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Amnesty Opponents To Rally Nationwide


Flashermac

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After 15 years here I feel that farang is a dirty four letter word and take exception to it. Especially when Thais whom have known me longer still address me as farang. I will tell them to make it Khon Farang at least or use my name. Especially people from Isaan seem to be to stupid to get this .... do not get me going on Isaan people it could be a 4 hour rant.

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After 15 years here I feel that farang is a dirty four letter word and take exception to it. Especially when Thais whom have known me longer still address me as farang. I will tell them to make it Khon Farang at least or use my name. Especially people from Isaan seem to be to stupid to get this .... do not get me going on Isaan people it could be a 4 hour rant.

 

You can tell me the ways to learn Thai. In the sticks, toothless, tatooed and alcoholic, irresponsible deadbeats. Could those Thais would teach me a thing or two? If I only could talk to them and get all the wisdom that has to be unearthed.

 

Plainly, decided to ignore them and keep myself scarce. Not going there any more.

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Protests are a test for legitimacy: Forbes

 

 

In the article entitled "Thailand’s Political Dysfunction Trumps US Federalist Funk", the Forbes staff said democracies aren't all made equally; the devil lies in the details. Washington's federalist, presidential system has its limitations, some of which were laid bare by the recent shutdown. Duelling centres of power stood in the path of a freely elected executive who had a mandate to govern. A country was held hostage by a dispute over healthcare that had already been settled by lawmakers, federal courts and, judging by the presidential ballot, the electorate. To critics - in both the democratic and authoritarian camps - the brinksmanship showed deep flaws in the US system of divided governance.

 

Below is the full report.

 

In a parliamentary system, such obstruction is rarer. This is its strength. But it runs the risk of making elections the only test for legitimacy, particularly when democratic institutions are weak, as in Thailand, where protesters are back on the streets. The last time that Bangkok was gripped by huge rallies in 2010 the denouement was a bloody military-led crackdown. Two years earlier, Bangkok's international airport was seized by another protest group in a ruinous victory over an elected administration. This time around, the complaint is that the government, which won a huge victory in 2011, is ramming through a self-serving amnesty law that whitewashes its past wrongdoing. Over 10,000 people rallied Monday in Bangkok, turning up the heat on Yingluck Shinawatra and sending Thai stocks down nearly 3 per cent.

 

The amnesty bill recently passed the lower house, where Yingluck's governing coalition holds sway. The original bill covered rank-and-file protesters accused of crimes, but was later expanded to grant amnesties to politicians and state officials. More controversial is language inserted to undo court judgements against former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the exiled billionaire brother of Yingluck. Thaksin was convicted in 2008 of abusing his power, a ruling that he contests. Next the amnesty bill must clear the upper house and be signed into law by the crown.

 

"All of which appears to show checks on an elected government. But the fact that protesters are on the streets, and that Yingluck is besieged by criticism from within her own ranks - including from supporters who lost relatives in the 2010 crackdown - indicates the fragility in Thailand's parliamentary system. Previous iterations of Thaksin's political party were dissolved by courts so this isn't an idle threat. But it does little to advance democracy building in Thailand."

 

It's clear that Thaksin and Yingluck can deliver a plurality at the polls. They have done it repeatedly since 2001. Their opponents must accept this fact. But an electoral mandate isn't a right to govern unfettered. Back in 2006, when Thaksin faced mass protests against the sale of his family-owned telecoms company to Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, he pulled the same trick. He won the election, but Thailand faced a deadlock and the military stepped in. This is a poor substitute for legitimate checks on elected officials. Perhaps the only thing worse than too many democratic checks are no checks at all.

 

 

http://www.nationmul...s-30218857.html

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Many Facebook users protest against amnesty bill

 

 

Many Thai Facebook users have changed their profile picture in protest against the controversial amnesty bill.

They now use a black sign with the message "against the amnesty bill" in both Thai and English to show their opposition to the bill that has sailed through its third reading in the House.

 

Besides the black-background photos, some with a red background have begun appearing apparently from red-shirt people, along with the message "opposed to the amnesty bill - murderers must be jailed and people must be freed".

