The Treatment of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk and Hypocrisy by the U.S. Embassy

The Bangkok Criminal Court sentenced news editor and political activist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk to 10 years in prison last Wednesday (January 23rd) for two articles the court ruled had “insulted” the Thai monarch. Somyot didn't actually write the articles, he just published them.  And they didn't appear in articles of fact, but in two fiction stories. Oh, and they didn't even actually mention King Bhumibol Adulyadej by name. One of the pieces published in the now-defunct magazine centered around a murderous ghost that the court determined was a stand-in for the King, in a tale that "conveyed connection to historical events."

Somyot has been held since April 30, 2011 in the eastern province of Sa Kaeo, just 2 days after he participated in the launch of a campaign to collect 10,000 signatures to remove the lese majeste article from the Thai criminal code.  He was later reproached for refusing to reveal the identity of the author of the two articles, written under the pen-name of Jitra Polachan.

The court denied Somyot bail on twelve different occasions during his 20 month pretrial detention. He was also paraded around Thailand (four different provinces) in shackles. This wasn’t just meant to punish Somyot for his views but was what amounted to a demonstration for all to see how the courts could humiliate someone who doesn’t "toe the line" when it comes to their version of what to think.

Somyot in Chains - A lesson by the Thai Courts that this could happen to you.

The Thai justice system’s treatment of Somyot clearly illustrates the erosion of due process and the dilution of even the most basic of human rights.  Since the royalist courts have taken it upon themselves to be the defender of the monarchy, they have savagely used the lese majeste law; not to uphold justice, as the lese majeste law has nothing to do with justice. Instead they use the lese majeste law to exercise control, authority and power in the interests of oppression and personal gain.

But not all the disgraceful action was committed by the Thai courts.  Even though a representative of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok attended the trial on January 23rd, there was no resulting public condemnation of Somyot’s conviction and sentencing. No comment at all.

Of course, the U.S. embassy had a perfect opportunity to speak out. After all, January 21st was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President Obama’s Inauguration.

So, leading up to and the verdict on January 23rd, the U.S. Embassy was posting various quotes by Dr. King on their facebook page.

And on January 21, the U.S. Embassy posted this part of Obama’s inaugural speech:

All of these quotes are very inspirational. But it appears like the U.S. Embassy wasn’t too inspired by them because on January 22nd, when closing arguments by Somyot’s lawyers were being held, this was posted on the U.S. Embassy’s facebook page:

Yes, a posting of a picture of a monkey with an explanation of what the phrase "monkey see, monkey do" means. Well, at least the folks at the U.S. embassy know what that phrase means. Judging from the fact that there were no explanations of the Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes nor the Obama quote, should we infer that they have don't have a clue about their meanings? 

And on January 23rd, when Somyot’s sentence and conviction was handed down, the only posting on the U.S. Embassy’s facebook page was some pathetic fluff article about Obama surprising White House visitors.

As Americans, we should expect more from our Ambassador, Kristie Kenney.  

What about the facebook postings? "...with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals." - What voices? 

Personally, I’m at a loss as to why Ambassador Kenney did not speak out.  Was it because she supports the royalist movement in Thailand? Or is it because she is scared that royalist will protest against her and she’ll lose popularity – something she apparently craves?

From this picture of her, the answer is still elusive.  It could go either way.

Ambassor Kenney sporting a big yellow streak down her back

Of course, we can expect the “quiet diplomacy” spiel.  But “quiet diplomacy” has yielded scant results if any when it comes to protecting people from Thailand’s draconian lese majeste law.  So I expect that “quiet diplomacy” actually means "no diplomacy at all" and the American public is being lied to by representatives of the State Department, which wouldn’t be the first time.  By the way, just what really did cause that September 11 attack in Benghazi?  

My 2012 Nicknames for Thailand's Opposition Party

As we get into the new year, I'm thinking (and hoping) the blog might attract some new readers.  Folks who haven't been here the past couple of years and don't know that posts filled with nothing but silly insults are par for the course.

In fact, I'd like to think those posts are my strong point.

Last week the Bangkok Post reported some other insults on the current Thai government, the prime minister and some cabinet ministers by the Government House reporters.  It is a tradition for these reporters at the end of the year to give invented names to describe their subjects’ characters and flaws.  

