Yingluck appears as the shadow of Shincorp empire. Professional look, make-up, trained smile and the look that keep her a bit distant from the majority of Thais. Obviously, the look is planned from the marketing team. the augmented products (her llok and the posters) are professional but I’m not sure about her core product (policy).
@Jit
Though your crit was extremely valuable but would like to pick up the last point you made.
To me the article was about more than discourse, it was about practices of farming, development, governance etc. The discourse stands as an entity in itself with a certain kind of efficacy (alongside other material and social entities), but it is put to use by actors in various ways according to the position and resources they are able to deploy. To understand the problem therefore requires understanding the effect of discourse as a bare minimum. It must also include understanding how actors apply discourse in conjunction with other entities in concrete situations, often in full(ish) consciousness of the irony of what they do and how they do it.
Shifting the discourse itself will not achieve much at all unless it runs concurrently with changes in the structure of practices and power dynamics.
Can someone ask Khun Yanee to prove for me if the “double standard”is a fact of life in Thailand? I like to see Khun Yanee slap this Khun Ying back and I will pay the fine for her. 500 baht good investment to prove if Prai will get the same punishment or not.
As Chris suggests, the poster reminds of the Shinawatra business success and wealth – and cleverly plays to Thaksin’s core constituency of the business elite. No doubt they have been shaken by the more radical images associated with the Red Shirts.
As an after thought – I delighted to hear w Yingluck that the war on drugs will be back on again……any chance for a public inquiry on the last war? truth and reconciliation?
This is an excellent article pointing to the ways in which ‘problems’ of development are constructed and framed, legitimizing certain courses of action and certain actors. We should indeed place development arguments under such critical scrutiny.
But I am not sure where the article goes beyond this. It is interesting that in the scientific studies of the region Cambodia tends to stand out as the country that is most vulnerable to climate change. This is largely attributed to high degree of dependence on natural hydrology of the Mekong system, current levels of poverty (viz. health, water and sanitation, nutrition, access to land and other productive resources) and weak institutions and systems of governance.
If these are the main factors in Cambodia’s vulnerability to climate change then the responses certainly do not lie in technical solutions or in capacity building.
Rather climate change highlights long-standing challenges more closely associated with rights and governance. Indeed there is a risk that the huge amounts of funding now being allocated to Cambodia as part of ‘climate change’ with a donor community that is too afraid of the government to mention land and rights abuses – that climate change will exacerbate these existing problems.
The article is somewhat unfair in suggesting that all development actors have bought into this discourse – including the many Cambodian NGOs that have struggled on complex political issues. That is simply not true.
In addition to critiquing current discourse, I would like the author to suggest how we can shift the discourse on climate change
interesting to know if the “khunying” appeared at the police station on purpose to flaunt her relative immunity or because she was made to by the police
sharing John’s views, I suspect the former, over-weening pride but no dignity, no respect for anyone else, no guilt or remorse
from such springs the power of the redshirts and Peu Thai
When I look at the poster I see a BIG FACE and of course what matters most to all BIG MONEY.
I wonder what kind of SERVICE will this PATRON offer. Will it just be business as usual if she manages to secure a win.
It wont change the root cause of disparity in the kingdom, that of the corrupt ‘patronage system’ which the poster promotes in a highly underlying way.
It says nothing about promoting the issues of the poor and all about promoting BIG MONEY.
Someone please provide a link to the slapee, a tiny dark-skinned muslim girl (she looks 14, but is 24). Foder for any racial/religious theories behind Thailand’s chasm…
What if someone from the lower classeswas to slap the Khun Ying. Would the said assailant receive the same 500 baht fine?
I fear not I’d see a jail term would be forthcoming.
The article in itself spells out all that is wrong with how class and status allows the upper classes in Thailand to act with impunity.
W ether its corruption, vehicle accidents which cause death, assault and murder, these untouchables seem to always be above the law.
Its no wonder accountability for ones actions is almost non existent across Thai society, when highly decorated citizens show no respect to their fellow Thais, only contempt as they are view everyone below them as peasants!!!
