The draft charter: the controversial and the new election!!?

 

As the controversial about the final draft charter should

be,the next election for Thailand is expected to be held

on July 2017.

Look back to the past for democracy in the country,it has

the cycle of elected government and the coup.

Before the May 22 coup,the country faced with huge

corruption from rice –pledge scheme ,social division

and political conflict,leading to street protests which

end with the coup.

To avoid the cycle the government want to make sure that

the new government from election will not lead the country

into crisis and political conflict again.

 

The cabinet sent proposals to the CDC,one of the proposal

is a temporary charter clause should be introduced to allowed

the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to maintain

peace and order after the general election and during the switch

to the new government.

Meanwhile ,yesterday,Mr Meechai ,the CDC chairman assured

the NCPO will not be given power over a newly elected

 government and no organization with special power will be

 set up under the new charter.

 

News,Politics,Bangkok Post, 25 February 2016.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/875472/drafters-risk-crisis-blame-after-poll

 

In my viewpoint,I don’t think the NCPO want to stay in

power after the new election ,they only want the country

to avoid coup again,while Mr Meechai does not want

any organization with special power under the new

charter which will lead to a “half-baked democracy”

 

As we don’t want street protests and coup because

of the corruption from bad politicians  so before the

new election set ,we must sure that the country and Thai

people  are  “ready “ for democracy otherwise the new

election will worth nothing for the country.

 

Sincerely Yours.

Dept plans jumbo 'food paradise'

Wild elephants are often in close contact with farmers, and

sometimes are killed to protect crops. A new plan would provide

 more land for elephants to help save diminishing numbers

 of the jumbos in the East region.

(Photo courtesy WWF Thailand)

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant

Conservation is proposing to buy land from farmers and develop

it into a "food paradise" for wild elephants to stop crops

 being ravaged.

The eastern forest complex would be the pilot project.

 Songtham Suksawang, director of the project, said the

 increasing number of wild elephants in the eastern forest

 complex has forced them out of the forest to invade

 agricultural zones in search of food.

 In many cases this has led to deadly encounters between

 hungry elephants and angry locals with guns. He said the

 department will discuss the issue with companies that

 benefit from the forest, since all use water coming from

 the eastern forest complex to support their operations in

 the industrial estates located in the eastern part of the country.

“We will talk to East Water Group [which sells water to

industrial estates] and other giant companies to join in

creating a fund, from which we can draw money to buy

land from locals to plant food for wild elephants,” he said.

He said the fund would show appreciation to nature and give

something back to the ecological system. The department is

eyeing more than 1,300 rai linking Khao Ang Rue Nai

Wildlife Sanctuary and Khao Chamao-Khao Wong

 National Park, now occupied by locals, as the elephant

"food paradise".

The eastern forest complex consists of Khao Ang Rue Nai

Wildlife Sanctuary, Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary,

Khao Chamao-Khao Wong National Park, Khao Khitchakut

and Khao Sip Ha Chan, covering more than 1.3 million rai

in five provinces — Chachoengsao, Sa Kaeo, Chantaburi,

 Rayong and Chon Buri.

 

Before 1961, lowland forests, the natural habitat of wild

elephants, covered over 16 million rai but most of this has

been turned into agricultural zones.

Only 1.3 million rai is left for around 380 wild elephants,

 which have increased in number from 150 in 1998.

 It is estimated the wild elephant population has risen

by 5% a year there.

 Mr Songtham was confident the 1,300 rai will become a

tourist attraction for people to come and see wild elephants.

 He said this would make income for people living nearby,

 similar to what has been done at Kuiburi National Park

in Prachuap Khiri Khan where wild elephant and gaur

 safaris are popular among tourists.

Gen Surat Worarak, secretary of the Five Provinces

Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation, suggested the

 department come up with clear plans to deal with

elephant-human encounters.

 

News,General,Bangkok Post, 19 February 2016.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/869688/dept-plans-jumbo-food-paradise

 

I agree with the “food paradise” plan for wild elephants

because it will stop the problem from  wild elephants

to damage the crops and also it will help the villager nearby

the food paradise have occupation and more revenue if

the food paradise is plan for tourism too.

 

Sincerely Yours.

The DSI found that the vintage Mercedes-Benz is linked to a luxury car tax-evasion scam.

 

 

DSI chief Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang briefed Gen Paiboon

Wednesday about the DSI's findings before the minister spoke

 to reporters about them.

Pol Col Paisit also showed the minister charts showing details

of the money trail in the alleged luxury car tax-evasion scam

 and how the vintage car was falsely declared as being locally

reassembled.

 The police colonel also said the DSI will next week begin

 pressing

charges against those groups of people found to have received

 878 cheques, worth over 11 billion baht, from the scandal-hit

Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC).

The cheques involved in the investigation were paid by the

 KCUC and authorised by the cooperative's chairman

Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, suspected of siphoning money

 from the organisation.

The DSI has divided the recipients into seven groups, including

 the Wat Phra Dhammakaya network, and Phra Dhammachayo.

