Justice Ministry seeks bail for 'wrongly nabbed' twin

Justice Ministry seeks bail for 'wrongly nabbed' twin
Published: 12/05/2012 at 03:03 AM


The Justice Ministry will seek bail for Anont Ounwong whom his twin brother and mother insist was wrongly arrested and sentenced to four years in jail for a crime committed by his brother Anek.

Kasem Kanthamanee, a lawyer with the ministry's Justice Fund said yesterday the ministry would apply for bail for Anont so he could prepare to fight his case in the Supreme Court.

The ministry will contact the Central Institute of Forensic Science to help distinguish between Anont and his identical twin brother, Mr Anek.

The result will serve as new evidence for the judge to decide which one of the twins was actually involved in an attack over three years ago, Mr Kasem said.

Drug trade from behind bars booms

Drug trade from behind bars booms
Published: 14/05/2012 at 01:46 AM


More than half of 50 million speed pills seized since September have been linked to prisoners, a seminar was told yesterday.

Office of Narcotics Board adviser Narong Rattananukul said drug trafficking activities carried out from behind bars were more widespread than ever before.

"Prisons are the hub

[of the crime] where traffickers meet each other and drug users. They also meet other criminals and use connections to intimidate witnesses or prison guards," he said.

Police use pretty bait to spring trap

Police use pretty bait to spring trap
CSD 'cover and contact' operation nabs a suspected serial rapist

Published: 14/05/2012 at 08:31 AM



The lure of easy money and a life of glamour drew at least three aspiring models into the clutches of an alleged rapist pretending to be a talent scout.

Samrit: Works with an events company

Three women in their early 20s reported they had been raped to the Crime Suppression Division on May 2.

The women,

Police arrest diamond thieves

Police arrest diamond thieves
Published: 15/05/2012 at 12:30 PM

TRANG - Police have arrested four foreigners and a Thai man on charges of stealing diamonds and gems worth 30 million baht in a smash and grab heist in Phuket.

Pol Lt Col Chakraphan Chantawana, chief of Trang Highway Police, announced the arrests at a press briefing on Tuesday morning.

He did not identify them or give their nationalities.

He said the five suspects on May 9 allegedly smashed the rear window of a car belonging to Thongsak Jittakarnlert, owner of Expert Gems Manufacturing Co Ltd, and stole a bag containing diamonds and gems worth more than 30 million baht in the vehicle.

Police officers wanted for bank robbery

Police officers wanted for bank robbery
Published: 15/05/2012 at 01:11 PM


The Sing Buri Court has approved a warrant for the arrest of two police officers in connection with the armed robbery of Kasikorn Bank's Inburi branch in Sing Buri province in March, Pol Gen Pansiri Prapawat said on Monday.

Red-shirt pavilion burnt down in South

Red-shirt pavilion burnt down in South
Published: 15/05/2012 at 06:37 PM


A pavilion in a brand new red-shirt village in Songkhla was set on fire and burned down on Tuesday morning.

The arsonist struck only a day after Tida Tavornseth, chairwoman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), presided over the opening ceremony of the red-shirt village in Songkhla's Chana district.

Senior cops wanted for heist

Senior cops wanted for heist
Published: 16/05/2012 at 01:43 AM

Arrest warrants have been issued for two police officers wanted in connection with an armed robbery on a Kasikorn Bank cash delivery van in Sing Buri.


Pol Gen Pansiri Prapawat, a deputy national police chief, said yesterday a court has approved arrest warrants for Pol Col Pichit Kromprasit, superintendent of Sai Ngam police station in Kamphaeng Phet province, and Pol Sgt Narai Thippreechathorn, who serves at Nakhon Sawan police headquarters.

Police colonel hunted overvan robbery

Police colonel hunted overvan robbery
Published: 18/05/2012 at 01:46 AM


Police have launched a manhunt for a senior Kamphaeng Phet policeman charged with masterminding a 2 million baht van robbery.

Man selling dead human foetuses arrested

Man selling dead human foetuses arrested
Published: 18/05/2012 at 06:07 PM

Six human foetuses which had been roasted, tattooed and covered in gold leaf as part of a black magic ritual and were intended for sale online have been seized from a Taiwan-born man arrested in Bangkok, police said Friday.


Chow Hok Kuen, 28,  was arrested with the grisly haul in a room at a hotel in the Yaorawat area, Bangkok's Chinatown, police said.

The two-to-eight months old foetuses had been packed as luggage and were set to be smuggled to Taiwan.

The suspect bought the foetuses several days ago from a Taiwanese man in Thailand for 200,000 baht ($6,500) and planned to sell them in Taiwan for up to six times that amount, police said. The origin of the foetuses was unclear.

They were to be sold on Taiwanese websites, police said.

"He said he planned to sell the foetuses to clients who believe they would make them lucky and rich," said Pol Col Wiwat Kamchamnan of Bangkok police.

The man faces one year in prison and a 2,000 baht fine for illegal possession of the foetuses.

In Thai black magic rituals, also observed among some Chinese communities, preserved foetuses are believed to bring good fortune to the owner and are often kept in shrines within homes or businesses.

©bangkokpost
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How cops cracked the case of the broken skulls

How cops cracked the case of the broken skulls
A sinister black magic practice operated above a convenience store

Published: 7/05/2012 at 02:03 AM


The discovery of five discarded human skulls with large holes in their foreheads led police to track down a modern black magic practitioner.

The five skulls, wrapped in a plastic bag and pulled out of a canal in Pathum Thani by a fisherman late last month, initially led to speculation of a major serial murder case.


The truth, however, was even more bizarre. It was later found the skulls had been stolen by a witch doctor who used them to make love potions.

The fisherman plucked the macabre find from the waters of Khlong 13 in Pathum Thani.

Further examination of the skulls found that the holes had not been caused by gunshots.

The next theory was that it was the work of occultists, prompting police to look for known practitioners in the area.

Locals pointed officers to Singkhon Khreaudaeng, 41, who lived in the Khlong 13 area and was considered one of the most powerful black magic masters in the region.

Police determined Mr Singkhon was the prime suspect in the five skulls case, but they chose to wait for further evidence before pouncing.

The next day, on April 30, they received a tipoff that Mr Singkhon had an accomplice, 18-year-old Worachet Thawornpian. They arrested him immediately.

Police said the teenager was quick to confess to his role, saying he had once provided Mr Singkhon with a skull he had stolen from an unclaimed skeleton in Wat Phichit Pitayaram in the Khlong 13 area. The witch doctor paid him 1,200 baht, he said.

This gave the police enough reason to raid Mr Singkhon's home later that day.

Police found Mr Singkhon's premises, above a convenience store, had been converted into an office where he met customers seeking black magic services.

Among items found at the office were two bags of ashes, a motorised saw, bone scraps and eight books on black magic rituals.

Mr Singkhon was arrested and allegedly confessed he was responsible for the five skulls found in the canal.

Police said he told them the forehead part of the skulls was used in the production of a love potion called pan neng.

Many of his customers were heartbroken women seeking his help to bring back husbands who had left them, police said.

The forehead bones were ground into powder and mixed with other ingredients to form a "dough" that was kneaded into dolls of tiny men and women clinging to one another.

This was supposed to help the women get their husbands back, but apparently even the self-taught Mr Singkhon admitted they were largely ineffective.

"He's admitted that in most cases, the love potion service just didn't work," said acting chief of Provincial Police Region 1 Kamronwit Thoopkrachang.

"The few wives who were actually successful in attracting their husbands back home had also followed his advice to stop scolding and nagging them."

Mr Singkhon also allegedly confessed to stealing the five retrieved skulls himself. He dug them out of graves in Meng Hui cemetery in Chon Buri's Muang district, police said.

Police took him to the cemetery to point out the graves he robbed and upon exhumation, found the five skeletons there were indeed headless.

Mr Singkhon told police he had another accomplice, Niphon Srisuk, 38, to dispose of the skulls. He was supposed to burn them but apparently had failed in his duty and simply dropped them in the canal instead.

©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crimes/292138/how-cops-cracked-the-case-of-the-broken-skulls

Karen rebel leader: No surrender

Karen rebel leader: No surrender
Published: 10/05/2012 at 07:49 PM

MYANMAR - Maj Gen Na Kham Mwe, leader of a Karen rebel group and Thailand's fifth-most wanted drug kingpin, says he will not surrender to Thai authorities because he has not done anything wrong.


The Karen rebel leader's comment was in response to Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung's request that Myanmar authorities arrest him and allow his extradition to Thailand to face charges.

He was speaking at a press briefing at his rebel headquarters, across the border from Phop Phra district in Tak province.

"There'll be more measures against Thailand. I've never done anything wrong and I'll never surrender," said the senior leader of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).

He said these measures will affect trade and investment, but there will be no use of weapons or violent activities.

The DKBA closed several  border crossings in Tak province to Thai nationals in response to Mr Chalerm's move.

Na Kham Mwe said Thai and Myanmar officials can come and investigate drug trafficking along the border, and he would guarantee their safety.

