I learned a new English word today (pom) . Thank you for that.
About the current Thai PM’s nationality, the whole saga is another test of his character . Unfortunately, except for the potential prosecution under the International Criminal Court, which is quite a long shot, there seems to be no legal implication of Abhisit’s dual citizenship on his political position. (The electoral law states that you must be a Thai citizen but does not explicitly prohibit a person with dual citizienship, one of which is Thai, from holding a position of prime minister.)
However, the way that Abhisit handled this question from the start by being evasive, if not untruthful, about his status (see here http://matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1296614463&grpid=00&catid=&subcatid=) and attempting to deflect the question by many means, including making fun of Thaksin’s Montenegro citizenship, speaks volume about his questionable integrity. Embarassingly, in the same statement of admission, the PM dared Thaksin (without naming) to renounce his other citizenships if he (Abhishit) were to be made to do so, which is quite beside the point. (see here http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1298542233&grpid=no&catid=01)
Since 2006, this PM has proven to be less and less trust-worthy, let alone a legitimate leader. I’m not sure I should hold my breath for his election promise!
By the way, Submarine, . Marie Curie suffered for years from radiation poisoning and finally succumbed to “aplastic pernicious anemia” or, as we call it today, leukemia most certainly caused by
the very substances she was studying.
At the time, the damaging effects of ionizing radiation unknown and much of her work had been carried out in a shed, without proper safety measures. She had carried test tubes containing radioactive isotopes in her pocket and stored them in her desk drawer, remarking on the pretty blue-green light that the substances gave off in the dark.(Wikipedia)
So the mention of Curie is interesting, and her famous quote :
“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”
Teaches us that there are indeed some things to be feared, or at least respected: the current Thai witchhunt and LM are certainly in that same category as radium.
Three years ago, i felt increasing pressure to stop bloging under a pen name that I had used for years.
I also did a google search of all material I had ever written that appeared in the Public Domain and proceed to delete every blog reference that dealt in any way with politics.
I never had to do this During Thaksin who I admit, I detested. Yet now, I feel I must self censor. And in most cases just not even write anything at all.
No more emails.
No more rambling blogs.
No more letters to the editor or even responses to other bloggers in comments.
No Facebook.
No Twitter.
Bascially removing myself from the discussion.
Has the repression worked. Yes. I defenitely feel repressed. Will it last forever?
No. It awaits a catalyst.
Then the amart will experience what the fear the most. The people will not allow the corruption anymore. Nor the failed ‘projects’.
The day will come.
I wont start it. But I do understand and welcome it.
As for the conference. I believe that those of us who don’t feel safe in Thailand organize an alternative venue and include an Internet component to allow those of us who must use proxies and assumed names to participate online.
Of course it must be outside Thailand and the web servers must also be outside Thailand.
Perhaps, We should publicize the alternate conference and then if MSM in the west picks up the news. It might make some difference in that if the conference in Thailand is reported. It might be noted that a group of academics have chosen or been forced to have a parallel conference because of issues like fear of LM, police harassment and video taping by Thai Authorities.
That is just my idea on this.
PS. I had over 3500 separate blog enteries and forum p0sts in by 2007.
Since that time I have had maybe 100 posts under assumed identities and via proxies.
Sadly, I cannot participate in any form that would reveal my identity because I view my own personal freedom of movement. Granted my Political Freedom has already been curtailed but I am not quite ready to experience the dungeons of Klong Prem Central Prison.
This hagiography was a bit much. So I did a google search of the author. No Suprises. His family is among the Malasian Oligarchs and the Thai connection is though Banking and Securities.
Surachai didn’t pull away, he was chasing away from the UDD by the 3 amigo even before the March rally. Surachai even told his supporter to join the UDD protest although he’s not with the UDD anymore at that time.
Thanks for your article. I also published a short essay on the significance and context of Najib’s honorary award which you can read here on Malaysia Today… http://bit.ly/ei55DT
Concerned Citizen
I’m inclined to agree with Jesse here, at least in part. Personally dont think that the choice of name ‘Red Siam’ is prudent, evoking memories of marxism/communism as it does.
I believe that Thailand’s major political problem is that the PTP regards the people it purports to represent, not as people whose aspirations ought to be given room, but as a vehicle for gaining power. This explains the notable absence of any manifestos in Thai politics, and also explains the disconcerting habit Thai pollies have of jumping parties – not according to changing party policies or their individual beliefs and opinions, but according to who is paying a sufficient bounty.
