lagrange wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 3:01 am

Yerg wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 2:46 am

lagrange wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 12:38 am Monarchy....obsolete concept or modern day obscenity.....people who "love " a royal family they will never meet are as deluded as natives who venerate trees. We shake our heads at the North Koreans who are brainwashed from birth to "love" their dear leader, yet accept the same situation in other countries without a thought. The French had the best solution to the whole ridiculous set-up.

Yes, but comparing KJU and a monarchy is not really the same thing, is it? One is a despotic nutter and the other isn’t. I certainly don’t see royal families (generally today) as oppressive dictators. That was a terrible comparison.

Quite correct, most of the inbred types sitting in unearned wealth are fairly harmless. My point was the brainwashing....when I hear poms talk about how much they love the Queen I think, why? Because they have been told to from birth. And actually that makes the comparison valid, if you stopped for a moment to think about it.

As a Pom, I developed my own personal respect for my monarchy for my own reasons. Not because I was brainwashed. You’re talking absolute tosh. Sweeping generalizations are exactly that. People are quite capable of making their own decisions. You assume that they are not. My kids couldn’t give a flying f*** about the monarchy. If they’d been brainwashed to love them, you’d be right. But they haven’t. So you’re not. But carry on. Still the shoddiest of comparisons.

Anyway, let’s get back to Thailand...

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/303 ... l_referral


Facebook plans to sue Thai govt for being forced
to block page critical of monarchy
National
Aug 25. 2020


By THE NATION

Facebook is planning to take legal action against the government for forcing it to block a page deemed critical of the monarchy, CNN reported on Monday (August 24).

“After careful review, Facebook has determined that we are compelled to restrict access to content, which the Thai government has deemed to be illegal,” a Facebook spokesperson told CNN Business.

Facebook had been forced to block local access to the “Royalist Marketplace” page, which has one million members. News of the page, which features the Royal family, being blocked was first reported by Reuters.

According to Rishi Iyengar, CNN Business reporter, Facebook said it has been under pressure from the Thai government to restrict certain instances of political speech, with the government threatening to launch criminal proceedings against Facebook representatives in Thailand.

Facebook said it is now considering to legal action itself.

“Requests like this are severe, contravene international human rights law and have a chilling effect on people’s ability to express themselves,” the spokesperson said. “We work to protect and defend the rights of all internet users and are preparing to legally challenge this request.”

Meanwhile, Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta, who Facebook said it has been in discussions with, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under Thai law, defaming the King, Queen, heir-apparent or regent can result in a 15-year jail sentence. However, this law has increasingly been used as a political tool, as ordinary Thai citizens as well as the government can bring charges on behalf of the King. Despite that, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Bangkok in recent days demanding reform of the monarchy.

Royalist Marketplace was started on April 16 by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an exiled Thai dissident based in Japan.

Pavin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN, but told Reuters that Facebook was “cooperating with the authoritarian regime to obstruct democracy and cultivating authoritarianism in Thailand”.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbul ... 0&si=44594


Rise of Thai king's guard erodes Prayuth's sway over army
Military reshuffle comes as prime minister faces anti-government youth protests


Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha attends a photo session with new cabinet ministers at the Government House in Bangkok on Aug. 13 © Reuters
MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondentAugust 28, 2020 13:14 JST

BANGKOK -- Trusted military allies of Thailand's monarch have moved to extend their reach into the armed forces, the country's most powerful political institution, alienating Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha from a pillar he needs to prop up his government.

This jockeying for influence played out during the behind-the-scenes lobbying to finalize the promotion of commanders of the army, air force and navy by September, according to well-placed political sources and military insiders.

The annual reshuffle of flag officers takes on added political significance this year, since it comes as Prayuth, a former army chief himself, faces growing youth-led anti-government protests, the likes of which have not been witnessed since the ex-general grabbed power in a 2014 coup.

According to military insiders, Gen. Apirat Kongsompong, the hawkish army chief and palace favorite, lobbied for Gen. Narongphan Jitkaewthae, the assistant army chief, to succeed him in September as the new commander of the army, which has 335,000 active-duty troops.

Narongphan, the sources add, is trusted by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who began placing a stronger personal stamp on the military soon after his accession following his father's death in October 2016. Narongphan is due to hold the army commander's post till 2023, a three-year spell expected to further consolidate the realignment of palace-military ties.

In a country where demonstrations of loyalty to the monarchy are prized, both Apirat and Narongphan wear theirs around their neck -- special shirts with a red rim around the collar. The shirts show they have passed special training for soldiers in the elite Royal Command Guard, also known as Royal Guard 904, which answers only to the king.