"I want to ask Chalerm why has he not arrested former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra following the court's ruling, or does Thai law have no meaning?" he said.

Mr Chalerm said in response he would not argue with Na Kham Mwe, but Thai authorities would continue to seek his extradition and prosecution.

"If Maj Gen Na Kham Mwe insists that he is not guilty, he can petition the Thai court to withdraw the warrant out for him.

"However he will be arrested immediately if he enters Thailand," said the deputy premier overseeing drug and crime suppression.

He said the Myanmar government had cooperated well with Thailand and would not allow the Karen rebel leader to close the Thai-Myanmar border in Tak province.

"Thaksin and Maj Gen Na Kham Mwe are two different cases and they can't be compared," Mr Chalerm added.

©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/292675/rebel-leader-no-surrender

Unity key, say local leaders

Unity key, say local leaders
Published: 11/05/2012 at 01:40 AM



Pattani local leaders and youths have called on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to better coordinate the work of state agencies in the far South.

Unity is needed among local government authorities to better tackle the southern unrest, Koleeyoh Halee, a local leader from Nong Chik district of Pattani, said.

"These days, each agency only focuses on its own job and fails to cooperate with other agencies.

"This is the main reason why the government cannot solve the southern violence," she said.

Ms Koleeyoh was speaking after taking some 90 Pattani youths to meet the prime minister at Government House yesterday.

Asked if residents were satisfied with the Yingluck government's handling of the southern violence, Ms Koleeyoh said the government could do more.

"The important thing is that the government must not use money to solve the [southern] problems," she said.

Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha told the youth representatives at Army Headquarters yesterday that soldiers were treating people of all religions equally.

Gen Prayuth also apologised for any mistake that soldiers might make in the far South and asked people to trust them.

In other news, students from King Prajadhipok Institute will recommend the government tailor public services so they are in keeping with residents' lifestyles and culture.

Students enrolling in the "peaceful society" course at the KPI recently surveyed southern residents and found that improving public services in the far South would help end the unrest.

"The revamp of public services including those of schools, hospitals and police stations to come into line with residents' identities will help ease the violence," Gen Ekachai Srivilas, director of the institute's Office of Peace and Governance, said. Students will present the findings in Bangkok on Monday, when Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa will also discuss problems in the far South.

©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/292746/unity-key-say-local-leaders

Photos not rape, says Prayuth

Photos not rape, says Prayuth
Published: 15/05/2012 at 02:01 AM


Photos of five soldiers having sex with a woman on the internet were probably not a case of rape, says army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha.

He said it might have been a case of "mutual consent".

Commenting on an internal probe into the pictures, Gen Prayuth said officers would talk to the soldiers involved. "I'm not sure what the woman was thinking. She might have wanted to have fun, wanted to take photos. I don't know, but the soldiers did the wrong thing and they're not gentlemen," he said.

"I don't know if this is a plot to discredit the army," he added.

"In any case, we have to respect the woman, who most likely didn't want to appear in this picture. We have to find out the truth."

If any soldiers are found guilty of any violations, they will be punished, he said.

The photos feature five men having sex with a woman while another man with camouflage pants takes photos.

The army is also looking at whether it can take legal action against the person who released the photos.

The scandal dates from an incident three years ago when an army trainer ordered new conscripts to have sex with the woman in a military camp.

The incident happened in a unit under the 3rd Army which oversees the North.

©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/293305/photos-not-rape-says-prayuth

Asst village chief slain in Pattani

Asst village chief slain in Pattani
Published: 15/05/2012 at 11:01 AM


An assistant village headman was slain by a gunman while at a teashop in Pattani’s Saiburi district on Tuesday morning, said Pol Col Arsis Umayee, chief of Saiburi police station.

Witnesses told police that Ma-aduran Chelong, 35, an assistant village chief of moo 8 in tambon Kanudong of Saiburi, was drinking tea at the teashop in his village when a gunman riding pillion on a motorcycle opened fire on him with handgun. The assailants then fled.

Mr Ma-aduran took two bullets in torso and died at the teashop.

Police were investigating.

©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/293401/asst-village-chief-slain-in-pattani

Elderly man murdered in Pattani

Elderly man murdered in Pattani
Published: 15/05/2012 at 01:01 PM


A 64-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting in Pattani’s Nong Chik district late Tuesday morning, Pol Col Arkom Buathong, chief of Nong Chik police station, said.

Sommart Kesaro, a resident of Nong Chik, was driving a motorcycle back home on the Pattani-Narathiwat road when he was attacked by two men on another motorbike.

A gunman riding pillion on the motorcycle fired on him with a pistol and the attackers then fled.

Sommart was shot several times in his torso and died at the spot.

Police blamed separatist militants.


©bangkokpost
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Prayuth: Red villages could cause problems in South

Prayuth: Red villages could cause problems in South
Published: 16/05/2012 at 04:23 PM

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has warned that establishing red-shirt villages in the far South could cause more political problems, but he did not expect it would affect national security.


"The political sector, or any other sector, should take precautions  when working in the South as the area is not yet peaceful," Gen Prayuth said on Wednesday.

"If we bring more problems to the area, I can't say whether or not more violence might occur."

The expansion of red-shirt villages into different provinces would affect politics more than national security, he said.

The army had talked to the people and they had no problem with red-shirt villages, but the timing of establishing them must be taken into consideration because the country is now going through a democratic transition, he said.

"We must allow time to know what true democracy is, and to what extent. While we're learning there'll be losses and gains, but I ask everyone to think of our country, and things will gradually improve," the army commander-in-chief said.

Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut on Wednesday again denied his party was linked to the torching of a roadside shelter at a newly established red-shirt village in Songkhla's Chana district on Tuesday morning.

He was responding to United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship chairwoman Tida Tawornseth's claim that a political party was behind the arson.

"The Democrat Party was not in any way involved in the arson because we do not have the proficiency to use fuel or fire in solving problems.

"Mrs Tida needs to understand why some people are against the red-shirts, and that it's not only her side that can resort to violence and use force against others, and that people are ready to fight and protect their rights," Mr Chavanond said.

The spokesman said his party did not want to see violence or the use of force, but the UDD should stop creating national division and conflict.

Pheu Thai list MP and UDD core member Korkaew Pikulthong said that a national level politician from the South whose name begins with the initial "S" was thought to be behind the torching of the roadside shelter.

Mr Korkaew said the fire was the work of local people who oppose the establishment of the red-shirt village.

These people were supported by a politician whose name begins with the initial "S" and who does not want red-shirt villages, whose aims were to combat drugs and oppose a coup, to be established in the area, he said.

Mr Korkaew admitted there was no evidence to prove his claim, but said his assumption was based on the fact that about 100 people closely watched the opening of the village on Monday.

On Democrat Party MP for Songkhla Sirichok Sopha's comment that the opening of red-shirt villages might have been funded by the government, Mr Korkaew said the Democrat Party should produce evidence to support the claim and then use it to take legal action.

©bangkokpost

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/293604/prayuth-red-shirt-villages-can-cause-problems

Army asks to use BBC royal documentary

Army asks to use BBC royal documentary
Published: 17/05/2012 at 01:46 AM


The army will ask the British Broadcasting Corporation to allow the broadcasting of an edited version of a documentary about Their Majesties the King and Queen which it aired 32 years ago, army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha said.

Once granted permission, the army plans to edit the three-hour documentary titled Soul of a Nation, filmed by the BBC between 1978 and 1979, and broadcast in 1980, down to 20 minutes, according to an army source.

Gen Prayuth said the part taken from the BBC would be featured in a documentary being produced by the army.

The edited portion contains interviews given by Their Majesties to the BBC filming crew who followed the King and Queen on their visits upcountry to inspect development projects.

©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/293640/army-asks-to-use-bbc-royal-documentary

Agencies gear up for South problems

Agencies gear up for South problems
Published: 17/05/2012 at 07:20 PM



All security-related agencies are required to integrate their work in order to effectively solve problems in the southern border provinces on the instructions of the prime minister, Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said on Thursday.

Gen Yutthasak, who oversees national security affairs, was speaking at a workshop on policies and strategies for solving problems in the South attended by representatives of about 90 government units to emphasise the need for all to work in the same direction.

The workshop was also attended by chiefs of the National Security Council (NSC), Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) and the Budget Bureau.

Gen Yutthasak said that on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's order, the SBPSC has been assigned to draw up a strategic plan for development and Isoc a plan for security operations.

The work of the two agencies must be in harmony and well coordinated, he said.

Gen Yutthasak has been assigned chairman for the integration of the work of all of the agencies to make sure they go in the same direction. He is also to coordinate with the Budget Bureau on fund allocation.

Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, who is also finance minister, is to coordinate with the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) to solve economic problems in the restive South.

The Islamic Bank of Thailand is to explore ways of helping the people to acquire land to make a living.

Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit, who is also interior minister, is to coordinate with the Justice Ministry on solving drug problems and speed up compensation payments for those affected by the government's security operations.

The Social Development and Human Security Ministry is to look into people's occupations.

Gen Yutthasak said it is necessary for the people to be well-informed of the government's work for better understanding.


