I went to Phan Fa a couple of days after the deaths of April 10 when the redshirts were still there. The Democracy Monument was transformed by graffiti all over it, the steps, the pillars and cardboard boxes all around it. A red sash with a question I have not yet deciphered was wound around the centre of the monument and a red cloth covered the pinnacle of the monument. There were lots of paintings on boards, one of a soldier’ s helmet as the monument, another a pastiche of Michelangelo’s God creating Adam and giving him democracy.
The atmosphere was sombre; people had been killed but there was still a sense of victory. They had held the area. And the transformation of the monument struck me as not as vandalism but as an act of creation and ownership. After all the monument had been something of an empty symbol of a democracy that was always given to people and then taken away, not something that they took for themselves and made by themselves. Here they did that.
It was all washed away very quickly. A responsive government might have recorded every word written and found out so much about what people felt and believed and what they wanted for the country.
I have a couple of pictures of this transformed monument to preserve this memory.
Predicting this election will be fun, as the incumbent will only move when he thinks he has the numbers, hence all the recent bureaucracy pay rises, stacking the police boss, excessively swollen military budget etc. It is the usual old time Democrat greasing palms philosophy. All the most useless and corrupt levels of society parasites have an economic win. Oops, did I mention the MP pay rise?
As to the succession, there has been plenty of time to plan for this, and the best plan and societal manipulation they have will come into effect. Jailing the opposition is seen as helpful as an act of “reconciliation” Suspect the army learned a lot from the last election, they thought they had it rigged but they still lost, would imagine bigger steps will be taken to “ensure” a desirable outcome.
In all fairness to Thailand though, we should also consider the land of the most corrupt political system where vested interests just buy the government and the population is so uneducated and ignorant they don’t even see it. No not SE Asia, that is the US of course, the poster bearer and teacher for every corrupt “democratic” system.
It should be noted that Crispin took Sean Boonpracong’s words and twisted them about to fit his own theories. I personally was at the conversation between Crispin and Sean and at no time did Sean “confess that the UDD’s deployment of armed “black shirts” was a “big mistake” and undermined the group’s claim to non-violent struggle it is now bidding to re-establish.” Sean simply stated that it was a mistake for unknown armed persons to use violence as it hurt the Red Shirts nonviolence policy.
Also, Sean told Crispin in no uncertain terms that he was no longer the UDD spokesman as the UDD does not exist anymore. This conversation was 2 weeks prior to the Sept 19th rally.Shawn Crispin has decided to print falsehoods and lies to suit his own theories. He also spelled Sean’s name wrong. It’s Boonpracong and not Boonracong.
In your Asia Times piece you claim that Sombat’s leadership is “contrived” by the UDD. How is this so? Surely (perhaps unlike others) he just emerged organically, finding himself a de facto leader almost by accident? After all he’s been running small symbolic protests every week which are nothing to with UDD as far as I know.
Also, you allege Sunday’s protests were part of Thaksin’s “carrot and stick game”. If so, that would surely mean he somehow organized the Bangkok protests and made sure there were sufficient people there to have an impact. I’m not aware of his involvement in the organization of the protest, so could you please enlighten us? Wasn’t it just going to be an obvious day to stage such a protest regardless of Thaksin’s plans? Your point would make sense if the protesters were trucked in and paid by Thaksin but that didn’t seem to be the case. So how is he able to manipulate these people to the degree you suggest – “turning them on and off at will”? Perhaps you’re not wrong, but I’d like more details on the practicalities of it, if possible.
You make some sharp points, but you seem to leave little to chance, spontaneity or autonomous actions by the smaller players involved (especially the “grass roots”). In your world view it’s almost like everything is part of a wider game played out by a few key poo yai and everyone else is a mere pawn. I’m not saying you’re completely wrong, but it seems somewhat problematic…
I think I have a slightly different opinion about the time of the election. My stance on election is that it is just a part of political activity. Will election bring a complete and prosper democracy? my answer is no, but do we need an election? yes.
What is lacking in Thailand now is the total sovereignty, full freedom, and power by the people. Without fulfilling those condition before election then an election is just another political activity with no real political impact. The succession issue, in my opinion, will certainly bring some chaos within the palace, but would it change the old establishment power structure? I don’t think so. Remember that the whole reason why Rama 8 was pick in the first place was exactly because he was from the least influence network among other princes and the People Assembly thought that he would post to threat to them. Now see what his brother has become.