Paiboon Nititawan, ex-chairman of the defunct National Reform

Council's committee on religious affairs, claimed Wednesday

 he had obtained a video clip in which Somdet Chuang

 admitted he had received about 30 million baht in donations

 from Wat Phra Dhammakaya between 2011 and 2013.

He said he wanted a probe into whether Somdet Chuang

 received the money during the period when Wat

 Phra Dhammakaya received cheques from the KCUC as

 that would be a serious offence.

News,Politics,Bangkok Post,18 February 2016.

Debate ordered for Buddhism row
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/868080/debate-ordered-for-buddhism-row

 

In my viewpoint,the scandal related to the luxury car

 tax-evasion scam own by Somdet Phra Maha

 Ratchamangalacharn should clear before appoint the new

supreme patriarch.

 

The scandal of  the KCUC link to Wat Pra Dhammakaya

and Phra Dhammachayo should make clear and rule out

by the court.

 

Hope we can clear all “Defrock Monk” from Buddhism

so that we can safe Buddhism in Thailand.

 

Sincerely Yours.

Dismissal of case against Abhisit, Suthep upheld

 

 

Red-shirt leaders on the protest stage during the 2010 political
 protests in Bangkok against the Abhisit government.
(Bangkok Post file photo)

 

Suthep Thaugsuban (left photo) and Abhisit Vejjajiva

(left in the right photo) arrive the Criminal Court on Wednesday.

(Photo by Taweechai Tawatpakorn)


The Appeals Court on Wednesday upheld the Criminal Court's

rejection of a case against former prime minister Abhisit

 Vejjajiva and his former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban for the

deadly military crackdown  on red-shirt protesters in 2010.

The case was filed by special case litigation prosecutors at

the Office of the Attorney-General against the two men

 in the Criminal Court on the recommendation of the

 Department of Special Investigation (DSI). The Criminal

Court in August 2014 dismissed the case, in which

 Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep were charged with murder

 and attempted murder in connection with the 2010 military

 crackdown on the red-shirt protesters of the United Front

 for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).

The court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to handle

 the case, saying it should have instead been brought

before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders

of Political Positions.

The prosecution appealed. The Appeals Court ruled that

Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep issued the crackdown order in

 their capacity as prime minister and deputy prime minister in

 charge of the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency

 Situation (CRES), not as individuals.

 It agreed with the lower court that the case should be brought

 before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for

Holders of Political Positions, and that the DSI did not have

 the authority to investigate the case.

The Appeals Court in its ruling on Wednesday upheld the

dismissal of the case.

 After hearing the ruling, Mr Suthep said the National

Anti-Corruption Commission had ruled that he and

Mr Abhisit were not in the wrong.

Mr Suthep said he had washed his hands of politics and

would concentrate on working for his foundation.

He would not comment on politics.

 Mr Abhisit said the case was not yet final, as he did not know

 whether the prosecution would take it to the Supreme Court.

News,Politics,Bangkok Post, 17 February 2016.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/867660/dismissal-of-case-against-abhisit-suthep-upheld

 

As the facts that Red- shirts protecters in 2010 did

violented event to Thai people and the country,

the Red-shirt protesters use weapons including explosive

and  they also fired the department  and household of

 the people.

 

So it was the duty of Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep who were

the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister at that time

to stop and crack down the violent event.

 

As the Appeals Courts ruled out to dismiss the case

against them is the justice and moral of  the court for

them and Thai people.

 

Sincerely Yours.

 

NRSA plays down strategy bill worries

 

 

The controversial national strategy bill has won a majority in
 the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), as proponents
brushed aside worries it grants too much power to a new
 committee overseeing the the 20-year strategy.

 During the NRSA meeting Tuesday in which members voted

 164 to 6 to approve the bill, Pol Maj Yongyut Sarasombat,

 who led a NRSA committee to prepare it, insisted the strategy

 committee will only serve as an "X-ray scanner" looking

 for politicians and authorities who do not comply with

 the strategy.

The committee "has no direct power" to punish anybody as

 it can only ask state agencies to act against people who commit

wrongdoing, he said.

If politicians go against the strategy and cause subsequent

damage, the committee will forward their cases to the Senate,

Pol Maj Yongyut said.

Dishonest authorities will be probed by the National

Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) while state officials

 will face disciplinary action, he added.

According to the bill, the national strategy committee is made

 up of 25 people, including the prime minister, the NRSA

chairman, and the National Legislative Assembly (NLA)

 chairman.

The bill concerns mainly "the mechanics, not the essence,"

of the strategy, he said.

 It will be the responsibility of the panel to draft the first

 strategy, which will last 20 years. The strategy is needed as

 it will deal with unfinished reform plans, suggested by the

 NRSA and others as proposals that will benefit the nation,

 Pol Maj Yongyut said.

 However, some NRSA members questioned whether the

 strategy is really needed and whether the 25-member panel

 will be another version of the so-called "crisis panel",

formally known as the National Committee on Reform and

 Reconciliation Strategy.

The crisis panel, which was earlier proposed by a previous

 constitution drafting committee led by law expert,

Borwornsak Uwanno, was to comprise military and police

 top brass and would be empowered to seize executive and

 legislative power in time of political crisis.


