It’s almost as if hardly a single willfully-irrational, self-deluding person has ever really paid attention to the Lord Buddha specifically, or the essence of what is required in Buddhism in general. Pretense and vindictiveness are out.
It’s too bad that you are frustrated.
Try speaking common sense to someone holding a spiked club, ready to smash your face if you say something he or she does not like. This is the Thai situation today. Common sense quarters around the world are aghast, protest continually, and are blithely dismissed by authorities as “not understanding,” or far worse, those they rightfully attempt to defend are accused, imprisoned, even killed.
I am not interested in personal attacks on his racist beliefs or rhetoric. What deeply concerns me is the anti-constitutional misnamed Peaceful Assembly Bill his government just pushed through yesterday in Parliament in slightly over 4 hours. Under 5 hours, the right to peaceful assembly that Malaysians have enjoyed (whether they exercised it or not before in the past) enshrined in the Constitution has been destroyed. Just like that. Not only does it contravene the rights of children to assemble and organise and participate in such fundamental liberties, it also wipes out any legal possibility for foreign workers, asylum seekers and non-citizens to stage street protests if they want to express their discontent about the violation of their human rights and exploitative labour practices. How have we arrived at this stage of uncivility even as the Prime Minister announced with much pomp and circumstance in September that he would dismantle the draconian Internal Security Act? Can the DPM respond?
We are not blind, deaf and dumb. Even if some lawmakers are blind and deaf. Such a punitive and repressive law is the sign of powerlessness and fear on the part of the Prime Minister and the current ruling government. Thus we as the people live in hope under tyranny in the belief that at the end of the day, we will triumph.
Greg, in your own understandings and knowledge. What do you think will happen if the Opposition is the new govt and another question, will the Malay Sultans be vanished by the Oppositon.
I myself am a Malay boy from Kuantan, Pahang. I like BN but i dont like PKR. They are the going to be the downfall of Malaysia. The Chinese will gradually control our economy and politics. Soon Malaysia will be the same as Indonesia, full of corruption and a big gap between rich and poor.
I dont hate the Chinese or Indians, but we malays were the ‘original’ ones.
Why cant everyone just accept what malaysia is like now, everyone chatting shit bout current govt and policies and bumiputeras.
Why dont we just shut the fuck up and DO something about it together instead of doing some kind for Bersih Revoulution. Next time when PKR got power. Everyone is gunna be so happy. five years later, semmua nak BN balik because BN was better.
Malaysia is a country like no other, we have three races living under the same roof, we all eat the same food, we all bitch about each other and we always say LA. I am still young and learning and have no experience of politics but all i want to say is that we should not fight against each other as malaysians, look at south africa, they got along with each other, why cant we? do we really want to be like Indonesia or even Egypt!
You who can vote at the moment should think first before you vote which party to vote for. One vote can make a difference. It could make your children and grandchildren worse or better. Or even the future of Malaysia too.
What about this vision 2020… vision my ass, lets keep on improving our economy, tourism and make Malaysia a better place.
Joe Gordon went to court today. And as is par for Thai ‘justice’ the reading was Delayed.
The American Embassy Official Expressed Optimism (he is not in jail!!) and several months ago another embassy offical said the Embassy as ‘disappointed’.
Listen American Officals the corrent word is outraged. And failure to recognize this is also an outrage!
Dont be too surprised with the extreme case of irony with the royalist. Last year a group in FB was formed and given the name “Social Sanction”. The irony part is that they were calling themselves the SS, unaware that the acronym SS also stand for Schutzstaffel, Nazi death squad. Another similar group was formed recently named after Pridi’s pro-democracy left leaning group of freedom fighter during WWII, the Seri Thai (Free Thai). The purpose (and action so far) has been nothing more than creating a smear campaign against Yingluck government and has nothing in ideology that resemble to the original Seri Thai.
“Because she couldn’t get through to Dubai?
Because she was out shopping for more (100000 Baht+) shoes?”
Yes we get it, Soonuk Dun.
Not only is she Thaksin’s clone but she is the clone of Imelda Marcos. Shoes. Because why? I guess Soonuk Dun must be thinking that she must be in that Asian mold of shoe-loving dictatorial women.
Ha ha. Very funny.
Now, can Soonuk Dun explain his or her shoe fetish?
Thanks to Simon and Grant for starting this discussion. This is a really serious issue. In fact the video on the World Bank website states: “The 1960s / Partnership begins / Lao PDR joins the International Monetary Fund…”
Unbelievable.
