Move Forward MP accuses Isoc of information warfare to escape dissolution

Key points:

• MP alleges Isoc of information operation to undermine bill
• House holding public opinion on bill to end Isoc
• ‘Save Isoc’ campaign simultaneously talking place on social media

Party MP Ramadon Panjor had sponsored a bill in July seeking to dissolve Isoc and submitted it to the House of Representatives.

Since the bill would have wide implications on the public, Isoc, and the Provincial Administration Department as well as officials and employees of Isoc, the House has been holding an online public hearing on the bill as required by Article 77 of the Constitution since August.

As of 10pm on Saturday (October 28), 33,336 people had joined the online hearing and only 27.71% supported the bill to dissolve Isoc while 71.59 voted to retain the Army agency and 0.71 abstained.

The number of respondents was a sharp jump from some 7,000 on Thursday (October 26).

Apart from the overwhelmingly high number of supporters of the Isoc in the hearing, an online campaign has been launched on Facebook and other online social networks, called “Save Isoc”, in which many Thai social networkers came out to criticise Move Forward and the bill and expressed their support for Isoc, saying it was still needed to keep security in the kingdom, especially in the restive deep South.

But Ramadon and Ameenoh Arong — another MP from his party from Narathiwat — alleged that the high percentage of Isoc supporters in the hearing and in the online campaign were the result of Isoc’s information operation in its desperate attempt to save itself.

On Saturday, Ramadon called on the people to join the “Save the People” campaign instead of “Save Isoc” by going to the web page of the House of Representatives to vote for the bill.

Ameenot alleged that the info operation by Isoc had led to the bill’s public hearing getting an unprecedented high number of participants.

“Whoever hates an information operation that wastes our tax [money], which was spent to spur hate and drive divisions, should sacrifice sometimes to vote against the information operation,” Ameenot posted on her Facebook wall.

Isoc was established in 1965 to combat the communist insurgency in Thailand. It played a significant role in suppressing the insurgency, but it was also accused of human rights abuses.

After the end of the Cold War, Isoc’s role diminished. However, it regained prominence after the 2006 coup d'état. Pro-democracy critics alleged that Isoc had been used by the military to suppress dissent and maintain its grip on power. In recent years, Isoc has been involved in the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and the persecution of political opponents.

It has been criticised for its lack of transparency and accountability, as well as its alleged human rights abuses. However, supporters believe that it is an important part of Thailand's security apparatus.

Among several well-known Facebook pages that came out to support Isoc was the obscure “Prat Sam See” (Wiseman of three colours).

Prat Sam See posted that Move Forward had been mobilising its supporters to try to dissolve Isoc, which he said, is essential for keeping security in southern border provinces.

Prat Sam See said if Isoc were to be dissolved, security in the deep South would be severely affected and the insurgents would be able to carry out uncontained violence. He noted that the Isoc Act empowers authorities to use power to stop violent attacks before they happen.

Prat Sam See also highlighted that Ramadon was among politicians who had shown support for a group of Songkhla students who called for separation of the deep South in a mock referendum recently.