UPDATE: Below
A Police Lt. Col. has filed a lese majeste complaint against Jakrapob arising out of statements Jakrapob made to the FCCT ( see blog post on Jakrapob's statements here). I have summarised a Manager report below:
It was related to a comparison he made regarding democracy and the patronage system in Thailand. Jakrapob is quoted as denying saying offending the monarchy and has no intention to do so. He says such charges are politically motivated.
In Matichon, Jakrapob questions on why a civil servant is making a complaint and whether he received a signal from anyone. The complaint states that in English Jakrapob said that "he wants Thailand to have a democracy without* a monarchy"(the translation in Thai is "ตนอยากให้ประเทศไทยเป็นประชาธิปไตยแบบไม่มีพระมหากษัตริย์").
BP: There were plenty of press at the event and I know people who listened to Jakrapob and no one remembers anything like this. A translation error? The complaint came with a DVD from the FCCT event so hopefully, a YouTube clip of the alleged lese majeste remarks will pop up.
btw, Jakrapob's talk at the FCCT was on August 29, 2007 so it has taken a while for the complaint to come.
*yes, I said "with" the first time.
UPDATE: The Nation has an article here:
Pol Lieutenant Wattanasak Mungkitjakarndee, an investigator at Bang Mod Police Station, filed a complaint with Crime Suppression police accusing Jakrapob of violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code.
He presented a VCD recorded at the press conference by Jakrapob and his interview, with a translation from English to Thai, as evidence.
He said he bought the VCD from a foreign reporter for Bt600 and had a friend translate its contents into Thai.
Crime Suppression investigator Pol Major Chatuporn Ngamsuwitchakul said he accepted the evidence and would offer it to his superior for consideration. But he said the translation was not properly done, as he did not fully understand it.
Jakrapob denied the accusation, saying it was impossible that he committed lese majeste and he never had any intention of doing so.
He questioned if there was a political motive behind the police move, and the fact that Chatuporn was transferred from Bang Mod to Paholyothin Police Station and he had been an investigator into last year's protests outside the Si Sao residence of Privy Council chief Prem Tinsulanonda.
BP: The previous connection between the protests last year is interesting, but would more so if this investigator was the person who acc
Big brownie points must go to the Pol. Lt. Col. for managing to purchase the DVD - I doubt FCCT have reverted back to VCDs. Can one assume this purchase came out of his own pocket?
Such dedicated police work 6 months after the fact is surely evidence of changes that have been implemented in the police force! Obviously, the police do not have much serious crime in this police district to solve given the attention they are giving to the issue with purchasing evidence and then translating it.
btw, I have no idea about the complaint's rank as The Manager says he is a พ.ต.ท. a Pol. Lt. Col - actually the same rank as Thaksin when he left the police force - Matichon says he is a พ.ต.ต a Pol. Maj. whereas The Nation says he is a mere Pol. Lt. I doubt a mere Pol. Lt. would make the complaint or even be in the position as an investigator.
Lese majeste is a facist law!
btw, Jakrapob's talk at the FCCT was on August 29, 2007 so it has taken a while for the complaint to come
It's about time.
I note that the youtube clip you linked to in your original post is still there, so hopefully there will be more to come now that it is topical again.
The New Mandala thread you linked in your original post makes interesting reading - Pundit, you never did answer my question in post #34 (also refer posts #31 and #20)
I attended the event and recall that it was pretty controversial and Jakrapop said a lot that could offend. However, he did seem to steer clear of lese majeste and certainly did not call for a democracy without a King.
However, if lese majeste applies to Prem. Jakrapop would be very guilty.
In Matichon, Jakrapob questions on why a civil servant is making a complaint and whether he received a signal from anyone. The complaint states that in English Jakrapob said that "he wants Thailand to have a democracy with a monarchy"(the translation in Thai is "ตนอยากให้ประเทศไทยเป็นประชาธิปไตยแบบไม่มีพระมหากษัตริย์").
Shouldn't it be "he wants Thailand to have a democracy without a monarchy."
Sue: Argh, yes thanks. Corrected now.
Hobby: Sorry that was Jeru's quote (in #22). I just seem to get yours and his thoughts confused sometimes.
Jeru's comment in #22 was a quote from Observers comment #20 where he quoted Jakrapob as saying:
Thaksin, he said, sought to overthrow a patronage system that descended largely intact of feudal times and give full rights of citizenship to the Thai people
So, in effect, my question still stands.
As for confusing me with Jeru - I think my position is somewhere between Jeru and you, although I admit that my position is closer to Jeru's than it is to Republican's, just as yours seems to be closer to Republicans than it is to Jeru's.
Such dedicated police work 6 months after the fact is surely evidence of changes that have been implemented in the police force!
Yes, they are firing on all cylinders now, and the Interior Minister himself has addressed another very pressing and important matter.
From The Nation:
Chalerm orders probe on plot linked to Suthep
Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung on Monday instructed authorities to launch an investigation into a 2,000 rai plot in Surat Thani under the ownership of a company linked to Democrat Party secretary general Suthep Thuagsuban.
The Land Department is expected to complete its report within 60 days to determine the legality of the land ownership.
Chalerm said he took action after receiving a complaint claiming that the plot was a public land before it was wrongfully converted into a private ownership through a scam.
He said the plot originally covered 6,000 rai as public land in Khiri Rat Nikhom district. Later capitalists from outside the area wrongfully carved out 2,000 rai by petitioning for the land right under the names of 81 villagers who testified as settlers.
Once the capitalists received the land right, they sold the plot to a company. The ownership changed three time and the plot ended up as collateral for a loan from Krung Thai Bank before defaulting on repayments, he said.
The bank put the plot on the market and Sri Suban Farm Company, linked to Suthep, bought it, he said.
He said the complaint about the land scam was filed since 2004 but no action was taken until he took office. He dismissed speculation that he was trying to politicise the matter in order to pick on Suthep.
It's those damned capitalists again!
http://www.youtube.com/user/Jakapob
visit this link to see some more Jakrapob at the FCCT videos