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Thai Farmers Get Rice Payments as Military Steps Up Propaganda Thai Farmers Get Rice Payments as Military Steps Up Propaganda
(about 7 hours later)
CHIANG YUEN, Thailand — They emerged flush with cash, the rice farmers who traveled to a state-owned bank here to retrieve the money that Thailand’s military junta had ordered paid to them. CHIANG YUEN, Thailand — They emerged flush with cash, the rice farmers who traveled to a state-owned bank here to retrieve the money that Thailand’s military junta had ordered they be paid.
But if the country’s ruling generals expected gratitude, it was not on display on Tuesday in this northeastern town, a bastion of the former governing party that the military overthrew in the coup last Thursday. But if the country’s ruling generals expected gratitude, it was not on display on Tuesday in this northeastern town, a bastion of the former governing party, which the military overthrew in a coup last Thursday.
“I still have anger in my heart,” said Maitree Vichapa, a farmer and part-time carpenter who arrived with his wife and child to receive 27,000 baht, or around $850. “We should have had this money a long time ago.”“I still have anger in my heart,” said Maitree Vichapa, a farmer and part-time carpenter who arrived with his wife and child to receive 27,000 baht, or around $850. “We should have had this money a long time ago.”
In what it described as one of its first priorities, Thailand’s military ordered disbursed to rice farmers 92 billion baht, a huge sum that is more than the entire annual budget for the national police force. In what it described as one of its first priorities, Thailand’s military ordered that 92 billion baht ($2.8 billion) be disbursed to rice farmers, a huge sum that is more than the entire annual budget for the national police force. The payouts, meant to lift rural incomes, were twice the market price for the farmers’ rice.
The previous government, faced with debilitating protests against what was described as a wasteful and corrupt rice subsidy scheme, had failed to make the payments to farmers. The payouts were twice the market price for the rice, a subsidy designed to lift rural incomes. The previous government had held back the farmers’ payments, in the face of debilitating protests against what was called a wasteful and corrupt subsidy scheme. But the new military rulers ordered that the payments be made, and that the country’s banks lend the government the necessary cash.
Upon the military’s orders this week, banks in Thailand immediately agreed to lend the government the cash. The military also cranked up its propaganda machine, aided by the Thai news media, which has been largely subservient since the coup. “Farmers Receive Money With Tears of Joy,” ran the headline in a national newspaper, Ban Muang.
And as the money was handed out, the military cranked up its propaganda machine, aided by the Thai news media, which has been largely subservient since the coup. “Farmers Receive Money With Tears of Joy,” ran the headline in a national newspaper, Baan Muang. Other reports showed farmers marching to army bases to hand over red roses and holding up banners proclaiming appreciation for the general who led the coup, Prayuth Chan-ocha. Identical banners, featuring rice stalks and the same image of General Prayuth raising his hand in the air, were paraded by farmers in Phuket, Lopburi and Ubon Ratchathani, provinces that are separated by hundreds of miles.
Other reports showed farmers marching to army bases to hand over red roses and holding up banners proclaiming appreciation for the general who led the coup, Prayuth Chan-ocha. Thai newspapers quoted farmers praising the military in highly formal language.
The identical banners, featuring rice stalks and the same image of General Prayuth raising his hand in the air, were paraded by farmers in Phuket, Lopburi and Ubon Ratchathani — provinces that are separated by hundred of miles.
Farmers were quoted in Thai newspapers, praising the military in highly formal Thai.
“We, on behalf of all farmers, would like to thank you for your true kindness and understanding of the hardship of the people,” a man who was described as a farmer was quoted by the ASTV Manager news website as saying. “We are here to offer moral support and flowers to thank you, the military of the entire people.”“We, on behalf of all farmers, would like to thank you for your true kindness and understanding of the hardship of the people,” a man who was described as a farmer was quoted by the ASTV Manager news website as saying. “We are here to offer moral support and flowers to thank you, the military of the entire people.”
Without any visible military presence nearby, farmers in Chiang Yuen chuckled when asked about the effusive praise heaped on the military in the Thai media. In Chiang Yuen, though, where there was no visible military presence nearby, farmers chuckled over the reports.
