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Thai protest leader mocks government’s rice scheme

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Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban (Photo: AP)

Thai protest leader mocks government’s rice scheme: Thailand’s fiery anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban denounced the government’s battered rice-buying scheme as corrupt on Wednesday, piling on more pressure on the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration.

The rice programme was one of the populist policies pioneered by Ms Yingluck’s brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose overthrow in a 2006 military coup led to the deeply divided political polarisation that has plagued the country ever since.

Generous subsidies for farmers under the rice programme were a centerpiece of the platform that swept Ms Yingluck into power in a landslide election in 2011.

However, the scheme has left Thailand with vast stockpiles of rice and a bill it is struggling to fund , say reports.

“Yingluck took farmers’ rice more than seven months ago and hasn’t paid them,” Suthep said to his supporters on Wednesday.

 “Some of them have killed themselves and some of them are crying in front of the television because they don’t have a penny… The government said the rice-purchasing policy was to help farmers but instead the policy became part of the government’s corruption machine.”

Losses to taxpayers are estimated at 200 billion baht a year, and have resulted in protests against Ms Yingluck’s government. Payment problems risk alienating the farmers at the heart of her upcountry support base in the north and northeast.

Ms Yingluck and her government are currently being investigated by an anti-graft panel for alleged irregularities in the rice-buying scheme.

The rice programme is nearing collapse after China cancelled an order for 1.2 million tonnes due to a corruption probe.

The state-run Krung Thai Bank joined other lenders in announcing it will not provide loans urgently needed to rescue the programme which has at times been buying rice at prices up to two-thirds above the prevailing benchmark rates.

“Farmers who took their rice to milling houses received just over 10,000 baht ($310) when the price they were guaranteed was 15,000 baht,” Suthep told supporters at a rally in Bangkok’s central business district.

“The rest of the money went to into the mouths of the dogs … Each of these dogs is fat,” he said.

Ms Yingluck told reporters, “These problems stem from the dissolution of parliament (last year) which made it difficult under the framework of the law to approve payments”.

“Whether this scheme is extended or not is up to the next government… Everyone knows that the government does not have the power to do anything that will affect the incoming government so this issue may take time to resolve,” she said.

Thai protesters, gov’t blame each other for bomb attack

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Soldiers stand next to a cache of weapons found in a deserted building where military forces say an explosive device was thrown on to anti-government protesters in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 17, 2014. (Image: Reuters)

Thai protesters, gov’t blame each other for bomb attack:  Protesters in Thailand are blaming the government for Friday’s bomb attack that killed one and injured 37, while authorities have raised suspicions that the incident may have been set up by the protest movement itself, say reports.

People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban, in an emotional speech following the blast, told supporters he holds the caretaker government of Yingluck Shinawatra responsible for the grenade attack and vowed to escalate his anti-government rallies.

Police are raising questions about the incident which occurred after the protesters made a last-minute change in their march route, and blocked police and reporters from entering a building near the attack scene where they say they found a stash of weapons, according to a Bangkok Post report.

Thailand’s Channel 5, Channel 9, and BlueSky Channel were later allowed to film the inspection inside.

Following the explosion, protesters were seen running into the deserted building, trying to capture the attacker.

Military police searched the building with PDRC guards, while police officers outside were booed and jeered by the protesters.

The police are widely viewed as being pro-Thaksin and pro-red shirt, while the military is seen as being anti-Thaksin.

There has been speculation on social media that some military officers had cooperated with the PDRC in setting up the attack.

Mr Suthep denied he was behind the attack, saying “I am not that kind [of person]. I don’t kill my own supporters”.

He also said that the incident showed the prime minister was not stupid, but a “demon”, according to reports.

Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra denied that the government was behind the attack.

‘I do not support any kind of violence and will take action against those who do,” she said.

Police have asked the PDRC to allow them and forensic workers to inspect the scene where the weapons stash was found, and have promised to intensify security around the rallies in the wake of the attack.