PM-Prem meeting ‘acceptable’…Prem,the REAL King

 Bangkokpost, 27 April 2012

There was nothing wrong with the meeting between the prime minister and Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda, a prominent northern red-shirt activist said on Friday.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (left) talks with Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda,the King Doer, at his residence on April 26, 2012. (Photo GOVERNMENT HOUSE)

Petcharawat Watanapongsirikul, advisory chairman of the Rak Chiang Mai 51 group, was responding to criticism of Thursday’s event involving Yingluck Shinawatra by some factions in the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.
Ms Yingluck and three of her deputies went to Gen Prem’s Si Sao Thewes residence in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon for a traditional Songkran rod nam dam hua blessing.
Mr Petcharawat said Ms Yingluck and the governing Pheu Thai Party must fulfill their promises made during the election campaign: to amend the 2007 charter, to create national reconciliation, to bring fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra home; and to implement their populist policies for the people.
Some red-shirts did not understand that the government and Pheu Thai must adapt to current conditions and also must abide by the demands of the majority of Thai people, he added.
Red-shirt critics of Ms Yingluck believe her government is becoming too friendly with elements that they blame for the coup that ousted her brother in 2006. They also feel she is not taking a sufficiently hard line on dealing with those responsible for the bloody end to the May 2010 red-shirt protests, in which 91 people died.
Promoting reconciliation is not about whitewashing the wrongs in connection with the 91 deaths, said Mr Petcharawat. It was aimed at healing and providing financial assistance for the victims of political violence.
Offenders must be held responsible for any wrongs they committed and must be punished, he added.
“The red-shirts should not rally against Gen Prem because the meeting between Ms Yingluck and the statesman and bringing about national reconciliation are different matters,” he said.
The red-shirts should stand firm on their stance to protect democracy and to act as guards to prevent powers from outside the system getting involved in politics. Politics is a matter for political parties, he added.
For example, Mr Petcharawat said, the red-shirts should not interfere with the coming byelection in Chiang Mai’s Constituency 3, to replace the disqualified MP Chinnitcha Wongsawat, daughter of former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, who is married to the premier’s older sister.
It is the prerogative of the Pheu Thai Party to select a suitable candidate to run in the byelection and the red-shirts must respect the party’s decision.
Ms Yingluck insisted on Friday that she merely offered Gem Prem a Songkran blessing and that the meeting was non-political.
It is a Thai tradition that younger people should approach the more senior ones to ask for blessing during the Thai New Year festival, she said.
Asked about her 30-minute discussion with Gen Prem, Ms Yingluck said there was no discussion of politics because Gen Prem has never got involved in it.
The issues raised included ways to work to better help people in far South and other development projects on which Gen Prem had years of experience, she said.
Asked whether she had apologised to Gen Prem on behalf of her elder brother, Ms Yingluck did not answer.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit on Friday said members of the public felt “sabai jai” (comfortable) with the meeting between the Yingluck cabinet members and Gen Prem.
Mr Prompong said people had expressed their views toward the meeting through the party, saying they felt at ease that the premier and her colleagues performed a traditional blessing for a “respected adult” without having any political agenda.
Mr Prompong said the meeting should not be used for any political purposes. He also claimed most supporters of the UDD were satisfied with the way Thursday’s event was conducted.

Thai PM orders to curb high consumer product prices caused by flood

BANGKOK, March 17 (Xinhua) — Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday ordered concerned authorities to speed up measures to contain high consumer product prices caused by the massive flood last year, Thai News Agency reported.

The premier, on her weekly programme “Yingluck Government Meets the People,” said that last year’s flood crisis was the major factor that caused high prices of consumer products.

She said that consumer goods prices were lower when compared with the same month last year but the flood had forced many factories to halt their operations, while many distribution centres could not deliver the products, eventually causing prices to increase as demand was much higher than the supply.

However, she expressed confidence that the high prices of food and consumer products would return to normal by June this year.

Yingluck said she has ordered the Commerce Ministry to speed up the expansion of the “Blue Flag” programme to sell consumer goods at low prices assisting low-income earners, and expected every community to have one Blue Flag shop or stall starting this month.

The ministry of commerce and relevant offices would implement measures to ensure that prices of consumer goods were reasonable, particularly those of eggs and palm cooking oil, said the premier.

The prime minister said the government believed the rise of world oil prices would be only short term and would not intervene in domestic oil prices, but measures would be taken to ease the impact on the public.

PM: Thaksin not coming back yet

BKPost, 11 March 2012

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Monday her elder brother, former prime minister Thaksin, is not about to return home soon.