 

As more and more Facebook users join the anti-bill campaign, the profile pictures have diversified into several designs but all are concentrated on the message to stop the amnesty bill.

 

For example, some have a blue circle, a black square and even a LINE sticker together with the photo. Some copy the latest marketing gimmick of Coca-Cola by pasting the message "against the amnesty bill" on the side of a Coke can.

 

Some people are showing their backing for the bill, but with a green colour in the same shape with the message "support the amnesty bill".

 

Social media users also show their stance by pressing the "Like" and "Share" buttons whenever their friends post something attacking the bill. They also keep on sharing messages that urge people to take certain actions against the bill.

 

Some Thais living abroad have also manifested their outrage through their Facebook profile picture.

 

Apisit Toompakdee, a developer in San Francisco, has a photograph of the Thai flag with the message "stop amnesty bill".

 

And Yamashita Miharu, who lives in Illinois in the US, has replaced her Facebook profile picture with a black sign and the message "against the amnesty bill".

 

Atiporn Chayanupatkul, an old student of Chulalongkorn University, who is now studying at Heilongjiang University in China, has sympathised with the movement to derail the amnesty bill by changing her Facebook profile picture with the same message of "against the amnesty bill" but in the Chinese language.

 

Aem Chumjai, an alumnus of Thammasat University, has not only ditched her Facebook profile picture for a black sign with the message "against the amnesty bill" but has also switched her cover picture for the Thai flag.

 

Organisations across various sectors such as business, healthcare and education are moving into cyberspace to call for volunteers to rally against the amnesty bill.

 

Old students of Thammasat University have announced on Facebook for all old students to demonstrate against the amnesty bill by gathering at the campus on Thursday at 9am.

 

The Thammasat University Student Union will post plans to take action against the amnesty bill on its Facebook page www.facebook.co/Thammasatsu today.

 

The community of medical students at Chulalongkorn University has also shown their disagreement with the amnesty bill on their Facebook page.

 

Werakiat Aueprasertvanich, an old student of Chulalongkorn's communication arts faculty, has invited the university's old students to come together to demonstrate their animosity to the amnesty bill at the faculty tomorrow.

 

The Business Club for Democracy has raised a call for action against the amnesty bill. Like-minded people should show up at noon today along Silom Road, from Bangkok Bank's head office to the Skytrain's Sala Daeng Station, to whistle blow together.

 

At the National Institute of Development Administration, 491 lecturers have spoken out against the amnesty bill.

 

Academics and people in the information-technology industry have issued a letter calling for the bill's demise, which can be found at www.facebook.com/welovethailand/posts/226259474209397.

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Many-Facebook-users-protest-against-amnesty-bill-30218651.html

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No more rift-provoking bills: Phumtham

 

 

 

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Pheu Thai Party Secretary General Phumtham Wechayachai announced Wednesday that if the Senate kills the amnesty bill, the Pheu Thai-led government will not seek to make any revision into the bill and resubmit it.

The Senate will convene on November 8. Phumtham said that once the Senate’s opinion is out, the government is ready act accordingly. If the bill is killed, all other MPs’s amnesty draft laws would be withdrawn.

 

"The government is willing to heed public opinions," he said at the press conference. "Pheu Thai will not submit any laws which would create social rifts, as a good start to restore peace."

 

In Chanthaburi, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra stood by Phumtham’s announcement. She said that through the remaining life of this government, there would be no more discussion on the amnesty if the Senate kills the bill.

 

The announcement was made as many other organisations are prepared to launch protests. In the evening, Mahidol University students marched from its Rajvithi campus to join others at Urupong. In protesting the bill, parts of Silpakorn University’s wall show a graffiti saying the university is against the bill.

 

 

http://www.nationmul...m-30218882.html

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Protesters rise to Suthep's call

 

 

Protesters at Democracy Monument last night agreed with Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban when he said the fight against amnesty bill should continue after he produced a video clip of a Pheu Thai MP telly party supporters that the government’s promise to retreat was merely a ploy to buy time.

