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-   -   Thailand sliding towards a Military Dictatorship (http://www.travelbanter.com/showthread.php?t=166805)

Obersturmbanfuhrer Olly June 11th, 2010 05:03 PM

Thailand sliding towards a Military Dictatorship
 
Jun 12, 2010


ASIA HAND
Abhisit's democratic choice
By Shawn W Crispin

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southea.../LF12Ae01.html



BANGKOK - Thailand is sliding towards de-facto military rule and it is
not clear that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has the will or power
to turn back the authoritarian tide. A sustained state of emergency
has given security forces extraordinary powers to detain suspects
without trial, censor the media and ban public gatherings, powers the
top brass have flexed after last month's dramatic crackdown on anti-
government protesters encamped in the heart of Bangkok.

One military insider contends that the Center for the Resolution of
Emergency Situations (CRES), which was formed to handle the United
Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) protest group's street
protests, is morphing into a sort of ''shadow government'' to
Abhisit's democratically elected coalition. There is no sign since the
protest's dispersal that the CRES plans to disband. The insider says
it is putting in place structures to sustain its influence over the
country's administration.

Three weeks since the military moved decisively on May 19 against the
UDD, a crackdown against the group's leaders, organizers and
supporters has widened, with an emphasis on areas of the country that
remain under emergency rule. According to diplomats and human-rights
advocates, it is unclear how many people have been arrested and
detained, and under what conditions they are being held. The
government has acknowledged holding over 400 people; one local rights
group claims as many as 100 people have gone missing since May 19.

Wakalukong June 12th, 2010 06:09 AM

Thailand sliding towards a Military Dictatorship
 
On Jun 12, 12:15*am, Destin Lee wrote:
"Former Queen's Guard soldiers, including army commander General
Anupong Paochinda and deputy army commander General Prayuth Chan-
ocha,
have since been on the promotional ascent - often at the expense of
professional soldiers attached to less royally decorated army units.
Some analysts have speculated that the seemingly systematic promotion
of army royalists aims to ensure a smooth royal succession from 82-
year-old King Bhumibol to his heir apparent son, Crown Prince
Vajiralongkorn. "

(snip)
------------

Thailand is already a military dictatorship. Its military can kick
out any prime minister it doesn't like, by a coup, court ruling,
thuggery (eg. occupying the airport) or plain old-fashioned shooting
of opponents (as the world witnessed recently, although the CIA-
sponsored Reporters Without Border failed to notice it).

Wakalukong

Destin Lee June 13th, 2010 05:14 AM

Thailand sliding towards a Military Dictatorship
 
The coup master is above the junta military, and I am sure most Thais
knew about.


On Jun 12, 1:09*am, Wakalukong wrote:
On Jun 12, 12:15*am, Destin Lee wrote: "Former Queen's Guard soldiers, including army commander General
Anupong Paochinda and deputy army commander General Prayuth Chan-
ocha,
have since been on the promotional ascent - often at the expense of
professional soldiers attached to less royally decorated army units.
Some analysts have speculated that the seemingly systematic promotion
of army royalists aims to ensure a smooth royal succession from 82-
year-old King Bhumibol to his heir apparent son, Crown Prince
Vajiralongkorn. "


(snip)
------------

Thailand is already a military dictatorship. *Its military can kick
out any prime minister it doesn't like, by a coup, court ruling,
thuggery (eg. occupying the airport) or plain old-fashioned shooting
of opponents (as the world witnessed recently, although the CIA-
sponsored Reporters Without Border failed to notice it).

Wakalukong



Obersturmbanfuhrer Olly June 13th, 2010 10:07 PM

Thailand sliding towards a Military Dictatorship
 

Draft ISA a Step Backwards from Human Rights and Rule of Law


(Bangkok, 03 July 2007) FORUM-ASIA is deeply concerned with the Thai
military government's plan to pass the draft Internal Security Act
(ISA). Late last month the draft ISA was given a green light by the
cabinet under the interim General Surayud Chulanont government.

The draft ISA is currently in discussion among the members of the
Council of State, the country's legal advisory institution, before
being submitted to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for further
reviews. This bill is seeking to revive the Internal Security
Operations Command (ISOC), a military-run organisation notorious for
its hawkish and fear-inducing campaign against civilians to curb
communism in 1970s. ISOC was responsible for many human rights abuses
during that period.

"The bill is a regressive step back from bringing human rights and
rule of law to the country, instead it is pushing the country into
another age of military rule. This act will grant power to the ISOC -
headed by the Army-in-Chief - over the power of the civilian
government", said Mr. Anselmo Lee, Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA.

Basic human rights such as the rights to freedom of movement, freedom
of assembly, and freedom of association will be prohibited if this
bill is passed. The bill also allows the Director of ISOC to arrest
and detain people in private venues, but not proper venues such as
police stations or internationally-accepted detention facilities, for
more than seven days without an arrest warrant. This is a direct
violation of the international human rights treaties to which Thailand
is a party.

By holding persons at private venues without proper facilities, where
lawyers, organisations inspecting prison conditions, families, and
medical staff cannot access, the government is allowing the
possibility of abuses, such as torture, to take place. Most
significantly, Paragraph 2 of the Article 26 gives authority to the
Director of ISOC and the government officers to "suppress individuals
causing an action which may pose a threat to national security".

The phrase ‘national security' is often misused in reference to state-
viewed securities as opposed to human security. Pro-democracy groups
and groups that voice their dissent about the military-drafted
constitution could mistakenly be seen by the military as a "threat to
national security".

The draft law also stresses that officials who use the authority in
accordance with this act are "exempted from civil and criminal law or
disciplinary actions", raising concerns of impunity for increased or
excessive use of force by the government officers.

"Given the number of existing grave cases of impunity and human rights
violations, which the security forces are believed to be involved in,
including the 2,000 people killed during the war on drugs in 2003, the
cases of torture and extra-judicial executions in Southern Thailand,
and the impunity cases of more than 20 human rights defenders (HRDs)
killed to date, the situation is likely to deteriorate once the bill
is passed." stressed Mr. Lee.

Thailand as party to the United Nations needs to uphold human rights
obligations by prohibiting such laws from being passed. Experience
from Malaysia and Singapore regarding similar legislations shows that
similar laws only increase human rights violations and abuses. Interim
Prime Minister Surayud, who has been vocal in his support of the ASEAN
human rights mechanism, needs to understand that once this bill is
passed the state human rights mechanisms, including the National Human
Rights Commission, will be undermined. If the bill is thoroughly
supported by the junta without recognising its consequences, the PM's
words will be just rhetoric without concrete concerns.

For more information, please contact:
Mr. Anselmo Lee, Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA, +662 391 8801,
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development
Mr. Pokpong Lawansiri, Acting Southeast Asia Program Officer, FORUM-
ASIA,
+6686 603 8844, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development

Obersturmbanfuhrer Olly June 14th, 2010 04:20 PM

Thailand sliding towards a Military Dictatorship
 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...n-few-backers/


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