“His Royal Highness has been concerned about Thai people’s feelings which may be misled over the issue into thinking that he violated aviation rules,” said Attorney-General Chulasingh Vasantasingh at a press conference yesterday.
“[I] would like the Thai people to understand the Crown Prince did not commit any violations and he isn’t involved in the legal fight between the government and German firm,” he said.
Mr Chulasingh said the Crown Prince suggested the government not pay the 20 million euros for the return of his aircraft even though the government was ready to do so. This is because the Crown Prince’s jet has noting to do with the government’s legal case.
What happened to Part 3 of Thaistory? I was waiting breathlessly, but no signs of it on zenjournalist.com despite the (admittedly ambitious) schedule as announced…
While not the only player, one may argue we are in the middle of a thaksin era and he is both a product of and a driver of the long term corruption trends and scary changes in governance expectations of the Thai public.
I’d like to argue that although Thaksin is a product of corrupted Thai’s society but he was and still is not a driver of (I presume, acceptance of) corruption trend as I pointed out earlier, where do you draw the line from plain old “corrupted” and simply spill off?.
Yes, Thaksin got his monopoly from the concession agreement with TOT, but he was not the one who structured Thailand in such a way, it was Chuan government who did not allow telecom sector liberalization. Thaksin just play along the game and he won, with the help of Chalerm of cause (I suspected that’s the only reason Thaksin kept this guy around, to pay back the favor). While during the turner, Thaksin was the one who adjusted the concession so that his competitor DTAC (and some extend, TRUE) to penetrate the market in pre-pay service. I recalled that during 2002-2004, Thailand was actually ahead the US in mobile services, we were downloading ringtone and paying bills on cel-phone, the US didn’t even experience that in full until way later.
If Thaksin was indeed, a poster boy of “procurement, schemes, corruption, policy manipulation to ensure market dominance and monopoly pricing and insider trading.” he wouldn’t do that for DTAC. But I do agree that there were many favoritisms during Thaksin that in many case it was just plain stupidity and the man do have many bad flaws.
A rather more interesting point of view, I think, is what will Thailand become when the “good” old king is gone.
For them not to pay the whole bill reminds me of the scene in Goodfellows with Robert Di Nero and Joe Pepcii. The restaurant owner presents Joe Pepsi with a bill and he gets insulted and hits the owner over the head with a wine bottle.
The scene is meant to portray arrogance and contempt that the Goodfellows (mafia) have for other people.
Second:
Re: R. N. England #114.
Here is today’s comment from our beloved Bangkok Pundit.,
BP: Was struck when finally got a chance to catch up on the news and read what Kasit said. Was awestruck that he couldn’t separate the German liquidator from the German government, but at least Abhisit indirectly set him straight….
More seriously than my c42 above (Lord, I hope there aren’t many who did take it seriously), there’s this element from that Bangkok Post report mentioned by JohnH (c36):
“People opposed to corruption are mostly over 50 years of age and earning less than 5,000 baht a month”
Potentially interesting. On the one hand, when you’re dirt-poor/living hand-to-mouth just whom are you in a position to corrupt? On the other hand, just what (outside of election time, possibly) have you got to offer that anyone wants to buy or corrupt you for?
But it’s not clear whether the meaning is “over 50 and earning less than 5,000 baht” as opposed to “over 50 or earning less than 5,000 baht”. If the latter, just maybe it’s an indication that people with much more experience of seeing the long-term effects of corruption thereby get wise to its true cost…..
I also find these twisted (il)logical games amazing
I would start from what seems a basic premise:
“anyone that makes a lot of money (if they are Thai) must be corrupt”
as various have pointed out, Thaksin’s net worth increased during his time in power somewhat less that the corresponding average increase in value of shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)
but the asset value of Crown Property and banking and in fact more than 50% of value on the SET increased more than Thaksin’s value
I presume therefore we have to accept the at the Thai Royal Family and the various bank, PTT, CP, etc owners were all more corrupt than Thaksin at the same time as he was in power
were they all colluding to achieve these gains?
why then did they go along with supporting Sondhi Lim in setting the scene to get rid of Thaksin?
However much we quibble about corruption, where/ when it started, who is/ was the biggest perpetrator, etc. the cold hard fact remains that government corruption is a way of life in Thailand, and has been for a very, very long time.
Do we really need indices from wherever to show us what we already know?
