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Scepticism remains over government's ability to achieve national reconciliation
By PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK
THE NATION ON SUNDAY
Published on May 30, 2010
Foreign diplomats, correpondents anxious to learn more about plan to placate red-shirts; PM to focus on rule of law
Foreign correspondents who met with Prime Minister"http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/search/adsearch.php?keyword=%2BAbhisit%2BVejjajiva%2B"] Abhisit Vejjajiva [/URL]yesterday in an hour-long session to hear the PM discuss the political crisis remained sceptical about events leading up to the May 19 crackdown on red shirt protesters and the prospects of national reconciliation.
Many questions by mostly Western reporters focused on whether the government used excessive and disproportionate force to bring an end to the red-shirt protest at Rajprasong intersection or not.
German freelance photographer Nick Nostitz claimed he was with unarmed protesters "who merely want to exercise their political rights" but were shot at by soldiers. He asked Abhisit about accountability under the Emergency Decree.
The PM replied by saying soldiers did fire warning shots but live bullets were used in self defence and on clear targets.
He asked Nostitz to submit evidence.
"If you have that please submit [it] to the investigating committee. You're welcome to provide the testimony," the PM said.
Abhisit also said later it may be unfair to say civilians were killed because of "indiscriminate use of firearms" by soldiers.
In regard to six bodies inside Pathum Wanaram Temple, Abhisit said a "full investigation still needs to be made". His vow came despite a government document handed to journalists yesterday concluding that what took place was the result of attacks by "those armed with weapons of war" but people who were not soldiers.
The mood was not good partly due to the distribution of a text by the government prior to the hour-long session listing 12 "common misperceptions of foreign media regarding the current situation in Thailand".
One western journalist complained after the hour-long session to his peers: "We don't have this kind of shit in the Soviet Union [era]!"
An Associated Press reporter asked why prachatai.com news-site continued to be blocked while state-controlled NBT television, which was full of "hate and fear mongers" broadcast freely. The premier said he didn't know about prachatai.com but added that its web-board discussion may have defamatory content.
"The whole website should not be shutdown. I thought we lifted [it] for a while. But I will look into the matter again."
Nirmal Ghosh, of Singapore's Straits Times newspaper, pointed out to the PM that Thailand continued to be divided for the past year and a half, although Abhisit talked about reconciliation and elements of"http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/search/adsearch.php?keyword=%2Bred%2Bshirts%2B"] red shirts [/URL]were now being suppressed.
Abhisit replied by saying his reconciliation was based on the rule of law. "It is not the government side that is reluctant in offering solutions," he said, adding that he hoped to separate extremists from ordinary people.
On the charge of a plot to overthrow the monarchy, Abhisit claimed without producing any evidence that a printed text had been produced by "people who openly say that they have an aim to do just that".
Asked by another journalist why some members of the People Alliance for Democracy (PAD) had been not punished yet, the premier said "they're under the same law". Sitting to the left of Abhisit was Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, a staunch"http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/search/adsearch.php?keyword=%2BPAD%2B"] PAD [/URL]supporter who went up on"http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/search/adsearch.php?keyword=%2BPAD%2B"] PAD [/URL]stage several times.
Kasit did not look pleased.
The previous session with members of the diplomatic corps, heads of international organisations and foreign chambers of commerce was closed to journalists.
An Asian diplomat from an influential Asian country told The Nation he did not come out more convinced by the PM's explanation of recent events and the session "didn't explain too many things".
"Basically it's still the same things that he has been saying."
