Democrats prepare to put new pick in hot seat
A new Democrat leader should have a clean track record and a clear vision and be ready to work while in the opposition, said former Democrat Party leader Chuan Leekpai.
Speaking ahead of today’s selection of a new leader to replace Jurin Laksanawisit who resigned in a show of responsibility over the party’s poll defeat, Mr Chuan said it does not matter if the new leader is young but he or she should have a vision and integrity and be able to unify the party.
Mr Chuan said he has been with the party for more than 50 years and seen it go through ups and downs. Former Democrats like Warong Dechgitvigrom, Thaworn Senneam and Suthep Thuagsuban not only worked hard for the party but also had the national interest at heart.
“So I hope we get a leader with high potential who will work for the country, instead of someone who just wants to join the government or tries to do anything to be part of it.
“I don’t want to see that because the Democrat Party can work as either the government or the opposition. It doesn’t have to be in the government or it will lose its quality of being a political institution,” he said.
Mr Chuan declined to comment on criticism over the potential candidates vying for leadership.
Alongkorn Ponlaboot, current Democrat deputy leader, is the only MP to announce a bid to run for the party leadership.
Other potential candidates include Suchatvee Suwansawat, the Democrat Party’s Bangkok governor candidate; Watanya Bunnag, who heads the party’s working group on political innovations; and Det-it Khaothong, the Democrats’ acting secretary-general.
Former Democrat list-MP Chaiwat Traisunant yesterday backed former party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva’s return to the party’s helm, saying the ex-leader is best suited to lead the party.
Mr Abhisit, also a former prime minister, led the Democrats from March 2005 to March 2019. However, Mr Abhisit has not publicly expressed any interest in the post.
Mr Chaiwat also called on the new executive board not to join the coalition government because the Democrats have only 25 House seats which is not enough to drive the party’s policies and restore popularity.
If the Democrat party focuses its resources on performing a checks and balances role as the opposition, it may be able to restore public faith, Mr Chaiwat added.
Pita pleads for support ahead of crucial vote in parliament
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader and sole prime ministerial candidate of Move Forward Party (MFP), has urged his supporters to gather outside CentralWorld in Bangkok today in what he described as a get-together planned ahead of the July 13 parliamentary vote to decide the new prime minister.
He announced the gathering on his Facebook page, saying July 13 will be a important day for the country.
Even though the MFP has already won more than 27 million votes, or approximately 72% of all eligible voters in the May 14 general election, it still has to wait for the Senate to decide its fate, said Mr Pita, referring to the 250 senators whose votes could prove decisive.
“I believe all members of parliament will listen to the people’s voice,” he said.
Interested parties are invited to the get-together which is to begin at 4.30pm to allow them to get up close and personal with Mr Pita, and offer moral support to him and his MFP MPs, the post said.
Meanwhile, MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon has called a meeting of the eight parties in the MFP-led alliance at parliament on Tuesday to prepare for Thursday’s vote, said a source.
The seven prospective coalition partners have now demanded a clear answer from the MFP as to how many senators will actually support Mr Pita as the MFP’s claims seem to contradict recent media interviews by certain senators.
Despite asserting they will stick to their commitment to support Mr Pita, the other coalition members believe, as a potential government leader, that the MFP should do more to reassure them, said the source.
In another development, many MFP supporters have shared an open letter by Senator Wutthiphan Wichairat who interpreted His Majesty the King’s speech to open parliament on July 3 as a coded message endorsing Mr Pita’s bid. The senator quoted a section in which the King urged members of parliament to perform their duty in the best interest of the nation as his evidence for writing the letter.
Meanwhile, Tawee Sodsong, secretary-general of Prachachat Party, one of the coalition partners, reiterated his support for Mr Pita to become prime minister.
He also dismissed rumours House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 79, may only perform the duty for a year due to his age. Mr Wan is fit enough to complete this four-year term, he said.