And frankly, does anyone really believe that those responsible and party to corruption in Thailand really give a damn what anyone else thinks or what the bar charts and tables purport to show?
Do you really need to care about real economic growth, developing society or even people when you can salt away your ill gotten gains overseas or wherever with absolute impunity?
Equally, if you are the man on the street frying chicken to make a living to support your family, is it little wonder that you accept corruption in Thailand.
My compliments to Macro – No, actually that’s inadequate…..
I am lost in admiration at the ingenious combining of two sets of data to produce the proposition. If I understand it correctly, below a certain age i.e. 50, Thai are now considered to be (let’s call them) “Thaksin’s children” – who acquired all their bad habits/attitudes from the example set by their….. well….. “father figure”, I suppose?
In line with the Jesuits’ aphorism “Give me the boy until he is 7 and I will show you the man. “, the attitude spawned by Thaksin is therefore responsible for all that follows. That corruption indices rose dramatically after his time in office of course only supports the proposition – because that’s what you’d expect from the “corruption’s OK” attitude spreading virus-like.
In fact, wait a minute – maybe the virus-spread comparison is a better fit than the Jesuit one? It also opens up the inheritance factor more – parents passing on the corruption virus (hmmm – maybe a gene by now?) to their offspring. Just a suggestion of something for you to work on, Macro – too much for me to handle….. I need to go and lie down.
Perhaps before, during, and after is a skewed way to interpret data. There may be only before Thasin and during as since 2000 he has clearly been the main driving force in anything happening or being blocked in Thailand. Therefore viewing the data in a ten year trend attributable to before his era of dominance compared to under his dominance, which Thailand is still under and will be for the next ten years, may be an interesting perspective.
Going back to the 1990’s Thaksin, whiles amassing his massive wealth, was arguably the poster boy for procurement, schemes, corruption, policy manipulation to ensure market dominance and monopoly pricing and insider trading. At the end of the 90s, he was the poster boy for children as to what makes a successful businessman and perhaps he could bring order at least to chaotic politics. (puzzling why anyone would ever expect a tiger to change it’s stripes)
As for corruption in general, it is scary to think that the poll studies show that over age 50 consider corruption unacceptable while younger respondents pretty much have given up on principles and just want the powers that be to deliver something, no matter how much disappears in the process. It is not to assign blame to anyone, but the trends of the last 20 years will extend beyond the current young generation into a second generation. While not the only player, one may argue we are in the middle of a thaksin era and he is both a product of and a driver of the long term corruption trends and scary changes in governance expectations of the Thai public.
Images of the very private and low-key strawberry picking expedition are available here. Questions have been raised about the authenticity of this photo of one of the members of the strawberry picking party.
Der Prinz und die Currywurst!!!!
Here is another story from the German press, again via Google Translate. It’s a bit rough but readers should be able to get the gist. If any German-speaking readers of New Mandala can provide a summary, we would all be very grateful.
Great was the aftermath, in front of the Thai Crown Prince has and his wife, but small was the reward, the restaurant boss Georg Meier Hammer of sand in the district of Kelheim Harlander get for his troubles.
Weeks ago, the weekly paper for the County of Kelheim has exclusively reported on the visit of the Thai crown prince and his wife together with a large entourage in sand Harland, a village near Abensberg in Lower Bavaria. At that time, let the couple down heavily guarded and shielded from the public, to the strawberry field of family Bl├╝mel.
After reporting it came to first information that the visitor from Thailand at the Gasthof Hammer Meier, also in sand Harland, expired not so lucky. With guest host George Hammer namely Meier appeared on Saturday before visiting some of the Thai Crown Prince Minister and asked him to make preparations for a visit. The Crown Prince and his wife was in accordance with German sausages and plenty of cake to coffee. They wanted to be there by 14 clock.
Georg Meier thinks Hammer returns with horror today: “The visit was scheduled for Monday, so I had to leave my waitresses are extra.” But, well – which does not do everything for a prince. Then it could not be the economy, where the Thai people to sit down should have, but it had to be next to the restaurant – that was served up as an extra. Since there are separate toilets – not that the prince must meet normal people! And what about smoking? “We are in Bavaria, which is not.” This is followed also had a prince to keep.
On Sunday, a visit again – this time nails were made with heads, 20 to 25 people are expected. Would all want to eat and drink, and, as I said, it should be a lot of typical German cakes and sausage dishes. Arrival: 14 clock on Monday.
