Good as far as it goes...

Both organisations have observed an increasingly repressive trend of censorship in Thailand and the misuse of the Computer-related Crimes Act, the Lèse-majesté law as well as the Emergency Decree currently being enforced in seven provinces, to severely restrict freedom of expression and the media on vague grounds of protecting ‘national security”.

... Thaksin's Emergency Decree is of course being enforced in 10, not 7 provinces.

Te International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) need to note that fact and to stop ratifying the de facto partition of Thailand undertaken by The Regime.

The Red shirts ought to take up the de facto partition of Thailand undertaken by The Regime as well, and make common cause with the Thais in Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat for control of local affairs to be taken out of the hands of The Regime in Bangkok and placed in the hands of the local people directly affected by the unrest there.

The Emergency Decree is now in force in just 7 provinces: Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Nakhom Ratchasima, and Samut Prakarn... those seven are in their first year under Thaksin's Emergency Decree.

Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat are in their fifth year under Thaksin's Emergency Decree. And they are "hidden in plain sight" as you attest.

There are not two, or three, or four, or five Thailands there is just one. Or there ought to be. One country with 77 (now, isn't it? Thanks to Newin's latest Gerrymander in Nong Khai) provinces grouped into as ever many overlapping regions as make sense to their constituencies.

The partition of Thailand is the work of the Imperial Center.

Thanks for trying to keep the record straight.

Yes, thankfully PPT was one the 33 dutiful souls who sat through Kasit at Asia Society

Kasit claims that the red shirts have no popular support in Thailand.

He is a remarkable hardliner. He says all the things that one may read in ASTV/Manager...

Our computer view says there are only 33 viewers at 9:06.

Moves to Q & A.

Prachatai and Chiranuch is raised immediately. Kasit says that Thailand is open and freedom of the press “is second to none in the world!” He says that media that urges violence, hatred, misinformation or challenges the monarchy must be repressed. Kasit seems to think Prachatai does this. He rambles on to avoid the issues. He thinks he gets attacked, so that is media freedom.

Political compromise question: Chiranuch issue raised again. Kasit seems to misunderstand. He seems clear that Chiranuch is wrong. He seems to paint her and Prachatai as a red shirt agency. He complains of thousands of websites that have the “ideology of hatred.” He is uniformed? No he believes it. He says the justice system is one of “high integrity” and begins complaining about Thaksin.

Concludes at 9:38.

Comment: Most disturbing about this presentation is Kasit’s extremely hard line position on the monarchy and his lack of capacity to distinguish opposition and independent media from what he says are dangerous, hate-filled, violence promoting media. Kasit is firmly located in an authoritarian hole and can probably never escape it.

Did he actually wear his uniform (replete no doubt with medals and sash... perhaps a sword, even? all members of The Regime have uniforms from teachers on up, the bigger the buffoon the fancier the uniform), or was that PPT's "Freudian slip" for uninformed? Either reading seems figuratively accurate.