The criticism of Andrew Marshall’s constant updates and revisions, as well as his abrupt change of focus from ‘Thai Story’ to KBBALW, are understandable. However, there is also a misunderstanding of how a journalist typically works compared with an historian or academic. Perhaps Andrew, as he transitions from one profession to the other, is also grappling with these changes?
As a former international correspondent myself, I can see how Andrew’s training still dictates his writing. His natural instincts compel him to write things down as events unfold, as a good reporter does. The historian or academic, however, waits for the fullness of time before reviewing events, often long after they have unfolded.
Personally, I appreciate Andrew’s remarkable contributions, and on a professional level I admire his skill, his insights and his journalistic zeal, which are a credit to his former profession. I think his ‘Thai story’ is excellent, and a rather sad reflection on Reuters commitment to its journalists in troubled theaters.
Unlike Handley, another former journalist, Andrew hasn’t waited for the fullness of time to gather his thoughts and painstakingly put them down in a single edited draft, a book perhaps. I hope one day he does.
Moe Aung, I’m really disappointed in you. I can’t believe you made such a horrible mistake, if it is a mistake. Maybe you’re turning in to another Plan B. I’m going to have difficulty believing anything you write from now on. The Western governments are co-religionists with the ethnic minorities!?!? Seriously? Jesus said by their fruits you shall know them, and their fruits clearly show that they and the Burmese military regime are the co-religionists; both are devout worshippers of unrighteous Mammon.
A lighter note:
Thailand’s leading comedian and independent film maker Udom Taephanich has earned and more than earned a place in the hearts of Thais with his “Alone at the microphone” standup comedy. For anyone with a working knowledge of Thai who needs a laugh and some insight into the Thai psyche, check Udom out at Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/people/Udom-Taephanich/100001647745054?sk=wall. His Thai Wiki info appears at th.wikipedia.org/wiki/р╕нр╕╕р╕Фр╕б_р╣Бр╕Хр╣Йр╕Юр╕▓р╕Щр╕┤р╕К
oh come on, guys, if u wanna compare with S’pore, no doubts that the Government ruled by Chinese, loyalty & honest.
Being here in M’sia is like half of hell, salary never increased, but groceries increased from time to time, we richer one may affordable to purchase goods, what about other in poverty ? The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, who to blame ? M’sia has 3 different ethnics. Don forget get that, the smart get smarter, the (pig) dumb get dumbest. .. we rich one can migrate to oversea. no big deal, no problem at ‘ll. Since western country has better bacon, no doubts about it ! Cheers
If I can bring the discussion back to the subject of KBAALW, one thing that struck me in particular was the disgraceful way that Pridi Banomyong is treated in the book. Long-discredited innuendos are repeated, and I must admit I found this the most troubling element of the entire project.
On page 86 KBAALW states: “For Pridi Banomyong, the coup and accusations against him after King Ananda’s death were the final blows to his political career. As the wartime regent and incumbent prime minister he had at the very least failed to keep King Ananda safe.”
On page 87 it manages to leave lingering suspicion with this sentence: “Many did not believe Pridi had played any role in King Ananda’s death, but after the 1949 failed coup he never came home and offered no explanation himself beyond saying he did not know who was responsible.”
For a book written with the involvement of several foreign academics and journalists to say this in 2012 is really not acceptable. That is one reason I have felt the need to clarify this issue in my lengthy review.
Re: Plan B. In the old days when regime pr was run by Col. Hla Min and the Okkar crowd, the quality of obfuscatory posts was better. After the purges of MI, we got more of Plan B’s type of stuff. Now that Khin Nyunt is released, has Hla Min also been released? Might make for a good interview…
Indeed, it’s terribly sad to see a child in the situation described. That’s equally true when looking at the orphaned and ill babies or teenaged mine victims who are brought across at Myawaddy to access Dr. Cynthia’s medical clinic.
But for Plan B to fail to mention that the government spends an extraordinarily low percentage of the national budget on public health (while lavishing money on the army and the construction of Nay Pyi Daw for instance), or that, according to the IMF, it has been using exchange rate shenanigans to avoid putting $6 billion in natural gas revenues into the budget itself, shows his/her true stripes.
