Picture Courtesy Bangkok Post

With renewed violence in Thailand’s Capital Thursday the United States and United Kingdom have both issued statements calling for the Thai government to continue dialogues with the Red shirt protesters but also stating that they are very concerned over the new violence and that both embassies would be closing to the public out of safety concerns.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters when asked about the situation in Bangkok:

We’re very concerned, we’re watching it (the violence) very closely. The embassy is closed and American citizens services will be available for emergencies only, essential personnel right now are manning the embassy, but it’s not open. We continue to encourage both sides that violence is not the route to resolve these issues. Ultimately, the government and the demonstrators have to get back together again and reach agreement on the path forward. There are fundamental fissures within Thai society and the only way to resolve this and to develop a civil and inclusive society is through peaceful negotiation.

Meanwhile a British Spokeswoman stated:

The embassy will be closed tomorrow (Friday) but we’ll still have a hot-line. We’ll be monitoring the situation in Bangkok on a day-by-day basis.

This comes on the heels of fresh violence Thursday after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva shelved a plan for November elections as negotiations fell apart between the Thai government and Red shirt leaders. Red Shirt protesters clashed with troops in the heart of the capital, leaving one dead and eight wounded. The incident happened shortly after the government sealed off the roads surrounding the rally site, shut off electricity, cut off water supply and all transportation around the site early Thursday evening. Among the injured was Red Shirt leader Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, better known as Seh Daeng,  who was shot in the head and is in critical condition and being treated at Hua Chiew Hospital.

Amid the violence the CRES (Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation) will propose the government impose emergency law in 15 more provinces in central, northern and northeastern parts of the country. The 15 provinces are Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Si Sa Ket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan, Lampang and Nakhon Sawan. Bangkok, Nonthaburi and parts of Samut Prakan. Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya have been under a state of emergency since April to handle the Red shirt protesters.

To those of you in Bangkok or heading there be very careful as no one knows how this situation is likely to end. Violence may escalate over the weekend so it is probably best to stay out of the area altogether.

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Photo courtesy Reuters

What began as a good plan for peaceful protests in Bangkok last weekend has once again turned into what amounts to nothing more than a child’s tantrum for the Red shirts. There is no doubt that the Reds have major grievances with the sitting government and they should be not only heard but part of Thailand’s political process.

Although the protests last weekend didn’t draw the estimated 1 million marchers they still rounded up some very respectable numbers and paraded peacefully throughout Bangkok. Unfortunately they had no after plan. Once they made it to the main stage they demanded that the current government be dissolved and vowed to stay in Bangkok until this came to pass. What respect they had earned form Bangkok residents quickly dissolved.

What they should have done is demand a conference with the government to address their grievances. They made their point with the Bangkok march and from many reports a lot of Thai’s that were on the fence or firmly in the Yellow shirt camp started coming around to the idea that the Reds do have some points and should be heard. The fact that it was largely a peaceful protest really helped bring people to the table. At this point the Red shirt leaders should have made their speeches and asked the government for a sit-down involving all parties.

Instead the Red leaders demanded nothing less than the government be dissolved which later broke down into splattering their own blood around the streets. The Red shirt leaders saw this as a symbolic maneuver that would gain them much respect and news coverage for their cause. While it may have garnered news coverage it was in no way respectful. Most news coverage compared the blood letting to the excrement throwing the Reds had done in earlier protests. Not only was this a stupid stunt but it was potentially dangerous as well. The health workers that drew the blood should be admonished for taking part in such a ridiculous show of ignorance.

If the Reds want to be taken seriously they need to do two things immediately. First they need to unhitch their wagon from the shooting star that is Thaksin Shinawatra. Yes, Thaksin was one of the few people to ever look out for the rural Thai’s but he did so for his own benefit, not theirs. What Thaksin wants and what the red shirt movement really wants are two separate things and as soon as the Reds realize this the better off they will be without his presence within their cause.

Secondly they need to find new leaders within their cause that not only represent the people but do so in an intelligent manner. Throwing feces and blood is a great tactic if you want the people to view your cause as a baby throwing its toys out of the pram, not so much if you want to address the real social grievances you have. If the Red shirts can do these two things they stand a chance of not only being heard but having action taken on their behalf. Last weekends protest really had a lot of hope but they pissed what little they had gained away with their childish antics and refusing to leave.