Khun Sulak was in Europe immediately after the coup in 2006 arguing it was a necessary coup and a necessary evil. I’m glad he is more critical now (Ok, so back in 2006, he wasn’t the only one).
The framing of Pridi was the beginning of the end of the 1932 revolution. I would love to think that someday there will be a statue of him in Bangkok as tall and prominent as those of the Chakri kings. Thai students frequently make offerings to the statue of Rama V before exams, as he is the informal patron saint of education. Perhaps social progressives, activists, and would-be statesmen could make offerings to Pridi?
This Burma and Myanmar confusion or dispute is becoming really annoying. Also the word Burman seems rather an army-invented word to replace the word Burmese we traditionally used for the ethnic Burmese race.
We Burmese used Myanmar in writing but use Bama in either colloquial or speeches. Yay-daw-ah-mhan, Phat-taw-ah-than (Write the true but read the sound) is the practice we follow in general.
Burmese also tend to pronounce every word harsh and sharp, and I honestly believe it is our racial character as a proud martial race.
Most typical example is the name Sita of the main princess in Ramayana. We called her princess Thi-da. The Indian word Raja for king become Ya-za in Burmese.
One crazy thing is the way Burmese army is substituting the word Bama with Myanmar. Even in the army marching songs. “Doh Bama” becomes “Doh Myanmar” in every marching song and it really sounds funny whenever I hear it.
The beginning words “Bama Bama” in the copy march of famous, but banned, Japanese Imperial Naval March is now sung “Myanmar Myanmar”. It basically sounds out-of-key.
So I will stubbornly stick with Burmese and Burma instead of Myanmar and Burman.
You are right about GCBA. I checked Khin Thida’s book and she wrote The General Council of Burmese Associations. Sorry for my mistake. But I do not think the Association of Islamic Burmese (AIB) was in GCBA.
Multi-ethnic character of anti-colonial struggle? I think most high-land ethnics, mainly the Christian Karens and Kachins, preferred the continuation of British protection. And leaving the British Commonwealth was the main trigger for the Karen rebellion in 1949.
May be I am wrong, but Sir Dorman Smith and many others believed so.
If you visit the BACC on a regular basis, which I recommend, you can get a glimpse at the subtle changes in Thailand’s culture via art. It’s not a thorough sampling of course, but the BACC is (despite its BMA overlords) generally run by genuinely qualified art people who are interested in furthering the expression of ideas through art. This includes regular exhibits of student work, which often takes on a tone of political or at least cultural commentary. I have personally seen numerous works of art that address and question issues of Thai-ness, enforced unity, censorship, and even ones that criticize Buddhism. While not openly sympathetic to the reds, (and occasionally critical of them), the discussion is refreshingly far from reactionary. Of course, the exhibit names and official themes are always milk-toast vague, but that’s a necessary cover. Presumably the Overlords will peruse the brochures for stamp approval, but never once look at the actual art.
Anyway, it’s a start. Say what you want about the BACC, it’s the first permanent public forum in Bangkok for non-traditional art by Thais, and if the reds ever hope to go mainstream they would do well to reach out to the young artists who are among the first in their generation to ask the hard questions without color-coded biases.
I have yet so see any artistic or aesthetic symbolic works that define the Red anger and angst. The mumbo-jumbo blood shedding by the Reds around March/Apr2010 . . . was not it, I presume. The M79 grenade Red fireworks at ground (not sky) level was frighteningly dramatic nor aethetically subtle, so was not it either I presume. The finale of fire and flames . . . arson rampage at Rajaprasong . . was neither artistic nor aesthetic . . . but that is just my opinion.
Perhaps I just don’t understand the subtlety nor symbolism of Red art.
Just a side note, mr. Shawn Crispin is as reliable as the Nation and Bangkok Post Newspapers combined (as the latter now reporting 50 thousand government supporters gathering to support the government, in, of all places Udon, govt stronghold 🙂 – this was so funny I had to call to friend I know in U and she knew nothing of that mass gathering of 50000 people )
Asia Times where mr. Crispin reports has quite a background as you will find.
