…I fail to see how the constant and hysterical attacks on the Red shirts over the past few years could be strategic unless there is significant fear, among Thailand’s highest echelons, that the succession plan (whatever it is) will be interrupted by Thaksin-aligned politicians.
But Nich you fail to follow what is now coming out to it’s logical conclusion. Once you start to look at where Thaksin possibly stands in the question of succession many parts of the dispute inside Thailand’s ruling classes may begin to make sense. Long before the 2006 coup the relationship between the Privy Council and Thaksin was breaking down. Thaksin was trying to disable any power centre in the country outside of his control.
Unless the rules have changed since Kukrit Pramoj wrote about them many years ago in, I think, the Bangkok Post, the next monarch will be chosen by the Privy Council. Hopefully we will find out more with further releases of the Wikileaks cables.
Just to point out that it is easier for those outside Thailand to comment on this issue.
these docs are basically views of the amaat regime led by Prem and his entourage with US officials lapping up the spoof…The only excitment is that they show openly the real face of the amaat; I for one don’t give credence to the comments which are only viewpoints which many of us knew before; except that they do show the real face, intrigue and danger of the current regime as it tries to institutionalise its power base and undermine any attempt to bring back democracy.
Dear Ko Hla Oo,Don’t be emotional. This Karen-Burmese feud is a complicated issue and both sides are to blame for the atrocities committed by each side. I have never denigrated the role of he Burma Army in miantaining the Union of Burma intact, but its duty is not to rule the country. It has to obey the order of an elected popular government of the Union. The concept that because I defend the country with arms I must rule is wrong. Don’t call names to your opponents while discussing or arguing as it lowers your morality and standard. I reside in Yangon and a full-fledged citizen of Myanmar. What are you and where do you live now?
I think its totally reasonable to have early election for him, if anyone care to check the number. Thailand economy is not doing well, although the export number is at historical high, however consumption and investment within the nation is never been so low. GDP comparison q-o-q was actually negative, and we are talkin negative comparing to a not so high number last year, so whoever come to power next going to be responsible for the Dem mismanagement.
On March 5, 1950 Burmese army column led by Colonel Kyaw Zaw (now retired CPB) enetered the small town of Phyu on Rangoon Mandalay Railway line.
After the Insein Battle the army was slowly retaking the Burmese towns along the Rangoon-Mandalay Highway and Railway one by one from the combined KNDO and Kachin insurgents.
They were expecting KNDO to fight back like at other towns before. Instead of putting up a fight against the army the Kraens had slaughtered the whole town including women and children. And the gruesome scene of massacre was waiting for the army entering Phyu.
This translated extract (edited) is what Myat Htan wrote of the Phyu Massacre in his autobiography.
“At two in the afternoon we reached the edge of town. Enemy hadn’t fire a single shot at us but our carriers cautiously rolled into town very slow. As soon as we were in the town we knew it was really strange. In every other town once the Tatmadaw entered the town the whole town even the babies came out and happily welcomed us with drinking water, fruits, and other food stuff. They would sing and dance in the streets and some even cried for they were so happy that the Karens were gone and Burmese Army was back in town.
But here in Phyu the whole town was dead quiet like a cemetery ground. Doors of all the houses were shut and not a single human being was seen on the streets. Bo Kyaw Zaw and Bo Chit Myain and I were looking at each other often as if we were asking each other what was going on here. Was the enemy still in the town? Were we entering their trap?
Once the army was well in the town our men started yelling out, “Bamar Tatmadaw is here, town folks please come out!” repeatedly but the town wouldn’t respond at all. We soon found out the reason. The town folks were not able to respond and even if they were able they wouldn’t dare. The whole town was slaughtered by the Karens well before they abandoned the dead town.
(Every house was entered and the occupants including the babies in cradles were killed with knifes. Nearly 1000 Burmese civilians were killed by the Karens there. Bo Kyaw Zaw himself recalled seeing 200 bodies being counted. )
Our men moved from door to door, corpse to corpse to find out if some were still alive. None found as everyone was dead and almost all of them had fatal knife wounds. We all were shocked and even Bo Kyaw Zaw was severely affected. But he immediately ordered me and Colonel Chit Myaing to control our men not to respond in anger against any Karen encountered here or somewhere else.”
As an unfortunate legacy of Aung San and his extreme-leftwing comrades British had suddenly left and Burma then was on the brink of total collapse and we Burmese shed blood repairing that damage left by the so-called patriots so that the geographical integrity of fighting-peacock-shaped boundary of our ancestral land called Burma is maintained.
I did not want to descend into your level of name calling but now I was forced to label you two the traitors to Burmese cause and our beloved Burma.
Let Hla Oo extol the virtues of Spartan male bonding and plan B decry the West until they turn blue in the face. They do complement each other.
It’s never going to dawn on them that there is such a thing called popular struggle against social injustice that waits for no leader. Once it acquires one like Aung San and achieves unity and purpose, nothing can stop its momentum, and the entire nest of armed bullies will be swept away.
