Now More Than Ever? Abhisit's FCCT Address
As if no year has passed our dear prime minister took the stage at this year's annual address to the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand FCCT. The road ahead continues to be tough, Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva said in the Intercontinental's Grand Ballroom. But – speaking of himself – "last year's determination and promises continue to be in place," thereby laying the foundation for economical, social and political progress.
Well, leaving much of this government leader's obligatory and not undeserved self-promotion and -praise aside, there were many laughs and even applause in the audience. Wit is clearly a strength of the charmer. Listening to Abhisit makes me feel good living in this beautiful, well organized place. But reality kicks in quickly when being reminded by Khun Mark's enchanting Oxford accent that this very grandness sounds as artificial in Thailand as his promises of the rule of law.
"What might be called reconciliation" the premier mentioned twice. He's not gonna sacrifice the rule of law just to please his opponents. Fair enough. And he offers early elections, but the three conditions he's laying down for a general election are bubble gum conditions. He demands 1) a stable economy, 2) all parties must adhere to the rules of an election and exclude fraud, and 3) all sides must prove that they're "committed to the spirit of true democracy." Textbook honesty from all sides.
Abhisit's more confident, more comfortable than a year ago. But not sure if we heard a leader at the FCCT event. What we heard was a well versed orator insisting again and again that he's on the side of the people, nation, law and the courts. He's confident that his Democrats will do better in elections than last time, but there's a possibility of a hung parliament again, Abhisit says. Whatever side wins, he will accept the results.
Still, he "can't say he's satisfied with everything his government has done. But politics shall not get in the way of us working for the people" … Well isn't governing all about politics, by definition a process by which groups of people make decisions?
And leave the king alone, Abhisit was basically saying. Don't rely on HM to intervene in times of difficulty. Well, who again politicized the crown?
And his government will press ahead with the construction of roads, rail and 3G networks … roads maybe.
Still, he knows his trade. Confronted in the Q&A with the absurdity of Thailand's prohibitive, if not ridiculous alcohol laws he said in disarming clarity state authorities have to uphold the law. Wether to change the law is a different issue.
And he won't rule out violence leading up to the Thaksin asset seizure verdict. "We do anticipate" violence. Sounded like an acknowledgement Thaksin's already found guilty.
Ah, and the lèse majesté cases. There's "progress and change," assures Abhisit. The law may have been too liberally interpreted and abused. But none of last year's cases was yet forwarded to a court. And some argue that the law's still interpreted far too relaxed. His government is waiting for clear guidance to be issued soon. A lot of cases will soon be cleared, we're told.
A year into his office still of the same candor, patience and tolerance as when opposition leader … Chapeau premier, nice presentation. Wish you well and luck.
But something, dear Mr. Prime Minister, something just does not sound right. Some things don't add up. You're a Thai anomaly.
Don't forget, if you'd truly respect the ideals of democracy and the rule of law you're always preaching, if you'd truly respect those you wouldn't be in power.
Sore loser? Your opponent?
Read more: http://absolutelybangkok.com/now-more-than-ever-abhisits-fcct-address/#comment-10216#ixzz0cyyB3LeQ
Comments
15 Responses to "Now More Than Ever? Abhisit's FCCT Address"
- Jaded on January 14th, 2010 11.48 pm
Lets see. To sum up your report the man is a charmer … If you are not nice to this guy who is nice to you what are the likely consequences? I wonder.
I have been reading Robert Harris novels recently and I have to say that Abhisit reminds me a bit of young Caesar as described by Harris … Like the old Roman Republic, Thailand's democracy has faced a number of severe crises over the last few years. At the moment it continues to struggle on, despite the handicap of a constitution that was imposed by a coup d'état and an overbearing presence in the background that threatens to seize power if the interests of the plutocratic elite and its military enforcers are not fully protected … If, god forbid, there was to be a power vacuum in Thailand who would the people respect more? The old style dicatorship backed up by force or … some new paradigm perhaps? Reading Harris may excellent prep for understanding the fragility of the current regime and the likely options in the event of its replacement …
Oh, he's a charmer alright …
- Ricefield Radio on January 15th, 2010 1.14 am
At one point, a long time back now, I thought Abhisit may be the answer for Thailand.