It seems clear to me that anyone who believes Thai politics is likely to achieve any kind of democracy is likely to become quite depressed quite quickly. The bottom line is that most of the pollies are bottom feeders who joined politics not to benefit the Thai people or Nation, but to enrich and aggrandize themselves. In this of course, Thailand is not alone, but most other countries do at least have some policy differentiation between parties. In Thailand, they’re all the same, and that’s because they are all seeking the same things; wealth, power and influence – they just see differet market audiences as their vehicle to achive those things. Notice the preponderance of local godfathers in Thai politics and there is only one conclusion about motivation. Chalerm, Barharn, Chidchob (both of them), Thaksin, Sudarat and the rest, they’re all either gangsters or bandits or gangsters or bandits who’ve learned to put on a suit of clothes to suggest they’re something other than gangsters and bandits. All governments in Thailand are and always have been putrescent with corruption, it’s a way of life, which, given all of the above makes a perfect kind of sense – well it does to me anyway.
I believe what Thailand needs most is many more conviction polticians, but first they have to do something drastic with the monarchy, the military leadership, the judiciary and a large percentage of the bueaucracy. All of which is the real problem, because this is a very big job and it won’t be done quickly or painlessly. All these institutions have failed Thailand miserably. All need to see the inside of history’s great garbage bin in the sky.
I frankly don’t see an alternative to armed conflict in Thailand if a respectable democracy is to be given room to grow. It’s a part of the growing process, and at the very root of it all is the fact that Thais are only just now beginning to mature psychologically and emotionally from children to adults. Thailand has to commit to educating Thais properly, which means the Thai elites have to be made to stop regarding the rest of the Thai people as serfs, whose only purpose is to provide cheap labour and sex services.
The advantage of being the Thai elite is that you don’t have to work within the law but you can tell everyone else they do have to. If you’re in the Thai elite, you own the judiciary, the police and the military, and the Palace will go along with whatever scores another few billion US for the network monarchy, as it has always done. The elites don’t mind paying to be able to use the King as their talisman, and the people at the Palace don’t mind letting them.
On balance, I hope that Thida and her friends do not try to lead the Redshirts down the path of gentle change, the elites are well experienced in foiling that approach, (so obviously they’ll be encouraging it for all their worth). But it just won’t work and will only delay what I believe is the inevitable conflict.
[…] is also telling that the comment tends to treat the red shirts as a monolithic pro-Thaksin movement when others are showing the schisms within it. Not seeing these developments is what makes the “Thaksin-as-puppet-master” discourse […]
“…Malaysia might not yet be Egypt. But there are no longer any illusions of the country being the shining light of a prosperous and harmonious multi-ethnic example to the rest of Asia…” by John Lee, in The Australian
I for one hope that the “Democracy Revolution Group”, aka the Red Siam Group are increasing in number and influence within the Red Shirt Movement. The UDD Leaders seem to be more concerned with reinstating Thaksin than disempowering the Amaat regime. Having witnessed recent Red Shirt rallies it is clear that many Red Shirts are demanding much greater societal changes than the UDD Leaders and their Thaksin supporting masses.
Positive political development will not occur in Thailand until the upper institutions and the military’s influence on politics are severed. Unfortunately, the current Red Shirt leaders are not as willing to fight for political reform as they are for power.
Maybe, Surachai might be Nelson of Thailand after all.
Tarrin, you could well be right on that. He certainly has a history that would fit that sort of profile. He certainly has held a consistent line for many years.
Now just to jog my memory, had Surachai taken his group out of the last year’s protest before its bitter end? If so, was this due to tactical differences or was it a question of principle?
As a postscipt/a bit more detail: Three agencies were involved in the illegal arrest: public security office (р╕кр╕▒р╕Щр╕Хр╕┤р╕Ър╕▓р╕е); ISOC (р╕Бр╕н.р╕гр╕бр╕Щ.) thugs from a special division of the military; and Police from Chokchai Police Station (Surachai was accused with LM for giving a talk at the Imperial in this precinct in December last year). There was no arrest warrant, so the taking of Surachai was absolutely illegal. Secondly, it was clear they wanted to kill him. There were ten plainclothes agents all with full arms and a gun pointed to the 69 year-old unarmed man’s head. Surachai was coming back to his home in Nonthaburi after giving a talk at Sanam Luang on evening of the 22 February. It was 2 am in the morning. In the car were four accompanying supporters: three women and two men, including the driver and they wanted to take him away in their vehicle. They waited til his car turned into a dead-end lane and surrounded him with four ISOC standard white Toyota Fortuner SUV cars. Surachai got out of the car first and refused to go with them (wisely) and insisted on going with his own vehicle to the police station and with his supporters accompanying him. The presence of the supporters, especially females, saved his life on this occasion.
