Race and religion do not dominate because they have been shrouded in that never-ending utopia “unity.” Pretense is alive and well, and just how far real diversity will be permitted is either a good question or moot.
I suspect your ‘well-placed sources’ are just as wrong — and are 180 degrees opposed to what’s said in some of the Wikileaks cables, where the well-placed sources are at least identified. Q’s appearance at the yellow funeral was also consistent with prior performance. You make Q out to be naive, which is naive. And why would someone want to discredit her in the succession, where her choice is apparently the same as his?
Tell that to the multimillionaire who is bankrolling this ever widening chasm. Only yet another grossly overprivileged amnart could be so utterly incompetent and boneheadedly stupid.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ivy Kwek, New Mandala. New Mandala said: Class war in Malaysia – Going the Thai way?: Chalongphob Sussangkarn of Thailand Development Research Institute … http://bit.ly/hfcH33 […]
[…] government. PPT recommends Thongchai Winichakul’s analysis of the events and their meanings at New Mandala. We also note the manner in which the events were hyped by the media – look at the initial, calm […]
[…] was about to begin. Courageous Bangkok-based photo-journalist Nick Nostitz provided harrowing images showing Red Shirts with sling-shots taking heavy fire from government forces.Others on the Red […]
For more info on this area and cross-border movements, check out Ian Baird’s work (e.g. Baird, I. G. (2010) Different views of history: shades of irredentism along the Laos-Cambodia border. Journal of Southeast Asia Studies, 41: 187-213).
Also, an earlier but hard to track down piece by Escoffier has info on the Khmer Rouge period (Escoffier, C. F. (1997). Les Lao au Cambodge: Une cohabitation harmonieuse? Lan Xang Heritage Journal 2(3): 82–124).
I was expecting you to mention Suwannaphum, the town in Roi Et province.
Incidentally, a look at the Khmer ruins in this town – even more so than others outside the significantly Khmer-populated heartland of southern Isaan – gives some insight into Thai attitudes. The sanctuary at Ku Phra Kona has been almost totally desecrated.
I agree with most of your points, but for the apperance of “Red” it looks like this happened already a few months earlier.
In mid 2007 at the siege of Gen Prem’s residence they wore still yellow but one year later at the clash you mentioned in early September 2008 they were dressed in red. You can see this for example in Nick Nostitz’s book “Red vs. Yellow”
I still remember the “3 buddies” Veera, Jatupon and Nattawut wearing red when presenting their “Truth Today” TV Show every evening on state run NBT (Thai TV Channel 11) from early August 2008 during most of the time of the seizure of Government House by the PAD.
Sorry Greg, but I don’t think “casualty” is the right word here. “Casualty” implies the person getting hurt.. In the case of Rais, there is no “hurt” and the leak is unlikely to do him any harm.
This is Malaysian politics, one must judge the effects of media stories etc within the Malaysian context and “value system”, also thru “Malaysian political eyes”. In the “western” context, he would be “toast” or “roti bakar” as I like to put it, but…
Thanks for this article. As a Buddhist, I had always been curious as to this apparent inconsistency, and it’s good to see an in-depth examination of it. It had previously been my understanding that the earliest iconic depictions of the Buddha were produced in Indo-Greek kingdoms by sculptors who were trained in Greek art styles and whose cultural lives could have been Hellenistic in other ways as well. Would this be the reason that they wouldn’t have taken care to ensure that their sculptures of the Buddha matched the descriptions in the Pali Canon?
Agree that the Queen’s 2008 funeral appearance is highly meaningful. Yet its significance may have other dimensions to those you’ve raised. The story I have heard from several well-placed sources is that she went against her will – that is, she was compelled to go by ‘someone’ above her. ‘Someone’ wanted her to attend, knowing full well it would do untold damage to her reputation and lead to large swathes (Red Shirts) of the population opposing her. Her attendance was part of the internal ‘politics’ of the institution – an attempt by one actor to make the other unpalatable in the haggling over power and succession rites. Plus, it was an act of revenge by ‘someone’ fully aware that Q had engaged in a number of dubious activities regarding his health and well being.
