Bangkok Post : Democrats warn rivals over audio clip

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Democrats warn rivals over audio clip

Parties could face ban if caught spreading it

Published: 29/08/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

If any of the political parties are found spreading a controversial audio clip, they could face dissolution for violating the political parties law, the Democrat Party warned yesterday.

Democrat Party spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks (right) shows an Internet printout containing information on the audio clip. THITI WANNAMONTHA

The Democrats suspect the opposition Puea Thai Party and a company linked to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of being behind the proliferation of the clip.

The suspicious audio clip posted on the internet has Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva supposedly instructing members of the security forces to use force against demonstrators led by the United Front for Dictatorship during the Songkran riots in April.

The prime minister has claimed that the clip has been doctored to provoke unrest.

Army chief Anupong Paojinda confirmed yesterday that the prime minister had never issued such instructions.

Gen Anupong said he and the other military commanders were by Mr Abhisit's side during the riots.

"It does not make sense for the leader of the country and leaders of the armed forces to harm ordinary people," Gen Anupong said.

He also denied suggestions that the clip was the work of military leaders who attended the meeting.

Government-run Thai News Agency reported that the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology asked for a court order to block all websites found to be featuring the audio clip.

ICT Minister Ranongrak Suwanchawee said that police technical experts had confirmed the clip was "certainly edited".

"The edited clip of the prime minister’s voice is considered a threat to national security and hurting the country as well as inciting people (to cause disturbances)," the ICT minister claimed in justifying her censorship request, the TNA report said.

Democrat deputy spokesman Atthawit Suwannapakdi said it was found that the clip was issued from a public relations division of a political party.

Spreading the clip could be a violation of Article 94 of the political parties law regarding acts of threats to national security.

If a political party is at fault under the law, it risks being dissolved.

Mr Atthawit said the party may ask the Constitution Court to consider dissolving any political party involved in the posting of the clip as it could lead to violence and put national security at risk. During a House meeting on the budget bill on Thursday, MPs from the opposition Puea Thai Party asked to play the clip but the House Speaker rejected their request.

Democrat Party spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks said it was obvious Puea Thai MPs wanted to provoke hatred against the government in the run-up to the UDD's planned rally at Sanam Luang tomorrow.

Dr Buranaj said the party had found that the clip was emailed on Wednesday (Aug 26) from a company linked to Thaksin to a public relations division of a political party and it was then forwarded to reporters and other people.

The Democrats yesterday showed a printout of an Internet site showing information on the audio clip. The document showed that the clip was sent by email user "vimollas" at scasset.com.

Thepthai Senpong, Mr Abhisit's spokesman, said the source of the clip was the SC Asset Corporation, run by Yingluck Shinawatra, the youngest sister of Thaksin. "The message on the printout which says 'your mail has been scanned by SC Asset InterScan' indicates the mail was issued from the company."

Puea Thai list MP Jatuporn Prompan said SC Asset and the party will lodge a defamation suit against the Democrat Party for accusing the party of being the mastermind of the clip.

Crime Suppression Division deputy chief Supisarn Pakdinaruenart said checks had confirmed the clip had been doctored. Posting the clip on the internet is a violation of the Computer Act. The penalty is up to five years in jail and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.

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No plan "B"

Discussion 22 : 29/08/2009 at 05:49 PM22
Re: "Do you think the crook is so stupid to email from their own office or home?"

If the author thought that the audio clip will drag the Abhisit government down for sure, then keeping hidden the provenance of the email was not an important preoccupation.
He thought about the "plan A" only, but nothing about the "plan B".
Drey

Discussion 21 : 29/08/2009 at 04:20 PM21
What else can the Democrats say than it was initiated, propagated and instigated by Thaksin.

Whatever you believe at least don't swallow hook line and sinker everything being fed to you by both sides.

Worry more about all this continued censorship of peoples freedoms and rights as citizens. That is where the real damage and loss will come from not whichever side ends up on top.

A government that can manipulate every law to its agenda in order to silence its critics is a government of weak scared and unstable individuals grasping every means possible to retain power.
Don’t needs expert

Discussion 20 : 29/08/2009 at 04:02 PM20
It’s very easy to deduce that this is a voice montage, as nobody had listened (face to face) P.M. Abhisit given order to use violence against the red shirts. Another point to confirm that is the crackdown on the red shirts had effectively been done as the most smoothly as possible.
About the sentence: "Do you think the crook is so stupid to email from their own office or home?
It’s not about stupidity! It’s about that the author of the audio clip had not possibly become aware of how the doctored clip canned be perceived by the government, and how the red shirts would use it......
The clip on You Tube "Maew Rap (Thaksin Rap) – Original" has internationally humiliated Thaksin. The author of this very funny video clip had certainly built it at his home. Thaksin has certainly something against the author of Maew Rap.....????
Balu

Discussion 19 : 29/08/2009 at 02:52 PM19
This gusted, Discussion #17

Please explain your own sentence:

"But I do not believe either in the innocence of these paranoid accusers, and I hate baseless conclusions, resulting in unfounded accusations and allegations."

