#Thailand - Yingluck’s location ‘known’

Prayut promises details revealed after verdict reading, but doubts extradition

PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said he knew the whereabouts of fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra although there was a slim chance she could be extradited.

It was the first admission from the military regime that it had located the runaway ex-premier.

While Thailand holds extradition agreements with several countries, Prayut said Thailand “cannot even bring a certain someone overseas back here”. 

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He refused to reveal where Yingluck was, saying that more details would be revealed after her verdict is read today, including whether her Thai passport would be revoked as a result of the ruling.

“I have my own spies. I have information but I can’t say it out loud,” Prayut said. 

“Still, I need it to be verified.”

A few days after Yingluck disappeared, Prayut said Thailand had directly contacted Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates to find Yingluck. 

 

Thai police also asked Interpol to cooperate with 129 countries in its network.

Prayut said there was still no update from countries contacted through Interpol.

He said that Yingluck had not, and was unlikely to, obtain political asylum status in any country.

Yingluck was accused of dereliction in preventing corruption and irregularities in her government’s controversial rice-pledging scheme, which was blamed for causing massive losses to the state worth Bt500 billion. 

She apparently pulled off a dramatic escape a day or two before the Supreme Court was to deliver its verdict in the case on August 25. 

The reading of the verdict at the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders was subsequently rescheduled for today. If found guilty, Yingluck could face up to 10 years in jail and a lifetime ban from politics.

However, questions have been raised about whether the court will actually read the verdict and what other consequences there could be. 

Three scenarios

If the court issues a ruling there are three possible scenarios. First, she could be found guilty with a sentence of one to 10 years in jail, a Bt2,000 to Bt20,000 fine, or both. Second, a guilty verdict could be rendered with a suspended jail term. Third, she could be found not guilty.

There had been debate whether Yingluck would be allowed to appeal a negative ruling. 

While the new 2017 Constitution allows the appeal, the new law on criminal procedures against political office holders, which would lay out conditions for an appeal, has not been promulgated. 

Yingluck is not expected to show up at court today. If she is sentenced to a jail term, another arrest warrant will be issued for her. 

Prayut called for the public to remain calm after today’s ruling at the court. “It should proceed like every other case. No one should be alarmed,” he said. 

He also asked the public not to judge quickly the three police officers who were suspected for facilitating her escape. 

The officers might be found guilty of merely faking car licence plates, as Yingluck’s arrest warrant was not issued at the time of her apparent escape.

The National Security Council, meanwhile, said that fewer supporters of the former prime minister were expected at the court today, because they had been disappointed at Yingluck’s failure to appear at the court on August 25.

Council secretary-general General Thawip Netniyom said security forces should remain vigilant and were assessing how the court’s verdict would affect the country.

“[We] have to think of all the aspects of the verdict and try to come up with scenarios of what would happen consequently,” he said. 

“However, we believe it will not spill over into violence as everyone will respect the court’s ruling.”

In a related development, Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Pol Maj-General Panurat Lakboon said yesterday the deputy commander of Metropolitan Police Bureau 5, Pol Colonel Chairit Anusit, could be summoned for interrogation over his alleged involvement in Yingluck’s flight.

However, the fact-finding committee must first consider the evidence, he said.

Panurat also said that he was now heading the committee.

The two other police officers suspected of involvement in the former premier’s flight would be interrogated further as witnesses in the case, Panurat said. 

Source - TheNation

 

#Cambodia / #Thailand - Silence on suspended dam deal as Prayut and Hun Sen agree to stronger bilateral ties.

ONLY DAYS after Thailand halted the Bt40-billion Stung Nam hydropower project, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen yesterday agreed to enhance economic ties and connectivity.

Prayut led a Thai delegation at the 3rd Thailand-Cambodia Joint Cabinet Retreat in Phnom Penh yesterday to discuss cooperation in various fields including trade, investment, border security, migrant workers and culture.

Thailand is willing to provide more assistance to Cambodia to improve its farm products and speed up the opening of more border checkpoints to facilitate trade and travel, Prayut said in a joint press conference after the meeting.

