Very, very sad, someone murdered standing up the the forces of evil and greed with only their courage to support them. There are indeed similarities in Cambodia to the worldwide financial fraud, where politicians and regulators are co-opted, so that the insatiable greed of the few can flourish unhindered, there too whistle blowers are often found “suicided”.
Another of the thousands of UMNO’s injustices: London will again elect their Mayor soon; in NZ and in all true democracies all mayors are elected. Not appointed by incumbent ‘majority’ Party or pushed through the back door, to help their dirty politics in Sarawak, and throughout Malaysia. Appalling! Crooked! Rotten system! All these must change and The Opposition, the NGOs and the people must push to stop this nonsense immediately, starting today!
PM Najib & Home Minister Hishamuddin weren’t even elected. So is the unelected Mayor of KL Fuad. In the KL Fed Territory 11 out of 12 MPs are from Opposition. Yet, the Mayor of KL is appointed by the PM as is the Minister of Fed Territory, Raja Nong Chik, not an elected MP got in through the backdoor ! The 11 elected Opposition MP’s have no say in the administration of KL! A rogue regime! I wonder who gave the order to murder and blow up Altantuya in 2006 with C4 plastic explosives ?
Condolences to the family of this brave man. Cambodia will remember him.
The sort of things multiplied by thousands heading our way to Burma, desperately invited by the military, the venerable highly celebrated oppositions and the wise commentators alike for “progress and prosperity” and catching up with the rest of the world and all that.
Can’t wait!
Oh! It WILL be different in Burma? Yes, if one is delusional.
One gets the sense that there is some disarray going on behind the scenes on how to deal with this.
Jiew’s imprisonment would damage this government badly – PT & Yingluck have nothing to gain by doing so.
There are also certainly plenty of “yellow” figures in the judiciary who would be more than prepared to sacrifice Jiew in order to damage PT.
If the govt intervenes too strongly on the case, demanding Jiew is released, they will be condemned for meddling in the justice system.
On the sidelines stand the USA and their servants in Human Rights Watch – both heavily implicated as supporters of the 2006 coup and fearful of the present government shifting Thailand to face north and eastwards towards China – the Dems and the military. Jiew being jailed would aid them all massively in damaging the reputation of the present government.
I empathise with Jiew – the Democrat and Abhisit government repeatedly tried to censor Prachatai and began the worst lese majeste witch hunt in Thailand’s history. The irony is that if she is imprisoned they stand to gain the most from that outcome. Jiew has been inadvertently caught up in all this and the long drawn out psychological impact must be taking its toll.
But they’ve blinked. And in doing so they’ve managed to refocus the attention of all those who were only peripherally aware of their sordid ‘little’ political persecution racket onto their tawdry selves at this point. Can that consciously be for more dramatic effect at their next wretched miscarriage of justice? They must be able to scrape together a single brain’s worth of grey cells among the lot of them. So I think (or I hope) that they are finally backing down.
Of course, petty little people that the Pu Yai are, they’re keeping poor Chiranuch hanging for another month … hoping yet to find someone who will play executioner, perhaps? Let’s keep the names of the ‘judges’ well-publicized.
the dark forces of violence, corruption and greed that have come to characterise the … state and its criminal-corporate enterprise
That’s not just true of Cambodia, it’s true of Lao, Thailand, Burma … China, Japan, Germany and the USA as well.
fear and complicity that so often paralyses villagers, community leaders, NGOs and donors … preventing them from taking action against injustices.
It’s not just the villagers, community leaders, NGOs and donors of Cambodia who are unable to take action against injustice … it’s the Laos, Thais, the peoples of Burma … of China, Japan, Germany and the USA as well …unable to stop the damming of the Mekong, the rape of village lands, the nuclear power plants that have so ravaged their lives and land, the wars of aggression in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen …
Remarkably, Conservation International has remained silent on this issue
NGOs are corporations. Corporations are by nature corrupt. This is not in the least ‘remarkable’…
It unlikely that mainstream conservation organisations will ever fulfil the role that Chut Wutty played in Cambodia.