So, you hate baseless conclusions? But you call them paranoid accusers?

Why don't you hate your own unfounded accusations?
obs

Discussion 18 : 29/08/2009 at 02:04 PM18
Someone wrote: "Do you think the crook is so stupid to email from their own office or home?"

If you talk about Thaksin, YES, he is that stupid and arrogant. Just like his followers and propaganda spreaders in this forum. You are talking about a psycho megalomaniac that went LIVE and told the red-shirts to stop lining up for his 500 Baht and go on to fight a revolution during Songkran while in the same time make sure his family is flown safely out of Bangkok.

Still have no idea how people cant see the truth on who is the real instigator of violence in this country. I think they get all their political input from their go-go short term friend.

Give it up, all your ranting and propaganda wont change a thing, Thaksin will be nothing soon and your life will have no meaning anymore as I assume that whining and worshiping your sick leader are the only activities you have in your sorry life. Go get one!
This gusted

Discussion 17 : 29/08/2009 at 01:30 PM17
Let's remember this:

The authenticity of the tape - or the manipulation of the recording - is yet to be established. There is NO indication that any steps are taken towards independent inspection and verification. A police investigation is - as we all know - not independent.

The fact that the so-called 'Democrats' (someone suggested that they could change their name in National Social-Democratic Party) allege that the clip is not authentic is nothing more than an allegation.

In my layman's opinion, distribution must be considered legal, unless and until a COURT OF JUSTICE (and not a so-called aggrieved party) declares it illegal - e.g. based on a threat to national security, its lack of authenticity or tea....

However, the fact that this D-party does everything beyond its power to avoid further distribution of the clip is an indication of their fear, which may very well be fed by their consciousness - if they have any - in other words: by their guilt.

Mind you: I do not support the family of the alleged Ms T. Not at all. But I do not believe either in the innocence of these paranoid accusers, and I hate baseless conclusions, resulting in unfounded accusations and allegations.

Finally, would Ms T. or her friends be so utterly stupid to distribute the clip from her company, whereas she and her friends certainly know that internet traffic is extremely easily tracked and, besides, it is just as easy to send it from an internet cafe. No question mark.

Should it be proven that the clip is indeed not authentic AND that it was sent from Ms T.'s company, the suspicion must be raised that this is a set-up, because - as explained - they cannot be expected to be that stupid.

For now, the suspicion lies on the accusers, because of their accusations, while being unable or unwilling to provide any credible proof.
Peter

Discussion 16 : 29/08/2009 at 12:44 PM16
Dirty tricks are a regrettable blemish of the political process in a democracy. They can only be adequately controlled when a country has a sound framework of law implemented by an impartial judiciary . Unfortunately neither of these requirements are yet in place in Thailand. Ludicrous threats, like those just made by the official Democrat party spokesman, are the result.

The Democrat party leadership are not unaware of these defects and have charter reform proposals before them designed to correct some of the worst examples, notably the party dissolution law. Much to their shame, they have however so far failed to demonstrate the political will to enact these proposals. On the contrary they have now allowed their spokesman to give the impression they are trying to use this deeply flawed party dissolution law to their own political advantage.

If they continue to prove incapable of setting a better example, the end result will likely be a deserved defeat at the polls.
Khun Someone

Discussion 15 : 29/08/2009 at 12:27 PM15
So far the only sources claiming its a false tape is government sources. The people in power. The people that have every reason to say "we're innocent!".

I'll believe its a fake when a 3rd party verifies its false or true. Problem is, there is no such 3rd party.

So far everything reported about this is P A N I C smokescreens and as much likely planting false evidence as someone trying to discredit Abhisit. With the backdrop of a government panicing over another rally its more then likely the later.
Jacco

Discussion 14 : 29/08/2009 at 11:17 AM14
How simplistic are these old men? A code like: THITI WANNAMONTHA could have be printed by the democrats themselves. I was already wondering why the house speaker said that he would think about new elections. Did Anupong go to his friends over the border in Burma? Did he asked them how to rule out the most popular party in a country from future elections?
The courts in Thailand are notoriously unreliable and unjust. This is a great plot, you discredit the opposition which will be certainly get 60% of the overall vote and than you use your bought courts to get rid or a party. It is about time that Thailand will be judged the same way as other crooked governments in the region.
Tan

Discussion 13 : 29/08/2009 at 11:00 AM13
Thaksin's had launches the biggest communication systems in Thailand doing this? Meaning he must be super stupid and don't know anything about technology and its cabability to do this....other word, he is from stone age. Its hard to imagine with the knowledge of creating multi billions dollars wealth cannot understand the consequences..stranges!? Its more then likely....this clip is using as papaganda against protestors, Thaksin, or ...........!? Or seem simply just to derails people minds when other thing is going on inside the country...

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