Week 22 (28 April 2012 – 03 May 2012)

ASEAN Newspapers Issues pertaining to /politics

Number of article(s): 18

Keywords/criteria used for search: Thailand, Thai, ASEAN/EU

Online newspapers included in search: Borneo Bulletin (Brunei) Brunei Times (Brunei) Phnom Penh Post (Cambodia) Cambodia Daily (Cambodia) Jakarta Post (Indonesia) Jakarta Globe (Indonesia) Vientiane Times (Laos) Vietnam Net (Vietnam) Nhan Dan (Vietnam) The Star (Malaysia) The New Straits Times (Malaysia) The Philippine Inquirer (Philippines) The Straits Times (Singapore)

Table of Contents

THE BRUNEI TIMES 6

31 / MAY / 2012 ­ THAI RECONCILIATION BILL 'TO DEEPEN THAI DIVIDES' 6 • This articles focuses on the recent political protest by the Yellow shirts against the charter amendments that would pave way for an blanket amnesty. • The PAD protest was reported to have included some 5000 people. • It is further noted that Somkiart Pongpaiboon (PAD leader) was quoted for saying that "Our [PAD] steps are stop reconciliation bills, expel the prime minister and reform democracy,". 02 / JUNE / 2012 ­ INTEGRATION A MUST FOR ASEAN NATIONS 6 • This article focuses on the future for Asean integration given the Eurozone crisis in the EU. • It is considered that Asean could learn from the EU and US case in order to avoid future problems to its increaingly connect/integration project. It is particularly mentioned that the current problems facing the Euro is a lesson which the ASEAN community could learn from.

BORNEO BULLETIN 7

30 / MAY / 2012 ­ THAI TRANSGENDER WINS ELECTION FOR PROVINCIAL COUNCIL 7 • This article relates to Sunday's provincial election held in Nan where Ms. Yonlada Suanyos, 30, won • It is considered that this has set a political precedent in the country for political equality for homosexuals. Ms. Yonlada received 3,808 votes in the Provincial Administrative elections.

THE PHNOM PENH POST 8

29 / MAY / 2012 ­ PREAH VIHEAR TALKS SET FOR NEXT MONTH 8 • This article focuses on the close‐door meeting between Thailand's defense minister and Cambodian defense minister during the ASEAN defense meetings on the 28 of May. • The meeting relates to an eventual troop pullout near the Preah Vihear temple along the Thai‐Cambodian border.

THE JAKARTA POST 8

30 / MAY / 2012 ­ THAI TRANSGENDER POLITICIAN VOWS TO FIGHT FOR RIGHTS OF ALL 8 • This article focuses on Sunday's provincial election held in Nan where Ms. Yonlada Suanyos, 30, won. It further notes that the election and the winning by Ms. Yonlada has garned international interest and coverage of the election as it is seen as a significant case for equal rights for homosexuals • It is further noted that Ms. Yonlada aims to promote and fight for human rights during her term. She will as well retain her position as president of the Trans‐female Association.

2 30 / MAY / 2012 ­ SUU KYI VISIT BRINGS HOPE TO MYANMAR COMMUNITY IN THAILAND 10 • This article focuses on the visit by Aung San Suu Kyi to Thailand as her first visit abroad after 24 years. • Part of her visit will be to attend the World Economic Forum as well as visit Myanmar migrant workers. 31 / MAY / 2012 – ON THAILAND TRIP, SUU KYI VISITS MYANMAR MIGRANTS 10 • This article focuses on the particular visit by Aung San Su Kyi to Mahachai in . The area is known for containing the largest population of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand • It was further reported that during her visit to the community, she would seek to promote the repatriation of the Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand when conditions in Myanmar have improved. 31 / 05 / 2012 ­ PROSPECT OF THAKSIN RETURN HEATS UP THAI POLITICS (AP ALSO FEATURED IN VIENTIANE TIMES AND STRAIT TIMES) 11 • This article focuses on the proposed bill/charter amendment and the subsequent political protest last Wednesday and Thursday by the PAD and the democrat opposition. • It is further noted that the street protests last Wednesday were peaceful, but the scene inside parliament was quite different. Police were reportly called upon to keep order as the opposition Democrat Party sought to derail efforts to schedule debate on the bill. It further notes that at one point, a female Democrat lawmaker dragged the House speaker's empty chair off the podium, sparking a scuffle with government members of parliament. Policemen retrieved the chair later on.

VIETNAM NET 13

29 / MAY / 2012 ­ CAMBODIA, THAILAND TO DISCUSS TROOP PULLOUT 13 • This article focuses on the ASEAN defense minister meeting in Phnom Penh where it was considered that a common consensus was reached between Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh and Thai Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat in May 28. • The Cambodian Defence Minister, Banh said the JWG will convene its second meeting in Phnom Penh in June to further discuss the withdrawal of troops in more detail, as part of efforts to comply with the International Court of Justice’s decision on July 18, 2011.

