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Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Identity politics gained more prominence in GE2025, unity is S'pore's key strength: SM Teo
Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said external conflicts should not be part of Singapore's quarrels. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO SINGAPORE – Identity politics over race and religion gained more prominence in the 2025 General Election, and it is something Singapore should be careful about, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on May 20. It goes against the nation's multiracial and multi-religious society where everyone has a place, lives together and does better as a country together, he said. 'We live side by side. By and large we go to schools together. We have many, many more opportunities together. So unity is the core of our strength,' he said, speaking to reporters during an interview at the Ministry of Home Affairs building on May 20. Yet in the recent election, identity politics as well as external issues which had been imported into domestic politics had become part of some parties' political agendas. Some candidates even said that this was the motivating factor behind their entry into politics. 'We also saw some attempts of foreign interference into Singapore politics because they noticed that within Singapore, political parties were prepared to make use of this chip.' Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had called a press conference a week before the May 3 polls to ask all political parties to clarify their stance on two fundamental principles: that identity politics has no place in Singapore, and that religion and politics should not mix. This came a day after the Government moved to block access to Facebook posts by two Malaysian politicians and a former Internal Security Act detainee for attempting to interfere in the election. They, along with a Singaporean self-styled religious teacher based in Malaysia, Mr Noor Deros, had spotlighted several opposition politicians in social media posts, including WP's Faisal Manap, who contested Tampines GRC. Fortunately, SM Teo said, during the election, Singaporeans saw the importance of cohesion, harmony and unity, and the issues of identity politics did not become over-emphasised. 'It is very easy to create divisions based on race and religion, and that's why we treat them so sensitively,' he stressed. 'It's much more difficult to build unity, harmony, consensus, and it's even more difficult to rebuild harmony once that sense of community – one community – breaks down. So we should be very careful with that. 'And perhaps after this GE all the political parties ought to have a careful look at what this is all about and resolve whether or not this is a direction in which we want Singapore politics to go. I would be very wary if we went down that line.' While it was valid to discuss the issues that all the communities in Singapore face, this should not lead to identity politics where different groups try to outbid one another and champion particular communities, he said. Giving one example, he said that during GE2025, one of the political parties said that Thaipusam should be made a public holiday. Other political parties then tried to 'outbid them' by suggesting more public holidays. 'So you support something, somebody outbids you, somebody else will outbid you. And then what happens? It is very easy to go down this line, and this happened during this election. This was the agenda of some of the parties.' During the election, the Workers' Party had asked that Thaipusam be reinstated as a public holiday. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) proposed increasing the number of public holidays from 11 to 14. It suggested that the new holidays should represent each of the three major ethnic groups in Singapore, with possible additions including Chinese New Year's Eve, the day after Hari Raya Puasa, and Thaipusam. External conflicts should not be part of Singapore's quarrels either. They are a chance for Singaporeans to show compassion and extend help, but should not become a cause because 'these are not our quarrels'. Singaporeans have, in fact, come together to help the victims of the Syrian war and Palestine conflict, regardless of race and religion, SM Teo pointed out. Unity is Singapore's core strength as a small nation, he added. While Singapore lacks resources, it can pull all its strengths together so that it can project itself as larger than it is, and be strong when facing the world. Policies like the Ethnic Integration Policy in HDB estates contributed to Singapore's unity, he said. Singaporeans have become more enlightened as a people living side by side, going to schools together and enjoying many more opportunities together, he added. Different communities in Singapore also work together to tackle radicalisation, which has evolved with the internet and social media platforms indoctrinating people rapidly, teaching them to build bombs and carrying out acts of terror. SM Teo spoke about how a self-professed white supremacist was educated by the Religious Rehabilitation Group – a voluntary group of Islamic scholars and teachers – and eventually changed his mind about attacking Muslim targets. In January 2024, a Secondary 4 student who identified as a white supremacist and was radicalised by far-right propaganda received a restriction order for planning attacks overseas. SM Teo, 70, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, is stepping down from the Cabinet and politics. Both he and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat confirmed their retirement from politics on Nomination Day on April 23. SM Teo said he would continue to help and assist in any way which would be helpful. Singapore is quite unique because in many countries, the party that won power often tried to burnish its own reputation by condemning everything that the former party did, he said. 