ASC seek to arrest Thaksin's daughter

The Bankok Post reports:

(BangkokPost.com) - The Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) handed documents to file criminal charges against Pinthongta Shinawatra, daughter of ousted premier Thaksin, with police at Bang Sue station for her refusal to testify about the Shin Corp share case after being allowed to postpone the process three times.

ASC official, Monthien Charoenpol, handed documents to related authorities which the committee hopes will allow police to issue an arrest warrant for her.

Ms Pinthonta recently attended a meeting with ASC's sub-panel investigating the Shin Corp share deal with Singapore's Temasek but refused to testify, claiming that she could inadvertently jeopardize her parents' defense case.

She had asked the ASC three times to postpone her testimony before she submitted a written letter refusing to give a statement to the ASC.

Police will deliberate the ASC's documents and are expected to decide next steps to be taken by the end of November.

Ms Pinthonta faces a 6-month jail sentence and/or a 10,000 baht fine if found guilty.

Now, the usual defences for Pinthongta will be trotted out: ASC are persecuting Thaksin's family, etc. The fact is, Pinthongta - like the rest of her family - has come up with an endless list of tenuous excuses for delaying her testimony before the ASC. If she had nothing to hide, the testimony would be a breeze.

Now she has run out of excuses and is simply refusing to be held accountable. One wonders, will she stay in Thailand now? Will she be allowed to leave? If Pinthongta is arrested, will it tempt dad back to Thailand?

World Cup Swimming @ Singapore

Over the last weekend, I was supporting Singapore national swimmers for FINA/ARENA World Cup Swimming held in our school. We did post-race lactate recovery testing for the swimmers to find out whether their cool down was sufficient for them to prepare for next events.

CHINA WATCH

BREEDING GIANTS? – basketballpilipinas China watchI was researching rumors of 100 Chinese 7-footers being trained in their secret basketball camps around China and I got this report. A disturbing report I don’t know whether to believe it or not. There are two propagandas at work American and Chinese and I don’t trust them both. I’m very interested in Chinese basketball I’ve got a lot of files

The sort of people involved in Thai politics

A short while I go I mentioned the news that Chalerm Yoobamrung was threatening to leave the PPP if they did not allow his sons to run for election.

The significance of the names involved escaped me at the time, but Bangkokpundit has refreshed my memory. Chalerm's sons are well known and one of them is almost legendary (I want to use another word but it may get me in trouble) for being acquitted of shooting a policeman outside a night club.

For anyone who wants a straight forward, real look at the sort of people and mentality involved in Thai politics, read Pundit's article right now. There is no opinion involved, there is none needed. The facts speak for themselves.

Meet Real Life Thailand

Mars Hill (aka Paul Burgin) is a member of the Christian Socialist movement and a fellow political blogger. He runs a simple but fun "Twenty questions for a fellow blogger" section in his blog. I persuaded Paul to hit me with the questions. The original is on Paul's blog here.




What made you decide to start blogging?



I became very interested in the blog of a friend in Korea,and he inspired me to do my own. At first it was mostly about ex-pat life in Thailand, but politics just kept creeping in until eventually I stopped resisting!




What is your best blogging experience?

Having a blog published and plugged on the front page by a broadsheet newspaper out here.It was about Thaksin Shiniwat's purchase of Manchester City.



And your worst?

Being threatened with legal action over a certain piece. I had written something everybody knew was true but it was a faux pas to say it publicly.




What do you regard as your best blog entry?
I wrote an excoriating piece on the Thai junta's decision to ban youtube which got quite a bit of praise.



Favourite blogs?

On the Thai side, 'Bangkok Pundit' is very prolific, highly informative and very well researched. I don't always agree with his politics but he is a great blogger. On the home front, I like 'Pub Philosopher' and 'Letters from a Tory' as we have common political views. I'm also a fan of Neil Harding's blog and 'Mars Hill' because both of you welcome criticism and debate. To me that shows strength of character.



Which do you find more exciting. Thai or British politics?

Thai politics by far. The political system is far less mature out here, so politics is a nonstop soap opera of back stabbing, corruption, scandals and surprises. It's great entertainment but sadly it does not benefit society.





How do you see things developing in Burma, seeing as you have blogged several times on this issue?

Being so close to the action has reminded me how we should be grateful for the freedom we take for granted. The international media has dropped off but arrests and human rights abuses are still ongoing. Revolution will come, but the people are facing overwhelming odds. It will take time.



How did you end up living in Thailand?

I travelled SE Asia about five years ago and Thailand won me over for many reasons.




Is there anywhere abroad which you haven't been to, that you would like to visit?

Yes, I'd like to visit Mexico and maybe somewhere in southern Africa.




Is there anywhere abroad you have visited, that you would love to revisit?
Hong Kong. The place is so vibrant and built up yet so safe. I'd also like to go back to Vietnam again to see how it has changed in five years.