THE STRAIT TIMES 13

30 / MAY / 2012 – THAI ‘YELLOW SHIRTS’ RALLY AGAINST THAKSIN AMNESTY MOVES (REUTERS) 13 • This article reports on the PAD's recent rally on Wednesday against a planned national reconciliation bill seen by some as a way of letting ex‐ premier return home from exile. 30 / MAY / 2012 – CALLS GROW FOR REFORM OF STRICT THAI ROYAL INSULT LAW (AFP – ALSO FEATURED IN THE PHILIPPINE INQUIRER) 14 • This article reports on the petition signed by almost 27,000 people urging reform of Thailand's strict royal insult law. The petition was submitted to parliament last Tuesday • The article further notes that there has been increasing calls for the law to be changed since the death of Ampon Tangnoppakul

3 30 / MAY / 2012 ­ THAI WEBMASTER GUILTY, JAIL SUSPENDED UNDER LESE MAJESTE LAW (AFP – ALSO FEATURED IN THE PHILIPPINE INQUIRER) 14 • This articles reports on the recent ruling by the Thai court on Wednesday which found Ms Chiranuch Premchaiporn, Prachatai online editor, guilty of failing to speedily delete comments by other people deemed insulting to the royal family from her popular news website. • It was further reported that the Bangkok court fined her 20,000 baht (S$804). Judge Kampol Rungrat, while sentencing Ms Chiranuch to eight months in jail, suspended the sentence for a year, stating that she had cooperated with the court and had 'never violated the law herself'. 02 / JUNE / 2012 – SUU KYI VISITS MYANMAR REFUGEES IN THAILAND (AP) 14 • This article focuses on the recent travel of Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to the Mae La Refugee Camp along the Thai border on Saturday. • The article further adds that the visit to the camp presented Suu Kyi with her first glimpse of the hardships faced by hundreds of thousands who have fled war in her homeland. 02 / JUNE / 2012 ­ THAI ‘YELLOW SHIRTS’ BRING PARLIAMENT TO A HALT (REUTERS ­ ALSO FEATURED IN THE STAR) 15 • This article focuses on the political protests by the PAD which brought the Thai parliament to a halt last Friday. It was further reported that protesters surrounded the complex and forced the speaker of the house to postpone debate on a reconciliation bill that critics are reported to have said that aims to allow former prime minister Thaksin to return home. 03 / JUNE / 2012 – RECONCILE OR FACE ‘CYCLE OF VIOLENCE’: THAI PM YINGLUCK (AFP) 15 • This article focuses on a statement issued by Thai Prime Minister on Saturday warning the deeply divided kingdom could face a 'cycle of violence' unless steps were taken towards reconciliation. • It further notes that "proposals aimed at healing rifts that have seen Thailand rocked by bloody unrest since a 2006 coup have sparked fury among opposition members of parliaments who fear they will open the door for Yingluck's brother ­ ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra ­ to return."

THE STAR 16

30 / MAY / 2012 ­ WEBMASTER GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE IN THAI ROYAL INSULT CASE (REUTERS) 16 • This article focuses on the verdict of the Thai Court on Prachatai's online editor Ms. Chiranuch. The article notes that the suspended sentence is a rare moment of leniency. • It further notes that Thailand has some of the world's toughest lese majeste laws to penalise insults against the king, queen and crown prince. • The Bangkok Criminal Court ruled the posts on the Prachatai news website as offensive to the royal family and that its editor, Ms. Chiranuch, failed to remove them promptly, as requested by the court, allowing at least one to stay online for 20 days. 30 / MAY / 2012 ­ BRAWL IN THAI PARLIAMENT AS THOUSANDS RALLY OUTSIDE 17

4 • This articles focuses on a brawl that occurred in the Thai Parliament between opposition democrat women MPs and Pheu Thai women MPs as well as the political protest outside by The PAD. 03 / JUNE / 2012 ­ NEW BLOOD IN OLD WOUNDS 18 • This article focuses on the protracted conflict in Southern Thailand. It provides a transcript of an interview with the director of Foreign Relations of the Patani Forum, Don Pathan, who discusses the issues during interview at the Asean‐ISIS annual Asia‐Pacific Roundtable hosted by ISIS Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. • He notes that the situation in Southern Thailand seems unchanged • He further notes that there is a need to empower the people in the South. • He adds that there has been much talk of autonomy, but all the parties promoting the concept did not get a seat in Parliament. • Also he mentions that the southern communities are concerned with equality and justice, and they have lost faith in Bangkok politicians. • Asking the Thai governments to take responsibilty and acknowledge the past, and to admit that mistakes have been made. • He further notes that Malaysia's role could be to help bring about a peace process.

5 The Brunei Times 31 / May / 2012 ‐ Thai reconciliation bill 'to deepen Thai divides'

THOUSANDS of Thai ultra‐royalists rallied yesterday in Bangkok against a bill they fear will open the door for ousted premier Thaksin Shinatwatra to return to the politically‐fractured kingdom.

The rally of about 5,000 people marks one of the biggest shows of force by the movement since its crippling 2008 protests helped topple Thaksin‐allied governments and comes as simmering Thai divisions spilled over into parliament.

Somkiart Pongpaiboon told the crowd the group would mobilise against a government led by Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra over its plan to grant a sweeping amnesty that could allow the former premier back into Thailand. "Our steps are stop reconciliation bills, expel the prime minister and reform democracy," said the leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), known as the "Yellow Shirts".

