Week 27 (2nd July 2012 – 8th July 2012) ASEAN Newspapers Issues pertaining to Thailand ‐ politics Number of article(s): 5 Keywords/criteria used for search: Thailand, Thai Online newspapers included in search: Borneo Bulletin (Brunei) Brunei Times (Brunei) Phnom Penh Post (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 Strait Times (Singapore) The Philippine Inquirer (Philippines) The Japan Times (Japan) China Daily (China) The Korean Times (South Korea) Table of Contents THE BRUNEI TIMES 4 7TH / JULY 2012 – THAI COURT DEFERS KEY RULING (AFP) 4 • The article focuses on the Thai Constitutional court’s decision last Friday (6th of July) to defer the ruling of the case of charter amendments till next week. • The court held sessions to hear evidence on the case centering on claims that the ruling Pheu Thai Party sponsored bill to amend the constitution threatens the Thai Monarchy. • Pheu Thai party members deny design of amended constitution to undermine the Monarchy. • It is further reported that “If court judges find that the amendment plans threaten the monarchy, it could lead to the dissolution of the party ­ although would not necessitate Yingluck's departure ­ risking a potential fresh wave of unrest in the volatile nation.” THE PHNOM PENH POST 5 3RD / JULY 2012 ­ BARBED WIRE ROW LATEST AT PREAH VIHEAR 5 • This article relates to the Preah Vihear border dispute. Cambodian Lieutenant General Srey Doek, commander of Military Division 3 at Preah Vihear, said on the 2nd of July that, last month, Thai troops scattered barbed wire and posted markers in front of the temple in violation of the ICJ ruling and have yet to remove them. • This comes after both sides met for a JWG meeting last week where both sides agreed on a demining process. • The border area has been calm and troops on both sides have regularly met to exchange information and avoid confrontations. THE JAKARTA POST 6 9TH / JULY 2012 ­ UNCLEAR THAI AIRPORT POLICY TAKING A TOLL 6 • This articles focuses on the government indecision over if Bangkok should have two airports. According to the article, this indecision has incurred “vast economic losses”. Furthermore, due to lack of clear policy, Suvarnabhumi Airport’s Phase 2 expansion project has been delayed from last year. Suvarnabhumi was designed to be the city’s only airport when it opened in late 2006. Don Mueang at the time was to become an aircraft‐ repair center. • Phase 2 of the Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion plan has gotten Cabinet approval last month and is being studied by a project adviser. The project is set to complete in 2017. Two factors that have resulted in congestion at Suvarnabhumi, are the temporary closure of the its eastern runway and the limited capacity of the control tower. • According to the article, the best way is to relocate low cost airlines to Don Mueang . This would buy Suvarnabhumi enough time for it to complete phase 2. However the current government’s relocation policy provides favorable teams to newly located carriers to Don Muang by discounting landing and parking fees unlike the current carriers operating out of Don Mueang. THE STRAIT TIMES 7 5TH / JULY 2012 ­ THAI RULING PARTY AT RISK AS COURT MULLS OVER KEY CASE 7 • This article focuses on the Thailand’s constitutional court, which began its hearing on the case of the charter amendment case. The verdict of the court could lead to the dissolution of the party and potentially cause political tension to raise. • The court is to rule deliver a verdict over claims that the ruling party’s plan to amend the charter threatens the Thai Monarchy. • Opposition party further accuses that the Pheu Thai party plans to redraw the constitution in order to enable former prime minister Thaksin to return to Thailand without legal sanctions. CHINA DAILY 8 5TH / JULY 2012 ­ THAI CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BEGINS HEARING ON CHARTER AMENDMENTS 8 • This article focuses on the constitutional court’ two day witness testimony hearing in the case over whether the government‐sponsored amendment bill is unconstitutional and if it attempts to topple democratic rule with the Thai King as head of state. • The petitioners compose of pro‐establishment activists and Democrat MPs. The amendment bill is widely seen as seeking to whitewash former prime minister Thaksin. • On last Wednesday morning, approx. 