4 replies to this topic

[Hedda]

Here's another one of those political stories that you won't read about in the mainstream Thai media but which gives a remarkable and chilling glimpse into a Thai version of fascism that the rise of Abhisit and his brown shirts have brought to Thailand.

A teenage contestant in a popular reality TV show ‘Academic Fantasia’ is the latest target of outrage in the Thai cyber world for making strong political comments on his Facebook page against the PM.Withawas Thaokhamlue, 17, aka Mark V 11 in the reality TV show produced by the True cable television station, has posted comments on his Facebook page, rebuking the PM after the government crackdown on the red shirts.

‘Damn! How could he say that when the people have come out in protests like this, if I were [Prime Minister], I would have resigned long ago? But when the same thing happens to him, he doesn’t give it a shit [to resign]. How is that? When they burned, what would you do? You just couldn’t do any damn thing. How about resigning? Moron!

If you can’t deal with it, just dissolve the House. He is just afraid that he will not get a job. His family is not as rich as Thaksin. Afraid of dying? Afraid of fleeing the country with no money?’ he allegedly posted on his page. According to members of cyber space, he has also posted rude curses against the red shirts and soldiers to stay away from the Siam Paragon area so that he could go to karaoke bars and bowling alleys.

True Vision executive and producer of the Academy Fantasia Season 7 Atthaphol Na Bangchang said that the company’s production team had met and decided that Withawas would not be dismissed from the show, because he had posted the comments before he was selected as one of the 12 ‘dream hunters’, and so he had not breached the rules of the show, which forbid contestants from expressing political views for the duration of the show. . .

In the latest development, Withawas has been accused of posting comments defamatory to the highest institution. Screen captures claimed to have been taken from his Facebook page have been pasted on the forums of Social Sanction (SS), Seri Thai (Free Thai), and [PAD's]ASTV-Manager. The administrator of the SS group has said, ’The evidence is obvious. [We]’d better help send the captures to the DSI.’"

http://www.prachatai3.info/english/node/1929

[UncleSam]

The administrator of the SS group has said, ’The evidence is obvious. [We]’d better help send the captures to the DSI.’"

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They could not have picked a better name for their activities.

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[DOLLY]

There's a long and scary article in the Bangkok Pundit today, talking about PAD and right wing's influence on the Thai entertainment industry and how actors and directors are being accused of being closet red shirts. It sounds just like the McCarthy era in the US when the witch hunt for communists came to Hollywood and the infamous "black list" of suspected communists appeared.

According to the article, PAD's ASTV-manager website, which has a gossip column called 'Sor-Jed' that's popular among many younger Thais for its "notorious and sex-related content," has now become "the center for diligently performing PAD's sacred task of Reds-Hunting."

[attachmentid=910] Thai actors, including one of Thailand's most famous pop singers, Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre, Actress Mint Mintita Wattnanakul, and most recently, Cannes Festival Winner, Director Apichatpong (Jeoi) Weerasethakul have been attacked as red shirt sympathizers. Mint has reportedly been denied two prime time TV jobs as a result. The PAD supporters have been posting internet lists of "suspected" Red Shirt supporters, with the slogan "Please help spread the words on the Reds' Evilness."

The case of the student on Academic Fantasia (left)who PAD has been demanding be removed because he criticized PM Abhisit is also discussed, although it looks like these attacks have backfired into making him the show's most popular contestant.

http://www.asiancorrespondent.com/bangkok-pundit-blog

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[Harold]

"Withawat Thaokhamlue, who goes by the name Mark V11, announced his decision to withdraw from the reality show Academy Fantasia on Wednesday after he was criticised for posting messages critical of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Mark V11 appeared at a press conference with his parents at a hotel in Bangkok. He admitted to have written messages critical of Mr Abhisit before he entered the competition. He apologised to the public and to the prime minister, saying that he wrote the messages, posted on his Facebook page, without careful consideration."I'm a teenager who still lacks of careful thought," he said. "I would like to ask for a second chance from society."

Claims that he has posted messages critical of the royal family were rejected by his father, John. Mr John insisted that he and his family were loyal to the high institution and would sacrifice their lives to protect the monarchy.

The screen capture of Mark's facebook page containing messages critical of the monarchy that was circulated on the internet had been altered. Mark had nothing to do with it, his father said. The case had been reported to police."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/18...draws-from-show

........... do they still call this the Land of Smiles?

[B.I.G.]

Thai fascism is alive and well.