The PAD are powerful players in Thailand's colour‐coded politics, backed by the Bangkok‐based elite and arch‐rivals of Thaksin's "Red Shirts". AFP

http://www.bt.com.bn/news‐asia/2012/05/31/thai‐reconciliation‐bill‐deepen‐ thai‐divides

02 / June / 2012 ‐ Integration a must for ASEAN nations

DESPITE the painful lessons from Europe, Asean nations are moving towards integration as a way to boost regional resilience against external shocks.

At the World Economic Forum on East Asia session on "East Asian Models for Transforming the Global Economy", Gerard Mestrallet, chairman and executive officer of GDF Suez, a French multinational electric‐utility company, and co‐ chairman of the forum, attributed decades of peace in Europe to its integration. Still, he foresees deeper integration.

Moreover, the current woes surrounding the single currency are a good lesson for Asean on the mistakes they should avoid, he said.

Eswar Prasad, a professor at Cornell University in New York state, said Asean integration "will not only draw capital but also strengthen domestic resilience".

With a combined gross domestic product of US$3 trillion, a wealth of natural resources and a demographic dividend, the Asean region has all the assets to become a global economic pillar.

6

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na‐Ranong said the Asean Economic Community would come into effect in 2015 as planned.

Pro‐integration, he said this would help strike a balance between driving domestic, regional, and global economic growth and creating a buffer for external shocks.

"East Asia and Southeast Asia have for too long been focused on export‐led growth, and we forget that we have room for improvement in our own economies," he said.

"These days, the key word is balance. It is our job to help ourselves so we can help other economies, too."

He believes further integration will strengthen Asean, but the region may not go as far as a single currency like Europe.

Still, just as Europe is going green, Asean need not go too quickly. Mestrallet noted that Europe is doing that at a price.

In dealing with the challenges, "you have to avoid the European and US mistakes" given their excessive public debt, he said.

The Nation/ANN http://www.bt.com.bn/news‐asia/2012/06/02/integration‐must‐asean‐nations

Borneo Bulletin 30 / May / 2012 ‐ Thai transgender wins election for provincial council

BANGKOK (dpa) ‐ A transgender woman has won a councillor seat for a provincial administration in northern Thailand, setting a political precedent in the country. Yonlada Suanyos, 30, received 3,808 votes to beat former provincial governor Phawat Sattayaawong by 249 votes in Sunday's election in Nan province, 500 kilometres north of Bangkok. "I didn't campaign on transgender issues. I just campaigned to improve my province," Yonlada told dpa by telephone Tuesday. She said she had encountered a mixed reception as the first transgedger candidate for the provincial government. "Some accepted me, others didn't," Yonlada said. "But I think those who elected me voted for me because of my ability." Yonlada had a sex change operation to become a woman at the age of 16. She holds a doctorate, owns a jewellery business in Bangkok, runs a satellite television station and is president of the Trans Female Association of Thailand.

7 Three years ago, transgender Chuchat Dunyaprapasorn won a village‐level election. Transgenders have long enjoyed a relatively liberal attitude from Thai society, but have recently campaigned for greater formal recognition of their rights.

http://www.borneobulletin.com.bn/wed/may30w10.htm

The Phnom Penh Post

29 / May / 2012 ‐ Preah Vihear talks set for next month

A closed‐door meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers meeting yesterday saw Cambodia and Thailand take what they hope is the next step toward the eventual withdrawal of troops from the disputed area around Preah Vihear temple.

Cambodian Minister of Defence Tea Banh and his Thai counterpart, Sukumpol Suwanatat, agreed to a second meeting of the Cambodia‐Thailand Joint Working Group of the General Border Commission, scheduling it for early next month in Phnom Penh, officials said.

“We have the will to implement this matter [withdrawal] and Thailand has realised that a slowing down of proceedings is not good for Thailand,” Sukumpol said after the meeting.

The first JWG meeting was hosted in Bangkok in April, during which no agreement was finalised over the withdrawal of troops from the 17.3‐square‐ kilometer Provisional Demilitarised Zone declared by the International Court of Justice in June.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012052956457/National‐ news/preah‐vihear‐talks‐set‐for‐next‐month.html

The Jakarta Post

30 / May / 2012 ‐ Thai transgender politician vows to fight for rights of all

Thai political history turned a new page on Sunday when a transgender candidate won a provincial election. The result became a media phenomenon that drew attention across the country, and spread across the world. News outlets from Japan, Germany, Mexico, USA and the UK all published reports about the landmark result.