The two generals also belong to the King's Guard, a Bangkok-based military faction with a rich army pedigree. The monarch himself served in the ranks of the Wongthewan, as the King's Guard is called in Thai, during military service in the 1970s while he was crown prince.

Prayuth had favored Gen. Natthapon Nakpanich, the deputy army chief, to be Apirat's successor. But the prime minister was unable to make headway against the choice of the monarch, who wields ultimate authority in this Southeast Asian kingdom, and of Apirat.

"Apirat doesn't like Natthapon. ... there is some bad blood between the two going back to competition as they rose through the ranks," said a military intelligence insider. "And he is close to the king and wanted to carry out the king's request."

Prayuth's bonds with Natthapon deepened after he was picked to serve on a government committee to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

"Prayuth wanted a dependable ally as the next army chief to deal with the rising political tension sparked by the protests," added the insider. "Narongphan does not have close ties with Prayuth, just a professional relationship. It is more likely he will listen to the king than to the prime minister."

A similar turn has shaped promotions in the air force, an increasing source of palace loyalists in the wake of former Air Chief Marshall Sathitpong Sukwimol serving as the influential private secretary to the king. Political insiders say that a U.S.-trained officer, Air Chief Marshall Airbull Suttiwan, has been eyed to command the air force, leapfrogging senior figures vying for the top post.

"This year's reshuffle shows how much say the king had in the promotions," said one insider. "Airbull has the king's backing."

Seasoned military analysts say that Prayuth will be on unfamiliar ground after the changing of the guard in September. Together with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda -- both former army chiefs themselves -- Prayuth formed a powerful troika that staged the 2014 putsch to overthrow an elected government. They enjoyed unbroken rule, first in a junta and then as a military-leaning government after the controversial 2019 general election.

But while the trio of ex-generals had a firm grip on the government and the defense ministry, still packed with their allies, questions emerged over support they could command from the military since the 2016 reshuffle.

"The subtle schism between Prayuth-Prawit-Anupong on one side and the post-2016 army leadership on the other has increasingly intensified, especially with the ascension of the Wongthewan to senior army postings in 2018 and beyond," said Paul Chambers, an expert on Thai national security at Naresuan University in northern Thailand. "Especially since 2018, Prayuth has not been able to be assured of military backing."

Even among the colonels -- often deployed to lead troops in coups, of which Thailand has had 13 successful military interventions since absolute monarchy ended in 1932 -- there is growing discontent with the "saam paw," a reference within the ranks to the Prayuth-Prawit-Anupong troika.

The trio has been accused of "using the military to stay in power, especially in terms of relying on soldiers to bolster Palang Pracharath in power," said Chambers, referring to the new political party formed ahead of last year's election to serve as a vehicle for Prayuth and his military allies to rule the country. "Prawit has relied on military carrots and sticks to cajole coalition parties and Palang Pracharath factions to follow Prayuth's lead."

Other observers say military operations in Bangkok -- pivotal to launching or crushing coups -- are beyond Prayuth's control. A new military blueprint unveiled by the king has realigned troops in the capital under the Royal Guard 904, whose numbers have swelled to a well-trained force of 7,000 and are expected to double in the months ahead. Roped into such exclusive royal service are units from the 11th Infantry Regiment, the 4th Cavalry Battalion and the 1st Infantry Regiment, which has been in the vanguard of past coups.

But this redeployment -- which appears to rule out the prospect of the previous style of coups -- has not stopped rumors of another putsch. Bangkok-based diplomats heard talk of a possible coup attempt on the eve of the anti-government protests led by students in the capital's historic quarter on Aug. 16 -- a rally that drew over 20,000, the largest public outpouring of rage since the 2014 coup.

"The rumor was about Apirat being unhappy with the way the government was handling things regards the protests and was planning to step in to address it," an Asian diplomat confided.

A military intelligence source expects the rumor mill to churn through September, when youth leaders are planning a larger protest in the middle of the month.

"A coup will happen only if there is a confrontation during the protests and people try to kill each other," he said. "There are tense days ahead for the transition from Apirat to Narongphan."

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2020 10:45 am a reversal concerning the extended emergency decree that they would NOT arrest protestors

Well

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-as ... nstatement

Thai King's personal life in spotlight again after royal consort's reinstatement
Latest palace intrigue comes amid calls for transparency, reforms in royal institution


Ms Sineenat taking part in the royal cremation ceremony of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok in 2017.PHOTOS: REUTERS

News that Ms Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi is back in favour with Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn took citizens by surprise last Wednesday, but the development once again shone the spotlight on the King's personal life.

