From the website of Amnesty International in the UK:
We are committed to strengthening our accountability and transparency to all our stakeholders. Our stakeholders include: individuals and communities we work with and for, as well as our members, supporters, activists, partners, staff, volunteers and the general public.
We regard accountability as a continuous two-way process through which our stakeholders inform and participate in our decisions and activities, and we hold ourselves accountable to stakeholders for our performance and campaign outcomes…
Ultimately, we are committed to meeting non-governmental organisation (NGO) best practice standards in transparency, operational excellence and public and stakeholder reporting. For example, Amnesty International is a signatory of the International NGO Accountability Charter, which outlines a common commitment to enhance transparency and accountability among non-governmental organisations.
Why would I? obviously the PAD and me has nothing in common. The PAD wanted Thailand to be absolute monarchy, I want Thailand to be liberal democratic, the ideology just too far apart. Note that PAD never talk about anything democratic despite the name contained the world democracy. (noticing that the alliance is falling apart btw?)
Jeez, Hanoi Paris Hilton, I don’t know what MSU and the CIA were thinking, and there are about 1 million Vietnamese civilians killed during America’s war there who aren’t in a position to entertain your query.
We could , however, put the question to the tens of thousands of Vietnamese born with birth defects after their parents were exposed to Agent Orange. I think that would be reasonable.
In 1934, Roosevelt defended himself against his critics, and attacked them in his “fireside chat” radio audiences. Some people, he said:
will try to give you new and strange names for what we are doing. Sometimes they will call it ‘Fascism,’ sometimes ‘Communism,’ sometimes ‘Regimentation,’ sometimes ‘Socialism.’ But, in so doing, they are trying to make very complex and theoretical something that is really very simple and very practical…. Plausible self-seekers and theoretical die-hards will tell you of the loss of individual liberty.
Answer this question out of the facts of your own life.
Have you lost any of your rights or liberty or constitutional freedom of action and choice. . . . ?
Could Abhisit, Thaksin or any other national leader ask this question of the Thai people?
It is you who show your intelligence or lack there of.
Capt. Htun Hla (Tetkatho Ne Win) has graduated from
a mission school – that made him English educated and
not graduated from venacular school or nationalist high
schools (Burmese educated), that made him wrote that
Nehru advised him (Capt. Htun Hla) to teach Gen. Aung
San about table manners and ethiques to deal with English
man. Captain Htun Hla also went to University College at
Rangoon University. Hla Oo has discriminated his father
from that Bo Htun Hla in part 4.
He may be an Anglophile, he may have stated incorrect
facts from his point of view. Still his work, this series is
a contribution to contemporary Burmese history and
the evolution, metamorphosis of Burmese armed forces.
So this time folks are we sure we are complaining about the cancelling of the Robert Amsterdam meeting and not the AI reaction to the use of the LM laws? Just want to get it straight.
…and thus violating Mr. Amsterdam the right to exercise his freedom of expression.
Did you see me mention anything about voting here? Don’t you see that as the situation goes no candidate is wanted, Abhisit is not wanted by half of Thailand and Thaksin is not wanted by another half, election wouldn’t solve any problem so why keep asking about how to keep them away?
Thailand need to have the 5 principles of democracy in place first before any election can be hold.
Furthermore, can you give me an example of any country in the world that ban politician like Thailand do?
Tarrin, you are quite right. In most countries with a system based more on laws and regulations these people would be in prison rather than banned.
Election wouldn’t solve the problem so don’t worry if only the unwanted are there because even if we are to have super man there he wouldn’t be able to do anything.
So how, and please be specific, would you see the voters not returning the ‘unwanted’ without laws to take them off of the candidate list?
@ Arthurson #29
I am afraid your memory is incorrect.
AI gave warning of the impending refoulement; protested when it happened, and continuedcampaigns on behalf of the repatriated Hmong after they were ‘re-settled’ in Lao.
I know this thread is from a while ago, but I just noticed the post about the artist whose work is shown on the cover. I’m a friend of his and was the one to point out that his art was being used. He hadn’t been asked permission, presumably because the photo was taken from an commissioned street piece he did and the authors didn’t know how to contact him or thought that something in the public domain was fair game to be reproduced.