©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/293743/agencies-geared-up-for-south-problems

Money-laundering bills get cabinet nod

Money-laundering bills get cabinet nod
Published: 20/05/2012 at 03:32 PM


The cabinet has approved in principle two draft bills aimed at fighting the funding of terrorism through money laundering in the hope the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) will remove Thailand from its blacklist, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok said.

The approval was made at a mobile cabinet meeting in Kanchanaburi province.

Pol Gen Pracha said the first bill is intended to beef up the existing Anti-Money Laundering Act and the second bill is on the prevention and suppression of financial support for terrorism. Both pieces of legislation have been proposed by the Justice Ministry.

Approval in principle means the two draft bills will first be examined by the Council of State. After that they will be returned to the cabinet and then forwarded to the House of Representatives for deliberation.

The bill on prevention and suppression of financial support for terrorism contains measures to be taken against those supporting terrorism in the form of money or assets.

This is in response to the United Nations convention of 1999 for the prevention of financing terrorism and the National Security Council's (NSC) resolution No 1373.

Thailand was put on the FATF's grey-list in 2010 and its subsequent failure to follow up on enacting new laws on terrorism and money laundering led to the FATF's latest decision to put the country on its blacklist.

The FATF is responsible for setting global standards on fighting money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.

Being on the FATF's blacklist will have a considerable effect on Thailand's business sector.

Therefore, the governement wants the two bills to be passed and put into effect before the end of Februay next year so that the FATF can consider removing Thailand from the blacklist, Pol Gen Pracha said.

Government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit will preside over the next cabinet meeting on May 29 as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be away on an official visit to Australia between May 27-29.

Another mobile cabinet meeting will be held on June 18-19 in Chon Buri province. The meeting will be hosted by Culture Minister Sukumol Khunploem.


©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/294278/money-laundering-bills-get-cabinet-nod

UDD waits on Pheu Thai to bring justice

UDD waits on Pheu Thai to bring justice
Published: 19/05/2012 at 03:26 AM



After more than nine months under their "own government", some red shirts still feel their basic problems have not yet been addressed despite general improvements elsewhere.

Not only structural problems such as poverty and land rights, but also the "justice" that Luen Srisupo, 48, and his red shirt colleagues sought have not been granted by their own government.

Mr Luen was a red shirt leader in Sakon Nakhon. Two years ago, when the red shirts staged rallies in Bangkok and many provinces in the Northeast and North, he was a key speaker in his hometown. And one of his key points was social injustice.

After the Abhisit Vejjajiva government ordered a crackdown, Phang Khon police issued an arrest warrant for Mr Luen, and he is still on the run despite Pheu Thai being in power.

One of his fellow activists Sakrapee Promchart was arrested and imprisoned for eight months. Mr Luen fled as he believed he did nothing wrong and only exercised his freedom of speech.

Now Sakrapee is running for the presidency of Sakon Nakhon provincial administrative organisation, while Mr Luen is just running.

Mr Luen feels he has not been given justice by the Yingluck Shinawatra government, and believes the administration has done nothing to address the problem nationwide since it was voted in on July 3 last year.

In March 2010, Mr Luen spoke at a Chulalongkorn University academic forum and said that while land and water as well as wages and environmental problems were the main agenda for the poor, the grassroots needed to re-prioritise and set politics right first.

"Now we get our own government, but this government has yet to work on the poor agenda. People feel the government might be not different from previous administrations - they do not take care of the core issues of the rural people," said Mr Luen.

"Influential capitalists with local political connections can farm on a much bigger scale on land that was acquired dubiously with the help of the authorities. Double standard remains and realities bite us hard."

Veerasak Saenklang, Khon Kaen chair of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), insists that rural red shirts are satisfied Pheu Thai is in power after years of struggle, but they were getting more disappointed that it does not address the justice problems.

"Lawsuits regarding the political crackdown are still slow. Some detainees have yet to get bail," he said.

"Hundreds of people in each affected province have yet to be freed from non-functional arrest warrants. Also, Jatuporn Prompan was denied MP status. These are the double standards we have been fighting against, but they're still there."

He said villagers have been questioning the ongoing injustice; for example the recent death of elderly lese majeste convict Ampon Tangnoppakul .

"Of course, they don't discuss Section 112 [the lese majeste law] much as they realise it's a sensitive issue involving the revered institution of Thailand. But they feel that the lese majeste lawsuit has been somehow politically abused," said Mr veerasak.

He said villagers were angry senior PAD figure Sondhi Limpthongkul had his lese majeste sentence reduced and was bailed, while Ampon died in a prison hospital.

While red shirts from the Northeast will join the Bangkok commemorations of the Ratchaprasong crackdown today, some prefer to stay put, holding commemorations in their own provinces.

The future of the red shirt movement is not only being debated in the capital - sympathisers and supporters in the provinces are also uncertain of its future.


©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/294067/udd-waits-on-pheu-thai-to-bring-justice

Charter court disqualifies Jatuporn

Charter court disqualifies Jatuporn
Published: 18/05/2012 at 05:14 PM



The Constitution Court on Friday disqualified Jatuporn Prompan as a Pheu Thai Party list MP on the grounds that his membership of the party was voided when he was jailed.

The court judges voted seven to one to strip Mr Jatuporn of his status as an MP.

The Election Commission on Nov 29, 2011 ruled to disqualify him for not voting in the general election on July 3 last year.

The EC at the time voted four to one to disqualify Mr Jatuporn, a core member of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), who was detained in prison when the election took place and unable to vote.

The commission then forwarded Mr Jatuporn's case to the Constitution Court for final approval.

After the charter court issued its verdict topday about 100 red-shirts who gathered outside the court in a show of support jeered and expressed their disappointment.

Mr Jatuporn, who was in tears, told reporters that he must keep his feelings about being treated unjustly to himself.

"I've always been fighting against injustice and I accept my own fate because the path is not strewn with roses," he said. "I would like to apologise to the people, especially the red-shirt people, for bringing distress to them."

"From now on, I'm a full citizen [with no MP immunity] but my heart is still a red-shirt. I will register with the Pheu Thai Party and will continue fighting against injustice," Mr Jatuporn said.


Nattawut Saikuar, a Pheu Thai list MP and also a UDD co-leader, said the court's ruling had stripped Mr Jatuporn of his MP seat, but not of his "democratic spirit".

"Today, I and my red-shirt brothers and sisters will stand side by side but we'll have to persevere with the pain and allow today's events to make us stronger," Mr Nattawut said.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said even though Mr Jatuporn was now no longer an MP he was still eligible to be appointed to cabinet.

Asked whether Mr Jatuporn was suited to a ministerial post, Ms Yingluck said she personally felt Mr Jatuporn had real capability, and she would have to see how he could best serve the government.

Siriwat Jupamudtha, a coordinator of the UDD in Phayao, said many red-shirt supporters want Ms Yingluck and Pheu Thai to appoint Mr Jatuporn the defence minister.

Mr Siriwat admitted that the court's ruling had an impact on  red-shirt people's hearts. They felt sorry that Mr Jatuporn was no longer an MP, but were confident he could still be appointed to the cabinet.

He said Phayao red-shirts wanted Mr Jatuporn to be defence minister to oversee the armed forces.

The UDD coordinator believed Mr Jatuporn's case could be used by opponents to seek the dissolution of the ruling party in the near future.

Pannawat Nakmul, a coordinator of the red-shirt movement in Uttaradit, said the red-shirts hope the prime minister will find a position for Mr Jatuporn to allow him to continue his political work.

Democrat MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat Thepthai Senpong said on his Twitter website that he felt sorry for Mr Jatuporn but stressed that everything must be in line with the judicial process.

Mr Pannawat said it was not easy to find a capable person like Mr Jatuporn and that Ms Yingluck should support him and should not turn away from the UDD co-leader.

He said Mr Jatuporn must respect the court's ruling and refrain from inciting mob rule.

Mr Thepthai believed that after being stripped of his MP status, Mr Jatuporn actually had a stronger chance of being appointed a cabinet minister, and that it would be sooner than expected.

Mr Jatuporn's case would inevitably reflect on the Pheu Thai Party, the opposition MP added.

©bangkokpost

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/294016/charter-court-disqualifies-jatuporn

Suwat lauds the return of the 'real deal' political players

Suwat lauds the return of the 'real deal' political players
Published: 19/05/2012 at 03:21 AM

Suwat Liptapanlop, the de facto leader of the Chart Pattana Puea Pandin Party, compares the country's politics to old wine in a new bottle. Speaking to Pradit Ruangdit, he reckons the return of 111 politicians, himself included, from a political ban will boost the country and further the cause of national reconciliation.


What will politics be like after the political ban against the 111 politicians ends?

Thai politics is like a soap opera. You don't have to watch it every day and you still haven't missed anything. Politics is framed on the old power structure. It may be full of colours with the added tirades. Nothing has changed. Politics remains fraught with conflicts. It may take some time before it gets better.

Has the absence of the 111 politicians affected politics in any way?

