 January 2014 : Bangkok Shutdown to Unseat Government
Bangkok shut down to unseat Government The People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) demonstration to unseat Yingluck Shinawatra’s caretaker cabinet calling for a national reform started since 1st November 2013 on Ratchdamnern Avenue was carried on for the third month in January 2014 and they moved to shutdown 7 Bangkok downtown areas; Pathumwan, Ratchprasong, Asoke Montri, Lumpini Park, Victory Monument, Lad Prao and Chang Wattana. A mass of people from Bangkok and provinces showed up at every venue every evening and during daytime PDRC secretariat Suthep Thuagsuban led a rally on Bangkok main streets. He was warmly welcome and received donation of few million Baht every day. At night, the PRCD and coordinates were attacked by unidentified gun men. On 12 Jan. Democrat party office was shot. On 13, an explode at former Democrat Samut Songkram MP Ms. Rangsima Rodsarmee’s house and PRCD office in Ratchburi. On 15, M26 grenade fired into Democrat’s leader Abhisit Vejjajiva house and gunfire shot at PRCD security check point near Pathumwan, causing 2 injuries. On the same night, Kor Por Tor bus at Nang Leung was also torched. On 16, armed men open fire into Kor Por Tor demonstrators and explosions at other three places; PRCD co-leader Issara Somchai house, BMA governor M.R. Sukhumbhan Boripatra’s residence and Buddha Issra temple in Nakorn Pathom. Fortunately, no one got hurt by those incidents. On 17, Suthep led a rally again and while he was at Buntadthong road, a grenade was thrown from a vacant building in front of him. Though he was saved, 38 demonstrators were injured and a 46 year old man Prakong Chuchan from Nakorn Sri Thammarat province was dead from injuries in the chest. PRCD guards and militants searched the buildings and found arms including M16 rifle, accessories and communication radios. In the adjacent building they found one kilogram of urea fertilizer, the substance for explosive initiation. On 19, at Victory Monument, a grenade thrown into PRCD tent caused one death and few injuries. The man also shot a guard who tried to catch him. On 22 January, an Emergency Decree was imposed to overrule the applied security law. The responsible agency was Centre for Maintaining of Peace and Order (CMPO), chaired by Caretaker Labor minister Chalerm Yubamrung and two deputies, the Police chief and Defense Ministry Permanent Secretary. Bangkok and part of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakarn provinces went under the decree that provides officers with more authorities; completely prohibition of assembling, allowance of officers’ road blockage, search without warrant, detaining for a minimum period. All actions protect from law suit and parliament reporting. On 26, advance polling was held countrywide and small groups of PRCD held anti-election campaign at some poll stations. In Bangkok at Wat Sri Aim, a group of demonstrators was attacked by gun men and Suthin Taratin was shot dead on a truck. On 27th, PRCD went again to block the military club, a venue where Prime Minister Yingluck was having a meeting with the Election Commissioners. They were shot again by a man wearing taxi motorcyclist jacket. He was captured and found out that he was a police officer. Police spokesman announced later he was sent for retrieve mission. Between 1st November 2013 to 31st January 2014, the PRCD was attack 32 times and their casualties were 10 death and 594 injuries. Suthep decided not to hold any anti-election movement on the election day on 2nd February. He announced the PRCD would organize street festal on every site they occupied. As conflict escalating, societal sectors tried to solve the problem and on 28th January, an elite group called themselves “Restart Thailand” led by Thammasart University Sanya Thamasak Instituite director Teerayuth Boonmee and 217 people from business, academic and civil society launched a campaign to;
On 30th, another network of 60 professional groups called “Reform Now Network” vowed to push for national reform. They urged all parties to hold dialogues and find solutions and resolve conflict. G-2-G rice sales fraud On 16 January, the National Ant-Corruption Commission ( NCCC) unanimously charged former Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, ex-deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol and 13 other persons including former director-general of the External Trade on corruption on the rice pledging scheme. The NCCC found evidence that there was no government to government ( G-2-G) sales and rice export as it was claimed. Moreover, on 28 January the NCCC resolved to launch a full inquiry into caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's role in the rice-pledging scheme. If the investigation finds her negligent in her duties as chairwoman of the National Rice Policy Committee, which oversees the scheme she