Cambodian politician ‘faces deportation’
A member of a banned Cambodian opposition party has been arrested in Bangkok and is at risk of deportation, according to Human Rights Watch.
Thol Samnang is being held at the Suan Phlu immigration detention centre in central Bangkok, Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand with HRW Asia, said yesterday.
According to local media reports, Thol Samnang was preparing to visit a UNHCR office when he was apprehended near Victory Monument.
Mr Sunai said in a tweet that Thailand’s new anti-torture and forced disappearance legislation prohibits the deportation of people who may face harm in the destination country.
The Candlelight Party, the only meaningful opposition party left in Cambodia, in late May lost its bid to overturn a state-imposed ban on it taking part in the national elections on July 23.
Cambodia’s National Election Committee had refused to register the party after it failed to submit certain documents. The Constitutional Council subsequently upheld the decision, paving the way for long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen to run a one-horse race.
Critics and rights groups accuse him of using the legal system to crush any opposition to his rule, particularly in the run-up to elections.
The Candlelight Party gained traction in last year’s local polls, claiming 22% of the popular vote, and was planning to challenge Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in every constituency in the national polls.
In the 2018 elections, the CPP won every seat after the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved. The Candlelight Party was founded in 1995. In 2012, it merged with other opposition forces to form the CNRP.
South Koreans protest Japan’s plans to release treated wastewater from damaged Fukushima plant
SEOUL: Hundreds of people marched in South Korea’s capital on Saturday (Jul 8) demanding Japan scrap its plans to release treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, as the head of the UN nuclear agency met with senior officials to discuss public concerns over food safety. The protestsContinue Reading
Child porn suspect âoperated more than 30 sitesâ
Man arrested in Chiang Mai also employed eight people in Udon Thani, say police
A 28-year-old man arrested on child pornography charges was found to be operating more than 30 pornographic websites during a police raid on his two houses in Chiang Mai and Udon Thani provinces.
Police armed with a warrant arrested Chaiyaphat Junapong in front of a house in San Pa Tong district of Chiang Mai on Friday, said Pol Maj Gen Athip Wongsiwaphai, commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).
The arrest followed a tip-off from officials at the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) about networks of pornographic websites they believed to be operating from Thailand.
According to the TCSD commander, many offenders distribute pornographic materials on websites and social media, claiming they feature famous actresses and net idols in order to attract viewers. This causes damage to those wrongly claimed to be depicted.
TCSD investigators have also found that many children and young people had fallen victim to those who produced child pornography for distribution online, said Pol Maj Gen Athip.
The latest investigation found that Mr Chaiyaphat was a member of a major child pornography network, with houses in Chiang Mai and Udon Thani. Investigators then sought court warrants to search the two locations.
Seized from the house in Chiang Mai were a computer and two mobile phones. Officers who examined the devices found more than 10,000 pornographic images and videos had been uploaded.
A search of the suspect’s house in Muang district of Udon Thani found many computers and documents about marketing plans for porn websites there. Eight employees were working there during the raid, said Pol Maj Gen Athip.
Mr Chaiyaphat faces charges of producing and distributing child pornographic materials for trade, putting them into a computer system and possessing child pornography for personal gain.
During questioning, Mr Chaiyaphat denied all charges and said he would give his statement before the court only.
He was held police custody for legal proceedings.
Law Society president Adrian Tan dies aged 57
SINGAPORE: Law Society president, Adrian Tan, died on Saturday (Jul 8), after battling cancer for more than a year. He was 57. Mr Tan, a partner at TSMP Law Corporation, was diagnosed with cancer in March last year and went public last July about his condition in a post on professional networking siteContinue Reading
Cambodian opposition figure arrested in Bangkok
Rights group fears member of banned Candlelight Party will be deported and face persecution
A member of a banned Cambodian opposition party has been arrested in Bangkok and is at risk of being deported, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Saturday.
Thol Samnang is being held at the Suan Phlu immigration detention centre in central Bangkok, said Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand with HRW Asia.