So in an effort to promote political fairness, I have come up with some nicknames for the main opposition party and their MPs and friends.

Disclaimers:  I don't know any of these people personally, so if any of my chosen nicknames are their actual nicknames, it's purely coincidental.  Also, I am unsure of exact name pronunciations, so if I botched any in an attempt at humor, mea culpa.

That's another thing you newbies need to know about this blog:  Botching things in the name of humor is my other strong point.

I have dubbed the Democratic Party the "Biggest Loser" Party. No surprise there. They haven’t won a national election in over 20 years. They even lost big in the government’s no-confidence vote held in late November.  Their arch nemesis, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, easily won her no-confidence vote in the lower house 308 – 159. The other three ministers in Yingluck’s cabinet also had no problem winning their no-confidence votes.

And if you’re looking for reasons why the Democrat Party loses all the time, all you need to do is look at their roster.

Democrat Party MP “Nasty Nat” Bantadtan, son of Democrat party-list MP and executive Banyat Bantadtan.  You may remember him.  He was caught watching porn on his iPhone while Parliament was in session and was blamed for accidentally causing the image of a woman in a provocative pose to be flashed across the giant monitors in the Parliament.  In typical Democrat Party style, he tried to weasel out of it with some pathetic excuse but nobody with any brain power at all believed him.

Sorry - I had to pixelate some of this photo to maintain this site's decency

Democrat Party MP Boonyod “Swastika Joe” Sukthinthai. On May 2nd during another session in Parliament, he goose stepped up to the front speaker’s podium, gave the Nazi salute and screamed “Heil Hitler” at the top of his lungs. 

Democrat Party MP Thani “the Bangkok Strangler” Thaugsuban. The Democrats often speak about the importance of “rule of law” but rarely practice it. On May 31, 2012, the Democrat MPs went crazy ass bonkers in Parliament again and MP Thani Thaugsuban went for the throat – the throat of political rival, Pheu Thai MP Jirayu Huangsap.

Democrat MP Thani Thaugsuban trying to choke the life out of PT MP Jirayu Huangsap

It is interesting to note that in this wider image we happen to see none other than “Swastika Joe” in the gray suit (upper left hand corner) attempting to get into the action. 

“Goose-steppers of a feather flock together” and it’s time to tell the Democrat Party to get the ‘flock’ out of Parliament.

I don’t see fellow Democrat MP “Nasty Nat” in the picture. He must be in the back of the room “attending to his caucus” – if you know what I mean.

Democrat Party MP Suthep “Murder Defendent” Thaugsuban.  Homicidal maniacs evidently run in the Thaugsuban family.  Thani gets his thrills with the “hands on approach” of strangling his victims. His brother and former Deputy PM, Suthep prefers ordering the army to do his killing for him.  As a result of his murderous rampage in the 2010 pro-democracy protests, murder and attempted murder charges against Suthep were officially filed last month.

Democrat Party MP Abhisit “Prime Suspect” Vejjajiva.  Abhisit was a Prime Minister.  Now he’s a Prime Suspect in the same atrocities that his former Deputy PM Suthep has been charged with. Abhisit has been charged as well.

Abhisit and Suthep - looking guilty as charged.

Special Bonus Nickname:

Channel 7 Reporter Somjit “Abhisit’s Lap Dog” Nawakruasunthorn.  Although not a Democrat Party MP, Somjit does work hard for her master, Abhisit Vejjajiva. When she’s not writing propaganda books promoting Abhisit and other Democrat MPs, she’s using her job as a television news reporter to harass his political opponents (see here and here).

Abhisit has been trying to train her for years now. This 2009 video clip shows Abhisit training Somjit to obey orders and walk on two legs.  You can clearly see she is having difficulties.

Thailand needs more democracy and less Democrats. We should all look forward to 2013. 

A Christmas Poem

Printing a short poem or message honoring the King on his birthday, December 5^th, is fairly routine and traditional for newspapers in Thailand.  However, this year there was some controversy concerning a poem printed by one very respected newspaper, Matichon.

It was a short four-line poem printed without attribution but all hell broke loose in online social networks, with angry royalist nutjobs posting comments bashing or condemning the newspaper.  Most of those who were critical of the poem felt the content was ambiguous and none of it could be seen as praising or honoring the King.

