What the Anti Propaganda Law for Referendum did not cover.

The front oage of Thairath has an interesting sub headline yesterday (Jul 28, p. 1 and 11). In print it read “Push for Samak as TRT leader for election,” then “Sonthi: Army personnel to accept the draft constitution.” The inner pages confirm that army personnels are trained to spread the words to vote yes to the referendum to their family and other people.

After making a lot of efforts to heavily informed the public about the pros of the referendum and the new law to curb resistance with threats of fine and improment, the move that have been launched a while ago, using state mechanism to inform the public about the referendum and that the draft constitution should be welcomed is a alarming trend. if an elected government does this, then it is a grave crime for influencing the referendum. If someone name sonthi reportedly said so, he does not have any impunity.

I am taking readers back to the election on April 2006, when TRT are accusing of influencing people to vote for them. This government and the Council of National Security doesn’t make anything different. It reflected the same mentality that people in power should use these legal and political mechanism for their benefits.

I really do not appreciate both CNS and Thaksin. I’d rather not see any parties doing these corruption and illegal influencing the referendum. However, the CNS is actually learning very fast to copy what they had been criticising. They do it well.

The law stipulate penalty for mislead people. They acually do not mislead them, they just coax people under their control to say yes. As if telling people to say “yes” is the only non-misleading propagada about the constitution.

Filed under: Security

Tear Gas

was briefly at the end of the tear gas ordeal. tired of walking.

Filed under: Security

2 Nos

no…no…

In my mentality, there are many two Nos. the first “no” people who do not like Thaksin and the second are those who don’t like the coup.

CNS and many of the media try to collapse or over-mix two no into one. If you don’t like the second no, you are the pro-Thaksin.

CNS is a no no.

Filed under: Security

Sombat Boon-ngarmarnong Released from Detention

At 7.34 pm on 7th July 2007, Sombat Boon-ngarmarnong was released from Meng Rai Maha Raja 3rd region army base. He was greeted by family, friends and fellow campaigner to inform the public about the draft constitution and democracy.

Filed under: Free speech

Spot VS Combat Stripe

Just after went back for a dinner meeting (Friday routine), heading home and read Coelho. I checked my e mail about ten just for the news, then a headline hit “Editor Spot,” or Sombat Boonngarmanong was “invited” for an interview at an army base in Chinag Rai to ask if someone hired him to hyde park against the coup.

An uncool and oppressive operation was staged Chiang Rai, where marshall law is implemented as in most of border province in the North, even prior to the coup for security reasons (e.g. almost every district in Mae Hong Sorn, border district in Tak and several other places I need to consult a list.) In such areas, the military can do anything they justify, probably not even a sound one, that it is a security reason. Thus, in those area, one can be easily invited to interview in a military base. Honestly, they can interview people in a hotel room rather than a military base.

The official statement from the spokeperson at the base stated that no bail is needed for Sombat, becuase it is not an arrest, thus, the toning down and change of term make the military evade the law of lawful arrest and detention for question. Sombat was not allowed to see a lawyer or to be visited by family members because it is a confidential interview. I am wondering if he can file a charge against officers that they invited in, though harshly, for an interview.

Sombat will be in this limbo– a little Guantanamo in marshal law land until two or three as the military base chief said some senior chief from Bangkok would like to have a talk with him. He could not be transported to Bangkok, I guessed, due to the authority to detain him is valid in Chiang Rai and those provinces.

People are losing patient over plummeting economic, delay election and the government that cannot solve problems. The baht was 34ish and the amount of money spent to promote yeses to the constitution to move on based on lies. It is a hopelessly gray saturday.

It was not right from the start and they don’t want to redeem themselves.
Photos

Filed under: Free speech