On Friday 25 November, 2011, two groups opposing the government protested at Lumpini Park. Dr. Tul Sittisomwong’s multi-colored group with a few hundred members gathered at 16.00 at the Rama IV statue at the Saladaeng entry to Lumpini Park, where they laid a wreath. A few tables were set up to collect signatures to impeach the cabinet.
Later, at 18.00 inside Lumpini Park’s auditorium a previously lesser known group – Siam Samakki (United Siam) – held their second public seminar: “Knowing Thaksin’s Ploys”. The first mention of this group I found in a Bangkok Post article of November 2009. Before the event began video clips were shown, such as parts of Jakrapob Penkair’s speech at the FCCT for which he was accused of Lese Majeste, and the parts of Jatuporn’s speech at Democracy Monument on April 10, 2011, over which army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha filed a Lese Majeste case against Jatuporn.
When the leaders appeared of the stage of the filled up auditorium, about 2000 people inside the room and outside in the park, they said that their group is now a network of about 23 different groups. Their main leader appears to be retired General Somjate Boonthanom, once director of the CNS’s Secretary-general’s Office, and member of a group of 20 former army officers, senators and businessmen, who offered in April 2009 a bounty of 1 million baht for Thaksin’s arrest. On the stage presenting the leaders were were two other retired generals, Kanchanee Wallayasewee – leader of the “Thais love Peace” group and a former PAD supporter who fell out with the PAD in early 2011, and Boworn Yasinthorn, leader of the “Network of Monarchy Protection Volonteers” – a group that mostly organizes itself through facebook. After brief speeches by the leaders, several academics took the stage for longer speeches – Chirmsak Pinthong, Dr. Seri Wongmontha, and Kaesun Athibodhi were the most well known names – attacking the government and Thaksin in particular.
Siam Samakki greeted three TV stations broadcasting the event: Santi Asoke’s station, T-News, and the new satellite TV station “Blue Sky TV”, which is somewhat affiliated with the Democrat Party, and where Abhisit Vejjajiva is part of a talk show.
At the end of the event, at about 21.30, a facebook group with masks was introduced – the “Nagahk Dordaan Thaksin”, or in English “The Anonymous Thailand”. Its members faces were hidden with masks, they held up signs, and their statement attacking Thaksin and the government.
Siam Samakki announced that it will continue holding similar seminars, and the ended with the playing of the royal anthem, which Dr Tul alsoattended.
If they’re broadcasting Jakropobh and Jatuporn’s supposedly lese majeste speeches, aren’t they committing lese majeste themselves?
Or is everything allowed for “good” people?
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I can’t think a more inappropiate (mis)use of the Anonymous name/symbolism – wearing a Guy Fawkes mask while rallying in favor of the 1%. I guess the irony is lost on them.
-R
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Ricardo D. – 2
Dont be too surprised with the extreme case of irony with the royalist. Last year a group in FB was formed and given the name “Social Sanction”. The irony part is that they were calling themselves the SS, unaware that the acronym SS also stand for Schutzstaffel, Nazi death squad. Another similar group was formed recently named after Pridi’s pro-democracy left leaning group of freedom fighter during WWII, the Seri Thai (Free Thai). The purpose (and action so far) has been nothing more than creating a smear campaign against Yingluck government and has nothing in ideology that resemble to the original Seri Thai.
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A few comments . . .
1) @tom hoy
I thought the same thing:
2) “Network of Monarchy Protection Volonteers”
Did the group mis-spell their own name, or was it the author (Nick Nostitz)?
3) For those who can’t read the Thai in the placards in this image:
http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/12.jpg
The majority of the placards are placing all blame of the 600 flood victims directly on Yingluck and FROC. A bit unfair of a criticism, considering the floods started two months before PTP became government . . .
4) Isn’t the guy in this image the person I occasionally see on those Thai snake-oil infomercials?
http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/08.jpg
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“johninbkk”:
The spelling is to be blamed on me
The guy in the picture is Dr. Seri Wongmontha, who was also very active on PAD stages.
Today was another Siam Samakki event at the Pridi Statue in Thammasat university. Several hundred dressed in Pink Shirts gathered there, a jazz band on the stage, several well known singers, also the senator Rotsana Tositrakul, one of the group of 40 senators. Dr. Tul was there as well. Highlight was at the end singing the Royal anthem, and holding up candles (good pics).
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There is now more detailed information available on the Democrat Party’s connection with the “Blue Sky TV” satellite television channel, here a very interesting article by the Bangkok Post:
Political skirmishes take to the airwaves
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/283922/political-skirmishes-take-to-the-airwaves
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