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November 25, 2020 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News • As Police

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November 25, 2020 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News • As Police November 25, 2020 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News As police were preparing to beef up security around the Crown Property Bureau to handle a pro-democracy rally expected today, the Khana Ratsadon 2020 (People’s Party) group took to its Twitter page to announce that it will no longer be outside the Crown Property Bureau. The group will hold a rally outside Siam Commercial Bank (SCB)’s head office on Rachadapisek Rd. In preparation for the protest at its headquarters today, SCB announced that it was closing its operations at the headquarters for 1-day. The rally is scheduled to take place from 15:00 hrs today. The group said the relocation is to avoid a possible clash with other protest movements. Phaholyothin police have put up around 70 iron barriers and late into the night were setting up CCTV around the bank’s road. The move by the Khana Ratsadon 2020 was announced at around 22:30 hrs last night as a way to avoid any kind of clashes that could have been possible had the protest gone ahead to be held around the previous location of the Crown Property Bureau. The authorities had put in pillars declaring that the Crown Property Bureau area is ‘royal grounds’ which means that nobody can hold protest within 150-meters anywhere close to the property. If that was not enough, barred wired and containers were all put in place to block the roads around the Government House and the Crown Property Bureau. At the same time the Royal Thai Police investigators have issued summons to a dozen of Khana Ratsadon activists to face charges under the lese majeste law under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, according to a report from the Royal Thai Police Office. The 12 activists who are facing lese majeste charges are: Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak Anon Nampa Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul Panupong “Mike Rayong” Jadnok Passaravalee “Mind” Thanakitvibulphol Juthathip Sirikan Chanin Wongsri Piyarat “Toto” Jongthep Thatthep Ruangprapaikitseree Atthapol Buapat Chukiat Saengwong Sombat Thongyoi These protest leaders had until November 30 to acknowledge the charges over comments made at protests on September 19 and 20, according to a police source. Yesterday, plain clothed police from the Metropolitan Police Bureau armed with an arrest warrant from the Ubon Ratchathani provincial court apprehended Piyarat Jongthep or Toto, head of the Khana Ratsadon’s security guard team, for breaching Section 116 of the Criminal Code and the Computer Crime Act due to his speech given on a rally stage in Ubon Ratchathani province in August. Piyarat was arrested and taken to the Saladaeng police station. Passarawalee “Mind” Thanakitvibulphol, one of the key leaders of the student movement, came out to say this morning that if embattled Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha resigns and allows the parliament to elect anyone within the parliament to take the position then they would be willing to accept the notion and would be willing to allow the charted to be drafted with the Constitution Drafting Committee that has been approved by the parliament. Meanwhile at the Democrat Party’s headquarters yesterday, Thaworn Senniam, Deputy Transport Minister and Democrat Party MP for Songkhla, came out to accuse Progressive Movement core leaders Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul of being the masterminds behind the youth-led prodemocracy rallies. Thaworn said he had evidence that the 2 figures used young people as a tool to drive their reform goals which equal the toppling of the monarchy. Thaworn said he had a video clip showing the use of hate speech by Piyabuytr while giving a speech at the University of London on April 11, 2016. Thaworn said the clip showed that Piyabutr accused His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of exercising influence over judges. Thaworn said Piyabutr’s speech is a distortion of fact since the late King in his address to judges on April 24, 2006, did not give them any instructions. Thaworn also accused Thanathorn of making speeches in several occasions and through his book “Portrait Thanathorn” in November 2018 which stressed the need for reform of the monarchy, adding that the founding of the Future Forward Party, which was dissolved by the Constitutional Court, was intended to achieve that goal. The Deputy Transport Minister called on police and security officials to take legal action against the 2 Progressive Movement leaders, accusing both of them of pulling the strings behind the current anti-establishment protests and seeking sweeping reforms of the monarchy. In a separate development, Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit reportedly denied all charges filed by the Election Commission (EC) over his alleged media shareholding when reporting to police investigators at Metropolitan Police Bureau sub-division 2 yesterday. Thanathorn