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Can Thaksin’s 36-Year-Old Daughter Take Down Thailand’s Generals

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Thailand’s most popular and controversial politician billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra has not visited the Kingdom since 2008, living in self-imposed exile in Dubai. Now, his 36-year-old daughter is the latest family member attempting to fight back against the military establishment and possibly bring her father home.

Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra has drawn large crowds in rural Thai farming communities that have long served as her father’s political base ahead of an election on May 14.

Thaksin Shinawatra the 73-year-old former prime minister and telecom tycoon fled following a military coup against his government, and his party and allies have won the most seats in every national election since 2001.

This year is shaping up to be no different, thanks in large part to Ms Paetongtarn.

Thousands of red-shirted supporters of her Pheu Thai party greeted her with roses and garlands on a recent sunny morning in Thailand’s north-east, the country’s poorest and most populous region.

The crowd erupted when she asked if they remembered her father. She also mentioned her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, who was deposed in a coup in 2014 by Mr Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former army chief who has ruled Thailand since then.

“Select a political party that has been bullied repeatedly,” Ms Paetongtarn pleaded to supporters. “There have been two coups, and two good people have had to flee the country.” Can I ask you to deliver a landslide victory to Pheu Thai this time?”

Can Thaksin’s 36-Year-Old Daughter Take Down the Thailand's Generals

Threat to Thailand’s Ruling Elite

Ms Paetongtarn, the youngest of Thaksin’s three children, is the latest face of a Shinawatra clan that has dominated elections but routinely been booted out of power. For years, an unelected group of generals, judges, and bureaucrats saw the family as a threat to the royalist elites who control some of the nation’s most powerful institutions – and businesses.

Thailand’s relative economic strength in South-east Asia has been eroded by political infighting, as has engagement with the United States, which developed strong military ties with the country during the Vietnam War.

Thailand has attracted less foreign direct investment over the last decade than regional competitors Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and it posted the slowest growth rate among South-east Asia’s major economies last year.

There is little hope that things will change much regardless of who wins, not least because even a sweeping victory for pro-democracy forces is likely to spark yet another backlash from military and royalist conservatives.

For the time being, most major parties are promising a similar package of cash handouts, higher minimum wages, and debt repayment suspension.

Thailand’s SET Index has lost 3.8% this year, the worst performance in South-east Asia outside of Malaysia.

“With key parties and prime ministerial candidates not offering dramatically different economic visions for the country, the main implications of the elections for investors will be around political uncertainty and social stability risks,” said Mr Peter Mumford, Eurasia Group’s practice head for South-east Asia.

Can Thaksin’s 36-Year-Old Daughter Take Down the Thailand's Generals

Thai Generals Control

Mr Prayut was asked by reporters shortly after Ms Paetongtarn’s debut with Pheu Thai in 2021 what he thought of her foray into politics. The prime minister’s response was simple: “Who?””

Ms Paetongtarn, on the other hand, rose quickly in the polls and now has a comfortable lead over Mr Prayut. According to a quarterly poll released this month by the National Institute of Development Administration, she received 38.2 percent of the vote, more than doubling Mr Prayut’s support.

Right now, it’s unclear whether Pheu Thai or Ms Paetongtarn will be able to take power even if they win the most seats. A post-coup constitution allows the 250-member senate, which is stacked with military establishment allies, to vote for prime minister until 2024.

That means Ms Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai party will need to win at least 376 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives to counteract the Senate’s likely decision to block its final candidate for Prime Minister. The party won 136 seats in 2019 despite rules designed to undermine its performance, more than any other single group but not enough to prevent Mr Prayut from returning to power with the support of a military-backed coalition.

Ms Paetongtarn, who is expecting her second child around the time of the election, has stated that she is “100% ready” for her party’s official nomination for prime minister.

According to election rules, each party may nominate up to three potential candidates for the job prior to the vote.

If she is elected, Ms Paetongtarn will join a small group of female politicians who have become prime ministers in their 30s. She will also be Thailand’s youngest prime minister.

Ms Paetongtarn stated on Facebook in January that being a mother inspired her to enter politics.

“When you become a mother, you will love your children above all else,” she wrote. “So much so that you will make a significant decision to change this country for the better.”

