Freitag, 1. Februar 2013

Dr. Tul Sittisomwongs statement at the FCCT

On Thursday 31st January 2013 the FCCT Bangkok held a panel discussion about the ARTICLE 112.
Guest speakers on this evening were Sukunya, aka Joop, wife of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, David Streckfuss, a noted scholar of lese-majeste legislation and author of "Truth and Trial in Thailand", Prachatai webmaster Chiranuch Premchaiporn and Dr. Tul Sittisomwong, leader of the "multicoloured- shirt group" and member of the "Citizen Protecting Homeland Group".

From left to right: Sukunya Prueksakasemsuk, Dr. Tul Sttisomwong , David Streckfuss and Chiranuch Premchaiporn.

In this blog post, this time in ENGLISH only (because it's imposssible to translate, you will understand when you read his speech), I will post the statement of Dr. Tul Sittisomwong only, an ultra-royalist and nationalist, after I already posted earlier my views on the Somyot and Khun Ah-Kong case. I think it will be of interest to read his conservative views on Article 112 and on the monarchy and why he is willing to defend it by all means.

Aufgrund des doch etwas heiklen Themas möchte ich diesmal auf eine Übersetzung der Rede ins Deutsche verzichten. Da Dr. Tul Sittisomwongs Rede, wie in Thailand üblich, gespickt ist mit Andeutungen und verdeckten Anspielungen, wäre ich gezwungen, bei der Übersetzung (die bei Dr. Tul´s rudimentären Englischkenntnissen eh schon kompliziert genug wäre)  zu ergänzen oder zu interpretieren, was u.a. bei dem Thema Paragraf 112/Majestätsbeleidigung mehr als problematisch ist.

I will report Dr. Tul's speech literally. I wrote down his exact words, therefor I am not responsible for any comments or remarks in his speech. In some cases I was not able to undestand his words on our recording and marked these passages with this sign: ...(?) Three or four times I added some words for the better understanding and put them in parenthesis.


Some passages are very hard (or even impossible) to understand for anyone who is not familiar with the topic and the background of his speech.


Interesting links on the aftermath of this panel discussion and the FCCT-boards statement:
http://www.existenzielle.de/cms/Magazin/Magazin-Blogs/Big-Mango-and-Beyond/index-b-1-122-1939.html

http://asiancorrespondent.com/96811/fierce-debate-at-many-fronts-over-thailands-lese-majeste-law/

http://www.zenjournalist.com/2013/02/25194/


The FCCT statement:

The FCCT's Board has come under pressure to condemn the sentence given to Somyot Prukasaemsuk. While we were not unanimous in regards to commenting on particular legal cases, we see Article 112 of the Criminal Code, and the Computer Crimes Act, as constraints to freedom of expression, and oppose the application of these laws in a way that intimidates both local and foreign press to refrain from publishing dissenting political views. The Board is unanimous in this regard.

The FCCT Board
06 February 2013

Again, no statement or comment on the Somyot verdict, only a general statement on the FCCT's well known position on article 112 and the Computer Crime Act.


Dr. Tul Sittisomwong

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

I am Dr. Tul Sittisomwong from the group of „Citizen Protecting Homeland“ including the monarchy that the Thai people love.

I want to be here, invited by the FCCT and (I am) so relieved that the FFCT won't have any statement about this sensitive issue. That will be a big thing after the EU.
It is quite difficult to talk about this and make all of you understand what the Thai (who) love (the) king think about what is going on during the past several years.

We talk about the article 112, not only the Somyot case, but about the article 112 that last for 100 years. But the latest change 36 years ago, 1976, about the tragedy at Thammasat university. That the government blamed students, scholars, that they are try to ...(?) their- the communist that tried to destroy monarchy. So they changed the law and increased the imprisonment from 7 years to 3 to 15 years we are talking about right now.

First of all I like to say that the ultimate goal of any article, any law, is not to punish but to tell the people not to do something that will doing harm to the society. Every law!

Kill people, stolen thing, stealing thing or ...(?) dealing drugs and also lese majeste.
In Thai society we think that if someone who defame, insult, threaten the king is not acceptable in this society. And we state something that the imprisonment is higher than the past, 3 up to 15 years, to tell is high penalty, please not to do it.
So, that's the point. It's not only Somyot case. It is everybody who defame, insult or threaten the king, the queen.
Why, why the Thai people or Thai society accept that is not about the human right, is not about freedom of expression.

We learn that we can not intrude in the head, anybody head. Even if someone who hate the king we can not kill him or imprison him, get him to jail because he hate the king.
But if he express something that is state in the the law that is prohibited. So every expression is there some limitation. But not to limit. There is some limitation if you are doing something like this you have to go to jail or you have to punish. And everybody knows that! No one can say:“Oh, I don't know the law“. I think everybody knows the law. Because every knows the law is 3 to 15 years, and they ask for reducing the imprisonment.

So, what's wrong, what's wrong? It's 36 years! Why the first year, second year, third year no law lecturer, no lawyer, no NGO, no human right complained about this for 30 years?
It just happened in Thailand that, 4 to 5 years after the coup, after the creation of the red shirts groups. And if you look at the number, 500 cases during the past few years! That's strange! Everybody who's (been) punished or in jail by this article 112, all of them are red shirt groups. No ordinary people who's doing this – why? That's strange, because it's, we may say it is a political issue. But it is not only the political. It's not fight between the Puea Thai Party and Democrat Party, like Republican and Democrat in the US, that's different.