It is clear that violence is going to increase now in Thailand against non-compliant red shirt leaders. The seven core UDD leaders as conditional n their release brokered by amaat’s Sanan Kachornprasartand and Khanit na nakhon (Abhisit’s chair of investigation committee) had to make certain agreements which placed the safety of their families first, especially Nuttawut and Korkaew who had children born after they were in prison. Depressing to red shirt followers was their acknowledgement of gratitude to the corrupt falange judicial system after their release on bail- a system that had actually put them away illicitly for 9 months. They should have been bailed out after their arrest May 2010. well, they tried their best over the past few years and deserve some credit for that, but are now out of the equation and can at best only make only passive, conciliatory statements to the masses. Same thing happened to Veera. The [falange] amaat regime turn the screws on families threatening them, as they did with Veera’s son (even threatening to plant drugs on him), if they cannot get to you directly.
The movement desperately needs new inspirational leaders to take it forward to the next stage…
I really think Thailand should be changed ,and how, first of all UDD leaders should take a long vacation then let Red Siam to do the job. We need someone or some group of people who have more progressive idea(or thinking) to (are brave to) bring up the issue, not flight and bow in the same time like UDD doing, – we will not go anywhere. And does Surachai have enough charisma to lead and to make a change?
I’m really surprise to see Chupong name on Newmandala.
There are certainly a lot of disagreement among the red right now especially the direction that the UDD leaders is taking. There are even talks of their leaders striking deal with the amaart to release them so that they can have Surachai instead. Maybe, Surachai might be Nelson of Thailand after all.
I was appalled at the dismissive view of the chief minister towards his people when I asked him at a press conference in 2005 whether he thought the interior tribes had anything of value to offer to the rest of the world.
His reply? “Ha ha, yes, we have put all that stuff into a museum somewhere!”
“The process of uprooting the amaat regime “lock, stock and barrel”; of seeking electoral democracy with proper political representation, and achieving good governance for the people of Thailand should go forward. And it should go forward according to a concrete plan agreed among all members within the family; not as a response to the tail wagging…”
If only it were that simple. The more sincere elements of UDD have yet to admit how much they have injured themselves by allowing themselves to be manipulated (diverted from the real cause) by disaffected elements of the amaat. The real struggle is to regroup into more realistic and disciplined political units. It’s either that or a bloodbath.
Has Mark V. actually been able to solve any problem?
Corruption?
Cambodia Border?
Southern Insurgency?
Food Prices?
Shortages of Cooking Oil?
Street Protests?
Government Legitimacy?
Transparency?
3G mobile?
Military making unilateral moves independent of civilian authorities?
Traffic?
Decentralization away from Bangkok?
National Reconciliation?
Holding Police Officials accountable for Excessive Force?
Holding Military officials accountable for Human Rights violations?
Bringing corrupt judges to account?
Respecting the political rights of the people.
Flood Abatement?
Disaster Relief actually paid to victims?
Solving the LM abuse issues?
Open affordable housing?
Slum abatement.
Increasing the minimum wages above inflation?
Increasing the rights of factory workers to get fair contracts.
Allowing he UNHCR access to refugees?
Getting the Mafia Bosses out of the Democrat Party?
Finding out the truth about national forest Encroachment by powerful families in Surat, Ko Samui, and other areas?
Those of us who read New Mandala know the truth.
Yet Mark V. still gets the occasional fawning reviews like the one referenced here because he can speak decent English. A sad indictment of form over function.
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Abhisit is a pom
I learned a new English word today (pom) . Thank you for that.
About the current Thai PM’s nationality, the whole saga is another test of his character . Unfortunately, except for the potential prosecution under the International Criminal Court, which is quite a long shot, there seems to be no legal implication of Abhisit’s dual citizenship on his political position. (The electoral law states that you must be a Thai citizen but does not explicitly prohibit a person with dual citizienship, one of which is Thai, from holding a position of prime minister.)