'We can see that in so many countries, they rubbish everything the previous government did, and so there's no continuity, whereas here we have continuity,' he said, pointing out that as Coordinating Minister for National Security, he still consulted former deputy prime minister S. Jayakumar. 'It's a wonderful resource... We build on what we did. And that is, again, one of the strengths that we have in Singapore.' He is happy to see that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has put together a strong team of good people. There are people who stand for election because they want to do good for their fellow Singaporeans and improve their lives, 'who derive happiness from seeing other people happy'. There are also others who 'feed on anger and unhappiness', he said. 'So you have to discern between the two, who you really want to represent you, what kind of Parliament you want, and what will really improve your life.' His advice to the new parliamentarians is to uphold truth, honesty and integrity. 'I think we have many strengths today,' he said. 'We have found a formula over many years which helps us to be united, synergise and multiply our strengths so that we can stand up to the world and be taken seriously, and this is something which we should continue.' He added: 'I want them to succeed, we want them to succeed, because we want Singapore to succeed.' Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times covering topics such as community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Free Malaysia Today
04-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
To flourish, a good reporter needs a good editor
From Terence Netto If you worked with him, it wasn't hard to figure that James Alexander Ritchie, who died yesterday at the age of 75, was a born newspaperman. The minute he sensed a story was brewing, his instincts would flare such that everything else that might earlier have been on his schedule would be shed in favour of the pursuit. James would jump on his motorcycle, or in his later years drive his beat-up jalopy, to race to the scene where the story was brewing, to ferret out the facts and do the interviews. Pen and fayed notepad would be in hand, but one sensed James did not need these accoutrements because he had an absorbent mind, down to the exact words that the interviewees disbursed when talking to reporters. James joined the New Straits Times in 1972 as a cadet reporter after stints as a teacher in Malacca upon completion of a Higher School Certificate in Kuching, where his father was retiring as the head of the Sarawak police. It was no surprise then that James was a shoo-in for NST's crime desk when it was formed in September 1973. Crime reporters take time to incubate and James took all of two years before he became a favourite of Malay Mail editor PJ Joshua, in that he would supply the man with juicy stories for the afternoon paper's front pages. These were crime stories which, aided by Joshua's flair for design and layout, were presented with the brio that suggested both Joshua and James were to tabloid journalism's manner born. Talented as they were, the two journalists did not flourish because of the detention of A Samad Ismail, the managing editor being tapped shortly to become group editor, under the Internal Security Act in June 1976. Everyone with journalistic talent in the NST suffered a diminution of their career prospects. Samad was a great spotter of journalistic talent, having been a good journalist himself, His detention was a mortal blow to the NST group that had been poised to go up in quality under his leadership. Not being one to submit meekly to untoward fate, James grabbed the opportunity in March 1981 to go to Kuching to head the NST office there. His taste for the outdoors and for the rugged wilds of Sarawak saw him travel the length and breadth of the state, writing stories on the diverse ethnic groups, lifestyles and cultures he encountered. If he drew too close to the powers-that-be in Sarawak and if the head office in Kuala Lumpur felt uneasy with the proximity, James would let them know that if they wanted him back in KL, he would prefer to quit and stay put in Kuching. It helped that he had a wife in Helen, a Malacca native, who was safely ensconced in the MAS office in Kuching. Fascinated with the diversity of the ethnicities in Sarawak, James knew he could not confine himself to mere reportage and the writing of articles only. He had to move into the less ephemeral format of books and catalogues – and thus began another phase of his career, this one as author. He wrote several books, most of them done to certify James Ritchie as author, and not merely journalist. These books were on the politics and historic personalities of Sarawak. The best of them was probably the one on Libau Rentap, an Iban warrior of the late 19th century. The writing here was helped by James succeeding in getting a good editor. Whenever he had one, he shone. Terence Netto is a senior journalist and an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
CNA
03-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: PAP wins four-way fight in Tampines GRC, WP to get one NCMP seat