Photo courtesy Reuters

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I originally considered Thai politicians to be the same type of  highly trained hypocritical monkeys that can be found in any western country.  Basically,  not concerned with more than what they can get out of any situation and how anything they do can be used as an opportunity to help with re-election efforts. Unfortunately I was wrong,  as Thai politicians are much more dangerous in their ineptitude.

Instead of releasing a statement that the government disapproved of the interview done with Thaksin they have basically issued a decree stating that they will take action against anyone printing, posting or generally discussing said article online or otherwise. What they fail to understand is the fact that with every such step they make they lend more and more credence to everything Thaksin says and does. The Thai government is playing into his hands.

Now that the Times online interview is front and center in the news charges of lèse-majesté are most likely going to be brought against Thaksin and journalist Richard Lloyd Parry of the Times.  Thaksin for his part is saying that the interview was taken out of context and he plans to sue the Times.

Thaksin is not a stupid man, he knew exactly what to say in the interview and how he wanted to say it and he knows those words were not an affront to the Thai royal family but to those surrounding the royal family. I believe Thaksin has calculated every move he has made since the 2006 coup, from buying Manchester City to becoming Cambodia’s economic advisor,  and now this interview.

With every step Thaksin has given the Thai government more means to stumble in the eyes of the world, and they have. Instead of ignoring the man they removed from power and treating him as an insignificant outsider they have given him a platform to stand on and call out their hypocrisy.

Thaksin is now in Cambodia and leaders of his defunct Thai political party as well as leaders of the red shirt movement are crossing the border to meet with him. It isn’t coincidence that Thaksin is so close to his homeland or that his words have become more measured. He means to hold a position of power again in Thailand and the Thai government that fought so hard to remove him from office in 2006 are falling over themselves to hand him the keys to the kingdom by their arrogant and dismissive nature of the Thai people and democracy.

Thaksin is no hero by any means, he is a corrupt politician that abused the Thai peoples trust, but he still has the ear of the people. As long as the Thai government continues to hide behind the archaic lèse-majesté laws and discourage the peoples freedom to speak they will continue to push more people towards Thaksin. For his part Thaksin would love nothing more than to see the Thai government divide it’s nation so he can once again come to power.

What both Thaksin and the Thai government don’t seem to see is that this collision course has very real ramifications for the people and country they both claim to love. When blood is spilled it is never the blood of a politician.

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While you may see  trucks full of red shirt protesters here and there throughout Pattaya for the most part they have kept to the Royal Cliff Resort area of town where the ASEAN summit is meeting.  Today the red shirts stormed one of the convention centers where Asian leaders were to meet this morning,  forcing Thailand to declare a state of emergency and cancel the ASEAN summit.

The Asian leaders had to be air lifted to a nearby military base. Over 1000 protesters crashed through the glass doors to the convention center wreaking havoc and destroying property while calling for Prime Minister Abhisit to step down.

With over 10,000 police officers and I’m sure a military equivalent contingent,  I don’t understand how this could have happened unless someone wanted it to happen. They should have never allowed the protesters to get as close to the resort as they did. Obviously they were ill prepared and picking Pattaya for the summit was a bad idea to begin with.

Now that the red shirts have embarrassed Prime Minister Abhisit well and good where will their cause take them now? At the beginning of the week at massive rallies in Bangkok the leaders of the red shirt movement stated that they would close down the airports at the end of the month. They have backed away from that statement in the last few days but with the success of the ASEAN summit protests one can only wonder what they feel empowered to do now.

The state of emergency declared by Abhisit earlier today for the area surrounding the summit gives the military the right to restore order, allows authorities to suspend civil liberties, bans public gatherings of more than five people and bars the media from reporting news that “causes panic.”

The red shirt protests could turn out to be a much bigger problem than many originally thought.

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It’s become increasingly difficult to call the “red shirts” the DAAD party(The Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship). At one time the red shirts were synonymous with DAAD but with more and more groups joining their cause and donning the red shirts it’s become apparent that many in Thailand are dissolutioned with the political process that has been called democracy.

Today was D-Day for the red shirts with over 40,000 gathering in Bangkok to protest the government and it’s Prime Minister whom they feel was not democratically elected. The red shirts have taken a page out of the yellow shirts (PAD -People’s Alliance for Democracy)playbook and in speeches this morning leaders of the red shirt movement have declared they will shut down the airport at the end of the month.Of course this will probably piss off the blue shirts (club of operators of passenger vans in Bangkok) who will try and stop any closure of the airport. At least they are all color coordinated so you can tell them apart.