Even the army veteran Hla Oo believes the Burmese nation should have let their colonial masters guide them expertly into a modern ‘civilisation’ instead of fighting for their freedom, especially when they are being guided now by the expert hands of his generals.
Resistance is futile says Hla Oo.
Engage with no strings attached says plan B.
orwellian (c2) – while that link worked earlier this evening (Thai time, that is), a few hours later it seems to have evaporated…..
Noteworthy that The Nation’s ultra-sanitised report manages to avoid any mention of the monarchy – unless you count referring to Thailand as “the Kingdom” – but then those guys don’t need LM laws to tell them the way to go…..
The whole country, and perhaps the whole world, is now digesting the implication of such an earth-shaking revelation , which is made public more than four years after the actual event. The real tsunami will come in a few days’ time.
James might have added that the Nation didn’t even mention the players mentioned. The Nation really does get grubby when they think that they are on a war footing.
Don’t these cables disprove Ji Ungkaporn’s theory about the relative balance of power between the Military and The Palace, in particular between the Military and His Majesty ?
Oh good! Will we now discover the beginning of the End of the rule of law in Malaya and the vile invention of the sons(sic) of the soil Malay as ruling ‘race’?
Interesting reading the comments on your previous post about this issue Nich. I guess for those who think we are living in a fascist dictatorship the election will never happen anyway.
For us others then the five by-elections were interesting and possibly damaging for the Phue Thai Party. The results do still show that the country is split down the middle, so not much change there. The two bankers, or obvious results, were that Aphirak would win well in Bangkok for the Democrats, and that Phue Thai would win in Khon Kaen, which it did with a massive majority.
What must worry Phue Thai is that they lost to Bhun Jai in Korat and Surin and made no inroads into the Central Region in Ayutthaya. If they cannot win all of the Northeast to go with the North it looks unlikely they can get a majority without going into negotiations with Newin, which is quite possible of course. The next election will be different in as far as the Democrats, and Bhun Jai, go into it as a government spending money on populist policies to ‘buy’ votes using Thaksin’s own methods.
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Wikileaks and Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
[…] Lire la suite: Wikileaks and Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn […]
Wikileaks and Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
…I fail to see how the constant and hysterical attacks on the Red shirts over the past few years could be strategic unless there is significant fear, among Thailand’s highest echelons, that the succession plan (whatever it is) will be interrupted by Thaksin-aligned politicians.
But Nich you fail to follow what is now coming out to it’s logical conclusion. Once you start to look at where Thaksin possibly stands in the question of succession many parts of the dispute inside Thailand’s ruling classes may begin to make sense. Long before the 2006 coup the relationship between the Privy Council and Thaksin was breaking down. Thaksin was trying to disable any power centre in the country outside of his control.
Unless the rules have changed since Kukrit Pramoj wrote about them many years ago in, I think, the Bangkok Post, the next monarch will be chosen by the Privy Council. Hopefully we will find out more with further releases of the Wikileaks cables.
Just to point out that it is easier for those outside Thailand to comment on this issue.
Wikileaks and Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
these docs are basically views of the amaat regime led by Prem and his entourage with US officials lapping up the spoof…The only excitment is that they show openly the real face of the amaat; I for one don’t give credence to the comments which are only viewpoints which many of us knew before; except that they do show the real face, intrigue and danger of the current regime as it tries to institutionalise its power base and undermine any attempt to bring back democracy.
Wikileaks and Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
Fantastic! What’s the best way to get this disseminated to Thais?
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
Looks like this story has been removed from/ by the BP.
I can’t find it anywhere.
Gradual political change in Burma
Dear Ko Hla Oo,Don’t be emotional. This Karen-Burmese feud is a complicated issue and both sides are to blame for the atrocities committed by each side. I have never denigrated the role of he Burma Army in miantaining the Union of Burma intact, but its duty is not to rule the country. It has to obey the order of an elected popular government of the Union. The concept that because I defend the country with arms I must rule is wrong. Don’t call names to your opponents while discussing or arguing as it lowers your morality and standard. I reside in Yangon and a full-fledged citizen of Myanmar. What are you and where do you live now?
When will Thailand go to the polls?
I think its totally reasonable to have early election for him, if anyone care to check the number. Thailand economy is not doing well, although the export number is at historical high, however consumption and investment within the nation is never been so low. GDP comparison q-o-q was actually negative, and we are talkin negative comparing to a not so high number last year, so whoever come to power next going to be responsible for the Dem mismanagement.
Gradual political change in Burma
Moe Aung and Maung Maung,
On March 5, 1950 Burmese army column led by Colonel Kyaw Zaw (now retired CPB) enetered the small town of Phyu on Rangoon Mandalay Railway line.
After the Insein Battle the army was slowly retaking the Burmese towns along the Rangoon-Mandalay Highway and Railway one by one from the combined KNDO and Kachin insurgents.
They were expecting KNDO to fight back like at other towns before. Instead of putting up a fight against the army the Kraens had slaughtered the whole town including women and children. And the gruesome scene of massacre was waiting for the army entering Phyu.
This translated extract (edited) is what Myat Htan wrote of the Phyu Massacre in his autobiography.