Ms Yingluck had been asked if she was concerned a new round of conflict would erupt if Thaksin returns to Thailand soon, because her deputy Chalerm Yubamrung has repeatedly claimed he will bring the ousted prime minister home soon.

The premier said she had replied to this question many times, and that Mr Chalerm was only giving his personal opinion.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (L) and her elder brother Thaksin (File Photo)

She said the current constitutional amendment process was intended only to amend Section 291 to set up a constitution drafting assembly to rewrite the charter, not to bring anyone home.

On the yellow shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy’s (PAD) call for political reforms, Ms Yingluck reaffirmed the government is working toward reconciliation and is open to opinions from all sides.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm confirmed it is his intention to propose a reconciliation bill that will result in his bringing Thaksin home.

He said his move had nothing to do with Prime Minister Yingluck or the government.

The reconciliation bill, with only six articles, has been drafted. It will be proposed as a bill under Section 142 (2) of the constitution requiring the support of at least 20 MPs.

So far 21 MPs had promised to sign in support of the bill.

Mr Chalerm said this in responding to questions about Democrat Party and opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva’s call for Ms Yingluck to explain clearly to the public how the government will achieve reconciliation and bring the fugitive former premier home.

The deputy prime minister said he will not reveal the bill’s details at this stage because he wanted to first help people understand its real purpose.

Mr Chalerm said he expected to spend another four to five months explaining this before submitting the bill to the House of Representatives.

After the House goes into recess, he will travel to the provinces, beginning with the Northeast, to brief police throughout the country on policies regarding drugs, crime suppression and justice.

During the trip he will take time in the evening, after official working hours, to make speeches to the people in the front yard of the governors’ residences to explain the reconciliation bill.

He said it was intended to allow everybody to forget the past and start over, with a new chapter of politics which will benefit everyone.

(Luang)Thaksin not coming back yet: Thai PM

BANGKOK, March 12 (Xinhua) — Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Monday dispelled the rumor that her fugitive elder brother and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is about to return to Thailand shortly.

“He is not coming back,” English website Bangkok Post quoted her as saying.

She had been asked if she was concerned a new round of conflict would erupt if Thaksin returns to the country soon, because Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung had repeatedly claimed that he would bring the former prime minister back soon.

Yingluck said she had replied to this question many times, and the deputy PM was only giving his personal opinion.

Deputy PM Chalerm claimed last Thursday that he had been able to figure out how to get the fugitive ex-PM home but refused to give further details.

Thaksin had been a prime minister from 2001-06 before he was ousted by a bloodless coup detat in 2006 for allegedly massive corruption, power abuses and undermining the country’s democratic institutions. He was convicted for corruption in absentia in 2008 and has lived abroad to avoid a two-year prison sentence. He has since remained as a divisive figure in Thai politics.

Thailand’s cabinet reshuffle involves 16 posts

BANGKOK, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has submitted a new cabinet line-up to His Majesty the King for royal endorsement, government spokesperson Thitima Chaisaeng said Tuesday.

The reshuffle, which took place nearly six months after Yingluck came to power, involved 16 portfolios, a source in the ruling Pheu Thai party was quoted as saying by local media.

Some ministers would be replaced while others would be moved to new portfolios.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong admitted that about 90 percent of the recent reports about new cabinet line-up were correct.

Among those changes reported by press, Kittirat would replace Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala as finance minister while retaining the post of deputy prime minister. ACM Sukampol Suwannathat, the present transport minister, would become defence minister, replacing Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapha.

Thai PM visits Cambodia to strengthen ties

BANGKOK, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday will leave Bangkok for Phnom Penh on an official one day visit after assuming office last month, Mass Communication of Thailand (MCOT) reported.

Yingluck and her Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen will hold talks before proceeding to Khemarin Palace for an audience with King Norodom Sihamoni.

Hun Sen will host a dinner to honor Yingluck at Government House before she returns to Thailand at 9.20 p.m. local time.

Thai Government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng earlier said that the prime minister’s visit to Cambodia was an important milestone as it was considered the beginning of a new chapter for Thai- Cambodian relations.

It also showed that the ties between the two neighboring countries, which soured over border conflict, were heading into bright prospect, she said.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the relations and cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia, measures to promote trade and investment, the opening of permanent border checkpoints, tourism promotion, technical assistance and scholarships for Cambodian students, Thitima said.

Yingluck also seeks release of two Thai nationalist activists jailed in a Cambodian prison on espionage charges.

Yingluck paid a visit to Brunei last week and visited Indonesia on Monday and was scheduled to visit Laos on Friday.

