This issue has been puzzling me for a few days. Last month, our tech savvy Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom stated:
"The most important issue is lese majeste. That makes the decision easy. Then comes threats to national security and the morality of society," he said.
He sets his own criteria. To criticise the Privy Council president is a threat to national security, he said.
COMMENT: This set the standard, but does it apply just to Prem in the position as the head of the Privy Council or other institutions of the monarchy as well. One other institution is the The Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary whose role has been described by the Golden Jubilee Network as:
The Office also conveys royal wishes and commands to parties concerned. It is evident that the Office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary has the role of coordinator between His Majesty the King and the Government, the various offices of the public and private sectors, as well as the general public concerning both the affairs of State and His Majesty’s private affairs.
COMMENT: I have just seen a tape of a Thai news program that was broadcast last week. Suddenly, in the middle of the program there was an urgent breaking news alert with the news presenters saying they had just received a statement from his Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary and been asked to disseminate this information to the public. Obviously, this is not within the usual course of events and it was a statement criticising Sondhi Limthongkul as the Nation reports:
The Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary has defended its chief against media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul's accusations linking the royal secretary to a key figure in the Temasek nominee controversy.
The agency said that even though the King's principal private secretary, Arsa Sarasin, is the younger brother of businessman Pong Sarasin, he "has no connections whatsoever" with the issue.
It said Sondhi made "incorrect allegations" against the royal secretary. "Sondhi's statement indicated that he failed to double-check the facts and had intended to frame and cause damage to Arsa Sarasin and the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary," read the letter sent to Thailand Dot Com Co.
The company operates the TV programme called "Yam Fao Phaendin" (Guard of the Land), on which Sondhi made the statement in question on April 27.
The letter, dated April 30, was signed by Arsa's deputy, Jitrapat Krairiksh.
Sondhi had said an amendment to the anti-corruption law passed by the National Legislative Assembly had been "stuck" for a month after being submitted for royal endorsement, and suggested the "delay" could be due to Arsa and Pong's family ties.
Pong was a major shareholder in Kularb Kaew, a company accused of acting as a nominee to Singapore's investment arm Temasek Holdings in its controversial purchase of shares of telecom giant Shin Corp from ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra's family.
In its letter, the agency said it had received the amendment from the Cabinet secretariat on April 2 and forwarded it to the Privy Council on April 10. It received royal endorsement on April 22, after the long Songkran holiday, and was returned to the Cabinet secretariat on April 24.
COMMENT: Sondhi is treading on thin ice, but it is not the first time that the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary has castigated the media (ok, mainly The Nation) for inaccurate reports, but it is still quite rare. Sondhi made an apology a few days later although that didn't stop Sondhi from continuing his ranting as The Manager, his mouthpiece, reports:
อย่างไรก็ตาม นายสนธิตั้งข้อสังเกตในหนังสือของสำนักราชเลขาธิการฯ ที่ระบุว่าเขามีเจตนาเชื่อมโยงความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างราชเลขาธิการฯ คือ นายอาสา เป็นน้องชายของนายพงส์ และมีเจตนาใส่ร้ายราชเลขาธิการซึ่งเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของสถาบันพระมหากษัตริย์ ซึ่งนายสนธิย้ำว่าที่จริงแล้วเรื่องดังกล่าวไม่เกี่ยวข้องกับสำนักราชเลขาธิการ แต่เป็นเรื่องส่วนตัวของนายอาสา และพี่ชายที่จะต้องชี้แจงเอง..
"...ผมอยากตั้งข้อสังเกตและเตือนสติท่านนิดนึง ท่านกำลังเอาสำนักราชเลขาธิการมาชี้แจงเรื่องส่วนตัวของท่าน ท่านไม่มีสิทธิ์..."
[My summarised translation: Sondhi pointed out that in the statement said that there was an intention to cause damage to the Office which is one institution of the Monarchy, but Sondhi said that in reality it was not related to the Office as it was to do with Asra Sarasin personally
...
"...I want to point out and warn him at a little, that he is currently involving the Office to clarify personal matters, he has no right..."]
