News from Thailand – December 7, 2012
In Thailand, violence between wives is considered a private matter that is rarely discussed in public. Domestic violence is part of a culture of 'silent acceptance'. It is time for Thais to open their mouths about this.
According to several speakers during the presentation of a study on media reporting, domestic violence and discrimination. Yesterday, before an audience of academics and journalists, the Media Monitor Project and the Women's Health Advocacy Foundation presented the study.
To start with the media. "The media sees gender-based violence and gender bias as normal and natural," said Wilasinee Adulyanon, director of social marketing and media advocacy for the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. She called on the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to develop rules for the presentation of this news.
Kritaya Archavanitkul, of Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research, said the gender issue is considered indecent by Thai society. 'You don't talk about that in public and that leads to prejudice.'
[I'll leave it at that, because the message is rather muddled and contains little factual information.]
– Because they ordered soldiers to use firearms in 2010 and because they used snipers, former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, now opposition leader, and former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban will be prosecuted.
Both must appear on Wednesday at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to receive the indictment. The decision to prosecute the three was taken by a tripartite team of investigators from the DSI, police and prosecutors. It is based on a recent court ruling on the death of a taxi driver on May 14, 2010. The court considered it proven that he had been killed by army fire.
The team also relies on evidence from other investigations and the instructions of the CRES, the body responsible for maintaining the state of emergency at the time. Suthep was chairman of it.
DSI head Tarit Pengdith denies that the DSI wants to prosecute both at the insistence of politicians. He says that both the then (Democratic) government and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) are responsible for the violence at the time. There are 213 procedures against red shirts, including 64 for terrorism and sabotage, and 62 for arson. Furthermore, 295 red shirts were arrested and prosecuted.
Democratic party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut says the allegations against Abhisit and Suthep are politically motivated. The government departments concerned are said to be abusing their powers.
During the riots in April and May 2010, 91 people died and nearly 2.000 were injured. On May 19, the army ended the weeks-long occupation of Ratchaprasong intersection in central Bangkok.
– The islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan were without power for the third day yesterday, because it was not possible to repair the cable break. The provincial electricity company expects the blackout to end around noon.
The governor of Surat Thani province has declared both islands a disaster area, making an emergency budget of 50 million baht available. A temporary kitchen has also been set up, wagons with machines that can produce water [?] have been sent to areas where the drinking water supply has stopped, and generators have been brought in.
The hospitals on the two islands function normally thanks to their own generators. Foreign tourists have largely left the islands as internet cafes, restaurants and shops have closed.
Acting Governor Namchai Lowatthanatrakun of the electricity company says the break is due to the increase in electricity consumption as it is now peak season. Next March, the company hopes to lay a new underwater cable with a capacity of 200 megawatts.
– The proposal to transfer Buddhist teachers who work in risk areas does not get the hands of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc). The proposal was made by a group of teachers from Narathiwat in response to two recent assassinations of teaching staff.
The Isoc believes that people with different beliefs should be able to live together. "Thailand must be a country of religious tolerance, where educators of all faiths can work without fear of persecution," said Udomdej Sitabutr, Secretary General of ISOC. He promises that safety measures for teachers will be tightened.
Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana (Education) visited the South yesterday. At a meeting of 1.500 teachers from the three southern provinces, he promised to submit their request for an increase in the hazard allowance to the cabinet. He called on those present to have confidence in the government's security measures.
– A drug suspect who drove into two motorcycle cops with his pickup truck in Yaowarat, has had little fun with his relaxation attempt. Chased and shot at by a cop who had borrowed a motorcycle, he hit several cars on the way and finally crashed into a Mercedes. The motorcycle officers suffered minor injuries, the suspect was hit in the arm. In his bag, the police found 2 grams of chrystal methamphetamine.
– The nurses were satisfied, but now non-medical staff in hospitals are threatening a strike. The Nurses' Association of Thailand previously threatened to do so, but after a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck and the Minister of Health, the threat was withdrawn. The nurses are satisfied with the commitment that 3 nurses, who now work on a contract basis, will be employed on a permanent basis over the next 22.600 years.
We want that too, say cleaners, security guards, drivers, janitors and other non-medical personnel who work in health care facilities. The Temporary Public Health Employee Network has announced a strike from January 1 to 3. "We work just as hard as medical professionals, so we deserve the same rights," says one person involved.
– Approximately 300.000 foreigners who were born in Thailand or have lived here for a long time are entitled to Thai nationality. But they must meet certain criteria, which I will not mention because they are very detailed.
– The National Ombudsman appeals to the Supreme Administrative Court against the lower court's decision not to consider his petition. The Ombudsman had asked the administrative court to declare the 3G auction invalid because there was no 'free and fair competition'.
