LOSERS WINNERS

Mekong River

Laos announced it would soon begin building another massive hydro-electric dam on Southeast Asia’s lifeblood river. Presumably the Democratic People’s Republic believes eight huge dams aren’t blocking enough of the Mekong yet. The weird thing about the 1,320-megawatt Pak Lay dam is that there’s no known customers for the electricity it will produce. The dam will be just downriver from the Xayaburi dam, which will soon go into full operation, despite complaints from fish and other living, breathing organisms. Laos is the self-styled “battery of Southeast Asia”. There is no dammed check on its projects. Neighbours’ diplomats have the legal right to say they don’t want more dams — but they never do. Actual people get no say.

Execution

Last Monday afternoon, warders at Bang Khwang prison in Nonthaburi strapped down 26-year-old murderer Theerasak Longji so he couldn’t move, and injected him with medical chemicals meant to kill him. They were successful. It was the first execution in Thailand since 2009. In 2011, Theerasak and an accomplice viciously beat and stabbed a 17-year-old boy to death for his phone and some petty cash. The accomplice has never been found, illustrating that prisoners on death row often have pretty horrible legal representation. The Ministry of “Justice” said the execution was a lesson to deter others. Amnesty International called it deplorable. The general prime minister said the death penalty won’t be abolished on his watch. A funny thing happened about predicted European protests and outbursts against the Prime Minister in Europe: nothing.

Amnesty

The Supreme Court issued a heavily predicted but hugely important ruling. At immediate issue was a lawsuit by anti-coup group Resistant Citizen, charging the regime with insurrection for conducting the 2014 coup. The court tossed that suit. In the process, however, the judges’ ruling cited the coup administration’s temporary constitution of 2014, which provides absolute amnesty for all men (no women) involved in, well, everything. They then cited Section 279 of the succeeding 2017 constitution which permanently enforces that 2014 amnesty. (Where “permanently” means “until the next constitution if there is one”.) While the decision and reasoning were anticipated, they also are important. In effect, they could become precedent and legalise a future coup — an action pre2014 constitutions had indeed defined as insurrection.

Electronic waste

Piles of it have turned to hills and now hills of e-waste have become mountains. Because of chemicals and acids used to make motherboards, memory, circuits and the like, e-waste is some of the most toxic garbage in the world. Plans for Thailand to take some e-waste from abroad to safely recycle have turned insane. Dangerous storage, risky work conditions and abuse of regulation have quickly exploded. A Chinese ban on importing e-waste, container ships packed with junked e-garbage have unloaded on Thai shores. The Watchman, who is in charge while Gen (Ret) Prayut is in Europe, said it is time to ban all imports, and crack down on unsafe recycling factories.

Thailand

In the most roundabout way with the least emphasis, the general prime minister spilt the beans on an awaited event. Without giving a date, he said the coronation of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bod indra de bay a var an gkun is approaching. His Majesty, meanwhile, has ordered an “economical … frugal” ceremony. Strong street rumours aside, Gen (Ret) Prayut told the country, then British Prime Minister Theresa May that the coronation ceremony is likely to come before February. For now, the next national event around royalty will be the first official celebration of His Majesty’s birthday. By dual Gregorian-lunar calendar coincidence, the July 28 celebration plus the July 27 Asahna Bucha Day will produce a four-day holiday weekend.

Political plans

In 2014, the military command ordered all political leaders to assemble at the Army Auditorium for talks. Soldiers then locked the doors as the coup plotters seized control. This week, the military has “invited” political leaders to the Army Auditorium for talks. The difference so far is that the senior retired officer, now Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, says if party leaders don’t want to show up, that’s fine by him. Among the majors, the Future Forward Party and Pheu Thai leadership say fine, in that case, they’ll stay away. The Democrats are sending second-tier members. The belief before the talks is that the Watchman and his junta have no intention to negotiate — and have no plans to lift the ban on political activities in public, or by more than four persons even in private. Just as in 2014, then, the point of the talks is so the military can say, “Well, we tried to talk with them.”

Economy

For 38 months, the Bank of Thailand has left the key interest rate alone. Last week, its Monetary Policy Committee voted 5-to-1 to do so again. The benchmark rate will remain at just 1.5%. The decision is controversial, as other countries begin to raise rates and foreign money moves out of Thailand. The baht value has tumbled 4.7% in the past three months alone and is nearing 33 baht per US dollar — even though exports rose even with a high-value baht. The government’s view is that the slowest-expanding economy in Asean is thriving, as the central bank raised growth predictions for the year to 4.4%.