“..Thailand is no longer on the verge. Instead, Thailand appears to be reaching a political, social, historic and economic limit…There is a growing war on the border with Cambodia, the PM Abhisit government and the UDD are locked into conflict with one another, possible elections are on the horizon, and competing versions of the truth of April-May 2010 are being offered by different factions. Long-term crises – the rise in the use of terrorist tactics and the laws to address them, economic inequality, and the precarity of ethnic minorities and migrants – remain unresolved.”
wow – sounds like a hellish place. Wonder why then every Thai I’ve ever spoken to thinks it the best country on earth, as do the vast majority of visiting tourists…
Surely, if they’d read Robert Amsterdam’s application they would have spotted that Amsterdam is also focusing on Abhisit’s British citizenship which would place him directly under the ICC’s jurisdiction. I mean wasn’t Abhisit’s British citizenship status huge news for a couple of weeks in Thailand? How did Ben Zawacki miss that?
Seems like Ben Zawacki, who is noted in the Thai HR community for his very weak research skills (he can’t speak or read any Thai at all) didn’t even bother to look properly into what he was attempting to dismiss.
Huge huge fail from Ben Zawacki.
And let’s not forget his asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for “advice” on Da Torpedo. Ben Zawacki’s email on Andrew Spooner’s post on Asian Correspondent (http://bit.ly/ihgMrC) doesn’t exactly do him many favours when he is lecturing everyone about “neutrality” and not wishing to be seen to be too close to human rights’ abusers, does it?
You have to wonder what else he has been discussing with the Ministry and how much advice they’ve given him on other matters.
He now needs to explain what work he has been doing with the Ministry. More likely he’ll mumble a few excuses.
Zawacki sided with the amaat regime since 2006 and has been convinced of their propaganda. The guy has no credibility to defined what is good and what is not good and makes out of context references to the “evil that was” (referring Thaksin) glossing over atrosities committed by the current regime. He has no backbone to represent a HR org. He said, in relation to getting a balanced viewpoint on my invitation to meet red media early this year, QUOTE:
“I’m not prepared at the moment to meet with red media
(spoken for for the next two months or so on another Thailand issue/project), and am really not prepared to discuss internal strategy on our freedom of expression work in Thailand (in contrast to the public documents of course)…”
Forget him; forget AI.
Mr. Thaksin strenuously combated Amnesty’s efforts to seek accountability for these serious violations.
This comment in para 3 of Zawacki’s piece could be seen as a subconscious justification for desiring revenge against Thaksin’s sleights against AI.
There is more to this issue than Amsterdam. Apart from the link in #3 by It’s Martino there is also the fact that AI were not among the 500 who attended the press conference called by threatened Thammasat University historian Somsak Jiamteerasakul.
There will be an opportunity to discuss these issues on 13 May (12:30pm registration for 1:00pm) at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Bangkok, when Amnesty presents their annual report.
However, “Attendees will receive the Thai translation of the Amnesty International Report 2011 …but the full report in the English version will be available only for the representative of organizations due to the limitation of copies.”
And Zawacki’s name is not on the list of speakers.
Seems to have omitted the ubiquitous and dominant role of T in past, present, and immediate future legal, political, and social considerations.
For >10 years now this whole thing is about T – his sources of funding, uses of funding and his ego. Funding for faux political parties fronting for the same characters, funding gained from new more “sophisticated” policy corruption, strategic and well timed seed funding for problems in south, violent nonsensical/intractable protests, and border issues for hire that seem perfectly timed.
Basically this will be the 4th, 5th, or 6th referendum for the man depending how you count. And no matter if he passes or fails, it will not be enough and we go into the next cycle. However at least the issues have become increasingly clear. For the outside the view may be of “democracy” or not (depending on who you are biased for/against).
However the local view is clear – do you approve T to run Thailand anyway he wants as his family business at any cost or not. 10 years ago a lot of support came from the beleif that he would run things in his own way better than any alternative (paticipatory for the masses or not). Today there appears a clearer understanding of how narrow T’s interests really are and how they might not necessarily coincide with other big or small constituent’s interests. Nevertheless the realization that a country could not find coincident interests and ride the wave of one man’s insatiable and self destructive need for more of everything seems to appear and disappear like the cheshire cat, suggesting lessons not learned and a very negative outlook for real democracy.