Abhisit opposes Thaksin pardon…prosecute Prem for power abuses

Bangkokpost,4/09/2011

The government should not seek a royal pardon for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra because he is a fugitive, former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday.

Mr Abhisit was commenting on a report that the Corrections Department has finished verifying a red-shirt petition seeking a royal pardon for Thaksin and the matter is now for Justice Minister Pracha Promnok to decide.

Corrections Department chief Chartchai Sutthiklom on Saturday said he forwarded the petition along with recommendations to Kanyanuch Sorthip, the deputy permanent secretary for justice, for submission to Pol Gen Pracha for consideration.

The department spent about two years checking the eligibility of more than 3.5 million people who signed the petition.  Of those who signed the petition, 2 million names were verified.

Mr Abhisit said the step to be taken from now is for the Justice Ministry to ask the petitioners to confirm the petition, as normally done with other cases.

In the past, a petition was not forwarded to the Office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary if the person for whom a royal pardon was sought had escaped.

Therefore, the government under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra should follow this line of practice otherwise it could be accused of taking double-standards, Mr Abhisit said.

Mr Abhisit said Ms Yingluck should base her decision on related criteria and regulations, not the fact that Thaksin is her elder brother.

Thaksin is a fugitive in the Ratchadapisek land case in which he was sentenced to two years imprisonment for abuse of power.

<!–

Give us your ideas!

What do you want to see at the website? We need your input! We appreciate your suggestions.

Take survey

–>

New Thai gov’t to deliver policy statement on Aug. 24

 

BANGKOK, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — The new Pheu Thai government will deliver its policy statement to the parliament on Aug. 24, according to Cabinet Secretary-general, the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday.

“The policy statement will be made on Aug. 24, within 15 days of the royal command appointing Ms Yingluck as prime minister as required by the constitution,” said Ampon Kittiampon, secretary- general to the cabinet.

The cabinet meeting on Thursday, Ampon said, was discussing about the framework of the government’s policy statement to the parliament.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had assigned Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit and Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong to head the policy drafting team, he said.

Ampon said the team was directed to coordinate with ministry heads and submit the draft statement to the cabinet meeting for approval next Tuesday, Aug. 16.

The Pheu Thai Party, founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won a landslide victory in the general election on July 3. It later formed a strong coalition of about 60 percent of the House seats.

New Thai cabinet appointments made on merit basis: Yingluck

BANGKOK, July 6 (Xinhua) — Yingluck Shinawatra, the would-be prime minister of Thailand, on Wednesday stressed that her consideration of cabinet members will be based solely on individual capabilities, Thai National News Bureau reported.

Yingluck, premiership candidate of Pheu Thai Party, brushed off a rumour that she would appoint her brother fugitive Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as a trade ambassador. She also noted that her brother had not demanded any position and only gave her the moral support.

Yingluck said that at present she wanted time to focus on the drafting of policy guidelines in accordance with the promise she gave to the voters. She added that she would be able to give more information about the appointment of cabinet members after the Election Commission (EC) has certified the election results.

Asked about the finance minister post, she said people in her party will be considered first but opportunities are still opened for outsiders.

The youngest sister of Thaksin also noted that the new foreign minister must be knowledgeable, has adequate capabilities, is able to coordinate with government officials and must be accepted by the international community.

Asked if key leaders of the pro-Thaksin ”red-shirt” camp will be appointed to the new cabinet, Yingluck responded that capabilities of each figure will be the main criteria for consideration, not individual appearances.

Pheu thai Party, of which de facto leader is Thaksin who was ousted by the military coup in 2006, is expected to form a five- party coalition government which is accounted for about 60 percent of the House seats.

According to the Thai law, the newly-elected lawmakers must hold a House session to choose the prime minister within 30 days after the EC certified the election result. The EC is expected to certify the result within next week.

Final Thai poll results confirm opposition victory

BANGKOK – Thailand’s Election Commission on Tuesday confirmed that the party allied to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra won the country’s general election by a wide margin.

The final results match those released shortly after Sunday’s poll, which gave the opposition Pheu Thai party led by Mr Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra 265 of 500 parliamentary seats, well over the majority needed to form a government.

The ruling Democrat party of incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s won 159 seats, the Election Commission said.

The results are a major rebuke to the elite establishment and army that overthrew Mr Thaksin in a 2006 coup, an event that triggered years of political turmoil from which the country is still struggling to recover.

Mr Thaksin is barred from politics and lives in exile in Dubai to escape a two-year prison term on a graft conviction that he says is politically motivated.

Ms Yingluck moved swiftly Monday to shore up her party’s resounding victory, forming a ruling coalition with four smaller parties and vowing to pursue national reconciliation.