Jump to content

Thai PM, army deny campaigns on social media to target political opponents


webfact

Recommended Posts

Thai PM, army deny campaigns on social media to target political opponents

 

2020-02-26T134418Z_1_LYNXNPEG1P1F1_RTROPTP_4_THAILAND-POLITICS.JPG

Thai students protest against a court's decision that dissolved the country's second largest opposition Future Forward party, less than a year after an election to end direct military rule, at Mahidol University, outside Bangkok, Thailand February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's prime minister and the army denied on Wednesday opposition accusations in parliament that the military targets political opponents and rights activists with online propaganda campaigns run from fake accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

 

The accusations provoked Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to walk out of a heated parliamentary debate on Tuesday after a lawmaker of the outlawed opposition Future Forward Party presented documents that he said bore out the claims.

 

"I don't know about this, I don't have this type of policy," Prayuth told reporters on Wednesday, referring to the documents.

 

"We will investigate, but there is no policy."

 

The lawmaker, Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, had told parliament the documents showed Prayuth's government was funding military-run smear campaigns to systematically harass opponents and praise the government on social media.

 

He read from what he said were two leaked military memos that ordered army personnel to create fake social media accounts to "offer counternarrative" for criticism of the government.

 

Reuters has not examined the documents.

 

"The army works in the open and we don't use avatars," Lieutenant General Thanya Kiatsarn, of the second army area command, a unit the opposition said figured in one of the memos, told the Khaosod newspaper.

 

Some soldiers may be using social media to defend the reputation of the military but the effort was not centrally organised, he added.

 

Facebook and Twitter did not immediately respond to emails to seek comment.

 

Prayuth's coalition majority was strengthened by the disbanding last week of Future Forward, the third-largest party in parliament, on the grounds that the party breached the law when it took a loan from its founder.

 

The dissolution has sparked daily protests among university students who are among the party's most vocal supporters.

 

Following Friday's court ruling to dissolve the party, its members have launched a string of accusations against Prayuth and the former military junta he led for five years before elections in 2019.

 

The ruling banned from politics 11 party lawmakers who lost their seats, while giving the 65 remaining MPs 60 days to either form a new party or join an existing one.

 

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Kay Johnson and Clarence Fernandez)

 

reuters_logo.jpg

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-27
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The lawmaker, Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, had told parliament the documents showed Prayuth's government was funding military-run smear campaigns to systematically harass opponents and praise the government on social media.

quite believable given that the rulers are military; so....let's see the documents 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, webfact said:

but the effort was not centrally organised,

Probably the key phrase. Individuals are being encouraged to target opposition and activists, praising govt at the same time but connections back to the organizers will be hard to find. Deniability, ensuring top generals dont have their names on written orders. 'Encouragement' will have been given over drinks, on the golf course and passed down to lesser ranks that are disposable. Lets face it the military are probably not capable of any central organisation. As usual its Reuters doing the digging, Thai media being either too scared or too involved to be active.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's prime minister and the army

I like the way these titles are linked so closely together, just the way it should be and always will be. No dancing around, the link is there, let's just call a spade a spade.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"I don't know about this, I don't have this type of policy," Prayuth told reporters on Wednesday, referring to the documents.

So if the memos are verified, that pretty much proves Prayut really doesn't know what the blank is going on in his ranks.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Just what you can expect from bullies, do as i say or else, pathetic situation.

A crowd of old army has beens destroying this country, and for what?

Money, power.

It's like a boys clubhouse with guns and tanks, and submarines coming soon. (old boys clubhouse)

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

Well, it doesn't have to be a policy. A suggestion in a receptive ear usually does the trick, I'm sure he knows how this works...

 

"Be a shame if something happened to the FFP"

 

There are no checks and balances or transparancy, so I guess I wouldn't be surprised if the State Security Apparatus, AKA ISOC, had some elements dipping their toes into the waters?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...