Thailand is not beyond T by any means and this may likely not be his last stand either as most wish for (no matter who wins).
“T thinks – PT does.” Party candidates get conditional support with presigned resignation letters – tactics, motives, and objectives are all too clear. First order of business a pardon – a main campaign issue. Followed by some shockingly hard to believe populist freebies as the political anti get higher and higher to extend the present “system” of winning and getting a proper IRR on the vote outlays. Wow, cannot be much clearer. It also is clear their must be Shin blood family member on top in the PM’s to run the envisioned family business from here on out.
Yet academics and academics remain quite cowed, irrelevant, and off the mark. The issues are the issues of finding quality processes, ideas, and principles that can produce decent men in power positions, political or social.
The fact is there currently appear only to be obstacles, lack of political substance, ongoing lack of ethical principles or rule of law, political dinosaurs, and quite literally madmen judging by what passes for ideas or vision.
There may be no good alternatives and the trick will be to find a path for Thailand to survive the next 5 years.
“There are presently no licensed community stations in Thailand. At the end of the 300 day temporary license period, a year ago, no licenses were issued and a moratorium was placed on new license applications……”
In that case, 97.75 FM belonging to ASTV/PAD/Sonthi must be illegal too and this station attacks Abhisit govt everyday, using words far stronger than the recently closed red stations. Why not raid this station too ? Certainly double standard too in the same manner as why don’t they charge Sonthi for LM for repeating Da’s words ?
Nick Nostitz and BKK Lawyer, why doen’t they find someone impartial then? Surely they could indeed! And who is impartial about what they want to see happen in Thailand? You? Me? The very good authors of the Thai Political Prisoners blog? That should be the role of AI – to be impartial observers of abuse, and yet they have become increasingly embroiled, partial and subsequently painted into the tapestry of abuse in Thailand as idle conversationalists.
Yes, AI shouldn’t speak to Amsterdam Nick, but neither shouldn’t they be idle on the present Thai government’s constant abuses. They should not be idle on Lese Majeste. Good people don’t contribute to AI for shoegazing. The candle should still be lit for all victims of human rights abuse… those calling for revolution, or not.
Perhaps this is the dirty laundry of AI being aired in public… maybe to counter the ridiculousness of Zawacki courting mid level management government officials (‘sources!’), another cluster of AI organised a talk with Amsterdam? Spurious speculation? Sure, but there’s not a lot else to gain from this.
If AI is waiting for the opportunity to present perfectly balanced positions side by side at one event, it will never present any position. That only plays into the hands of the Thai government, which will remain grateful to AI.
Surely AI could find someone to present views alternative to Amsterdam, if it’s really interested in avoiding a partisan event.
Nostitz says that he believes that Veera is a wise man, and finds it fascinating how the UDD and the conflict of Thai society will develop. And at the same time Nostitz is also quite concerned over the present escalation and confrontation course initiated by the state.
AI s position on Lese Majeste in Thailand is to say nothing. Lese majeste laws imprison people for speaking their own minds. Is not freedom of speech cruicial to human rights? Please stand up to the abuses of power of the state instead of cosying up to such dangerous actions for your own pleasure of living in Thailand.
On danger of getting attacked and ripped to pieces here, but i believe that in this particular case AI has valid reasons for its refusal to host this particular talk. The international platform is an increasingly important battleground for both the government/state and for the UDD, and by hosting a talk with Amsterdam (and without participation of the state in something like a round table talk, which i don’t see taking place in this polarized situation) such a talk would be a PR victory for the UDD, but at the same time would undermine Amnesty’s position and leverage, especially considering that this is a conflict scenario that most likely has not reached its peak yet.
Amsterdam may very well do an important job on behalf of the UDD, countering the considerable lobbying efforts of the state in the international arena (and there should be more attention paid on how the state is indeed lobbying the outside world!), but he is not an independent investigator.
Indeed, in the past AI has been considerably undermined by the PAD, and by forces of the state – a massive damage which still, as we can see now, AI has to suffer from.