said he is confident that he had sufficient evidence to show that he completed the transfer of shares in V-Luck Media Co Ltd prior to applying to be an MP. He mentioned the Constitutional Court’s ruling acquitting government MPs of also holding shares in media companies, particularly the case of Pada Vorakanon, a Palang Pracharath MP for Bangkok. She was not found guilty of a media shareholding. She had testified that the media firm she held shares in was already closed down. Thanathorn said his media business had also been closed. Intention should be taken into consideration in the matter. He said he had proof of the sale of his media shares. Police investigators are expected to send Thanathorn’s case to prosecutors on December 9th for them to decide whether to take Thanathorn’s case to the Criminal Court or not. Yesterday, army chief Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae came out to rule out a chance of a military coup to end the current political crisis after helicopters hovering above on the city days and nights since Monday. The army chief said the increased helicopter activity heard over several areas of Bangkok was part of security arrangements for the motorcade of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen. The helicopter hovering around was reportedly went on for hours in the skies over central Bangkok, sparking rumours of an imminent coup on social media. However, Gen Narongphan came out to dismiss a coup rumour as “pure fantasy” as he advised reporters to get a lot of rest and not fall victim to fake news or they could be “held accountable” for the consequences of such speculation. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam came out to explain matters relating to the lifting of martial law and who holds the power to declare martial law. Wissanu reportedly had a meeting with the National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general in which he said to discuss the extension of the state of emergency for another 45 days to control the COVID-19 pandemic. He insisted that the extension of the emergency law had nothing to do with the Khana Ratsadon-led major rally on November 25. Wissanu also dismissed rampant speculation of the enforcement of martial law to rein in pro-democracy rallies. He said His Majesty the King holds the power to declare martial law. Parliament Speaker Chuan Leekpai announced the decision of the 3 whips---government, opposition and Senate---to forge ahead with the formation of a reconciliation committee comprising 21 members. At the yesterday meeting in Parliament attended by Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, government chief whip Virat Rattanasate and opposition chief whip Suthin Khlangsaeng, Chuan announced that the panel will comprise 2 representatives each from the government, government MPs, opposition MPs, senators, the protest group, as well as other concerned groups. The panel will also have nine highly regarded academics and experts - three from the Council of University Presidents of Thailand, one from the Council of Presidents of Rajabhat Universities, one from the Council of Presidents of Rajamangala Universities of Technology, and four experts with experience in previous reconciliation efforts. House Deputy Secretary-General Kunnawut Tantrakul will serve as the panel’s secretary. Sutin, however, said he was not sure if the proposed panel will by supported by all stakeholders but suggested that now its structure is set, the opposition camp, as well as the protest group, should reconsider joining it after previously declining the invitation. The opposition chief whip also said that the panel’s immediate priority is to find ways to defuse the tension but it will also work on long-term solutions to the political conflict. Protest leader Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul has been named as one of the world’s 100 most inspirational and influential women of 2020 by the BBC. Panusaya, a leader of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group, made international headlines in August when she read out a 10-point manifesto for monarchy reform at a Bangkok rally.She is among three Thais on the BBC’s “100 Women of 2020” list. The other two are Kotchakorn Voraakhom, an urban landscape architect, and Cindy Sirinya Bishop, an actress, model and TV host who also campaigns to end violence against women. Economic News Embattled Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is forced to shift his meeting venue with US business leaders and executives from Government House to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Head Office Building in fear of political demonstrations. According to the original schedule, Gen Prayut was set for a semi-online meeting with executives of the US-ASEAN Business Council which will see the US Ambassador to Thailand being present at Government House. He will also meet with around 88 Thailand-based American business executives of 38 US companies from 8 major industries including the energy, basic infrastructure, commerce and financial services. The subjects on the agenda will be investment and international trade.
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