The Prathet Goo Mee (My F…king Country’s Got…) went to the top of Thailand’s iTunes download list on Saturday morning to the cheers of RAD who posted a message to thank its fans.

The music video was uploaded to YouTube on Monday. By Saturday morning, the YouTube clip was viewed more than 5.518 million times and received over 297,000 likes and over 4,900 dislikes. It also drew over 35,000 comments.

The video shows different rappers singing about social and political issues, especially those surrounding military coups.

The backdrop in the video shows a historic scene from the massacre on October 6, 1976, when state forces and far-right paramilitaries attacked student protesters on the campus of Thammasat University and the adjacent Sanam Luang Square in Bangkok.

On Friday, Pol Colonel Siriwat Deepor, the deputy spokesman of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, said police had already been ordered to identify the rappers and explore charges.

Police believe the rappers’ actions could have violated the Computer Crimes Act, which prohibits computer information inconsistent with the truth, undermines national security or causes public panic, he said.

For the next 20 years, public administrations will be directed largely by the national strategy put forward by the National Council for Peace and Order. Governments failing to comply with the plan will face impeachment.

NATION GRAPHICS: KANJANA LAO

Pol Colonel Siriwat Deepor

Pol Colonel Siriwat Deepor, the deputy spokesman of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), yesterday said police had already been ordered to identify the rappers and explore the option of pressing charges.

Police believe the rappers’ actions could have violated the Computer Crimes Act, which prohibits computer information inconsistent with the truth, undermines national security or causes public panic, he said.

The song’s content had defamed the country, the deputy spokesman said, adding that it could impact the economy and lead to loss of confidence among investors.

The rappers would be summoned, Siriwat said. Police said they would expedite the legal process because the song had a negative impact on the country.

The music video “My Country’s Got…” by RAD was uploaded to YouTube on Monday.

The video shows different rappers rap about social and political issues, especially those surrounding military coups. The backdrop in the video shows a historic scene from the massacre on October 6, 1976.

The video has garnered almost 2 million views so far, with more than one hundred thousand likes.

The hashtag #MyCountrysGot has also gone viral, with people discussing issues facing the country.

Government spokesman Puttipong Punnakanta

While a large number of netizens were touched deeply by the song, Government Spokesman Puttipong Punnakanta yesterday expressed his disappointment with the video. He questioned whether any groups were behind RAD to produce this controversial song.

Retired General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, currently leader of the minor Matubhum Party, said on Friday that he was waiting for the Election Commission (EC) to decide whether his party will be dissolved because it has not met the requirement for minimum membership.

Nobody but the party leaders and executives of Matubhum confirmed their memberships when the confirmation was opened in April.

Sonthi on Friday said that after a clear EC decision, he would lead 15 Matubhum politicians to join Chartthai Pattana. Those politicians are residents of the deep South, he said.

“The main reason we come to work with Chartthai Pattana is that we like the party’s policy of creating reconciliation and its neutrality,” he said.

In September 2006, Sonthi, then serving as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, led a coup that overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra while the then prime minister was in the United States. Two years later Sonthi, a Muslim, set up Matubhum Party with the goal of representing the interests of the Muslim minority in the deep South. However, the party has won only a handful of MP seats in recent general elections.

Chartthai Pattana on Friday convened its first general assembly following the junta’s easing of political restrictions, at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel.

The meeting voted to select Kanchana Silapa-archa, daughter of the party’s late former leader Banharn, as the new Chartthai Pattana leader.

Kanchana on Friday said the arrival of General Sonthi and other Matubhum politicians would help Chartthai Pattana expand its support base in the South. She added that Chartthai Pattana had traditionally been viewed as a party for people in the Central region.

When asked if Sonthi’s military background would help Chartthai Pattana “get closer” to the ruling junta, Kanchana said her party did not focus on that aspect.

Chartthai Pattana’s general assembly also elected the party’s veteran politician Prapat Pothasuthon as the new secretary general.

Previously, Kanchana’s younger brother Varawut was expected to become the party leader, while another young party politician was touted as the new secretary general.

Kanchana disclosed on Friday that she was approached on short notice to become the new party leader. “I had little time to make the decision,” she said. The new party leader added that something similar had happened 23 years ago when her father asked her to contest an election for the first time in her home province of Suphan Buri.

She said the reason she was elected Chartthai Pattana’s new leader could be because party members viewed her as “a bridge between the older and younger generations” within the party.

“People once called my father Banharn a “political dragon”. As a child of the political dragon, I promise to work to the best of my ability,” she said.

He said officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police will check out the lyrics to see if they violate any junta orders.

The song’s rappers would also be summoned to testify whether they had intended to cause any chaos or violate any National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) orders, he added.

“I want to warn musicians not to do anything that risks violating the country’s laws, as it wouldn’t be good for them or their families if the songs were deemed to violate the law,” Srivara said.

The video features 10 artists, four of whom wear masks. The single took form over six months.

From the video’s posting on October 22 until Friday, it had been viewed 954,562 time, with 68,000 people clicking the “thumbs up” and 656 others choosing the “thumbs down”.

However, the alleged canvassing activity was not red-flagged by the Election Commission (EC) whose secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma said all parties need to find members and have branches in order to contest in an election. He, however, said that all activities must be peaceful as per regulations on political activities imposed by the ruling junta.