Of course, such ‘stories’ may be just that – its impossible to know. It does however plausibly cohere with general sentiments of fierce in-fighting between ‘him’ and ‘her’, of which this act of character assassination is somewhat mild in comparison to other tales circulating.
They cannot write about the monarchy, as then they would be unable to obtain visas for Thailand. But as academics specializing in Thailand, they have to write about Thailand. Publish or perish…
good to see rockybru again neglects to mention his feuding with rais, badawi’s kronies and others on DrM’s behest, and his key role in ‘strategic leaking’ on behalf of the regime, especially with early elections looming.
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Class war in Malaysia – Going the Thai way?
Race and religion do not dominate because they have been shrouded in that never-ending utopia “unity.” Pretense is alive and well, and just how far real diversity will be permitted is either a good question or moot.
Legitimacy crisis in Thailand
bduckz #20
The VoiceTV report you cite is not correct: Anand, Siddhi, and Prem have not been charged with LM. Saksith at Siam Voices has addressed this misleading report: http://asiancorrespondent.com/45948/red-shirt-to-sue-thai-privy-councilors-over-wikileaks-and-why-it-is-a-bad-idea.html
I suspect your ‘well-placed sources’ are just as wrong — and are 180 degrees opposed to what’s said in some of the Wikileaks cables, where the well-placed sources are at least identified. Q’s appearance at the yellow funeral was also consistent with prior performance. You make Q out to be naive, which is naive. And why would someone want to discredit her in the succession, where her choice is apparently the same as his?
Class war in Malaysia – Going the Thai way?
Tell that to the multimillionaire who is bankrolling this ever widening chasm. Only yet another grossly overprivileged amnart could be so utterly incompetent and boneheadedly stupid.
Class war in Malaysia – Going the Thai way?
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ivy Kwek, New Mandala. New Mandala said: Class war in Malaysia – Going the Thai way?: Chalongphob Sussangkarn of Thailand Development Research Institute … http://bit.ly/hfcH33 […]
Thongchai Winichakul on the Red “germs”
[…] government. PPT recommends Thongchai Winichakul’s analysis of the events and their meanings at New Mandala. We also note the manner in which the events were hyped by the media – look at the initial, calm […]
Why is Malaysia experiencing a brain drain?
very useful research
thanks
Nick Nostitz in the killing zone
[…] was about to begin. Courageous Bangkok-based photo-journalist Nick Nostitz provided harrowing images showing Red Shirts with sling-shots taking heavy fire from government forces.Others on the Red […]
Why is Malaysia experiencing a brain drain?
[…] Wong, writing for the New Mandala, studies the brain drain problem in […]
Making states in the Cambodian-Lao borderlands
Hi Thiago,
Thanks for your interest.
For more info on this area and cross-border movements, check out Ian Baird’s work (e.g. Baird, I. G. (2010) Different views of history: shades of irredentism along the Laos-Cambodia border. Journal of Southeast Asia Studies, 41: 187-213).
Also, an earlier but hard to track down piece by Escoffier has info on the Khmer Rouge period (Escoffier, C. F. (1997). Les Lao au Cambodge: Une cohabitation harmonieuse? Lan Xang Heritage Journal 2(3): 82–124).
You can also contact me at [email protected]
Cambodia is not a province of Thailand
I was expecting you to mention Suwannaphum, the town in Roi Et province.
Incidentally, a look at the Khmer ruins in this town – even more so than others outside the significantly Khmer-populated heartland of southern Isaan – gives some insight into Thai attitudes. The sanctuary at Ku Phra Kona has been almost totally desecrated.
Legitimacy crisis in Thailand
Dear Prof. Somsak
I agree with most of your points, but for the apperance of “Red” it looks like this happened already a few months earlier.