นอกจากนี้ นายสนธิยังได้ตั้งคำถามกรณีได้ยินมาว่ามีคนไปพูดกับอัยการสูงสุด และรักษาการผู้บัญชาการตำรวจแห่งชาติ ว่าอย่าให้ฟ้อง พ.ต.ท.ทักษิณ ชินวัตร อดีตนายกรัฐมนตรี ในคดีหมิ่นพระบรมเดชานุภาพ
“ผมอยากจะกราบเรียนถามว่า เป็นใครทราบหรือเปล่าครับท่านราชเลขาฯ ผมไม่รู้ว่าเป็นใคร ผมได้ข่าวมาอย่างนี้ ... ผู้หลักผู้ใหญ่ในบ้านนี้เมืองนี้รับทราบกันหมด ท่านราชเลขาฯ ตอบผมสักนิดนึง ตอบผมสักหน่อยว่า ท่านช่วยสืบให้หน่อยว่าคนที่พูดคำพูดนี้คือใคร ถึงกล้าพูดออกมากับผู้ใหญ่ 2 คน ซึ่งมีหน้าที่ดูแลกฎหมาย” นายสนธิกล่าว
[My summarised translation: In addition, Sondhi posed another question and said that he had heard that persons went to see the Public Prosecutor and Acting Police Chief and said not to prosecute Pol. Col Thaksin in the lese majeste case.
...
"I want to ask whether, who knew or doesn't, His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary, I don't know. I just heard reports like that.... All the important people knew who it is. His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary please answer me, 'can you find out who said these things? Who dared to meet these two senior officials who have a duty to [follow] the law" Sondhi said"
COMMENT: It was difficult to translate Sondhi, but Sondhi is implying that it was His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary or he knew who stopped the lese majeste prosecution, and he is not happy about it.
Sondhi has a start memory as last year lese majeste charges against him were also dropped. The reason give was:
The office then asked a working group to consider the petition. The working group came up with a conclusion that the proceedings, although well backed with evidence and laws, would lead to confrontation and widening rifts that would cause damage to national security.
Does anyone remember Sondhi complaining back then? I don't.
Now, back to the substance of Sondhi's implied allegations, the Bangkok Post in April has also reported that :
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont yesterday told his cabinet that the prosecution's recent decision to drop lese majeste charges accorded with His Majesty the King's wishes, a well-informed source said. According to the source, Gen Surayud said he was informed by the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary that the monarch would rather not see this kind of case in court. He also urged his cabinet ministers to put the matter to rest as criticisms against the public prosecution grew.
If this is correct, does this mean that Sondhi disagrees with His Majesty? I'll leave that up to you to decide.
There is some history between Sondhi and Arsa Sarasin as the Bangkok Post reports from 2005:
A political talk show known for its forthright criticism of the government was axed by Channel 9 television yesterday, effective immediately. The programme, Muang Thai Rai Sapda (Thailand Weekly), was produced by Thai Day.Com Co and hosted by Manager newspaper founder Sondhi Limthongkul and news commentator Sarocha Porn-udomsak.
...
In the Sept 9 programme, Mr Sondhi said the appointment of the interim Supreme Patriarch infringed on a royal prerogative and read out an article titled Por Khong Paen Din (Father of the Land), by an anonymous writer.
Part of it referred to the monarchy in a way that might cause public misunderstanding, MCOT said.
The company said it did not feel right about the programme so MCOT board chairman Rewat Chamchalerm and president Mingkwan Sangsuwan went to see His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary Asa Sarasin on Sept 13.
''At the meeting, we were told that His Majesty and the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary had no involvement and did not give Mr Sondhi or any other person permission to cite, or make references to the monarchy, directly or indirectly,'' the statement said.
COMMENT: Does Sondhi hold a grudge? Does he see Asra Sarasin as being responsible? Could anyone apart from Sondhi get away from saying such things about His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary? Why is criticising Prem a threat to national security, but Sondhi's questioning of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary ignored by the CNS/government? Is it one rule for Sondhi and another for everyone else?
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