US game of blacklisting

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Published: 27/01/2012 at 02:04 AM
Newspaper section: News

I admire PM Yingluck for standing firm on her appointment of Nalinee Taveesin as a minister of the PM's Office, despite tremendous pressure from opponents stemming from Ms Nalinee's being blacklisted by the United States. Had she pulled Ms Nalinee off the cabinet, PM Yingluck would have forever lost my vote.

It is worth noting that during South Africa's apartheid regime, Nelson Mandela was on the US blacklist as ''a terrorist''. It was only four years ago that Congress removed his name from the list. So, are we supposed to take the US labelling game seriously?

MEECHAI BURAPA

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bluebkk
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Discussion 14 : 28/01/2012 at 05:57 PM14
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A lot of red thug rhetoric on this forum today,,, from the usual suspects I would say.... Nalinee in her position is simply a disaster for Thailand's effectiveness in business with the US.... Calling that a good decision is like living on another planet in another century!!
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johninbkk
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Discussion 13 : 28/01/2012 at 12:26 AM13
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MEECHAI, with all due respect, but NM *was* a murdering terrorist. He orchestrated bombings that killed dozens of innocent women and children. But you do make a point - that was ~30 years ago. People change.
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lungstib
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Discussion 12 : 27/01/2012 at 04:25 PM12
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Adding to Nighthawks list of the lovely people America called its friends, and much closer to home, there was Suharto and Marcos. Maybe being on an American blacklist is better than being on their friendship list!
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bkkfig
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Discussion 11 : 27/01/2012 at 02:31 PM11
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I have to agree with many of the comments regarding the US blacklist. It's not a case of us comparing Mugabe and Mandela, but the US themselves. They make their distinction, but it is not for other countries to agree or follow. The points about US whitelists/blacklists are valid for the times we live in. America will support or oppose who they want when it is best for their national interest; and there is nothing wrong with that as long as we all understand it. From the 1980s the US supported, funded and gave intelligence to the Islamic Fundamentalists in Afghanistan to fight the USSR, but twenty years later the tables were turned as American needed a new enemy after the collapse of the USSR. So should we follow the US blacklists - no. We are Thai, we are allies of America but we are not under their control (or are we?).
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Renaissance
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Discussion 10 : 27/01/2012 at 01:15 PM10
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Discussion 7: I have seen her interviewed on TV. She has admitted doing business with the Mugabes, but she had very obviously been studying videos of Yingluck when the latter says things, such as, "My brother had nothing to do with the choice of Cabinet members." If you take my meaning.
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dao
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Discussion 9 : 27/01/2012 at 12:26 PM9
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The rains have started and the government has done nothing but come up with ways to increase the deficit .There is no flood plan except lower the dam levels which still hast been done yet just talked about .It seems to me like they want it to flood again or are just to useless to prevent it .
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bangmodken
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Discussion 8 : 27/01/2012 at 12:10 PM8
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D1,Khun PQuinlan : I agree with Dom,for a change. If Bangkokians or other non-southerners visit the South,they should show some respect by greeting the locals like the locals do.
As for the violence,a considerable part of it is not insurgency related so blaming them for supporting seperatists by remaining silent is a bit unfair to say the least.
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flashflood
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Discussion 7 : 27/01/2012 at 11:04 AM7
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For once I have to agree with Khun Meechai re: the US blacklist. All we have seen so far are accusations against Nalinee without a scrap of evidence to back them up and yet EVERYONE is treating them as gospel.

Noone has asked Nalinee her side of the story -all we have is the US' word on this and they have a lousy track record when it comes to getting their facts straight and telling the truth.

Since when does the USA have veto power on the Thai PMs choice of personnel and why hasn't anyone in this debate yet demanded some proof from the US and demanded reciprocal blacklisting of all US citizens who have done business with dictators (Saudi, Chinese, Saddam, etc etc).
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mr.meldrew
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Discussion 6 : 27/01/2012 at 10:58 AM6
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Even if Nalinee wasn't on the US blacklist it's a questions of morals and ethics that someone who admits to socializing with a globally recognized monster who tortures, starves and murderers his own civilians whilst financially raping his country should be worthy of a government post and tasked with enhancing Thailand's image in the International Political arena.
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johnwalton
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Discussion 5 : 27/01/2012 at 10:16 AM5
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Khun Meechai, You can't compare Nelson Mandela and Mr Mugabe... there has to be some ethical code expected of the people running a country
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