In fact this is the time for those of us wanting to believe that real change is under way, to look at the profoundly corrupt state of the economy and society (among the worst in the world for corruption and lack of economic freedom) while trying to envision a way forward that provides broad-based benefits across society and undermines the stranglehold enjoyed by a small number of military and crony capitalists.
Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh didn’t declare the tribals of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh as the noncitizens of Bangladesh, as Rohingyas were officially declared by the Burmese military government at the recommendation by a group led by Aye Kyaw as noncitizens.What Hasina was saying about the tribals is that they are not the indigenous people of Chittagong Hill Tracts. Please check their origin, Chakmas left Arakan during the 14th century, Rakhine Moghs of Cox’s Bazar left Arakan to settle in Cox’s Bazar as late as during the British period to escape Budapaya’s invasion, and the Marma during King Razagri’s time which I believe during the 15th century. She is not against the tribals, she is very sympathetic to the tribals. She is asking the tribals that historically they are not indigenous to the land. This in no way denying their their citizenship rights.
Hasina is helping the tribals of Chittagong Hill Tracts by implementing the peace treaty signed between the tribals and her government. Her government is very much favoring the tribals. The present Bangladesh ambassador to Burma is a Chakma person. Can you believe this type of trust by the Burmese government with the Rohingyas? Xenophobia is so strong in Arakan that perhaps this type of trust with the Burmese Rohingya people will not happen in our life time! Burma is changing, if such changes takes place in Arakan the tringle of Rakhine-Rohingya-Burm, if Rohingya citizenship rights are restored, it will be a true change.
Please check the video:
Stateless Rohingya … running empty
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wShJ0dv121U&feature=player_embedded
A couple of posts have asked about the book being brought out in Thai. I have no idea, but in the press action when it was released at the FCCT, Anand hyped it as being meant to “help Thai and foreign readers understand the whole gamut of Thailand’s 750-year-old institution and all related implications, real or imagined, especially those related to HM the King, his role and life-long work.”
When he speaks of “Thais” does he just mean the Eton-Oxford lot? When I read this I assumed that the book would be in Thai for Thais, but maybe I was confusing Anand’s Thais with Thais more generally.
Would all those who have shown spite and small-mindedness towards Andrew Marshall please submit their entries to match ‘Thai Story’, or any entry at all that makes even a small contribution towards greater understanding of Thailand. I see none. This blog has a fine tradition of attacking the argument and not the man, and is largely self policed by a generally well-educated and intelligent community who treasure the opportunity it provides. Some of the comments here smack of rank jealousy and petty name calling from the peanut gallery.
Expats in Malaysia continue to be a force for fighting corruption in Malaysia as witnessed by a two hour dialogue with senior officials from the relevant government department. The co-founder of Transparency International was there too.
I don’t have a problem with negative comments and red thumbs, it goes with the territory. Obviously my actions last year annoyed a lot of people, and my very harsh review of KBAALW has annoyed a lot more people, and I was well aware that would happen. Since I have been very critical in my own comments, I can hardly complain when others want to criticize me. I think New Mandala readers can judge each comment on its merits.
However, I am concerned that this thread is starting to be a bit too much about me, and too little about KBAALW and Paul Handley’s review of it. As a courtesy to Paul especially, it would seem sensible to me that we focus our comments here on KBAALW, and his review, and our opinions about that review, which is, I think, a fruitful discussion to have.
For those wanting to attack me personally in general, there is another recent thread about my KBAALW review and I think it would make more sense, and be more respectful to the majority of readers, if you vent your annoyance there instead.
Andrew Macgregor marshall is floundering badly. The problems are these:
A. he knows little of the country he writes about and has problems justifying his own over forceful views. Hios reasoning is often flimsy and inept.
B. He has now been flummoxed by better and more complex authorities from what he might consider his own ‘side’. Streckfuss is highly regarded universally and writes for this book. Handley is also highly regarded and reviews it harshly but fairly.
