. Coupleider Prayuth has taken charge of all security operations in the South.
At the police station of Raman (Yala), a processing plant of pararubber wood [?] was set on fire on Thursday night. No one was injured, but the damage was significant. The fire was fought with ten vehicles and was under control after four hours. Witnesses saw five men go in and tie up the guard.
In Nong Chik (Pattani) two soldiers escorting teaching staff were injured in a bomb attack yesterday.
– Cambodians who fled Thailand last week are slowly starting to return now that it is clear that there is no question of a raid by the army. Yesterday, XNUMX former refugees crossed the border in Aranyaprathet in the opposite direction. The number of refugees to Cambodia has fallen sharply.
Oam Sarei (28) says he fled ten days ago for fear of arrest. Assurances from the Thai army and Cambodian authorities that he has nothing to fear made him decide to return. He was given a seven-day pass at the border, during which time he can apply for migrant worker status at the Ministry of Employment.
– The National Human Rights Commission yesterday visited fourteen detainees imprisoned in Bangkok's Klongprem Central Prison on charges of lèse majesté, violation of martial law and disregarding NCPO orders, as well as possession of weapons of war.
The commission urges the junta to guarantee the human and legal rights of political prisoners. She says she has received complaints about this. All detainees want to be released on bail so they can prepare their defence. They want to appear in court and not in court martial, which has no appeal. They also ask to be separated from the other prisoners to avoid possible confrontations.
– Former Education Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng, accused of ignoring the call to report to the army and inciting agitation over a speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, is now also charged with Computer Violation Crime Act. His maximum prison sentence can therefore increase from nine to fifteen years.
Chaturon is out on bail. Yesterday he received red roses from supporters when he arrived at the court-martial (photo home page). The police had wanted to lock him up for another XNUMX days for questioning, but that party was canceled because he had already been released on bail.
– Charupong Ruangsuwan has resigned as party leader of former governing party Pheu Thai. In his letter of resignation, he writes that he will step down from his position with retroactive effect from May 22, the day of the coup. Charupong is said to be hiding abroad.
– In a village in Muang (Sakon Nakhon), the police found thirteen bags on a vacant lot with the carcasses of several dogs and five hundred pieces of dog skin, which were probably destined for tanneries.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post
“The country is in trouble because the people are not patriotic enough. In short: the people are the problem.” 555 That could have been an excerpt from the Spelled or Onion News, but I think the reverse is more likely the case. People are too nationalistic, the history books should also pay more attention to more difficult times from the past, and not the people, but the school system is the problem. But I don't think citizenship will be about how to be a critical citizen (in combination with general norms and values, how to deal with differences between people and so on).
If only a country had one , Suthasri Wongsamarn as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education , you would wish that the junta still had a cell left where she could listen to her patriotic songs until her tears flowed .
In the west, with such a beautiful cycle path under the airport, they would immediately build a research center for cancer research. There slogan here ..the more beautiful the view the dirtier the air.
Danny
I also always get tears in my eyes when I hear the song “Lonely Christmas” by Andre Hazes. But luckily that's only two days a year so I'm not tempted to buy a cheap ticket Bangkok-Amsterdam.