would face criminal charge and also be required to step down from all official roles. The NCCC commissioner Mr Vicha Mahakhun said the NACC agreed the case against Ms Yingluck, which concerns a government policy issue will be separated from the G-to-G graft case. He said the inquiry panel has grounds to believe Ms Yingluck may have learned about problems besetting the rice scheme but failed to act to stop them. The NACC has assigned the same panel to launch the full investigation Rice farmers blocked highways demand payment Since 21st January hundreds of farmers from many provinces in central region started to block many highways demanding payment in rice pledged scheme. They said their payments were deferred for months until they are in great trouble, without cash for living and planting new crops. President of Thai Farmers Association Prasit Boonchue disclosed a total of 4 million agricultural households joined the rice pledged scheme and 3.2 million have waited for payment for 4-5 months. Most of them are on loans from BAAC and were unable to pay monthly interest or other debts from buying fertilize and rents. Many farmers had pawned their warrant certifications for cash. BAAC now owed a total of 130 billion Baht to farmers nationwide. The House dissolution put the government in a caretaker position with limited authority including making new financial obligation. In an endeavor to get a new loan, the government asked the Council of State and claimed it received a green light but revealed later that the statement was from the secretariat of the Council of State Office, not from the commissioners. The caretaker government asked the Election Commission (EC) whether it could seek additional loan of 130 billion Baht to pay farmers owed money and on 21 January the EC resolved not to consider the requested saying it has no authority to do so. The caretaker government find a way out by invited financial institutions to tender bidding offers for 130 billion Bath loan, guaranteed by the Finance Ministry, to BAAC. On 30 January, some few commercial banks tendered their bids but at very high interest rates reasoning it would be a great risk. BAAC revolving fund, the Government Saving Bank, and the Social Security Fund were the next sources of loan but as soon as they were mentioned these agencies expressed their concerns on funding legitimacy and security. The rice pledge scheme enormous debts could come from these causes:
BAAC disclosed it has paid 40 billion Baht for the new pledging season and a current 16 billion Baht cash was avail until 10 January. The Commerce Ministry reassured another 10 billion would be transferred before 10 January from a stock sale. The Commerce Ministry webpage reported between 1 October 2013 to 29 January 2014, so called the first 2013/14 pledging season, 1,862,094 warrant certificates were issued for a total of 10,763,259 tons of paddy rice. Among these, 450,990 warrants or 55,332,098 million Baht has been paid and 1,411,104 warrants were still unpaid. White rice in the international market is USD 410 per ton and it was dropped from USD 600. NCCC indicted senators composition changed wrongdoing On 7 January, the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) indicted former MPs and senators, altogether 308, had intentionally breached the Constitution when passing the constitution amendment regarding the composition of the senators, on the 1, 2 and 3 round voting. NCCC resolved they were aware that the amending version was not the submitted draft and was a fraudulent document. Nevertheless, another 73 parliamentary members, including Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, were acquitted due to they did not endorsed the constitution amendment motion but only voted on the third round. Their votes casting were absolutely privileged and protected from any charge according to Section 130 of the Constitution. The NCCC will summon those 308 parliament members to acknowledge their charges. CC ruled constitutional amendment Section 190 wrongful On 8 January the Constitution Court by a majority ruled that the amendment of Section 190 of the Constitution was unlawful, breaching Section 3,4,5,68, 87 and 122 of the Constitution. The petition was brought to Court by former Democrat MP Wirat Kallayasiri against former House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont, President of the Senate Nikom Wiratpanich and 381 members of the parliament on their approval to give more authority to the government in negotiation and signing international agreements on grounds that the present section delays this effort. Section 190 of the Constitution requires any international agreement which could affect sovereignty, public interest on social, economic and trade issues, and security needed public participation. The framework of discussions must be approved by parliament before the government enters into negotiations for