8 "Nan people voted for me, showing that Thai people respect human rights," Nok Yonlada ‐ or Kirkkong Suanyos, as she is named on her ID card ‐ the new Nan Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) member‐elect, said in an enthusiastic interview with The Nation. Nok got 3,808 votes, while her rival, Pawat Sattayawong, followed with 3,659 votes. The unexpected result made her the first transvestite to get elected in Thai political history. However, her political pathway was no bed of roses. She worked very hard, as she is new to politics and ran as an independent against a former municipality member who got support from the chairman of the Nan Provincial Administrative Organisation. So, it's possible that being a fresh face was a reason she was elected, besides her policies. "My policy was clear that PAO members have legislative power to balance the administrative branch against corruption, while the other candidate's campaign was only to support the administration," Nok said. Nok is also president of the Trans Female Association of Thailand and a well‐ known activist for transgender and homosexual rights. She became well‐known for her work starting the Sister's Hand Project which offers free surgery for Gender Identity Disorder patients. However, being a transvestite became an issue which her rival verbally attacked Nok on, when she stepped up to compete in the poll. But it turned to her advantage, as people disliked the war of words. "I can't deny what I am and I don't feel anything about being attacked. But when the result came, I appreciated the open‐mindedness of Nan people," Nok said. Asked if she had concerns about working with the 23 men elected in the other zones in Nan province, she denied it vigorously. "I wouldn't let it enter my mind," she said, adding that she believed she could work with others who didn't vote for her, as she sought office with sincerity. In her campaign projects, Nok focused on flooding problems, local tourism promotion and issues such as the Asean Economic Community, technology and others, but did not touch on homosexual rights, which she has fought for over many years. She said that was not necessary, as she will remain in her position as president of the Trans Female Association. "Pushing the law for homosexual rights ‐ I can do it in the name of the Trans Female Association. But for my political future, I want to push for laws on human rights, and I may run to be a member of Parliament. "Human rights is not only about homosexuals, but also means patients, the elderly and racism. But all in all, I will decide later after the PAO member term ends," she said. Nok had a sex change operation to become a woman at the age of 16 and was named Miss Alcazar in 2000. Besides her beauty, Nok has had a successful life. Aged 30, she runs jewellery and satellite‐TV businesses and is a PhD candidate in social science at Ramkhamhaeng University. She desires to serve the country and benefit society, adding in a joking tone that she doesn't have a husband and kids to take care of. She is now waiting for Election Commission endorsement within 30 days, before entering the PAO. During this time, she has another delicate matter to consider.

9 "Personally, I want to wear a female official uniform, as I am already a woman, inside and outside ‐ but this is not going to be easy, as the law does not guarantee transgender rights yet. "I will have to talk to the administrators before the term starts, as I don't want this to be a big issue on my first day as a PAO member," Nok said.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/30/thai‐transgender‐ politician‐vows‐fight‐rights‐all.html 30 / May / 2012 ‐ Suu Kyi visit brings hope to Myanmar community in Thailand

They said her attending a high‐profile forum here raised hopes of a future of peace, democracy and reconciliation in their home country. Thailand was the right place for her first international trip in 24 years, they said, as it would give her a chance to meet many people from Myanmar. She is here until Sunday. "This visit is more important for strengthening ties between the Burmese democratic opposition and Thailand. It's also an acknowledgement for border‐ based ethnic groups, refugees and migrants that they are not alone," activist Soe Aung said. Suu Kyi was invited to the World Economic Forum on East Asia to meet leading international business figures and express her vision for reform and the future of her country. Foreign investors looking for business opportunities want to hear from her about Myanmar's political development. Migrant workers in Mahachai will be the first group she will meet today. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/30/suu‐kyi‐visit‐brings‐hope‐ myanmar‐community‐thailand.html

31 / May / 2012 – On Thailand trip, Suu Kyi visits Myanmar migrants

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, on her first foreign trip in nearly a quarter‐century, offered encouragement Wednesday to impoverished migrants whose flight from their homeland is emblematic of the devastation wrought there by decades of misrule. "Don't feel down, or weak. History is always changing," she told an exuberant crowd of thousands southwest of Bangkok. Many held signs saying, "We want to go home," and Suu Kyi said her visit was aimed at learning how she could help them. "Today, I will make you one promise: I will try my best for you," she said. In the town of Mahachai, home to Thailand's largest population of Burmese migrants, thousands of Myanmar's downtrodden crowded around her and chanted: "Long Live Mother Suu!" "I had only seen her on TV and in newspapers," said Saw Hla Tun, who left Myanmar's Karen state seven years ago and earns a meager wage carrying heavy salt sacks on his back. "I couldn't hold back my tears when I saw her."

10 After speaking to the crowd, Suu Kyi met with migrant workers who told her they are mistreated by employers but don't know their rights and have no legal means to settle disputes. Suu Kyi arrived in Thailand on Tuesday night on a trip that shows just how much life has changed in her homeland. The Nobel Peace Prize winner lived 15 of the last 24 years under house arrest and dared not leave during the intermittent periods of freedom because she feared the then‐ruling military junta would not allow her to return. Now an elected member of Parliament, she will speak later this week at the World Economic Forum on East Asia. She'll return to Myanmar briefly before heading to Europe for a five‐country tour in mid‐June. Her stops include England, where she'll address the British Parliament, and Oslo, Norway, to formally accept the Nobel she won 21 years ago. Fixing a battered economy is one of the most crucial challenges facing Myanmar as it begins opening up in the wake of 49 years of military governance that ended only last year. Thailand hosts around 2.5 million impoverished Burmese who have fled here to work low‐skilled jobs as domestic servants or in manual labor industries like fisheries and the garment sector. Andy Hall, a migrant expert and researcher at the Institute for Population and Social Research at Thailand's Mahidol University, said the Myanmar migrants — up to a million of them lacking work permits — make up between 5 and 10 percent of the Thai work force, contributing as much as 7 percent of the nation's GDP. Many are exploited and paid reduced wages. Some have been trafficked; some have had their passports confiscated by employers. Hall said they were nevertheless "the lifeblood of a lot of the Myanmar economy, sending home money to support families who don't have enough money to eat." "They have no voice, they can never speak up or stand up," Hall said. "So for Aung San Suu Kyi to visit is like a dream come true, someone who finally may be able to bring attention to their suffering." One of the migrants, a 26‐year‐old woman named Khin Than Nu, works at a Thai canning factory and dreams of her home in Myanmar's Mon state. "We left our parents in Burma, and all my brothers and sisters work here to support our parents," she said. "I hope Daw Suu will help develop our country, and bring jobs so we can go home."

