Barkar Nash (Page 1,097)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai on Monday said the latest informal meeting with some representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the bloc’s dialogue partners yielded “some progress”, though he declined to say what steps were discussed at the meeting.

The meeting, held in Pattaya on Monday, was organised by the caretaker government in an effort to find an Asean-led solution to the crisis in Myanmar.

It came on the heels of a meeting held in Phnom Penh last year, where Thailand vowed to find a peaceful solution to the problem in the country.

According to a Kyodo News report, the meeting was attended by representatives from nine countries, seven of which were Asean members.

Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia declined to take part in the meeting, but China and India sent representatives for the talks.

“Everyone was happy with today’s meeting. We explored many issues, including the current situation along the border, scams and other transnational crimes.

“The issues that we talked about are beneficial to all stakeholders,” he said, declining to say what concrete steps were agreed on at the meeting.

Asked if the outcome of Monday’s gathering will be brought up at the upcoming Asean Ministerial Meeting and other related discussions, such as the Asean Regional Forum next month, Mr Don said he had not considered it.

In Bangkok, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha responded to criticism about the meeting by saying that Thailand needed to bring up the matter for the sake of Asean as a whole.

“In the past, we only saw one side of the problem. I think we need to be on the right track, so we have proceeded with our own policy to stay in line with the Asean resolution regarding Myanmar,” he said, referring to the pledge he made in Phnom Penh last year.

Gen Prayut said Thailand has to be more pro-active on the matter as the country shares a border with Myanmar, with whom it has a history that goes back centuries.

Thailand needs to discuss the matter without bias as we rely on Myanmar for some of our oil and gas supplies, for the sake of our people and country, he said.

If the matter remains unresolved, it will also have an impact on the labour sector, he said.

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The battle over who gets the House speaker post is to continue after Pheu Thai on Monday denied agreeing to let the Move Forward Party take the position as recently claimed by MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon.

Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai on Monday said both parties have yet to agree on the matter, despite claiming on Sunday that the MFP had agreed to give Pheu Thai two deputy House speaker posts in exchange for the House speaker position.

He backtracked on his statement, saying he was merely stating his belief that the House speaker position should go to the party that won the most votes in the May 14 election.

However, by the time he issued the clarification, Mr Chaithawat had already thanked Pheu Thai for agreeing to step aside and let his party take the position, commending it for taking the initiative.

The MFP, which is expected to have 151 seats in parliament, and Pheu Thai, with 141 seats under its wing, are putting together a government with six small and micro parties.

Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew also said on Monday that further talks are needed to thrash out the issue.

Dr Cholnan said the parties have yet to reach a conclusive agreement on who would get the House speakership.

“We haven’t talked about it. It’s something we’ve touched on in talks within our own party,” the Pheu Thai leader said.

Mr Phumtham said on Sunday a deal was badly needed to minimise post-election uncertainties.

“It’s for the sake of smoothening the government’s formation. People are waiting eagerly to see changes in the country,” he said.

Also on Monday, the National Anti-Corruption Commission said it has not yet received MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s assets and liabilities declaration, which he was required to file upon leaving office as an MP on Jan 20, despite the submission deadline on Sunday.

NACC secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol said so far, 335 people whose status as MPs ended had declared their assets.

Forty-two others have asked for an extension, and another five, including Mr Pita, have neither submitted their documents nor sought a deadline extension.

Those who failed to declare must explain to the NACC, he said.

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Tak: Mae Sot Municipality is investigating allegations that officials took bribes in issuing some 700 identification cards to migrant workers over the past three months.

This comes as a fourth official in the Registration Department in Mae Sot district was transferred for allegedly taking bribes in issuing the ID cards to the Myanmar migrants.

The investigation stems from complaints received by Tak governor Somchai Kitchareanrungroj about the bribery after some people spotted unusually long lines of migrants registering for pink ID cards.

The pink card is issued to migrants registered in the house registration system as proof of legality. Valid for 10 years, the card can help them apply for work.

After the complaints, Prasert Puanglakorn, mayor of Mae Sot, transferred three officials to non-active posts pending an investigation by the municipality.

A local source claimed the three officials issued, on average, 15–20 ID cards per day in the past three months, demanding 40,000–100,000 baht for each card, totalling 28–30 million baht in bribes.

On Monday, a committee was launched to find out how long the bribery had been going on and where the migrant workers who bribed the officials were staying.

The committee is also authorised to call individuals to give statements and inspect relevant documents.