– I never knew, but for secondary school students there is a code of conduct and dress. And that includes the haircut. Only art and dance academy students are allowed to wear their hair long. To be clear, these are boys. Thai Human Rights Watch believes that the restrictions on hair style infringe on the rights of students. The Ministry of Education is going to review the rules or has already reviewed them; both formulations appear in the message.
- Officials of the Ministry of Commerce are not allowed to talk to the media about the mortgage system for rice, said a source at the ministry. The ban comes in response to parliamentary debate over the controversial system and the National Anti-Corruption Commission's investigation into corruption.
– A 17-year-old girl was run over by a truck on Kanchanaphisek Road (Bangkok). She had fallen off her motorcycle during a 'stunt' performed by a group of youths on the motorcycle. About 100 young people got all kinds of tricks out of it. The truck driver who had seen the mess wanted to park his car, but that maneuver went wrong.
Political news
– The government chief whip is considering the proposal of a group of senators to review the constitution article by article instead of completely rewriting the constitution. He will present it to the Pheu Thai faction, who then have to decide whether they think it's a good idea. Known as the Group of 40, the senators say an article-by-article review is the best way to avoid conflict. The group also calls on the government to hold a referendum and gauge popular opinion on the need to amend the constitution.
Paibul Nititawan, one of the 40, says Article 237 of the constitution is one of the articles that needs amendments. This article penalizes board members of a political party, which has been dissolved by the Constitutional Court, with a political ban of 5 years.
As you know, the Constitutional Court halted parliamentary consideration of the proposal to amend Article 291 in July. Pheu Thai wants to change it to create a citizens' assembly that will review the entire constitution. A panel of coalition parliamentarians has proposed to allocate two months to inform the population about the state of affairs.
Critics say the entire operation has no other purpose than to rehabilitate former Prime Minister Thaksin.
Economic news
– Whiskey magnate Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi failed to buy hypermarket Carrefour and the Family Mart chain, so next year he will start his own chain of convenience stores (a kind of small supermarket). And sir, or rather his trading company Berli Jucker Plc (BJC), is going big right away. It starts with 100 stores of 70 square meters each under the name BJC Smart. In the beginning only BJC branded products are for sale. Only later are articles from other manufacturers added. Before the first BJC Smart opens, BJC will explore the market through a BJC Smart online.
– The Bank of Thailand may be concerned about rising household debt, Thitikorn (TK), a hire-purchase company for motorcycles and cars, is benefiting. This year it expects to fund 2,15 million motorcycles. The outstanding amount at the end of the year is estimated at 8,7 billion baht against 7,57 billion baht last year.
In the first ten months of this year, motorcycle sales skyrocketed as some new models were introduced. The company expects a growth of 10 percent to 10 billion baht in 2014 for next year.
– Vietnam is considering joining the International Tripartite Rubber Council. Vietnam is the world's fourth largest rubber producer. The council consists of the other big three, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. They decided earlier to limit exports from October to support the price. As a result, the rubber price increased by 29 percent. They have also decided to cut old trees, withdrawing 450.000 tons of rubber from the market.
– Although Thailand has 7.967 cooperatives with 10,8 million members, cooperatives are not very popular. They are prone to corruption because only a small number of people control the finances. “The idea of co-ops is good in itself, but those who manage them have to be honest and prove themselves over time,” says Somnuck Jongmeewasin, an independent community researcher.
Somchai Charnarongkul, director general of the Cooperative Promotion Department, believes it is important to pay special attention to cooperatives now, with the arrival of the Asean Economic Community at the end of 2015. The government should support cooperatives and reduce bureaucracy so that they can develop, Somchai said. He sees them as an important driver of the economy.
– In addition to LPG, the fixed price of CNG (compressed natural gas, natural gas) will also be released next year. The price will probably increase from 10,5 baht to 13,28 baht per kilo. At the beginning of the year, CNG cost 8,5 baht per kilo. The intention was to increase the price monthly, but under pressure from protests, the price increases stopped in April.
The Energy Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University has since researched the pricing and came up with an ex-VAT price of 10,97 to 12,65 baht.
Next week, the Minister of Energy will discuss the expansion of the number of pumps with state oil company PTT Plc. The transport sector considers the current number of 479 too small. The locations are not always ideal either. The subsidization of CNG has encouraged transport companies to switch from diesel to CNG. The use of CNG is expected to increase by 26 percent this year.
– The well-known grocery chain 7-Eleven will compete next year with its competitors Family Mart, Lawson, Mini Big C and Tesco Express. That will not be easy, because they all hope to benefit from the increased purchasing power and expansion of the customer base. Purchasing power will be boosted next year by raising the minimum daily wage to 300 baht and higher incomes because agricultural products are rising in price.
A total of 1.000 stores are expected to be added next year, significantly more than the 750 to 850 number of previous years. 7-Eleven is opening 540 new stores. The range is also being revised and expanded with more international brands.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post