Greg 14
I’m not a buddhist modernist I’m an individual leaning toward atheism based on my life experience and learning. I accept that my world view is a little cynical because of this, however I have no belief system to promulgate or wage jihad for. You are therefore free to accept or dispute my personal point of view with no strings attached.
For further elucidation I would refer you to Emo Philips parable of the Northern Conservative Baptist, which sadly has yet to be translated into Pali, or I suspect Arabic.
As you probably know, the surroundings of Dong Yai NFR (and now Dong Yai Widlife Sanctuary) have a long history of violent forest-related conflicts (1990/91; 1994; 1999; 2009 and now 2010/11). It would be nice to know how this case relate to previous ones. Was this village also at the centre of a previous conflict (for example are these the same people that were evicted in 2009?)?
Also, you framed the issue around the Euca plantations, but I wonder if that is a motivation/formal justification for the actions of the state and the 7,000 people who came in (btw, this is a high number, 500-1000 officials and civils are I believe much common). Two other justifications have been offered, namely national security (see the Isaan Record article of May 11) and protected areas expansion (back in 2009). At that time, forest authorities evicted recent “land invaders” from land they wanted to include in DY WS. If the expansion of DY WS is still planned, could the 7000 people be forest conservation volunteers (for example from the volunteer network established by forest authorities and the Queen as part as her efforts to encourage reforestation activities and the denunciations of illegal activities?) . Of course, and as argued by Somchai Phatharathananunth in his study of the land invasion strategy in the late 1990s, land invasions are fundamentally unacceptable to the state. They are a challenge to their authority and must be crushed/controlled, otherwise they would create a dangerous precedent.
Research proposal: Since 2009, groups associated or supported by the Land Reform Network have conducted several land invasions operations to draw attention to their plight on RFD, DNP and ALRO land. Recent cases includes Khon San (Chaiyaphum), Dong Yai and Chai Buri (Surat Thani). I hope some graduate students and researchers are studying these cases as they unfold. I’d be curious to see how they compare with previous ones, and especially how the strategies of the state, the local people and the NGOs have changed since the 1990s and how common is the use of civil lawsuits, land reform proposals and violence conducted by officials and associates of the state. To my knowledge, only the Surat Thani case involved the loss of life.
I totally agree with the author’s idea that the lion’s mane was arranged in a way to square up the lady’s face – prompting the vague impression of similarity to a close and also square-faced relative of hers. A foreigner myself I found it tempting to muse upon the subliminal effect of their first names’ visual aspects too, as the last three consonants are the same, a rather seldom combination of k, s and n. Well, that couldn’t be prearranged for the elections of course, but it’s curious nonetheless – at least for me… I wonder if Thai readers experience the same thing?!?
[…] to Yingluck’s candidacy? Andrew Walker, writing for the New Mandala identifies Yingluck’s strengths: Yingluck is a much better proxy for Thaksin than Samak. That she is more presentable goes without […]
It’s a marvelous poster of her. I noticed a few nights ago when they first went up poster after poster I saw on my bike and I just loved looking at her. Very beautiful and dignified and feminine. Feminine but professional. Very appealing and a problem for the Democrats because they now have to confront a very presentable and likable image, not the Red Bull drinking motorcycle taxi drunk wife beating whoremongering illiterate Red Shirt image that many middle class Thais have in their heads.
I don’t know a lot about what’s in her head, but her image is very good.
I think that uneasy feeling Srithanonchai is having is the smell of the Generals/Royalists/Democrats/Rightwing pro-coup aggregate about to go down in flames…..and a stunning landslide majority victory for Yingluck and PT/Red Shirts.
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Yingluck on the streets
Yingluck appears as the shadow of Shincorp empire. Professional look, make-up, trained smile and the look that keep her a bit distant from the majority of Thais. Obviously, the look is planned from the marketing team. the augmented products (her llok and the posters) are professional but I’m not sure about her core product (policy).
Air conditioners and other absurdities
@Jit
Though your crit was extremely valuable but would like to pick up the last point you made.
To me the article was about more than discourse, it was about practices of farming, development, governance etc. The discourse stands as an entity in itself with a certain kind of efficacy (alongside other material and social entities), but it is put to use by actors in various ways according to the position and resources they are able to deploy. To understand the problem therefore requires understanding the effect of discourse as a bare minimum. It must also include understanding how actors apply discourse in conjunction with other entities in concrete situations, often in full(ish) consciousness of the irony of what they do and how they do it.