The municipality will ask the Department of Provincial Administration to revoke all 10-year cards issued until now, said the source.

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Tremors from a series of earthquakes centred on the southern coastal area of Myanmar were also felt in Bangkok and its surrounding areas yesterday morning.

The first quake, 6.0 magnitude, occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres at 8.40am, the Thai Meteorological Department’s Earthquake Observation Division reported.

The epicentre was in Myanmar, about 289 kilometres southwest of Tak’s Phop Phra district, it said.

There were two subsequent aftershocks near the Myanmar southern coast at 8.57am, 3.6 magnitude, and at 10.46am, 4.4 magnitude, it said.

The quakes were felt in Nonthaburi and Bangkok, especially by people in high-rise buildings. There were no reports of damage or casualties.

“Silom…in [the] Surawong area. Felt like the building is wobbling. Going down the building for safety,” netizen @mefanw wrote on Twitter.

In Bang Sue, the shaking was reportedly felt at the Buranayothin School, where scared students ran for cover.

“The building is shaking. Please help. In class when it happened. #earthquake #yothinburana,” @helloisunmrr, Twitter user, said.

Regarding the Klong Toey area, Twitter user @kanaapz posted: “Earthquake in Klong Toey. Those in the lift felt nothing.”

A video clip apparently showing shaking ceiling lights was attached to the post.

In the Sukhumvit area, where there are many office buildings, many workers evacuated.

Twitter user @Chitsanupo57308 posted a video apparently showing people running for cover in Sukhumvit.

@kanaapz a Twitter user in Lat Phrao posted: “Earthquake. On 13th floor of a building at Lat Phrao, the lights are swinging. Feeling dizzy. #earthquake.”

At a press conference, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said tremors were felt in 11 of the capital’s 50 districts, mostly reported by people in high-rises.

There were no reports of damage at that stage, the governor said.

Chatpan Chintanapakdee from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering said the capital should be able to come through such quakes without problems.

The strength of this quake was not enough to make a building collapse, Mr Chatpan said.

“If buildings are lawfully designed, they can deal with quakes like this without a problem,” he added.

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The Election Commission on Monday endorsed all 400 constituency MPs-elect and 100 party-list MPs-elect, and reserved its right to investigate electoral fraud involving any of them within a year.

EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said newly elected MPs could report at the parliament from Tuesday to Saturday.

He said that although the EC endorsed the newly elected MPs, it reserved its right to investigate any electoral fraud allegation within one year, as allowed by the election law.

During this period, the EC could ask the Supreme Court to nullify electoral and candidacy rights of anyone it deemed to have cheated in the May 14 general election.

The EC could not conclude its investigation into electoral fraud allegations within 60 days after the election, or within July 13, when the law required it to endorse election results. The EC would take time to ensure justice in its investigations, Mr Sawaeng said.

Reporters asked Mr Sawaeng about the EC’s stance on the allegation that Pita Limjaroenrat, leader and prime ministerial candidate of the election-winning Move Forward Party, should be banned from the election under the provisions of the Constitution for holding shares in iTV Plc.

Mr Sawaeng said the inquiry committee of the office of the EC had yet to conclude its investigation in Mr Pita’s case.

The constitution prohibits any shareholder of a media organisation from running in a general election.

Asked if the EC could make its decision on Mr Pita before the parliament’s vote for the new prime minister, Mr Sawaeng said the EC did not care about the political angle, but prioritised its complete consideration of all relevant facts.

Earlier it was reported that there were allegations against 71 MPs-elect in 37 constituencies.

By law, within 15 days of the EC’s endorsement of the new MPs, the parliament must convene to vote for the House speaker, and the process of voting for the new prime minister and the establishment of the new government will follow.

The new parliament is therefore now expected to convene by July 3.

According to the endorsed vote results, the Move Forward Party won the most House seats, 151, followed by the Pheu Thai Party (141), Bhumjaithai (71), Palang Pracharath (40), United Thai Nation (36), Democrat (25) and Chartthaipattana (10).

Sawaeng Boonmee, secretary-general of the Election Commission, announces the EC’s endorsement of all 500 MPs-elect on Monday. (Photo supplied)

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Ten police officers, including the former chief of Chon Buri police, have been charged with involvement in the alleged extortion of 140 million baht from six suspects in an online gambling case, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said on Monday.

Pol Gen Surachate said the 10 officers reported to acknowledge the charges against them on Monday.