In mid 2007 at the siege of Gen Prem’s residence they wore still yellow but one year later at the clash you mentioned in early September 2008 they were dressed in red. You can see this for example in Nick Nostitz’s book “Red vs. Yellow”
I still remember the “3 buddies” Veera, Jatupon and Nattawut wearing red when presenting their “Truth Today” TV Show every evening on state run NBT (Thai TV Channel 11) from early August 2008 during most of the time of the seizure of Government House by the PAD.
UMNO Minister rapes Indonesian maid?
Sorry Greg, but I don’t think “casualty” is the right word here. “Casualty” implies the person getting hurt.. In the case of Rais, there is no “hurt” and the leak is unlikely to do him any harm.
This is Malaysian politics, one must judge the effects of media stories etc within the Malaysian context and “value system”, also thru “Malaysian political eyes”. In the “western” context, he would be “toast” or “roti bakar” as I like to put it, but…
The Buddha was bald
Thanks for this article. As a Buddhist, I had always been curious as to this apparent inconsistency, and it’s good to see an in-depth examination of it. It had previously been my understanding that the earliest iconic depictions of the Buddha were produced in Indo-Greek kingdoms by sculptors who were trained in Greek art styles and whose cultural lives could have been Hellenistic in other ways as well. Would this be the reason that they wouldn’t have taken care to ensure that their sculptures of the Buddha matched the descriptions in the Pali Canon?
Legitimacy crisis in Thailand
Re Somsak #16
Agree that the Queen’s 2008 funeral appearance is highly meaningful. Yet its significance may have other dimensions to those you’ve raised. The story I have heard from several well-placed sources is that she went against her will – that is, she was compelled to go by ‘someone’ above her. ‘Someone’ wanted her to attend, knowing full well it would do untold damage to her reputation and lead to large swathes (Red Shirts) of the population opposing her. Her attendance was part of the internal ‘politics’ of the institution – an attempt by one actor to make the other unpalatable in the haggling over power and succession rites. Plus, it was an act of revenge by ‘someone’ fully aware that Q had engaged in a number of dubious activities regarding his health and well being.
Of course, such ‘stories’ may be just that – its impossible to know. It does however plausibly cohere with general sentiments of fierce in-fighting between ‘him’ and ‘her’, of which this act of character assassination is somewhat mild in comparison to other tales circulating.
On another note, see http://news.voicetv.co.th/in-english/1736.html for explosive developing story…
Legitimacy crisis in Thailand
“There was no “red shirt” at the time!! (as I said, most of the pro-Thaksin supporters still wore yellow shirts or scraf)” – really? I thought many/most of the DAAD did wear red pre-funeral: http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1220325323&grpid=01&catid=01
UMNO Minister rapes Indonesian maid?
An NGO has lodged a police report against Rais and he’s finally forced to break his silence. He denies everything, naturally.
But if you think about it, UMNO ministers have been ‘raping’ Malaysians and Malaysia on a daily basis.
Review of Bombay Anna
I have only recently come across this review and these comments. I note the comment about the failed link to the occasional paper written by Alfred Habegger and me about Anna and Thomas Leonowens’ time spent in Western Australia. The direct link is: http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/community/documents/OccasionalPaper1-LeonowensinWesternAustralia.pdf
One of the aims of the paper was to reveal the archived facts, about Anna and her family’s life in Western Australia in the 1850s.
Gerard Foley
Legitimacy crisis in Thailand
They cannot write about the monarchy, as then they would be unable to obtain visas for Thailand. But as academics specializing in Thailand, they have to write about Thailand. Publish or perish…
Legitimacy crisis in Thailand
Suzie Wong # 2
“Could someone explain me the difference between a scholar and a writer?”
Yeah sure Suzie, anyone can be a scholar.
UMNO Minister rapes Indonesian maid?
good to see rockybru again neglects to mention his feuding with rais, badawi’s kronies and others on DrM’s behest, and his key role in ‘strategic leaking’ on behalf of the regime, especially with early elections looming.