I may not be an expert in the workings of human rights issues, neither have i much experience in this, but this campaign here feels for me about as wrong as the (unfortunately more successful) efforts of the PAD and the state to pull AI into their political PR machine then.
Thailand needs more people like Ajarn Somsak, speaks out and stand behind his own researches and studies. I have read many of his articles and thoroughly admired his dept of researching on the subject. I hope that that he will be safe and his family will be taken care of by many of his friends and admirers. My heart will be with you Ajarn Somsak
Perhaps the several comment evaluators who hit the “thumbs down “button can elaborate on why they reacted negatively to those comments, and/or to the article by Mr. Mazard itself?
I pressed the thumbs down button because it’s red 🙂
I think this is a result of my environment rather than a genetic trait. But I could be wrong….
Please press the green button if you did also.
If your genes made you do it please press red
If your mother made you do it, get her to press it. It’s really not your fault.
If no one pressed it, can it press itself?
What would the Lord Buddha have said if he were alive today?
“God made me do it?”
Not noticed by many, yesterday a group of ex-CPT gave flowers to the head of the army. That isnt news in itself of note but it was mentioned that ISOC had set up rural organizations numbering 700,000 members to show support for the monarchy. That, if true, is quite a staggering number and quite why ISOC should be forming such groups is surely a relevent question. This is on the same day as the crackdown on radio
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Thailand at the Limit
“..Thailand is no longer on the verge. Instead, Thailand appears to be reaching a political, social, historic and economic limit…There is a growing war on the border with Cambodia, the PM Abhisit government and the UDD are locked into conflict with one another, possible elections are on the horizon, and competing versions of the truth of April-May 2010 are being offered by different factions. Long-term crises – the rise in the use of terrorist tactics and the laws to address them, economic inequality, and the precarity of ethnic minorities and migrants – remain unresolved.”
wow – sounds like a hellish place. Wonder why then every Thai I’ve ever spoken to thinks it the best country on earth, as do the vast majority of visiting tourists…
whose limit, whose crisis are we talking about??
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
Very confused by AI’s response.
Surely, if they’d read Robert Amsterdam’s application they would have spotted that Amsterdam is also focusing on Abhisit’s British citizenship which would place him directly under the ICC’s jurisdiction. I mean wasn’t Abhisit’s British citizenship status huge news for a couple of weeks in Thailand? How did Ben Zawacki miss that?
Seems like Ben Zawacki, who is noted in the Thai HR community for his very weak research skills (he can’t speak or read any Thai at all) didn’t even bother to look properly into what he was attempting to dismiss.
Huge huge fail from Ben Zawacki.
And let’s not forget his asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for “advice” on Da Torpedo. Ben Zawacki’s email on Andrew Spooner’s post on Asian Correspondent (http://bit.ly/ihgMrC) doesn’t exactly do him many favours when he is lecturing everyone about “neutrality” and not wishing to be seen to be too close to human rights’ abusers, does it?
You have to wonder what else he has been discussing with the Ministry and how much advice they’ve given him on other matters.
He now needs to explain what work he has been doing with the Ministry. More likely he’ll mumble a few excuses.
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
Zawacki sided with the amaat regime since 2006 and has been convinced of their propaganda. The guy has no credibility to defined what is good and what is not good and makes out of context references to the “evil that was” (referring Thaksin) glossing over atrosities committed by the current regime. He has no backbone to represent a HR org. He said, in relation to getting a balanced viewpoint on my invitation to meet red media early this year, QUOTE:
“I’m not prepared at the moment to meet with red media
(spoken for for the next two months or so on another Thailand issue/project), and am really not prepared to discuss internal strategy on our freedom of expression work in Thailand (in contrast to the public documents of course)…”
Forget him; forget AI.
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
Mr. Thaksin strenuously combated Amnesty’s efforts to seek accountability for these serious violations.
This comment in para 3 of Zawacki’s piece could be seen as a subconscious justification for desiring revenge against Thaksin’s sleights against AI.