No one expected that Ms Sineenat would be back in the royal fold. Then again, no one could have predicted her swift fall from grace 10 months ago either, less than three months after being made royal noble consort.

The latest palace intrigue comes amid widespread protests across Thailand by pro-democracy groups calling for more transparency and reforms in the royal institution.

"(Sineenat's reinstatement) will add fire to the demonstrations and calls for reforms," Professor James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, told The Sunday Times.

The Royal Gazette in its announcement dated Aug 29 declared that Ms Sineenat, 35, had all her titles restored as she "is untainted".

The phrase became a top trending Twitter hashtag in Thailand on Thursday morning.

High school student group Bad Student, which organised a protest at the Education Ministry yesterday, declared on Friday that any student who does a three-finger salute "is untainted".

The three-finger salute has been used by anti-government protesters as a symbol against dictatorship.

The former royal bodyguard was stripped of her titles for "misbehaviour and disloyalty against the monarch" last October. She was also accused of seeking to sabotage Queen Suthida's appointment in a bid to take the position herself.

"(She) was acting out against the royal marriage and the appointment of the queen," said the Royal Gazette in a detailed condemnation of the disgraced consort.

Soon after, the King fired nearly a dozen palace officials - all of whom received harsh rebuke in the Royal Gazette - for reasons such as "extremely evil misconduct".


Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Ms Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi at the Grand Palace in Bangkok in an undated handout photo. Ms Sineenat had been stripped of her titles last October for “misbehaviour and disloyalty”. PHOTOS: REUTERS

Following her royal excommunication, Ms Sineenat disappeared from public view and all mention of her in the palace website was scrubbed.

It is unclear why Ms Sineenat, who is believed to be in Germany now, is being reinstated.

The announcement once again shone the spotlight on the 68-year-old monarch's personal life, long a subject of speculation both in his homeland and abroad.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn - who ascended the throne in December 2016 after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, two months earlier - spends most of his time abroad, especially in Germany, where he keeps a home.

In March, after an overseas Thai activist posted online about the King continuing to travel in Germany during the coronavirus pandemic, the Thai-language hashtag #whydoweneedaking became one of the top trending topics on Thailand's Twitter.

The government subsequently came out to warn citizens about online posts questioning the monarchy.

Thailand is strictly governed by lese majeste laws which punish those who insult or defame the monarchy with up to 15 years in jail.

Facebook has taken down content and groups that the government deemed to be insulting to the monarchy, the latest being a group with one million members that has criticised the King.

Although Thailand abolished absolute monarchy more than 80 years ago, the king still wields significant power.

Since he ascended the throne, King Maha Vajiralongkorn has consolidated his power by taking personal control of the multibillion-dollar assets of the Crown Property Bureau and two army units.

He also directed the government to rewrite parts of the Constitution that touched on the role of the king, including the procedure for appointing a regent in the king's absence and whether royal edicts should be countersigned by a government minister.

Since July, protesters have gathered in large numbers in the country calling for amendments to the military-backed Constitution, a fresh election and a democracy "with the monarch under the Constitution".

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been married four times.

His first wife was his cousin whom he divorced in 1991.

In 1994, he married actress Sujarinee Vivacharawongse.

She had been his steady companion since the late 1970s and gave birth to four sons and a daughter.

However, the marriage did not last long, with Ms Sujarinee fleeing to Britain in 1996 with her children.

She now lives with her sons in the United States, while her daughter returned to live with her father in Thailand.

The King in 2001 married Ms Srirasmi Suwadee - who had served as his "lady-in-waiting" in the 1990s - and they have a son together. The marriage ended abruptly and acrimoniously in 2014 when she was purged and stripped of all her titles while members of her family were jailed for insulting the monarchy.

He married Queen Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya in May last year and raised eyebrows two months later when he anointed Ms Sineenat as "Chao Khun Phra" or noble consort, a title that was last used almost a century ago.

Born in the northern Thai province of Nan, Ms Sineenat, nicknamed Koi, is a trained pilot and a former nurse.

After the unexpected elevation of her status came the unprecedented release of a series of candid pictures featuring the new consort - from her in a crop top at the controls of a fighter jet, to her and the King dressed in combat fatigues, with royal poodle in arm - which drew so many visitors to the palace website that it crashed.

Those photos, along with her repute, were, however, effaced less than three months later.