June 10, 2019 (ATN) - Thai newspaper Khaosod - controlled by Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit's family - recently published an article titled, "Parina vs. Pannika: Pro-Prayuth MP Says Future Forward Rival's Grad Photo Violates 112."
The old photo in question shows Future Forward spokeswoman Pannika Wanich and her classmates mocking a photo of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. She claims the photo was taken around the time of the 2006 coup.
Khaosod would share Pannika's excuse, claiming:
Pannika's claims of using the "monarchy as a political tool" is repeated by those who opposed the 2006 coup, insisting the Thai military used the monarchy's popularity and power to aid in overthrowing the government.
But what government was overthrown in 2006 and why was Pannika and her political science friends so upset about it?
The 2006 Coup Ousted a Mass Murdering Dictator
The 2006 coup ousted billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra who at the time was among the richest Thais in the Kingdom, guilty of having murdered 2,000+ innocent people in a politically-motivated "war on drugs" in just 90 days, crushing civil liberties through litigation and physical violence, plundering the nation, and attempting to consolidate power into a one party system - and doing so by undermining Thailand's existing institutions including the courts, military, and constitutional monarchy.
A 2004 Human Rights Watch report titled, "Thailand: Not Enough Graves " (PDF) would note regarding Thaksin Shinawatra's "war on drugs" that (emphasis added):
Not Just in Her "Past," But Today and in Her Future...
Pannika was not only "worried" about the 2006 coup - she also opposed the 2014 coup which ousted Thaksin's sister - Yingluck Shinawatra - who openly ran as her fugitive brother's proxy. In fact, opposing the 2014 coup and the military which carried it out is Future Forward's only discernable "policy."
Pannika was silent in 2014 during the lead up to the coup regarding violence carried out by Thaksin and Yingluck's regime which killed over 20 people including women and children. She was also silent about the regime's theft of over 1 million farmers' rice. She certainly does not mention any of this today when condemning the military, the coups, and the resulting government.
Pannika - a former employee of Thaksin Shinawatra's VoiceTV network - is spokeswoman of Future Forward which is now working in tandem with Thaksin Shinawatra's Phue Thai Party - with Pheu Thai even nominating Future Forward leader Thanthorn as their candidate for prime minister.
Her contempt for Thailand's constitutional monarchy government is not "in her past." It was specifically why she was employed at Thaksin's VoiceTV and then recruited into Pheu Thai's nominee party - Future Forward - where anti-monarchy sentiment is pervasive.
And it must be noted that Pannika along with Thaksin and his party, and Thanathorn and his party - do not actually oppose "monarchy" - they merely oppose a Thailand in which they themselves do not dominate the structures of power.
Indeed, Pannika and the people she works for seek to depose Thailand's institutions - openly opposing the military and all but openly opposing the monarchy - in order to replace it with an oligarchy run by corrupt billionaires like Thaksin and Thanathorn.
Toward that end, Thaksin Shinawatra has twice beset Bangkok with armed mobs - in 2009 and 2010. In 2010 he fielded between 300-500 armed militants. He, his party, street mobs, and political supporters have repeatedly threatened armed insurrection and regularly compare themselves to violent movements seen during the French and Russian revolutions, as well as more recent and disastrous "uprisings" in Libya and Syria.
Pannika's mockery of a photo of the late King Bumibol Adulyadej is not necessarily the problem - but rather what it implies about who she is, who she works for, and why.
Like most people facing article 112, it is not a matter of Pannika holding an opinion - it is a matter of belonging to a movement seeking to overthrow the institutions of the nation - i.e. sedition - and aligning with those who have used deadly, sweeping violence in an attempt to achieve this goal.
Future Forward and its massive marketing machine have once again succeeded in getting a top trending hashtag on Twitter - #SavePannika.
Pannika does need to be "saved." Saved from her poor excuses and saved from the notion that aiding in violently overthrowing a nation's sovereign institutions is protected under "free speech." It isn't in any other nation on Earth - no matter how liberal - and it isn't in Thailand.
The old photo in question shows Future Forward spokeswoman Pannika Wanich and her classmates mocking a photo of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. She claims the photo was taken around the time of the 2006 coup.
Khaosod would share Pannika's excuse, claiming:
“At the time, it was the 2006 coup era. People were being attacked on- and offline for not being loyal to the monarchy…So as political science students we worriedly followed these events closely,” Pannika wrote. “After the coup, it was easy to land anyone in jail just by pointing at them and saying that they weren’t loyal. This hate mongering led us youths to talk about it ironically, to reflect on the tragedy affecting Thai society.”
Still, Pannika added that “I deeply apologize to any citizens who are uncomfortable with the photo. But I hope everyone understands that youths are now growing up with questions about using the monarchy as a political tool…my friends and I believe in the system of a democratic government with the king as the head of state.”