There is more to this issue than Amsterdam. Apart from the link in #3 by It’s Martino there is also the fact that AI were not among the 500 who attended the press conference called by threatened Thammasat University historian Somsak Jiamteerasakul.
http://www.prachatai3.info/english/node/2443
There will be an opportunity to discuss these issues on 13 May (12:30pm registration for 1:00pm) at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Bangkok, when Amnesty presents their annual report.
However, “Attendees will receive the Thai translation of the Amnesty International Report 2011 …but the full report in the English version will be available only for the representative of organizations due to the limitation of copies.”
And Zawacki’s name is not on the list of speakers.
Thailand at the Limit
Seems to have omitted the ubiquitous and dominant role of T in past, present, and immediate future legal, political, and social considerations.
For >10 years now this whole thing is about T – his sources of funding, uses of funding and his ego. Funding for faux political parties fronting for the same characters, funding gained from new more “sophisticated” policy corruption, strategic and well timed seed funding for problems in south, violent nonsensical/intractable protests, and border issues for hire that seem perfectly timed.
Basically this will be the 4th, 5th, or 6th referendum for the man depending how you count. And no matter if he passes or fails, it will not be enough and we go into the next cycle. However at least the issues have become increasingly clear. For the outside the view may be of “democracy” or not (depending on who you are biased for/against).
However the local view is clear – do you approve T to run Thailand anyway he wants as his family business at any cost or not. 10 years ago a lot of support came from the beleif that he would run things in his own way better than any alternative (paticipatory for the masses or not). Today there appears a clearer understanding of how narrow T’s interests really are and how they might not necessarily coincide with other big or small constituent’s interests. Nevertheless the realization that a country could not find coincident interests and ride the wave of one man’s insatiable and self destructive need for more of everything seems to appear and disappear like the cheshire cat, suggesting lessons not learned and a very negative outlook for real democracy.
Thailand is not beyond T by any means and this may likely not be his last stand either as most wish for (no matter who wins).
“T thinks – PT does.” Party candidates get conditional support with presigned resignation letters – tactics, motives, and objectives are all too clear. First order of business a pardon – a main campaign issue. Followed by some shockingly hard to believe populist freebies as the political anti get higher and higher to extend the present “system” of winning and getting a proper IRR on the vote outlays. Wow, cannot be much clearer. It also is clear their must be Shin blood family member on top in the PM’s to run the envisioned family business from here on out.
Yet academics and academics remain quite cowed, irrelevant, and off the mark. The issues are the issues of finding quality processes, ideas, and principles that can produce decent men in power positions, political or social.
The fact is there currently appear only to be obstacles, lack of political substance, ongoing lack of ethical principles or rule of law, political dinosaurs, and quite literally madmen judging by what passes for ideas or vision.
There may be no good alternatives and the trick will be to find a path for Thailand to survive the next 5 years.
Crackdown on red media
Ricefield radio — #3
“There are presently no licensed community stations in Thailand. At the end of the 300 day temporary license period, a year ago, no licenses were issued and a moratorium was placed on new license applications……”
In that case, 97.75 FM belonging to ASTV/PAD/Sonthi must be illegal too and this station attacks Abhisit govt everyday, using words far stronger than the recently closed red stations. Why not raid this station too ? Certainly double standard too in the same manner as why don’t they charge Sonthi for LM for repeating Da’s words ?
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
Nick Nostitz and BKK Lawyer, why doen’t they find someone impartial then? Surely they could indeed! And who is impartial about what they want to see happen in Thailand? You? Me? The very good authors of the Thai Political Prisoners blog? That should be the role of AI – to be impartial observers of abuse, and yet they have become increasingly embroiled, partial and subsequently painted into the tapestry of abuse in Thailand as idle conversationalists.
Yes, AI shouldn’t speak to Amsterdam Nick, but neither shouldn’t they be idle on the present Thai government’s constant abuses. They should not be idle on Lese Majeste. Good people don’t contribute to AI for shoegazing. The candle should still be lit for all victims of human rights abuse… those calling for revolution, or not.
Perhaps this is the dirty laundry of AI being aired in public… maybe to counter the ridiculousness of Zawacki courting mid level management government officials (‘sources!’), another cluster of AI organised a talk with Amsterdam? Spurious speculation? Sure, but there’s not a lot else to gain from this.