One of the critics who railed against the poem and the newspaper in particular included Suravich Virawan, executive editor of the ASTV cable channel and someone with absolutely no clue on the values of poetry.  He questioned why the poem was written in an ambiguous fashion which could be interpreted in different and negative ways.

He also noted that similar poems which were printed by the newspaper in the past for the occasion were quite straightforward, meaningful and easy to understand.

Reinforcing December 7^th as a day of infamy, Sondhi Limthongkul appeared on ASTV grumbling about the poem.  The Manager Group proprietor and year-round fruitcake said the poem in question looked all right if the reader simply glanced through it.

But, he said, if one carefully read through it to find out the true meaning of the poem, the ambiguous nature of the writing could be misinterpreted, or might suggest the unnamed writer might have wanted to criticize the King.

The former leader of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy and current poster boy for abortion, then suggested the newspaper might have already been bought by the "Man in Dubai".

Also, issuing critical points of view were some of the other dregs of Thai society; pop singers. They published their responses to the poem in the most respected and intellectually accepted media in Thailand;  Facebook.

Pop singer Billy Ogan posted his own poem condemning both the poem and Matichon, likening them to a dog.

Not to be outdone in idiocy, pop singer Kalyakorn Naksompop wrote on her Facebook page that there was no need to write in a cryptic or ambiguous fashion if the intention was to praise someone or wish him well. She added the newspaper would have been better off not writing anything at all if it did not want to honor the King.

The criticisms prompted the Matichon editorial department to issue a statement through its website in defense of the controversial poem. It said there was no ulterior motive on the part of the newspaper or the writer of the poem to offend the King.

Now I don’t want to get too involved in this poetry controversy. It is, after all, their king and their poetry.

Besides, I’m too involved nowadays with the holiday season here. Ironically, it is also the celebration of the birthday of a king – the King of kings to be exact.  That’s why we have Santa Claus, decorated trees, singing, etc…

Like during the King of Thailand’s birthday, we also have poetry for Christmas and nothing brings out the spirit of the holidays when the family all gathers around and I read a Christmas poem to them.

So, in honor of the festive holiday season, I’d like to share a traditional Christmas poem which brings cheer to my family and I hope it brings cheer to you as well.  It’s not cryptic or ambiguous but I’m fairly certain that Sondhi is not going to like it. But who cares?  He knows as much about poetry as he does about democracy. 

Twas a Sondhi Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the land
Nothing was stirring, not even the third hand.
The generals were sleeping, retired ones too.
Those arrogant bastards were dreaming of coup.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Christmas danced in their heads.
But I waited until I heard nary a peep,
Then I settled in bed for a much deserved sleep.

When out in the street there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The lights on the street with their bright yellow glow
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.
“I just don’t believe it,” I said to myself,
“There’s some kind of deranged, goofy looking elf. “

Weaving between cars and against traffic flow,
In a crude little wagon pulled by four buffalo.
More yellow than lemons and more stupid they claim,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Phipbob! Now Chamlong! Now  Boonlert and Tul!
It’s all for the King. Try much harder and pull!
To the front of the porch! To the front of the wall!
Now plod away! Plod away! Plod away all!"

And then after a short and relative calm,
The front door exploded from a ping pong ball bomb.
You wouldn’t have guessed who next entered the room,
Sondhi the Terrorist of Suvarnabhumi.

From his head to his feet, he was dressed in all yellow.
He looked very scary, a despicable fellow.
Afraid for my children and even my spouse,
I yelled “this is my home, not the Government House!”

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Wrecking our home, that fat facist jerk.

He smashed into our tree and the ornaments broke,
Is this what he learned from the Santi Asoke?

His eyes were glazed over! His breath smelled of booze!
He acted quite crazy, like his mind blew a fuse!
He called me a name and stuck out his tongue,
He was a very rude man, that fat piece of dung.

He started to chuckle as he broke wind with glee,
Taking all the presents  and even the tree.
Quickly making an exit where once was our door,
He was fully loaded and he could carry no more!

He sprang to his wagon, to his team gave a hoot,
And away they all went pulling that fascist galoot.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"I love the King so this makes it all right!"

The children were shaking and filled with great fright.

They had just witnessed a horrible sight.

Their presents were gone. They didn’t know why.

They thought they’d miss Christmas and started to cry.

