Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul, in his capacity as Bhum Jai Thai leader, said he planned to appoint Newin as "the party's principal" so his political expertise could strengthen the party.

"I believe that Newin will be able to help the party a lot. We are a new political party. He will be particularly useful for our preparation for a new general election," Chaovarat said.

Newin was on Monday acquitted by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders in a case involving a controversial rub?ber-sapling project he initiated while serving in the Thaksin Shinawatra government. All 43 other defendants in the case were also found not guilty.

He is one of the 111 former executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party stripped of electoral rights for five years on the charges of electoral fraud.

Meanwhile, another Bhum Jai Thai executive, Sophon Saram, who is the transport minister, said that with the acquittal, the party would be able to continue work without concern about legal trouble against a key party figure.

However, Sophon said he didn't think the party would have increased bargaining power as a result of the court verdict.

"When Bhum Jai Thai gets stronger, the government also becomes stronger. There's noth?ing about bargaining," he said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

By Goretti Duncker

It's a day that mixes Thaksin's tears and Newin's fears. Follow the developments as they happen.

We hope today will not end in any manner that belies the red shirts' much-proclaimed intention. They are supposed to seek forgiveness, or mercy, or whatever they want to call it, so let's hope the purportedly humble nature of their campaign stays that way throughout the day and beyond.

Apart from the petition campaign, a Supreme Court verdict in the rubber-sapling case is a major thing to watch, as the fate of Newin Chidchob, the real core leader of the Bhum Jai Thai Party is at stake.

I will update key developments as they happen and give some analyses if necessary. In my opinion, Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters have the right to seek royal petition for him, as long as they respect whatever judgement or decision of HM the King afterwards. This doesn't mean I agree with claims in the petition that Thaksin's conviction was unfair. The Ratchadapisek land deal is a simple, straightforward case, and, with or without the coup, it broke the law.

10 am: Veera Musigapong, a red-shirted leader, said members of the movement will soon march to a gate of the Grand Palace, singing "Sadudee Maha Raja" (Love Live the Great King) along the way. There they will meet a royal representative.

One highlight is that Thaksin will sing along from his overseas hideout.

10.45 am: Thaksin has given a message through video link watched by his supporters gathering at Sanam Luang. Still adamant that his conviction was "a joke", he said seeking help from the monarch was his last resort. "We need to rely on His Majesty in order to bring back justice and peace" to Thailand, he said.

"It's funny how the owners, the buyers and the sellers were all acquitted while I was the only one who was convicted," he said.

Thaksin, I need to remind you, was convicted for giving consent to his then-spouse Pojaman to buy the lucrative Ratchapisek piece of land, thus breaking a law that prohibits such practice.

Wearing a red shirt, Thaksin said he wished HM the King to have a long life like Phra Anond. According to Buddhist history, Lord Buddha's closest aide passed away when he was 120 years old.

When he finished his speech, Thaksin turned and bowed to the portraits of Their Majesties the King and the Queen behind him.

11.30 am: The red parade had been taking peaceful shape. Veera wore a white shirt with a red necktie. In front of the parade were monks and students carrying Thai flags and HM the King's portraits. According to the plan, only about 15 red representatives will meet their royal counterparts around 1 pm. Afterwards, it has been said, all the petitioners will disperse.

The red-shirt movement insisted that the petition was endorsed by more than 5 million signatures. The signed papers are contained in more than 500 boxes wrapped with red clothes. Each box reportedly contains 10,000 signed papers.

1 pm: The submission ceremony has begun in front of the Wiset Chaisri gate of the Grand Palace.

The petition has finally been submitted in a relatively low-key manner. Veera Musigapong read the petition to Injun Buraphan, deputy private secretary of His Majesty the King, during the short submission ceremony.

1:03 pm: It has been very peaceful so far. And the red shirts are expected to disperse shortly. With this, attention will shift to another major event of the day _ the Supreme Court verdict on the rubber-sapling case involving Bhum Jai Thai Party strongman Newin Chidchob.

2 pm: The Supreme Court will any minute read the much-anticipated Newin verdict. A ruling has been made, we know that much. Whether Newin will escape a jail term for malfeasance remains to be seen. Very few Newin supporters have shown up at the court, largely because Newin had urged his followers to stay away to avoid causing trouble.

For a brief background on the rubber-sapling case, click here. If the graphic is too small, place the curser at the right bottom corder and click to enlarge.