I have to say the ban has brought political problems. It was thought the real deals were not out playing on the field and only their nominees were sent. Politics lost excitement for a while. The return of the 111 politicians will be a game changer. The real players are back in action after being red-carded. But they have to inform the reserve players of the switch over. As long as there is understanding between them, there is no conflict.

The country needs people with experience who have influence and the ability to read the game and prioritise.

A minister without influence finds it hard to manage the ministry. Time is precious. With economic issues, a timely and accurate decision is crucial. We can't afford to have a learner driver who is both weak at driving and direction-blind.

I have always said to our banned politicians that they can make a contribution and that they should not let the chance to help the country pass them by.

I believe that by helping, it doesn't mean the politicians must be given posts in the executive branch. Under the present political circumstances, they can be managers, coaches or advisers.

Does that suggest current players are novices and less than active in what they do?

Let's not compare. But I think most of the 111 politicians are strong hands who have been MPs five or six times or served as cabinet ministers two or three times. They are in their late 40s and early 50s in the second generation of politicians. But national affairs are now being handled by third-generation politicians. The tasks were passed from the first generation to the third generation, bypassing the second generation who have been through political changes of the past and present. They are a perfect fit for roles in the current political situation.

But will the third generation not resist the 111 politicians making a comeback?

If there is to be a cabinet reshuffle with the inclusion of the 111 politicians in the line-up, there could be some ripple effect.

The cabinet reshuffle came after the government had been in power for six months and a recent shake-up was also made. This allows everyone to have a shot at a cabinet post. It's not like in the old days when cabinet appointees stayed where they were for years. Now it's a matter of waiting for one's turn next time as long as they behave themselves. I believe inclusion of some of the 111 figures in the cabinet is a gain for the government.

Do you see yourself getting a cabinet seat?

I haven't decided yet. There's still time. Even though the political ban expires at the end of this month, it doesn't mean there will be an immediate cabinet shake-up. Now is the time to analyse the situation before deciding.

I have to figure out where I could be of help. Amid the problems besetting the country such as economic woes and the social divisions, I have to find where I could serve best. It's not about positions I will get. But what I can say is I will definitely return to politics.

What do you plan to do in terms of helping ease the political divide?

The 111 politicians should help with national reconciliation because they are capable. They know a lot of people including the parties to the conflict. The politicians should turn themselves into jigsaw pieces for national reconciliation.

And what does the future hold for the Chart Pattana Puea Pandin Party?

Small parties barely have a place to stand unless, of course, you set out to function as a small-sized party. But if your goal is to grow into a large party, that's difficult to achieve. Leader of a party with six or seven MPs aspiring to become a prime minister and dictate national policies? That's not possible.

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PM vows to set up anti-graft hub to target state agencies

PM vows to set up anti-graft hub to target state agencies
Published: 19/05/2012 at 03:24 AM

An anti-corruption centre will be set up as a part of a four-point action plan to consolidate the government's efforts in fighting corruption, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday.


Addressing a workshop organised by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Ms Yingluck stressed her commitment to eradicating graft and bringing about transparency.

The anti-corruption centre would collect and receive information and complaints about graft cases, especially the jockeying for promotions and positions in state agencies.

It would take complaints to the Prime Minister's Office directly for further investigation and provide protection to complainants, she said.

Ms Yingluck said Thailand has a poor record of transparency. The country scored 3.3-3.5 out of 10 on the transparency scale by Transparency International over the past three years.

The proposed four-point action plan calls for promotion of corruption awareness; participation by state agencies in designing mechanisms to address graft; monitoring and inspection; and punishment and reward systems.

On participation, she said a "Clean Initiative" scheme would be launched under which state agencies would be asked to submit proposals on how to boost transparency and accountability. She said the scheme was expected to go ahead in one month's time. NACC chair Panthep Klanarongran yesterday urged the government to show commitment to tacking the problem.

He said a lack of budget to support anti-corruption initiatives seemed to have hampered efforts to tackle graft.

He noted that corruption was a complex issue. It was widespread, especially at the local administration level.

Pramont Sutheewong, chair of the anti-corruption network, yesterday welcomed the government's action plan to counter graft.

He said the network which comprises more than 40 organisations was ready to cooperate.

In a related development, a group of parents yesterday lodged a complaint with Ms Yingluck urging her to look into irregularities involving an entrance exam at Bodindecha (Sing Singaseni) School.

They claimed their children were robbed of their right to further their studies at the school by the education minister's "donations for school seats" policy.

Ms Yingluck said the government had no such policy and urged the parents to step forward if they had any evidence.

She said a committee would be set up to look into the complaint.

Education Minister Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech earlier floated the idea of allowing schools to open class slots for children whose parents donated money to them. He insisted it was not promoting bribery but allowing schools to accept donations transparently.


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Unity efforts could backfire

Unity efforts could backfire
Reconciliation with amnesties is so badly sought it could spark new turmoil - Yongyuth Tiyapairat may bounce back into politics, but he fears his wife may be bounced out - The hottest guessing game in town is who in House No.111 will be welcomed back into the fold

Published: 19/05/2012 at 03:31 AM

National reconciliation may soon be set in law, which could spell renewed political tension.As the country recovers from the fallout from the street protests two years ago, fears of another confrontation with dire consequences loom large on the horizon.

The ongoing legislative moves toward amending the charter has heightened concerns in some quarters that the relative calm on the political front could be a short-lived phenomenon.

However, the process, which aims to rid the current charter of its flaws and forge national unity, is expected to be too long for some ''stakeholders'' in the reconciliation efforts.

Charter amendment is still a long way off. The constitution drafting assembly has yet to be created and any amendments will be subject to a referendum.

An amended charter is not likely to materialise for at least another year.

For the ''stakeholders'', who include those blamed for sowing the seeds of social division and at the same time potentially holding the key to a solution, mending a nation shattered by years of conflict cannot wait for the new charter.

King Prajadhipok's Institute (KPI) was earlier approached by the House of Representatives to conduct research on potential solutions to national reconciliation.

The research, however, took a controversial spin by recommending an amnesty for political offenders and that corruption charges lodged by the now-dissolved Assets Scrutiny Committee against the Thaksin Shinawatra administration be dropped.

Despite the controversy, some political experts believe politicians impatient for the amnesty may hold out hope that the research will hurry reconciliation along.

The experts speculate parts of the research may form the basis of a draft bill on national reconciliation to be pushed through parliament.

The main feature of the draft bill could mirror what the KPI research has recommended _ a blanket amnesty of political offenders since the Sept 19, 2006 coup which toppled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

A decisive difference, however, is that the draft is expected to achieve ''reconciliation'' faster than amendment of the charter could.

A political source said Pheu Thai Party list-MP Wattana Muangsuk has been in contact with key figures deemed as parties to the past political violence and tried to strike a deal with them to accept the reconciliation draft bill.

The source said it was agreed Pheu Thai must not initiate the draft bill itself because it is also considered a party to the conflict.

The Bhumjaithai Party has been approached to submit the bill to parliament, at a date to be set later, the source added.

The Democrat Party has declared it does not want to be the beneficiary of the reconciliation law. The party insists the bill is meant to whitewash wrongdoers and it did not wish to be part of that.

Opponents call the bill a cosmetic excuse to twist the law through an amnesty. They vowed to converge on the streets to resist the bill.

The source said the next several months could very well see the start of a new political flare-up.


Chiang Rai sees titanic new battle
Former mover and shaker in the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, is wrestling with a few more concerns than just how bright his star is shining as he comes to the end of his five-year political ban.

He may not have fully reclaimed his role in politics; however during his absence from the scene, the former Thai Rak Thai MP has gained recognition as a prominent contributor to the boom in cross-border investments with neighbouring countries to the north.


Mr Yongyuth has learned well while sitting at the knee of his master, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who enjoys rapturous praise from his supporters as the maestro of trade dealings.

Although trade and commerce occupy a lot of Mr Yongyuth's time these days, he is also weighed down by concerns for his family's political future, a source close to Mr Yongyuth says.

His wife, Salakjit, is competing against long-time rival Rattana Jongsutthanamanee for chair of the Chiang Rai provincial administration organisation. Ms Rattana, the outgoing PAO chair who is seeking re-election, and Ms Salakjit are regarded as two titans from Chiang Rai's most widely known political dynasties. They square off on May 27.

The Tiyapairats have not been able to completely take over the province as Ms Rattana retains solid support from large sections of the electorate.

Ms Salakjit needs all the help she can muster to boost her chances at the poll. Unfortunately for her, the race is not limited to the two women.

The red shirt faction has put up a candidate and that does not bode well for either woman.

The red shirts and the Pheu Thai Party, under whose banner Ms Salakjit is contesting the election, will share the same pool of voters. The red shirt candidate, therefore, can expect to take a cut of the votes which otherwise would go to Ms Salakjit.

The source said Mr Yongyuth is far from pleased to see Pheu Thai and the red shirts turning their backs on one another in the election.

It's his belief that the party and the movement should be united if they are to stand any chance of beating Ms Rattana and shaking off the influence on local politics that her family has wielded for years.

