Does govt encourage bullying tactics?
Re: "Intimidation of the press cannot be tolerated", Editorial, August 31.
Well might you trumpet your displeasure at the intimidation of the Channel 7 journalist, as this was nothing more than raw thuggery of the nastiest kind. Note, however, there was not a whisper of displeasure or disapproval emanating from any quarter of the Pheu Thai machine, nor indeed will there be, as I am more than certain that tacit approval, if not actual encouragement, has been given for this tactic. It is surely a given as the incumbent PM is woefully ill-equipped for this high office, and those around her are painfully aware of this. She cannot debate, has no understanding of policy, or politics in general, and no doubt struggles to try and remember her brother's last directives to her.
Intimidation is a well-worn tactic used by essentially undemocratic entities masquerading as democratic. The most memorable, of course, must be the National Socialist Party and its use of the Brown Shirts. These thugs ran wild through Germany, ruthlessly removing any threat to their beloved leader, and once that was achieved the democratic pretence fell away and we all know what happened after that.
And sadly, don't expect any assistance from the organs of state here, as these will all be quickly turned into pawns of the beloved leader. Already we can see the inglorious spectacle of ex-police captain Chalerm Yoobamrung gloating over his role as puppet master-in-chief as he gets to pretend to choose the real beloved leader's brother-in-law as the new police chief.
More worrying was the quotation attributed to the ex-police captain in the letter "Prepare for another round of killings" from Tom (August 30) where the ex-police captain apparently said he saw no problem in killing drug suspects. If this is the level of the man that he finds state-sanctioned murder an acceptable tool, then something as esoteric as freedom of the press is merely background noise.
And can we expect a restraining hand from the well-dressed lady supposedly in charge? I shall leave you to make up your own mind on this. But probably better that you read some fashion magazines so you can accurately report on what designer clothes she is wearing when you all ask her if she had a nice day yesterday and what she had for lunch.
John Patterson
Bangkok