I would accept to hear any Mr. Crispin’s opinions and explanations and discuss them over on neutral ground as in here. But I will not be holding my breath, rather looking for holiday in Rayong…
Perhaps I am being dim but I do not understand why the succession should be an issue for democratic elections, other than as a poor excuse for not having one.
Many, many Thais are now convinced that, far from being a part of the solution, this King, his odious wife, and Prem are actually a very large part of the problem. Living in Isaan enables me to get a first-hand view of the opinions of people up here, and I can tell you this is what by far the majority of people who are prepared to discuss the matter at all are thinking. There are very few neutrals here.
As to the question about when elections will be held, we must fall back on basic Thai psychology; elections will happen when and only when the existing illegitimate government has no choice but to hold them for fear of the rest of the world seeing in them exactly what I believe the majority of Thais already see in them. in other words, when hell freezes over if they have a choice.
The succession is only useful to the government and the elites if somehow they can engineer the period of mourning into a ‘Thai-ness-fest’, which I doubt. Up in Isaan, many people will not be mourning but will be dancing in the streets, and if the wife and her alleged former lover were to somehow die on the same day there would be street parties to rival anything seen anywhere. Whilst the CP has been a despised figure and unacceptable to most Thais for a long time, I believe he would be welcomed if only the incumbent and his entourage were to somehow go away. The credibility bank account is empty, and they have only themselves and their persistent incompetent efforts to avoid a democracy in Thailand to blame.
Lets not fool ourselves, I believe this government is despised by the majority of Thais, but the Thai is lazy and compliant, it has taken a long time to bring them to the current stage of rebellion, and there is some way to go yet. The only answer to this problem is a civil war, which I predicted more than a year ago, long before it became fashionable to predict. The Gods of change require blood sacrifice, it has always been that way, and elites the world over only ever relinquish their grip on the side of the trough when all other choices are denied them.
I believe 2011 is going to be an especially unhappy year for Thais and Thailand. On the richter scale of awfulness that will be seen, I think the massacre ordered by Abhisit and gleefully perpetrated by Anupong and his lackeys earlier this year will be seen to have been no more than someone’s tummy rumbling.
However, I have always been a bit uncertain about translations of the “Doh-bamar Asi-a-yone” as the “We Burman Association”. My wariness has to do with the ambiguous and overlapping uses of bamar and myanma in Burmese language as well as Burman, Burmese, and Myanmar in English. The term “Burman” is generally (at least now) used as a referent to an ethnic group as distinct from, say, Karen and Kachin. In some cases, Burmese is now used as a nationality, thus including, groups like the Karen and Kachin and other. Officially, post ’88 bamar has been restricted to narrowly refer to the majority ethnic group, while Myanma has been re-defined as the name of the country and the citizens regardless of ethnicity, thus including Karen, Shan, etc. However, prior to ’88, as I understand it, this usage was not standardised. Thus Burmese (in English) was sometimes used as the term for nationality (as in of the citizens of the country). So, was the “Doh-bamar Asi-a-yone” explicitly ethnically exclusive (as the name “We Burman Association” would imply, or ethnically inclusive, as “We Burmese Association” might imply? Were there non-Burman members of the Doh-bamar Asi-a-yone? I don’t know either way.
Also, you have written that the GCBA was the acronym of the General Council of Buddhist Associations. To my knowledge it was actually the General Council of Burmese Associations. But, again, is this (as I think it was) an ethnically inclusive “G.C. of Burmese A.” or an ethnically exclusive “G.C. of Burman A”?
The reason I think this is a relevant issue is that highlighting the multi-ethnic character of the anti-colonial struggle can serve to support ethnic reconciliation and solidarity, whereas suggesting that the anti-colonial movement was an exclusively Burman/bamar affair (which I don’t believe it was) seems to miss this opportunity for promoting inter-ethnic reconciliation and solidarity.
[…] Farrely has an interesting comment over on New Mandala in response to Shawn Crispin’s latest article on the seemingly permanent and repeated delays […]
Brendan – it sounds like a lovely book, and I’ll definitely buy it next time I’m in Lao PDR.
Re :
“8 pages on the Khone Island line, including 6 contemporary accounts from the journals of the constructor, Lt. Georges Simon, and of travellers on it (both during its coolie- and locomotive-powered stages).”
Did you mention the backpacker parties now a regular feature close to the Khone Island line ? : good parties – full of young backpackers of the more intelligent kind, quite sensitive to the local Lao – it has n’t become Full Moon Party wild just yet !!
