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June 9, 2020 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News • the Ministry Of June 9, 2020 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News The Ministry of Defence came under from netizens after reports that a letter has been sent forth and back between the ministry, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Department of Disease Control asking mobile operators to provide the location data of those who were in close proximity to coronavirus patients. The letter was made public and shared online by Sarinee Achavanuntakul, an independent scholar, economist, writer, famous translator, through her Facebook page which claimed that mobile phone operators are asked to provide location logs for the past 14 days of users who are found to contract the virus. The Ministry’s proposal caused an uproar among netizens who worry it would threaten privacy. Ms Sarinee urged the media to raise the issue with all involving parties the Defence Ministry, the NBTC, the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry, the Disease Control Department, TRUE, AIS and DTAC. The independent scholar questioned the Defence Ministry’s involvement in the pandemic prevention process. In response, General Raksak Rojphimphum, Director of Defence Policy and Planning Office, confirmed that the leaked document shared by Ms Sarinee came from the Ministry and said the proposal is solely for the purpose of outbreak prevention. His statement came after a transparency activist revealed the plan on social media. He said the ministry has good intentions. It collaborated with different agencies to see whether the plan is possible. As seen as executable, the ministry decided to send that letter out for the benefit of outbreak investigation. Gen Raksak also downplayed concerns of privacy, saying that the information will only be used to send SMS messages notifying those who were close to COVID-19 patients to isolate themselves from the public. As the corridors of Parliament are thick with rumour about a pending cabinet reshuffle, political experts believed that Pridiyathorn Devakula and Predee Daochai will be handed key cabinet posts as Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and the so-called “trio”-- -Finance Minister and Phalang Pracharat Party (PPRP) leader Uttama, Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong and Higher Education Minister Suwit Mesinsee---are now tipped to go after a mass resignation of PPRP board members, triggering changes at the top of the core coalition party. Political observers are convinced that former deputy prime minister Pridiyathorn will be called in to replace Mr Somkid since economic problems have now changed, while Mr Predee, Kasikornbank Plc’s President and Chairman of the Thai Bankers’ Association, is believed to become new finance minister, replacing Mr Uttama. PPRP MP Anucha Nakasai is speculated to join the new cabinet line-up as deputy finance minister after missing out on a cabinet post last time. Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit is thought to have targeted the post of energy minister with Santi Promphat set to replace him as new industry minister. Suchart Chomklin, PPRP MP for Chonburi, is expected to be given the labour portfolio. However, the final decision rests with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. In a related development, commenting on ongoing turmoil inside the Phalang Pracharat Party (PPRP) triggered by pressure for a change to the cabinet line-up, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak called for an end to political infighting, asking all sides to create a good political climate for the sake of the country’s best economic and social interests. Mr Somkid stressed that the country wanted good people to handle politics such as Kobsak Pootrakul, a former prime minister’s office minister. But he said what had happened is that “good and honest people could not stay in politics”. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam signalled yesterday (June 8) the possibility that the state of emergency may be extended while schools and airports will reopen and there will be long holidays next month. He said it is possible for the emergency law to be extended. It is being considered by the government. The choice is to either extend or end it. However, restriction measures will be reduced. For example, the night curfew will be lifted and crowds will be allowed to gather while the emergency decree may be kept in place to enable the government to impose swift decisions. The government is facing mounting pressure from the Opposition and civil society groups to set up an independent ad-hoc committee to scrutinise its spending of the 1.9 trillion loan allocated to help the economy recover from the virus pandemic. Mana Nimitmongkol, secretary-general of Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT), suggested the government set up a panel drawn from civil networks to monitor how the money is used and the transparency of its disbursement. “Civil networks are not stakeholders in the spending so they can help ensure the money is spent in the most efficient way,” Mr Mana said, “The independent committee could work in parallel with an ad hoc panel to be set up by politicians in the House of Representatives”. “I am not saying there will be corruption in this project, but history shows that previous stimulus schemes have been plagued by graft. So, we should not be negligent this time,” the ACT secretary-general said. The opposition Pheu Thai Party also challenged the government to accept an amendment to the 3 executive loan decrees. The Kao Klai Party proposed that an ad hoc committee be tasked with examining the 1.9 trillion loan baht loans as well as the transfer of 88 billion baht from each ministry’s 2020 budget to a central fund to combat Covid-19 and rehabilitate the economy, and to scrutinise the efficiency of other government measures in tackling the deadly coronavirus. The party also suggested the committee should be aided by a digital platform where agencies seeking loan money could report the objectives and progress of their projects. On the new development on self-exile political activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit, a previously little-known activist who fled Thailand following a 2014 coup, pressure is mounting on the government to do its part to find him. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has come out to issue a statement that it was going to look into this issue and will coordinate with the Cambodian authorities The move comes amid mounting pressure from all walks of life in Thailand where even the once reluctant celebrities have come out to say that they want some answer to such actions. Meanwhile rumors are floating around that Wanchalearm was in some way related to cannabis plantation and distribution but this information cannot be confirmed yet. At the same time the opposition Pheu Thai party and a Civil Group called for the Thai government to seek cooperation from the Cambodian side to look for Mr Wanchalearm. Pheu Thai chief strategist Sudarat Keyuraphan issued a statement called for the Thai Foreign Ministry to apply diplomat measures to protect lives of Thai citizens in Cambodia. Ms Sudarat condemned Mr Wanchalearm’s disappearance and other 7 Thai activists who have gone missing during the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)’s rule including Surachai Saedan, Somchai Neelapaijit, Chaiyaphum Pasae. A Civil society group led by Kan Wattanasupang visited Parliament to hand a petition to the House’s committee on law, justice and human rights through Kao Klai Party list MP Benja Saengchan, asking it to probe into Mr Wanchalearm’s disappearance. The group called on the committee to seek coordination with the governments of Cambodia and Lao PDR and the Thai Embassies in both countries to look for the culprit (s), citing the success of the investigation into the murder of British tourists on Koh Tao in Surat Thani. The group also called for the committee to pass the draft Prevention and Suppression of the Torture and Enforced Disappearances Bill. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon told reporters that he had no information on the case but that Thailand would discuss it with Cambodian authorities. When asked about the progress of the discussions with the Cambodian side, Gen Prawit, however, said this case is their matter and he has yet to discuss the matter with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Tia Ban. The opposition Seri Ruam Thai Party petitioned the Ombudsman to request the Constitutional Court to rule on the qualifications of 90 junta-appointed senators who once served as National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members. Seri Ruam Thai spokesman Pitipong Temcharoen submitted a letter to the Office of Ombudsman asking it to rule on whether the May 11, 2019 appointment of 90 senators who are ex-NLA members violated Sections 108 of the 2017 constitution which bars senators from holding positions in state agencies or serving as members or executives of local councils. Mr Pitipong said senators who were former members of the now-defunct NLA may also be in breach of Section 108 of the charter which bars state officials from becoming senators. They have yet not resigned for 5 years before entering the Senate. Among the 90 senators in question are Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, Gen Somjet Boonthanom, Surachai Liangboonlertchai, Somchai Sawaengkan, Wanlop Tangkhananurak, Klanarong Chantik, Gen Singsuk Singprai, Gen Ood Buengbon, etc. Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is reported to be invited to join a global online forum called the “Post COVID-19 World” to offer his perspective on the global economy and businesses post COVID-19. The ex-premier will join a Zoom Meeting with other former high-profile figures such as former Singapore’s minister of Foreign Affairs George Yo, former US Ambassador to Singapore David Adelman, former NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelley, former MEP leader of the Conservatives Geoffrey Van Oden and former president of the Federation of British Industry Paul Drechsler.
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