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/31/on‐thailand‐trip‐suu‐kyi‐ visits‐myanmar‐migrants.html

31 / 05 / 2012 ‐ Prospect of Thaksin return heats up Thai politics (AP also featured in Vientiane Times and Strait Times)

Thailand's politics heated up Wednesday over a bill that could herald the return of divisive ex‐Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, while his former top lieutenants prepared to re‐enter the political arena after a five‐year ban.

11 The party of current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister, was hoping to introduce legislation in parliament Thursday that is widely seen as a possible first step toward providing amnesty for her fugitive brother's convictions and allowing him to return unencumbered to Thailand. Thaksin had been ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of abuse of power and disrespect to Thai King . His party was dissolved by a legal decision the year after, and he was among the 111 executives of his banned from politics for five years. He also was convicted in absentia of corruption while in self‐imposed exile. The prospect of Thaksin's return has galvanized his opponents inside and outside parliament, threatening to reopen political wounds from a six‐year struggle between Thaksin's opponents and supporters. His Yellow Shirt opponents in the People's Alliance for Democracy were back on the streets Wednesday in one of their largest demonstrations in recent months. They oppose a government‐backed reconciliation bill to grant amnesty to all parties involved in political violence and wrongdoing from the end of 2005 through mid‐2010, a period when Thailand was wracked by turmoil and street protests. Yellow Shirts' protests in 2006 set the stage for the coup, and in 2008 they occupied the prime minister's offices for three months and Bangkok's two airports for a week to pressure two pro‐Thaksin prime ministers out of office. The street protests Wednesday were peaceful, but the scene was different in parliament, where police had to keep order as the opposition Democrat Party sought to derail efforts to schedule debate on the bill. At one point, a female Democrat lawmaker dragged the House speaker's empty chair off the podium, sparking a scuffle with government members of parliament. A phalanx of policemen retrieved the chair. Meanwhile, the five‐year ban on Thaksin and his party associates was set to expire at midnight Wednesday. The Constitutional Court in 2007 had ordered the Thai Rak Thai Party dissolved and its top members suspended from politics for five years. The court had found two senior members guilty of electoral law violations in 2006. Thaksin's opponents sought to purge his influence after the coup, launching investigations of his finances and using other measures to try to cripple his political machine, which he built using a fortune made in telecommunications. The re‐entry into politics of Thaksin's party leaders was widely expected to lead to a reshuffle in the Yingluck's Cabinet, although many of the current members may be reluctant to give up their positions. Karn Yuenyong, executive director of the independent, Bangkok‐based research institute Siam Intelligence Unit, said the returnees could bring some valuable experience into the administration. "This, in a way, will help the Yingluck government sail through its four‐year term," Karn said, adding that some of the current ministers "have not been performing really well in the past few months."

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/31/prospect‐thaksin‐return‐ heats‐thai‐politics.html

12 Vietnam Net 29 / May / 2012 ‐ Cambodia, Thailand to discuss troop pullout

According to the Chinese news daily the Xinhua, a common consensus was reached between Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh and his Thai counterpart Sukumpol Suwanatat at a meeting in Phnom Penh on May 28.

Banh said the JWG will convene its second meeting in Phnom Penh in June to further discuss the withdrawal of troops in more detail, as part of efforts to comply with the International Court of Justice’s decision on July 18, 2011.

Suwanatat said the slow process involved on forging an agreement for a pullout is damaging Thailand , adding that the major obstacle is the amount of landmines in the area.

Cambodia and Thailand set up the JWG last December to work towards the complete and simultaneous redeployment of all military personnel from the Provisional Demilitarised Zone (PDZ) around the Preah Vihear temple area.

However, neither country has withdrawn any troops from the PDZ to date.

VietNamNet/Vietnam Plus

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/world‐news/22945/cambodia‐‐thailand‐to‐ discuss‐troop‐pullout.html

The Strait Times

30 / May / 2012 – Thai ‘yellow shirts’ rally against Thaksin amnesty moves (Reuters)

BANGKOK (REUTERS) ‐ Thailand's 'yellow shirts', who shut down Bangkok's airports during protests in 2008, rallied on Wednesday against a planned national reconciliation bill seen by some as a way of letting ex‐premier Thaksin Shinawatra return home from exile. More than 3,500 people gathered at the Royal Plaza in central Bangkok before marching in the late afternoon to parliament, where the bill could be debated this week. 'Some of the demonstrators will sleep overnight outside parliament but whether or not this rally is extended depends if the government concedes to our demand to drop the bill,' said Pipob Thongchai, a protest leader. Rally leaders used a truck as a stage and took turns to denounce the government's national unity proposals as police stood guard behind the gates of parliament.

