China fines comedy troupe $2m for joke about the military
Getty ImagesA Chinese comedy troupe has been slapped with a 14.7m yuan ($2.1m; £1.7m) penalty over a joke about the military that invoked a slogan from President Xi Jinping.
The quip, which likened the behaviour of a comedian’s dogs to military conduct, irked authorities.
They said Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co and comic Li Haoshi had “humiliated the people’s army”.
The company accepted the penalty and terminated Mr Li’s contract.
The offending remark was made during a stand-up performance in Beijing on Saturday, when Mr Li alluded to two canines he had adopted which were chasing a squirrel.
“Other dogs you see would make you think they are adorable. These two dogs only reminded me of… ‘Fight to win, forge exemplary conduct’,” said Mr Li, whose stage name is House.
The punchline is part of the slogan that President Xi unveiled in 2013 as a goal for the Chinese military.
In an audio recording of the performance shared on China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo, audience members can be heard laughing at the joke.
But it was much less welcome on the internet, after a member of the audience complained about it. Beijing authorities said they launched an investigation on Tuesday.
They then confiscated 1.32m yuan of what was deemed to be illegal income, and fined the company another 13.35m yuan, according to Xinhua.
Shanghai Xiaoguo’s activities in the Chinese capital have also been indefinitely suspended.
“We will never allow any company or individual use the Chinese capital as a stage to wantonly slander the glorious image of the PLA [People’s Liberation Army],” said the Beijing arm of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bureau.
The audio went viral, with some nationalists saying they were deeply offended and state media also piling on. But others questioned if the reactions were over the top.
“I am patriotic and really don’t like others to humiliate our country… But I really don’t like this atmosphere where every word about politics is sensitive,” reads a post liked 1,200 times.
Mr Li apologised to his more than 136,000 Weibo followers. “I feel deeply shamed and regretful. I will take responsibility, stop all activities, deeply reflect, learn again.”
His Weibo account has since been suspended.
The incident sheds light on the challenging climate for Chinese comedians, who have been targeted by authorities and netizens alike.
In late 2020, stand-up comedian Yang Li was accused of “sexism” and “man hating” after making jokes about men. A group claiming to defend men’s rights also called on netizens to report her to China’s media regulator.
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Democrats give conditional support to Pita for PM
Two key Democrat members say their party will vote for Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat as the next prime minister if the MFP gathers majority House support and protects the royal institution.
Chanin Rungsaeng, deputy secretary-general of the party, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that there would be no problems if Democrat MPs support the candidate of the party that won the most House seats.
“But can you promise and confirm that Section 112 will not be revoked and there will not be any amendment to allow anyone to make accusations against the (royal) institution at will?” he said.
“Please do not betray Thailand and the people. Importantly do not touch or discredit the institution that Thai people respect. That would be intolerable,” Mr Chanin said.
Alongkorn Ponlabutr, acting deputy leader of the Democrat Party, said his party would respect the voters’ choice by supporting Mr Pita as the next prime minister without requiring its participation in the new coalition government in return.
The Democrat Party will give support if MFP is able to gather majority support in the House, Mr Alongkorn said. He planned to propose this position to the executive board and members of the Democrat Party next week.
“It is time for the Democrat Party to help find a way out of the deadlock that may occur in the process of the vote for the new prime minister,” he said.
The Democrat Party unofficially won 25 House seats, placing sixth, at Sunday’s general election. MFP emerged on top with 152 House seats.
Under the constitution, the 250 senators have the right to take part in the vote for the new prime minister along with the 500 members of the new House of Representatives.
The new prime minister needs the support of at least 376 members of the two Houses.
MFP is negotiating to form a coalition with former opposition parties that would give them 309 MPs. MFP members have been calling on MPs from other political parties and senators to also back Mr Pita.
Indonesia communications minister arrested for graft
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Thaksin praises Move Forward disruptors
Exiled former PM says generals should retire ‘with dignity’, reiterates plan to come home in July
Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday hailed the election-winning Move Forward Party as disruptors who had mastered social media, and said the ageing army generals central to years of turmoil should retire with dignity.
The self-exiled tycoon also waded into the growing debate over the sensitive lese-majeste law, which Move Forward wants to amend, saying Pheu Thai would not back any action that could harm the monarchy.
Move Forward, he said in a Clubhouse chat on Tuesday, proved that social media and user-generated content (UGC) can triumph over big-spending campaigns and vote-buying.