He was quite surprised to find out about the book cover. We discussed the potential danger it put him in. He should be OK I think, but it was a bit thoughtless of the authors to put him in that situation to be honest.
update: to close down community radio stations starting with the BKK metropolitan area and now starting (today 29 April) around the countryside is a means of silencing opposition voices, especially Phue Thai Party before elections. DJs are the most vocal and targeted for “disappearing” (р╕нр╕╕р╣Йр╕б). 1,600 people are targeted. At Pathumthani there are 3 comm.radio stations – two are still resisting as I write this update. The Pathumthani police chief has been removed because he failed to destroy the three stations. 2 people are in jail. “Thaicom” sent all comm.radio stations a memo last years saying that before the end of this year they must register: They still have six months left. So there is no excuse for prosecuting them on this apparent “illegality”. Likewise over the absurd 112 charges. some DJs and station managers are followed home so groups of reds are staying with them around the clock as safety in numbers. It is clear that if the falangist regime is successful in closing down all comm.radio stations the elections will go ahead as the pro-red/Phue Thai Party will have no voice as mainstream media is ignoring them. If not succesful in this regard, there will be a coup
AI’s track record in Thailand sucks bigtime. I can think of many times when they have just completely missed the boat. I don’t remember them saying anything about the force repatriation of the Hmong refugees to Laos, for instance.
I used to be a regular donor to Amnesty International USA (and my ex-wife in America still is), but I won’t give them another cent until they get rid of Benjamin Zawacki.
More to the point, why are you referring to Da Torpedo in the past tense? She is still alive, and many of us harbour hopes that she will some day be released from her unjust imprisonment. I know that she has had health problems. Are you writing her off as someone doomed to die behind bars?
It is incorrect to say that Joan of Arc was sold to the English by “some of the French”. Joan of Arc was captured by Burgundian soldiers. Burgundy was a separate principality that had a long history of hostilities with the French kingdom, and as such was an ally of the English.
I thought you claim to believe that the current LM is outrageous.
If that’s the case then forgiveness and leniency does not apply here.
You can’t forgive someone who has done nothing wrong. Suwicha, having been humilated and jailed for nothing, deserves an apology at the very least, not forgiveness.
Viet Nam is booming, Saigon suddenly looks like Bangkok. Bob Dylan played a great gig there two weeks ago, best rendition of “Hard Rain”, ever, just brought the house down. Everything is great.
…Oh yeah, except for a couple of million boat people and political refugees; a couple of million more cycled through the re-education camps; and 36 years, so far, of zero basic political freedoms: speech, assembly, press, religion, public redress of grievances.
Those evil bastards at MSU and the CIA… What could they ever have been thinking!
Rather doubt it if anti-Chinese riots would do the same in Burma as in Indonesia aside from the undesirability of any race riot. It was a nationalist ploy used by Ne Win, himself half Chinese, in 1967 as the shortage of rice came to a crisis point at the same time the Cultural Revolution spilled over the border to Rangoon.
Chinese pressure is certainly being felt more acutely in Upper Burma, but anti-Chinese sentiment has tended to play into the hands of the military regime, with frustration, resentment and anger diverted away from them onto a minority group. Burmese Chinese will become victims alongside Yunnanese immigrant Lao Pans.
“It’s the economy, stupid”, to quote the campaign slogan that put Bill Clinton into the White House. The IMF instigated petrol price hike triggered the August 2007 protests leading on to the Saffron Revolution.
The infighting over the spoils of office post election, and the deprivation of similar rewards together with exploitation and oppression of the army rank and file, could act as catalysts for the next round of upheaval, social unrest already simmering under the surface as people realise most of them will remain at the bottom of the food chain struggling hopelessly for a livelihood, let alone health and education.
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Open letter: Amnesty International in Thailand
From the website of Amnesty International in the UK:
We are committed to strengthening our accountability and transparency to all our stakeholders. Our stakeholders include: individuals and communities we work with and for, as well as our members, supporters, activists, partners, staff, volunteers and the general public.
We regard accountability as a continuous two-way process through which our stakeholders inform and participate in our decisions and activities, and we hold ourselves accountable to stakeholders for our performance and campaign outcomes…
Ultimately, we are committed to meeting non-governmental organisation (NGO) best practice standards in transparency, operational excellence and public and stakeholder reporting. For example, Amnesty International is a signatory of the International NGO Accountability Charter, which outlines a common commitment to enhance transparency and accountability among non-governmental organisations.