13 http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_805049.ht ml

30 / May / 2012 – Calls grow for reform of strict Thai royal insult law (AFP – also featured in The Philippine Inquirer)

BANGKOK (AFP) ‐ A petition signed by almost 27,000 people urging reform of Thailand's strict royal insult law was submitted to parliament on Tuesday, campaigners said, amid growing clamour for the rules to be changed. The large collection of signatures is the first of its kind calling for amendments to the controversial lese majeste law, according to petition organisers the Campaign Committee for the Amendment of Article 112 (CCAA). Scrutiny of the law, which carries a 15‐year jail term for each count of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent, has intensified since the death of a 62‐year‐old Thai man this month while serving a 20‐year sentence for committing lese majeste. His death renewed calls for reform, with critics saying the law is used as political tool to stifle free speech.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_804533.ht ml

30 / May / 2012 ‐ Thai webmaster guilty, jail suspended under lese majeste law (AFP – also featured in The Philippine Inquirer)

BANGKOK (AFP) ‐ A Thai court on Wednesday convicted an online editor for hosting posts critical of the revered monarchy on her website, but suspended her jail sentence amid demands to reform the lese majeste law. Ms Chiranuch Premchaiporn was found guilty of failing to speedily delete comments by other people deemed insulting to the royal family from her popular news website, Prachatai. The Bangkok court fined her 20,000 baht (S$804). But Judge Kampol Rungrat, while sentencing Ms Chiranuch to eight months in jail, suspended the sentence for a year, saying that she had cooperated with the court and had 'never violated the law herself'. 'The defendant cannot deny responsibility for taking care of content on her website,' he said, adding she was initially given a one‐year jail term but that this was cut to eight months for her 'useful' testimony to the court.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_804871.ht ml

02 / June / 2012 – Suu Kyi visits Myanmar refugees in Thailand (AP)

MAE LA REFUGEE CAMP, Thailand (AP) ‐ Aung San Suu Kyi turned her attention to Myanmar's long‐standing refugee crisis on Saturday with a visit to a sprawling

14 camp on Thailand's border to get her first glimpse of the hardships faced by hundreds of thousands who have fled war in her homeland. The six‐day journey this week is the first trip abroad in 24 years for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi, who this year made the transition from former political prisoner to opposition parliamentarian. She has used her tour of Thailand primarily to draw attention to the plight of her compatriots abroad. Hundreds of cheering supporters welcomed Ms Suu Kyi at the airport in the town of Mae Sot, and she was then driven in a police‐led convoy to the Mae La refugee camp. The camp is home to about 45,000 refugees who live in thatched huts at the base of mist‐shrouded mountains. The trip marks a dramatic vote of confidence by Ms Suu Kyi in Myanmar's new reform‐minded government, whose rule contrasts starkly with that of the former military junta. Even when she was not under house arrest or imprisoned under the former regime, Ms Suu Kyi had always refused to leaving the country, fearing the ruling generals would never have let her return.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_806297.ht ml

02 / June / 2012 ‐ Thai ‘yellow shirts’ bring parliament to a halt (Reuters ‐ also featured in The Star)

BANGKOK (REUTERS) ‐ Anti‐government protesters brought Thailand's parliament to a halt on Friday, surrounding the complex and forcing the speaker to postpone debate on a reconciliation bill that critics say is aimed at allowing a deposed prime minister to return home. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), known as the yellow shirts, oppose the bill because they say the government will use a blanket amnesty to bring back self‐exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra without him having to serve jail time for a graft conviction. 'I have ordered the meeting to be postponed indefinitely to preserve the atmosphere and peace in the country. We'll have to analyse the situation before determining when the meeting will be held again,' speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont told reporters. Thai politics has been riven by rivalry between supporters and opponents of former telecoms tycoon Thaksin since he was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_805894.ht ml

03 / June / 2012 – Reconcile or face ‘cycle of violence’: Thai PM Yingluck (AFP)

BANGKOK (AFP) ‐ Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday warned the deeply divided kingdom faces a 'cycle of violence' unless steps are taken towards reconciliation after years of civil unrest.

15 Proposals aimed at healing rifts that have seen Thailand rocked by bloody unrest since a 2006 coup have sparked fury among opposition members of parliaments who fear they will open the door for Yingluck's brother ‐ ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra ‐ to return. Protesters from the nation's 'Yellow Shirt' faction blocked lawmakers from entering parliament on Friday to debate a disputed reconciliation bill, as barely‐ concealed political tensions resurface in Thailand. A rescheduled debate starting on Wednesday has also been 'postponed indefinitely', Mr Udondej Rattanasatien, of the ruling Puea Thai Party, told AFP on Saturday. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_806323.ht ml

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30 / May / 2012 ‐ Webmaster gets suspended sentence in Thai royal insult case (Reuters)

