PAD leaders using supporters as pawns
Written by changthai11 on Friday, October 10th, 2008
Post Bag
PAD leaders using supporters as pawns
While the Post blames the police and the government for the violence that occurred on Oct 7, I draw your attention to the following:
The PAD leaders, out of desperation, are using their supporters as pawns to test PM Somchai’s mettle. Maj-Gen Chamlong presented himself for arrest and refused bail even though Gen Chavalit tried to bail him out. This made the gullible supporters angry.
They picked the day the government had to present its policy speech in Parliament to surround the building and prevent the government from functioning. They assigned Mr Sirichai to lead mostly innocent supporters to the frontlines.
When police started firing tear gas, instead of ordering a withdrawal to prevent injury to their supporters, the PAD leaders urged supporters to continue while they kept themselves out of harm’s way.
After the policy speech, the PAD blocked all exits to prevent people from leaving Parliament. Did they want to kill those people? Did they want to hold them hostage, or were they just fooling around?
We may never get the answers to these questions but we definitely know that the PAD leaders are resorting to violence and are using their supporters as pawns in their desire to crush Mr Thaksin, even if it includes loss of life and limb. I am sure many people can see this.
COLDCRAB
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Desperate for clean govt
If I hear the word ”democracy” again, I’ll reach for my gun.
What Thailand needs _ and needs now _ is a government of intelligent, visionary people who have a firm commitment to the betterment of the poor in Thailand and a sincere love of King and country.
They must be totally clean: being in government to enrich oneself should be answered with the slam of the cell door or a little bit of Chinese justice for thieving from the state.
What a hypocritical mob of self-servers the present mob in power are, no different from the Thaksin gang. E.g. the Bangkok Post of Oct 9 shows a picture of the prime minister with his hands on a hospitalised PAD supporter. How hypocritical of the man. He knows he is as responsible for the injuries as the policeman who inflicted them. What gall the man has, with a hide thicker than an elephant’s. Has he no shame? Does he not know that he is one of the reasons the people, bless them, are on the streets?
Thailand must rid itself of those in the government who are there only for self enrichment and the power that goes with that wealth, for it is obvious they are without any vision and unfit to be called leaders of the country.
PODGY JACK
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Seeking asylum
That the UK government is even prepared to consider an application for political asylum from Mr Thaksin rather than dismissing it out of hand, while at the same time refusing permanent residency to Gurkha soldiers who risked their lives for Britain, makes my blood boil. I am ashamed to be British.
By the way, what does the man have to do before his diplomatic status is revoked? The Thai government is ”considering it”. Unbelievable.
KEVIN ALTON
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How can AIA not be at risk?
I found it quite misleading to read how, in the wake of the announcement of the debacle of AIG, its Thai subsidiary AIA went on to quickly assure the public that it was ”not at risk”.
How can the subsidiary of a failing major US company not be at risk? AIA spokespeople quoted the large reserves of the company many times above the ratio required by law. Now, what is going to happen when AIG starts drawing on the bailout credit line given to it by the Fed? Eventually, it will have to start paying interest. Further down the line, it will have to repay the credit.
What makes anyone believe that a company that has been unable to stand by itself will now be able not only to stand by itself but, furthermore, have to pay heavy amounts of interest on loans that it knows it cannot service?
Maybe it is the optimistic solution that AIG executives are proposing that is fooling the public: AIG will start selling assets. That’s right, AIG is going to sell everything, down to its own computers.
Very recently AIG sold its 50% stake in London’s City Airport at a loss of 125 million! Two days ago AIG agreed to sell 49% of its AIA subsidiaries for a mere US$20 billion. And soon it will be selling its remaining stake.
But before it sells its Thai subsidiary piecemeal at fire-sale prices at the Chatuchak weekend market, AIG could strip AIA of all its proudly displayed reserves. No Thai regulation will prevent the bailout (no pun intended) of its liquid assets upstream to the US parent. And then, what is left of AIA?
ALEX RUIZ
Singapore
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