Before Sunday’s vote, the populist political juggernaut founded by Thaksin had won every election since 2001, despite being ousted from office three times. On Sunday it won 11 seats less than Move Forward, which received 14.2 million votes for party-list MPs, versus 10.8 million for Pheu Thai. Even in several provinces where it did not win many constituencies, Move Forward won more list votes than any other party.
“They used UGC on TikTok because the youngsters use TikTok. It’s getting votes and canvassers organically and you don’t use a lot of resources,” Thaksin said during a two-hour political discussion streamed online.
Move Forward had strong appeal and organisation in university towns, he said, adding many young people convinced their parents to vote for Move Forward.
“Pheu Thai got hammered because we did not disrupt ourselves enough. Move Forward’s trend overcame Pheu Thai and the other parties that had money,” he said.
Move Forward rode a wave of excitement among young people attracted to its liberal agenda and promises of bold change, including tackling monopolies and amending a law that prescribes long jail sentences for insulting the monarchy, long a taboo issue.
Pheu Thai has agreed to form a six-party alliance with Move Forward, hoping more will join to keep the defeated pro-military parties out of government.
Thaksin still wields significant influence over the second-ranked party despite being in exile for 17 years to avoid a jail sentence for abuse of power, which he denies. He reiterated his plan to return to Thailand in July and asked about prison said: “Whatever will be, will be.”
He also pledged loyalty to the palace and stressed Pheu Thai would not back any actions by Move Forward that would have a negative impact on the monarchy.
Move Forward and Pheu Thai on Sunday trounced the parties fronted by Gen Prawit Wongsuwon and Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, who led the 2014 coup that ousted the government of Thaksin’s sister Yingluck.
No ‘secret deal’
Thaksin dismissed speculation of a secret deal with one of those generals to form a government, calling it an attempt to discredit Pheu Thai using online trolls. He said it was an “information operation” (IO) and hinted that Move Forward might have had something to do with it, something the party strenuously denied.
He also noted that Move Forward even won support in districts with large concentrations of rank-and-file soldiers, highlighting generational differences over the military’s political role.
“For the two uncles, it should be enough is enough,” he said, referring to Gen Prawit and Gen Prayut. “Hanging up your gloves has dignity.
“It’s a wake-up call for the army. Using excessive power is something Thai society rejects. So it added to Move Forward’s currency.”
Meanwhile, he distanced his family from Move Forward’s plans to ease rules outlawing criticism of the royal family.
“The stance of the Pheu Thai Party and the Shinawatra family is we respect and love the institution of the monarchy,” Thaksin said, responding to a question about how the party doesn’t touch issues on the royal family.
“How others perceive it is not something I can control. I am who I am, and I am open to criticism because I’m not fighting to do anything bad to the monarchy. I’m only fighting for political wins.”
Thaksin’s stance draws a line in the sand on an issue that has faced staunch resistance within the political establishment. While pro-democracy groups like Pheu Thai are eager to return to government, they’re also cautious not to provoke a strong reaction from military factions that led two coups against them in the past decade.
Move Forward aims to propose two key amendments to Section 112. One would reduce the current harsh sentences, currently three to 15 years’ imprisonment. The second would require that only the Bureau of the Royal Household could file a royal defamation complaint. Currently, anyone can file a complaint against anyone else and police must investigate it.
Finally, Thaksin reiterated that he was ready to return home, even if it means doing jail time.
“I’ve made my decision. I don’t care about anything else,” he said, reiterating earlier remarks that he plans to come home in July. “I’ve been overseas for 17 years, it’s like being in a big prison.”
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Another teen girl faces 112 charge
Suspect had just turned 14 when alleged offence took place, making her the youngest on record
A teenage girl from Phitsanulok has been released on bail after being formally charged with royal defamation, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).
The alleged offence took place when the girl, who is now 16, was 14 years and one month old, making her the youngest person ever charged under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese-majeste law, the lawyers’ group said on Wednesday.
Police investigators said that the girl, identified only as “May”, used Facebook on the night of Nov 18, 2020 to post messages online making comments deemed insulting to His Majesty the King. A member of the public, Naengnoi Asavakittikorn, saw the messages and filed a complaint with police.
Police officers at the Muang Phitsanulok station issued a summons on June 4, 2021 for May to be questioned, but only as a witness, as a formal charge had not been drawn up yet.
She complied, but said later that the experience had been very upsetting. Subsequently, she said, Special Branch police officers visited her home, and she occasionally observed plainclothes police officers in front of the house and at her school. Finally she quit school and left Phitsanulok to live in Bangkok.