BANGKOK (Reuters) ‐ A Thai court handed an eight‐month suspended sentence on Wednesday to a website editor for failing to quickly remove posts deemed offensive to the monarchy in a case that adds to growing debate over Thailand's draconian royal censorship laws. The Bangkok Criminal Court ruled posts on the Prachatai news website (www.prachatai.com) were offensive to the royal family and that its editor, Chiranuch Premchaiporn, failed to remove them promptly, as requested by the court, allowing at least one to stay online for 20 days. Thailand has some of the world's toughest lese majeste laws to penalise insults against the king, queen and crown prince, but critics say the legislation is used to discredit activists and politicians opposed to the royalist establishment. Chiranuch, 44, was charged in 2010 in a crackdown on royal defamation under former Prime Minister , whose supporters include Bangkok's traditional elite of top generals, royal advisers, middle‐class bureaucrats and old‐ money families. She faced a maximum 20 years in jail on 10 counts of supporting illegal content and violating the Computer Crimes Act, a controversial and wide‐ranging law passed by a military‐installed legislature following a 2006 coup. The suspended sentence is a rare moment of leniency in a series of tough and highly criticised decisions by courts to protect the monarchy, an effort that has increased during what many see as the twilight of the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand's long‐hospitalised 84‐year‐old monarch. "For someone involved in a lese‐majeste content issue, this was a comparatively reasonable sentence," said David Streckfuss, a scholar and expert on Thailand's lese‐majeste laws.

16 Many Thais revere the king, the world's longest‐ruling monarch, and regard him as a unifying figure, but national unease over what follows his reign has added to recent political turbulence. Deadly street riots, mob takeovers of airports and a coup in recent years reveal a country divided broadly between a yellow‐shirted royalist elite and lower‐ income red‐shirted supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, toppled in 2006. PROTEST TO PARLIAMENT Tension surfaced on Wednesday when about 3,000 yellow‐shirted protesters marched to parliament, protesting legislation they say would whitewash Thaksin, a graft‐convicted former telecoms tycoon who lives abroad to avoid jail. Although his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was elected prime minister last year on a wave of support from the red‐shirted supporters who revere her populist brother, she has said she has no plan to revise royal insult laws or stop authorities who have blocked thousands of Web pages deemed insulting to the monarch. "It was found that the content posted on Prachatai's website did indeed cause damage to the reputation of the king, queen and heir apparent," Judge Kampol Rungrat told the court, adding that Chiranuch had a duty to take care of offensive content. The court sentenced Chiranuch to eight months in prison but suspended the term for one year because she had cooperated. Chiranuch said she might lodge an appeal and warned that publishers could not be expected to censor themselves. "The verdict is acceptable but it is not what I would have wanted," she told reporters. "The law requires intermediaries like myself to act as police when monitoring online content, this is something that needs to be looked in to." Prachatai's web board was shut down two years ago and Chiranuch said she would think hard before reopening the site. A group of university lecturers filed a petition with parliament on Tuesday, calling for an amendment to the law, known as Article 112, part of a movement of academics, journalists and activists pressing for more freedom of speech. This month, Amphon Tangnoppaku, 61, died in jail after being sentenced last November to 20 years for sending text messages defaming and threatening Queen Sirikit. The evidence was felt by many to be flimsy and he denied the charge, saying he did not even know how to send a text message.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/5/30/worldupdates/2012‐ 05‐30T093644Z_3_BRE84T04W_RTROPTT_0_UK‐THAILAND‐ LESEMAJESTE&sec=Worldupdates

30 / May / 2012 ‐ Brawl in Thai parliament as thousands rally outside

BANGKOK: A brawl broke out in the Thai Parliament Wednesday when opposition representatives told the House Speaker to vacate his seat, as thousands rallied outside the premises.

17 The incident occurred about 6pm when the Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont asked law makers to vote, in allowing four proposed reconciliation bills for urgent deliberation. A few opposition members of parliament (MP) immediately surrounded Kiatsuranont before one of them grabbed and pulled his hand, asking him to vacate his seat. This led the police to intervene and take the Speaker out of the house chamber. At that juncture, some women opposition MPs took the Speaker's chair, as well as those of the two deputy speakers, out of the podium. This time, the brawl involved the women opposition MPs and government MPs, as they pushed each other in seizing the three chairs. The fracas lasted about 10 minutes before the three chairs were returned to their original positions by the police and parliamentary staff. Deputy Speaker Wisut Chainarong later continued the meeting. Thousands of Yellow Shirt supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), as well as multi‐coloured shirt supporters, rallied outside Parliament from 3pm, in opposing the reconciliation bills. "PAD vows to stay put until it achieves its mission of fighting against the bills," said PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul. The opposition and the protesters claimed the bills, among others, were aimed at 'whitewashing' former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's wrong‐doings as it offered blanket amnesty. Thaksin, who was ousted in a bloodless coup on Sept 19, 2006, fled Thailand and has been a fugitive since 2008, after being charged with corruption over his then‐wife's purchase of prime land in Ratchadaphisek here. He was later found guilty in absentia and sentenced to two years in prison. The four reconciliation bills are proposed by two government Pheu Thai MPs, a Red Shirt leader who is also Pheu Thai MP, and 2006 coup maker Gen in his capacity as current chairman of the House Committee on National Reconciliation. Initially, the Yellow Shirts' rival, the Red Shirts who are aligned to the government, also wanted to hold a rally outside Parliament Wednesday, in showing support for the bills but called off the plan, following police advice. ‐ Bernama http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/5/30/reutersworld/201205 30224247&sec=reutersworld

03 / June / 2012 ‐ New blood in old wounds

Nothing sustains an insurgency better than unresolved old grievances revived by young militants with no effective representatives, as Thais learn. VIOLENCE in Thailand’s southernmost provinces Patani, Yala and Narathiwat erupts sporadically, growing more faceless and intractable. Officials say they cannot comprehend the motives behind the violence, or whether they are political, criminal or personal in nature. Apparently random shootings and bombings target everyone.

