Asia Whoppers

The political turmoil in Thailand has produced incredible events and even more incredible charges, culminating with the latest stories from Asia Times. Last week, the paper offered this story:

"BANGKOK - While red-shirted protesters manhandled a government security official they had handcuffed and temporarily taken hostage, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra placed a call from exile to his trusted United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) leader, Jakrapob Penkair, who reported back on events from an air-conditioned bus at the back of the UDD's main rally site. The two shared a laugh over the UDD's siege of the Ministry of Interior earlier that Sunday and briefly discussed international media strategies."

This is very detailed information that only the people in the rooms on each end of the phone line -- only a few at most -- could know. All of those people would be high-ranking supporters of Thaksin; it's very hard to imagine that they would be cozying up to anyone from Asia Times, which is owned by Thaksin's arch-enemy -- Sondhi Limthongkul. Perhaps he got this information from the office potted plants? Those lines were succeeded by this surprising announcement just three days later:

Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack, though initial speculation pointed to wayward elements of the United Front For Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) anti-government protest group.

PAD officials and supporters have, from the beginning, hinted that police and military leaders were involved in the attack, citing the tight security imposed under the state of emergency and the fact that all the traffic cameras at that intersection had malfunctioned only hours before the attack. Perhaps the Times should talk to the same people The Nation contacted:

PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila says PAD leaders suspect certain political cliques conspired to shoot down Sondhi. The shooting with assault rifles bore the hallmarks of work by men in uniform, as ordinary gunmen would not risk carrying out the job during emergency rule. He called for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to overhaul the personnel in charge of security affairs.

PAD co-leader Pibhop Dhongchai said he found it hard to believe the military had no knowledge about the attack on Sondhi.

PAD co-leader Somkiat Pongpaiboon....suggested the removal of the national police chief, military commanders, the director of the Armed Forces Security Centre and the director-general of the National Intelligence Agency.

Rumors have been spreading across Thai blogs for months that some of Sondhi's allies were unhappy and were planning to move against him. The Times, apparently, hasn't heard any of this.

Neither, apparently, were they aware that Sondhi has long been calling for the heads of the police and the Army to be replaced; their stories on last Friday's assasination attempt mention these calls as developments that are new.

But the Times did have this new information:

Asia Times Online broke the news on Tuesday that UDD operatives had for the past two years funneled arms through Cambodia to Thaksin-aligned supporters in the country's northeastern provinces, where his grassroots support runs strongest.

If the UDD is smuggling in weapons, they're certainly keeping them well-hidden; I've seen no reliable pictures of any Red Shirt protesters carrying guns. Perhaps they're saving them for a rainy day?

The Asia Times may be a reliable source of information on some countries, but when I want to know about Thailand, I think I'll give it a pass.

(Here's another analysis of Asia Times' work: http://thailandjumpedtheshark.blogspot.com/2009/04/shawn-crispin-on-propaganda-wars.html)