SINGAPORE: The People's Action Party (PAP) has emerged as the winner in a four-way fight for Tampines Group Representation Constituency (GRC), getting 52.02 per cent of the vote in Singapore's General Election on Saturday (May 3). A PAP team led by Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli defeated teams from the Workers' Party (WP), National Solidarity Party (NSP) and People's Power Party (PPP). PAP's victory this year was significantly lower than its winning margin in 2020, when it defeated a team from NSP with about 66.4 per cent of the vote. This round, it was the WP team led by former Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap that chipped away at the incumbent's vote share, with the opposition party winning 47.37 per cent of the vote share in its first outing in the constituency. The contesting teams from NSP, which had 0.18 per cent of the vote, and PPP with 0.43 per cent, both lost their election deposits. A Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) seat will also be offered to a member of the WP's team, given its narrow loss to PAP. In his speech after the results were announced, Mr Masagos thanked the party's voters and volunteers and called for unity moving ahead. 'Now that the General Election is over, let's come together as one united people,' he said. 'Let's work together to make Tampines a caring community, because this is how we forge ahead as we face critical challenges and embrace opportunities that are before us.' Separately, the WP team thanked its supporters during its speech, while party member Michael Thng dedicated special thanks to Mr Faisal. 'For taking the brave step to come forward and join our team and take the risk with us and put yourself out there for Tampines, for that we will be eternally grateful and we really thank you, Faisal,' Mr Thng said. SPOTLIGHT ON RELIGION AND POLITICS Tampines GRC was the most contested constituency out of the 33 in this General Election. NSP, which contested the GRC at the last three elections, won almost 34 per cent of vote in 2020. For its fourth attempt this year, it fielded a team comprising party president Reno Fong and vice-president Mohd Ridzwan Mohammad, who both contested in the GRC in 2020 along with three other members. PPP and WP are contesting the constituency for the first time this year, with political observers noting that for WP, which is Singapore's largest opposition party, entering the fray in Tampines is part of its strategy to concentrate efforts in the eastern region. During the hustings, a spotlight was cast on Tampines GRC after the authorities directed Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to block Singapore users' access to several instances of online election advertising for posts on Facebook by two Malaysian politicians and a former Internal Security Act detainee who is now a citizen of Australia. Among other things, they criticised the Singapore government's handling of sensitive religious issues and urged Singaporeans to vote along religious lines. Malaysia-based Singaporean religious teacher Noor Deros also took to social media to criticise Mr Masagos while calling on voters to cast their ballots for Mr Faisal, while claiming to have met the WP's Malay candidates to convey a list of demands in exchange for support at the polls. When asked by the media about this during campaigning, Mr Faisal insisted that the contest for Tampines GRC was about "a team versus another team" and that he did not see himself as 'going against Masagos'. Mr Faisal also said then that he was open to meeting 'everyone for the sake of listening', but that listening did not mean agreeing. Before that, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that foreigners urging Singaporeans to vote along religious lines have "crossed the line" and that Singaporeans alone should decide on Singapore politics. Several opposition parties, including WP, followed suit in speaking out against foreign interference in the General Election. During a visit to Tampines GRC, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong cautioned against the 'very vicious' set of conversations sparked by the foreign posts and asked Singaporeans to 'understand the games being played online'. The fight for Tampines GRC was enough for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to do a walkabout there during the election campaign. Asked what his visit signalled at the time, he said it showed that PAP took the election seriously, both at the national and constituency levels. Tampines GRC saw its electoral boundaries changed this year. Parts of the GRC were carved out to create Tampines Changkat Single Member Constituency, while areas in Tampines West – east of Bedok Reservoir – were absorbed from Aljunied GRC. WP "BRANDING" CONTRIBUTED TO STRONG SHOWING Political analyst and former nominated MP Eugene Tan pointed to three factors that contributed to WP's relatively strong showing at Tampines GRC: 'The party branding, a relatively strong slate and a controversy stirred voters.' The associate professor of law at Singapore Management University said that Tampines GRC was a 'battleground constituency' given the racial make-up of the constituents there, as well as the face-off between Mr Masagos and Mr Faisal as 'they had previously clashed in parliament over Malay-Muslim community issues'. During PAP's press conference after the election results were announced, Mr Wong, who is also the party's secretary-general, acknowledged the occurrence of " negative politics" in terms of calls to vote along racial or religious lines during the campaigning period. 