But the more I hear him the more I understand that he talks the talk but his actions have no substance. "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull." W. C. Fields
When you combine Abhisit with his trusty sidekick Suthep it's the Thai version of Abbott and Costello who's on first.
- A Reader on January 15th, 2010 6.58 am
He wasn't a tad embarrassed that the FCCT itself is still being charged with lèse majesté.
Or the poor woman in prison with the dental abcess is being denied medical treatment in order to increase her suffering and remorse.
Or that the justice system is so riddled with double standards and corruption that it has lost any credibility it may or may not have actually had with the majority of Thai people and all knowledgeable farangs (aside from StanG of course whose infinite faith in the goodness of the status quo is truly inspiring!),
Or that Surayad's real estate deal leniancy depends on "lack of intent to break the law" while Thaksin's wife's real estate deal actually did not break any laws until one was written up after the fact, etc. etc. etc. …
It sounds like FCCT was running a hi-end Japanese hostess bar where everything was silky and wonderful until the Japanese guys ran out of money …
- BangkokDan on January 15th, 2010 8.10 am
Fact is, I fear, the recent hardline interpretation of lèse majesté laws is in complete, consistent and logical accordance to the state of reactionary shifts and tendencies – be they forced upon – within Thai society. The laws, in current Thailand, and the implementation thereof make complete sense.
- Tweets that mention Now More Than Ever: Abhisit's FCCT Address -- Topsy.com on January 15th, 2010 8.17 am
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- Jaded on January 15th, 2010 5.04 pm
Perhaps whoopla's comment could be echoed here?
I mean isn't a prostitute someone who tells you what they think you want to hear, pretends to care about what you think and disimulates to convince you of their sincerity while all the time serving the interests of their abusive partner/mafia pimp/exploitative family/social network etc., etc., …
Perhaps those who attended the event last night were there for a drink, something to eat and a little entertainment. I hope it's not the case that the FCCT membership loves the company of Thailand's political whores but personally I don't think my stomach is strong enough for these people.
- BangkokDan on January 15th, 2010 5.55 pm
You have every right to detest and despise your enemy Jaded.
Try to embrace him. Or her.
Read his/her mind, intentions, motivations.
Infiltrate.
Everyone I know of who meets Abhisit likes the man. And I must say I recently met our now internationally decorated finance minister.
Korn's a highly impressive man, and not just by his appearance. This man's tall!
You can argue about the content or value of such – as you put it – political whores.
Those are no stupid people. Many may be. Not all of them. Especially not Abhisit.
- Jaded on January 15th, 2010 6.38 pm
Well I hadn't actually considered stupidity as sufficient to explain his role as an apologist for official Thailand. Cupidity, mendacity, veniality … These would be the sort of terms that spring to mind when I watch him glossing yet another gross violation of human rights. The argument goes that the behavior of these unaccountable people would be much worse without his government. I strongly disagree. The ineptitude and incompetence of the military appointed post coup government shows clearly that managing modern Thailand is beyond the competence of the authoritarians. Just as before they turned to Anand for technical competence while engaging in outrageous behavior, now Abhisit and his sidekick Korn have become their enablers. If Abhisit has no control over the propensities of powerful but unaccountable figures who claim to operate on behalf of the state then he's no business claiming he's in charge.
- Rich on January 15th, 2010 9.03 pm
Those are no stupid people. Many may be. Not all of them. Especially not Abhisit.
Hmmm. Possibly.
Mendacious, dishonorable. deceitful. But probably not stupid.
On the other hand, how smart are they to tell lies that are so easy to identify as lies?
Not stupid perhaps, but imho not especially smart either.