 On connectivity, both sides agreed to fulfil an agreement on the rail link from Thailand’s border province of Sa Kaew to Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh, he said. It would be a historic railway project to connect Thailand and other neighboring countries in the Mekong basin, he said.

Hun Sen said both countries would boost bilateral trade and Thailand had agreed to buy more farm products from Cambodia as well as open four additional border checkpoints in the near future.

Both countries have set targets to improve bilateral trade to reach US$15 billion (Bt496 billion) by 2020, according to Thai Deputy Government Spokesperson Werachon Sukhondhapatipak. To reach the target, the two countries have to facilitate border crossings and trade as well as contract farming, he said.

The two premiers also witnessed the signing of two documents – the Joint Declaration for the 3rd Thailand-Cambodia Joint Cabinet Retreat, to reaffirm both countries’ commitment to promote “Enhanced Partnership for Peace and Prosperity” and the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who was also part of the delegation, said relations and cooperation between the two countries on security matters was excellent at all levels. 

The defence ministries, armed forces and other joint mechanisms had good relations and worked well, he said, and they would establish a communication hotline at all levels to coordinate security matters, he said.

Among the issues for border security was illegal logging, notably of rosewood, according to spokesman Werachon, who added that the number of timber smuggling cases, as well as clashes between smugglers and Thai security forces, reduced significantly over the past year.

However, the controversial Stung Nam hydro power project, which was suspended by Prayut shortly before his departure to Phnom Penh, was not discussed, Werachon said. 

The plan to purchase electricity from the 24-megawatt dam in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province and get free fresh water for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) was put on hold because the electricity price was too expensive and the investment cost for a pipeline to transport water from the border to the EEC was too high. 

Cambodian investor Ly Yong Phat of LYP Group told local newspaper Khmer Times that the delay in the deal was due to time constraints by both sides that could not process the documents on time.

Source - TheNation

#Thailand - Angry Prayut says media should ‘get over’ Thaksin.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s temper flared on Wednesday when he was asked about a recent poll by King Prajadhipok’s Institute that showed fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra had a higher credibility rating while in office than Prayut has now.

“I am so over him. But you [the media], you’re not. And you keep reporting [news] about him,” Prayut responded after first pretending not to hear the question and asking the reporter to repeat herself.

Asked whether he was also “over” his former boss – former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who recently fled the country – the general said he was “over” everyone from conflicting parties. But it did not mean he disrespected them, he said.

“By getting over them, I mean I don’t think of them. I don’t give importance to this kind of stuff, because I’m not like they say I am,” he said.

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He said he “got over” these people since his very first days in office, and now he just wanted justice to prevail.

Clearly upset, Prayut continued: “I’d really like you to do the same and start asking better questions. Ask about my trip to join the BRICS meeting. Ask me if I’m tired or how much Thailand is welcome there. But you never care.”

Prayut said that matters involving the Shinawatra siblings were being handled in the judicial process.

He said the best thing was to forget them and leave them to the justice system. If not, the country would not go anywhere.

“Do you get that there are wrongdoings there? Please report so,” he said. “For my part, I can only tell the international community about the wrongdoings. Whether or not they are guilty depends on the justice system. But because of their flight, they cannot proceed with the cases. That’s it.”

Prayut said the government did not want to “go after” anyone, but the wrongdoings had occurred before he took power.

The prime minister went on to say that the issue had been neglected in the past and this had resulted in people coming out into the streets to fight one another.

He asked whether the media was trying to provoke the people again. Clearly irritated, Prayut said that finally the blame would be put on him.

“Don’t think that I do not follow your [the media] work. I always do. But I only read what matters and I skip the nonsense,” Prayut said.

Before leavingm he added: “I want to know why you never asked whether I’m tired, whether I will be back, where I have been. But don’t ask me now. It’s too late. I’m back here and the first thing I get is these questions. It’s you that never get over them.”

King Prajadhipok's Institute’s most recent survey revealed on Tuesday that fugitive former prime minister Thaksin was perceived as the most popular and credible prime minister in the past 15 years, slightly surpassing current PM Prayut.