Thailand at the Limit
LesAbbey – 13
Tarrin are you joining the PAD?
Why would I? obviously the PAD and me has nothing in common. The PAD wanted Thailand to be absolute monarchy, I want Thailand to be liberal democratic, the ideology just too far apart. Note that PAD never talk about anything democratic despite the name contained the world democracy. (noticing that the alliance is falling apart btw?)
Madam Nhu: a feminist with extrajudicial leanings
Jeez, Hanoi Paris Hilton, I don’t know what MSU and the CIA were thinking, and there are about 1 million Vietnamese civilians killed during America’s war there who aren’t in a position to entertain your query.
We could , however, put the question to the tens of thousands of Vietnamese born with birth defects after their parents were exposed to Agent Orange. I think that would be reasonable.
Thailand at the Limit
Some wise fatherly advice from F.D.Roosevelt:
In 1934, Roosevelt defended himself against his critics, and attacked them in his “fireside chat” radio audiences. Some people, he said:
will try to give you new and strange names for what we are doing. Sometimes they will call it ‘Fascism,’ sometimes ‘Communism,’ sometimes ‘Regimentation,’ sometimes ‘Socialism.’ But, in so doing, they are trying to make very complex and theoretical something that is really very simple and very practical…. Plausible self-seekers and theoretical die-hards will tell you of the loss of individual liberty.
Answer this question out of the facts of your own life.
Have you lost any of your rights or liberty or constitutional freedom of action and choice. . . . ?
Could Abhisit, Thaksin or any other national leader ask this question of the Thai people?
Thailand at the Limit
Tarrin – 12
Thailand need to have the 5 principles of democracy in place first before any election can be hold.
Tarrin are you joining the PAD?
Burma in Limbo, Part 1
@IP
It is you who show your intelligence or lack there of.
Capt. Htun Hla (Tetkatho Ne Win) has graduated from
a mission school – that made him English educated and
not graduated from venacular school or nationalist high
schools (Burmese educated), that made him wrote that
Nehru advised him (Capt. Htun Hla) to teach Gen. Aung
San about table manners and ethiques to deal with English
man. Captain Htun Hla also went to University College at
Rangoon University. Hla Oo has discriminated his father
from that Bo Htun Hla in part 4.
He may be an Anglophile, he may have stated incorrect
facts from his point of view. Still his work, this series is
a contribution to contemporary Burmese history and
the evolution, metamorphosis of Burmese armed forces.
Open letter: Amnesty International in Thailand
So this time folks are we sure we are complaining about the cancelling of the Robert Amsterdam meeting and not the AI reaction to the use of the LM laws? Just want to get it straight.
…and thus violating Mr. Amsterdam the right to exercise his freedom of expression.
Do you think possibly a little exaggeration here?
Thailand at the Limit
LesAbbey – 11
Did you see me mention anything about voting here? Don’t you see that as the situation goes no candidate is wanted, Abhisit is not wanted by half of Thailand and Thaksin is not wanted by another half, election wouldn’t solve any problem so why keep asking about how to keep them away?
Thailand need to have the 5 principles of democracy in place first before any election can be hold.
Thailand at the Limit
Tarrin – 10
Furthermore, can you give me an example of any country in the world that ban politician like Thailand do?
Tarrin, you are quite right. In most countries with a system based more on laws and regulations these people would be in prison rather than banned.
Election wouldn’t solve the problem so don’t worry if only the unwanted are there because even if we are to have super man there he wouldn’t be able to do anything.
So how, and please be specific, would you see the voters not returning the ‘unwanted’ without laws to take them off of the candidate list?
New war in Kachin State?
@ Moe Aung #26
“The infighting over the spoils—let alone health and education.”Does the ‘Arab Spring’ ring any bell?(Last para #26)
SOS “the sky is falling any minute now” after 3 decades.
Contrary to the archaic communist ideology with Cuba and DPRK as proofs:
Relying on unspeakable suffering to a citizenry to effect change!
To avoid future silliness get with the program and check the recent wiki on the walls of New Mandala here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/161881
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
@ Arthurson #29
I am afraid your memory is incorrect.
AI gave warning of the impending refoulement; protested when it happened, and continued campaigns on behalf of the repatriated Hmong after they were ‘re-settled’ in Lao.