According to local media reports, Thol Samnang was preparing to visit the Bangkok office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) when he was apprehended near Victory Monument.
Mr Sunai noted in a tweet that Thailand’s new anti-torture and forced disappearance legislation prohibits the deportation of people who may face harm in the destination country.
The Candlelight Party, the only meaningful opposition party remaining in the country, in late May lost its bid to overturn a ban on taking part in national elections on July 23.
The National Election Committee had refused to register the party after it failed to submit certain documents. The Constitutional Council subsequently upheld the decision, paving the way for long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen to run a one-horse race.
Critics and rights groups accuse Hun Sen of using the legal system to crush opposition to his rule, particularly in the run-up to elections.
The Candlelight Party gained traction in last year’s local elections, claiming 22% of the popular vote, and was planning to challenge Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in every constituency in the national polls.
In the national elections in 2018, the CPP won every seat after the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved.
The Candlelight Party, formerly known as the Sam Rainsy Party and the Khmer Nation party, was founded in 1995, and merged with other opposition forces to form the CNRP in 2012.
When the CNRP was dissolved in November 2017, almost 90% of its members joined Candlelight, which had strong support among young people.
Japan marks a year since assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe
TOKYO: Japan on Saturday (Jul 8) marked one year since former prime minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down during an election speech by a man angry at his links to the Unification Church. The death of Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, which was caught on video, rattled a nation unused toContinue Reading
Janet Yellen asks China to cooperate on climate change action
ShutterstockUS Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called on China to work with Washington to fight the “existential threat” of climate change.
Speaking on Saturday, she said the two countries – the largest greenhouse gas emitters – had a joint responsibility to lead the way on climate action.
She called on China to support the US-led Green Climate Fund.
Ms Yellen is on a four-day trip to Beijing in an attempt to boost relations between the two countries.
There’s been no formal co-operation between China and the US on climate change since the administration of former President Donald Trump.
And China briefly suspended climate talks entirely with the US last year after senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which is self-ruled but Beijing sees as a breakaway province it will eventually unite with.
But in a sign that cooperation could soon resume, Ms Yellen called on China to work together with the US to fight climate change and mitigate the effects on poorer countries.
During the roundtable meeting in Beijing with finance experts, she called on China to support US-led institutions like the Green Climate Fund, which was set up to help developing nations adapt to climate change and lessen its effects.
“As the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases and the largest investors in renewable energy, we have both a joint responsibility – and ability – to lead the way,” she said.
China is now the world’s biggest investor in solar energy, and biggest producer of solar panels and wind turbines but saw its carbon dioxide emissions rise 4% in the first quarter of this year compared to 2022.
The US, meanwhile, has invested billions of dollars in recent years into initiatives aimed at tackling climate change but also saw its emissions rise slightly last year, according to the International Energy Agency.
While Ms Yellen wants China to join the US in funding the worldwide transition to renewables, the sticking point is China’s insistence that it is still a developing country.
Beijing says it is up to the US and Europe to pay for the energy transition, because they have historically created most of the emissions.
Ms Yellen is the second senior Washington official to visit Beijing in the last two months. Her presence there is aimed at easing tensions and restoring ties between the world’s two superpowers.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing last month, making him the highest-ranking Washington official to visit the Chinese capital in almost half a decade. He met President Xi Jinping and foreign minister Qin Gang.
At the end of his trip, Mr Blinken said that while there were still major issues between the two countries, he hoped they would have “better communications, better engagement going forward.”
However, the next day President Joe Biden referred to Mr Xi as a “dictator” – triggering protests from Beijing. While analysts said Mr Biden’s comment was unlikely to have a major negative effect, it was also widely seen as not helping matters.
In another sign the trade dispute between the two countries is far from being resolved, China this week announced it was tightening controls over exports of two materials crucial to producing computer chips.
From next month, special licences will be needed to export gallium and germanium from China, which is the world’s biggest producer of the metals.
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Yellen stresses ‘fair’ rules, communication in Beijing meetings
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