Do you have a favourite political figure in history?

I've got several I admire. Perhaps my favourite would be a man called Pridi Phanomyong . He led a left wing group that overthrew the absolute monarchy in Thailand and introduced several progressive state systems.



Which political figure has been your greatest inspiration?
It may sound cheesy but it might just be Aung San Suu Kyi. She was bought up to place her moral values over everything else.


Favourite Bond movie?
I only ever saw "The Man with The Golden Gun"!



Favorite Doctor Who?
Sylvester McCoy is the only Doctor I watched more than once. The others were before my time and the later ones just rubbish.



Chocolate, vanilla, or mint?

I'm a vanilla guy.







Which Band, past or present, would you most like to see in concert?

I've seen the modern incarnation of Guns N Roses but I'd like to see the original line up. I just missed out on Nirvana, too.


In terms of visiting for the weekend, Oxford , Cambridge , or Barsby, Leics..?

Oxford. Charming place.


Favourite national newspaper?

Telegraph. I'm all about the broadsheets these days.



What would you say your hobbies were?

I'm a big reader and I get through books quickly. Until recently I was into drumming and martial arts, now I spend more time writing and playing with my two year old son. I'm a Southampton FC fan too.




And what would you say were your three favourite songs and three favourite books (Bar the Bible and The Complete Works of Shakespeare)?

These change by the week but right now I'd say:Songs:"Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against The Machine"Laura Palmer's Theme" by Angelo Badalamenti"Pure Morning" by PlaceboBooks: "The Prince" by Machiavelli"Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" by Kevin Trudeau and maybe "The Art of Fighting Without Fighting" by Geoff Thompson

What did those documents say????

Courtesy of BangkokPundit, here is a translation of the allegedly leaked documents from the Thai junta concerning the “plot to undermine the PPP (People Power Party) linked with Thai Rak Thai and Thaksin Shiniwat".

The original version is here. This translation comes from The Nation via some editing of the translation by Bangkok Pundit (because he can read Thai far better than me):

To create greater harmony in the nation, by the following:1. to create and
promote harmony amongst the public so they have the same objective2. make the
Thai people aware of punishment for those who are divisive



The plan for information dissemination has two major goals - foster national unity and discredit the opposition forces against the junta and the interim government.On the discredit of the opposition forces, the junta plans to achieve five targets:

1. Prevent the middle class from leaning toward the opposition.

2. Expose the flaws of populist policies to grassroots people.

3. Deter and discourage grassroots people from rallying in Bangkok.

4. Circumvent opposition activities.

5. Deter civil servants from supporting the opposition.

For information dissemination between September and the general election, the junta will strive for the following five objectives:

1. Inform the middle class about the facts relating to various political parties
and their activities.

2. Point out the similarities between policies of disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party and those of People Power Party.

3. Encourage grassroots people to see the harms if ousted politicians were to return to power.

4. Warn about the repeat of corruption and illegitimacy should the People Power
Party were to grab power.

5. Build up the public sentiment to oppose the return of the ousted leaders via the People Power Party.In discrediting the People Power Party, the junta has assigned all military units under its jurisdiction and military controlled media outlets, including Channel 5.

In reality of course, I am not so prescient. This scandal as predictable as England’s European Championship qualifying screw up in Russia.

The great question is: are the documents genuine? Unsurprisingly, in addition to Sonthi’s initial scourge, the junta played the “These documents could be faked by soldiers who wanted to fool [PPP leader] Samak for money” card. Unsurprisingly, the junta did not offer to investigate which soldiers committed fraud. Bangkok Pundit also points out one document was actually addressed to Sonthi, which amkes his denial claim even more bizzare.

However, with Surayud’s pledge to investigate, the old general must be reasonably sure they are genuine. So what action will be taken?

Five minutes later.....

Prescient old me. Almost the minute after I finished discussing my prediction, we learned that Samak Sundaravej claimed (link may expire and citebite is down!) to have documents leaked from the junta with "massive plans to undermine the party".

How would the junta do that? What would they do? What did the documents say? We don't know. This kind of mind game is common. The player with the documents does not want to reveal them because of course, everybody in politics has mud on everyone else and they don't want it to be revealed. But the document holder will tease the alleged offender, who then has to call his bluff. What usually results is a rather pathetic game of claim and counterclaim, innuendos about the alleged offenders such as nicknames or ultra vague descriptions.

Still, it was notable that the army's response was muted and defensive. Sonthi made an outright denial though.

That was yesterday, today PM Surayud admitted he had the documents and they were leaked from the junta, but did his best to water down the ferocity of the alleged plot as described by Samak. And Sonthi backtracked claiming "I didn't have the chance to see the documents".

Strange how Sonthi has time to organise the election and do the ECC's job for them but he does not have an hour free to visit his boss and the PM he hand picked to examine some serious allegations of plotting to control the election.