Week 22 (28 April 2012 – 03 May 2012)
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Week 22 (28 April 2012 – 03 May 2012) ASEAN Newspapers Issues pertaining to Thailand/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 Bangkok. 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 Thaksin Shinawatra 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 Yingluck Shinawatra 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.