However, the way that Abhisit handled this question from the start by being evasive, if not untruthful, about his status (see here http://matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1296614463&grpid=00&catid=&subcatid=) and attempting to deflect the question by many means, including making fun of Thaksin’s Montenegro citizenship, speaks volume about his questionable integrity. Embarassingly, in the same statement of admission, the PM dared Thaksin (without naming) to renounce his other citizenships if he (Abhishit) were to be made to do so, which is quite beside the point. (see here http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1298542233&grpid=no&catid=01)
Since 2006, this PM has proven to be less and less trust-worthy, let alone a legitimate leader. I’m not sure I should hold my breath for his election promise!
Should the International Conference on Thai Studies be held in Thailand?
By the way, Submarine, . Marie Curie suffered for years from radiation poisoning and finally succumbed to “aplastic pernicious anemia” or, as we call it today, leukemia most certainly caused by
the very substances she was studying.
At the time, the damaging effects of ionizing radiation unknown and much of her work had been carried out in a shed, without proper safety measures. She had carried test tubes containing radioactive isotopes in her pocket and stored them in her desk drawer, remarking on the pretty blue-green light that the substances gave off in the dark.(Wikipedia)
So the mention of Curie is interesting, and her famous quote :
“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”
Teaches us that there are indeed some things to be feared, or at least respected: the current Thai witchhunt and LM are certainly in that same category as radium.
Should the International Conference on Thai Studies be held in Thailand?
Three years ago, i felt increasing pressure to stop bloging under a pen name that I had used for years.
I also did a google search of all material I had ever written that appeared in the Public Domain and proceed to delete every blog reference that dealt in any way with politics.
I never had to do this During Thaksin who I admit, I detested. Yet now, I feel I must self censor. And in most cases just not even write anything at all.
No more emails.
No more rambling blogs.
No more letters to the editor or even responses to other bloggers in comments.
No Facebook.
No Twitter.
Bascially removing myself from the discussion.
Has the repression worked. Yes. I defenitely feel repressed. Will it last forever?
No. It awaits a catalyst.
Then the amart will experience what the fear the most. The people will not allow the corruption anymore. Nor the failed ‘projects’.
The day will come.
I wont start it. But I do understand and welcome it.
As for the conference. I believe that those of us who don’t feel safe in Thailand organize an alternative venue and include an Internet component to allow those of us who must use proxies and assumed names to participate online.
Of course it must be outside Thailand and the web servers must also be outside Thailand.
Perhaps, We should publicize the alternate conference and then if MSM in the west picks up the news. It might make some difference in that if the conference in Thailand is reported. It might be noted that a group of academics have chosen or been forced to have a parallel conference because of issues like fear of LM, police harassment and video taping by Thai Authorities.
That is just my idea on this.
PS. I had over 3500 separate blog enteries and forum p0sts in by 2007.
Since that time I have had maybe 100 posts under assumed identities and via proxies.
Sadly, I cannot participate in any form that would reveal my identity because I view my own personal freedom of movement. Granted my Political Freedom has already been curtailed but I am not quite ready to experience the dungeons of Klong Prem Central Prison.
Abhisit at history’s juncture
This hagiography was a bit much. So I did a google search of the author. No Suprises. His family is among the Malasian Oligarchs and the Thai connection is though Banking and Securities.
Just one oligarch helping another.
Where to now for the UDD?
LesAbbey- 7
Surachai didn’t pull away, he was chasing away from the UDD by the 3 amigo even before the March rally. Surachai even told his supporter to join the UDD protest although he’s not with the UDD anymore at that time.
Najib to receive honorary degree from Monash
Thanks for your article. I also published a short essay on the significance and context of Najib’s honorary award which you can read here on Malaysia Today…
http://bit.ly/ei55DT
Concerned Citizen
Where to now for the UDD?
I’m inclined to agree with Jesse here, at least in part. Personally dont think that the choice of name ‘Red Siam’ is prudent, evoking memories of marxism/communism as it does.
I believe that Thailand’s major political problem is that the PTP regards the people it purports to represent, not as people whose aspirations ought to be given room, but as a vehicle for gaining power. This explains the notable absence of any manifestos in Thai politics, and also explains the disconcerting habit Thai pollies have of jumping parties – not according to changing party policies or their individual beliefs and opinions, but according to who is paying a sufficient bounty.