You mean unlikely “to make a difference”? It’s not just “unlikely” the mainstream will fail to do so … it’s a dead sure thing.
Now let’s get this back on to the topic of the Red Shirt rally in Cambodia. Nothing else is going to be approved on this thread of comments from here on out. Thanks for your understanding.
It does all sound extremely wise, clever and elevated. The very fact that most “ordinary people” would not have a clue after reading them through several times does abode ill for the future of NLD.
At a time extraordinarily large and intensive shelling with large weapons and air power on a civilian establishment is happening first time in the history of Burma, one has to excuse the people if they do not show much appreciation for this particular clever and wonderful winning strategy.
If the strategy is to get “the Constitution” onto the agenda as quickly as possible, it is difficult to see what better action could have been taken. It may have taken months/years for a window to open for any discussion of the constitution within the Assembly procedures as they are taking shape.
At the same time, future substantial amendments will require wide-spread and vocal public support, either to pressure the various wings of the USDP or by way of referendum support. To lead such a charge, the NLD will need to extablish its credentials within the Assembly as an effective policy force on issues of concern to the bulk of the population. They can’t stay outside.
One audience for the NLD’s decision not to take the oath may well be its own “hardliners”. I think equally important audiences sit within the USDP.
“The Dems had no legitimate democratic claim on power. The blood is on their hands. So you don’t think killing unarmed protesters has any bearing on Abhisit’s inability to win votes?”
That’s a pretty stupid and ill informed question bla bla.
“Remember he had no mandate before he ordered the army to start shooting.”
You just shot yourself in the foot. Even if he had a mandate to rule as Prime Minister he would never have had a mandate to ‘kill unarmed protesters’…. Can you not even be consistent according to your own world view?
“All the other stuff you mention – inflation etc – is very important, of course. Can’t see anyone denying that here….”
How gracious of you bla bla…. er… I beg your pardon… I meant ‘sweaty’.
“But, when a popularly elected government is bringing the bad news people will more likely suck it up when compared to a government, imposed by brutal force, doing the same.”
Or indeed Asterix the Gaul…. You do understand how parliamentary systems work don’t you sweaty bla bla?
“The Dems had no legitimate democratic claim on power. The blood is on their hands.”
These two statements are called a non sequitur I am afraid sweaty….. Also bear in mind the Red shirt leadership demanded elections. Abhisit granted them elections. Having got what they demanded, the Red leadership then refused the elections they had previously demanded. The ‘unarmed’ Red shirts then started killing people on Silom Road with live munitions…. Quite a talent for unarmed protesters it has to be said….. Then, when they were cleared (after having been granted the elections they had originally demanded and refused), the army went in with their usual incompetence as conscript armies are won’t to do. …..91 dead for what?…. An election that was demanded and granted or the election that was going to happen anyway and they were always likely to win?….. Strangely enough the whole skulking band of ‘brave’ propagandists in the Red shirt leadership who had spent the last few months inspiring their flock to rise up against the ‘amart’ fled just before the proverbial excrement hit the proverbial fan and they emerged unscathed to live another day and drink good wine in expensive restaurants in Thonglor or mooch around Cambodia whining idiocies about Chairman Mao, having deserted the faithful they had inspired to die in the streets…. Courageous men and women all.
“(It would be great to see you make one single comment where you don’t engage in pathetic attempts at put-downs Dan. Just stick to the debate and calm the feck down, eh?). ”
Er…..since when was the clearing of Rajaprasong the debate on this thread? It would be good if you abrogated for eternity the life of a stalker and used your real name when you spout meaningless vitriol.
Your comment does indeed sounds sage even though the other sage in the comment was supposed to be a sarcasm.
But the clever and delicate play of this intricate affair with”balls” as you interpret seconding Dr Tin Maung Maung Than is based entirely on admittedly universally accepted version of Thein Sein government as a separate entity rather than simply a Public Relation outfit of Than Shwe who is in fact upping the aggressive and cruel military onslaught and selling out the chunks of the country to all while still honouring the previous sales to his erstwhlie best friend China.