18 As successive governments fumble for answers without success, the senseless violence deepens and broadens indefinitely. Don Pathan, director of Foreign Relations of the Patani Forum, recently discussed these issues in an exclusive interview during the Asean‐ISIS annual Asia‐Pacific Roundtable hosted by ISIS Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. Excerpts: > How is the current security situation in the southernmost provinces? The situation hasn’t changed. After the March 31 attacks in Yala and Haadyai, we can expect more violence with more high‐profile targets. The issue is still separatism. Young people on the ground are now selling their skills in making car bombs and motorcycle bombs to civilian (criminal) elements. The activists had earlier gone underground, with the leaders going to Europe. They resurfaced in 2001, but this was not recognised until the 2004 army depot raid (the raiders stole 400 M16 assault rifles). Bangkok’s response was typical: sealing the border and putting some districts under curfew, but nothing changed. Some 5,000 people have been killed so far, with most of the perpetrators and victims Malay‐Muslim. The groups are Pulo (the more established Patani United Liberation Organisation), BNPP (Barisan Nasional Pembebasan Patani), and BRN‐Coordinate (Barisan Revolusi Nasional). There is no unity among these groups. But the BRN has the best working relations with government officials. Until there is a commitment by the Thai government to the peace process, they won’t come to the table. > On the concept of “human security”: That’s such a vague term. The issue is to give communities in the south a stake, a sense of empowerment. There has been much talk of autonomy, but all the parties promoting the concept did not get a seat in Parliament. The southern communities are concerned with equality and justice, and they have lost faith in Bangkok politicians. Chinese and Buddhist votes in the south have traditionally gone to the Democrat party. The Malay‐Muslim votes are split, with many going for the Democrats as protest votes against Thaksin Shinawatra (the former premier who lost favour over his rough handling of southerners). > On the Patani Forum: It began as a group of young people, academics, Malay‐Muslims and those on the ground (in the southernmost provinces) seeking to push the envelope in talking about the grievances that local communities have. Unless the historic grievances are addressed, we cannot solve the conflict. It is not about Islam but about Thailand’s nation‐building concept, which has no room for the Malay‐Muslim narrative (culture, history, traditions). This narrative has to be respected to get to the heart of the problems. The issue is centred on the legitimacy of the Thai state in the Malay‐Muslim homeland. These communities are willing to be part of the Thai state (Thailand), but it has to be on their terms. The Thai military can wipe out the pejuang but in one generation, they can be back. Their narrative has never gone away. > On international criticism of Thailand’s human rights record:

19 , Human Rights Watch and the International Crisis Group have criticised the Thai government over the deep south. There is a culture of impunity on the part of government officials. They have to do a lot more in the rules of engagement, for example. Currently the burden of proof is on the victims (of the political violence) to prove that the violence they suffered had been committed with malice. But people in the local communities see it differently. > On comparing the records of different Thai governments: They are more or less the same, using the same bureaucratic means. They need to think outside the box and be more creative in finding solutions. This involves the need to address the identity of the local communities and acknowledging their cultural space. > On alleged “hotspots” said to inflame public sentiment against the Thai state: The madrasah (Islamic religious schools) are not the problem. There is more talk on the liberation of Patani in local teahouses than in localmadrasah. In the April 2004 incident in Songkhla, for example, the cell involved people from different madrasah, but they were from the same football team. This shows that the social sphere of the activists is more important than formal institutions like their (religious) school. > On how to bring the situation under control: The Thai government needs to negotiate with the people, not just the insurgents. There has to be a sense of ownership (by the communities), a need for the government to acknowledge the past, and to admit to mistakes made. Autonomy has been discussed by Malay‐Muslim elites and academics, but local people are more concerned about social mobility, equality and justice. There is no short‐term solution. There should be a development plan to produce more Malay‐Muslim professionals, for example. Officials have given local communities livestock, but that doesn’t change the issues. It is seen as a way of looking for informants in the community. Local Malay‐Muslims may not agree with the insurgents’ violence, but they share the same sentiments. Civil society groups should be more active in demanding greater cultural space for the local communities. If the Thai state itself did that, it would have more legitimacy among local communities. > On how Malaysia and others can help: Malaysia would like to facilitate a peace process, but not mediate. There has been cooperation in areas like education and job skills training. There can be more work with the exile community. More can be done to strengthen the capacity of the old guard and long‐standing groups, such as the secret Langkawi talks. Younger insurgents need the old guard because they have no other way out, but the old guard who can work with the international community must also show they can deliver. Thais are starting to appreciate the goal of an Asean Security Community. Asean can encourage the Thai government to loosen up its approach. As in Malaysia and Indonesia, inclusive nation‐building that involves minorities can be an example for Thailand.

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