 

In the clip from Tuesday night, MP Prasit Chaisrisa was seen telling a pro-Pheu Thai audience that the government's decision to back down was meant to convince the anti-amnesty demonstrators to go home, before the efforts to push the bill through are renewed. :shakehead

 

This came after the government vowed publicly yesterday saying it would not pursue the amnesty bill during the remainder of its term should the Senate veto it. :liar:

 

Phumtham Wechayachai, secretary-general of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, announced yesterday that if the Senate, which convenes on Monday, decides to kill the bill, then the other five draft laws related to amnesty would also be withdrawn. He added that the government would not submit any more rift-provoking bills.

 

Later, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was in Chantaburi at the time, said the government would act according to the Senate's decision. "Pheu Thai has clearly stated that it won't resubmit the bill after the 180-day 'silence' period ends. The government affirms that it will not act against public opinion, will honour the majority and listen to public opinion. This statement follows rumours that the government is planning to take violent action. I assure you, this government will never use force against the public, as we are a people's government, elected under the democratic system. We honour the laws, the Constitution and public freedom," the premier said.

 

Technically, the government can resubmit the bill 180 days later if the Senate rejects it.

 

In response to the Democrat Party's concern that the government might use executive decrees to fulfil its amnesty attempt, Yingluck said there were no plans to do such a thing. She also urged people to calm down, and called on the opposition - which is leading a rally on Rajdamneon Avenue - to fight in Parliament.

 

As of press time, the rallies at Rajdamneon Avenue and at Urupong intersection were continuing. Students from several universities plan to hold a massive rally today, which will be intensified with protests from some business organisations.

 

Meanwhile, chief opposition whip Jurin Laksanawisit said the Pheu Thai-led administration had merely made this move to ease pressure from the public, adding that a promise has to be kept for the public to believe it.

 

"Don't be fooled by mere statements about the bill's withdrawal without evidence. It is just meant to decrease the growing opposition to the amnesty bill for [the government's own] political gains. The government's credibility is declining and there is no guarantee that it will not break its promises," he added.

 

Democrat MP Rachada Dhnadirek said the government first needs to prove that Yingluck will keep her word. "Unless the blanket amnesty bill is dropped from Parliament, Democrat-led protests will continue," she added.

 

Yesterday, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra issued a statement, saying that he respected different opinions of Thais "but I cannot accept the use of false information to distort the issue and frame me and my family". His son, Panthongtae, wrote on his Facebook page that his father, longing to come home, supported the bill on poor advice from some close aides.

 

Earlier in the day, Jurin said the government should make it clear that it would not revive the amnesty debate. He urged Yingluck to reaffirm that the government would not introduce any draft on amnesty and that it would not grant political clemency by issuing an executive decree.

 

A source from the Democrat Party, who asked not to be named, said he believed the ruling Pheu Thai Party had a strategy. They want to convey to intellectuals and businessmen who are also protesting against the bill that the Democrats had an agenda to overthrow the government, the source said. He said the government estimated that many of the anti-bill protesters would stop rallying after Yingluck signalled to the Senate to reject the bill. However, the strategy failed because the PM's retreat seemed to be too late. He said the key issue, which the Democrats would communicate to demonstrators, is that the people could not trust the Senate and the government, until the six amnesty drafts in the House are out of Parliament.

 

Before the Pheu Thai announcement, a number of coalition and opposition MPs made a bipartisan stand, urging the Senate to revise the amnesty bill instead of killing it. The senators should vote to pass the first reading of the bill so that they could vet and remove contentious amnesty provisions, Democrat MP Alongkorn Ponlaboot said.

 

Pheu Thai MP Chavalit Wichayasuthi said he agreed with Alongkorn's proposal. Revising the bill instead of discarding it would mean the legislative procedures for amnesty would not be in vain, he said.

 

Pheu Thai MP Samart Kaewmechai said the bill should be salvaged by allowing the upper chamber to revise controversial provisions as deemed necessary.

 

"Defeating the bill would not end the differences over amnesty, hence revising the bill to suit society is a better option," he said.

 

He reminded the senators that should they defeat the bill, the House would still be obliged to reactivate the amnesty debate in six months as per the Constitution.

 

 

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