The source said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and leading executives of Pheu Thai must openly declare their support for Ms Salakjit since her husband is one of Thaksin's truest friends.

If, in the worst-case scenario, Ms Salakjit suffers a defeat in the poll, the support from Pheu Thai stalwarts could keep the margin of the loss as narrow as possible to save Mr Yongyuth's face.

The source said Mr Yongyuth does not have to move mountains to get help from Pheu Thai. Many Pheu Thai members listen to Mr Yongyuth, who has teamed up with the powerful Wang Bua Barn faction in the party controlled by Thaksin's younger sister, Yaowapa Wongsawat.

Three 'returnees' catch Thaksin's eye
Less than two weeks from now, members of the so-called ''House No.111'' will be free to get involved in the affairs of state after five long years in political shackles.

Already, some of the once high-flying former executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party have announced plans to return to active politics.


Many are undecided or uncertain about what the future holds for them.

Three of the ''cream'' of the 111 politicians have picked up encouraging signals sent all the way from the big boss in Dubai welcoming them ''back home''.

Suwat Liptapanlop, leader of the Chart Pattana Puea Pandin Party, as well as Phinij Jarusombat and Preecha Laohapongchana of the ''2Ps'' political faction have been tipped to make a comeback with the blessing of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is widely viewed as the de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party.

A source among the 111 politicians said Thaksin has made known his wish for Mr Suwat to assist the government in dealing with economic woes and advancing the cause of national reconciliation.

Mr Suwat, a seasoned politician with unrivalled coordination skills, has emerged as Thaksin's choice of minister if and when there is another cabinet reshuffle _ speculated to take place as early as July.

The source said Thaksin has confidence in Mr Suwat's ability to fully and effectively deliver tasks assigned him.

However, despite the bright prospects ahead, Mr Suwat is taking time to think it through. He prefers contesting a general election and winning an MP seat before assuming a political post.

According to a source, Mr Suwat is also pondering the fate of Chart Pattana Puea Pandin if he defects to Pheu Thai. How he fits into the ruling party in the future is another story.

Thaksin has also turned his eye on Mr Phinij and Mr Preecha as the main conduit in a strategy to further solidify Pheu Thai's foothold in the Northeast, the party's traditional bastion, the source said.

Both Mr Phinij and Mr Preecha jointly lead the 2Ps faction whose members hold strong voter following.

The faction was previously known as the 3Ps, with the inclusion of Pairoj Suwannachawee. The group later shrank with the passing away of Pairoj, whose political turf was chiefly based in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Like Mr Suwat, Mr Phinij and Mr Preecha are mindful of what they could win or lose if they join the government or become part of Pheu Thai.

They have to predict how the political situation will unfold after the ban against the 111 former executives expires.

Since there is no telling how long the government will last, the best both men can do now is wait and see.



©bangkokpost

Jatuporn banned as MP

Jatuporn banned as MP
PM won't rule out post in cabinet for red leader

Published: 19/05/2012 at 03:44 AM

The Pheu Thai Party has accepted a Constitution Court ruling disqualifying list MP and red shirt co-leader Jatuporn Prompan as an MP while expressing reservations about certain legalities and facts.


The Constitution Court yesterday decided on a vote of 7-1 to disqualify Mr Jatuporn as a lawmaker.

Court judge Jaran Pukditanakul did not join the court panel because his wife has been engaged in a legal dispute with Mr Jatuporn.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has not yet shut the door on Mr Jatuporn to take a post in her cabinet despite the court ruling.

She said she would raise the issue with the party's legal team to consider how the court ruling will affect the party.

"Mr Jatuporn is a capable person," she said.

Mr Jatuporn was expected to be appointed as a minister in the next cabinet reshuffle.

Pheu Thai deputy spokeswoman Sunisa Lertpakawat made a statement after the Constitution Court decided to strip Mr Jatuporn of his parliamentary status yesterday.

Lt Sunisa said the party respected the verdict, although it disagreed with some of the legalities and facts concerning the case.

She said the party was confident Mr Jatuporn had all the qualifications as an MP considering that the Election Commission certified Mr Jatuporn's status as a Pheu Thai MP after the July 3, 2010 election, even though the EC later revoked his MP status.

Lt Sunisa said this showed that Pheu Thai had no intention to file an unqualified candidate to run in the poll.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, on the recommendation of the EC, asked the court to decide if Mr Jatuporn had lost his MP status under sections 101(3) and 106(4) of the constitution.

Four out of five commissioners in November last year voted to disqualify Mr Jatuporn and referred the matter to the Constitution Court for a ruling via the House Speaker.

The EC earlier said that since Mr Jatuporn failed to vote in the July 3 general election last year he had lost his Pheu Thai Party membership and should consequently be disqualified as an MP. Mr Jatuporn was elected a list-MP for Pheu Thai in the same election.

Mr Jatuporn faced a complaint that he was not a Pheu Thai Party member when he applied to run in the July 3 poll because he was in jail at the time.

Mr Jatuporn was detained in Bangkok Remand Prison on terrorism charges related to 2010's red shirt protests.

His request for bail to leave the prison to vote in the July 3 poll was denied by the court.

His incarceration meant he was unable to vote, which rendered him ineligible to take his seat in parliament.

A source at the court said that of the eight judges, only Chat Cholaworn was in the minority.

Mr Chat reportedly judged that when the EC endorsed Mr Jatuporn's MP status, it no longer had the authority to rule on Mr Jatuporn's qualifications so Mr Jatuporn should not have lost his MP status.

The source said Mr Chat also said when considering the case, any laws with the status below the constitution cannot be taken into account so the decision to disqualify Mr Jatuporn's MP status must be in line with the constitution only.

In considering the case, the court yesterday also cited the 2007 organic law on political parties.

After leaving the courtroom, Mr Jatuporn said he accepted the court's ruling.

He said he had been resigned to his fate since the EC disqualified him and that he "never dreamed of getting justice from the Constitution Court".



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West Ham win promotion

West Ham win promotion
Published: 20/05/2012 at 12:43 AM


LONDON : West Ham clinched promotion to the Premier League as Ricardo Vaz Te's late winner sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Blackpool in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.

Sam Allardyce's side survived a nervous start to take the lead through Carlton Cole's first half strike, but Tom Ince equalised soon after the break and Blackpool had several good chances to go ahead.

Portuguese forward Vaz Te made the Seasiders pay for their profligacy when he struck from close-range in the 87th minute to ensure the Hammers returned to the top-flight just 12 months after relegation.

Vaz Te's winner was crucial for a club who had invested heavily in winning promotion and the east London outfit's place in the Premier League will rake in between 45 million and 90 million pounds in increased revenue according to varying reports.


©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/294190/west-ham-win-promotion

Chelsea do it again

Chelsea do it again

Published: 20/05/2012 at 04:46 AM


MUNICH : Chelsea put four penalties past Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to seal victory and win an improbable Champions League title Sunday morning (Thailand time).

The penalty shoot-out began after the teams had played to a 1-1 draw in regulation time, and then played another half an hour without a goal.

Didier Drogba, who had equalised for Chelsea two minutes from time, struck the winning kick past Manuel Neuer as the visitors edged the shootout 4-3 after Bastian Schweinsteiger's last kick for Bayern had hit the post. Neuer made one save and also scored one penalty goal.

Bayern, playing in their home stadium, laid siege to Chelsea's goal for most of the game and appeared to have won it when Thomas Mueller finally made the breakthrough with an 83rd minute header past Petr Cech.

Within touching distance of lifting the famous trophy for the first time since 2001, Bayern conceded with two minutes remaining when Drogba met a corner with a thumping header to give Neuer no chance.

Bayern, four-times winners, were stunned and extra time could not separate the sides despite Bayern earning a penalty which Arjen Robben saw saved by Cech.

Chelsea lost to Manchester United in the 2008 final on penalties but erased that painful memory as they held their nerve to become London's first European champions.

EARLIER REPORTS:

Thomas Mueller headed home a short cross from Diego Contento in the 82nd minute in a game dominated by the German side. Many believed that sealed Chelsea's fate.

Exactly three minutes later, a leaping Didier Drogba headed home a sensational tying goal on a corner from Juan Mata, sending the blue-shirted fans into a tizzy - and the match itself into extra time.

After an extra 30 minutes without a goal, the two teams began a penalty shoot-out.

Bayern Munich and Chelsea were scoreless after the first half of the Champions League final.

Bayern had 60 per cent of possession in the half and 13 attempts on goal.

Munich, the Bavarian capital, buzzed with anticipation as the biggest game in club football got under way early Sunday Thailand time.

The eagerly awaited final - which is taking place at Bayern's home ground, the Allianz Arena - was a 70,000 sell-out.

A further 65,000 fans bought tickets to watch the match on giant screens set up at Bayern's former home, the Munich Olympic Stadium.

An estimated 25,000 Chelsea fans have travelled to Munich for the game, where demand for tickets has far exceeded supply.

