You'll Need A Shovel

[Flashermac]

by Voranai Vanijaka

 

 

 

Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong was appointed national police chief. He's Thaksin Shinawatra's former brother-in-law. Police thought to have close ties with the previous Democrat regime are being moved out of key positions on the national force and those deemed friendly to the Pheu Thai are moving in.

 

Pol Col Suchart Wonganantachai became the new director-general of the Corrections Department. He will be the man to greet Thaksin if and when he lands at Suvarnabhumi. Pol Col Suchart is seen as a loyal Thaksinista.

 

The cabinet tried to sneak through a bill to amend the Printing Act, which would have given Pol Gen Priewpan the power to censor, ban and close down media outlets. The council of state advised against it, there was some public outrage, it was shelved. But Culture Minister Sukumol Khunploem said the government may consider it again after the floods have receded.

 

The cabinet was also secretly working on a proposed royal pardon decree for Thaksin. But somebody leaked the secret, which led to a public outcry, so it was shelved, for now.

 

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra wasn't even there when it was being drafted. Thaksin said he didn't know anything about it and didn't even want it if it would cause further conflict.

 

The entire Kingdom should thank him for such sacrifices.

 

But Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the government is still working to do whatever it can to bring Thaksin back. Does this mean the former prime minister's cousin wants to cause more conflict?

 

The foreign minister also said on Friday that he would issue Thaksin a passport ''very soon.''

 

The prime minister said she would leave the matter in the hands of the Foreign Ministry. Ms Yingluck is never involved in matters pertaining to her brother, a sound strategy to protect her from facing difficult questions.

 

Let it be the job of Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, he's an expert in answering difficult questions, even though the answers may rarely make sense. Ms Yingluck isn't a seasoned politician, her skin is too thin.

 

Mr Surapong, on the other hand, has been showing family loyalty since day one. His job description is clear.

 

Many have asked why this government is teasing us with these proposals.

 

The answer may be that this is a strategy, which in Thai is called ''yone gon hin tham thang'' or ''throw the rock to ask for direction''. This is to assess the response of the public in general and key individuals in particular to learn how best to proceed.

 

On flood-related issues, accusations are thrown back and forth as to which government mismanaged the dams, the Democrats or Pheu Thai.

 

Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut admitted ordering to delay releasing water from major dams so farmers could harvest their crops first.

 

But that's neither here nor there since when something could have been done Team Yingluck was in Cambodia playing football.

 

It's a matter of priorities.

 

Virabongsa Ramangkura was appointed chairman of the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development. It was one of many committees set up because we are good at setting up committees.

 

He came back from a meeting in London with executives of the world's 13 top insurance firms, saying they all have confidence in Thailand. But around then just about every newspaper in the Kingdom reported that the insurance firms have been refusing to sanction further underwriting in Thailand.

 

Video clips on YouTube abound showing evidence of the ineptitude, the incompetence and, dare I say it, the corruption in the management of the floods. But they will just provide good laughs - no one will be held accountable because those responsible for holding people to account are themselves unaccountable.

 

The Bangkok Post is working on a list of the heroes and zeros in this flood crisis. Guess onto which list Ms Yingluck and the Froc and Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra and the BMA are going?

 

But that is also neither here nor there as Pheu Thai supporters will hail the PM as the saviour of Bangkok and Thailand, while Democrat supporters will likewise praise the governor.

 

Love is blind, deaf and, dare I say it, dumb. But isn't it grand to be in love?

 

Transport permanent secretary Supoj Saplom is in the hot seat over reports of tens of millions of baht stashed in his house. He's a Bhumjaithai man, Thaksin's bitter enemy.

 

Mr Chalerm told parliament that the cash stolen from Mr Supoj's house came from electric railway projects.

 

Transport Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat said there were no irregularities in those projects - don't investigate them, just investigate Mr Supoj.

 

This is vintage Thai politics - just get that one guy, but don't touch the ATM machine and spoil it for everyone.

 

''Uncle SMS'' was found guilty on four counts related to lese majeste. He was sentenced to five years in prison on each count for a total of 20 years.

 

The crux of the matter was he was assumed guilty and had to prove that he was innocent. In the eyes of the court, he wasn't convincing enough.

 

Guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent - how could this be, many people have asked me.

 

My reply: This is a developing country with all the inherent baggage plus a bag of potato chips, don't expect a Hollywood ending.

 

The Democrats and Sondhi Limthongkul of the PAD both accused the Yingluck government of neglecting its duty to protect the institution.

 

But ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap said the ministry told Facebook to block nearly 100,000 accounts of users who posted lese majeste content.

 

The minister also warned that users who ''share'' or ''like'' Facebook posts with lese majeste content are liable under the Computer Crime Act.

 

So there! How do you like them apples? You elitist ammart!

 

Mallika Boonmeetrakul, the Democrat's deputy spokeswoman, doesn't like them apples. She challenged Mr Anudith, saying that if he doesn't become more effective in his job, he should just block Facebook and YouTube completely.

 

So there! How do you like them apples? You elitist prai!

 

Meanwhile, the Bangkok Post doesn't allow comments on lese majeste on its website - and last Sunday this writer missed his weekly dosage of love and hate. You guys complete me.

 

In the heated, no-holds-barred race to demonstrate who can show more loyalty to the institution - the Pheu Thai or the Democrats - human rights, freedom and democracy lose.

 

The Department of Special Investigation has ordered a review of evidence to decide if it will pursue lese majeste charges against 19 red shirt leaders.

 

This is one department that knows which way the wind blows.

 

And while the elites are playing at their game of thrones, the court sentenced six red shirts to six months in prison for violating the emergency decree.

 

But they have been in prison for one and a half years already, so the sentence was suspended. That's one year of free jail time. Isn't life cruel?

 

In fact, the state should compensate them for the ''overtime''. But one red shirt was sentenced to three years for stealing phones from CentralWorld.

 

Other red shirts are saying, ''Hey, what about those yellow shirts who violated the emergency decree? They did it way before us!''

 

Investigators from the Metropolitan Police Bureau have sent a letter inviting former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban to talk to them about last year's red shirt crackdown.

 

That's another way of Thaksin saying, ''You'd better stop picking on my little sister, or else!''

 

Incidentally, in front of parliament house there are still UDD posters and banners hanging about. My favourite said, ''To pick on Yingluck is to torment the people.'' Now that's Thai melodrama at its finest.

 

So there we have it. Ladies and gentlemen, what is there to say other than it's the same old cow manure everyday.

 

At times the sheer ridiculous incompetence on display is laughably wacky. At times the sinister political game is downright scary.

 

Things are quite nonsensical right now, but have things ever been sensible? There is one thing though that I know for certain. Recently I was asked to comment on the qualifications of PM Yingluck.

 

My answer: List all the Thai prime ministers, what do ''qualifications'' have to do with anything?

 

With Prime Minister Yingluck, at least she's good to look at. So there!

 

BP

[Bangkoktraveler]

hmmm.... playing football in Cambodia when something could have been done about the flooding.