This is the continuation of the interview with the PAD. Click here to see Part 1. Scroll to the bottom for a competition to win PAD memorabilia!
How come the PAD has been so reluctant to join a negotiation table?
How can you expect us to talk or negotiate with a bunch of thieves? Imagine this, you catch thieves burgling your house. What are you gonna do, have a friendly chat with them? Come on…. Take one step back? No, we can’t do that. Many people claim they are ‘in the middle’. We can’t accept that. Just shows that you must be on their side. Example – you see someone beating up a child, what do you do just stand there and claim ‘I’m in the middle’ so I won’t interfere? How can anyone simply stand idle while they see corrupt old dirty thieves robbing the country dry? If you are a good guy who wants to protect your nation’s assets, you will take action. So, how can we give leeway or have a discussion with immoral people? In this kind of situation, you have to take sides. If not, it just goes to prove whose side you are on and it’s not the PAD’s, it’s the criminal corrupt thieves.
As of now, what has the PAD actually accomplished?
Lots. Most importantly, since we have been working as a scrutinizing watchdog, the government hasn’t been able to get away with as much corruption as before. They are much more careful. If it wasn’t for the PAD, Thaksin using his corrupt ways, would probably have got off scot-free – now he daren’t use his filthy hands to try and meddle with the justice system, unlike before. The PAD has also been successful in ridding the cabinet of its worst members. Take Noppadon (former foreign minister) who secretly signed over our historical heritage of Khao Phra Viharn to the Cambodians. Sacrificing our culture and identity for the sake of Thaksin and his business ventures. If it wasn’t for the PAD applying its fact-finding probe, Noppadon would still be minister today. Same goes for that Jakrapop Penkair and his lese-majeste speech at the FCCT, if it wasn’t for the PAD the police would never have taken action – he would still be slurring the highest institution today. Same goes for example of the anti-institution republican-loving UDD leader and Da-Torpedo etc…. The PAD helped ensure they were arrested, spent time behind bars and are gonna be prosecuted to the full extent of the lese-majeste law.
The PAD helps make sure traitors like that get kicked.
On the subject of the UDD (United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship). What’s your overall opinion of them?
My opinion? The UDD supporters, unlike the PADs, have no knowledge about politics. They are a government proxy for starting chaos; the government doesn’t want the public and the international media to think they are trouble-makers, so they go hire the UDD. The UDD is nothing like the PAD, the UDD is sponsored by politicians while the PAD is sponsored by the people. The PAD supporters don’t get paid to attend Government House, unlike the UDD who get backhanders from politician cronies to go to all of their rallies. Completely different. Look at the PAD supporters at Government House, they get more than enough food to eat. They get washing machines, they get sleeping mats, they get medicine, they get volunteer doctors…… A speaker on the stage needs only ask, and the PAD supporters will get. This is what we call the PAD’s Magic Microphone. Take the scenario of October 7 (fatal clashes with the police) within 10 days the PAD had received 34 million baht in public donations for the 600 injured. Even Her Majesty the Queen showed her concern and helped out, now that say something. The UDD has only the support of corrupt PPP politicians, but the PAD has the support of the people.
Unlike the ‘know-nothing’ speakers at the UDD mob on Sanam Luang, the speakers for the PAD at Government House make the place a university. We call it ‘Interactive Learning Through Action’. There are professors, farmers, NGO’s, labor leaders, national artists and musicians. Sometimes the UDD are so impressed that they have to call in spies to see who we have on stage next.
What are these ‘new politics’ of the PAD?
Firstly, ‘new politics’ are Good Governance, Transparency, No Sanctions Participation and Accountability. Good governance is what it says, while transparency is the freedom of information. With transparency there will be a huge clampdown on corruption. There will be no more hidden concession-filled corrupt agendas like the building of useless dams. The people will be able to see for themselves the exact budget and costs and where all the money goes. There will be no more financial secrets. No Sanctions means no more controlling of civil servants, local authorities and police. Take for example a vacancy for a school director or vice-governor, in Old Politics, the position goes to the person who has paid off enough people, the person with the most connected friends. An honest local politician finds it hard to work his way up the ladder, cause of bigger corrupt politicians who don’t want anyone interfering with their dirty backhanders.
Participation means that local villagers for example, get a say in what goes on in their village and how their annual budget is spent. You could call it more public hearings. With people’s support it should be easier to get a corrupt official booted out of office, at the moment it is 50,000 signatures – way too many. We also call for a ‘special government’ where maybe 70% of the political office holders will be appointed and 30% elected. “Power to the People’ they will be given political decision making powers, or if they wish, they can hand some of them over to the King.
If the PPP continually clings to power, would the PAD support a military coup?
No. We only ask that the army protects us (at Government House) from the uncivilized violent UDD members and the police. We are Ghandi-like, our philosophy is one of non-violence. We don’t fight with weapons; we only fight with people-power, our hearts and the spreading of knowledge. If the military wants to protect the monarchy, then they ought to protect us too.
And finally Ajarn, the last time we met you spoke a bit about ‘Civil Obedience’ as being one of the PADs strategies. Perhaps you could go into more details.
Just like Ghandi’s ‘non-violence people’s power’ strategy, we will continue to use civil disobedience. And civil disobedience isn’t illegal. Wherever the PPP politicians travel to in Thailand, they’ll be on the receiving end of our hand clappers. No escaping them. As for British products, unless the British government start even contemplating sending Thaksin back, the PAD will boycott as they already, are British goods.Tesco Lotus is an no-go. Just a couple of weeks back, after Siam Paragon barred PAD supporters wearing yellow shirts from entry – that place, unless its to take a piss, is a no-no too for the PAD. The PAD are never gonna give up, we are gonna continue on this path of non-violence and civil obedience until every root of Thaksins has been dug up.
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