Eight of them were attached to Provincial Police Region 2, and included Pol Maj Gen Kamphon Leelaprapaporn, 54, until recently chief of Chon Buri police. The two others were from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau.

Pol Gen Surachate said the eight Region 2 officers were charged with demanding and taking bribes in violation of Section 149, abuse of power under Section 157 and posing threats to the life, liberty, reputation or property of others in breach of Section 309 of the Criminal Code.

The two CCIB officers were charged with violating Sections 157 and 309 of the Criminal Code.

The ten officers were released after giving their statements during interrogation.

Some of the Region 2 officers confessed to the charges and provided useful information in the case. The two CCIB officers denied the charges, he said.

Pol Gen Surachate said three civilian suspects in the case who were subject to arrest warrants had not turned themselves in.

One of them, Veera “Boy” Nasap, had contacted police saying he would surrender, but had not shown up. Police had been informed he had fled abroad, Pol Gen Surachate said.

Another suspect, Pisit “Ton” Kanisornpanee, had also fled, to Cambodia. The third civilian suspect, Mr Veera’s wife Laddawan, was also reported to have fled abroad.

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Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday it had not been agreed which party would take the post of House speaker in the planned coalition government headed by the Move Forward Party.

Mr Phumtham said his comments on Sunday had been misinterpreted in stories quoting him as saying the issue had been settled between the two parties, and Pheu Thai had conceded the post. 

“I said that the political party which comes first (with the most MPs) should get the House speaker’s post, and the party which comes second should get the two deputy speaker positions. This was misinterpreted as Pheu Thai having conceded the House speaker’s post to Move Forward,” he said.

Mr Phumtham said it was not yet finalised which party would be number one, the party with the most MPs. This would be clear only when the Election Commission endorses the MPs-elect on June 21.

According to unofficial election results, Move Forward came first with 151 MPs-elect and Pheu Thai second with 141, in the constituency and party-list systems.

He said he had not mentioned by name which party would get the House speaker’s post, or who would be nominated for the post. The matter would still have to be thrashed out by the parties concerned, he said.

Mr Phumtham said that he on Sunday night he had called Adisorn Piangket, a Pheu Thai list MP-elect, to clear up this matter.

Mr Adisorn had on Sunday expressed his strong dissatisfaction, saying that the party had conceded the the speakership to the Move Forward Party.

Mr Phumtham said he had proposed a way out of the stalemate after Pheu Thai and Move Forward had locked horns over the House speaker’s job. He wanted the formation of a coalition government of eight parties to proceed. People were waiting to see change, not a fight over political positions.

When it was clear which party had trhe most MPs, talks between Pheu Thai and Move Forward would then begin. After the EC’s endorsement of MPs-elect, the two parties would have 15 days to do that before the selection of the House speaker, he said.

Asked about a report that the Move Forward Party would name its candidate for House speaker on June 22, Mr Phumtham said this had not been jointly agreed on by the two parties.

Pheu Thai itself had not settled on what positions would be filled by which members, either in the House or in the new cabinet, he said.

He said the two parties should for now focus on the government’s formation.

At the Move Forward head office, party secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said he believed the House speakership issue would be resolved this week.

He thanked Mr Phumtham and Pheu Thai secretary-general Prasert Chantara-ruangthong for having voiced Pheu Thai’s position on the matter.

Asked who Move Forward would nominate for the post of House Speaker, Mr Chaithawat said the party had yet to go through a selection process. Three MPs-elect of the party had earlier been reported to be the candidates – Nathawut Buaprathum, a list MP-elect and deputy party leader, Padipat Santipada, an MP-elect for Phitsanulok, and Teerajchai Panthumas, an MP-election for Bangkok.

He said leaders of the eight parties forming the coalition would hold a meeting on Thursday after MPs-elect have been endorsed by the Election Commission. He did not think the allocation of cabinet posts would be discussed on that day.

Asked about the suggestion by political analysts that the Pheu Thai Party might want the prime ministership if Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s nomination failed to get parliamentary endorsement, Mr Chaithawat said he had not thought about it. They were concentrating on the formation of a  government with Mr Pita as prime minister.

“I  speak on behalf of Pheu Thai, that the party has shown its clear intention to join in forming the government and push for Mr Pita to be prime minister,” Mr Chaithawat said.

If everything went according to the set timeline, the new prime minister would be chosen in the middle of July, he added.

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A 15-year-old activist on Monday morning walked into the school which has rejected her enrolment as “incomplete” and demanded her right to an education.