Pannika's claims of using the "monarchy as a political tool" is repeated by those who opposed the 2006 coup, insisting the Thai military used the monarchy's popularity and power to aid in overthrowing the government.
But what government was overthrown in 2006 and why was Pannika and her political science friends so upset about it?
The 2006 Coup Ousted a Mass Murdering Dictator
The 2006 coup ousted billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra who at the time was among the richest Thais in the Kingdom, guilty of having murdered 2,000+ innocent people in a politically-motivated "war on drugs" in just 90 days, crushing civil liberties through litigation and physical violence, plundering the nation, and attempting to consolidate power into a one party system - and doing so by undermining Thailand's existing institutions including the courts, military, and constitutional monarchy.
A 2004 Human Rights Watch report titled, "Thailand: Not Enough Graves " (PDF) would note regarding Thaksin Shinawatra's "war on drugs" that (emphasis added):
Despite his rhetorical commitment to humane responses to Thailand’s drug problem, Thaksin’s anti-drug campaign quickly evolved into a violent and murderous “war on drugs.” Beginning in February 2003, the Thaksin government instructed police and local officials that persons charged with drug offenses should be considered “security threats” and dealt with in a “ruthless” and “severe” manner. The result of the initial three-month phase of this campaign was some 2,275 extrajudicial killings...Regarding the fate of rights defenders under Thaksin's regime, Amnesty International would admit:
During Thaksin’s first term (January 2001 -- January 2005), eighteen human rights defenders were assassinated and one was disappeared. Although arrests have been made for some of the murders, many of the cases remain unresolved.Thaksin also crushed dissent, particularly across the media. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) wrote in its report, "Attacks on the Press 2004: Thailand," that (emphasis added):
Populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's press freedom record has been less than stellar since he took office in 2001. His political and financial interference, legal intimidation, and coercion continued to have a chilling effect on critical voices in the Thai press in 2004.It is difficult to fathom why Pannika and her political science friends would oppose the removal of Thaksin Shinawatra from power. He and his regime represented everything Pannika and Future Forward claim they are fighting against today in Thailand.
Not Just in Her "Past," But Today and in Her Future...
Pannika was not only "worried" about the 2006 coup - she also opposed the 2014 coup which ousted Thaksin's sister - Yingluck Shinawatra - who openly ran as her fugitive brother's proxy. In fact, opposing the 2014 coup and the military which carried it out is Future Forward's only discernable "policy."
Pannika was silent in 2014 during the lead up to the coup regarding violence carried out by Thaksin and Yingluck's regime which killed over 20 people including women and children. She was also silent about the regime's theft of over 1 million farmers' rice. She certainly does not mention any of this today when condemning the military, the coups, and the resulting government.
Pannika - a former employee of Thaksin Shinawatra's VoiceTV network - is spokeswoman of Future Forward which is now working in tandem with Thaksin Shinawatra's Phue Thai Party - with Pheu Thai even nominating Future Forward leader Thanthorn as their candidate for prime minister.
Her contempt for Thailand's constitutional monarchy government is not "in her past." It was specifically why she was employed at Thaksin's VoiceTV and then recruited into Pheu Thai's nominee party - Future Forward - where anti-monarchy sentiment is pervasive.
And it must be noted that Pannika along with Thaksin and his party, and Thanathorn and his party - do not actually oppose "monarchy" - they merely oppose a Thailand in which they themselves do not dominate the structures of power.
Indeed, Pannika and the people she works for seek to depose Thailand's institutions - openly opposing the military and all but openly opposing the monarchy - in order to replace it with an oligarchy run by corrupt billionaires like Thaksin and Thanathorn.
Toward that end, Thaksin Shinawatra has twice beset Bangkok with armed mobs - in 2009 and 2010. In 2010 he fielded between 300-500 armed militants. He, his party, street mobs, and political supporters have repeatedly threatened armed insurrection and regularly compare themselves to violent movements seen during the French and Russian revolutions, as well as more recent and disastrous "uprisings" in Libya and Syria.
Pannika's mockery of a photo of the late King Bumibol Adulyadej is not necessarily the problem - but rather what it implies about who she is, who she works for, and why.
Like most people facing article 112, it is not a matter of Pannika holding an opinion - it is a matter of belonging to a movement seeking to overthrow the institutions of the nation - i.e. sedition - and aligning with those who have used deadly, sweeping violence in an attempt to achieve this goal.
Future Forward and its massive marketing machine have once again succeeded in getting a top trending hashtag on Twitter - #SavePannika.
Pannika does need to be "saved." Saved from her poor excuses and saved from the notion that aiding in violently overthrowing a nation's sovereign institutions is protected under "free speech." It isn't in any other nation on Earth - no matter how liberal - and it isn't in Thailand.