'I had to call it out in the middle of the campaign, because this was such an important matter. "The situation did improve after that, but there were still views, comments online and some of them were quite vicious. And they would continue to circulate, although less than before the press conference I held,' he said. Asked about his assessment on the support that PAP received from the Malay-Muslim community against this backdrop, Mr Wong said: 'At this stage, we haven't done deep dives or detailed analysis on which groups, which segments, voted or didn't vote for us, and what were the considerations. "Did it have an impact on the election outcomes? Perhaps, some. How much? I don't know, because we'll have to do a more detailed analysis after today.' Mr Masagos, speaking in Malay, said at the press conference that he would take a new approach moving forward, to reach out to the Malay-Muslim community in order to better understand their concerns and ensure that the issues they raise would be addressed. 'But I also urge the community, after the end of this General Election, let us unite and build our community together, because there's so much that we can achieve together.' On the other opposition parties' performance in Tampines GRC, Assoc Prof Tan from SMU told CNA that it shows how voters are discerning and will not split their votes if they intend to vote for the opposition. 'It also indicates that some opposition parties are increasingly irrelevant in the political landscape with both PPP and NSP losing their deposits,' he added. On the NCMP seat to be given to one of WP's Tampines GRC team members, independent political observer Felix Tan commented that it would likely go to Mr Thng, pointing to his performance during a televised roundtable discussion and his ability to put across his party's policies to the audience. 'But of course, the policies come from the party itself, not just from him, but I think he's able to consolidate and collate the thoughts more coherently and ... able to present them to the voters, to Singaporeans as well," Dr Felix Tan said during a Polling Day special programme broadcast on CNA. "And I think he would perform pretty well in parliament as an NCMP.' Over at PAP's Tampines GRC team, former Chief of Army David Neo was earlier pointed out by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as a candidate with the potential to hold political office. Asked on the CNA programme about whether this would have mattered to voters, Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst with policy and business consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, said that although 'the prime minister can send such a message', what contributes to the voters' decision is the candidate's own performance on the ground.
CNA
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: Over 900 fake Facebook accounts posted 5,000 comments in a day targeting news coverage of foreign interference
SINGAPORE: More than 900 inauthentic Facebook accounts posting over 5,000 comments were detected in a roughly one-day period after the government first alerted the public to foreign posts on religion and politics, recent checks by CNA have found. CNA's latest analysis comes after it previously reported on Apr 24 that hundreds of fake Facebook accounts and bots were spreading anti-People's Action Party (PAP) and anti-Workers' Party (WP) sentiments. CNA conducted another round of checks after it detected a hive of social media activity around news posts on race and politics, following the government's announcement at 10pm on Apr 25 that foreigners had posted online election advertisements urging Singaporeans to vote along religious lines. The government had directed Meta to block Singapore users' access to several posts made by two Malaysian politicians, as well as a former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee. For the latest analysis, CNA looked at 35 Facebook posts uploaded between late Apr 25 and early Apr 27 related to the content about these news developments. These include three from Islamic religious teacher Noor Deros, one from "Zai Nal" - belonging to the former ISA detainee - and one from the WP. The remainder are posts by news outlets CNA (12), Mothership (10) and The Straits Times (eight). These posts involve responses or reactions to the government's move, as well as the news outlets' reporting of comments by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and WP chief Pritam Singh on the foreign interference. CNA then scanned 8,991 comments made by 2,915 unique Facebook accounts on these posts. Of the 8,991 comments made, 5,201 - or 58 per cent - were deemed to be from inauthentic accounts, meaning they were fake or suspected to be fake. A total of 911 out of the 2,915 accounts that posted the comments, or 31 per cent, were identified as inauthentic. Another 1,427 accounts - or 49 per cent - were flagged as real accounts, while the authenticity of the remaining 577 accounts could not be determined. The overall data suggest the fake accounts are part of a coordinated inauthentic campaign, with synchronised comment bursts, copy-pasted messages across accounts, and a tightly interconnected network of fake personas. Fifteen of the 911 inauthentic accounts detected posted between 30 to more than 70 comments each, while around 290 of them posted only a single comment. This suggests a mix of roles: A core group of active operators and many auxiliary accounts likely created to lend additional voices in one or two comment