Then came the Monday to chaos: The weather was good, the Crown Prince decided to dine al fresco. Be transported all the splendor that was there in the restaurant had prepared, so outside – and then decided the two royal children, prefer to make only once a day trip to Regensburg. Meanwhile, the staff of hammer Meier cooked in its own juice – it was so hot. Hammer Meier himself probably heard the clock ticking – and no wonder, when the staff called back, but can not be used. An employee of the Crown Prince assured him that the expenses would be taken for granted.
In the evening they came, now was again served in the restaurant. Where to eat the Thai people wanted. They did not. She appeared in the dining room, four further ordered Curry sausages and ten cappuccino, and then the prince would return. The curry sausages were packed. Hammer and Meier was stunned.
As he told the German-speaking employees of the Crown Prince of Thailand, that he remains perched on its spending, said the man could not do because you now have, and you also have only 200 тВм here. The long needed. Now, however, only the bill for all employees of the Crown Prince be already 150 тВм – and intermediate consumption, the hammer Meier has made at the request of Crown Prince (the cake, the many, many sausages, all the staff – all for naught), the he has to pay themselves.
Meier hammer it a bit now but what the Crown Prince’s visit, even if the was very, very annoying and harmful to himself: On Wednesday, the Boeing 737 of Royal Thai Air Force seized at Munich airport.
Unfortunately I am no scholar of German, so have had to rely on Google Translate for this account of the strawberry picking. But I often think Google Translate is much more fun!
Well, is not an official visit to program it, but now always seeps through, such as recreational use of His Royal Highness looks when he is traveling in Bavaria. Hard to believe, three weeks ago, the Prince appeared in Entourage, including sand Harland, a suburb of Abensberg in Lower Bavaria on harvest to be on a self-pickers on the field Bl├╝melhof fresh strawberries! “Two days ago a few gentlemen here who probed the situation,” says farmer’s wife Marina Blumel (28). “The thought that a VIP would look in on us, someone from the Thai embassy.”
For 15 clock in the group had announced, but at 32 degrees in the shade was drawn before the crown prince, at first looking at the world heritage city Regensburg. By 17 clock he finally went, apparently accompanied by his third wife, Princess Srirasmi, the strawberry field in front. “The convoy was impressive,” reported one eyewitness. “Only ten black Mercedes parked vans and two sedans, the Crown Prince then went on in his 350-SLK sports car.”
Undomestic’s then went happily into the strawberry field. “The joking and laughing. And each time, when the princess saw a particularly beautiful fruit, there was great excitement, “said one observer. “The Crown Prince has had to operate naturally. He sat on a chair and left to feed themselves. “This went on for two and a half hours, held by two photographers,” the front of each photo, made тАЛтАЛa curtsy. “Thailand drew the clock against 20-caravan finally. In the baggage: 60 kilos of ground and eight pounds raspberries!
Next stop – only a few hundred yards away – was the chic restaurant by Georg Meier hammer. He was “a celebrity guest who likes German sausages and cakes will try” has been announced for 14 clock. Security forces had inspected the entire place, for ladies Just in case, even the toilets are disinfected again. But then everything happened very quickly. The convoy stopped, ordered four curry sausages and ten cappuccino had to pack up everything and off you went.
Bitter for Meier Georg Hammer: He had been assured that they would pay for all expenses, but as it went any cash, said the secretary of the crown prince that he would unfortunately only 200 тВм with you. For 160 тВм but had already eaten the royal vanguard alone and drunk … well, that his Highness at least no problems with the bill at the Kempinski Airport has. The hotel group is majority owned by the Thai royal family.
#JohnH
There are different kinds of corruption. Some are harmful to economic development, some are not. Maybe the BTS project generated 20% of the budget in kickbacks. But Bangkok would surely be worse off if it delayed the project by spending 10 years on corruption allegations.
#Vichai
You don’t have to produce a ‘godzilian’ list. Just a top 5 list is fine.
johninbkk (108). Kasit has sacrificed the reputation of his country (or what was left of it) in the whole diplomatic community by making ugly threats to Germany. He has also sacrificed the personal reputation of one who rises to become his country’s chief representative to the world. Rather than frighten the German Government, he has made a complete goose of himself for all the world to laugh at. He has shown himself to be oblivious to the workings of genuine justice, and absolutely lost outside his native milieu of thuggery, grovelling, and corruption. All for what? To demonstrate his loyalty to the throne and its future occupant. Such is the power of Vajiralongkorn and the Thai monarchy. It is the power to destroy, but power nonetheless.