Events in Munich were being followed closely at the G8 summit held at the US Presidential retreat of Camp David, where British and German leaders David Cameron and Angela Merkel were to watch the game together on Saturday afternoon local time. The match was on prime TV stations in the US and pre-empted a baseball game on the Murdoch-owned Fox TV.

Bayern were aiming to salvage a disappointing season by claiming their fifth European Champions League crown, which would place the Bundesliga side alongside Liverpool as the third most successful team in the competition's history.

Chelsea meanwhile were seeking to win the famous jug-eared trophy for the first time, desperate to atone for their agonising loss against Manchester United in the 2008 final in Moscow.

Because they finished sixth in the Premier League, Chelsea had to win the match in order even to compete in next season's Champions League - a relegation that would cost the club an estimated 65 million pounds in revenue.

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Poll: Thaksin most favourite of 111

Poll: Thaksin most favourite of 111

Published: 20/05/2012 at 01:35 PM



Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawara is the most favoured of all 111 former Thai Rak Thai executives due to end their five-year political ban on May 30, according to Suan Dusit Poll.

The poll was conducted between May 12-19 on 2,592 people throughout the country.

Asked who among the so-called House No.111 members they like the most, 86.74 per cent went for Thaksin, followed by 79.95 per cent for Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, 73.68 per cent for Pavena Hongsakula, 68.97 per cent for Chaturon Chaisaeng, 59.05 per cent for Suwat Liptapanlop, 57.22 per cent for Sonthaya Khunploem, 44.02 per cent for Somkid Jatusripitak, 42 per cent for Newin Chidchob, 36.05 per cent for Surakiart Sathirathai, and 31.74 per cent for Pongthep Thepkanchana.

Asked what they thought the country's politics would be like after the ban ends, 47.48 per cent thought it would be the same as before, 31.89 per cent thought it would improve, and 20.63 per cent believed it would be worse.

To the question of whether the ruling Pheu Thai Party would be stronger with their help, a majority of 62.38 per cent believed so while 37.62 per cent thought they might divide the party.

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Chalerm: Reconciliation bill needed

Chalerm: Reconciliation bill needed

Published: 20/05/2012 at 01:30 PM



Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung on Sunday insisted he would forward a draft reconciliation bill to the House of Representatives for deliberation at the right time.

Mr Chalerm was responding to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's call in his video conference to the red shirts gathering at Ratchaprasong intersection on Saturday night for them to set aside their anger and frustration over social and legal injustices for the sake of national reconciliation.

The deputy prime minister said he agreed with Thaksin and was of the opinion that only reconciliation would bring about peace in the country.

Therefore, he would forward a draft national reconciliation bill he had prepared to the House of Representatives for deliberation when the timing was right.

Under the draft which would not name any people in particular, all parties affected by the Sept 19, 2006 coup would benefit from it.

Mr Chalerm believed Thaksin would be able to return home by the end of this year provided that the national reconciliation bill was quickly passed into law.

Thaksin did not want to come home now because he wanted to see reconciliation in the country first, he said.



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Pump prices down Monday

Pump prices down Monday

Published: 20/05/2012 at 01:27 PM


PTT Plc and Bangchak Plc have announced a drop in the prices of all fuels except gasohol E20 by 0.30 baht a litre, effective from 5am Monday.

The price of gasohol E20 will be lowered by 0.50 baht a litre.

Pump prices per litre in Bangkok and nearby provinces will be as follows: Petrol 91 - 41.05 baht; gasohol 91 - 35.88 baht; gasohol 95 - 37.63 baht; gasohol E20 - 34.48 baht; and diesel - 29.83 baht.


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Minor quake hits Chiang Mai

Minor quake hits Chiang Mai


Published: 20/05/2012 at 01:24

 
A minor earthquake measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale with the epicentre in Phrao district was felt in Chiang Mai at 00.53am on Sunday, the Meteorological Department said.

There were no reports of damage.

Earlier on May 18, a quake with a magnitude of 1.7, with the epicentre in Sansai district, was also felt in Chiang Mai. No damage was reported on that occasion.

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Army general hopes to solve forestry row

Army general hopes to solve forestry row
PARKS CHIEF ACCUSES NHRC OF LESE MAJESTE


PHETCHABURI : First Army chief Udomdet Seetabut has suggested he should mediate a conflict between Kaeng Krachan National Park chief Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn and the National Human Rights Commission.

Mr Chaiwat last week filed a lese majeste charge against the NHRC for allegedly opposing a project to solve problems between animals and people at the national park in Phetchaburi province.

According to Mr Chaiwat, the NHRC sent a letter to him in April stating it had looked into a complaint about the adverse impacts of the national park's project to solve the conflict between wild elephants and humans and felt it should be cancelled.

Mr Chaiwat told police the NHRC's decision was an insult to Her Majesty the Queen, who initiated the project.

During a trip to inspect the progress of the project on Friday, Lt Gen Udomdet said he was willing to mediate talks between the national park and the NHRC to help them patch up their differences.

The NHRC might be putting the livelihood of residents ahead of forest protection, while forestry officials are focused on conservation, he said.

Both sides were doing their jobs, so there should not be any conflicts between them, he said.

Lt Gen Udomdet said the First Army would promote the royal-sponsored scheme to solve elephant-human conflict at Kaeng Krachan and Kui Buri national parks as a model for other areas with a similar problem.

Her Majesty recently donated 1.2 million baht to the First Army to run a project aimed at solving long-standing conflicts between humans and wild elephants at two national parks.

In recent years, hungry elephants have wreaked havoc on local residents' crop plantations at Kaeng Krachan National Park and Kui Buri National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan. This had created a conflict between the locals and the elephants several of which had been killed by angry residents.

The project calls for food and water sources to be developed within the forests to prevent the elephants from searching for food in farmlands.

Since March, soldiers have planted grass covering 100 rai of forest areas and built a reservoir in Kaeng Krachan national park. Salt licks were also created around a reservoir.

At Kui Buri national park, the Surasri task force and the 11th Infantry Regiment will be responsible for planting grass over 50 rai, creating salt licks and a dyke by September, Lt Gen Udomdet said.

Mr Chaiwat said forest encroachment had become a major problem at Kaeng Krachan national park. He said most of the forest encroachers were ethnic Karen villagers.

However, the NHRC had provided legal assistance to some 200 Karen households with almost 2,000 dwellers in the forest, Mr Chaiwat said.

He felt grateful to Her Majesty for providing both financial and moral support to the national park to save the forest and wild animals.


©bangkokpost
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Road to victory is red

Road to victory is red


Two years after the bloody crackdown on May 19, 2010, Thaksin Shinawatra is on the road to victory, one that is paved by blood, death and political intrigue, engineered by both sides of the political divide and the finishing line has little to do with democracy.

The Thai political landscape since the September 2006 coup has been shaped by intrigue and injustice, more so than usual. In February, 2010, the red shirt United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) once again gathered. They demanded a general election. They had every democratic right to do so.

What followed was a two-month siege of Bangkok, but a peaceful, democratic protest soon flirted with the extremes. One step into the extreme always leads to another more extreme step and eventually open rebellion.

Painting then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's residence red with human blood was stepping into the extreme. But extremes are required otherwise a demonstration is likely to go unnoticed. Holding concerts in Sanam Luang would not have achieved any political aims.

Storming the Thaicom satellite station was also an extreme act, but government troops had shut down the red shirt People's Channel. An extreme situation required an extreme measure.

The illegal occupation of Ratchaprasong district caused, according to reports, as many as 100,000 people to be out of work, and many to go bankrupt. The irony is that the movement for democracy trampled on the basic human rights of others. But even in this, sympathetic observers can empathise and reason that an extreme situation required an extreme measure.

However, extreme measures would eventually be met with extreme reactions.

At Phan Fah Bridge, troops clashed with protesters. Twenty-five people were killed and more than 800 injured, five of whom were members of security forces. Extreme measures went beyond acceptable bounds, and both sides were guilty.

By May 3, 2010, Mr Abhisit proposed to dissolve parliament in September and hold an election on Nov 14, if the protesters were willing to stand down. The UDD had achieved its objective. Extreme measures worked out for them. They got what they came for. UDD leaders announced their acceptance of the terms. They told Thailand and the world they were setting a date for disbanding their demonstration.

Then they changed their minds.

Some argued the reason was that UDD leaders didn't want to face criminal charges against them. Some argued that UDD leaders wanted government and army leaders to face criminal charges also. Some argued that Thaksin made the call because given the public mood a November election might not go in his favour. Some argued that Mr Abhisit was lying.

In any case, democracy was sacrificed, whether due to fear of criminal charges, a vendetta against the government and army leaders, personal political interests, or mistrust. And the red shirts supported their leaders in ignoring democracy. The irony of it.

The struggle was evidently less about democracy, and more about personalities.

So it was a stalemate, senseless and aimless. Meanwhile, Bangkok was fast disintegrating into a state of anarchy; every day bullets were exchanged and bombs . Instead of democracy, there was anarchy. Law and order must be restored. The law must be swift, severe and certain, otherwise there is anarchy. In Thailand, the law is often slow, soft and uncertain, except when it concerns lese majeste. Hence, criminals enjoy trampling on the law in a country often called lawless, even without this red uprising.