Can Thaksin’s 36-Year-Old Daughter Take Down the Thailand's Generals

I am my father’s daughter

Ms Paetongtarn had a front-row seat to her father’s career before her meteoric rise. She accompanied Mr Thaksin on his first government job as foreign minister when she was eight years old. When the army took power from her father and military tanks patrolled Bangkok streets, she hunkered down in a safe house at the age of 20.

She watched as her father fled Thailand two years later to avoid a corruption conviction he claimed was politically motivated.

“This is my destiny. “It’s inextricably linked to me,” she said in a recent book about Mr Thaksin’s legacy. “After all, I am my father’s daughter.”

Even Mr Thaksin was taken aback by how well she was doing on the campaign trail.

“I initially thought she’d help the party by being a magnet, attracting attention and popularity among supporters,” he told Nikkei Asia last week. “However, she was so mature that I believe she seriously aided the party.”

Mr Thaksin told the media outlet that Pheu Thai would win at least half of the 500 seats up for grabs. He added that he would like to return even if it meant serving time in prison, and that he did not want the government to push for amnesty, which his sister’s administration had initiated prior to the 2014 coup.

Ms Paetongtarn is a key player in the Shinawatra business empire, which includes a golf course, real estate, hospitality, and telecommunications. According to Bloomberg data, she is the largest shareholder of publicly traded property firm SC Asset Corp Pcl, with a 28.5 percent stake worth approximately 5.2 billion baht (S$202 million).

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Millennials in Canada Have Turned their Backs on Justin Trudeau

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Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau
Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau - CBC Image

Justine Trudeau and his Liberal Party are currently engaged in a fierce battle for second place against Jagmeet Singh’s socialist NDP, as both parties find themselves trailing by 20 points behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

A recent poll indicates that 38% of Canadians consider Trudeau to be the most ineffective leader the nation has encountered in over fifty years. An impressive 47% of Canadian Millennials indicated they would support Poilievre if an election were to take place today, while nearly half of all Canadians express a desire for an election to be called this year.

Pierre Poilievre’s strong appeal among young voters can be attributed primarily to economic factors: soaring inflation, a pressing cost-of-living crisis, and the challenge of housing affordability are pushing many away from the Liberals, who have held power for nearly nine years.

According to UnHeard, Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau due to his stringent measures aimed at controlling the internet to combat alleged disinformation, as well as his climate change initiatives, notably the carbon tax.

protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration took place on Canada Day

Protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration on Canada Day – TNC Image

An increasing number of Canadians are becoming aware of Trudeau’s ineffective policies and his approach to mass immigration. This past summer, there was significant outrage among parents of teenagers and young adults as they observed their children remaining at home without jobs.

The primary concern stemmed from the fact that most low-skilled and entry-level positions were being filled by unskilled, temporary foreign workers, predominantly from India.

There has been a notable rise in criminal activities linked to international students and unvetted temporary residents who are becoming involved with Punjabi gangs in Canada, contributing to a surge in auto thefts nationwide.

Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are actively seeking to alter Trudeau’s approach to mass immigration and prioritize the construction of more housing should they come into power.

Significantly, Pierre Poilievre is perceived as more trustworthy than Trudeau, with over half of Canadians characterizing Poilievre as “open and honest about his actions, decisions, and intentions,” while only 39% share that sentiment regarding Trudeau.

The characteristics in question may shed light on Poilievre’s favorable polling, particularly among younger voters and women, who have historically leaned towards the Liberals or the NDP rather than the Conservatives.

The Liberal Party’s support has dwindled to an estimated 7% of Canadians, revealing a significant number of disillusioned voters eager for transformation. Poilievre is emerging as the type of leader that resonates with the desires of many Canadians.

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U.N. Special Rapporteur Calls on Thailand’s Banks to Cut-Off Myanmar Junta

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UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Thailand's Parliamentary Committee

The U.N special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar has said the Bank of Thailand, commercial banks, and the anti-money laundering office are working on measures to stop the Myanmar Junta from acquiring weapons through Thailand’s banking system.

Tom Andrews the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said that some banks commercial in Thailand had aided Myanmar Junta’s by facilitating transactions that supplied military equipment to the Junta through the international banking system.

He called on the Bank of Thailand and financial institutions to do more to stop Myanmar’s junta acquiring weapons which they use on civilians to maintain power.