What’s wrong with you? Just seeing the title of the book, i am so frustrated. I understand you have right to express whatever you want but something to hurt the majority’s feeling is too cruel. We love the King. Maybe you are just jealous that we have a very nice King.
Abhisit’s response is calculated and not that of an instinctive defender of freedoms.
It is likely the Dems were pushing the envelope to see what people would put up with. They can also now claim that Abhisit is some kind of defender of “freedom” when it is very clear the opposite is true.
Or maybe, and now I am getting even more cynical, Mallika’s nonsense was a smokescreen to deflect from the fact that Mark and his deputy, Suthep, have just been called in for questioning relating to the deaths of several of their fellow Thai citizens last April/May.
Abhisit is today tweeting that Ms Mallika’s proposal is not Democrat party policy – that’s fully four days after she (an official spokesperson for the party, remember) came out with it.
What to make of this belated input from the party leader? Did Mallika “go off the reservation” – or was she “flying a kite” for the leadership? One way or the other, it appears that she or it has now been hauled back in.
A week ago I wrote about the start of Mallika’s pro-censorship campaign. What Pavin has missed out in his excellent piece is that Mallika announced her campaign at the exact same time as Ar Kong was being sentenced (see my piece here https://bitly.com/s9tKfi)
She also threatened to prosecute Anudith and MICT under article 157 if they didn’t prosecute every single LM case.
Yet, at the same time, pro-Democrat voices in the Bangkok Post (Voranai etc) and Amnesty’s pro-royalist Ben Zawacki are mouthing, for the first time, more liberal sentiment and condemning LM.
Personally, I sense a political strategy of pinning PT down from both sides. One pushing them towards more illiberal policies the other condemning them.
Remember that the Dems are utterly unelectable and completely incapable of forming policies that would be attractive to the Thai electorate. The only way they can ever get back into power is by destabilising the country.
I see Mallika wanting to make a name for herself, gaining coverage and attempting to set herself up as an arch defender of the “faith” and am certain Abhisit feels that there is a lot to gain from Mallika’s stance.
Great piece, Pavin, someone needs to grab the leading Thailand “Democrats” and hold them upside down and shake some common sense into them. Clearly they’ve all been crawling around on the floor and grovelling way too much for their own good.
I can’t understand how people like Mrs. Boonmetrakul and many others like her, don’ see the absurdity and paradoxical implications of what they’re doing – which is theoretically the same as what islamic fundamentalists are doing to islam ( they say they are protecting Islam by using suicide bombers ect. but in reality they are destroying islam!), the same goes for that guy in norway ( you remember the man who went on a rampage at the school retreat) – he was supposedly protecting the Judeo Christian legacy of europe when again in reality he was doing the opposite. These are extreme metaphors, but the idea is clear. It can even be boiled down to the simple analogy of an overprotective parent – afraid that the ‘big bad world’ is too dangerous for there perfect little son, they keep him inside at all times, don’t let him go places ect.ect. and in the end who ends up being hurt the most? the child!! So, paradoxically, Mrs. Boonmetrakul is spending all this time looking for people who are ‘de-faming’ the monarchy when all she has to do is look in the mirror. ( :
Below is a copy of my response as appeared in Prachatai per Dr. Pavin’s open letter to Mullika, one of too many appalling Thai politicians.
It is very hard to shut down the internet. As soon as one site is shut down, another will arise.
I have one proposal for you (Khun Malika) that I think might help. Why don’t we stop teaching people to read and write? It seems the main problem is that people are using their reading and writing skills to spread their ideas.
Another idea might be to ban computers. We got along very well with typewriters just a few years ago. I don’t remember having any problems with people stating their unacceptable ideas to others.
As George Orwell said in the book 1984:
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
P.S. Thank you very much Dr. Pavin for your open letter.
I can’t think a more inappropiate (mis)use of the Anonymous name/symbolism – wearing a Guy Fawkes mask while rallying in favor of the 1%. I guess the irony is lost on them.
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Paul Handley replies to comments
It’s almost as if hardly a single willfully-irrational, self-deluding person has ever really paid attention to the Lord Buddha specifically, or the essence of what is required in Buddhism in general. Pretense and vindictiveness are out.
It’s too bad that you are frustrated.
Try speaking common sense to someone holding a spiked club, ready to smash your face if you say something he or she does not like. This is the Thai situation today. Common sense quarters around the world are aghast, protest continually, and are blithely dismissed by authorities as “not understanding,” or far worse, those they rightfully attempt to defend are accused, imprisoned, even killed.