Whilst I have no doubt that Mr Marshall was considered a truly valuable corporate cog in the bigger corporate machine when he was a salaried employee for so long at Thomson Reauters (even during his very short stint in the Thailand office), he is now in the wider world….. And like so many newly arrived backpackers, he has blown a few circuits…. There are a hundred like him right now looking a wee bit bug eyed on the Khao San Road…. He will settle down…. He just has to grow up first.
> “Seems as if AGM is getting prejudicial treatment on this website, generally negative. Is it because of how he handled it or content of what he says? Just asking…”
Are you talking about Andrew MacGregor Marshall? There are possibly four people sitting on this page the whole day long who seem to be gunning for him. Almost immediately after he posts anything, that comment gets a “Quality comment or not?” score of 4. Then perhaps the same bunch come back on different IP addresses and score him down again. Right now I can see a -11 and a couple of -9 ratings.
#10 asked if this book will be translated into Thai. This question was posed to Anand at the FCCT launch and he said there was no decision on this, which I take to mean not likely. The book is obviously aimed at foreigners who may have got the ‘wrong’ idea of HM.
Anand was also asked about the lack of public discussion of LM in contrast to the lively online debate. His response is worth quoting as it sums up the doublespeak of Thai royalists, liberal or otherwise. “The Thai public decided to silence themselves,” he said. Right, it just happened to them, as Paul might say.
Seems as if AGM is getting prejudicial treatment on this website, generally negative. Is it because of how he handled it or content of what he says? Just asking…
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Review of A Life’s Work
The criticism of Andrew Marshall’s constant updates and revisions, as well as his abrupt change of focus from ‘Thai Story’ to KBBALW, are understandable. However, there is also a misunderstanding of how a journalist typically works compared with an historian or academic. Perhaps Andrew, as he transitions from one profession to the other, is also grappling with these changes?
As a former international correspondent myself, I can see how Andrew’s training still dictates his writing. His natural instincts compel him to write things down as events unfold, as a good reporter does. The historian or academic, however, waits for the fullness of time before reviewing events, often long after they have unfolded.
Personally, I appreciate Andrew’s remarkable contributions, and on a professional level I admire his skill, his insights and his journalistic zeal, which are a credit to his former profession. I think his ‘Thai story’ is excellent, and a rather sad reflection on Reuters commitment to its journalists in troubled theaters.
Unlike Handley, another former journalist, Andrew hasn’t waited for the fullness of time to gather his thoughts and painstakingly put them down in a single edited draft, a book perhaps. I hope one day he does.
Australia makes Burma move
Moe Aung, I’m really disappointed in you. I can’t believe you made such a horrible mistake, if it is a mistake. Maybe you’re turning in to another Plan B. I’m going to have difficulty believing anything you write from now on. The Western governments are co-religionists with the ethnic minorities!?!? Seriously? Jesus said by their fruits you shall know them, and their fruits clearly show that they and the Burmese military regime are the co-religionists; both are devout worshippers of unrighteous Mammon.
Thai media culture in the eyes of a foreigner
A lighter note:
Thailand’s leading comedian and independent film maker Udom Taephanich has earned and more than earned a place in the hearts of Thais with his “Alone at the microphone” standup comedy. For anyone with a working knowledge of Thai who needs a laugh and some insight into the Thai psyche, check Udom out at Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/people/Udom-Taephanich/100001647745054?sk=wall. His Thai Wiki info appears at th.wikipedia.org/wiki/р╕нр╕╕р╕Фр╕б_р╣Бр╕Хр╣Йр╕Юр╕▓р╕Щр╕┤р╕К
Review of A Life’s Work
Thanks for all of these comments,
I have just updated the review to correct a small number of typos.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
Expats share their views on corruption in Malaysia
oh come on, guys, if u wanna compare with S’pore, no doubts that the Government ruled by Chinese, loyalty & honest.
Being here in M’sia is like half of hell, salary never increased, but groceries increased from time to time, we richer one may affordable to purchase goods, what about other in poverty ? The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, who to blame ? M’sia has 3 different ethnics. Don forget get that, the smart get smarter, the (pig) dumb get dumbest. .. we rich one can migrate to oversea. no big deal, no problem at ‘ll. Since western country has better bacon, no doubts about it ! Cheers
Review of A Life’s Work
If I can bring the discussion back to the subject of KBAALW, one thing that struck me in particular was the disgraceful way that Pridi Banomyong is treated in the book. Long-discredited innuendos are repeated, and I must admit I found this the most troubling element of the entire project.