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
Always worth reading what Vigilant citizen has to say about Amsterdam. http://www.vigilantcitizen.com/latestnews/naming-names-your-real-government/
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
If AI is waiting for the opportunity to present perfectly balanced positions side by side at one event, it will never present any position. That only plays into the hands of the Thai government, which will remain grateful to AI.
Surely AI could find someone to present views alternative to Amsterdam, if it’s really interested in avoiding a partisan event.
Crackdown on red media
“Vichai N”:
Nostitz says that he believes that Veera is a wise man, and finds it fascinating how the UDD and the conflict of Thai society will develop. And at the same time Nostitz is also quite concerned over the present escalation and confrontation course initiated by the state.
Right royal histories
The corgis would have him. Surprisingly vicious little things, corgis.
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
AI s position on Lese Majeste in Thailand is to say nothing. Lese majeste laws imprison people for speaking their own minds. Is not freedom of speech cruicial to human rights? Please stand up to the abuses of power of the state instead of cosying up to such dangerous actions for your own pleasure of living in Thailand.
Amnesty International and Robert Amsterdam
On danger of getting attacked and ripped to pieces here, but i believe that in this particular case AI has valid reasons for its refusal to host this particular talk. The international platform is an increasingly important battleground for both the government/state and for the UDD, and by hosting a talk with Amsterdam (and without participation of the state in something like a round table talk, which i don’t see taking place in this polarized situation) such a talk would be a PR victory for the UDD, but at the same time would undermine Amnesty’s position and leverage, especially considering that this is a conflict scenario that most likely has not reached its peak yet.
Amsterdam may very well do an important job on behalf of the UDD, countering the considerable lobbying efforts of the state in the international arena (and there should be more attention paid on how the state is indeed lobbying the outside world!), but he is not an independent investigator.
Indeed, in the past AI has been considerably undermined by the PAD, and by forces of the state – a massive damage which still, as we can see now, AI has to suffer from.
I may not be an expert in the workings of human rights issues, neither have i much experience in this, but this campaign here feels for me about as wrong as the (unfortunately more successful) efforts of the PAD and the state to pull AI into their political PR machine then.
Right royal histories
They should send Fufu. A more concise statement would be hard to imagine.
Right royal histories
Anonymousth // Apr 27, 2011 at 12:25 pm
“This would be a good opportunity for the World to get to know more about Thailand’s future queen. ..”
That should read “News Of The World” shurely, Ed?
Crackdown on red media
Nobody – 5
quite why ISOC should be forming such groups is surely a relevent question
Dont you see some similarity between what they are doing now and back in 6 Oct 1976??
Somsak: “what I’m facing is scary”
Thailand needs more people like Ajarn Somsak, speaks out and stand behind his own researches and studies. I have read many of his articles and thoroughly admired his dept of researching on the subject. I hope that that he will be safe and his family will be taken care of by many of his friends and admirers. My heart will be with you Ajarn Somsak
Right royal histories
Interesting choice, Anonymousth. Of even more interest is what Srirasmi will (or won’t) be wearing!
Unpopular facts about one of Buddhist philosophy’s most popular doctrines
Alan Potkin // Jan 30, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Perhaps the several comment evaluators who hit the “thumbs down “button can elaborate on why they reacted negatively to those comments, and/or to the article by Mr. Mazard itself?
I pressed the thumbs down button because it’s red 🙂
I think this is a result of my environment rather than a genetic trait. But I could be wrong….
Please press the green button if you did also.
If your genes made you do it please press red
If your mother made you do it, get her to press it. It’s really not your fault.
If no one pressed it, can it press itself?
What would the Lord Buddha have said if he were alive today?
“God made me do it?”
Crackdown on red media
Not noticed by many, yesterday a group of ex-CPT gave flowers to the head of the army. That isnt news in itself of note but it was mentioned that ISOC had set up rural organizations numbering 700,000 members to show support for the monarchy. That, if true, is quite a staggering number and quite why ISOC should be forming such groups is surely a relevent question. This is on the same day as the crackdown on radio