Gen Prawit re-elected as leader of PPRP
Gen Prawit Wongsuwon was re-elected as the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader hours after stepping down from the position yesterday morning.
His younger brother and former national police chief, Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon, was also appointed as the party’s chief adviser in what is seen as a move to pave the way for the PPRP to join a new government under a deal reached with the Pheu Thai Party, according to sources.
Following the resignation of Gen Prawit, who also serves as deputy prime minister, the PPRP began a voting process to elect a new leader and a 21-member executive board.
Palang Pracharath MP Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn nominated Gen Prawit for the top post, and he was the sole candidate.
The results showed Gen Prawit had made a comeback as the party leader.
The five new deputy leaders are Santi Promphat, Paiboon Nititawan, Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Wirach Ratanasate and Trinuch Thienthong.
Capt Thamanat Prompow, a key figure of the PPRP and MP for Phayao, became the party’s secretary-general again.
He, along with 20 other MPs under his control, was ousted from the party last year for plotting against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
A PPRP source said the appointment of Pol Gen Patcharawat as the party’s chief adviser is “a signal the party is expected to be invited to join a Pheu Thai-led coalition”, excluding the pro-democracy Move Forward Party, ahead of the new PM vote on Friday.
Under the deal between the parties, if the PPRP joins the coalition, Gen Prawit will not take any cabinet post, so Pheu Thai will not face criticism from its supporters who do not want the “uncles” to be a part of the government coalition.
“Uncles” refer to Gen Prawit and Gen Prayut.
Instead, Pol Gen Patcharawat would take the interior minister post as well as serve as deputy prime minister in a Pheu Thai-led government, the source said, adding Pol Gen Patcharawat has close ties with exiled ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Pol Gen Patcharawat is believed to have acted as a liaison between Thaksin and Gen Prawit for several years.
On Thursday, massage parlour tycoon-turned-whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit claimed that the Pheu Thai Party had struck a deal with Bhumjaithai and the PPRP to form a government with a combined 279 MPs, excluding the MFP.
He said key Pheu Thai figures met Thaksin in Hong Kong to strike the deal on Tuesday — the same day Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Progressive Movement, allegedly also met Thaksin there.
A PM candidate nominated by the new coalition bloc would get the support needed from senators because the MFP would no longer be part of the coalition, Mr Chuvit said.
Capt Thamanat yesterday reiterated the PPRP’s stance that it will not support any party that plans to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law.
“The PPRP has a policy to put the past conflicts behind us.
“Therefore, we cannot afford to work with any party that will cause division and conflict,” he said, referring to the MFP.
Tiger populations grow in India and Bhutan
Getty ImagesIndia and Bhutan have reported a marked increase in their wild tiger populations, according to new figures released separately by both countries.
India recorded an average total of 3,682 tigers – making it the home of 75% of the world’s wild tigers, the minister of state for forest, environment and climate change said.
Separately, Bhutan recorded 131 tigers – up 27% from its last count in 2015.
The new figures coincide with International Tiger Day.
In India, the rise in its tiger population amounts to an annual increase of 6%, the environment ministry said.
The population growth is a major conservation success for India, which saw its tiger population plummeting to less than 2,000 in the 1970s due to rampant poaching and loss of habitat.
“India’s exemplary efforts in tiger conservation and the increase in tiger numbers is not just a statistic but a testament to the determination and commitment of the nation,” union minister of forest, environment and climate change Bhupender Yadav said.
In the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the growth in the number of tigers was also celebrated.
“This is a significant achievement and an indication of a very healthy ecosystem,” said Chimi Rinzin, Country Director of WWF-Bhutan.
The Bhutan tiger population survey found evidence of Tigers breeding at different altitudes in the country, suggesting the kingdom could help regional populations recover.
The news in both Bhutan and India has been welcomed as the world continues to grapple with the increasing loss of species due to issues such as climate change.
As a top predator, tigers are considered essential for preserving the complex systems that underpin the natural world.
However, they are an endangered species. According to WWF statistics, the global wild tiger population has dropped by around 95% over the past century.
The loss of habitat due to human habitation and the illegal wildlife trade are among factors responsible for the decline.
As well as Bhutan and India, Nepal has also made significant strides, doubling its tiger population in the past decade.
However, there have been concerns about the growth in tiger attacks in areas where conservation efforts are taking place.
In India, as more tigers compete for the same resources, some of them are venturing outside protected nature reserves looking for food. This can bring them into conflict with people living in nearby villages.
More than 100 people were killed in tiger attacks in India between 2019 and 2021, according to government statistics.
Similar fears exist in Bhutan.
“If tigers are to keep thriving, human-tiger conflict must continue to be addressed,” Bhutan’s national tiger survey report and the WWF said
“Increased conflict results in decreased tolerance for tigers and poses a significant threat to both local people and tigers themselves,” they said.
While Stuart Chapman, who leads the WWF’s tiger preservation initiative, acknowledged that the increase in tiger populations can lead to intensifying challenges, he added: “Bhutan is perfectly positioned to be a global champion for approaches that support coexistence between tigers and people.”
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9 killed in fireworks explosion in Narathiwat
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PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 19:03
At least nine people were killed and more than 130 seriously injured when fireworks exploded at a godown in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon.
The incident took place at around 3pm at the godown of the Weerawat Panit shop in the Muno market in the district near the Malaysian border. The explosion caused extensive damage to the godown, the market and as many as 150 houses in the area, according to reports from the scene.
The explosion initially claimed four lives and injured 90 others, but as the full extent of the damage became known, the number of dead and injured began to rise.
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Anirut Bua-on, the chief of Sungai Kolok district, coordinated with all tambons to send fire trucks and rescue teams to the scene.
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Rescue workers and local residents survey damage following a fireworks explosion at a godown in Sungai Kolok (Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook)
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