To clarify my stand on the Thaksin petition, please read here. On the Thaksin Ratchadapisek land verdict, please click here.

3 pm: Uncertainties are shrouding the rubber sapling case as one of the key suspects, Adisai Bodaramik has practically called in sick. If the verdict reading is adjourned, the day will end in an anti-climatic way, albeit surely peacefully.

3.10 pm: The court has issued an arrest warrant for Adisai, whereas the reading of the verdict has been postponed to September 21. It's quite a long delay _ over a month _ and it will seem to all of us more of a torture than a relief.

4.30 pm: It has been reported that in another phone-in after the petition had been submitted, Thaksin said the event brought tears to his eyes. He said his family felt the same upsurge of emotions knowing that he was loved by so many people. His voice was truly shaken.

According to Thaksin, one of his "around the world" flights once came near Thailand and the pilot asked whether he would like the aircraft to enter the Thai airspace, since doing so could lead to a lot of trouble if there was a need for emergency landing. Thaksin said he told the pilot to go through the Thai airspace.

"During that 20 minutes I meditated. I prayed to all sacred things in Thailand that if I was a really bad person, I must not be able to return to the country, but that if I was a truly loyal person, then I should be allowed to come back," he said.

With that _ and amid a mixture of thunders and illuminating sunlight above the Grand Palace that were certain to cause a media buzz _ the much-talked-about campaign has drawn to a close rather solemnly. Can tension be rekindled? The Office of HM's Principal Secretary's announcement today that it would seek the government's review on the petition before it could reach His Majesty means there's some way to go. The hot potato, it appears, remains firmly in the Abhisit administration's hands.

Some of Thailand's best-known pop stars will be joined by some big names from Europe for a concert that aims to save the Earth.

The October 3 show, part of the EU Green Days initiative, features Tata Young, Tattoo Color, the Richman Toy, Yarinda Bunnag, Lomosonic, Lemon Soup, Scrubb, Buddha Holiday, Circle 22 and electronic wizard Andreas Tilliander from Sweden.

"I feel bad that our Earth is suffering. Global warming isn't an individual problem. It's something we need to come together to tackle," says Ball Torpong, a member of Scrubb.

In addition to the concert, the 11-day event will be packed with seminars, debates, exhibitions, children's workshops and music activities, offering a unique opportunity for exchanges of experience and good practice - and for reminding ourselves of the urgency of global action by December, when the next major conference is scheduled to take place.

Under the concept "What on Earth", the initiative will also campaign for Thai youth to pay greater attention to the global- warming crisis and work to save the Earth.

More than 6,000 people, including those involved in business and industry, media, non-governmental organisations, public authorities, diplomatic corps and academics, are expected to participate in the various events.

The NACC had already started hearing the case but it would take a week to complete since the proceedings had to cover the individual involvement of each accused, Klanarong said.

"Today's deliberation has covered 12 of 44 accused ministers and officials and the NACC should be able to rule on the case by September 29," he said.

At the heart of the legal wrangling is whether the then prime minister Samak and his ministers intentionally bypassed Parliament when drafting the Cambodian-Thai memorandum of understanding related to Preah Vihear Temple dispute.

Under Article 190 of the Constitution, the government is obligated to seek approval from parliament on the framework to negotiate an international agreement when it has ramifications in regard to borders.

Based on the Constitution Court ruling last year, the government failed to comply with Article 190.

Klanarong said the NACC had to determine the involvement of each accused in order to apportion the wrongdoing involved by each of the accused.

After reviewing the wrongdoing committed by each, the next step was for the NACC to name those targetted for impeachment and those who will face criminal prosecution.

He denied speculation that the NACC might target former foreign minister Noppadon Patama to shoulder the blame alone, saying the deliberation had not even reach halfway to form any conclusion.

OAG says rubber saplings case was 'incomplete'

The Office of the Attorney-General yesterday blamed the now-defunct Assets Examination Committee (AEC) for the court acquittal of all 44 defendants in a corruption case linked to the controversial Bt1.44-billion rubber saplings project.

OAG spokesman Thanapit Moonlaphruek said the AEC, appointed after the 2006 coup, went ahead alone to pursue the case in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders after prosecutors suggested more witness testimonies were needed.

"The AEC did not listen to the protest by the OAG that they had an incomplete case. They went ahead alone to bring the case to court," the spokesman explained.