We’re not racists!
I think he is a comedian. Good that ANU allows comedians to do public lectures. Very entertaining for students.
We’re not racists!
I am not interested in personal attacks on his racist beliefs or rhetoric. What deeply concerns me is the anti-constitutional misnamed Peaceful Assembly Bill his government just pushed through yesterday in Parliament in slightly over 4 hours. Under 5 hours, the right to peaceful assembly that Malaysians have enjoyed (whether they exercised it or not before in the past) enshrined in the Constitution has been destroyed. Just like that. Not only does it contravene the rights of children to assemble and organise and participate in such fundamental liberties, it also wipes out any legal possibility for foreign workers, asylum seekers and non-citizens to stage street protests if they want to express their discontent about the violation of their human rights and exploitative labour practices. How have we arrived at this stage of uncivility even as the Prime Minister announced with much pomp and circumstance in September that he would dismantle the draconian Internal Security Act? Can the DPM respond?
We are not blind, deaf and dumb. Even if some lawmakers are blind and deaf. Such a punitive and repressive law is the sign of powerlessness and fear on the part of the Prime Minister and the current ruling government. Thus we as the people live in hope under tyranny in the belief that at the end of the day, we will triumph.
The 13th General Election in Malaysia
Greg Lopez
Greg, in your own understandings and knowledge. What do you think will happen if the Opposition is the new govt and another question, will the Malay Sultans be vanished by the Oppositon.
I myself am a Malay boy from Kuantan, Pahang. I like BN but i dont like PKR. They are the going to be the downfall of Malaysia. The Chinese will gradually control our economy and politics. Soon Malaysia will be the same as Indonesia, full of corruption and a big gap between rich and poor.
I dont hate the Chinese or Indians, but we malays were the ‘original’ ones.
Why cant everyone just accept what malaysia is like now, everyone chatting shit bout current govt and policies and bumiputeras.
Why dont we just shut the fuck up and DO something about it together instead of doing some kind for Bersih Revoulution. Next time when PKR got power. Everyone is gunna be so happy. five years later, semmua nak BN balik because BN was better.
Malaysia is a country like no other, we have three races living under the same roof, we all eat the same food, we all bitch about each other and we always say LA. I am still young and learning and have no experience of politics but all i want to say is that we should not fight against each other as malaysians, look at south africa, they got along with each other, why cant we? do we really want to be like Indonesia or even Egypt!
You who can vote at the moment should think first before you vote which party to vote for. One vote can make a difference. It could make your children and grandchildren worse or better. Or even the future of Malaysia too.
What about this vision 2020… vision my ass, lets keep on improving our economy, tourism and make Malaysia a better place.
FACT’s plea for Joe Gordon
Joe Gordon went to court today. And as is par for Thai ‘justice’ the reading was Delayed.
The American Embassy Official Expressed Optimism (he is not in jail!!) and several months ago another embassy offical said the Embassy as ‘disappointed’.
Listen American Officals the corrent word is outraged. And failure to recognize this is also an outrage!
Siam Samakki
Ricardo D. – 2
Dont be too surprised with the extreme case of irony with the royalist. Last year a group in FB was formed and given the name “Social Sanction”. The irony part is that they were calling themselves the SS, unaware that the acronym SS also stand for Schutzstaffel, Nazi death squad. Another similar group was formed recently named after Pridi’s pro-democracy left leaning group of freedom fighter during WWII, the Seri Thai (Free Thai). The purpose (and action so far) has been nothing more than creating a smear campaign against Yingluck government and has nothing in ideology that resemble to the original Seri Thai.
The toll of flooding on lives and politics
“Because she couldn’t get through to Dubai?
Because she was out shopping for more (100000 Baht+) shoes?”
Yes we get it, Soonuk Dun.
Not only is she Thaksin’s clone but she is the clone of Imelda Marcos. Shoes. Because why? I guess Soonuk Dun must be thinking that she must be in that Asian mold of shoe-loving dictatorial women.
Ha ha. Very funny.
Now, can Soonuk Dun explain his or her shoe fetish?
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
Thank you Khun Pavin for this great piece.
But Mallika is right. Ideas are contagious and anything except a society that forbids ideas will fail to contain them.
Is that what she proposes?
The World Bank and acceptable royalist history in Laos
Thanks to Simon and Grant for starting this discussion. This is a really serious issue. In fact the video on the World Bank website states: “The 1960s / Partnership begins / Lao PDR joins the International Monetary Fund…”
Unbelievable.