I notice the BKK Post now has a link to (Gasp!) Wikileaks. After excitedly pressing said link I got access to some real estate ads and some Cambodian wikileaks gossip about the nefarious Hun Sen saying nothing too controversial about border disputes.
Not exactly competition for “The Guardian” yet then?
In addition to Hla Oo’s story above, there was about 4 or 5 Japanese civilians on a four wheel drive reached to Pa-an, the capital of Karen State which 90 miles away from Myawaddy border town.
They were stopped at a check point in Pa-an manned by protesters at that time. Most government check points at that time were effectively dismantled as most people were participating in uprising. Those Japanese were questioned and their answer was – they are here to retrieve the remaining of Japan soldiers who died in WW II. They were asked to turn back as they might be detained at every town they try to pass and they agreed.
During that period, military’s 22 corps which had headquarter in Pa-an has fewer soldiers than ever as its commander general Tin Hla went up to Rangoon to help massacre ordinary people.
Base on above stories, one can assumes that :
– Burmese military commit atrocities mostly at rural areas (until today)
– shooting of civilians in the cities were responsible by specific high ranking military officials
– media hype of that time with only selected incidents did not portray Burma well and almost everything went as planned by General Ne Win and his cohorts
However, these are things of the past and I just wondering about the way Australian government is engaging with Burma regime currently. It appears to me that Oz govt is bribing the regime rather than engaging meaningfully as all the aid money goes to a government with no known transparency records.
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Plane audacity in Thai dispute
Stuart,
Google Translate is lost if you do not understand the source language.
“An employee of the Crown Prince assured him that the expenses would be taken for granted.”
It was lost in translation. Correct is:
“An employee of the crown prince assured him that the expenses would be taken care of.”
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
From BangkokPost:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/248371/crown-prince-urges-no-payment
“His Royal Highness has been concerned about Thai people’s feelings which may be misled over the issue into thinking that he violated aviation rules,” said Attorney-General Chulasingh Vasantasingh at a press conference yesterday.
“[I] would like the Thai people to understand the Crown Prince did not commit any violations and he isn’t involved in the legal fight between the government and German firm,” he said.
Mr Chulasingh said the Crown Prince suggested the government not pay the 20 million euros for the return of his aircraft even though the government was ready to do so. This is because the Crown Prince’s jet has noting to do with the government’s legal case.
Nick Nostitz in the killing zone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux1-eGp287g&feature=related
YouTube – р╣Вр╕Фр╕Щр╕вр╕┤р╕Зр╣Бр╕ер╣Йр╕зр╣Ар╕Вр╣Йр╕▓р╣Др╕Ыр╕лр╕ер╕Ър╣Гр╕Щр╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕Щ.flv
р╣Вр╕Фр╕в REDDINDANG | 1 р╕Ыр╕╡р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Ьр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕бр╕▓ |
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
Perhaps the most telling line in Andrew’s version of “Der prinz und der currywurst” was:
“An employee of the Crown Prince assured him that the expenses would be taken for granted.”
A case of absolutely nothing getting lost in translation.
More on Marshall’s Thai Story
What happened to Part 3 of Thaistory? I was waiting breathlessly, but no signs of it on zenjournalist.com despite the (admittedly ambitious) schedule as announced…
Thailand’s corruption record
Marco – 41
While not the only player, one may argue we are in the middle of a thaksin era and he is both a product of and a driver of the long term corruption trends and scary changes in governance expectations of the Thai public.
I’d like to argue that although Thaksin is a product of corrupted Thai’s society but he was and still is not a driver of (I presume, acceptance of) corruption trend as I pointed out earlier, where do you draw the line from plain old “corrupted” and simply spill off?.
Yes, Thaksin got his monopoly from the concession agreement with TOT, but he was not the one who structured Thailand in such a way, it was Chuan government who did not allow telecom sector liberalization. Thaksin just play along the game and he won, with the help of Chalerm of cause (I suspected that’s the only reason Thaksin kept this guy around, to pay back the favor). While during the turner, Thaksin was the one who adjusted the concession so that his competitor DTAC (and some extend, TRUE) to penetrate the market in pre-pay service. I recalled that during 2002-2004, Thailand was actually ahead the US in mobile services, we were downloading ringtone and paying bills on cel-phone, the US didn’t even experience that in full until way later.