Saying the unsayable about Thailand’s monarchy
I know this thread is from a while ago, but I just noticed the post about the artist whose work is shown on the cover. I’m a friend of his and was the one to point out that his art was being used. He hadn’t been asked permission, presumably because the photo was taken from an commissioned street piece he did and the authors didn’t know how to contact him or thought that something in the public domain was fair game to be reproduced.
He was quite surprised to find out about the book cover. We discussed the potential danger it put him in. He should be OK I think, but it was a bit thoughtless of the authors to put him in that situation to be honest.
Crackdown on red media
update: to close down community radio stations starting with the BKK metropolitan area and now starting (today 29 April) around the countryside is a means of silencing opposition voices, especially Phue Thai Party before elections. DJs are the most vocal and targeted for “disappearing” (р╕нр╕╕р╣Йр╕б). 1,600 people are targeted. At Pathumthani there are 3 comm.radio stations – two are still resisting as I write this update. The Pathumthani police chief has been removed because he failed to destroy the three stations. 2 people are in jail. “Thaicom” sent all comm.radio stations a memo last years saying that before the end of this year they must register: They still have six months left. So there is no excuse for prosecuting them on this apparent “illegality”. Likewise over the absurd 112 charges. some DJs and station managers are followed home so groups of reds are staying with them around the clock as safety in numbers. It is clear that if the falangist regime is successful in closing down all comm.radio stations the elections will go ahead as the pro-red/Phue Thai Party will have no voice as mainstream media is ignoring them. If not succesful in this regard, there will be a coup
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
@ Simon # 20
AI’s track record in Thailand sucks bigtime. I can think of many times when they have just completely missed the boat. I don’t remember them saying anything about the force repatriation of the Hmong refugees to Laos, for instance.
I used to be a regular donor to Amnesty International USA (and my ex-wife in America still is), but I won’t give them another cent until they get rid of Benjamin Zawacki.
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
More to the point, why are you referring to Da Torpedo in the past tense? She is still alive, and many of us harbour hopes that she will some day be released from her unjust imprisonment. I know that she has had health problems. Are you writing her off as someone doomed to die behind bars?
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
It is incorrect to say that Joan of Arc was sold to the English by “some of the French”. Joan of Arc was captured by Burgundian soldiers. Burgundy was a separate principality that had a long history of hostilities with the French kingdom, and as such was an ally of the English.
Right royal histories
Well, it can’t be you know who attending. Rumor has it he was told never to come back to the UK, for reasons that cannot be discussed.
Intimidation of Somsak Jeamteerasakul
“leniency and forgiveness in LM cases”
I thought you claim to believe that the current LM is outrageous.
If that’s the case then forgiveness and leniency does not apply here.
You can’t forgive someone who has done nothing wrong. Suwicha, having been humilated and jailed for nothing, deserves an apology at the very least, not forgiveness.
Madam Nhu: a feminist with extrajudicial leanings
Viet Nam is booming, Saigon suddenly looks like Bangkok. Bob Dylan played a great gig there two weeks ago, best rendition of “Hard Rain”, ever, just brought the house down. Everything is great.
…Oh yeah, except for a couple of million boat people and political refugees; a couple of million more cycled through the re-education camps; and 36 years, so far, of zero basic political freedoms: speech, assembly, press, religion, public redress of grievances.
Those evil bastards at MSU and the CIA… What could they ever have been thinking!
New war in Kachin State?
Rather doubt it if anti-Chinese riots would do the same in Burma as in Indonesia aside from the undesirability of any race riot. It was a nationalist ploy used by Ne Win, himself half Chinese, in 1967 as the shortage of rice came to a crisis point at the same time the Cultural Revolution spilled over the border to Rangoon.
Chinese pressure is certainly being felt more acutely in Upper Burma, but anti-Chinese sentiment has tended to play into the hands of the military regime, with frustration, resentment and anger diverted away from them onto a minority group. Burmese Chinese will become victims alongside Yunnanese immigrant Lao Pans.
“It’s the economy, stupid”, to quote the campaign slogan that put Bill Clinton into the White House. The IMF instigated petrol price hike triggered the August 2007 protests leading on to the Saffron Revolution.
The infighting over the spoils of office post election, and the deprivation of similar rewards together with exploitation and oppression of the army rank and file, could act as catalysts for the next round of upheaval, social unrest already simmering under the surface as people realise most of them will remain at the bottom of the food chain struggling hopelessly for a livelihood, let alone health and education.