- ThaiCrisis on January 16th, 2010 4.28 am
The key word is indeed: "prostitute."
Let's recap:
-Elections? "When economy better" etc. …. Let's add: "when it will rain pigs," "when I'll wear pink underwear," "when my cleaning lady will have a sex change operation."
I mean: what the hell?
It's so easy to say "sure, I want to organize new elections, but you know there are some small conditions before to do it …"
It looks better but that's all. The bottom line is: Abhisit doesn't want to hold elections, because he'll lose. Like he lost before.
-Lèse majesté: "Progress and change. We will review … blablaba." No, it didn't change. Many people in the last year with Abhisit as PM were arrested and sent to jail for lèse majeste."
-King alone? Well, Abhisit should explain to us why the king is in hospital since four freaking months. Of course, not a word.
-Construction of rails: Bullshit. No progress on the "mega projects" front.
-3G: Come on … we all know that it's bullshit again. Even Laos has 3G. It's a Thai national shame, in order to protect private interests.
Voilà.
To summarize: emptyness, same speeches, same keywords repeated ad nauseam ("rule of law," "reconciliation," "democracy," etc.).
The same stupid smile. The same inane "candor."
I mean who gives a fuck about charm and candor?
Tell me?
Abhisit is a fraud. A fraud. With a nice suit, and a nice hair cut.
A fraud, since day one, December 2008. Since he was "nominated" PM, thanks to a bozo coup, a cheap parliamentary manoeuvre (bribing Thaksin's friend, to make them change allegiance) and the support of the military of course who use Abhisit as their front man, their front puppet.
I can't understand how intelligent people can be so fooled. It's astonishing.
Come on Dan, wake up!
(I don't say that Abhisit is worst than previous PM, certainly not … just that, like Obama overseas, Abhisit is nothing but a fraud, a marketing product.)
- Jaded on January 16th, 2010 6.49 am
Sorry for the typos in the earlier post. I was writing on an i phone in Dubliners Pub on a Friday night … I think I should have typed "and" instead of an "an" on line 7 and it should be "Just as before they turned to Anand …" on line 10. (BD: Corrected, no worries.) Despite my sloppy grammar and incompetent typing I hope people can see the point of my argument. The outrageous atrocities of 1992 took place under Anand's government. Some people are ready to suggest that Abhisit is Anand Mark 2. Why does Anand retain a reputation as a clean pair of hands in Thai politics? I know you are aware of Anand's reactionary views as your carefully selected quote from the recent article in the financial times gives some indication of his true ideas about social justice. And just as Anand enabled then, Abhisit's government is now enabling the same sort of … people … I sincerely hope that history will not repeat itself in the form of another massacre of Thai protesters. There are obviously risks to the UDD but they seem to have realized that this is a serious threat and modified their plans accordingly. If they do succeed in mobilizing a mass demonstration in Bangkok then another 1992 seems a possibility but I think at this point the focus for violence is elsewhere. At the moment the propaganda of scapegoating seems to be focused on un-Thai ethnic and national groups. If, after the mass murder of Rohingya, and the recent the Nazi style clearance and deportation of population of the Hmong camp, you still have any doubt that things are going to get worse then I would direct your attention to the preparations currently in train to deal with Thailand's large Burmese population. Abhisit, Korn and their less attractive cronies in government are presiding over the sort of thing that Nazi Germany is normally associated with. They are enablers. If you don't find Abhisit's posturing outrageous refresh your memory and check out Abhisit's statements on the Rohingya and the Hmong on YouTube. As he calmly fields questions with his well spoken "Oxbridge" accent you can look at a man who seems completely at ease with outrageous violations of basic human rights.