If you can understand what is going on the red shirt stage, you will learn that they ask for a new Thai state. That's a democracy without monarchy, that the most of Thai people does not accept about that. And why the new Thai state, a democracy without monarchy, why is about the article 112. They are afraid! They are afraid if they are talking something. Because to destroy the monarchy they will have to ...(?), they have to blame the monarchy, the king, the queen, and the whole royal family first. And they are afraid that they have to be punished and they have to go to jail. So they have to destroy or change their obstacle first. That is, I found it is difficult to make you understand. That's difference, it's not about the human rights issue, it's not about the freedom of expression, It's about changing the political system in Thailand.
You see, it's quite different, it's quite difficult.
So I am the one who's not only love but I think the monarchy system is still important and useful to Thai society. And we like to stay like this for long time. Ok, we learned that the monarchy himself or itself has to adapt from time to time. Not to stay like this for a long time.

The criticize to creative - to creative criticize about the monarchy, I think, is acceptable, no one will be blame, to be punish or to jail.
But what going on and someone going to jail is what they did against the law. Not about the freedom of expression or human right.

If you talk about this Somyot case, that he is the editor. The true writer, the true writer is the one who committ the crime. And not only this article, that's make Somyot punish, be punished. He's talked many times- and I think that's the one- and we already noticed - and he is the speaker here, too. He was a speaker here, too. And his talk in Thailand and the US is to destroy the monarchy. ...(?)  You don't have to say that no name of the king or the royal family. But the one who have IQ can understand what's the meaning of the article.
I think, I don't agree with the printing act. You remember 2007 that's time is during the time of the dictator, you said, is under the coup. It's not the democrat, it's not the democracy parliament. It's under dictator, under the coup.
So in my opinion the editor should check and responsible to see if it should published or not. So there should be some responsibilities. I think all of you, not all of you but most of you, may agree with me that the editor should be responsible for the article, for every article to be published. Not only the writer, the true writer. So, Somyot maybe the victim. I am sorry, I am hearing that the process is unhuman right – I am not sure about the correct word – and I dislike that, too.

But how to stop, how to stop the action? How to stop the lese majeste and the imprisonment by lese majeste? That make my king and Thai king sorry about this, too. We learned that.

Most of the Thai love Thai king not because of his position, not because he is born to be king, but (for) what he did, not only this reign, but the past king, too. That' why Thai people respect the king and think this position is important to Thai society in the future, too.

I would like to talk to everybody who did this and to be punished by this article. I won't accept that because of the number of punishment is too high, so we should eleminate this article or reduce the number of punishment, of imprisonment. I don't think so. But because it 's about expression, it's about opinion? So we should talk! Why we have, I am Thai, you are Thai, why we have different opinion!

Why Jit (or Chit), - I don't know, I forgot the real name - Jit, why this make this Somyot into jail?

Why someone refuse to stand up in front of the national royal anthem, even the foreigner in Thai theatre (is doing this), everybody stands up, why did he decide not stand up?
It's not an individual one, look at the case . After this goes to the television there are goups that support him. So it's not an individual act. So it's not about the freedom of expression, human right.
It's like some show or something to show and used by groups for anti article 112 .
But you should know that three years not in jail, he is out of jail and right now policemen dropped the case. They said no charge at all. Three years no charge.

About Ah-Kong case, it's not 20 years, it's five years each four cases! And, that's strange, his attorney never asked for permission to bring him from the prison to the hospital. And I am asked about/was ordered to check this case, too. And finally I find out that, and I believe that Ah-Kong never sent that SMS. But his relative used his cellphone and changed from True sim to Dtac sim to send SMS and changed back. And it is shown on the c(s)ellsite provider. So, it's also not about the human right or freedom of expression. It is about conspiracy groups to make case, a pity poor case: An old man going to jail by article 112 and die in prison. And make sympathy from all over the country and allover the world that you have to stop this article 112. And the body of this dead man was shown in front of the court. To ask for sympathy. But we learn that's not the true case! It's a made up case! And I have shown this already to already to US-Embassy and the UN Human Right. So, I would like to ask all of you to carefully consider this case. That' much different fom lese majeste in European countries. And right now, that's why I fight for not to protect article 112 but to protect my monarchy and my homeland.

Sukunya Prueksakasemuk with the "Voice of Taksin" magazine  published by her husband.

And I ask for  ...(?)  the magazine: Voice Of Taksin – Is Thaksin is a labour man? No, he is a millionaire.
 ...(?) He's created groups of people, who are people to support him and used media to give incorrect infomation about the Thai politics, about opponents, about the royal family. And I watched it everyday. So I learned what they talk about. Also on the stage during the two, three years ago, of a red shirt rally.

So, if you look at the Somyot case, only Somyot case or Ah-Kong case seperately, you may think it is about the human right and freedom of expression, like you said. Like you said, like even the US Ambassador said. And we have to go to the embassy and tell them the truth what happened! So I try my best to tell you that is not about the article 112, it is not about the human right! Right now what is going in Thailand is about destroying monarchy from democrat system in Thailand by change or eliminate article 112 first.

That's my best to talk,

Thank you!

Sukunya and Somyot