Currently active combat forces and the government arms are simply sharing the work in their own sphere with only one purpose so that there is no real threat from the military as such to the other arm. Change of tack, that can be. But that would not change the overall situation because as far as the Kachin and the poeple looted of their lands are concerned, it cannot get worse. And at least all the grievances will be out in the open.
In the other matter, the desirability of rapidly integrating into the mainstream economy of the world which is not a shining example itself, is at best doubtful.
Definately not as it seems to be developing. There has to be social cohesion and development as well as education while retaining all the vibrant culture for all assisted by the international community first, before all the rivers are dammed (condemned), country intersected into pieces with rails and roads for the “Asians”, soil destroyed and poisoned looking for possible hidden treasures, fertile farms confiscated for factories and coastal line damaged for the sake of having a light sky train and couple of ship-shape buildings in Rangoon.
So you don’t think killing unarmed protesters has any bearing on Abhisit’s inability to win votes?
Remember he had no mandate before he ordered the army to start shooting.
He is hated and with good reason.
All the other stuff you mention – inflation etc – is very important, of course. Can’t see anyone denying that here….
But, when a popularly elected government is bringing the bad news people will more likely suck it up when compared to a government, imposed by brutal force, doing the same.
The Dems had no legitimate democratic claim on power. The blood is on their hands.
(It would be great to see you make one single comment where you don’t engage in pathetic attempts at put-downs Dan. Just stick to the debate and calm the feck down, eh?).
My only addition to the not quite exhaustive collection of elephant sayings, perhaps also in reply to the author’s legitimate concern, has to be: hsin wunkadaw ajounk-ja hsin lee tamama (the wife of the minister for elephants worrying about the animal’s burden of carrying its own balls and minded to help).
Far from disagreeing with ASSK/NLD in their latest gambit, probably a calculated risk albeit rather dependent on her Western supporters staying firm despite an eye on the mutually desired investment and business opportunities, I’d say it’s worth upping the ante. They’ve done it successfully once for re-registering the party, even if the permissiveness may not extend this far since they are now exactly where the govt wanted them. Still it’s an oath not the Constitution itself…yet.
An unnecessary sticking point (the bull elephant stuck at the tail) maybe. There’s evidently some cajones in this move. The stakes are high for both sides, but the animal probably won’t drop them.
Half an hour ago I was reading and enjoying the photo essay presented on this page. Fifteen minutes ago I was getting stuck into the discussions in the comments. Now I’m watching another round of egos colliding in battle.
And just for the record, my dad’s bigger than your dad.
Do not think that things will be as dramatic as an “up rising” Greg. There is a big difference between Phillipines and others you mentioned compared to Malaysia. The only danger is Najib going the emergency route if BN loses the election (for Federal control) I do not believe that BN will lose Federal this time round, maybe the one following, but not this round.
The middle class band is too large in Malaysia and are generally quite comfortable. For the time being, though high, the corruption level is still tolerable to the middle class. Despite all the bitching and moaning, live is still pretty good… and that my friend is the “core” issue. Anyway I personally believe anything is to be gained from an “uprising” – Phillipines is still in the “$@#*!”
“That they sent the army in to shoot unarmed civilians. I guess that’s irrelevant to Dan as he sweats his way around Thailand.”
Another nice bit of polemic says the anonymous man with more incarnations than Vishnu…… But actually whatever the ins and outs of the events of Rajaprasong…. The real concerns here are the mundane normalities of the sharply rising cost of living, fuel prices, job losses, economic uncertainty etc etc…. Those are the issues that will swing those not overly concerned with the Red agenda and those were the voters PT succeeded in convincing….. And it was those voters who turned out for PT in numbers. Whatever one thinks of either of the main parties, the Dems failed miserably to connect with voters and nor did they try and PT did the absolute opposite as did TRT and the PPP before them….. This was probably the Dems last chance to rally some credibility and it is not just the fact that they lost but that they were absolutely crushed that may well mean they are finished forever. They managed to hold central Bangkok, but interestingly the one ward that went to PT was Dusit…. Which is largely people by the military giving you some indication of the fact that huge numbers of serving soldiers in those barracks also voted PT….
