Samak threatens force on protestors

[buksida]

One day after pushing the country to the brink, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday saw his own future on the line, with enemies and allies seriously scrutinising a judgement that could plunge the nation into a political abyss.

He tried to fix the damage by going on TV again, claiming this time that Saturday's "threat" to use force to end an anti-government rally by the People's Alliance for Democracy was misunderstood.

That appeared to some as having come too late and too unconvincing. It also did little to calm speculation that his days could be numbered.

Some human rights advocates sharply criticised him. Coalition partners were unhappy. Some elements in the People Power Party were so angry that rumours flew about a rebellion. Even Thaksin Shinawatra was believed to be gritting his teeth.

Full Story: The Nation

Thought: Looks like Samak is showing his true colours again.

[sandman67]

The Nation helpfully ran these translated versions in a compare and contrast exercise

What he said on Saturday and ... Sunday
By Daily Xpress
Published on June 2, 2008

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's emergency broadcast on Saturday was controversial. Little did he know his statements on his regular weekly show would cause even more trouble


On Saturday, Premier Samak said police and soldiers were ready to remove People's Alliance for Demo-cracy protesters from Makkha-wan Bridge. Yesterday he denied saying there would be a crackdown.

What he said on Saturday ...

Samak says the PAD's rally had forced him to make his emergency broadcast.

"I am responsible to tell you I must take charge. You can't be [at the protest venue]. It's illegal …

"Therefore, I must make you out of there [rallying venue]. No matter that you built forts with clubs [weapons] or no matter whom you brought with you, you gathered bad guys to do bad things in the city and you will have to pay for what you do. I won't let go, nor will police and soldiers. Don't hope for that."

He said several times he had readied police and soldiers to move the demonstrators, and reiterated this point again at the end of the broadcast.

"I am repeating for you to listen to me for a third time that I have managed, prepared readily both police and soldiers. If you are still stubborn, what would [you] do?

"Police must do their job. You must remove your own possessions by yourself first. If you don't, police will. Please acknowledge, I am saying this to let all the people know we are the government.

"I have to be responsible. I take charge of this and I will be responsible for everything police and soldiers do. I am prime minister, not anyone else. And please don't brand me as a puppet government."

On Sunday when he said he did not say it…

"I did not threaten to crack down [on protesters]. I insist the meaning I have said what [protesters] did at the foot of the bridge was illegal and officers will do their job. But they have agreed how they would do it. I am the government leader and I allowed [protesters to protest] for seven days. They [officers] must take measures according to the law. The Royal Family must have taken other routes. Students were in trouble. 'Crack down' is not the word. But police must talk to them that they cannot do it here. They must move out of there.

"May I emphasise that all the television stations broadcast this to the world. I beg here [protesters] can't stay here [at rally venue].

"They [officers] did not set a deadline and the talk [by officers to the protesters] will be broadcast to the world they can't block up here. If you don't remove, police must do it. There's no beating, there's no arresting anyone. But they [protesters] did that themselves, they mobilised themselves. Academics chorus that the government is set to lose if it uses force."

Bangkok Post had comments from the Bangkok Chief of Police and some army bods saying that Samak had not consulted them at all, and they were as shocked as everyone else when he said that the police and army would be used.

I dunno, maybe mama Samak dropped him on his head when he was a baby and he has no short term memory ..... or long term memory either apparently, as he has also denied the University massacre ever happened ....

ah well, not long to go now....

[clive]

Usually when the Thais tell a lie and you have the nerve to query it thier stock answer is " I only told you what you wanted to hear" this guy seems to only tell everyone what he wants to hear. You see you can fool some of the people some of the time but only Samak can fool himself all of the time.

[johnnyk]

When all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail...

[Randy Cornhole]

One in the hand is worth two in Kate Bush...