Published on January 18, 2006

Video link opens channel for PM to lash out at critics, rally ministers to help the poor. Prime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra chaired yesterday’s Cabinet meeting via video-conference link from Government House to Wat Ban Kloy in Roi Et’s At Samat district.

The telecast started with a tirade by the premier against his critics, then ranged over a swag of different issues - from protest marches, poverty alleviation and education matters to smuggled cars from Malaysia.

In remarks before reviewing the agenda, Thaksin noted the vacant seats in the Cabinet room, saying tongue-in-cheek that many ministers were working with him to tackle poverty-related problems in At Samat.

He then told ministers in Bangkok about his encounter with 300 protesters after arriving Roi Et Airport on Monday.

“I talked to anti-dam protesters and those from a potash mine and agreed to meet them again for lunch on February 24 in Udon Thani,” he said.

These protesters were from non-government groups and aired their grievances within reason.

“But there is a group of people bent on overthrowing the government. I will not waste time trying to talk to them as they are cheaters and cannot understand any human language,” he said.

He lashed out at his critics, who he said comprised a man who committed fraud but escaped punishment due to the expiry of statutory limitations, a loan defaulter and a rogue businessman who cheated shareholders.

“These people vented their anger at the government, which denied them any favours,” he said.

He also made sarcastic remarks about his critics, characterising them as political vagrants for hire and saying police and the Social Development and Human Security Ministry should round them up for rehabilitation.

The prime minister continued his tirade by instructing Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vana-satidya to tighten law enforcement regarding public demonstrations.

“Relevant authorities should strictly ban any marches on Bangkok roads and tolerate only those keeping to the sidewalks,” he said, referring to the march by protesters last Friday from Sondhi’s talk-show at Lumpini Park which culminated in an intrusion at Government House.

Thaksin then turned to his trip to the Northeast, saying he had asked the Interior Ministry to instruct At Samat district officials to conduct a comprehensive review on the supply and demand for local products in order to improve the livelihood of locals.

He said the Interior Ministry would work jointly with the Social Develop-ment and Human Security Ministry to find gainful employment for villagers.

On Monday night, he said he met a couple who owned a sewing machine but recently found that production orders had dried up. He urged authorities to help them find new orders for garments or supplementary income from agriculture. He said most poor villagers whom he met on his first day needed to boost their monthly earnings by Bt3,000 to Bt5,000.

The National Economic and Social Development Board would act as the secretariat to co-ordinate with local authorities nationwide in implementing the At Samat model of poverty eradication as demonstrated by him, he said.

Commenting on events relating to the National Children’s Day and the Teachers’ Day, he said he was impressed with proposals advanced by a children’s council and an opinion survey on teachers’ performance. “I told the education minister to act on the children’s proposals regarding pornographic media outlets and the survey on teaching quality,” Thaksin said.

“I also instructed Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai to map out preventive measures against child abuse,” he added.

This year, the Education Ministry will launch a campaign to do away with rote learning, which is still prevalent from kindergarten to doctorate studies, he said.

Deputy Education Minister Rung Kaewdaeng had been assigned to deal with teachers’ debt problems, so they could devote full attention to their classes, he said.

He further stated that he had ordered Chidchai and Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura to jointly supervise the investigation into the arms smuggling case in Phetchaburi. “I suspect the involvement of a lieutenant colonel and want the case solved,” he said.

In his other instructions, he said Deputy Prime Wissanu Krea-ngam would organise a government reception in honour of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

HRH has received the Indira Gandhi medal.

Chidchai had been given the task of overseeing inquiries into the smuggling of luxury cars from Malaysia, following the uncovering of a smuggling gang by police inspector General Seripisut Temiyavej, he said.

Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya then interjected, saying said seized cars would not be auctioned off but distributed for government use.

The measure would prevent smugglers from laundering their illegal operations by buying back impounded cars before reselling them on the market, Thanong said.

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

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Headline sucks: PM

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra hit out at several newspapers yesterday for what he viewed as their biased coverage of his reality show being broadcast by UBC from Roi Et province.

He singled out the Thai-language Kom Chad Luek, in which a front-page headline read: “Villagers banned from selling in At Samat”. The report said local food stalls were not allowed to do business during the prime minister’s visit to the district.

"This headline sucks, it’s not constructive. Writing like this can hurt the country. The writer must be dreaming, not awake," Thaksin said during his breakfast, adding that he had bought some local dishes on his first night in the province.

"I dont want to be praised [by the media], but they should care more about a code of ethics," he said.

Thaksin was having a breakfast with a handful of Cabinet members who are accompanying him on his anti-poverty mission. He also hosted a meal for a group of reporters covering the reality show.

Shortly before 8am, the prime minister and his entourage left for Ban Kloy Temple, about 2km away, for a Cabinet meeting via a video-conferencing system. Thaksin travelled on a home-made farm truck and gave the driver Bt2,000, telling him to use it for the fuel. The truck driver, Preecha Mithaowan, said he was very happy and felt it was a great honour to have driven the truck for the government leader. –The Nation

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