threads. Slightly over one-quarter (26.9 per cent) of the 5,201 inauthentic comments were classified as anti-opposition attacks, followed by religious and political controversy (23.9 per cent), and anti-establishment and conspiracy (19.1 per cent). An inauthentic comment only means that the comment was made by a fake account. It does not immediately mean that the content of these comments are false, though further analysis of the content shows half-truths and misinformation being used in some cases. CNA is unable to determine where these fake accounts originate from, as users can easily lie during account registration or spoof their locations through various methods. Categories of fake comments Anti-opposition attacks Many bots directly attacked WP figures or supporters with derogatory language. These comments often used insults to demean and discredit. Religious and political controversy Comments in this category linked religion to politics and typically also took on a partisan nature, either by attacking WP for mixing religion with politics, or accusing the PAP of using this issue to smear the opposition. For example, one coordinated message spread by multiple accounts said WP was being desperate to win votes by promoting religious disharmony. On the other hand, others said the PAP was trying to bring religious issues into the election. Anti-establishment and conspiracy The criticisms against the PAP generally accuse the ruling party of hypocrisy, with some saying it is the one playing the race card. Also in the mix are conspiracy themes, with bot accounts suggesting that China or Malaysia may be behind the attempts to influence the election. Racial and minority issues Posts in this category appear to be aimed at sowing suspicion or eroding trust between races. For example, some fake accounts would try to create resentment among Malay voters by suggesting they were being used by either party. Calls for religious neutrality In this category, bots try to push or repeat messages about the dangers of mixing religion with politics. While the comments may be seen as trying to urge caution, the fact that these were posted by fake accounts suggests the bots may be attempting to reinforce establishment messages. For example, one comment said: 'like what the article say 'We must not mix religion and politics. Singapore is a secular state. Our institutions serve Singaporeans equally. Bringing religion into politics will undermine social cohesion and harmony, as we have seen in other countries with race- or religion-based politics.'' BOTS TARGETED CNA THE MOST Telltale signs of inauthentic accounts include being recently created, having few connections, and posting mainly on a single type of content, such as those that attack a political party and its candidates. They also tend to be locked and lack any original posts, such as photos of someone's day. Bots, on the other hand, are multiple fake accounts managed by individuals, which also suggest a more coordinated attempt to spread a certain messaging on the platform. They are also known to make repeated comments or replies, similar to techniques used by spammers. Sometimes, multiple fake accounts end up posting similar comments, albeit with slight variations to avoid detection. Both types of behaviour run afoul of Facebook's community standards. According to Facebook's website, the platform also requires users to provide real names on profiles to ensure they always know who they are connecting with. 'This helps keep our community safe,' its name and birthday policy states. The latest analysis indicated that CNA's posts were the most targeted by the bot army, with 2,578 inauthentic comments on the 12 CNA Facebook posts. This accounted for nearly half the 5,201 inauthentic comments. This is indicative of how bot campaigns typically work: Bots are not interested in preaching to the choir. HIGHLY SYNCHRONISED POSTING OF COMMENTS Posting of the comments was found to be highly synchronised, particularly between 10am to 3pm on Apr 26, when the bot accounts as a whole were found to have posted comments most frequently. It was common to see many different fake accounts commenting within minutes of each other on the same post right after it went up. For example, a 10-minute window of around 2.35pm to 2.45pm on Apr 26 saw 90 distinct fake accounts post comments. There was also a burst of 157 inauthentic comments from 10pm to 11pm on Apr 25, night when news of the government's statement broke. The bot tactics here reflect attempts to align with local audience attention, and to influence public opinion overnight through setting narratives by morning, and then reinforcing them during the day. Analysis of the timings of the comments revealed orchestrated burst patterns. The bot network could mobilise at least 10 or more distinct accounts within a 10-minute window repeatedly. TOP BOT AND SUPERSPREADERS The top bot detected in this campaign is Facebook user 'Angeline Tan', who posted 71 times in a four-and-a-half hour span between 8.19pm on Apr 26 and 12.54am on Apr 27. The user's 71 comments were posted on just two CNA posts uploaded on Apr 26 - a video post of Mr Wong's comments during a press conference on the foreign interference, and another earlier video post of Mr Singh's comments to the media on the same matter. A handful of inauthentic accounts were also identified as superspreaders because they appeared to comment on each of these posts, and whose Facebook connections show that they are affiliated to a large number of suspicious accounts that also posted similar messages, also known