‘THAI GOVT SOWS DIVISION’

Opposition claims govt using taxpayers’ money to launch attacks on critics

THE Thai opposition has accused the government of running an illegal propaganda campaign against its critics.

The opposition made the claim after launching its mobile “censure debates” aimed at promoting public participation in politics.

Opposition Prachachart party secretary-general Thawee Sodsong accused the government of using taxpayers’ money to sow division in society through its socalled Information Operations (IO) and described it as a “crime”.

The Bangkok Post reported Thawee saying that about 2 billion baht had been set aside to fund government public relations, another 8 billion baht for training, more than 10 billion baht for security work and 10 billion baht for security operations in the south.

He said these budgets were in reality abused to fund IOs, claiming it had an intent to generate hatred among communities.

Move Forward Party (MFP) party-list member of parliament and spokesman Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn said the online world had grown more peaceful since he exposed the government’s IO campaign during last month’s censure debate in Parliament.

MFP is the new platform for MPs from the disbanded Future Forward Party.

In last month’s censure debate, Wiroj accused the Internal Security Operations Command of abusing its budget to fund IOs against government critics and that it was generating hatred with the ultimate goal of dividing society.

He said young people recruited for the government IOs were working in two or three groups at offices here.

He said these people used their real names to praise the opposition, while using fake accounts to attack the opposition daily.

Angkhana Neelapaijit, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, said she was disappointed that Prime Minister Prayut Chan O Cha had failed to respond to questions about IOs raised in last month’s debate.

She added that she too had been targeted, citing her recent visit to a demonstration at Thammasat University.

She said undercover officials had taken photos of her, posted them online and accused her of being behind the anti-government rally.