News from Thailand – March 4, 2014

Three hundred farmers and protesters, led by Luang Pu Buddha Issara, marched to the Court's office yesterday. They asked the president to investigate the rice mortgage system and in particular Prime Minister Yingluck and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, who are primarily responsible for the program.

Issara said the group will return next week to hear what progress has been made in this investigation. "We hope that the OAG [Office of the Auditor-General] will meet our demands."

The group settled in front of the office for two hours, but she was not allowed in. Three representatives of the OAG received a letter. "We may not be able to meet the protesters' request within seven days, but we promise not to neglect our duty," said one of them.

Last week, the Court of Auditors started an investigation into a silo in Phitsanulok where spoiled rice is stored. Issara has asked the OAG to check all silos in the country. Today he is going to the police with farmers who are still waiting for the money for their surrendered rice. The Attorney General's office has already received 200 complaints from farmers.

– Another bus accident, but this time with a less dramatic outcome than the accident in Prachin Buri. A bus en route from Khon Kaen to Chiang Mai skidded off a narrow bridge in Nakhon Thai (Phitsanulok) on Sunday night and fell 5 meters. 22 passengers were injured.

– Two grenades were thrown at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road yesterday morning. One grenade exploded (but not at full strength) near the gate, the other landed in the parking lot but did not explode. A second grenade attack targeted a group of protesters on their way from Lumpini Park to the office of the CMPO, the body responsible for the state of emergency. No one was injured.

Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, advisor to the CMPO, sees the attack on the court as a reason to argue for an extension of the state of emergency, which came into effect on January 22 for 60 days. Although the protest movement has retreated to the park, sporadic attacks continue to hit the city, he says.

The final decision on lifting the state of emergency is the responsibility of Prime Minister Yingluck. CMPO director Chalerm Yubamrung argues for enforcement, opposition party Democrats believes that the state of emergency is no longer necessary. And incidentally, it turned out to be unnecessary, because attacks have not been prevented and not a single suspect has yet been arrested.

Incidentally, the CMPO has still not appealed against the decision of the civil court on the state of emergency. The court upheld the emergency ordinance, but prohibited authorities from removing protesters.

– Bangkok Shutdown has cost the Bangkok municipal transport company 94 million baht in lost revenue. The BMTA had to adjust 41 routes and use 200 fewer buses. The number of passengers fell by 8,3 million: an average of 176.000 per day. There are now 21 routes that are affected by the protests.

– 'Negotiations without preconditions are essential to end the political conflict. Now both parties have set conditions that are unacceptable to the other party and have created disaster for the negotiating process.'

Thai Chamber of Commerce Chairman Issara Vongkusolkit said this yesterday after a meeting of seven major business organizations devoted to the political unrest. According to Issara, the current deadlock has major consequences for the economy, farmers, workers and small and medium-sized businesses that are unable to sustain long-term losses. The country risks losing its competitive position as investment confidence declines.

Other topics discussed at the meeting included the negotiations between Thailand and the EU on a free trade agreement and the economic growth forecast for this year. The president of the Federation of Thai Industries thinks 4 to 5 percent is possible; the National Economic and Social Development Board and the Bank of Thailand forecast a rate below 3 percent.

The Tourism Council of Thailand expects a decline in tourism in the first two quarters of this year, which will save 82 billion baht in revenue, 6 percent of the annual turnover that has a target of 1,3 trillion baht.

– Action leader Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday appealed to the armed forces to take sides. When they side with the people [meaning the protesters], the standoff ends. Don't blame us for calling for a coup. We just want the military to remove you [the government] from power.”

– Noppadon Pattama, member of the strategy committee of former governing party Pheu Thai, says the government and the protest movement will soon hold more talks following last week's talk between protest leader Luang Pu Buddha Issara and Somchai Wongsawat, number 2 on Pheu's electoral list Thai.

Noppadon believes that those conversations should take place behind closed doors. Former Prime Minister Thaksin and Prime Minister Yingluck are not involved, he emphasizes. The condition is that the talks are based on the law and the constitution. The government will not honor demands that go beyond what the constitution allows.

– The government does not support any initiative to split the country, says Prime Minister Yingluck in response to accusations from anti-government groups. “The government does not support separatism. The nation must remain one and indivisible.'

The army is also involved in the matter, because the Third Army Corps has filed a report against a red shirt group in Chiang Mai on behalf of army commander Prayuth Chan-ocha, which advocates secession. The group is guilty of separatism and rebellion, the army said.

The report refers to a banner that the group hung on a pedestrian bridge. The text reads: 'This country has no justice. We want to separate as Lanna Country.' During rallies, the members of the group wear headbands that read "Sor Por Por Lanna," which some believe means People's Democratic Republic of Lanna.

Incidentally, the same abbreviation is used by a group of 150 academics, which was founded last year. The group released a statement yesterday explaining that Sor Por Por Lanna stands for Lanna Assembly for the Defense of Democracy. The abbreviation does not refer to a republic.

– On Sunday evening he tried to cross the border to Laos, but Avelino de Jesus (33), a man with French and Portuguese nationality, was arrested by Immigration because he is wanted in France for cocaine trafficking. Fourteen people have already been arrested in this case, but De Jesus then managed to escape. Jesus and his gang are accused of smuggling cocaine from Suriname to France via the Ivory Coast.

– Another drug success. Three hill tribe men were arrested on the Phitsanulok-Uttaradit road on their way to Bangkok from the north with 610.000 methamphetamine pills.

– Four red shirt leaders who led the blockade of the office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission in Nonthaburi last month have reported to the police. Arrest warrants had been issued against them by the Nonthaburi Provincial Court. A fifth leader did not appear yesterday. They were allowed to leave after paying a bail of 50.000 baht.

The group besieged the office to protest the NACC's investigation into Prime Minister Yingluck's role as chairman of the National Rice Policy Committee. The NACC charges her with negligence for letting things (corruption and delayed payments) take their course.

The red shirts believe they are entitled to the same protection as the anti-government protesters. The civil court last month recognized the right to demonstrate and banned authorities from removing demonstrators.

Before reporting to the police, the red shirt leaders and supporters went to the home of an NACC commissioner to demand an end to the investigation against Yingluck. The group is also demanding the resignation of another commissioner. If she does not resign within a week, she will demonstrate again at the NACC office.

The message does not say how long the blockade of the office lasted. An earlier message stated that the red shirts had hermetically sealed the office and built a concrete wall.

– The National Human Rights Commission heard immigration officials yesterday about the proposed deportation of Indian businessman Satish Sehgal. He has been charged with violation of the emergency ordinance. CMPO Director Chalerm Yubamrung declined to make a statement to the NHRC. The expulsion is still on Chalerm's signature. An appeal against the decision is possible.

– Two military rangers have known to have shot at a family in Bacho (Narathiwat) in early February. The parents were injured and their three children killed. The attack was an act of revenge for the death of the brother and his wife of one of the suspects. A third suspect is still on the run.

www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post

Editorial notice

Bangkok Shutdown and the elections in images and sound:
www.thailandblog.nl/nieuws/videos-bangkok-shutdown-en-de-keuzeen/