The Election Commission (EC) yesterday ruled out Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's timeframe for his proposed July referendum on rewriting the constitution, saying there is currently no law to govern referendum procedures.
BURMA
Burma should open up for free movement of international relief aid and workers to help victims of Cyclone Nargis, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday.
PROSTITUTION RING
A former British police officer has been arrested in Bangkok as part of an international crackdown on a sex trafficking ring in London last month that resulted in nine Thais being arrested.
TRANSPORT
Unhappy with this week's three-satang a kilometre rise in fares, about 200 operators of private interprovincial buses yesterday pressed the Transport Ministry to double the increase. They said the three satang approved by the Land Transport Central Committee on Tuesday was not enough. It covered only half of their increased costs for diesel, whose price rose this week by yet another 70 satang.
TRANSPORT
AYUTTHAYA : The higher fuel prices have seen people trying to sell off their petrol-guzzling vehicles, including new ones, to used car dealers in Ayutthaya province. Staff at Jeh Daeng Auto used car yard on Rojana road said many motorists came to sell their new cars there every day, so they did not have to leave the car yard to buy used cars as before.
GLOBAL PEACE INDEX
Thailand slipped to 118th from last year's 105th in the second annual Global Peace Index survey released on Tuesday, which ranked Iceland as the world's most peaceful nation. This year's index covered 140 countries in comparison to 121 nations when it debuted a year ago.
POLITICS
The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) yesterday rejected the Election Commission's attempt to seek a Supreme Court order to disband two main coalition government parties, Chart Thai and Matchimathipataya, citing inconsistent judgement within the EC. A source at the OAG said a committee led by deputy attorney-general Chulasing Wasantasing found many loopholes in the EC's complaint against the two political parties.
POLITICS
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday refused to bow to mounting pressure to remove PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair from office as he decided only to appoint a new member of the cabinet. Mr Samak came out to protect Mr Jakrapob, saying he could not act on the Democrat party's demand for him to remove the minister over a controversial speech allegedly offending the monarchy.
A black magic ritual is now believed to be behind the vandalism of an ancient statue at the historic Phanom Rung stone temple ruins in Buri Ram province. Krissana Suktungkha, superintendent of Chalerm Phrakiat district police, said investigators were concentrating on what appear to be ritualistic offerings left at the site.
YOUNG SCIENTIST PROJECT
Young Thai researchers with the right ideas have the opportunity of a seat on a flight to observe experiments in zero gravity later this year. The Science and Technology Ministry is looking for secondary or undergraduate students to participate in a joint project in Japan.
FAR SOUTH
The situation in the restive South is clearly improving, mainly due to cooperation between residents and state authorities in tackling the problems in the region, said security officials. Deputy national police chief Adul Sangsingkaew said that from last October until now, the number of attacks in the three restive provinces _ Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat _ had declined by 500 incidents compared to the same period of the previous year.
COMMENTARY
It serves him right! That seemed to be the shared sentiment among the press when Jakrapob Penkair's bloated ego finally blew up in his face.
ANCHORMAN
The reader's discretion is advised. The following article is not meant to incite but rather to provoke thought on the dilemmas faced by the country's current political situation. I am not actually encouraging that we have a coup d'etat!
RELIEF FOR BURMA
After more than a fortnight of apathy by Burma's ruling military junta and dithering by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), limited headway in the relief and recovery of the victims and areas affected by the devastating Cyclone Nargis appears in the offing. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Asean equivalent, Surin Pitsuwan, have swung into action. An Asean-UN conference to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis later this week has raised the stakes for all parties concerned.
Dalia Mogahed and John Esposito recently asked one of the most pertinent questions of our time: Who speaks for a billion Muslims? I won't tell you the answer because I recommend that you read their book.
In Media
The fate of the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC), set up by the 2006 coup-makers to investigate alleged corruption in the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra government, now depends on the Constitution Court.
POSTBAG
I read your ''breaking news'' piece about the UN secretary-general's visit to Thailand/Burma and the Thai foreign minister's comment: ''We would like to reach a win-win agreement.'' ''We will try to be more flexible.'' FM Noppadon Pattama is very accommodating, isn't he? Asean must have the flexibility of a contortionist in order to bend to the will of the junta.
EDITORIAL
Disregarding all advice not to rush in their attempt to amend the current Constitution, the People Power party and its supporters in the Senate yesterday submitted a draft constitutional amendment in Parliament, which is expected to debate the issue in a special session next month.
HUMAN SMUGGLING
The Social Development and Human Security Ministry will ask the cabinet to declare June 5 National Anti-Human Trafficking Day.
CHIANG MAI
More than 200 rice farmers yesterday picketed outside Chiang Mai provincial hall in protest at the slow response from the government in buying sticky rice at reasonable prices.
STUDENT LOAN FUND
The income ceiling of poor families wishing to apply for education loans for their children will be increased to allow more university students to access this financial assistance provided by the state.
ABOUT POLITICS
The People Power party has reason to feel uneasy with the line-up of the new Constitution Court bench, which will elect its president today.