Facing anarchy and an open rebellion, the government asked the UDD leadership to send home the civilians before government troops moved in to make arrests. Nobody wished to go home. Government troops moved in on May 19 to arrest law breakers. The UDD resisted with violence, a bloody and unfortunate crackdown ensued at the hands of the authorities; Bangkok and provincial city halls burned at the hands of red shirts.

Two years and 91 dead bodies later, the UDD still believe they have the right to break laws and resist arrest without repercussions, a democratic movement continuing to display anarchist behaviour, believing they are above the law. Inciters of violence and people who break the law must be punished, but instead their leaders sit in parliament.

Under the emergency decree, government troops are not legally liable for their actions. But the law must also be just, or it is not democratic. An emergency decree should not excuse wanton violence. Justice must be served. Those found to have used excessive violence must be punished, but none are. The mysterious men in black should be identified and brought to justice, but none will be.

True justice is the same for both sides; swift, severe and certain. Instead, we have two children on the playground, arguing, ''You respect the law first!'' ''No, you first!'' ''No, you first!'' ''No, I won't if you don't!'' ''Well then, I won't either!''

Consequently, two years and 91 dead bodies later, the law continues to be slow, soft and uncertain, except where lese majeste is concerned. Instead the hate is swift, severe and certainly perpetuating, with cries of injustice screamed and acts of injustice committed by both sides of the political divide. The irony of it.

The death and destruction was unfortunate and tragic. It could have and should have all been avoided. But that didn't happen. Justice must be served, but that is not going to happen either. The DSI might have linked 25 deaths to the military, but that is stating the obvious, understating it in fact. The question is, will anyone put the handcuffs on the generals? The DSI's findings were just for show. It is this hatred that helps keep the UDD going strong, in their actions and in the streets. This is what helped the Pheu Thai Party to victory in the July 2011 general election and helps build the red villages. It is this hatred of Thailand's traditional elites that will pave Thaksin's road to victory.

The bungles sadly and comically committed by the Yingluck Shinawatra administration don't matter. These can't compare with the cries of ''You killed 91 people'' _ never mind that those deaths also included soldiers. The approval rating of PM Yingluck is still the envy of any national leader. This struggle is not about democracy; it's about the hate for them and the love for us.

He who controls the national budget controls national destiny, and his name is Thaksin. Every region, province, town, district, village and house wants a taste of the 2.4 trillion budget bill that will be debated in parliament this coming week _ as they should, everyone is entitled.

Thaksin once famously said that those provinces that didn't vote for him should not expect anything from him. But he should be wiser now. The national budget could be used as an incentive for more of Thailand to bow to Thaksin.

The once powerful political parties/factions and their mighty overlords have all been effectively swallowed up by Pheu Thai. Red villages are mushrooming; one is even being built in Songkhla province, the southern heartland of the Democrats. Whether by accident or design, hates and the injustices are to the benefit of Thaksin _ a true opportunist knows how to capitalise, and a businessman who isn't an opportunist is a bankrupt businessman.

His sister makes for an ideal brand ambassador, to be adored, defended and championed by most red shirts. His best people _ whose political bans will be lifted at month's end _ are set to take charge, officially. UDD leaders, inciters of violence, sit in parliament. Other political parties and players have become but convenient pawns. Invasion of the stronghold of the Democrats has begun. The 2.4 trillion baht budget is a cake that everyone wants to taste.

By this time next year, our PM could very well be someone holding a Montenegro passport. Many would argue that this is the unavoidable next step in the evolution of Thai politics _ one extreme leading to another. Bumpy it will be and unless there's a U-turn ahead somewhere, this is the road to victory. This is not about right or wrong, this is about who plays the better game, and has more luck on their side.

Of one thing we can be sure; the law will be swifter, severer and more certain under Thaksin, if his past record as prime minister is anything to go by. As far as justice is concerned however, we would have to go by his human rights record.


©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/294211/road-to-victory-is-red

Court set to begin 2010 riot inquests

Court set to begin 2010 riot inquests


According to Metropolitan Police Bureau documents, the Bangkok South Criminal Court will begin an inquest into the death of 43-year-old Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto, who was killed while covering clashes between military forces and red shirt supporters near Democracy Monument on April 10, 2010.

Two other inquests involving Thai nationals who died on the same day are also scheduled to start in the same court tomorrow.

Metropolitan police deputy commissioner Pol Maj Gen Anuchai Legbumrung said the bureau had wrapped up 18 of 22 cases involving state officers and forwarded them to prosecutors who had sent them to the courts.

The cases include the six deaths at Wat Prathum Wanaram on May 19, 2010. The proceedings will conclude on July 23 with an inquest into the shooting of Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi .


During the inquests the courts will hear evidence from witnesses, and the accused will be allowed to testify.

The Criminal Court will then make the final decision on whether to prosecute.

While families of the victims and human rights groups have complained of the slow march to justice over the past two years, police and Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officers defended the prolonged process.

After lengthy and contentious investigations, DSI officers came up with the preliminary conclusion that at least 22 deaths during the political unrest in April and May in 2010 may have been due to the actions of government forces.

Pol Maj Gen Anuchai said that under section 150/3 of the Criminal Code any deaths which may have resulted from government forces have to be subject to police autopsies.

The autopsy report must then be forwarded to prosecutors who decide whether the case should be presented to the Criminal Court for a preliminary hearing.

When asked whether those higher up the chain of command who ordered the military crackdown could face prosecution, Pol Maj Gen Anuchai said it was not for the force to decide.

"It is the Department of Special Investigation which is responsible for all the cases and to see that wrongdoers are charged," he said.

Pol Maj Gen Anuchai would not confirm that three other cases against state officers had been added to the 22, as reported earlier.

The DSI has investigated 266 cases since the crackdown and broken them down into four categories: terrorism (150), threats to the government (22), theft and commandeering of state weapons (21) and killing and injuring of civilians and state officials (73).

DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said that while 22 deaths may have involved state officers, 12 others may have involved red shirts as the weapons used in the killings were different to those issued to the military.

Mr Tarit conceded that in 55 deaths they did not have enough information to determine who was responsible. He said in total 180 cases out of the 266 remain unresolved.

He said it was getting harder to bring the wrongdoers to justice, as investigations were becoming more difficult as evidence has ''almost disappeared''.

''In times of chaos like this, it is very difficult to find evidence, witnesses and wrongdoers,'' he said.

DSI deputy chief Pol Col Pravesana Mulpramook, who was in charge of the investigations, is trying to reconstruct events by using satellite images from two years ago.

His is specifically looking at incidents around Democracy Monument on April 10, 2010, and in the Ratchaprasong area between May 14 and May 19, 2010.

Pol Col Pravesana says he not only wants to identify the culprits involved, but also the masterminds who gave the orders.

He said he had renewed his requests for operational plans from the Royal Thai Army and former government representatives, as well the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.

Pol Col Pravesana said he has requested further satellite images which he believes more clearly captured the events.


©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/294201/court-set-to-begin-2010-riot-inquests

Thaksin: Put unity before justice OUSTED PM URGES RED SHIRTS TO CONCENTRATE ON NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AT RALLY MARKING 2010 CRACKDOWN

Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday urged a crowd of 45,000 red shirts to set aside their anger and frustration about social and legal injustices in the name of national reconciliation.

Thaksin: Put unity before justice
OUSTED PM URGES RED SHIRTS TO CONCENTRATE ON NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AT RALLY MARKING 2010 CRACKDOWN


KEEP THE FAITH: Thaksin Shinawatra talks to his supporters via a video link to Ratchaprasong intersection, where about 45,000 red shirts gathered to commemorate the second anniversary of the 2010 crackdown on political protesters. PHOTO: PATIPAT JANTHONG

"The time for arguments is over," he told the crowd at Ratchaprasong intersection who had gathered to mark the bloody 2010 military crackdown that left 92 dead. "It's time to come together for peace."

His call for reconciliation came after red shirt leaders spoke throughout the day about the need to amend the constitution, seek justice for victims of the 2010 crackdown and address ongoing institutional injustices.

Thaksin, speaking via a video link, urged the red shirts to suppress their anger in the name of reconciliation, a precondition if he is ever to return to the country following his four-year self-imposed exile.

"Brothers and sisters, I understand there are pains. But we must save personal issues for later. We must think first of the whole," he said, adding that Thais must unify to support the crown, religion and democracy.

"In Thailand today, people do not respect each other and the law. People should learn to respect each other and the law.

"If [the opposition Democrat Party and elites] don't want to reconcile, that's OK. I will stay abroad. But if there is reconciliation, then there's a chance for me to come back and do good things for my brothers and sisters."

Thaksin said reconciliation would depend on three points: finding the truth about the 2010 clashes, compensation for the victims and a new attitude of "thinking new, doing new" by Thais.

"We need a new constitution that is truly democratic," he said to rapturous applause. "I have a doctorate. I have studied the justice system. I have never known such injustice."