“At two in the afternoon we reached the edge of town. Enemy hadn’t fire a single shot at us but our carriers cautiously rolled into town very slow. As soon as we were in the town we knew it was really strange. In every other town once the Tatmadaw entered the town the whole town even the babies came out and happily welcomed us with drinking water, fruits, and other food stuff. They would sing and dance in the streets and some even cried for they were so happy that the Karens were gone and Burmese Army was back in town.
But here in Phyu the whole town was dead quiet like a cemetery ground. Doors of all the houses were shut and not a single human being was seen on the streets. Bo Kyaw Zaw and Bo Chit Myain and I were looking at each other often as if we were asking each other what was going on here. Was the enemy still in the town? Were we entering their trap?
Once the army was well in the town our men started yelling out, “Bamar Tatmadaw is here, town folks please come out!” repeatedly but the town wouldn’t respond at all. We soon found out the reason. The town folks were not able to respond and even if they were able they wouldn’t dare. The whole town was slaughtered by the Karens well before they abandoned the dead town.
(Every house was entered and the occupants including the babies in cradles were killed with knifes. Nearly 1000 Burmese civilians were killed by the Karens there. Bo Kyaw Zaw himself recalled seeing 200 bodies being counted. )
Our men moved from door to door, corpse to corpse to find out if some were still alive. None found as everyone was dead and almost all of them had fatal knife wounds. We all were shocked and even Bo Kyaw Zaw was severely affected. But he immediately ordered me and Colonel Chit Myaing to control our men not to respond in anger against any Karen encountered here or somewhere else.”
As an unfortunate legacy of Aung San and his extreme-leftwing comrades British had suddenly left and Burma then was on the brink of total collapse and we Burmese shed blood repairing that damage left by the so-called patriots so that the geographical integrity of fighting-peacock-shaped boundary of our ancestral land called Burma is maintained.
I did not want to descend into your level of name calling but now I was forced to label you two the traitors to Burmese cause and our beloved Burma.
Gradual political change in Burma
Maung Maung,
Let Hla Oo extol the virtues of Spartan male bonding and plan B decry the West until they turn blue in the face. They do complement each other.
It’s never going to dawn on them that there is such a thing called popular struggle against social injustice that waits for no leader. Once it acquires one like Aung San and achieves unity and purpose, nothing can stop its momentum, and the entire nest of armed bullies will be swept away.
Even the army veteran Hla Oo believes the Burmese nation should have let their colonial masters guide them expertly into a modern ‘civilisation’ instead of fighting for their freedom, especially when they are being guided now by the expert hands of his generals.
Resistance is futile says Hla Oo.
Engage with no strings attached says plan B.
Whose side are they on? Can you tell? Anyone?
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
orwellian (c2) – while that link worked earlier this evening (Thai time, that is), a few hours later it seems to have evaporated…..
Noteworthy that The Nation’s ultra-sanitised report manages to avoid any mention of the monarchy – unless you count referring to Thailand as “the Kingdom” – but then those guys don’t need LM laws to tell them the way to go…..
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
This is all so old now. Yesterday I was told that HM is looking much improved and plans to leave hospital shortly.
Changes the dynamic somewhat eh ?
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
The whole country, and perhaps the whole world, is now digesting the implication of such an earth-shaking revelation , which is made public more than four years after the actual event. The real tsunami will come in a few days’ time.
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
James might have added that the Nation didn’t even mention the players mentioned. The Nation really does get grubby when they think that they are on a war footing.
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
Don’t these cables disprove Ji Ungkaporn’s theory about the relative balance of power between the Military and The Palace, in particular between the Military and His Majesty ?
Vital new documents on the formation of Malaysia
Oh good! Will we now discover the beginning of the End of the rule of law in Malaya and the vile invention of the sons(sic) of the soil Malay as ruling ‘race’?
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
Here are links to the three cables released:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/176996
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/79101
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/172121?CMP=twt_gu
It’s interesting that The Nation has already moved to quash talk of the cables, as it’s just an old conspiracy theory anyway: http://bit.ly/i8AHSc
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/172121?INTCMP=SRCH
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
Not quite , try this link,
http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/211410/
Samak, the Queen and the Bangkok Post
Here is a screen grab of one of the articles. Thanks to a reader.
When will Thailand go to the polls?
Interesting reading the comments on your previous post about this issue Nich. I guess for those who think we are living in a fascist dictatorship the election will never happen anyway.
For us others then the five by-elections were interesting and possibly damaging for the Phue Thai Party. The results do still show that the country is split down the middle, so not much change there. The two bankers, or obvious results, were that Aphirak would win well in Bangkok for the Democrats, and that Phue Thai would win in Khon Kaen, which it did with a massive majority.
What must worry Phue Thai is that they lost to Bhun Jai in Korat and Surin and made no inroads into the Central Region in Ayutthaya. If they cannot win all of the Northeast to go with the North it looks unlikely they can get a majority without going into negotiations with Newin, which is quite possible of course. The next election will be different in as far as the Democrats, and Bhun Jai, go into it as a government spending money on populist policies to ‘buy’ votes using Thaksin’s own methods.