Thanalop “Yok” Phalancha, a grade 10 student (Mathayom 4) walked into Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School in Bangkok without any opposition on Monday morning, as policewomen were deployed outside to ensure order.

She sported her trade mark dyed hair and casual clothing, in defiance of school regulations.

She insisted on her right to an education, and rejected the school management’s weekend statement that her enrolment process was incomplete. She said the process was completed on May 16, she had already paid her school fees and had studied there for a month.

She stood firm on her right to dye her hair and wear clothes of her own choice instead of a school uniform, and to refrain from participating in school ceremonies.

Yok said her choice of hairstyle and clothing were a fundamental right, and the ceremonies were a reflection of authoritarianism.

However, she said, she would agree to wear a uniform if every student at her school also agreed. 

The teenager complained that the election-winning Move Forward Party was slow to take up her cause. The party objected to school regulations on student uniforms and hairstyles, but had issued a statement of support only after she had climbed fences to enter her school for three days, she said.

On Sunday the party put out a statement saying all children had the right to an education regardless of the status of their guardians, and that this principle should also apply to Yok’s case.

Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School, in Suan Luang district, has declared Yok is no longer a student there, saying she failed to complete the enrolment process.

The 15-year-old was recently released on bail from a juvenile detention centre in Nakhon Pathom, after she was earlier charged with royal defamation.

Last week, Yok showed up in school in casual clothes and with dyed hair, in a protest against uniform and hairstyle rules. The school barred her from class. She then climbed over the school fence on three days, determined to attend class.

On Saturday the school issued a statement signed by the principal, Jintana Srisarakham, saying she was no longer a student at the school.

The statement said Yok had failed to complete the enrolment process, because her parents did not show up on enrolment day. It also said Yok’s misconduct at school was a threat to the safety of fellow students, staff, parents and school property.

On her Facebook page on Sunday, Yok said she wanted to go to school but remained barred from entry.

The stand-off at the school was continuing, with Yok remaining within the grounds..

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The government on Monday hosts talks aimed at re-engaging Myanmar’s shunned military leaders though important Southeast Asian neighbours are staying away from a gathering critics view as undermining regional unity on the strife-torn country’s crisis.

Myanmar’s generals have been barred from high-level meetings of the 10-member Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) since they seized power in a 2021 coup and unleashed violence on those who challenged their takeover.

The outgoing Thai military-backed government has invited Asean foreign ministers, including the one appointed by Myanmar’s junta, to discuss a proposal for the regional bloc to “fully re-engage Myanmar at the leaders’ level”, according to an invitation seen by Reuters and verified by sources.

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, who called the meeting, told broadcaster Thai PBS in an interview aired on Monday that Myanmar’s crisis was sending refugees across their common border and had hit trade hard.

“Thailand is the most affected if we let this prolong,” Mr Don said. “We can say that Thailand is the only country in Asean that wants to see the problems end as soon as possible, which will be beneficial to us.”

Myanmar’s junta-appointed foreign minister, Than Swe, is due to join the talks, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told Reuters.

But some Asean members have declined to attend and others are only sending junior officials.

Indonesia, which as the current Asean chair has for months been trying to engage key stakeholders in Myanmar’s conflict in an effort to kick-start a peace process, has declined to join the talks.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the latest meeting of the bloc had “arrived at no consensus to re-engage or develop new approaches to the Myanmar issue”, according to a letter seen by Reuters and verified by a source.

Asean frustration

The military took over in Myanmar in 1962, isolating it for decades until a tentative opening up began in 2011.

But its experiment with democracy, which included elections swept by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, came to end when the military ousted her government, reimposed strict military rule and crushed protests.

With Myanmar again drawing Western condemnation and sanctions, Asean came up with a five-point plan, including an end to violence, dialogue and humanitarian assistance, but Myanmar’s generals have ignored Asean’s effort to the increasing frustration of the bloc.

Malaysia’s foreign minister has also declined to attend the Thai talks, saying it remained supportive of the efforts being undertaken by Indonesia. His ministry suggested the Thai effort undermined Asean unity.

“It is important that Asean demonstrates its unity in support of the Asean Chair and Asean processes which are in line with the mandate and decisions made by the Asean leaders,” the Malaysian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Cambodia on Monday said Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who last year served as an Asean special envoy to Myanmar, would be represented by his deputy. The government had on Friday said Prak Sokhonn would lead the Cambodian delegation. 

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