Why is the government planning to introduce a new law to make illegal seizure of airports by criminals? There are already plenty of laws available for these criminal actions. A cynical mind would be tempted to think it is part of the long-term plan to ensure that the PAD ringleaders will never be charged with any of their numerous crimes since the law will not be applied retrospectively. There has never been any problem with the lack of law – the problem has always been that influential people in the military and celebrity sponsors have blocked the police from acting against the PAD criminals and the army chief repeatedly refused to obey orders issued by the democratically-elected PM. The shameful tardiness with which charges are being prepared against the PAD ringleaders (the crimes are open and shut cases, after all) further reinforces the impression that the deal that was done to install the unelectable Abhisit government involved ensuring PAD ringleaders would never face trial.

The Manufacturing Productivity Index (MPI) has fallen for the third month in a row – this time by nearly 20%. The main areas of contraction are hard drive manufacturing and electronic components as well as vehicles. More job losses are expected in these and related industries. Japanese businesspeople have also signaled their pessimism about the Thai economy, citing the international economic crisis and the PAD Disaster.

Seventy eight Rohingya refugees who had the misfortune to come to Thailand have been imprisoned and are threatened with being deported, where they are alikely to face further persecution. This is in addition to the hundreds of Rohingyas who have been mistreated and abandoned at sea where they died, as chronicled by foreign media and NGOs (but denied by Thai military and the Quisling Abhisit and the other proxies).

Back tomorrow.