Thaksin’s popularity rating was highest at 87.8 per cent in 2003, while Prayut’s was 87.5 in 2015, a year after he seized power. Thaksin’s government also scored above Prayut’s, with 92.9 in 2003 compared to 78.8 in 2015.

Although the general’s peak rating was lower than Thaksin’s, Prayut was more popular during the downturn. Prayut scored 84.8 per cent in 2017, while Thaksin’s dropped to 77.2 in 2006.

Meanwhile, former premiers Abhisit and Yingluck rated between 50 and 60 per cent. Abhisit received 61.6 and 51.2 per cent in 2010 and 2011 respectively, while Yingluck’s rating was at 69.9 per cent in 2012, down to 63.4 during 2013 and 2014.

When it came to the credibility of individuals or groups of individuals, the people surveyed laid their trust best in state medical staff, who socred more than 85 per cent, followed by private medical staff on 85.6, the military (85.1), the PM (84.8), civil officials (82.3), and the National Council for Peace and Order, 82.1.

Political parties, on the contrary, ranked among the lowest receiving less than 40 per cent.

Source - TheNation

PS - He looks jealous ? 

Facebook awaits court orders

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Prime minister says ‘no authority’ to suspend social media operations after deadline lapses

THE MINISTRY of Digital Economy and Society staff has said it expects social media giant Facebook to block access to all 131 web addresses deemed illegal by authorities by the end of the month.

Facebook, meanwhile, was waiting for official court orders regarding the content in question.

Somsak Kaosuwan, deputy permanent secretary of the ministry, said yesterday that his agency expected that the URLs with content deemed illegal would be blocked this month. 

He said the ministry had sent 24 official court orders in English to Facebook – each one focusing on a single web address – in order to support its request for the company to block the URLs, adding that blockage could be done within a single day. 

The remaining 107 official court orders will be sent as soon as they are available, he said.

 The ministry was waiting for official court orders from the Criminal Court.

Earlier, authorities gave Facebook until late yesterday morning to make the web pages inaccessible in Thailand while threatening legal action. However, none of the URLs were blocked after the deadline passed. 

The 131 web addresses in question were deemed to have content insulting to the monarchy, threatening national security, depicting pornography or being involved in fraud.

With more than 40 million users, Thailand is among the world’s most active countries on Facebook. 

Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general |of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), said yesterday that his agency had through local Internet service providers (ISPs) sent copies of 34 court orders to block URLs with illegal content.

In response, Facebook requested an official English version of the court orders before it proceeded with blocking the addresses in Thailand.

“Facebook is cooperating with Thailand,” Takorn told reporters yesterday after the 10am deadline passed.

Morragot Kulatumyotin, president of the Thai Internet Service Provider Association (TISPA), said yesterday that in response to the ISPs’ request to block URLs, Facebook asked for official court orders to prove that the content was considered illegal under Thai law. She said Facebook noted this was in line with international standards.

Facebook yesterday again referred to its stated policy in response to the authorities’ request.

“When governments believe that something on the Internet violates their laws, they may contact companies like Facebook and ask us to restrict access to that content. When we receive such a request, we review it to determine if it puts us on notice of unlawful content. “If we determine that it does, then we make it unavailable in the relevant country or territory and notify people who try to access it why it is restricted,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

He was responding to a question from The Nation as to whether Facebook |would block access as requested by the NBTC.

Under its policy, Facebook will comply with a country’s request to remove content if it receives a valid court order, AFP reported yesterday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha admitted yesterday that his government did not have the authority to suspend Facebook’s operations in Thailand following its refusal to immediately block the URLs.

Prayut said the only thing the government could do was to seek court orders addressing specific URLs and have social media providers cooperate by blocking those web addresses.

“All we can do is ask for cooperation from foreign countries, the private sector and Internet service providers,” the premier said. “It’s because we have no better options.”

He told reporters yesterday that 6,000 web pages had been blocked recently by foreign social media platforms and search engines following government requests.

“We are now trying to work on the remaining ones and we must continue to work by asking for cooperation from foreign governments, the private sector and local website administrators,” he said.

Source - TheNation

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