The special rapporteur was in Bangkok to address a parliamentary committee on security, he called on the Thai government to stop financial transactions that help supply weapons to Myanmar’s junta in line with a plan promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that sets out an end to violence as a first step toward peace.

In his 2023 report “The Billion Dollar Death Trade,” Andrews noted that Singapore had implemented a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar.

Thailand's Banks

Thai Baht – File Image

Thailand’s Banks Lacked Clear Policy

As a result, exports of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost U.S. $120 million in fiscal year 2022 to just over $10 million over the next 12 months.

However, he said Thailand had no explicit policy position opposing weapons transfer to the Myanmar Junta, which saw exports from Thai-registered entities more than double in 2023, from just over $60 million to nearly $130 million.

He called on Thai Government to conduct a thorough investigation into transfers as Singapore had done into its companies’ dealings.

Andrews told the the committee that five Thai commercial banks and Thai-based companies were assisting Myanmar’s junta obtain weapons, dual-technology items and jet fuel, enabling Military Junta to conduct atrocities against the people.

But said he had found no evidence that the Thai government was involved or was aware of the transactions or that Thai commercial banks had knowledge.

Thailand's Banks

Photo courtesy of The Nation

Banks Condemn Myanmar Junta Violence

Meanwhile representatives from Thailand’s central bank, anti-money laundering office and the commercial banks named in the report were also present at the parliamentary meeting at government house in Bangkok.

A representative of the Bank of Thailand said officials were working with the commercial banks and the anti-money laundering office to make sure that enhanced oversight was properly practiced.

The Thai Bankers Association that was also at the parliamentary meeting said it did not have the means to investigate and monitor such irregularities beyond Thailand’s borders.

Mr. Pongsit Chaichatpornsuk, a Thai Bankers Association representative told the committee that If government security agencies tell us, we will stop transactions. We don’t support arms procurement by Myanmar Junta or any military government to violate human rights.

Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts many thousands of refugees fleeing conflict there, has tried to promote dialogue between Myanmar’s military rulers and opposition forces but no progress has been made.

This Article was first published in RFA

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People Rushing Sign Online Petition to Impeach South Korea’s President Crash Site

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South Korea's President

The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea said in a statement that an online petition calling for South Korea’s President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment crashed due to the enormous number of individuals attempting to sign the petition. Saying the National Assembly would resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

Since the petition was launch on the National Assembly’s website on June 20, more than 811,000 people have signed it. The petition urges Parliament to introduce legislation to impeach President Yoon on the grounds that he is unfit for office.

Late on June 30, National Assembly Speaker Mr. Woo Won-shik issued an apology for the disturbance and stated that Parliament would take action to protect the public’s fundamental rights.

People attempting to access the petition on July 1 experienced delays of up to four hours. At one point, an error message indicated that more than 30,000 individuals were waiting to access the site.

South Korea’s Parliament Hesitant

The online petition accuses Yoon of corruption, escalating the risk of conflict with North Korea, and endangering South Koreans’ health by failing to prevent Japan from leaking treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant.

By law, Parliament must assign every petition signed by more than 50,000 people to a committee, which will then decide whether to put it to a vote in the assembly.

However, the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in Parliament, is hesitant to turn the petition into an impeachment bill, according to media reports, with a spokesperson stating that the party has yet to address the topic.

The Parliament can impeach a president with a two-thirds majority. The Constitutional Court then deliberates the motion and decides whether to remove or reinstall the president.

Meanwhile, on Monday Reuters reported North Korea criticized a joint military exercise performed this month by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, according to official media, saying such drills demonstrate the three nations’ alliance has evolved into “the Asian version of NATO”.

On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale combined military drills named “Freedom Edge” featuring navy destroyers, fighter fighters, and the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with the goal of strengthening defenses against missiles, submarines, and air strikes.

The drill was designed at a three-way meeting at Camp David last year to boost military cooperation amid concerns on the Korean peninsula caused by North Korea’s weapons testing.

Pyongyang will not overlook the strengthening of a military bloc led by the United States and its allies, and it would respond aggressively and decisively to defend regional peace, according to North Korea’s foreign ministry, as reported by KCNA.

 

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