It seems clear to me that anyone who believes Thai politics is likely to achieve any kind of democracy is likely to become quite depressed quite quickly. The bottom line is that most of the pollies are bottom feeders who joined politics not to benefit the Thai people or Nation, but to enrich and aggrandize themselves. In this of course, Thailand is not alone, but most other countries do at least have some policy differentiation between parties. In Thailand, they’re all the same, and that’s because they are all seeking the same things; wealth, power and influence – they just see differet market audiences as their vehicle to achive those things. Notice the preponderance of local godfathers in Thai politics and there is only one conclusion about motivation. Chalerm, Barharn, Chidchob (both of them), Thaksin, Sudarat and the rest, they’re all either gangsters or bandits or gangsters or bandits who’ve learned to put on a suit of clothes to suggest they’re something other than gangsters and bandits. All governments in Thailand are and always have been putrescent with corruption, it’s a way of life, which, given all of the above makes a perfect kind of sense – well it does to me anyway.
I believe what Thailand needs most is many more conviction polticians, but first they have to do something drastic with the monarchy, the military leadership, the judiciary and a large percentage of the bueaucracy. All of which is the real problem, because this is a very big job and it won’t be done quickly or painlessly. All these institutions have failed Thailand miserably. All need to see the inside of history’s great garbage bin in the sky.
I frankly don’t see an alternative to armed conflict in Thailand if a respectable democracy is to be given room to grow. It’s a part of the growing process, and at the very root of it all is the fact that Thais are only just now beginning to mature psychologically and emotionally from children to adults. Thailand has to commit to educating Thais properly, which means the Thai elites have to be made to stop regarding the rest of the Thai people as serfs, whose only purpose is to provide cheap labour and sex services.
The advantage of being the Thai elite is that you don’t have to work within the law but you can tell everyone else they do have to. If you’re in the Thai elite, you own the judiciary, the police and the military, and the Palace will go along with whatever scores another few billion US for the network monarchy, as it has always done. The elites don’t mind paying to be able to use the King as their talisman, and the people at the Palace don’t mind letting them.
On balance, I hope that Thida and her friends do not try to lead the Redshirts down the path of gentle change, the elites are well experienced in foiling that approach, (so obviously they’ll be encouraging it for all their worth). But it just won’t work and will only delay what I believe is the inevitable conflict.
Gloomy? Yes. Accurate? I think so.
Where to now for the UDD?
[…] is also telling that the comment tends to treat the red shirts as a monolithic pro-Thaksin movement when others are showing the schisms within it. Not seeing these developments is what makes the “Thaksin-as-puppet-master” discourse […]
Lessons from Egypt for Malaysia
“…Malaysia might not yet be Egypt. But there are no longer any illusions of the country being the shining light of a prosperous and harmonious multi-ethnic example to the rest of Asia…” by John Lee, in The Australian
Where to now for the UDD?
I for one hope that the “Democracy Revolution Group”, aka the Red Siam Group are increasing in number and influence within the Red Shirt Movement. The UDD Leaders seem to be more concerned with reinstating Thaksin than disempowering the Amaat regime. Having witnessed recent Red Shirt rallies it is clear that many Red Shirts are demanding much greater societal changes than the UDD Leaders and their Thaksin supporting masses.
Positive political development will not occur in Thailand until the upper institutions and the military’s influence on politics are severed. Unfortunately, the current Red Shirt leaders are not as willing to fight for political reform as they are for power.
Where to now for the UDD?
For once I agree with Vichai N (#2 above).
Time to call a spade a spade, anything less is just supporting the Thai charade.
Where to now for the UDD?
Tarrin – 5
Maybe, Surachai might be Nelson of Thailand after all.
Tarrin, you could well be right on that. He certainly has a history that would fit that sort of profile. He certainly has held a consistent line for many years.
Now just to jog my memory, had Surachai taken his group out of the last year’s protest before its bitter end? If so, was this due to tactical differences or was it a question of principle?
Where to now for the UDD?