But the crying all ceased when reassured by their mother,

“He didn’t take everything, we still have each other.”

It was then and there when we discovered the reason

and the meaning of Christmas and the holiday season.

Christmas is more than a tree or a toy.

It’s about love, happiness, giving and joy.

These are all things Sondhi can’t carry away.

Keep them close to your heart and you’ll have Christmas Day.

It’s peace on Earth, good will towards men.

Practice this and you’ll always win,

The wrong will fail, there’s no need to dread.

Santa doesn’t wear yellow, Santa wears red.

And Santa Says to Free Somyot!
Merry Christmas!

Abhisit’s Revealing Fingerprints

Last Thursday former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his evil toady former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban reported to the Department of Special Investigation to acknowledge criminal charges, including murder, in connection with the massacre of unarmed pro-democracy protesters in Bangkok two years ago. Part of the procedure was to fingerprint the two charged suspects.

However, someone took a photograph of Abhisit being fingerprinted which was later posted on the internet and dubbed “a historic picture.”

This incident prompted the Democrat Party to demand that legal action be taken against a DSI official for taking and leaking the photograph.

Democrat spokesman and renowned loony conspiracy theorist Chavanond Intarakomalyasut insisted that it was clear the picture had been taken from where Pol Lt-Colonel Theeraphol Pinmuangngarm was sitting while Abhisit was being officially charged.  Chavanond also said Theeraphol had denied taking the photograph and posting it on the internet, though he was convinced that the photograph had been e-mailed to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in exchange for a reward. 

Fingerprints, of course, offer an infallible means of personal identification. This technique has been around for years.

Making sure they have the right individual charged with the appropriate crime is why the DSI takes fingerprints in the first place.  Abhisit’s fingerprints were also allegedly leaked to the internet and they are very revealing in that they clearly show that he should be charged with murder, attempted murder, bodily assault and other crimes which incurred during the 2010 pro-democracy protest massacre in Bangkok.

When Abhisit called the military in to crush the pro-democracy movement which would have led to his removal from office, he knew there would be death and violence. The Thai military have a long and well documented history of killing unarmed pro-democracy protesters. Both Abhisit and Suthep should be held to account for these crimes.  

Children of the Korn

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, wasn’t the only person to get nauseous recently over an impending event in the UK involving children.  I was too.

Andrew Spooner, aka Asia Provocateur, posted on his site about former Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his economic henchman, former Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij, being invited to a reception for the Thai Children’s Trust 30th Anniversary Celebration. Korn’s team was especially touting the request to attend.

Korn  Chatikavanij

I find these invitations extremely inappropriate at best, particularly sickening at worst. And those who know me know that passing judgment is like passing a kidney stone. It’s going to hurt and someone is going to walk funny.

Korn is a well known supporter for the terrorist organization known as the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD).   Lest we forget his op-ed article on September 9, 2008 in the Bangkok Post where he states “Let’s be clear – I am a PAD sympathizer.”

Since Korn is a PAD sympathizer then he must condone their use of children as human shields during that group’s violent takeover of the Bangkok airports as was reported by NineMSN on November 30, 2008. “The idea is that the military or police won’t use as much force because children were still there.”

Of course, the democratically elected government of Somchai Wongsawat did not use force against the PAD to free the airports.  But there was no reward for refraining from violence as Somchai was removed from office, banned for 5 years, and his political party (People’s Power Party) dissolved.  Afterwards, the Thai Democrat Party, including Korn, who openly supported the PAD, took over the government with the help of the military.

This was in 2008. But just when I thought that nothing could be as disgusting as supporting the use of children as human shields for a terrorist group, the Thai Democrat Party unbelievably manages to find a way to lower the bar even further.

In 2010, the Thai Democrats, in their attempt to crush a legitimate pro-democracy movement and maintain power, gave the orders that actually shot and killed children.

A Young Victim of the Thai Democrat Party's Quest for Power

There’s nothing like showing the population that you are willing to do anything and commit any atrocity in order to intimidate and control them.  

An invitation to an event supporting the Thai Children’s Trust by a British MP doesn’t absolve Korn nor Abhisit from their crimes against Thai children.  It does not legitimatize their callous actions. It only shows that some British MPs need to be better informed about Thai history and Thai Democrat Party blood lust.