If Thaksin was indeed, a poster boy of “procurement, schemes, corruption, policy manipulation to ensure market dominance and monopoly pricing and insider trading.” he wouldn’t do that for DTAC. But I do agree that there were many favoritisms during Thaksin that in many case it was just plain stupidity and the man do have many bad flaws.
A rather more interesting point of view, I think, is what will Thailand become when the “good” old king is gone.
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
First:
Re: Our Beloved Andrew W. #115-116
For them not to pay the whole bill reminds me of the scene in Goodfellows with Robert Di Nero and Joe Pepcii. The restaurant owner presents Joe Pepsi with a bill and he gets insulted and hits the owner over the head with a wine bottle.
The scene is meant to portray arrogance and contempt that the Goodfellows (mafia) have for other people.
Second:
Re: R. N. England #114.
Here is today’s comment from our beloved Bangkok Pundit.,
http://asiancorrespondent.com/author/bangkokpundit/
BP: Was struck when finally got a chance to catch up on the news and read what Kasit said. Was awestruck that he couldn’t separate the German liquidator from the German government, but at least Abhisit indirectly set him straight….
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
Can Portman #99 or anyone else clarify this comment:
“They have also been too coy thus far to even mention the surprise appearance of the plane’s twin.”
Thailand’s corruption record
More seriously than my c42 above (Lord, I hope there aren’t many who did take it seriously), there’s this element from that Bangkok Post report mentioned by JohnH (c36):
“People opposed to corruption are mostly over 50 years of age and earning less than 5,000 baht a month”
Potentially interesting. On the one hand, when you’re dirt-poor/living hand-to-mouth just whom are you in a position to corrupt? On the other hand, just what (outside of election time, possibly) have you got to offer that anyone wants to buy or corrupt you for?
But it’s not clear whether the meaning is “over 50 and earning less than 5,000 baht” as opposed to “over 50 or earning less than 5,000 baht”. If the latter, just maybe it’s an indication that people with much more experience of seeing the long-term effects of corruption thereby get wise to its true cost…..
Thailand’s corruption record
like SteveCM #42
I also find these twisted (il)logical games amazing
I would start from what seems a basic premise:
“anyone that makes a lot of money (if they are Thai) must be corrupt”
as various have pointed out, Thaksin’s net worth increased during his time in power somewhat less that the corresponding average increase in value of shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)
but the asset value of Crown Property and banking and in fact more than 50% of value on the SET increased more than Thaksin’s value
I presume therefore we have to accept the at the Thai Royal Family and the various bank, PTT, CP, etc owners were all more corrupt than Thaksin at the same time as he was in power
were they all colluding to achieve these gains?
why then did they go along with supporting Sondhi Lim in setting the scene to get rid of Thaksin?
Thailand’s corruption record
However much we quibble about corruption, where/ when it started, who is/ was the biggest perpetrator, etc. the cold hard fact remains that government corruption is a way of life in Thailand, and has been for a very, very long time.
Do we really need indices from wherever to show us what we already know?
And frankly, does anyone really believe that those responsible and party to corruption in Thailand really give a damn what anyone else thinks or what the bar charts and tables purport to show?
Do you really need to care about real economic growth, developing society or even people when you can salt away your ill gotten gains overseas or wherever with absolute impunity?
Equally, if you are the man on the street frying chicken to make a living to support your family, is it little wonder that you accept corruption in Thailand.
What’s the real alternative for you?
Standing up, being counted and then being shot?
Thailand’s corruption record
c41
My compliments to Macro – No, actually that’s inadequate…..
I am lost in admiration at the ingenious combining of two sets of data to produce the proposition. If I understand it correctly, below a certain age i.e. 50, Thai are now considered to be (let’s call them) “Thaksin’s children” – who acquired all their bad habits/attitudes from the example set by their….. well….. “father figure”, I suppose?
In line with the Jesuits’ aphorism “Give me the boy until he is 7 and I will show you the man. “, the attitude spawned by Thaksin is therefore responsible for all that follows. That corruption indices rose dramatically after his time in office of course only supports the proposition – because that’s what you’d expect from the “corruption’s OK” attitude spreading virus-like.
In fact, wait a minute – maybe the virus-spread comparison is a better fit than the Jesuit one? It also opens up the inheritance factor more – parents passing on the corruption virus (hmmm – maybe a gene by now?) to their offspring. Just a suggestion of something for you to work on, Macro – too much for me to handle….. I need to go and lie down.