Shifting the discourse itself will not achieve much at all unless it runs concurrently with changes in the structure of practices and power dynamics.
Khunying face slapper
Can someone ask Khun Yanee to prove for me if the “double standard”is a fact of life in Thailand? I like to see Khun Yanee slap this Khun Ying back and I will pay the fine for her. 500 baht good investment to prove if Prai will get the same punishment or not.
Remember it is not a revenge it is a proof.
Khunying face slapper
Does the plaintiff satisfy with the verdict?
Would she like to see it go to appeal court and eventually to supreme court?
Yingluck on the streets
But does she look like amaart or prai?
As Chris suggests, the poster reminds of the Shinawatra business success and wealth – and cleverly plays to Thaksin’s core constituency of the business elite. No doubt they have been shaken by the more radical images associated with the Red Shirts.
As an after thought – I delighted to hear w Yingluck that the war on drugs will be back on again……any chance for a public inquiry on the last war? truth and reconciliation?
Air conditioners and other absurdities
This is an excellent article pointing to the ways in which ‘problems’ of development are constructed and framed, legitimizing certain courses of action and certain actors. We should indeed place development arguments under such critical scrutiny.
But I am not sure where the article goes beyond this. It is interesting that in the scientific studies of the region Cambodia tends to stand out as the country that is most vulnerable to climate change. This is largely attributed to high degree of dependence on natural hydrology of the Mekong system, current levels of poverty (viz. health, water and sanitation, nutrition, access to land and other productive resources) and weak institutions and systems of governance.
If these are the main factors in Cambodia’s vulnerability to climate change then the responses certainly do not lie in technical solutions or in capacity building.
Rather climate change highlights long-standing challenges more closely associated with rights and governance. Indeed there is a risk that the huge amounts of funding now being allocated to Cambodia as part of ‘climate change’ with a donor community that is too afraid of the government to mention land and rights abuses – that climate change will exacerbate these existing problems.
The article is somewhat unfair in suggesting that all development actors have bought into this discourse – including the many Cambodian NGOs that have struggled on complex political issues. That is simply not true.
In addition to critiquing current discourse, I would like the author to suggest how we can shift the discourse on climate change
Yingluck on the streets
New Mandala readers who prefer their political commentary in Thai will find a translation of this post over at Matichon.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
Khunying face slapper
I’m not too surprise that these people is capable of doing such a thing al so I’m sure this khunying used to join the PAD at some point in time.
Khunying face slapper
interesting to know if the “khunying” appeared at the police station on purpose to flaunt her relative immunity or because she was made to by the police
sharing John’s views, I suspect the former, over-weening pride but no dignity, no respect for anyone else, no guilt or remorse
from such springs the power of the redshirts and Peu Thai
Yingluck on the streets
When I look at the poster I see a BIG FACE and of course what matters most to all BIG MONEY.
I wonder what kind of SERVICE will this PATRON offer. Will it just be business as usual if she manages to secure a win.
It wont change the root cause of disparity in the kingdom, that of the corrupt ‘patronage system’ which the poster promotes in a highly underlying way.
It says nothing about promoting the issues of the poor and all about promoting BIG MONEY.
Khunying face slapper
Someone please provide a link to the slapee, a tiny dark-skinned muslim girl (she looks 14, but is 24). Foder for any racial/religious theories behind Thailand’s chasm…
Khunying face slapper
What if someone from the lower classeswas to slap the Khun Ying. Would the said assailant receive the same 500 baht fine?
I fear not I’d see a jail term would be forthcoming.
The article in itself spells out all that is wrong with how class and status allows the upper classes in Thailand to act with impunity.
W ether its corruption, vehicle accidents which cause death, assault and murder, these untouchables seem to always be above the law.
Its no wonder accountability for ones actions is almost non existent across Thai society, when highly decorated citizens show no respect to their fellow Thais, only contempt as they are view everyone below them as peasants!!!