That may not suit the polemic agenda of farang propagandists (by whom I do NOT mean the worthy Nick Nostitz or the worthy Andrew macgregor Marshall) living in London whose lives are spent spitting venom and vitriol on the internet largely under false names….. But it is a reality none the less…. Go check it out….. It might take more than a 3 week holiday though…..
“B. During the election the Dems had a chance to really show and invigorated sense of ‘caring’ about the people they ask to vote for them…. Problem is they really don’t have one…. ”
Here is what Abhisit said after the Democrats under Chuan had been badly beaten by Thaksin’s TRT in 2001:
“We didn’t lose because of poor campaigning. After three years in office, the government had stopped responding to the people. This is the main and most important reason.” (The Nation, January 9, 2001)
Maybe, the Democrats need some more time of adjustment, and, maybe, they won’t be able to reform themselves?
And, yes, Abhisit’s crackdown on the red shirt protestors was a rather idiosyncratic way of showing their sense of “caring.”
Facebook 
Twitter 
Soundcloud 
Youtube 
Rss
Chut Wutty: Tragic casualty of Cambodia’s dirty war to save forests
Very, very sad, someone murdered standing up the the forces of evil and greed with only their courage to support them. There are indeed similarities in Cambodia to the worldwide financial fraud, where politicians and regulators are co-opted, so that the insatiable greed of the few can flourish unhindered, there too whistle blowers are often found “suicided”.
Bersih 3.0 – What next Mr. Najib Razak?
Another of the thousands of UMNO’s injustices: London will again elect their Mayor soon; in NZ and in all true democracies all mayors are elected. Not appointed by incumbent ‘majority’ Party or pushed through the back door, to help their dirty politics in Sarawak, and throughout Malaysia. Appalling! Crooked! Rotten system! All these must change and The Opposition, the NGOs and the people must push to stop this nonsense immediately, starting today!
PM Najib & Home Minister Hishamuddin weren’t even elected. So is the unelected Mayor of KL Fuad. In the KL Fed Territory 11 out of 12 MPs are from Opposition. Yet, the Mayor of KL is appointed by the PM as is the Minister of Fed Territory, Raja Nong Chik, not an elected MP got in through the backdoor ! The 11 elected Opposition MP’s have no say in the administration of KL! A rogue regime! I wonder who gave the order to murder and blow up Altantuya in 2006 with C4 plastic explosives ?
Chut Wutty: Tragic casualty of Cambodia’s dirty war to save forests
Condolences to the family of this brave man. Cambodia will remember him.
The sort of things multiplied by thousands heading our way to Burma, desperately invited by the military, the venerable highly celebrated oppositions and the wise commentators alike for “progress and prosperity” and catching up with the rest of the world and all that.
Can’t wait!
Oh! It WILL be different in Burma? Yes, if one is delusional.
Chiranuch Premchaiporn verdict (not) today
One gets the sense that there is some disarray going on behind the scenes on how to deal with this.
Jiew’s imprisonment would damage this government badly – PT & Yingluck have nothing to gain by doing so.
There are also certainly plenty of “yellow” figures in the judiciary who would be more than prepared to sacrifice Jiew in order to damage PT.
If the govt intervenes too strongly on the case, demanding Jiew is released, they will be condemned for meddling in the justice system.
On the sidelines stand the USA and their servants in Human Rights Watch – both heavily implicated as supporters of the 2006 coup and fearful of the present government shifting Thailand to face north and eastwards towards China – the Dems and the military. Jiew being jailed would aid them all massively in damaging the reputation of the present government.
I empathise with Jiew – the Democrat and Abhisit government repeatedly tried to censor Prachatai and began the worst lese majeste witch hunt in Thailand’s history. The irony is that if she is imprisoned they stand to gain the most from that outcome. Jiew has been inadvertently caught up in all this and the long drawn out psychological impact must be taking its toll.