Paul Handley replies to comments
What’s wrong with you? Just seeing the title of the book, i am so frustrated. I understand you have right to express whatever you want but something to hurt the majority’s feeling is too cruel. We love the King. Maybe you are just jealous that we have a very nice King.
T. Kramer, you can go to hell for saying that.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
Steve
Abhisit’s response is calculated and not that of an instinctive defender of freedoms.
It is likely the Dems were pushing the envelope to see what people would put up with. They can also now claim that Abhisit is some kind of defender of “freedom” when it is very clear the opposite is true.
Or maybe, and now I am getting even more cynical, Mallika’s nonsense was a smokescreen to deflect from the fact that Mark and his deputy, Suthep, have just been called in for questioning relating to the deaths of several of their fellow Thai citizens last April/May.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
Abhisit is today tweeting that Ms Mallika’s proposal is not Democrat party policy – that’s fully four days after she (an official spokesperson for the party, remember) came out with it.
What to make of this belated input from the party leader? Did Mallika “go off the reservation” – or was she “flying a kite” for the leadership? One way or the other, it appears that she or it has now been hauled back in.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
A week ago I wrote about the start of Mallika’s pro-censorship campaign. What Pavin has missed out in his excellent piece is that Mallika announced her campaign at the exact same time as Ar Kong was being sentenced (see my piece here https://bitly.com/s9tKfi)
She also threatened to prosecute Anudith and MICT under article 157 if they didn’t prosecute every single LM case.
Yet, at the same time, pro-Democrat voices in the Bangkok Post (Voranai etc) and Amnesty’s pro-royalist Ben Zawacki are mouthing, for the first time, more liberal sentiment and condemning LM.
Personally, I sense a political strategy of pinning PT down from both sides. One pushing them towards more illiberal policies the other condemning them.
Remember that the Dems are utterly unelectable and completely incapable of forming policies that would be attractive to the Thai electorate. The only way they can ever get back into power is by destabilising the country.
I see Mallika wanting to make a name for herself, gaining coverage and attempting to set herself up as an arch defender of the “faith” and am certain Abhisit feels that there is a lot to gain from Mallika’s stance.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
Even North Korea has news anchors… they seem to be doing pretty well.
Mallika is a 21st century royalist. In the 20th, they shouted “Pridi killed the King” and lynched their enemies in public to silence them.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
Great piece, Pavin, someone needs to grab the leading Thailand “Democrats” and hold them upside down and shake some common sense into them. Clearly they’ve all been crawling around on the floor and grovelling way too much for their own good.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
I can’t understand how people like Mrs. Boonmetrakul and many others like her, don’ see the absurdity and paradoxical implications of what they’re doing – which is theoretically the same as what islamic fundamentalists are doing to islam ( they say they are protecting Islam by using suicide bombers ect. but in reality they are destroying islam!), the same goes for that guy in norway ( you remember the man who went on a rampage at the school retreat) – he was supposedly protecting the Judeo Christian legacy of europe when again in reality he was doing the opposite. These are extreme metaphors, but the idea is clear. It can even be boiled down to the simple analogy of an overprotective parent – afraid that the ‘big bad world’ is too dangerous for there perfect little son, they keep him inside at all times, don’t let him go places ect.ect. and in the end who ends up being hurt the most? the child!! So, paradoxically, Mrs. Boonmetrakul is spending all this time looking for people who are ‘de-faming’ the monarchy when all she has to do is look in the mirror. ( :
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
The internet terrifies the power elites. This is a good thing.
Mallika Boonmetrakul: an appalling Thai Politician
Below is a copy of my response as appeared in Prachatai per Dr. Pavin’s open letter to Mullika, one of too many appalling Thai politicians.
It is very hard to shut down the internet. As soon as one site is shut down, another will arise.
I have one proposal for you (Khun Malika) that I think might help. Why don’t we stop teaching people to read and write? It seems the main problem is that people are using their reading and writing skills to spread their ideas.
Another idea might be to ban computers. We got along very well with typewriters just a few years ago. I don’t remember having any problems with people stating their unacceptable ideas to others.
As George Orwell said in the book 1984:
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
P.S. Thank you very much Dr. Pavin for your open letter.
Siam Samakki
I can’t think a more inappropiate (mis)use of the Anonymous name/symbolism – wearing a Guy Fawkes mask while rallying in favor of the 1%. I guess the irony is lost on them.
-R
The toll of flooding on lives and politics
SteveCM — 33
Because she couldn’t get through to Dubai?
Because she was out shopping for more (100000 Baht+) shoes?