I am no puppet, Yingluck tells FCCT

Showing considerably improved English-language skills as compared with her appearance last year, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra used the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) annual "Dinner with the PM" to deny she was a mere puppet of her brother, fugitive former premier Thaksin.

"If I relied on him, I don't think I could come here and answer your questions [for] the second time."

Yingluck showed that not only has she survived in power for the past 18 months, she now exudes greater confidence as Thailand's first female leader. Also at the dinner was the FCCT's new woman president, American journalist Anasuya Sanyal.

Yingluck handled several tough questions during the evening. Asked about the possibility of autonomy for the deep South, the premier side-stepped the question and said the government was willing to talk to all parties in search of peace.

She said negotiations had not started yet, and that to involve all groups would be a "long process". She added that 30-per-cent more budget is being allocated to the area to help improve education and infrastructure, and she would work with her Malaysian counterpart as a "facilitator" to seek peace. She denied that Thaksin was involved in the deep South dialogue.

Yingluck was asked by Thai-German freelance journalist Saksith Saiyasombut whether the government would do something about the controversial lese majeste law and the Computer Crimes Act (CCA), which are seen by many here and abroad as limiting freedom of expression. She replied that freedom of speech in Thailand had to be "in line with the constitution".

"The lese majeste law is intended to uphold the monarchy as the pillar of stability," the premier stressed.

When The Nation asked Yingluck why millions of Thais dislike or even despise Thaksin and herself, Yingluck again side-stepped the question, or perhaps failed to completely understand its English phrasing.

"No one can get [the] support of the whole country," the premier replied, not differentiating between "lack of support" and the political hatred that has consumed much of Thai politics over the past seven years or more.

Meanwhile, Yingluck said yesterday that the government would not get involved in the amnesty issue, which is under the purview of Parliament.

"The legislative process to grant amnesty is up to the [party] whips to decide," she said.

Yingluck was responding to remarks made by Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema in regard to his push for the draft bill on amnesty.

The government would focus on addressing the people's grievances and economic issues, while the legislature's duty was to enact laws, she said.

She dismissed speculation that her brother Thaksin was trying to speed up the passage of the amnesty draft.

"There is no pressure [from Thaksin] as issues like reconciliation and amnesty are being discussed in the legislature in order to find an amicable settlement," she said.

She said the debate on contentious issue like amnesty would not impact on the government's stability so long as all sides abided by the rule of law.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/03/17/i-am-no-puppet-yingluck-tells-fcct/