"The AEC did not cooperate with the OAG in finding complete facts. Now that the Supreme Court has acquitted the defendants, damage has been done to the state in hiring lawyers. Certain defendants should not have been sued and now their reputation has been damaged and a lot of money spent hiring their lawyers," he said.

The court on Monday acquitted all 44 defendants in the case that included former Cabinet members, bureaucrats, and executives and employees of private companies.

The spokesman said the OAG would not blame any party for the court acquittal. "But we would like to call for future cases to be based on actual facts and proof, and not personal confidence or social or media pressure."

He noted that the corruption case involving the two and three digit lotteries - the verdict for which the Supreme Court is due to read next Wednesday - was also filed by the AEC without support from public prosecutors.

Meanwhile, fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra said in a Twitter message that Monday's court verdict on the rubber-saplings project "made Thai society better informed" about the allegations against him and his government.

"It means the CNS lied when they accused my government of corruption," his message read.

Chalerm Yoobamrung, chief MP of the opposition pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai Party, said the court acquittal proved the coup-makers' allegation of corruption against Thaksin was unfounded.

Surapong Tovichakchaikul, another Pheu Thai MP, called on the AEC to apologise to Thaksin and the 44 defendants acquitted in the rubber-saplings case.

Klanarong Chantik, a former member of the defunct AEC, said yesterday that the committee did its job without bias and did not see the acquittal verdict in the case as a failure.

Now a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Klanarong argued the prosecution was based on cause to suspect wrongdoing. "The AEC's work was based on facts and reasons and its prosecution decision was suspected wrongdoing," he said.

The graft-buster said he had no fear of counter lawsuits because the AEC did everything in accordance with the legal principles. The AEC stood ready, he said, for the upcoming graft verdict on the lotteries case on September 30, he said.

He dismissed Thaksin's remark that the coup leaders fabricated graft charges in order to oust his government. "The AEC worked independently and was not directed to fault anyone," he said.

Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka, another former AEC member, said that the panel did "the best job" in bringing the case to court and that its members were confident the legal framewo

The National Anti Corruption Commission is expected next Tuesday to complete its deliberation on the Preah Vihear impeachment proceedings against the Samak Sundaravej government, NACC member Klanarong Chintik said on Tuesday.

The deliberation has already started but will take a week to complete since the proceedings will have to cover the individual involvement of each accused , Klanarong said.

"Today's deliberation has covered 12 of 44 accused ministers and officials and the NACC should be able to rule on the case by September 29," he said.

The Nation

Published on September 23, 2009



Justice at last for grandma Hai, 79, in dam compo case

After three decades of calling for a fair deal, grandma Hai Khanjanthra has been compensated for land expropriated for a dam project in Ubon Ratchathani.
Ads by Google
Travel Agency in Thailand
Hotels, Trips, Flights, Visas,Tours Save money, Get Our Best Deals Rate
www.greenhousebkk.com

Thailand Travel Deals
Exclusive Deals on Thailand Hotels Bangkok, Phuket, Samui, Pattaya
amazingthailand.tourismthailand.org

Thailand Retirement visa
100% Success Record! Learn How Sukhumvit 39 BTS Phromphong BKK
www.tilalegal.com/retirement-visa

The Cabinet yesterday decided to pay Bt1,208,153 to the 79-year-old resident of Na Tal district, along with Bt2,389,142 to Sua Phankham and Bt1,350,922 to Fong Khanjanthra, who were also affected by the construction of the Huay Laha Dam project.

The money came from an emergency budget, paid at the request of the Interior Ministry.

Hai said she was thankful for the government's payment, although the amount was not enough compared to the damage done - the loss of 61 rai of farmland, both to water inundation and lack of fertilisers to grow rice since 1977. Hai also expressed thanks to members of the Forum of the Poor who urged previous governments to resolve her case.

"The money is not enough ... but I am not going to demand more. I am glad that this government listens to poor people's grievances, the past governments did not care about poor people," she said.

Hai said she would give some money to her children and grandchildren for their career projects,"so that their careers and their ways of life are better," she said.

Phet, Hai's daughter, said the payment was a good sign for all poor people, and urged the government to compensate the many people affected by dam projects, including those living near Pak Mool and Rasi Salai districts, in Ubon Ratchathani and Si Sa Ket provinces.