On page 86 KBAALW states: “For Pridi Banomyong, the coup and accusations against him after King Ananda’s death were the final blows to his political career. As the wartime regent and incumbent prime minister he had at the very least failed to keep King Ananda safe.”
On page 87 it manages to leave lingering suspicion with this sentence: “Many did not believe Pridi had played any role in King Ananda’s death, but after the 1949 failed coup he never came home and offered no explanation himself beyond saying he did not know who was responsible.”
For a book written with the involvement of several foreign academics and journalists to say this in 2012 is really not acceptable. That is one reason I have felt the need to clarify this issue in my lengthy review.
Out of the Burmese daze?
Re: Plan B. In the old days when regime pr was run by Col. Hla Min and the Okkar crowd, the quality of obfuscatory posts was better. After the purges of MI, we got more of Plan B’s type of stuff. Now that Khin Nyunt is released, has Hla Min also been released? Might make for a good interview…
Indeed, it’s terribly sad to see a child in the situation described. That’s equally true when looking at the orphaned and ill babies or teenaged mine victims who are brought across at Myawaddy to access Dr. Cynthia’s medical clinic.
But for Plan B to fail to mention that the government spends an extraordinarily low percentage of the national budget on public health (while lavishing money on the army and the construction of Nay Pyi Daw for instance), or that, according to the IMF, it has been using exchange rate shenanigans to avoid putting $6 billion in natural gas revenues into the budget itself, shows his/her true stripes.
In fact this is the time for those of us wanting to believe that real change is under way, to look at the profoundly corrupt state of the economy and society (among the worst in the world for corruption and lack of economic freedom) while trying to envision a way forward that provides broad-based benefits across society and undermines the stranglehold enjoyed by a small number of military and crony capitalists.
BBC under fire on Rohingyas
Aung Pru,
Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh didn’t declare the tribals of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh as the noncitizens of Bangladesh, as Rohingyas were officially declared by the Burmese military government at the recommendation by a group led by Aye Kyaw as noncitizens.What Hasina was saying about the tribals is that they are not the indigenous people of Chittagong Hill Tracts. Please check their origin, Chakmas left Arakan during the 14th century, Rakhine Moghs of Cox’s Bazar left Arakan to settle in Cox’s Bazar as late as during the British period to escape Budapaya’s invasion, and the Marma during King Razagri’s time which I believe during the 15th century. She is not against the tribals, she is very sympathetic to the tribals. She is asking the tribals that historically they are not indigenous to the land. This in no way denying their their citizenship rights.
Hasina is helping the tribals of Chittagong Hill Tracts by implementing the peace treaty signed between the tribals and her government. Her government is very much favoring the tribals. The present Bangladesh ambassador to Burma is a Chakma person. Can you believe this type of trust by the Burmese government with the Rohingyas? Xenophobia is so strong in Arakan that perhaps this type of trust with the Burmese Rohingya people will not happen in our life time! Burma is changing, if such changes takes place in Arakan the tringle of Rakhine-Rohingya-Burm, if Rohingya citizenship rights are restored, it will be a true change.
Please check the video:
Stateless Rohingya … running empty
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wShJ0dv121U&feature=player_embedded
Review of A Life’s Work
“Prem’s well publicised talks to military units ahead of the coup “were not made in his capacity as Privy Council president” (p. 323).”
Is Prem р╕ир╕гр╕╡р╕Шр╕Щр╕Нр╕Кр╕▒р╕в (Srithanonchai) or Thailand is a р╕Хр╕нр╣Бр╕лр╕ер╣Бр╕ер╕Щр╕Фр╣М (lie land)?
There is no question…
Political Prisoners in Thailand is now being blocked in Thailand.
Review of A Life’s Work
A couple of posts have asked about the book being brought out in Thai. I have no idea, but in the press action when it was released at the FCCT, Anand hyped it as being meant to “help Thai and foreign readers understand the whole gamut of Thailand’s 750-year-old institution and all related implications, real or imagined, especially those related to HM the King, his role and life-long work.”