Thailand’s corruption record
Perhaps before, during, and after is a skewed way to interpret data. There may be only before Thasin and during as since 2000 he has clearly been the main driving force in anything happening or being blocked in Thailand. Therefore viewing the data in a ten year trend attributable to before his era of dominance compared to under his dominance, which Thailand is still under and will be for the next ten years, may be an interesting perspective.
Going back to the 1990’s Thaksin, whiles amassing his massive wealth, was arguably the poster boy for procurement, schemes, corruption, policy manipulation to ensure market dominance and monopoly pricing and insider trading. At the end of the 90s, he was the poster boy for children as to what makes a successful businessman and perhaps he could bring order at least to chaotic politics. (puzzling why anyone would ever expect a tiger to change it’s stripes)
As for corruption in general, it is scary to think that the poll studies show that over age 50 consider corruption unacceptable while younger respondents pretty much have given up on principles and just want the powers that be to deliver something, no matter how much disappears in the process. It is not to assign blame to anyone, but the trends of the last 20 years will extend beyond the current young generation into a second generation. While not the only player, one may argue we are in the middle of a thaksin era and he is both a product of and a driver of the long term corruption trends and scary changes in governance expectations of the Thai public.
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
Images of the very private and low-key strawberry picking expedition are available here. Questions have been raised about the authenticity of this photo of one of the members of the strawberry picking party.
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
Der Prinz und die Currywurst!!!!
Here is another story from the German press, again via Google Translate. It’s a bit rough but readers should be able to get the gist. If any German-speaking readers of New Mandala can provide a summary, we would all be very grateful.
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
Unfortunately I am no scholar of German, so have had to rely on Google Translate for this account of the strawberry picking. But I often think Google Translate is much more fun!
Thailand’s corruption record
#Tarrin
I think the Thailand’s debt to GDP went down about 16 percent.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/30180/did-thaksin-bankrupt-thailand-through-borrowing/
#JohnH
There are different kinds of corruption. Some are harmful to economic development, some are not. Maybe the BTS project generated 20% of the budget in kickbacks. But Bangkok would surely be worse off if it delayed the project by spending 10 years on corruption allegations.
#Vichai
You don’t have to produce a ‘godzilian’ list. Just a top 5 list is fine.
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
johninbkk (108). Kasit has sacrificed the reputation of his country (or what was left of it) in the whole diplomatic community by making ugly threats to Germany. He has also sacrificed the personal reputation of one who rises to become his country’s chief representative to the world. Rather than frighten the German Government, he has made a complete goose of himself for all the world to laugh at. He has shown himself to be oblivious to the workings of genuine justice, and absolutely lost outside his native milieu of thuggery, grovelling, and corruption. All for what? To demonstrate his loyalty to the throne and its future occupant. Such is the power of Vajiralongkorn and the Thai monarchy. It is the power to destroy, but power nonetheless.
Plane audacity in Thai dispute
I notice the BKK Post now has a link to (Gasp!) Wikileaks. After excitedly pressing said link I got access to some real estate ads and some Cambodian wikileaks gossip about the nefarious Hun Sen saying nothing too controversial about border disputes.
Not exactly competition for “The Guardian” yet then?
Htoo Htoo Han the confessor
In addition to Hla Oo’s story above, there was about 4 or 5 Japanese civilians on a four wheel drive reached to Pa-an, the capital of Karen State which 90 miles away from Myawaddy border town.
They were stopped at a check point in Pa-an manned by protesters at that time. Most government check points at that time were effectively dismantled as most people were participating in uprising. Those Japanese were questioned and their answer was – they are here to retrieve the remaining of Japan soldiers who died in WW II. They were asked to turn back as they might be detained at every town they try to pass and they agreed.
During that period, military’s 22 corps which had headquarter in Pa-an has fewer soldiers than ever as its commander general Tin Hla went up to Rangoon to help massacre ordinary people.
Base on above stories, one can assumes that :
– Burmese military commit atrocities mostly at rural areas (until today)
– shooting of civilians in the cities were responsible by specific high ranking military officials
– media hype of that time with only selected incidents did not portray Burma well and almost everything went as planned by General Ne Win and his cohorts
However, these are things of the past and I just wondering about the way Australian government is engaging with Burma regime currently. It appears to me that Oz govt is bribing the regime rather than engaging meaningfully as all the aid money goes to a government with no known transparency records.