as 'co-commenting'. This could mean that they may be the main operators of these bot networks, or that automated bots take the cue from them. The top five accounts based on the number of unique accounts they co-commented with are 'Low SiewFai', 'Maetiara Ismail', 'PS FU', 'Vincent Tang' and 'Dunkie Rookie', all of which are connected to at least 700 other inauthentic accounts. These accounts each engaged in between 10 and 16 targeted comment threads, ensuring that the narratives permeated multiple audiences. Low SiewFai, for instance, connected to 776 other suspect accounts and was active in at least 16 different posts, with 26 comments. The user's comments were nearly identical. CNA's checks also found at least 179 distinct comments that were repeated word for word by multiple accounts. Many appear to be pre-written scripts or talking points injected into discussions. One example, posted 43 times, is: 'Details of the earlier conversation between WP and the former religious teacher - available here for those interested:'. Another example, posted 38 times, is: 'Full video of the conversation between Mr. Noor Deros and #WP available here for those interested:'. Both examples were appended with spam links. The Ministry of Digital Development and Information has earlier said it was looking into the fake accounts, in response to CNA's report on Apr 24. 'We will continue to monitor the online space for foreign interference and will act on content that is in breach of our laws. We urge the public to be discerning consumers of information,' it said.
The Star
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Thai Army defends lèse-majesté charges against American academic
FILE - US political science lecturer Paul Chambers, left, of Thailand's Naresuan University, stands outside the police station in Phitsanulok, Thailand, where he was arrested on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, on charges of insulting the monarchy. - AP BANGKOK: The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has defended legal action taken against an American academic for alleged lèse-majesté, while the opposition People's Party (PP) criticised the move, claiming it has stalled trade negotiations with the United States. RTA spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvari issued a statement on Monday (April 28) to clarify the lèse-majesté charges against Dr Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University. Chambers surrendered to police on 8 April and was released on bail the following day with a surety of 300,000 baht (US$8998). Maj Gen Winthai stated that he needed to address the issue after Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Area 3 representatives provided incomplete information during their appearance before the House Committee on Military Affairs on 24 April. According to the statement, ISOC Area 3 filed a complaint under Article 112 of the Criminal Code at Muang Phitsanulok Police Station on 27 February. Winthai stressed that this article allows any member of the public to report lèse-majesté offences they have witnessed. He added that the complaint was made after ISOC was alerted by members of the public who claimed Chambers had expressed personal opinions in a way that allegedly harmed the monarchy's reputation. Winthai denied allegations from the PP that ISOC invoked Article 7 of the Internal Security Act, explaining that the law applies only to special security situations, such as the insurgency in Thailand's deep South. Maj Gen Winthai also reprimanded PP Members of Parliament for their behaviour during the House committee session. He claimed ISOC representatives were humiliated with demeaning terms, including 'stupid', 'power-hungry', and 'lacking intelligence and English skills'. The spokesman reaffirmed that although Dr Chambers is an American citizen, he must be held accountable under Thai law, as he lives and works in Thailand. PP deputy leader Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn disputed Winthai's claim that ISOC acted merely as concerned citizens. He argued that the complaint was filed in an official capacity by ISOC Area 3 commander Lt Gen Kittipong Chamsuwan, making it a formal action by a state security agency. Wiroj further claimed that ISOC abused its authority by using summary notes from a seminar—which Chambers did not author—as evidence. The notes were produced by the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, the event organiser. Wiroj cited former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who recently stated that lawsuits involving American citizens had disrupted Thai–US trade negotiations, potentially exposing Thailand to punitive import tariffs. Although Thaksin did not name Chambers directly, many believe he was referring to the case. Wiroj urged Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to acknowledge the impact of the Chambers case, accusing the civilian government of allowing continued military overreach. PP deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakun echoed Wiroj's concerns, insisting that Prime Minister Paetongtarn must personally address the issue instead of relying on her father, Thaksin, to speak on her behalf. She demanded that the prime minister explain how her government plans to resolve the Chambers matter to safeguard the trade talks. In a separate statement, ISOC spokesman Maj Gen Thammanoon Maison insisted that the case against Dr Chambers was strictly a matter of domestic internal security and should not be connected to international trade relations. - The Nation/ANN