Unpopular facts about one of Buddhist philosophy’s most popular doctrines
Greg 14
I’m not a buddhist modernist I’m an individual leaning toward atheism based on my life experience and learning. I accept that my world view is a little cynical because of this, however I have no belief system to promulgate or wage jihad for. You are therefore free to accept or dispute my personal point of view with no strings attached.
For further elucidation I would refer you to Emo Philips parable of the Northern Conservative Baptist, which sadly has yet to be translated into Pali, or I suspect Arabic.
Yingluck on the streets
Srithanonchai’s uneasy feeling is easy to explain. When you look at Yingluck you see Thaksin. That’s pretty unnerving.
Violence erupts in Buriram
To the authors:
As you probably know, the surroundings of Dong Yai NFR (and now Dong Yai Widlife Sanctuary) have a long history of violent forest-related conflicts (1990/91; 1994; 1999; 2009 and now 2010/11). It would be nice to know how this case relate to previous ones. Was this village also at the centre of a previous conflict (for example are these the same people that were evicted in 2009?)?
Also, you framed the issue around the Euca plantations, but I wonder if that is a motivation/formal justification for the actions of the state and the 7,000 people who came in (btw, this is a high number, 500-1000 officials and civils are I believe much common). Two other justifications have been offered, namely national security (see the Isaan Record article of May 11) and protected areas expansion (back in 2009). At that time, forest authorities evicted recent “land invaders” from land they wanted to include in DY WS. If the expansion of DY WS is still planned, could the 7000 people be forest conservation volunteers (for example from the volunteer network established by forest authorities and the Queen as part as her efforts to encourage reforestation activities and the denunciations of illegal activities?) . Of course, and as argued by Somchai Phatharathananunth in his study of the land invasion strategy in the late 1990s, land invasions are fundamentally unacceptable to the state. They are a challenge to their authority and must be crushed/controlled, otherwise they would create a dangerous precedent.
Research proposal: Since 2009, groups associated or supported by the Land Reform Network have conducted several land invasions operations to draw attention to their plight on RFD, DNP and ALRO land. Recent cases includes Khon San (Chaiyaphum), Dong Yai and Chai Buri (Surat Thani). I hope some graduate students and researchers are studying these cases as they unfold. I’d be curious to see how they compare with previous ones, and especially how the strategies of the state, the local people and the NGOs have changed since the 1990s and how common is the use of civil lawsuits, land reform proposals and violence conducted by officials and associates of the state. To my knowledge, only the Surat Thani case involved the loss of life.
Anyways, thanks for this report.
JPL
Yingluck on the streets
I totally agree with the author’s idea that the lion’s mane was arranged in a way to square up the lady’s face – prompting the vague impression of similarity to a close and also square-faced relative of hers. A foreigner myself I found it tempting to muse upon the subliminal effect of their first names’ visual aspects too, as the last three consonants are the same, a rather seldom combination of k, s and n. Well, that couldn’t be prearranged for the elections of course, but it’s curious nonetheless – at least for me… I wonder if Thai readers experience the same thing?!?
Agen DominoQQ Online Paling Populer
[…] to Yingluck’s candidacy? Andrew Walker, writing for the New Mandala identifies Yingluck’s strengths: Yingluck is a much better proxy for Thaksin than Samak. That she is more presentable goes without […]
Shoot to kill
Who is this guy Dr Bandit Chanrojanakit?
This is the first time I’ve seen his name. Every link on Google links back to this article.
Yingluck on the streets
It’s a marvelous poster of her. I noticed a few nights ago when they first went up poster after poster I saw on my bike and I just loved looking at her. Very beautiful and dignified and feminine. Feminine but professional. Very appealing and a problem for the Democrats because they now have to confront a very presentable and likable image, not the Red Bull drinking motorcycle taxi drunk wife beating whoremongering illiterate Red Shirt image that many middle class Thais have in their heads.
I don’t know a lot about what’s in her head, but her image is very good.
Yingluck on the streets
I think that uneasy feeling Srithanonchai is having is the smell of the Generals/Royalists/Democrats/Rightwing pro-coup aggregate about to go down in flames…..and a stunning landslide majority victory for Yingluck and PT/Red Shirts.