Let’s all hope she is found innocent.
Chiranuch Premchaiporn verdict (not) today
Guilty!
I could NOT recall anyone, Thai or foreigner, who had been judicially tried for LM and exonerated . . . but I could be wrong.
Chiranuch Premchaiporn verdict (not) today
The question still is … Chiranuch behind bars … for good?.
But they’ve blinked. And in doing so they’ve managed to refocus the attention of all those who were only peripherally aware of their sordid ‘little’ political persecution racket onto their tawdry selves at this point. Can that consciously be for more dramatic effect at their next wretched miscarriage of justice? They must be able to scrape together a single brain’s worth of grey cells among the lot of them. So I think (or I hope) that they are finally backing down.
Of course, petty little people that the Pu Yai are, they’re keeping poor Chiranuch hanging for another month … hoping yet to find someone who will play executioner, perhaps? Let’s keep the names of the ‘judges’ well-publicized.
Chut Wutty: Tragic casualty of Cambodia’s dirty war to save forests
That’s not just true of Cambodia, it’s true of Lao, Thailand, Burma … China, Japan, Germany and the USA as well.
It’s not just the villagers, community leaders, NGOs and donors of Cambodia who are unable to take action against injustice … it’s the Laos, Thais, the peoples of Burma … of China, Japan, Germany and the USA as well …unable to stop the damming of the Mekong, the rape of village lands, the nuclear power plants that have so ravaged their lives and land, the wars of aggression in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen …
NGOs are corporations. Corporations are by nature corrupt. This is not in the least ‘remarkable’…
You mean unlikely “to make a difference”? It’s not just “unlikely” the mainstream will fail to do so … it’s a dead sure thing.
Chiranuch Premchaiporn verdict (not) today
I saw the announcement on Thai TV 3 after 12:00 noon today.
Songkran in Cambodia: Red Shirts meet Thaksin
Thanks for all of these comments:
Now let’s get this back on to the topic of the Red Shirt rally in Cambodia. Nothing else is going to be approved on this thread of comments from here on out. Thanks for your understanding.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
When not to swear in public
It does all sound extremely wise, clever and elevated. The very fact that most “ordinary people” would not have a clue after reading them through several times does abode ill for the future of NLD.
At a time extraordinarily large and intensive shelling with large weapons and air power on a civilian establishment is happening first time in the history of Burma, one has to excuse the people if they do not show much appreciation for this particular clever and wonderful winning strategy.
When not to swear in public
If the strategy is to get “the Constitution” onto the agenda as quickly as possible, it is difficult to see what better action could have been taken. It may have taken months/years for a window to open for any discussion of the constitution within the Assembly procedures as they are taking shape.
At the same time, future substantial amendments will require wide-spread and vocal public support, either to pressure the various wings of the USDP or by way of referendum support. To lead such a charge, the NLD will need to extablish its credentials within the Assembly as an effective policy force on issues of concern to the bulk of the population. They can’t stay outside.
One audience for the NLD’s decision not to take the oath may well be its own “hardliners”. I think equally important audiences sit within the USDP.
Songkran in Cambodia: Red Shirts meet Thaksin
# 95 pro-democracy-bla-bla-sweaty-in-Thailand-bit-of-a-cyber-stalker
“The Dems had no legitimate democratic claim on power. The blood is on their hands. So you don’t think killing unarmed protesters has any bearing on Abhisit’s inability to win votes?”
That’s a pretty stupid and ill informed question bla bla.
“Remember he had no mandate before he ordered the army to start shooting.”
You just shot yourself in the foot. Even if he had a mandate to rule as Prime Minister he would never have had a mandate to ‘kill unarmed protesters’…. Can you not even be consistent according to your own world view?
“All the other stuff you mention – inflation etc – is very important, of course. Can’t see anyone denying that here….”
How gracious of you bla bla…. er… I beg your pardon… I meant ‘sweaty’.
“But, when a popularly elected government is bringing the bad news people will more likely suck it up when compared to a government, imposed by brutal force, doing the same.”