When he speaks of “Thais” does he just mean the Eton-Oxford lot? When I read this I assumed that the book would be in Thai for Thais, but maybe I was confusing Anand’s Thais with Thais more generally.
Review of A Life’s Work
Would all those who have shown spite and small-mindedness towards Andrew Marshall please submit their entries to match ‘Thai Story’, or any entry at all that makes even a small contribution towards greater understanding of Thailand. I see none. This blog has a fine tradition of attacking the argument and not the man, and is largely self policed by a generally well-educated and intelligent community who treasure the opportunity it provides. Some of the comments here smack of rank jealousy and petty name calling from the peanut gallery.
Expats share their views on corruption in Malaysia
Expats in Malaysia continue to be a force for fighting corruption in Malaysia as witnessed by a two hour dialogue with senior officials from the relevant government department. The co-founder of Transparency International was there too.
Will the Malaysian government listen?
Review of A Life’s Work
I don’t have a problem with negative comments and red thumbs, it goes with the territory. Obviously my actions last year annoyed a lot of people, and my very harsh review of KBAALW has annoyed a lot more people, and I was well aware that would happen. Since I have been very critical in my own comments, I can hardly complain when others want to criticize me. I think New Mandala readers can judge each comment on its merits.
However, I am concerned that this thread is starting to be a bit too much about me, and too little about KBAALW and Paul Handley’s review of it. As a courtesy to Paul especially, it would seem sensible to me that we focus our comments here on KBAALW, and his review, and our opinions about that review, which is, I think, a fruitful discussion to have.
For those wanting to attack me personally in general, there is another recent thread about my KBAALW review and I think it would make more sense, and be more respectful to the majority of readers, if you vent your annoyance there instead.
Best wishes
Andrew
Review of A Life’s Work
A very comprehensive review here.
Just to let you know of a couple of typos:
– “Anand’s foreword”, not “Anand’s forward”
– “Thanom and Praphas”, not “Thanong and Praphas”
Review of A Life’s Work
Andrew Macgregor marshall is floundering badly. The problems are these:
A. he knows little of the country he writes about and has problems justifying his own over forceful views. Hios reasoning is often flimsy and inept.
B. He has now been flummoxed by better and more complex authorities from what he might consider his own ‘side’. Streckfuss is highly regarded universally and writes for this book. Handley is also highly regarded and reviews it harshly but fairly.
Whilst I have no doubt that Mr Marshall was considered a truly valuable corporate cog in the bigger corporate machine when he was a salaried employee for so long at Thomson Reauters (even during his very short stint in the Thailand office), he is now in the wider world….. And like so many newly arrived backpackers, he has blown a few circuits…. There are a hundred like him right now looking a wee bit bug eyed on the Khao San Road…. He will settle down…. He just has to grow up first.
Review of A Life’s Work
It’s wonderful when people pick up the wisdom of the times and police themselves. This leads to no need for them to face investigation or prison.
Review of A Life’s Work
> “Seems as if AGM is getting prejudicial treatment on this website, generally negative. Is it because of how he handled it or content of what he says? Just asking…”
Are you talking about Andrew MacGregor Marshall? There are possibly four people sitting on this page the whole day long who seem to be gunning for him. Almost immediately after he posts anything, that comment gets a “Quality comment or not?” score of 4. Then perhaps the same bunch come back on different IP addresses and score him down again. Right now I can see a -11 and a couple of -9 ratings.
Review of A Life’s Work
#10 asked if this book will be translated into Thai. This question was posed to Anand at the FCCT launch and he said there was no decision on this, which I take to mean not likely. The book is obviously aimed at foreigners who may have got the ‘wrong’ idea of HM.
Anand was also asked about the lack of public discussion of LM in contrast to the lively online debate. His response is worth quoting as it sums up the doublespeak of Thai royalists, liberal or otherwise. “The Thai public decided to silence themselves,” he said. Right, it just happened to them, as Paul might say.
Review of A Life’s Work
Seems as if AGM is getting prejudicial treatment on this website, generally negative. Is it because of how he handled it or content of what he says? Just asking…