With the ASEAN summit beginning in a few days in Pattaya it seems that the political process will be played out at the beach. The red shirts plan on protesting en masse in Pattaya at all of the hotels and conference centers where the visiting dignataries will be gathering. Mix in the start of songkran and this could be a recipe for disaster.

I’m not sure how I feel about all of this at the moment. The red shirts definitely have a case and should be heard out. If they close the airport, which is a very real possibility , then I get some extra vacation time and if it plays out like it did when the yellow shirts shut down the airport then I might even get payed for my trouble.

Personally I would love to see the yellow and red shirts fade away to a united color that could bring Thailand’s people and classes together but I think that may be a tall order for a country struggling to find it’s political identity.

Anyone in Pattaya or Bangkok over the next few weeks might do well to stay away from wearing yellow or red shirts just in case.

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Reuters

The Sidney Morning Herald posted a letter from Harry Nicolaides today detailing the dire living conditions he has had to endure in a Thai Prison. I’ll post an excerpt below and you can read the letter in its entirety at The Sidney Morning Herald Article The medieval price an author pays for insulting Thailand’s monarchy.

Please also visit Bring Harry Home, a website by Harry’s friends dedicated to Harry’s release, where you can sign a petition to the Australian government and also donate much needed funds for the cause. Harry doesn’t deserve the punishment he has received and hopefully with more people talking about his case a Royal pardon will happen sooner.

After reading about his dreadful experiences in a Thai prison and how all the prisoners are treated I think it’s high time Amnesty International got more actively involved.

An excerpt from Harry Nicolaides letter:

The Sydney Morning Herald
08 February 2009

From the hell of his Bangkok prison cell, the writer Harry Nicolaides reveals the horror of his daily battle to survive.

We are woken at 6 and counted in the cell. Mine is 12 metres long and just over four metres wide, holding 50 or 60 prisoners, mostly Thais, mostly murderers and rapists. The cell has one toilet, which is a hole in the ground, and poor ventilation. I sleep in a face mask because tuberculosis and pneumonia are common. I’ve been in this jail for five months, since my arrest in September.

My book, Verisimilitude, was a rather clumsy first attempt at fiction – only 50 copies were printed and seven sold. I love Thailand and respect the royal family. It was never my intention to offend anyone.

For breakfast I have soy milk and a biscuit. The prisoners wash and shave around troughs covered in grime. The water is changed once a week. Then there’s assembly. We stand to attention as the Thai flag is raised. We’re asked to pray to a large gold Buddha. I use the time to collect my thoughts and think about my loved ones.

The guards make long speeches in Thai. I imagine they’re about prison etiquette.

I’m then taken upstairs with other foreigners to clean another cell block.

After that we’re at leisure for a while. I used to walk around, but I can’t help but encounter the weak and the feeble – such as men with TB, languishing on benches. It deadens me. So I try to spend my time replying to the many letters I receive. Letters keep me alive.

We are allowed one 30-minute visit a day, but not on weekends or holidays. The hardest part is returning to my cell after a visit from family or friends. I break down when I think how they’re suffering.

At 12 the lunch bell rings. The food is mostly fish bones in hot water, extremely spicy, with rice. I’ve tried it and felt unwell.

I can’t afford to fall sick – the mental strain is enough – so my family send me some chicken and a salad every day.

There are 20 or 25 cats that run into the mess hall before the prisoners. Some men put cigarettes in the cats’ mouths or do other unspeakable things to them.

I am barefoot most of my day. It is partly a security measure so we can’t climb the electrified, barbed-wire fence, and partly custom. But the floors are covered with fish bones, saliva and cat vomit, so my feet are black.

I am led to court in shackles and chains. It’s positively medieval. They’re degrading and they bruise and lacerate the ankles. They make you feel you’re guilty.

They say that it is easy to get to someone in a prison like this, so I am always on the alert.

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If you’ve been following this blog you know That Harry Nicolaides was sentenced to three years in jail for violating Thailand’s Lese Majeste laws. He was arrested at the Bangkok airport in August  upon arrival in the country and placed in a Thai prison for four months before his trial. Very quick and expeditious of the Thai government, and we all know that violations or perceived violations of the Lese Majeste laws are the Thai governments number one priority.

