AFDD is retread of Thaksin Shinawatra's UDD/Nitirat Front
December 11, 2013 (Tony Cartalucci) - The Bangkok Post reported in its article titled, "Scholars denounce 'People's Council plan," that:
Who is Nitirat?
Wall Street lobbyist Robert Amsterdam of Amsterdam & Peroff, a Chatham House corporate member, was spotted sitting in the front row at Thailand's "Nitirat" 2012 "campaign committee for the amendment of article 112." The group of Nitirat academics claim to be independent, seeking to "reform" Article 112 designed to protect Thailand's sovereign institutions, and roll back legal changes instituted after the 2006 military coup that ousted Prime Minster Thaksin Shinawatra.
Image: Robert Amsterdam, corporate lobbyists, globalist, and "celebrity lawyer" concurrently represents both deposed autocrat Thaksin Shinawatra and his street mob “red shirts” also known as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). Despite claims that Nitirat is an academic movement, it is clearly an attempt to re-brand the street hooligan image of Thaksin's political devotees.
What is Nitirat's Agenda?
Already, at face value, Nitirat's narrative is tenuous at best. While it is noble indeed to keep in check military powers after a coup deposes a nation's government, Nitirat makes no mentions of the numerous and grave transgression committed by Thaksin which necessitated the coup in the first place, nor the continued danger Thaksin's attempt to restore himself to power poses.
Thaksin had been overtly working for foreign corporate-financier interests, most notably the notorious Carlyle Group, long before even taking office in 2001. In 2003 Thaksin's government waged a 3 month "War on Drugs" that saw over 2,500 people murdered in the streets extra-judicially, many of whom were determined later to have had nothing to do with the drug trade. In 2004, Thaksin attempted to ram through a US-FTA without parliamentary approval while systematically eliminating check and balances as he consolidated power.
And while Nitirat claims Article 112 infringes "freedom of speech," Thaksin himself pursued a draconian campaign to muzzle critics amongst local media, legally if possible, extra-legally when necessary. In all, Thaksin was an autocratic, mass-murdering tyrant who effectively eliminated judicial measures designed to reel in such abuses of power. On September 18, 2006, on the eve of the military coup that unseated him from power, Thaksin was before the corporate-financier Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, providing the council with a progress report and reaffirming his ties to Wall Street and London.
If ever there was a time for a nation's military to honor its oath to defend against all enemies, foreign and in this case domestic, it was Septermber 19, 2006. Following such a drastic measure, responsible citizens have the duty to hold the military accountable and ensure a transition back to a representative form of government. This also includes dismantling the removed regime's political machine to ensure such a transition doesn't invite ousted autocrats right back into power. This is suspiciously absent from Nitirat's agenda, and this alone compromises Nitirat's academic legitimacy entirely.
Image: While it certainly looks like an indoor red shirt rally attended by globalist-proxy Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters, Nitirat insists it is independent, objective, rational, and not politically entwined with Thaksin and his foreign sponsors.
However, Nitirat's legitimacy is complicated further when considering its followers are mostly drawn from Thaksin's "red shirt" street movement and even during Nitirat conferences, audience members are dressed in red with pictures of Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister who is serving as prime minister in his place, adorning their bodies in a surreal display of cult-like veneration rivaling anything to be found in Pyongyang , North Korea. Should Nitirat demand that Thaksin's perverse, exploitative cult of personality and political machine be dismantled along side military enacted measures following the 2006 coup, Nitirat's following would evaporate.
Image: A closer look at Nitirat's audience reveals many attendees wearing images of Thaksin, his sister now serving as PM in his place, and "Truth Today" shirts featuring the images of Thaksin's street mob leaders - who also serve in Thaksin's political party as advisers, and MP's.
Image: Nitirat stickers have been passed out amongst UDD red shirt supporters, the sole network promoting Nitirat's activities. Despite claims of being an intellectual "apolitical" movement, Nitirat has been primarily embraced by what is clearly a cult of personality built up around billionaire Wall Street proxy Thaksin Shinawatra. (click image to enlarge)
It should be noted, that Nitirat's second point of contention, Article 112, has been exclusively used to target members of Thaksin's seditious, foreign-funded movement. While foreign media portrays those targeted with 112, like Abhinya Sawatvarakorn aka "Joss Stick," as innocent victims simply speaking their mind, in each case, it turns out these "victims" are active members of the Thaksin's red shirt movement, and in "Joss Stick's" case, even took to the stage during rallies organized by Thaksin and his foreign sponsors, at the invitation of Thaksin's own political lieutenant, Jakrapob Penkair. It should be noted that "Joss Stick" is also a Nitirat supporter.