200 pro‐establishment activists convened in front of the Constitutional Court to show moral support for the judiciary. Later in the afternoon, about 20 pro‐Thaksin Red Shirts activists led by Sombat Boonngamanong held a brief protest against the court. The Brunei Times 7th / July 2012 – Thai court defers key ruling (AFP) THAILAND'S Constitutional Court yesterday deferred ruling for a week on an incendiary charter amendment case that could lead to the dissolution of the ruling party. The court heard evidence in a case centering on claims that plans by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's party to amend the constitution are a threat to the deeply‐revered monarchy. The complaint, brought by the opposition Democrats, has the potential to tear open the kingdom's bitter political rifts. They also accuse Yingluck's Puea Thai party of seeking to redraw the country's charter to enable the return of her divisive brother Thaksin, who was ousted from power in a coup by royalist generals in 2006. After two days of hearings Wasan Soypisudh, president of the Constitutional Court said it will deliver its ruling next week. "The hearing today has finished," he said. "The court allows both sides to submit its closing statements in writing on Wednesday and the court will rule on Friday 13 (July)." Puea Thai officials deny designs to undermine the monarchy. "There is no action or intention to do anything as it (is) claimed in the complaint," Noppadon Pattama, Thaksin's legal advisor and a member of Yingluck's Puea Thai party told reporters on Thursday. If court judges find that the amendment plans threaten the monarchy, it could lead to the dissolution of the party ‐ although would not necessitate Yingluck's departure ‐ risking a potential fresh wave of unrest in the volatile nation. Political tensions in Thailand have spiralled since huge anti‐Thaksin rallies helped topple the tycoon, who draws support from rural and working class "Red Shirts" but is reviled by the Bangkok‐based elite and military. Two pro‐Thaksin premiers were forced from office in 2008 in judicial rulings, making way for the Democrats ‐ who have not won an election in 20 years ‐ to take power in a parliamentary vote. Puea Thai swept to power last year on a wave of Thaksin support following deadly 2010 Red Shirt street protests. Amending the constitution, which was drawn up under the post‐coup junta in 2007, was a key plank of the party's election campaign.AFP http://www.bt.com.bn/news‐national/2012/07/07/thai‐court‐defers‐key‐ ruling The Phnom Penh Post 3rd / July 2012 ‐ Barbed wire row latest at Preah Vihear Just a handful of days after plans were announced to begin a de‐mining process that would lead to a withdrawal of troops from the Provisional Demilitarised Zone around Preah Vihear temple, accusations are once again being lobbed across the border. Lieutenant General Srey Doek, commander of Military Division 3 at Preah Vihear, said yesterday that, last month, Thai troops scattered barbed wire and posted markers in front of the temple in violation of an International Court of Justice ruling and have yet to remove them. “What they did is against the court order,” said Srey Doek. “We have asked them to stop the activity and take it out, but they did not do it yet.” According to the general, the situation along the border has been calm and troops on both sides have been meeting regularly to exchange information and avoid confrontation. “I think they are [placing barbed wire] to prevent their people visiting the temple,” he said. The UN’s highest court ruled last July that troops from Cambodia and Thailand must withdraw from the demilitarised zone around the temple. Nearly a year later, neither side has implemented the order. The Joint Working Group of the General Border Committee met last week in Phnom Penh to discuss implementation of the ICJ order. The group’s second meeting ended with an agreement to jointly de‐mine the PDZ area and then withdraw troops 30 days after the completion of mine clearance. Cambodia and Thailand have never fully demarcated their 805‐kilometre shared border, and troops on both sides have exchange gunfire several times since 2008, killing at least 28 people and displacing thousands of families. http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012070357167/National‐ news/barbed‐wire‐preah‐vihear.html The Jakarta Post 9th / July 2012 ‐ Unclear Thai airport policy taking a toll The Thai government's indecision over whether Bangkok should have one or two airports has caused vast economic losses for the country, longer waits in the air for passengers, and possibly unfair treatment for rival airlines providing services at the old Don Mueang Airport. Due to the lack of a clear policy, Suvarnabhumi Airport's Phase 2 expansion project has been delayed from last year. It was designed to be the city's only airport when it opened in late 2006. Don Mueang at that time was to become an aircraft‐repair center. The Phase 2 project, which got Cabinet approval just last month, is being studied by a project adviser. Construction is most likely to start next year. Two factors that have resulted in congestion at the airport are the temporary closure of its eastern runway for repairs and the limited capacity of the control tower.