Ron Gluckman has this interview with Thai PM Abhisit at Forbes.com.
In the interview, Gluckman and Abhisit discuss a range of topics such as nuclear power, the up and coming election and even labour shortages. Unfortunately Gluckman offers no follow up questions and lets Abhisit get away with giving a couple of very poor answers.
This first dubious Abhisit response, one which jumped right out and actually induced slack-jawed mirth, was this -
PM Abhisit – “When I took over the party leadership in 2005, polls showed we had 7% support in the northeast, which has been a Thaksin stronghold. Now polls show we have 25% to 30%.”
Is Abhisit seriously claiming that up to 30% of northeast voters will vote for his Democrat Party? Were his fingers crossed when he gave this answer? It is quite an incredible claim.
The other highly questionable response Abhisit gave related to censorship.
(Gluckman) Your administration has taken a tough stance on censorship, with thousands of Internet sites blocked. You’ve also stepped up enforcement of lèse-majesté laws that protect Thailand’s royalty. Why such tough measures?
(Abhisit) Laws respond to the historical direction of each society. We are the first Thai government to appoint a committee to look into cases relating to these Internet sites. I don’t think the number is that high–that may refer to the specific URLs, not actual sites.
With the monarchy, it’s an institution above partisan politics, but it has no self-defense mechanism. We don’t want the monarchy to have to take people to court over issues of slander or falsehood. That’s why we have a duty to take this approach. If you express an opinion, that’s fine. But it’s another thing to make false accusations against members of the royalty.
If you an express a negative opinion about the Thai monarchy it is fine? Where? When? How? It is absolutely beyond doubt that Thailand’s strict lese majeste laws are used as a catch all threat to reduce, stymie, curtail and abrogate political debate, never mind just express an opinion about the monarchy.