The proposal drew huge opposition as it was viewed as

going against democracy and the draft charter of the

 Borwornsak committee was last year voted down by the

National Reform Council, which was later replaced by

the NRSA.

NRSA member Kasit Piromya said he was worried the
strategy committee may not be different from the crisis panel
 because it seems to have more power than that of an
elected government.

However, another bill proponent and NRSA member Kamnoon

Sidhisamarn argued the committee will act as a state agency

 and it has no legislative, executive and judicial powers.

 More importantly, he said, it is not a crisis panel as it does not

 consist of military and police top brass and it cannot overrule

the government or parliament during a crisis.

The panel headed by Pol Maj Yongyut wants the bill to be

 enacted this year and the Meechai Ruchupan-led Constitutional

Drafting Committee to state the strategy in the draft charter.

 Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wants the draft charter to

 stipulate that the government must follow the strategy and

 the national economic and social development plan, Deputy

Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Tuesday.

In another development, Interior Minister Gen Anupong

Paojinda warned members of the Association of Village and

 Tambon Chiefs of Thailand against a planned gathering

today at the parliament.

The association is upset because the draft does not mention

central and regional administrations in the chapter on local

 administration.

Gen Anupong said the gathering is not appropriate in the

current climate. He said they should make their concerns heard

 through other channels.

News,Politics,Bangkok Post ,17 February 2016.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/866576/nrsa-plays-down-strategy-bill-worries

 

In my viewpoint,as the controversial “National Strategy Bill”

duty is only ask state agencies to act against people who

 commit wrongdoing so it is good to set it.

As the Strategy committee will forward the case of politicains

who against the strategy and cause subsequent damage to

the Senators so the process of appointment senators must

do carefully to make sure that the country get good senators

to behave on their duty.

 

Sincerely Yours.

Cabinet mulls longer stay for foreign hires //Disagree!!

The cabinet will be asked to increase the period in which legal

foreign labourers can work in Thailand by one year and extend

 the time for verifying the nationalities of foreign labourers who

 want legal status.

Currently, workers possessing "pink-card work permits" can

 work in Thailand for one year and are required to renew their

permits if they want to continue working.

Under the new proposal, these workers can work for two years

 before renewing their permits, said Arak Phrommani, chief

of the Department of Employment, yesterday .

A committee handling foreign worker policies, chaired by

 Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, decided

on the work extension.

Mr Arak said he expected the proposal, together with a request

for a final say next Tuesday. However, the workers will be

 allowed by law to work for a maximum of eight years, he said.

The new benefit will be applicable only to workers with legal

 status gained through reporting to authorities and going through

 inspection procedures including nationality verification.

The government has set March 31 as the deadline for nationality

verification, but there are currently up to 1.4 million labourers

 from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos in the queue for the

 nationality check.

This prompted the committee's decision to ask the cabinet

 to extend the verification deadline and allow the labourers to

stay and work temporarily in Thailand, Mr Arak said.

These workers need the nod from the cabinet as their work

 permits are also going to expire, a source said.

 If their nationalities are not checked by authorities, they will

 face problems when they return to their home countries.

State officials may deny them entry, the source said.

This can lead to them living and working illegally in Thailand,

which would eventually cause a setback in the labour policy

 of the National Council for Peace and Order, which has been

 regulating foreign workers since mid-2014.

Ambassadors from the three neighbourng countries have

 applauded the NCPO's efforts, saying putting foreign workers

under state watch can help protect against labour abuse.

The committee yesterday also decided to ask the cabinet to

give illegal foreign labourers a chance to report to authorities.

Reports  suggest their number stands at 1.5 million.

 They include immigrants who sneaked into the country,

 labourers who changed their places of work without notice

 and those who failed to have their nationalities checked.

 

News,General,Bangkok Post, 16 February 2016.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/865112/cabinet-mulls-longer-stay-for-foreign-hires

 

In my viewpoint,I disagee to allow the foreign workers to

extend period for verifying the nationalities of them for

two years because there are many crimes cause from these

workers if the period for verify is long ,there will be more

criminal gangs in Thailand than before.

 

For workers who choose to enter in our country illegally

if we let them stay more who will responsibily for safety

of Thai people.

 

Sincerely Yours.

Eight-term limits needed on MPs ,CDC told

 

 

The CDC has designed a system where a person can serve

 as prime minister more than once but the amount of time

he or she has been in the post must not exceed a combined

eight years.

Under the charter drafted by the CDC,the time a person

serve as prime minister will be limited to a maximum of

eight years,regardless of how many times he or she has been

in the post.

After that ,he or she cannot serve as prime minister.

 

News,Politics,Bangkok Post, 15 February 2016.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/863784/eight-year-term-limits-needed-on-mps-cdc-told

In my opinion, I agree with this restriction on term limit

for prime minister for eight years regardless of how many

times he or she has been in the post and I think it this term

should set for MPs also.

 

This term limit will prevent the power to remain in the

same hand for too long and will provide the opportunity

for the new good politicians to enter into political field.

 

Also it will help change political climate in Thailand which

old politicians can dominate the country for a long time.

 

Sincerely Yours.