transparency, and the agreement signed with other countries has to come back for parliament approval. The court reasoned the attempt to change the section on ground that it will keep the public out of vital issues that affect the people, damage the checks-and-balance principle between the administrative and legislative branches and lead to a lack of procedural transparency. The amendment would have given the government excessive power in signing international agreements with other countries by bypassing public input, and any problems that occurred afterwards could not be resolved. Water management complaint acquitted On 9 January, the Supreme Administrative Court dismissed the complaint on the 350-billion-baht water management project reasoned it is the administrative authority to conduct such a project but the Court ordered the responsible agency to urgently finishes the public hearing procedure. Constitution Court: General Election could be postponed On 23 January the EC requested the Constitution Court to rule which agency; the EC or the caretaker prime minister, has authority to change the election date and on 24 January, the Court unanimously ruled the election date can be postponed and by 7-1 votes that if the election date is to be changed, the caretaker prime minister should confer with the Election Commission on how to carry on. Following the Court verdict, on 28 Jan. Prime Minister Yingluck held a discussion with the EC chairperson at the military club. She reaffirmed her stance to continue polling though 28 constituencies were lack of candidate. The government will deploy 130,000 police officers to assure the polling runs smoothly. Advance voting was conducted on 26 January and there were 113,030 people, out of the 2,163,025 registered eligible voters, went to cast ballots. From a total of 548 poll stations nationwide, 111 were disrupted and shut down by the anti-government demonstrators. Corruption cost nearly 14% annual expense The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce disclosed its study, done in December 2013, on 2,400 respondents in the business and government sectors nationwide that kickbacks to state officials and politicians or tea money has increased to a 26-35% of the project value and estimated to cost 240-330 billion Baht, equivalent to 9.82-13.75 of the country’s 2013 public expenditure or 1.88-2.63% of annual GDP. Corruptions come in all forms including bribery, nepotism and abuse of public policy. The top three policies most likely to be corrupted were the rice pledging scheme, the infrastructure development scheme, the water management scheme while local administration projects were also likely for corruption. Economic decline-unemployment increased The Public Debt Management Office unveiled public debts at November ended was 5.39 trillion Baht, equivalent to 45.34% of GDP. Net increase was 19,850.14 million Baht. The Fiscal Policy Office reported economy in December was shrinking and was anticipated to grow at 2.8% per annum due to decreases in domestic consumption and production. Political situation has negative impact on both consumers and entrepreneurs’ confidentiality and inbound tourists was declining. Though revenue from VAT increased 3.1%, overall tax decreased 1%. TDRI disclosed employment growth rate in 2013 was lower than estimation and as a result, SMEs are readjusting and slow down new employment. The new graduates would be the most affect particularly the bachelor degrees graduate in Q2 of 2014. Their unemployment rate has accumulated for years. Thai children IQ-EQ low A nationwide study done in 2011 disclosed Thai students average IQ and EQ were 98.59 and 45.12 respectively. Though the scores fell within normal ranges of 90-109 and 50-100, they were considered low. The international evaluation done in 2012 among 65 countries revealed that Thai students were ranked at 50th. They lacked of many skills; thinking, language, mathematics, reading and science. Southernmost violent endures after 10 years January 4, 2014 was the tenth anniversary after the guns robbery at the Joh Ay Rong militants post in Narathiwat province that was a start of violent in the four southern provinces. 7 government and 6 prime ministers took office but the problems could not be solved, or even lessen. 2007 was the most critical year as 1,669 violent erupted. It was declined to 542 in 2012. Casualties were 10,503 injuries and 5,352 deaths. The latte were 499 militants, 312 police officers, 200 administrative officials, 181 volunteers, 187 teachers and 3,581 civilians including Buddhist monks, Islamic leaders and 399 terrorists. The deceased were 2,259 Buddhists, 2,962 Muslims and 131 none identified. More than 200 billion Baht budget was spent for southern development and it increases annually. The budget was used for remediation the victims and affected people now totaled more than 2 billion Baht. From : http://www.fpps.or.th |