Thaksin pointed to last week's decision by the Constitution Court to disqualify red shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan as a party list MP for the ruling Pheu Thai Party as one example.

Mr Jatuporn was disqualified in a 7-1 ruling for failing to vote in last year's general election. During the election, he was in detention by the military on terrorism charges related to the 2010 protests.

Thaksin's speech contrasted with more combative speeches given by leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) earlier in the day.

"Murderers must be brought to justice," said UDD spokesman Worawut Wichaidit. "I saw with my own eyes soldiers killing the people. If they don't believe me, they can call me a liar."

Mr Worawut slammed the opposition Democrats for their efforts to discredit Thaksin's sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and urged the red shirts to continue to fight for change.

Waipoj Apornrat, another UDD leader, said constitutional change was needed to hamstring the ammart, or ruling elite. "Now we have red villages. Next, we will have red districts and red provinces. More and more and more," he said.

UDD leader Suporn Attawong said those responsible for the 2010 crackdown must be brought to justice.

"We have to drag the murderers into jail. We have to execute them," Mr Suporn said. "Real power is not in the hands of the government. It's still in the hands of the ammart. The Yingluck government's power is with the red shirts."

UDD chair Tida Tawornseth said reconciliation could only come after justice. "It's not that we don't want reconciliation. But reconciliation must come with truth. There must be truth and justice before reconciliation," she said.

Robert Amsterdam, a Canadian lawyer advising the UDD, said justice remained fleeting in Thailand. "We will expose the face of the ammart to the world. We will tell the world about the [injustice] to Jatuporn," he told the crowd.

Red shirt supporters streamed into Ratchaprasong intersection from the early hours of the morning, coming by the bus load from provinces such as Mukdahan, Songkhla and Chiang Mai.

Leaders called for a minute of candle-lit silence in the evening in memory of those who lost their lives during the crackdown, which followed a nine-week protest against the Abhisit Vejjajiva government that sharply split Thailand across ideological, class and political grounds.

At 2pm, 19 monks chanted Buddhist prayers in memory of those killed or injured during the 2010 clashes.

The rally passed peacefully. Hawkers could be found throughout the crowd pitching red shirts, banners and flags featuring pictures of Thaksin and Ms Yingluck.

Bualong Saeng-Arthit, a 49-year-old housewife from Udon Thani, attended last year's rally at Ratchaprasong as well.

"It's like a reunion, meeting up with friends we met since we joined the movement two years ago. Now we have our own government, but we still have to show our presence," she said.

Mrs Bualong urged the Pheu Thai government to increase its focus on the rural and urban poor.

"There needs to be more project funding, not only for rural areas but for the urban poor as well," she said.

Wassana Mabut, the mother of Pattama Moolmil, the only female political prisoner held at Lak Si temporary prison, said families of political prisoners from Ubon Ratchathani were at the rally to show their support for the red shirt fight for democracy and justice.

"Pattama still has a strong will and she asks those outside to fight on," she said. Four residents from Ubon Ratchathani have been sentenced to 33 years in prison for arson against provincial halls on May 19, 2010.

Other activists called for judicial reforms, including the right to bail for political prisoners and those held on lese majeste charges. Relatives of red shirts injured during the conflict also called for faster compensation payments.

©bangkokpost
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/294200/thaksin-put-unity-before-justice

NEDA chief resigns; Palace cites health

NEDA chief resigns; Palace cites health


MANILA, Philippines – National Economic Development Authority Director-General Cayetano Paderanga, Jr., a key member of President Benigno Aquino III’s economic team, has resigned, Malacañang announced Saturday.
Abigail Valte, one of the President’s spokespersons, said Paderanga quit for health reasons and that Mr. Aquino has appointed Arsenio Balisacan, dean of the University of the Philippines School of Economics, as his replacement.
“We are very happy to have worked with Secretary Paderanga and we thank him for the two years [of service] and the help that he has given to the President,” Valte said in an interview on the state-run radio dzRB.
Paderanga, 63, was Aquino’s NEDA chief since the Chief Executive assumed office in 2010. He also served as NEDA chief of the President’s late mother, former President Corazon Aquino, from 1990 to 1992.
Paderanga was a member of the Monetary Board from 1993 to 1999 and was executive director for the Philippines of the Asian Development Bank from 2001 to 2003. He’s also a professor at the UP School of Economics.
Valte denied a suggestion that Paderanga was asked to resign his NEDA post, something akin to getting fired.
“From what I understand, it was Secretary Paderanga who went to the President and said that because he has health problems, he wants to turn it over to somebody else,” Valte said.
On whether there will be more changes in the President’s economic team, Valte said, “It appears there’s nothing more.”
“This was the only one we have been advised of. If there will be any, we will let you know at the soonest possible time,” Valte said.
Valte said Balisacan was also an adjunct professor at the Australian National University and executive director of the Philippine Center for Economic Development.
“Dr. Balisacan also served as an adviser and expert on poverty, food security, agricultural and rural development, human development, impact assessment, and governance issues to public chief executives and legislators, non-governmental organizations, multilateral development institutions, like the World Bank, the ADB, and various United Nations agencies,” Valte said.
“He’s also the author and co-editor of seven books and has written over 100 articles and technical journals and book chapters. He founded and continues to serve as the editor of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development, an internationally referred journal,” she added.
Valte said Balisacan has a doctorate in economics from the University of Hawaii and a master’s degree in agricultural economics from UP-Los Baños. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in agrciulture from the Mariano Marcos State University.
He was appointed dean of the UP School of Economics in 2010.
According to the the UPSE Web site, Balisacan’s research interests include agricultural economics, development economics, and poverty and income distribution.


©newsinfo
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/192201/neda-chief-resigns-palace

Iranian defectors: Khamenei said anti-nuke ‘fatwa’ won’t matter

Iranian defectors: Khamenei said anti-nuke ‘fatwa’ won’t matter


A group of defectors from Iran has cautioned that Iranian authorities believe the West has been lulled into a false sense of security by a fatwa — a pronouncement of Muslim law — by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has said that a “nuclear bomb is a sin in Islam.” It is based on a lie, they warned, despite the Obama administration’s apparent reliance on this declaration to guide its foreign policy.

According to the Green Embassy Campaign, a collection of former Iranian diplomats who have sought political asylum abroad, Khamenei recently told an important meeting of his regime’s security and intelligence officials that his fatwa will not restrict Shiite Muslims in Iran from pursuing and building a nuclear weapon. The campaign is tied to the Green Movement in Iran, which opposes Khamenei’s reign and favors free elections.

“While God is with us and has forced Russia and China on our side, America cannot do anything,” they reported that Khamenei told the officials. “The fatwa which I gave years ago that a nuclear bomb is haram, a sin, has now become a statement of fact for the West, and because of their own needs and fears of Israel, they are emphasizing that statement.”

“However,” Khamenei continued, “the Imam’s hidden soldiers, based on their religious obligation under Shiite Islam, will continue in total secrecy and in other locations to attain the most advanced arms to defend the regime.”

The Iranian regime often refers to those who work in total secrecy as “The hidden Imam soldiers,” including intelligence agents, scientists and others busy advancing the goals of the regime and protecting it militarily. The “Imam” refers to the promised final Islamic Messiah, the Shiites’ 12th Imam Mahdi, who Shiites believe will return to Earth when Armageddon begins.

The Green Embassy report indicated that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his associates were not present at the meeting because Khamenei suspected they might leak information to the outside.

The Obama administration signaled last month that Khamenei’s fatwa prohibiting nuclear weapons under Islam could — and should — be used as a lever when talks with Iran continue in Baghdad. Days later, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton again raised the fatwa during a NATO conference in Norfolk, Va., as a launching point for guiding U.S. policy.


Clinton remarked on “the repetition by the supreme leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, that he had issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons, against weapons of mass destruction.”

“[Turkish] Prime Minister Erdogan and I discussed this at some length,” she said, ”and I’ve discussed it with a number of experts and religious scholars. And if it is indeed a statement of principle, of values, then it is a starting point for being operationalized, which means that it serves as the entryway into a negotiation as to how you demonstrate that it is indeed a sincere, authentic statement of conviction.”

The anti-nuclear-weapon fatwa itself was called into question by an April 19 report from the Washington, D.C.-based Middle East Media Research Institute that concluded it does not exist. “No such fatwa ever existed or was ever published,” the organization wrote, “and … media reports about it are nothing more than a propaganda ruse on the part of the Iranian regime apparatuses.”

Even if the fatwa does exist, some commentators have derided the U.S. government for relying on it.

“Our allies, even in the Muslim world, wonder why the Obama Administration would bother taking seriously a fatwa from a state sponsor of terror,” Weekly Standard senior editor Lee Smith wrote on April 25. “After all, the regime has issued numerous outrageous fatwas, including one that opined on the permissibility of sex with chickens, and another that called for the head of novelist Salman Rushdie.”


©AP/©dailycaller
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/17/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/05/14/iranian-defectors-khamenei-said-anti-nuke-fatwa-wont-matter/#ixzz1vORJp4ZW