Smear campaigns (or mud slinging) are an unfortunate, but common occurrence in politics. In Thailand, smearing your political opponents are politicians you dislike by calling or directly implying they are anti-monarchy is the worst smear possible. Needless to say this has been a common tactic of Sondhi Limthongkul who has frequently smeared Thaksin Shinawatra, the current caretaker Prime Minister, as being against the monarchy, or in the words of some people trying to overthrow the monarchy.
Sonthi's latest attack involves finding some connection between someone who has allegedly spoken ill of the King and then find a link to Thaksin. 2Bangkok has summarised the latest Sondhi attack from this Manager article:
Mr. Sonthi Limthongkul talked about this book at the Thailand Weekly gathering at Suan Lumpini on July 14. He said this book The King Never Smiles written by Paul Handley, former Far Eastern Economic Review reporter. The content of the book impolite to the King… This book was written eight months ago. The writer is also a friend of Mr. Pansak Vinyarat, advisor chairperson of PM Thaksin. Sonthi said Mr. Pansak knew the content was impolite to the King, but he did nothing
COMMENT: Nothing? I guess Sondhi takes a liberal meaning of "nothing". Pansak has responded though:
Pansak Viyaratn, chief advisor to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, yesterday refuted allegations made last Friday by Sondhi Limthongkul that the Thaksin government did nothing to stop the release of an unauthorized biography of His Majesty entitled The King Never Smiles.
Speaking on FM 94 radio, Pansak said the government had, last January, taken serious action to defend the institution of the monarchy by sending then Cabinet Secretary-General Bowornsak Uwanno on an unpublicized trip to the United States. Bowornsak met with former US president and Yale alumni George Bush Sr and the president of Yale University to convey the government’s strong reservations about the book, which is published by the prestigious Yale University Press.
I will also finally leave with this lovely gem from Sondhi (which no doubt was met with rapturous applause from the anti-Thaksin faithful). IHT ThaiDay reports:
During the show, Sondhi said Handley “is arrogant and conceited. He does not even respect his own parents. He loves looking down on Asians.”
In reply, Handley wrote, Sondhi “slandered me and my parents in a speech that reveals his bizarre mental state. If I ever see him I will give him a ‘Zizou Bisou’ head-butt.”
Friskodude has a short review of the Handley book, which he calls, surprisingly, "largely complimentary to the Thai king." I wonder if we are missing anything here...
He also links to an old Yale Daily News article on the matter.
JW - the trip by Borwornsak was unpublicised. The press wasn't informed of it. The Handley quote is hilarious, btw.
Friskodude has a short review of the Handley book, which he calls, surprisingly, "largely complimentary to the Thai king." I wonder if we are missing anything here..
I don't doubt there are some compliments, but McCargo's footnotes certainly give an indication on some of the content that Handley's book talks about.
JW - the trip by Borwornsak was unpublicised. The press wasn't informed of it. The Handley quote is hilarious, btw.
But before Sondhi made his accusations, did he actually bother to check with anyone on what Pansak did? If he asked and was lied to (that nothing was done) then this is something completely different, but then this would be illogical as Pansak is now detailing what he has done. My money would be on him not even asking and just pronouncing it as the truth.