Nitirat is clearly an attempt to re-brand and clean up the image of Thaksin's "red shirt" street mobs, notorious for acts of violence and for displaying an overt ignorance clearly being exploited instead of remedied with improved education. And while academics disingenuously feign concern over democratic values on stage indoors, rather than blocking city streets with vulgar bull-horning demagogues outdoors as usual, Nitirat is still nothing more than a red shirt rally.
Nitirat + AFDD
The AFDD is merely a desperate attempt by the regime to rearrange the deck chairs on its sinking ship. By "adding" the AFDD to the already existing Nitirat front, the regime is trying to give the appearance that Thailand's academics stand united against attempts to uproot it. However, during the December 9, 2013 mass mobilization, many universities served as starting points for the multi-pronged march on Government House.
Before December 9, when the regime was still trying to pass an amnesty bill to whitewash itself and defeacto leader Thaksin Shinawatra of years of criminal misdeeds, major universities openly opposed the bill - with some staging large protests. While Nitirat also claimed to oppose the bill, it did so for entirely different and particularly sinister reasons.
In Bangkok Post's article, "Nitirat: Amnesty bill needs a rethink," it states:
December 11, 2013 (Tony Cartalucci) - The Bangkok Post reported in its article titled, "Scholars denounce 'People's Council plan," that:
The Assembly for the Defence of Democracy (AFDD) has called on anti-government protesters to abandon attempts to push for the establishment of a "fascist" People's Council and instead express their political views through democratic elections.As reasonable as that sounds to some, it is verbatim the same demands the regime is making - and is based on the regime's confidence it can easily win another rigged election and simply return itself to power, leaving the grievances of growing, ongoing protests entirely unaddressed. Bangkok Post reveals just who these "scholars" actually are (emphasis added):
The group of independent scholars made the call alongside members of Thammasat University's Enlightened Jurists Group, known as Nitirat, on Constitution Day, Dec 10. Their statement marks a stark contrast to views expressed by the Council of University Presidents of Thailand and the anti-government People's Democratic Reform of Council (PDRC).While Bangkok Post claims the "scholars" are "independent," the AFDD is nothing more than a retread of the Nitirat group which it made its calls alongside - and is anything but independent.
Who is Nitirat?
Wall Street lobbyist Robert Amsterdam of Amsterdam & Peroff, a Chatham House corporate member, was spotted sitting in the front row at Thailand's "Nitirat" 2012 "campaign committee for the amendment of article 112." The group of Nitirat academics claim to be independent, seeking to "reform" Article 112 designed to protect Thailand's sovereign institutions, and roll back legal changes instituted after the 2006 military coup that ousted Prime Minster Thaksin Shinawatra.
Image: Robert Amsterdam, corporate lobbyists, globalist, and "celebrity lawyer" concurrently represents both deposed autocrat Thaksin Shinawatra and his street mob “red shirts” also known as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). Despite claims that Nitirat is an academic movement, it is clearly an attempt to re-brand the street hooligan image of Thaksin's political devotees.
....
What is Nitirat's Agenda?
Already, at face value, Nitirat's narrative is tenuous at best. While it is noble indeed to keep in check military powers after a coup deposes a nation's government, Nitirat makes no mentions of the numerous and grave transgression committed by Thaksin which necessitated the coup in the first place, nor the continued danger Thaksin's attempt to restore himself to power poses.
Thaksin had been overtly working for foreign corporate-financier interests, most notably the notorious Carlyle Group, long before even taking office in 2001. In 2003 Thaksin's government waged a 3 month "War on Drugs" that saw over 2,500 people murdered in the streets extra-judicially, many of whom were determined later to have had nothing to do with the drug trade. In 2004, Thaksin attempted to ram through a US-FTA without parliamentary approval while systematically eliminating check and balances as he consolidated power.
And while Nitirat claims Article 112 infringes "freedom of speech," Thaksin himself pursued a draconian campaign to muzzle critics amongst local media, legally if possible, extra-legally when necessary. In all, Thaksin was an autocratic, mass-murdering tyrant who effectively eliminated judicial measures designed to reel in such abuses of power. On September 18, 2006, on the eve of the military coup that unseated him from power, Thaksin was before the corporate-financier Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, providing the council with a progress report and reaffirming his ties to Wall Street and London.