“Real farmers wouldn’t come out and do those things,” said Duen Douangchansi, a farmer who received 280,000 baht on Tuesday. “Real farmers would be too busy working.” “Real farmers wouldn’t come out and do those things,” said Duen Douangchansi, a farmer who received 280,000 baht (about $8,580) on Tuesday. “Real farmers would be too busy working.”
David Streckfuss, an expert in Thai politics who is based in the northeast, said the army was unlikely to win the hearts of people living in the populous northern and northeastern Thailand by handing out the rice money. David Streckfuss, an expert in Thai politics who is based in the northeast, where the former government was popular, said the army was unlikely to win over many people in the region by handing out the rice money.
Farmers in Chiang Yuen did not criticize the military, and some said they saw the army as a neutral force in the country. But they said that a return to elections was imperative and that they were confident that Pheu Thai, the party founded by Thaksin Shinawatra, a former business tycoon and prime minister who is widely admired here for backing populist policies including universal health care, would win again. His sister, Yingluck, had been prime minister in the recently deposed government. “Simply paying people for what they are owed is not going to buy the military any popularity, or somehow legitimize it,” Mr. Streckfuss said.
“Simply paying people for what they are owed is not going to buy the military any popularity or somehow legitimize it,” Mr. Streckfuss said. Mr. Streckfuss said that the army must address the fundamental issue of trust in democracy among the Thai citizenry.
Mr. Streckfuss believes the army must address the fundamental issue of trust in democracy among the Thai citizenry. The farmers in Chiang Yuen did not criticize the military on Tuesday, and some said they saw the army as a neutral force in the country. Even so, they said that a return to elections was imperative, and that they were confident that the ousted Pheu Thai party would win again. The party was founded by Thaksin Shinawatra, a former business tycoon and prime minister who is widely admired here for backing populist policies including universal health care, and his sister, Yingluck, was prime minister at the time of the coup.
In the months leading up to the coup, protesters backed by the Bangkok establishment blocked elections, which they saw as a threat to their traditional hegemony in Thai politics. In the months before the military stepped in, protesters backed by the Bangkok establishment blocked elections, which they saw as a threat to their traditional hegemony in Thai politics.
“The Bangkok establishment sees democracy as an unfair use of their tax money,” Mr. Streckfuss said. “They don’t see policies pursued by elected governments as benefiting them.” “The Bangkok establishment sees democracy as an unfair use of their tax money,” Mr. Streckfuss said. “They don’t see policies pursued by elected governments as benefiting them.” By contrast, he said, voters in the poorer northern provinces benefited from those policies, and “people in the northeast think democracy works for them.”
Years of policies targeting the poorer northern provinces have galvanized voters, Mr. Streckfuss said. “People in the northeast think democracy works for them.” General Prayuth has said the country will return to democracy, but has not offered a timetable.
General Prayuth has said the country will return to democracy but has not offered a timetable. Meanwhile, the military authorities have detained most top members of the former government, most recently the education minister, Chaturon Chaisang, who emerged from hiding on Tuesday to condemn the coup and urge a return to civilian rule. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Chaturon was taken into custody by soldiers in a chaotic scene at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, where he had just finished a news conference, the first public appearance by any of the ousted leaders since the coup last week.
In Chiang Yuen, Boonsri Pukongchana, 65, a former village headman, said he was disappointed that the local talk radio station had stopped taking calls from people because of the coup. In Chiang Yuen, Boonsri Pukongchana, 65, a former village headman, said that he was disappointed that the local talk radio station had stopped taking calls from people because of the coup, and that his neighbors were annoyed at having to seek permission to stay at a party later than the nationwide 10 p.m. curfew.
And his neighbors were annoyed that they must seek permission to attend parties after 10 p.m. because of a nationwide curfew. “I’m happy that the protesters have stopped fighting,” he said of the country’s six months of political turmoil. “But we have lost democracy. We are not allowed to have opinions anymore.”
“I’m happy that the protesters have stopped fighting,” he said of the six months of political turmoil. “But we have lost democracy. We are not allowed to have opinions anymore.”