As a postscipt/a bit more detail: Three agencies were involved in the illegal arrest: public security office (р╕кр╕▒р╕Щр╕Хр╕┤р╕Ър╕▓р╕е); ISOC (р╕Бр╕н.р╕гр╕бр╕Щ.) thugs from a special division of the military; and Police from Chokchai Police Station (Surachai was accused with LM for giving a talk at the Imperial in this precinct in December last year). There was no arrest warrant, so the taking of Surachai was absolutely illegal. Secondly, it was clear they wanted to kill him. There were ten plainclothes agents all with full arms and a gun pointed to the 69 year-old unarmed man’s head. Surachai was coming back to his home in Nonthaburi after giving a talk at Sanam Luang on evening of the 22 February. It was 2 am in the morning. In the car were four accompanying supporters: three women and two men, including the driver and they wanted to take him away in their vehicle. They waited til his car turned into a dead-end lane and surrounded him with four ISOC standard white Toyota Fortuner SUV cars. Surachai got out of the car first and refused to go with them (wisely) and insisted on going with his own vehicle to the police station and with his supporters accompanying him. The presence of the supporters, especially females, saved his life on this occasion.
It is clear that violence is going to increase now in Thailand against non-compliant red shirt leaders. The seven core UDD leaders as conditional n their release brokered by amaat’s Sanan Kachornprasartand and Khanit na nakhon (Abhisit’s chair of investigation committee) had to make certain agreements which placed the safety of their families first, especially Nuttawut and Korkaew who had children born after they were in prison. Depressing to red shirt followers was their acknowledgement of gratitude to the corrupt falange judicial system after their release on bail- a system that had actually put them away illicitly for 9 months. They should have been bailed out after their arrest May 2010. well, they tried their best over the past few years and deserve some credit for that, but are now out of the equation and can at best only make only passive, conciliatory statements to the masses. Same thing happened to Veera. The [falange] amaat regime turn the screws on families threatening them, as they did with Veera’s son (even threatening to plant drugs on him), if they cannot get to you directly.
The movement desperately needs new inspirational leaders to take it forward to the next stage…
Where to now for the UDD?
I really think Thailand should be changed ,and how, first of all UDD leaders should take a long vacation then let Red Siam to do the job. We need someone or some group of people who have more progressive idea(or thinking) to (are brave to) bring up the issue, not flight and bow in the same time like UDD doing, – we will not go anywhere. And does Surachai have enough charisma to lead and to make a change?
Where to now for the UDD?
I’m really surprise to see Chupong name on Newmandala.
There are certainly a lot of disagreement among the red right now especially the direction that the UDD leaders is taking. There are even talks of their leaders striking deal with the amaart to release them so that they can have Surachai instead. Maybe, Surachai might be Nelson of Thailand after all.
The Great Constitutional Monarch
Can we get a more extensive review of this from anyone?
Abhisit at history’s juncture
Mark V and Karim Raslan – form over substance. That is their function.
For substantive reforms – it will have to be the “ordinary people” just as it was in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Thailand and hopefully in Malaysia.
The Sarawak Revolution!
Where to now for the UDD?
“The process of uprooting the amaat regime “lock, stock and barrel”; of seeking electoral democracy with proper political representation, and achieving good governance for the people of Thailand should go forward. And it should go forward according to a concrete plan agreed among all members within the family; not as a response to the tail wagging…”
If only it were that simple. The more sincere elements of UDD have yet to admit how much they have injured themselves by allowing themselves to be manipulated (diverted from the real cause) by disaffected elements of the amaat. The real struggle is to regroup into more realistic and disciplined political units. It’s either that or a bloodbath.
Abhisit at history’s juncture
Tarrin,
Has Mark V. actually been able to solve any problem?
Corruption?
Cambodia Border?
Southern Insurgency?
Food Prices?
Shortages of Cooking Oil?
Street Protests?
Government Legitimacy?
Transparency?
3G mobile?
Military making unilateral moves independent of civilian authorities?
Traffic?
Decentralization away from Bangkok?
National Reconciliation?
Holding Police Officials accountable for Excessive Force?
Holding Military officials accountable for Human Rights violations?
Bringing corrupt judges to account?
Respecting the political rights of the people.
Flood Abatement?
Disaster Relief actually paid to victims?
Solving the LM abuse issues?
Open affordable housing?
Slum abatement.
Increasing the minimum wages above inflation?
Increasing the rights of factory workers to get fair contracts.
Allowing he UNHCR access to refugees?
Getting the Mafia Bosses out of the Democrat Party?
Finding out the truth about national forest Encroachment by powerful families in Surat, Ko Samui, and other areas?
Those of us who read New Mandala know the truth.
Yet Mark V. still gets the occasional fawning reviews like the one referenced here because he can speak decent English. A sad indictment of form over function.
But actions speak louder than words.