Showing 41 - 50 of 104
Malaysia right over Uighurs
News, Editorial, Published on 15/10/2018
» Malaysia has made a bold move in the continuing conundrum over the fate of refugees and illegal migrants. Last week, the Kuala Lumpur government spurned both the soft requests of Thailand and the harsh demands of China and sent 11 Chinese Uighur refugees to Turkey. The decision to free the 11 was unexpected. The new Malaysian government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was caught between a diplomatic rock and humanitarian hard place and took the more popular way out.
Military digs a bigger hole
News, Editorial, Published on 01/10/2018
» A middleman in the purchase of the militarily useless, strategically harmful "black box hardware" for the army has been sentenced, twice, to a prison term of 19 years. Ex-businessman Sutthiwat Wannakij was convicted by the Don Muang district court for his part in the purchase of the fake bomb detectors known as GT200. The military men involved in this shameful saga more than 10 years ago have never been brought to justice. They include several of those in high positions in the military regime and National Council for Peace and Order.
End military interrogation
News, Editorial, Published on 27/09/2018
» In a court ruling on Tuesday on what has been dubbed the "budu bomb" case, the legitimacy and transparency of the military's unusual role in the justice process has again been questioned.
Religious abuse perils
News, Editorial, Published on 15/08/2018
» Friday is the third anniversary of the worst single terrorist attack in modern Thailand. The poorly investigated, badly prosecuted bombing of the Erawan shrine killed 20 people and injured more than 100. The hurried police work concluded it was the act of foreigners angry at the government's success against human trafficking. The "foreigners" turned out to be Chinese Uighurs, two of whom were arrested and are still undergoing trial. The only known Thai suspect is on bail and her trial is officially pending, unofficially unlikely.
Budgetary etiquette
News, Editorial, Published on 14/06/2018
» The recent passing of the Prayut Chan-o-cha government's national budget for fiscal year 2019, with a 20% increase in national security spending, has attracted much public criticism -- as it should.
Clouds over satellite deal
News, Editorial, Published on 07/06/2018
» Similar to other dubious military deals, the Defence Ministry's new reconnaissance satellite project, which is reportedly worth several billion baht, doesn't quite smell right.
A summit to prevent war
News, Editorial, Published on 31/05/2018
» It is taking feverish preparations to bring about the June 12 Singapore summit between the two most extroverted world political leaders. Presumably, US President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un are back on schedule for their meeting. It is necessary to say "presumably" because this summit has gone from impossibility to certainty, then from unlikely to cancelled, and now "back on schedule". Two weeks out, the summit offers some promise of being the most important such meeting of our age.
Failure of Alpha probe
News, Editorial, Published on 29/05/2018
» One of the worst and most costly fraud cases in recent memory was wrongly declared over last week. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) brought its investigation of the purchase of Alpha-6 fake narcotics detectors to a close. Astoundingly, this relatively simple case took the self-styled graft busters 10 years to conclude. The announcement that formally closed the books on the case echoed the supreme failure to tackle the case forthrightly, investigate honestly, act transparently and, finally, identify and bring accountability and the law to bear on those responsible.
Southern comfort
News, Editorial, Published on 06/03/2018
» A visit to several restive provinces in the deep South by a delegation from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was more successful than anyone expected.
South shows peace signs
News, Editorial, Published on 06/02/2018
» The orchestrated "surrender" of nearly 300 men in Pattani last week is getting a rough reaction from some critics. They label it either a sham that means nothing or a misguided amnesty to admitted terrorists. The critics are wrong and the commander of the 4th Army commander is right. The welcoming "Bring People Home" ceremony won't end the southern insurgency and isn't meant to immediately bring peace. It's a true indication of the extremely difficult tasks at hand.