The Thai government more than proved that this week when a British national was sentenced to fourteen years in a Thai prison for raping 2 young Thai girls. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s excellent that they are jailing this creep of a pedophile…it’s just the way this case transpired that gives Thailand yet another black eye.

Eight years ago in 2001 Maurice John Praill, then age 69, was arrested for the rape of 2 young Thai girls . His case came to trial at the same time and he was found guilty of the crimes levied against him. The judge handed down a 14 year prison sentence. Now, I can hear you saying  that’s great, so whats the problem here? The problem here is that this pedophile appealed his case immediately and was allowed free on bail until the conclusion of the appeal…this week!

Mr. Praill, the pedophile, was released back into the community he lived in, Pattaya, where he continued sexually abusing children in the community for the past eight years! Mr Praill has had six more charges of child sexual abuse levied against him in that time!  After he got bail in the first case he was arrested again in 2004 for sexually abusing two girls aged 9 and 11. The last arrest came as he was having an 8 year old Thai boy brought to him at his Pattaya villa for sex.

Sudarat Sudarat, of Thailand’s National Child Protection Committee,  described the Praill case as ‘scandalous’.

“He could have been abusing our children for twenty years yet nobody has put him behind bars. I am shocked they have let him go again.

”We have spoken to some of his child victims. They call him ‘The Ghost’ because of his frightening appearance.”

This case shows exactly where the priorities lie for the government of Thailand. Harry Nicolaides was arrested and jailed as soon as he entered the country. He remained in jail for 4 months until his trial. He was convicted and sentenced to 3 years in jail and he was summarily removed to that same jail where he is now. All of this for one sentence about a member of the Royal family in an obscure book that no one bought, much less read.

Mr. Praill on the other hand, who committed very real and violent crimes against Thai nationals, was allowed out on bail to continue his sick crimes against Thailand’s children.

Congratulations are in order to the Thai government for keeping Thailand safe from Harry Nicolaides at the expence of their own children!

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Thailand is planning on starting an overseas campaign to educate foreigners on the seriousness of  Thai Laws protecting the Monarchy. With Harry Nicolaides recently being jailed for 3 years due to one sentence about the Thai Prince in an obscure book written in 2005 and many more cases cropping up, the Thai government has concluded that foreigners misunderstand Thailand’s lese majeste laws.

The plan is to disseminate information to Thai embassies world wide in hopes that they can educate would be travelers to Thailand before there is a problem. Unfortunately the Thai government doesn’t understand the fact that travelers to Thailand aren’t the problem…the Thai government is the problem.

Upholding archaic laws that would have someone jailed for speaking against or insulting the royal family when the King himself has said the law isn’t needed is ridiculous to say the least, and unconscionable at best.

Let’s forget the fact that over 4000 websites are being blocked in Thailand as well as their owners being investigated, and while were at it let’s forget that certain government officials want the maximum penalty for committing a lese majeste crime to be lengthened from 15 to 25 years in prison.

What about the innocent tourist who has always wanted to visit the kingdom and doesn’t know that it’s mandatory to stand for the national anthem before a movie? What about the tourist that knows nothing about Thailand and drops a  thousand baht note on the ground and stops it with his/her foot? With the Thai government looking for every and any infraction of this law will these people be the next to be detained for months in a Thai jail before being found guilty and sentenced to years in the same Thai jail?

The Thai government has said that protecting the Royal family is the governments first priority, with all the other problems Thailand faces coming into the twenty first century I would say their priorities are screwed up.

While they may believe they will be educating foreign travelers to the kingdom what they will really be doing is driving much needed tourists away from Thailand at a time they can ill afford to do so.

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Reuters/Sukree Sukplang

Harry Nicolaides was sentenced to three years in jail today after pleading guilty to lese-majeste charges of defaming Thailand’s royal family under criminal law 112. Nicolaides has spent the last four months in jail awaiting trial and although he didn’t elaborate he said he had endured “unspeakable suffering”. The judge actually gave Nicolaides 6 years in prison but knocked it down to 3 because he confessed.

The charges stemmed from his 2005 self published book Verisimilitude, which he describes as a commentary on political and social life in contemporary Thailand. The book had a printing of only 50 copies with only 7 confirmed sales. Nicolaides was arrested at the Bangkok airport upon arriving in August.

Nicolaides apologized and said he respected the king of Thailand but he didn’t believe the obscure laws would apply to him.