Or indeed Asterix the Gaul…. You do understand how parliamentary systems work don’t you sweaty bla bla?
“The Dems had no legitimate democratic claim on power. The blood is on their hands.”
These two statements are called a non sequitur I am afraid sweaty….. Also bear in mind the Red shirt leadership demanded elections. Abhisit granted them elections. Having got what they demanded, the Red leadership then refused the elections they had previously demanded. The ‘unarmed’ Red shirts then started killing people on Silom Road with live munitions…. Quite a talent for unarmed protesters it has to be said….. Then, when they were cleared (after having been granted the elections they had originally demanded and refused), the army went in with their usual incompetence as conscript armies are won’t to do. …..91 dead for what?…. An election that was demanded and granted or the election that was going to happen anyway and they were always likely to win?….. Strangely enough the whole skulking band of ‘brave’ propagandists in the Red shirt leadership who had spent the last few months inspiring their flock to rise up against the ‘amart’ fled just before the proverbial excrement hit the proverbial fan and they emerged unscathed to live another day and drink good wine in expensive restaurants in Thonglor or mooch around Cambodia whining idiocies about Chairman Mao, having deserted the faithful they had inspired to die in the streets…. Courageous men and women all.
“(It would be great to see you make one single comment where you don’t engage in pathetic attempts at put-downs Dan. Just stick to the debate and calm the feck down, eh?). ”
Er…..since when was the clearing of Rajaprasong the debate on this thread? It would be good if you abrogated for eternity the life of a stalker and used your real name when you spout meaningless vitriol.
The elephant and Myanmar politics
U Moe Aung,
Your comment does indeed sounds sage even though the other sage in the comment was supposed to be a sarcasm.
But the clever and delicate play of this intricate affair with”balls” as you interpret seconding Dr Tin Maung Maung Than is based entirely on admittedly universally accepted version of Thein Sein government as a separate entity rather than simply a Public Relation outfit of Than Shwe who is in fact upping the aggressive and cruel military onslaught and selling out the chunks of the country to all while still honouring the previous sales to his erstwhlie best friend China.
Currently active combat forces and the government arms are simply sharing the work in their own sphere with only one purpose so that there is no real threat from the military as such to the other arm. Change of tack, that can be. But that would not change the overall situation because as far as the Kachin and the poeple looted of their lands are concerned, it cannot get worse. And at least all the grievances will be out in the open.
In the other matter, the desirability of rapidly integrating into the mainstream economy of the world which is not a shining example itself, is at best doubtful.
Definately not as it seems to be developing. There has to be social cohesion and development as well as education while retaining all the vibrant culture for all assisted by the international community first, before all the rivers are dammed (condemned), country intersected into pieces with rails and roads for the “Asians”, soil destroyed and poisoned looking for possible hidden treasures, fertile farms confiscated for factories and coastal line damaged for the sake of having a light sky train and couple of ship-shape buildings in Rangoon.
Songkran in Cambodia: Red Shirts meet Thaksin
Dan
So you don’t think killing unarmed protesters has any bearing on Abhisit’s inability to win votes?
Remember he had no mandate before he ordered the army to start shooting.
He is hated and with good reason.
All the other stuff you mention – inflation etc – is very important, of course. Can’t see anyone denying that here….
But, when a popularly elected government is bringing the bad news people will more likely suck it up when compared to a government, imposed by brutal force, doing the same.
The Dems had no legitimate democratic claim on power. The blood is on their hands.
(It would be great to see you make one single comment where you don’t engage in pathetic attempts at put-downs Dan. Just stick to the debate and calm the feck down, eh?).
The elephant and Myanmar politics
Thanks, Ohn.
My only addition to the not quite exhaustive collection of elephant sayings, perhaps also in reply to the author’s legitimate concern, has to be: hsin wunkadaw ajounk-ja hsin lee tamama (the wife of the minister for elephants worrying about the animal’s burden of carrying its own balls and minded to help).
