Bangkok Post : Doing Chiang Mai a disservice

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Doing Chiang Mai a disservice

Published: 23/11/2009 at 11:38 AM
Online news: Opinion

Whether it is real or just intimidation, the death threat made against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and broadcast over a community radio station in Chiang Mai only a week ahead of his planned visit to the northern capital this coming Sunday should be condemned in the harshest terms. It is totally intolerable, deplorable and out of bounds that such a threat was allowed to go to air.

The meeting on Sunday to be chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is jointly organised by the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries and is for the good of the northern capital and its people. But the infamous Rak Chiang Mai 51 group thinks otherwise and appears determined to disrupt the proceedings.

A complaint has been lodged with Crime Suppression Division police by Democrat MP for Bangkok Boonyod Sukthinthai against Phetcharawat Wattanapongsirikul, host of the Sapha Kafae (Coffee Council) radio programme and leader of the infamous Rak Chiang Mai 51. He is accused of inciting the people in Chiang Mai to protest violently against Mr Abhisit’s presence.

The authorities have threatened to shut down any community radio station which broadcasts hate messages and to take legal action against the station managers. But it is doubtful that such empty threats will discourage this pro-Thaksin community radio network from continuing their incitement of hatred against the government, especially the Democrats. Nor is it likely the perpetrators, members of Rak Chiang Mai 51 in particular, will ever be penalised by the law, which appears to be hapless in dealing with the group.

The Rak Chiang Mai 51 group has been accused of numerous violent acts in the last year or so. These are just a few of them:

In January - hundreds of red-shirted members of the group raided a Santi Asoke monastery in Chiang Mai under the false pretext that some illegal material might be hidden there. Nothing illegal was found, but the people in the monastery -- mostly women and children -- were left shocked by the illegal intrusion. In Lamphun, members of the group raided a hotel in their search for a leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, Chaiwat Sinsuwong, who was reported to be chairing a seminar in the town.

In February - members of Rak Chiang Mai 51 forcefully broke up a Gay Pride parade staged to raise public awareness about HIV/Aids.

And the most violent incident of all - the mob attack on a pro-PAD community radio station in Chiang Mai late last year during which an elderly man, said to be the father of the station owner, was beaten to death.

In every case, those responsible for ensuring law and order have failed to take legal action against those responsible, and the thugs go scot free.

Despite the threat to his life, the prime minister remained unfazed and as determined as ever to go ahead with his Chiang Mai visit.

Any attempt by the Chiang Mai 51 group and its red-shirted supporters to prevent the prime minister from chairing the meeting, or to break up the meeting, would be a great disservice to the province and its people and worthy of the strongerst condemnation. But more importantly, those responsible must be strongly dealt with under the strictest letter of the law.

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About the author

: Writer: Veera Prateepchaikul; Position: Former Editor

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Fox

Discussion 16 : 23/11/2009 at 11:49 PM16
I am sorry if my point of vue will appear negative but it's a conclusion of my 4 years stay in thailand that I left .
Thai politiciens drove the contry inside a dead end street with their selfishness and childish behaviour, who is going to win! carring not to lose a face they don't have since they got inside politics for self intesests .
I really don't see peace coming even after a government dissolution, because it's question of faces so no one will accept to lose his even if the coutry loses face and legs.
Democracy Rules

Discussion 15 : 23/11/2009 at 11:10 PM15
If Abhisit was popularly elected by the people rather than put in power through a back room deal then he could create a Secret Service that has the mandate to investigate such incidents. Then he could prosecute the violators for openly threatening a government selected by the people and governing with the mandate of the people. He did not get elected and their is a chance he could loose in the next election if it was held today, so using a heavy handed approach will only enrage the majority even more.

On another note, it is diplorable to threaten Abhisit's life simply over politics and Chang Mai does deserve better, but they also deserve a new election, because there are serious problems with how the current government came to power.
LoneVoice

Discussion 14 : 23/11/2009 at 10:29 PM14
For every day that goes by without any justice been taken against those responsible for the airport closure, no one, whether Veera or the government, has the right to make any comment, let alone pass strong comments and quick judgement, on another group.
Whatever

Discussion 13 : 23/11/2009 at 08:14 PM13
Mike Baringtor, Why should he get new material? Could you please answer his question? No I thought not. If a statement is right, who is in the wrong the people who keep asking it or the ones who continually ignore it?

The intellectuals illegally overthrew the elected government - Fact, unfortunately those same intellectuals along with their lap dogs control the media so the only point of view you get is a minority point.

Hold an election then we will see the PAD thugs on the streets trying to overthrow the new government because it certainly won't be their choice that will win.
Ron Green

Discussion 12 : 23/11/2009 at 08:06 PM12
Appalled,

Loudmouthed people like you need to zip your lips a bit. You like the media and the government have long been condemning and labelling people to marginalize them. Sooner or later, classifying them as "thugs" will easily turn them into "terrorists" which everybody will surely regret. No authority even world powers could effectively subdue today's terrorism.

The wisiest approach is peaceful inclusivity and harmony.
appalled

Discussion 11 : 23/11/2009 at 07:03 PM11
This whole affair reminds us again that the ringleaders of the supporters of Thaksin are nothing less than a bunch of thugs.
Ron Green

Discussion 10 : 23/11/2009 at 06:25 PM10
Why nobody is writing or commenting much about the Muslim thugs in the south of Thailand? Selective memory? Or merely too afraid to open your mouths? When one is meek people tend to step on you. When Chiangmai becomes like the south, then peaceful Thailand will be gone.

Just imagine: North, Northeast, and South against the rest of the Thailand? Even Bangkok is divided.

Unless the remaining wise men of Thailand start doing something for real peace, everything will be gone with the wind.
Mike Barringtor

Discussion 9 : 23/11/2009 at 06:19 PM9
@Ian Bromley: I've seen the same Ian, good call, I agree with you 100%. It really is time this government gets tough with these violent thugs.

@BangkokRay: Same old same old broken record stuff. Get some new material.
Thaifrelst

Discussion 8 : 23/11/2009 at 05:36 PM8
I am a litle confused because I have read that a bomb "could" kill the PM, but in this post by Veera Pratepchakul he writes that a bomb "would" kill the PM. For me it is a huge difference between those 2 words.

And if this The Rak Chiang Mai 51 group is a big threat to Thailand, - why not let the PM go up there,- so incase this group act like they are supposed to do, then just arrest them and take them out of business. This is a good chance to get rid of them. Why hesitate?
Generation Mai

Discussion 7 : 23/11/2009 at 04:02 PM7
At the end it always comes down to the same thing in Thailand - non or selective law enforcement.

This goes for the yellow, red or whatever shirts they might be wearing.The Yellows go off scot free - so the Reds think they can do whatever they want - and vice versa.

When will a Thai government ever do something about it ???
A country with an executive branch which is unable or unwilling to enforce existing laws has failed!

The only chance for Thailand might be a kind of Thai "FBI" made up of entirely new recruits without any connections to the old police force with sweeping powers to overrule / replace / dismiss local police who are unwilling to enforce the law.

There are murderers and others who threaten to murder and the Chiang Mai police is standing there doing nothing - in some cases as the gay pride event - even supporting the thugs!

Create an authority that holds the police accountable - and enforces the laws of the land regardless of who is involved - then there might just be a slight chance for Thailand to leave the ranks of the Banana republics. But then again this is a country where certain people stage an illegal coup and later run for political office instead of going to jail. Not much hope for Thailand !