Hopefully if everything goes well he should get a royal pardon like those in the past found guilty of the lese-majeste laws in Thailand.  The king himself has stated that the lese-majeste law is not needed so why does Thailand still cling to this archaic set of laws?

Thailand has struggled for a very long time with it’s democracy and in this regard it has failed utterly. In the past two years Thailand has demonstrated to the world through it’s politics that it doesn’t understand democracy nor is it willing to. Democracy isn’t protesting the government until a judge steps in and calls for new elections…democracy is about compromise for the betterment of the country.

Thailand’s politicians and judges think that by banning websites and arresting anyone that speaks about the royal family they will quell the voices speaking out, or perceived to be speaking out, against Thai politics. Instead they will spark more commentary and more outrage in the world at their archaic ass backward ways stumbling into the twenty first century.

Maybe Thailand should think about reverting to a full fledged Monarchy. At least that way they can cling to their archaic laws without pretending to resemble a democracy.

Release Harry Nicolaides now…he’s suffered enough for mere words written on a page and more than enough for any Thai politicians feelings of inadequacy.

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Lèse-Majesté  laws for the most part are a thing of the past in this day and age. These laws hav been used in the past to make sure nothing but favorable comments and respect is given to the Monarchy. Even in the 21st century these laws are seen as archaic by the last remaining Monarchies themselves.  Thailand’s King Bhumibol himself has said he doesn’t need it and has never leveled the charge. Thailand’s Lèse-Majesté laws have taken on a new life in the 21st century as a tool in the arsenal of Thailand’s political elite.

Thailand’s Lèse-Majesté law carries a 15 year maximum sentence for anyone disrespecting or insulting the royal family. What normally happens in these cases is that the person is brought to trial, evidence is given and if sufficient they are found guilty of the crime. What happens next is the King in an act of benevolence pardons the wrong doer and they are released from prison and deported from the country.

In 2006 a Oliver Jufer  in a drunken rage defaced images of the king in Chang Mai province. He was arrested and held without bail for several months until the trial began. He was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in a Thai prison. After four months the king pardoned him and he was deported to his home country.

This has been the norm in Thailand for a very long time until now. With the past two years of political infighting and turmoil the politicians themselves are now using the Lèse-Majesté laws in their arsenal of tricks to curb dissension and gag their political rivals. In doing so they are prosecuting any case no matter how small. Recently over 2000 websites have been marked as insulting  or offending the Thai Monarchy. Even talking about Thai politics can be construed as insulting the Monarchy. Youtube was blocked in Thailand for some time due to what Thai officials deemed offensive material to the King. Although Youtube is no longer blocked in Thailand it is heavily filtered.

Recently  Harry Nicolaides, a university lecturer in Thailand, was arrested at the Bangkok airport back in August of 2008 and has been left languishing in a Thai  prison without bail since. Back in 2005  Nicolaides wrote a fictional account of an unnamed  Thai Prince in one of his books that had a printing of less than 50 copies.

No one is safe from this law and it’s interpretation by the Thai political machine. The BBC is under investigation for supposedly having an article on their website where a picture of a politician was placed higher in the article than a picture of the king. The BBC has denied this report and are cooperating with the investigation.

With all the recent political turmoil all the different factions have been leveling charges of Lèse-Majesté knowing full well even if it isn’t a true charge the implications will destroy a political opponent.

What does all this mean to the tourist visiting Thailand?  Simply put the Thais love their King and he is the most revered Monarch most likely in the history of Monarchs. You should keep in mind social etiquette wherever you may be in Thailand. I would much rather be arrested under the Lèse-Majesté  law than suffer the wrath of angry Thais for disrespecting the Monarchy they love so dearly.

All money in Thailand bears the kings likeness which means you should treat Thai money with the utmost respect. If you should drop a coin or bill on the ground do not step on it to keep it from getting away as that would be seen as stepping on the king himself.

Whenever you hear the Thai national anthem played stop what you are doing and pay respect. In movie theatres before the main feature is played a short film of the king is played along with the Thai national anthem. It’s proper etiquette to stand and remain standing until the the short film is over. There have been more than a few documented cases of violence in movie theaters when someone has remained seated during the national anthem.

Whenever speaking of the king or the monarchy do so with respect and don’t make jokes or say anything that may be misunderstood by the locals.

For the most part as a tourist if you keep these things in mind your trip will be uneventful. Just remember to keep these things in mind!

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