Oh, but he has to say that you say … If he wants to stay in power then he cannot afford to challenge the people who put him in power … That's the point many like to make … He wasn't elected and the only way that the man and his party could get power was through the support of those forces of reaction who have an interest in promoting what are essentially authoritarian ideas and reactionary policies … And now his supporters believe that he is capable of somehow holding these authoritarian forces back from perpetrating new outrages and perhaps, through his oxford accented delicate mediation, he might even succeed in healing national rifts … Well on the evidence of the last year I would say that he is enabling attrocious behaviour and has "absolutely" no power to do anything but act as a public relations spokesman for authoritarianism. Watch the youtube videos and see if you agree with my view that he doesn't seem to have any difficulty playing the role of being the acceptable face of evil …
Like Abhisit I also qualify for membership of that Oxbridge Club on the Mall in London. That much vaunted PPE course has produced some plausible, smarmy, highly polished bastards who have caused a lot of damage to the world. I would urge people to try and forget about the guy's charm and look simply at what he attempts to rationalize and justify. If you want a reminder then the latest article of Harrison George on Prachatai is a pretty good summary of some of the more ridiculous Abhisit statements. The response of the admittedly cynical international community to the recent Hmong deportation suggests that perhaps not everyone is quite as charmed as yourself. The American ambassador took the extraordinary step of publishing his carefully worded diplomatic disgust in the Bangkok post this week. Do you think he is charmed by the PM?
Infiltrate? Infiltrate what? The Democrat Party and its leadership are facilitating the breakdown of respect for law and democracy. Those with time left over from skimming various lucrative government expenditures are suavely sauntering into rooms with the smugness of unelectable but empowered representatives of unaccountable authority. Abhisit and his crew are the problem because, with their co-opted allies they have succeeded in completely frustrating the popular will and have installed themselves in a coalition government which is entirely dependent on corrupt dealings for its continued existence. Abhisit sits at the top of this structure of usurped and utterly corrupt power.
There is nothing to like about Abhisit … And yes I have been in the same room with him. If you think there is something redeemable in his actions then you've been conned.
- BangkokDan on January 16th, 2010 9.14 am
My bad. Well my last comment was bait. Who cares how tall Korn is.
Still, it's difficult to confront the man. In the Q&A Shawn Crispin, Nirmal Ghosh, our dear Russian correspondent friend and others aimed directly at Abhisit.
As once said in an earlier post, a "Teflon premier."
His appearance is so polished, nothing seems to stick to the man.
Interesting how he now blames Western nations for the Hmong misery:
SMH – Thailand Blames Its Critics for Refugees' Fate
To my knowledge Western nations tried to issue visas for resettlement, but Thailand had sealed off the refugees from the outside world since quite some time.
- Hobby on January 16th, 2010 9.51 am
Abhisit has learned well from his Western counterparts, IMO.
Thai Crisis (& Jaded): Can you enlighten me by pointing me to any leader that isn't a fraud?
- Anonymous on January 16th, 2010 10.15 am
Why is everyone suckered by this guy?
He's "nice"?
So what?
He needs to be judged on his political actions not how he is at dinner.
And his political actions are that he rode to power off the back of the actions of a criminal fascist mob.
That he has never had – and never will have – anything approaching a democratic mandate.
That his government is locking people up via secret trials for giving political speeches.
That his government has re-instated executions after a long hiatus.
That his government is aligned with some of the most corrupt politicians in the country (Newin etc.).
That he invokes draconian and incredibly repressive laws at the drop of a hat.
That he has kept Kasit as FM.
That he has presided over a diplomatic debacle re: Cambodia.
Why isn't he called out on the really difficult stuff by the great and good at the FCCT?
Most FCCT journos (same as Amnesty International reps) are terrified of losing their visas and cushy lifestyles.
- Stopout Teddy on January 18th, 2010 1.55 pm
Jaded – I agree with your post made on January 15th, 2010 6.38 pm and also the other one on January 16th, 2010 6.49 am but did you get any sleep in between?
(BD: My bad, bumped Jaded's comment up.)
Read more: http://absolutelybangkok.com/now-more-than-ever-abhisits-fcct-address/#comment-10216#ixzz0cyyhGw2J
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