If ever there was a time for a nation's military to honor its oath to defend against all enemies, foreign and in this case domestic, it was Septermber 19, 2006. Following such a drastic measure, responsible citizens have the duty to hold the military accountable and ensure a transition back to a representative form of government. This also includes dismantling the removed regime's political machine to ensure such a transition doesn't invite ousted autocrats right back into power. This is suspiciously absent from Nitirat's agenda, and this alone compromises Nitirat's academic legitimacy entirely.
Image: While it certainly looks like an indoor red shirt rally attended by globalist-proxy Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters, Nitirat insists it is independent, objective, rational, and not politically entwined with Thaksin and his foreign sponsors.
.....
However, Nitirat's legitimacy is complicated further when considering its followers are mostly drawn from Thaksin's "red shirt" street movement and even during Nitirat conferences, audience members are dressed in red with pictures of Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister who is serving as prime minister in his place, adorning their bodies in a surreal display of cult-like veneration rivaling anything to be found in Pyongyang , North Korea. Should Nitirat demand that Thaksin's perverse, exploitative cult of personality and political machine be dismantled along side military enacted measures following the 2006 coup, Nitirat's following would evaporate.
....
Image: Nitirat stickers have been passed out amongst UDD red shirt supporters, the sole network promoting Nitirat's activities. Despite claims of being an intellectual "apolitical" movement, Nitirat has been primarily embraced by what is clearly a cult of personality built up around billionaire Wall Street proxy Thaksin Shinawatra. (click image to enlarge)
....
It should be noted, that Nitirat's second point of contention, Article 112, has been exclusively used to target members of Thaksin's seditious, foreign-funded movement. While foreign media portrays those targeted with 112, like Abhinya Sawatvarakorn aka "Joss Stick," as innocent victims simply speaking their mind, in each case, it turns out these "victims" are active members of the Thaksin's red shirt movement, and in "Joss Stick's" case, even took to the stage during rallies organized by Thaksin and his foreign sponsors, at the invitation of Thaksin's own political lieutenant, Jakrapob Penkair. It should be noted that "Joss Stick" is also a Nitirat supporter.
Nitirat is clearly an attempt to re-brand and clean up the image of Thaksin's "red shirt" street mobs, notorious for acts of violence and for displaying an overt ignorance clearly being exploited instead of remedied with improved education. And while academics disingenuously feign concern over democratic values on stage indoors, rather than blocking city streets with vulgar bull-horning demagogues outdoors as usual, Nitirat is still nothing more than a red shirt rally.
Nitirat + AFDD
The AFDD is merely a desperate attempt by the regime to rearrange the deck chairs on its sinking ship. By "adding" the AFDD to the already existing Nitirat front, the regime is trying to give the appearance that Thailand's academics stand united against attempts to uproot it. However, during the December 9, 2013 mass mobilization, many universities served as starting points for the multi-pronged march on Government House.
Before December 9, when the regime was still trying to pass an amnesty bill to whitewash itself and defeacto leader Thaksin Shinawatra of years of criminal misdeeds, major universities openly opposed the bill - with some staging large protests. While Nitirat also claimed to oppose the bill, it did so for entirely different and particularly sinister reasons.
In Bangkok Post's article, "Nitirat: Amnesty bill needs a rethink," it states:
Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's integrity and assets could be restored through another legal process without the need to enter a trade-off with an unconstitutional amnesty procedure, the Nitirat Group said on Thursday.While masses across Thailand rose up against the amnesty bill because of attempts by criminal politicians to exonerate themselves for their crimes, Nitirat simply wanted to do the whitewashing in a way that would allow them to still attack the regime's enemies. In other words, amnesty for the regime, not for anyone else. Thaksin's UDD "red shirt" mobs also voiced similar proposals. In Bangkok Post's article, "Red-shirts protest, occupy road," it stated:
The UDD opposes the government's blanket amnesty bill as it would exonerate former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban, both of the opposition Democrat Party, over the bloody crackdown on the red-shirt protesters in 2010.Clearly a better way to announce joint Nitirat and AFDD statements would be to say, "Thaksin denounces People's Council plan," then the true dimensions of hypocrisy and illegitimacy can be measured and further damage to Thailand's legitimate academia can be prevented.