Far from disagreeing with ASSK/NLD in their latest gambit, probably a calculated risk albeit rather dependent on her Western supporters staying firm despite an eye on the mutually desired investment and business opportunities, I’d say it’s worth upping the ante. They’ve done it successfully once for re-registering the party, even if the permissiveness may not extend this far since they are now exactly where the govt wanted them. Still it’s an oath not the Constitution itself…yet.
An unnecessary sticking point (the bull elephant stuck at the tail) maybe. There’s evidently some cajones in this move. The stakes are high for both sides, but the animal probably won’t drop them.
Bersih 3.0 – What next Mr. Najib Razak?
Thanks Neptunian & the jolly crew of Sibeh Ah Beng for your views.
True that Malaysia’s history of civil society movement is not as violent as the others in the region, and that it has a large middle class population.
But I think this gives a false sense of security.
There are groups of people – supporters of certain political parties – with very strong ideology – which cannot tolerate this nonsense for long.
Songkran in Cambodia: Red Shirts meet Thaksin
Half an hour ago I was reading and enjoying the photo essay presented on this page. Fifteen minutes ago I was getting stuck into the discussions in the comments. Now I’m watching another round of egos colliding in battle.
And just for the record, my dad’s bigger than your dad.
Bersih 3.0 – What next Mr. Najib Razak?
Do not think that things will be as dramatic as an “up rising” Greg. There is a big difference between Phillipines and others you mentioned compared to Malaysia. The only danger is Najib going the emergency route if BN loses the election (for Federal control) I do not believe that BN will lose Federal this time round, maybe the one following, but not this round.
The middle class band is too large in Malaysia and are generally quite comfortable. For the time being, though high, the corruption level is still tolerable to the middle class. Despite all the bitching and moaning, live is still pretty good… and that my friend is the “core” issue. Anyway I personally believe anything is to be gained from an “uprising” – Phillipines is still in the “$@#*!”
Songkran in Cambodia: Red Shirts meet Thaksin
#88 ‘pro democracy’ blah, blah, blah etc etc
“That they sent the army in to shoot unarmed civilians. I guess that’s irrelevant to Dan as he sweats his way around Thailand.”
Another nice bit of polemic says the anonymous man with more incarnations than Vishnu…… But actually whatever the ins and outs of the events of Rajaprasong…. The real concerns here are the mundane normalities of the sharply rising cost of living, fuel prices, job losses, economic uncertainty etc etc…. Those are the issues that will swing those not overly concerned with the Red agenda and those were the voters PT succeeded in convincing….. And it was those voters who turned out for PT in numbers. Whatever one thinks of either of the main parties, the Dems failed miserably to connect with voters and nor did they try and PT did the absolute opposite as did TRT and the PPP before them….. This was probably the Dems last chance to rally some credibility and it is not just the fact that they lost but that they were absolutely crushed that may well mean they are finished forever. They managed to hold central Bangkok, but interestingly the one ward that went to PT was Dusit…. Which is largely people by the military giving you some indication of the fact that huge numbers of serving soldiers in those barracks also voted PT….
That may not suit the polemic agenda of farang propagandists (by whom I do NOT mean the worthy Nick Nostitz or the worthy Andrew macgregor Marshall) living in London whose lives are spent spitting venom and vitriol on the internet largely under false names….. But it is a reality none the less…. Go check it out….. It might take more than a 3 week holiday though…..
Songkran in Cambodia: Red Shirts meet Thaksin
#86 Dan
“B. During the election the Dems had a chance to really show and invigorated sense of ‘caring’ about the people they ask to vote for them…. Problem is they really don’t have one…. ”
Here is what Abhisit said after the Democrats under Chuan had been badly beaten by Thaksin’s TRT in 2001:
“We didn’t lose because of poor campaigning. After three years in office, the government had stopped responding to the people. This is the main and most important reason.” (The Nation, January 9, 2001)
Maybe, the Democrats need some more time of adjustment, and, maybe, they won’t be able to reform themselves?
And, yes, Abhisit’s crackdown on the red shirt protestors was a rather idiosyncratic way of showing their sense of “caring.”