Prem and Thaksin

More on Prem's 'accusation' - July 13, 2005
Each day since the story of Prem's 'plea' or 'accusation' (depending on whether you read the Post or Nation), the Post has run a story with the government's response.

Thaksin sounds off at reporters - Bangkok Post, July 12, 2005
...Mr Thaksin said privy councillor and statesman Prem Tinsulanonda was the latest victim of media distortion.
Gen Prem's speech, delivered at the National Institution of Development Administration, was ``systematically twisted'' when it was published in newspapers, he said. Gen Prem also shared his thoughts on good governance.
...Personally, he said, he did not care about incorrect news reports, but it damaged the country's image as a whole...

PM agrees with Gen Prem - Bangkok Post, July 11, 2005
...Mr Suranand was referring to remarks made on Saturday by Gen Prem, who said the government should keep a clear conscience.Gen Prem, also the Privy Council president, said the government would not be genuinely good in governance if it merely observed the law but still flouted ethical and moral principles.
...Regarding Gen Prem's remark about self-centred administrators and conflict of interest, Mr Suranand said the fact is Mr Thaksin had realised the importance of creating a new political culture but this cannot be achieved overnight.At this stage, new and old styles of politics still mingled and the government needed time to achieve clean and transparent politics, he said.
Mr Suranand denied Gen Prem was sending a signal to warn the government not to misuse power.
A tale of two newspapers: Prem's 'accusation' - July 11, 2005
Depending on which newspaper you read, Prem's speech was either a warning to Thaksin that his government might end prematurely because of rampant corruption or a general talk about accountability that did not mention the Prime Minister directly.
Both papers also carry comments from social critic Sombat, but the Post again generalizes these without a direct reference to the PM. The Nation, on the other hand, quotes Sombat calling Thaskin a dictator and warning that a Philippines-style people-power revolution could overthrow him.
The Post reserves some of Sombat's criticism in a separate article (PM 'running out of ideas' that sell - Admits cabinet recruits hard to find, Bangkok Post, July 10, 2005), but it is decidedly weaker than what The Nation published.
A key part of The Nation's article is criticism by both Prem and Sombat of the handling of the problems in the South. The Post omits any mention of government policy in the South.
Reuters also reports this story (Thaksin criticised by respected former Thai PM, Reuters, July 10, 2005)
as Prem criticizing Thaksin for his handling of the South and notes it "was the strongest directed at the government since it took office in 2001."
Prem urges govt to keep conscience - Rule of law, ethics must go hand in hand - Bangkok Post, July 10, 2005
Statesman Gen Prem Tinsulanonda has pleaded with the government to keep a clear conscience, saying it is not genuinely committed to good governance if it merely observes the law but still flouts ethical and moral principles.
..."In other countries, accountability, transparency, participation and predictability are part and parcel of good governance. In Thailand, we must also add moral and ethical principles,'' he said.
Gen Prem said that under unethical leaders, administration of the state would fail, adding the seven qualities government leaders must have were honesty, legitimacy, fairness, efficiency, transparency, good values and embody the security of the state.
..."The law bars one doing something, but is not applied to one's family, siblings and relatives,'' he said.
...In a seminar that followed, Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, of the faculty of public administration, presented political reform ideas which included direct elections for prime minister.
Mr Sombat said the strongest elected civilian government did not guarantee transparency and a government with stability could still be plagued with corruption, causing public trust and faith to erode.
...Direct elections for prime minister would make vote-buying more difficult. Candidates also would not have to "invest'' in contestants vying for House seats because they would not need them to get elected so they could vote them to Government House.

Earlier: Prem's 'rebuke' - March 1, 2005 		Prem hits out at govt for 'doublestandards' - The Nation, July 10, 2005
Privy Councillor General Prem Tinsulanonda yesterday accused the government of employing "double standards" in running the country and criticised its handling of the violence in the South, which he said would be prolonged indefinitely unless a new course was taken.
...Prem also warned the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to curb rampant corruption or face being removed from office before its term ended.
He accused the government of using "double standards", one for "family and friends" and another for the rest of the country.
Another speaker, Sombat Thamrongthatwong, a Nida academic, said the violence in the Muslim-majority South was being prolonged not only by the government's leadership and strategy but the mind set of officials on the ground as well.
...He said the current government had too much power over the Parliament and that the prime minister had virtual absolute control over MPs in just about every aspect of governance.
...Sombat said it was an open secret that the government dominated the Senate and that at least half of the senators sided with the government, "although no senator would admit the truth".
He described Thaksin as "a dictator" whose power was legitimised by a general election.
...The fact that more than 300 MPs voted in support of Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit in the no-confidence debate, he said, does not mean the government's credibility is intact.
"If the people lose faith in the government's ability to run the country, they will stage an uprising to overthrow it," he said, pointing to the example of the Philippines.
A tale of two newspapers: Prem's 'rebuke' - March 1, 2005
The Nation leads with this story and stresses that it is 'a major rebuke' to the PM's 'heavy-handed approach.' The Post blandly and carefully reports Prem's comments on page three without any reference to the PM.
Prem: Unrest solutions lie in royal advice - Bangkok Post, March 1, 2005
... Gen Prem said applying the King's advice was the best approach because it was pure, unbiased and filled with compassion and care.
He said it was also necessary, however, that the advice be properly understood.
"The problems in the deep South are similar to waging war. So it is necessary to know exactly who the enemies are, where they are and what are their strategies and goals,'' he said...
He suggested the government stick to the rule of laws, social rules, love and legitimacy without bias to help solve problems in the three largely Muslim provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. He said it was not right that Thai Muslims were being treated like second-class citizens...		 SOUTHERN CONFLICT: PM should ‘adopt Royal approach’ - The Nation, March 1, 2005
...In a major rebuke to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s current heavy-handed approach to settling the southern conflict, two top Privy Council members have urged the government to adopt the Royal approach, which focuses on pacifist and development-oriented means.
General Prem Tinsulanonda, chair of the Privy Council and a former prime minister, did not mince words in his opening speech during a workshop on “Collaboration in Solving Problems in Southern Thailand according to the Royal Approaches”. He referred to the situation in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani as having worsened since January 4 of last year...
He went on to say that when a problem is misrepresented, it becomes increasingly difficult to formulate a solution. “Instead of solving the problem, it adds to the problem,” he added...