On Monday of this week she and her parents travelled from Bangkok to answer another summons at the Phitsanulok Provincial Police station. She denied all the allegations. Later that day, she appeared in Phitsanulok Juvenile and Family Court, where police applied to have her detained. However, they did not object to bail, which the court granted, noting she had complied with the summons. She was released on a surety of 20,000 baht put up by her parents.
According to TLHR, May is the 19th juvenile accused under Section 112 since 2020. Four of them were under 15 years old when the alleged offences were committed, and 15 were aged between 15 and 18.
The most high-profile case is that of a Bangkok teenager identified as Thanalop or “Yok”, who on Wednesday marked her 50th day in detention at a juvenile facility in Nakhon Pathom.
In her case, the Central Juvenile and Family Court issued a statement last week in response to criticism of her detention. It said that the girl’s mother had failed to appear for her bail, which led to her extended stay in the Ban Pranee Juvenile Vocational Training Centre for Girls.
The charges against Yok sparked a violent protest at the Samran Rat police station on May 10. Demonstrators spray-painted the stairs, walls and police vehicles and broke doors, and a subsequent clash with police officers led to nine arrests. Seven men and two women appeared in court on charges including damaging public property, and were subsequently released on bail.
According to data from TLHR to April 30 this year, 1,902 people have been prosecuted for political participation and expression since the beginning of the Free Youth pro-democracy protests in July 2020. At least 242 are facing lese-majeste charges and 130 have been charged with sedition.
Some contractors face delays of up to two months, as more workers fall sick due to warmer weather
CONSTRUCTION DELAYS DUE TO THE HEAT
To beat the heat, many contractors are ramping up measures, such as allowing their workers to have more rest and ensuring they also have plenty of water.
For these workers, long hours in the sun are part and parcel of the job.
However, the higher temperatures are taking a toll on their health.
Migrant worker Selvarasu Senthil, who fell sick last week, said: “I went to see a doctor. The doctor said I’ve been exposed too much to the sun, so I have a headache, fever, and feel faint.”
Three arrested for honey-pot murder of Chinese businessman
Three natives of Satun province, one a 17-year-old girl, have been arrested for allegedly stabbing to death a Chinese businessman at a hotel in Trang province and taking the victim’s car, money and phone.
Police arrested the three suspects in La Ngu district of Satun on Wednesday, charging them with the murder Li Rui at a resort hotel in Muang district of Trang.
According to police, the victim and a Thai girl checked in at the hotel for a one-night stay on Monday evening. A maid opened his room on Tuesday afternoon after he failed to check out at noon, saw a pool of blood on the floor and ran to get help.
Police and rescue workers were called to the scene and found the 43-year-old Chinese man dead in the bathroom. The body lay face down and had about 20 stab wounds on the front and back.
The three suspects are residents of La Ngu district of Satun, where they were arrested. Two of them are young men, aged 22 and 19, and the other a 17-year-old woman.
Police seized from them a short knife and the victim’s white Honda Accord car registered in Bangkok, wallet, 11 bank books, five ATM cards, one credit card, two passports and a mobile phone.
One of the suspects allegedly said his 17-year-old friend checked in with the victim and later opened a window of the single storey-hotel room for him to enter. He murdered the victim and both of them fled the scene in a vehicle driven by the other male suspect, according to police.
Police traced the suspects through surveillance camera footage. The victim had a Thai wife in Trang. He reportedly owned several factories processing rubber wood for export in Songkhla, Surat Thani and Trang provinces.
Ceremony foretells ample water, food and prospering economy
Sufficient water, abundant crops and a prosperous economy were predicted during the Royal Ploughing Ceremony at Sanam Luang in Bangkok presided over by Their Majesties the King and Queen on Wednesday morning.
The ceremony was also attended by caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, outgoing cabinet members and the diplomatic corps.
This year, Prayoon Insakul, permanent secretary of agriculture and cooperatives, was the Lord of the Plough.
The Lord of the Plough chose a sarong, which means there will be sufficient water with abundant rice production and other food this year.
Two sacred oxen chose to feed on grass and liquor. Soothsayers then predicted there will be plenty of water and food, transport will be more convenient, foreign trade will improve and the economy will prosper.
The ceremony was followed by the presentation of awards by the King to outstanding farmers.
The Royal Ploughing Ceremony, also known as Farmers Day or simply the Ploughing Festival officially marks the beginning of the rice-growing season. This annual ceremony is held in many Asian countries, including Cambodia and Thailand.