Junta No 2, General Prawit Wongsuwan, said yesterday that it was the EC’s responsibility to look into the matter. “I cannot say if Suthep is allowed to do this. This matter has nothing to do with me,” Prawit said.

Suthep, who led a rally between 2013 and 2014 to oust the then-government, set off on a small march around Bangkok’s Worachak area yesterday, greeting voters and listening to their problems.

Members of the party will carry out similar “paying respect to the land” activities over the weekend and meet with voters in key Bangkok areas such as Sukhumvit, Sathorn and Bang Rak. They will take the campaign to other provinces such as Chanthaburi, Trat and Sa Kaew next month.

Suthep insisted that he was just an ordinary party member and would not hold an executive position in the party or play a role in politics.

ACT’s activity and the authorities’ response yesterday raised questions whether all parties were being treated equally in terms of the political ban.

The EC had told off the Future Forward Party (FWP) for accepting donations, saying it was a violation of the ban on political activities.

Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, FWP’s secretary-general, said on Facebook on Wednesday that he and his colleagues were followed by officials when they were meeting people in the Northeast to recruit new members.

Some participants in the party’s events felt pressured by officials, he said. This intimidation, he said, not only violates people’s basic rights, but is also a barricade to people’s participation in politics.

Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said the election date would not be put off but the Education Ministry would see about the postponement of the General Aptitude Test (GAT) and the Professional and Academic Aptitude Test (PAT).

“Why do we need to postpone the election? The exams must be postponed to allow voters to exercise their rights,” Prawit told reporters at the Defence Ministry.

The National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) has scheduled GAT and PAT exams for the next academic year to be held from February 23 to 26. High-school students need to pass the tests to apply for university.

Some political parties earlier voiced concerns about the date clash and called for a rescheduling of either the election or the exams to allow students and test supervisors on duty to cast their ballots.

Every year, more than 410,000 students graduate high school, compared to some 120,000 first-year places at state-run universities.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said if necessary, the exams will be postponed.

“We cannot put off the election, it will be easier to postpone the exams,” he said.

The deputy PM also said that relevant agencies were considering whether the exams should be postponed and were also weighing the pros and cons of changing the date.

He added that the authorities involved would come up with a solution “in a few days”.

“They are trying to keep the impacts on the students involved to a minimum,” Wissanu said.

He dismissed an allegation that the exams were intentionally scheduled to clash with the election date. Wissanu said the authorities had scheduled the exams a year earlier.

Prawit on Thursday was also asked if the pro-junta Action Coalition for Thailand Party’s planned march in Bangkok and other provinces could be regarded as election campaigning, which is against a ban on political activities.

Prawit, who is in charge of security affairs, said the Election Commission (EC) would decide on the issue. “I can’t give you the answer. I am not directly involved,” he said.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha refused to comment on the issue. However, newly appointed government spokesman Buddhipong Punnakanta, formerly a Democrat Party politician, said the EC would enforce the law fairly on all political parties.

“The government has no involvement with this matter. And we will not interfere with the EC or order the EC to do anything,” he said.

NLA members stood in silence for one minute at 10am on Thursday after being informed of the death by NLA President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai.

A bathing rite will be held at Wat Phra Srimahathat in Bang Khen at 4pm on Friday and a royally-sponsor bathing rite will be held at 5pm.

Narongsak was born on March 17, 1949, and graduated from the Air Force Academy’s Class 13.

He had been the Air Force attache to the Thai embassy in Canberra and used to be a member of the Airports of Thailand’s board of directors and a member of the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand’s board of directors.

Starting next week, Puttipong will take over as government spokesman and offer briefings on Cabinet meetings and government affairs. Sansern, meanwhile, will work full time as director of the Public Relations Department after having the held the position as caretaker since 2016.

Prime Minister Prayut announced yesterday after the weekly Cabinet meeting that Puttipong would be taking over from Sansern, who had done the job since 2014, and he will be responsible for giving all information concerning politics.

Sansern yesterday attributed the move to the changing circumstances.

“We’re heading towards an election. As a soldier, I should not be responding to political criticism. It’s not appropriate,” the outgoing government spokesman said.

Apart from that, Sansern said if he were to work full time as director of the Public Relations Department, he would have to resign his current political position. Performing the dual role was against the rules, he said.

Puttipong yesterday acknowledged that he would be taking over as spokesman.

However, an official order is yet to be issued, he said. In the meantime, he would share the spokesman’s work with Sansern and there were no conflicts between the two, he added.

Puttipong is a former Democrat MP and former leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), which launched anti-government demonstrations in 2013 and 2014 that led to the coup. He was last month appointed deputy secretary-general attached to the prime minister, taking charge of political affairs.

The development came amid speculation that junta leader Prayut was preparing for the upcoming election. His latest move is seen to be at odds with his oft-stated position that he has no political ambitions and was only in government to ease political conflict.

Various official actions with regard to different political parties, including the regime’s arch-rival Pheu Thai, have been catching public attention. Pheu Thai is facing the threat of party dissolution as the Election Commission (EC) is probing whether it had violated the law by reportedly allowing an outsider – Thaksin Shinawatra – to influence its decisions. Prayut yesterday dismissed criticism that he was behind the EC’s move. The agency is independent and is governed by the law that requires it to scrutinise political parties, he said.