If not, this would be worth mentioning in a second edition.
2) “The 5 pages on the Tan Ap – Thakek line, including a two route descriptions, one by a strong promoter of the line, Henri Cucherousset.”
I never knew of this : the fascination of your intriguing book is its’ coverage of new ground.
3)And finally a page on the Nong Khai-Tha Na Laeng branch over the Friendship Bridge towards Vientiane.
About 15 years ago radical leftists of Australia’s Green Party were opposing Australia’s building of the Friendship Bridge.
Looks like you are providing further evidence that they were wrong !!
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The power of art and symbols against authoritarianism
I went to Phan Fa a couple of days after the deaths of April 10 when the redshirts were still there. The Democracy Monument was transformed by graffiti all over it, the steps, the pillars and cardboard boxes all around it. A red sash with a question I have not yet deciphered was wound around the centre of the monument and a red cloth covered the pinnacle of the monument. There were lots of paintings on boards, one of a soldier’ s helmet as the monument, another a pastiche of Michelangelo’s God creating Adam and giving him democracy.
The atmosphere was sombre; people had been killed but there was still a sense of victory. They had held the area. And the transformation of the monument struck me as not as vandalism but as an act of creation and ownership. After all the monument had been something of an empty symbol of a democracy that was always given to people and then taken away, not something that they took for themselves and made by themselves. Here they did that.
It was all washed away very quickly. A responsive government might have recorded every word written and found out so much about what people felt and believed and what they wanted for the country.
I have a couple of pictures of this transformed monument to preserve this memory.
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
Predicting this election will be fun, as the incumbent will only move when he thinks he has the numbers, hence all the recent bureaucracy pay rises, stacking the police boss, excessively swollen military budget etc. It is the usual old time Democrat greasing palms philosophy. All the most useless and corrupt levels of society parasites have an economic win. Oops, did I mention the MP pay rise?
As to the succession, there has been plenty of time to plan for this, and the best plan and societal manipulation they have will come into effect. Jailing the opposition is seen as helpful as an act of “reconciliation” Suspect the army learned a lot from the last election, they thought they had it rigged but they still lost, would imagine bigger steps will be taken to “ensure” a desirable outcome.
In all fairness to Thailand though, we should also consider the land of the most corrupt political system where vested interests just buy the government and the population is so uneducated and ignorant they don’t even see it. No not SE Asia, that is the US of course, the poster bearer and teacher for every corrupt “democratic” system.
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
It should be noted that Crispin took Sean Boonpracong’s words and twisted them about to fit his own theories. I personally was at the conversation between Crispin and Sean and at no time did Sean “confess that the UDD’s deployment of armed “black shirts” was a “big mistake” and undermined the group’s claim to non-violent struggle it is now bidding to re-establish.” Sean simply stated that it was a mistake for unknown armed persons to use violence as it hurt the Red Shirts nonviolence policy.
Also, Sean told Crispin in no uncertain terms that he was no longer the UDD spokesman as the UDD does not exist anymore. This conversation was 2 weeks prior to the Sept 19th rally.Shawn Crispin has decided to print falsehoods and lies to suit his own theories. He also spelled Sean’s name wrong. It’s Boonpracong and not Boonracong.
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
Hi Crispin,
In your Asia Times piece you claim that Sombat’s leadership is “contrived” by the UDD. How is this so? Surely (perhaps unlike others) he just emerged organically, finding himself a de facto leader almost by accident? After all he’s been running small symbolic protests every week which are nothing to with UDD as far as I know.
Also, you allege Sunday’s protests were part of Thaksin’s “carrot and stick game”. If so, that would surely mean he somehow organized the Bangkok protests and made sure there were sufficient people there to have an impact. I’m not aware of his involvement in the organization of the protest, so could you please enlighten us? Wasn’t it just going to be an obvious day to stage such a protest regardless of Thaksin’s plans? Your point would make sense if the protesters were trucked in and paid by Thaksin but that didn’t seem to be the case. So how is he able to manipulate these people to the degree you suggest – “turning them on and off at will”? Perhaps you’re not wrong, but I’d like more details on the practicalities of it, if possible.
You make some sharp points, but you seem to leave little to chance, spontaneity or autonomous actions by the smaller players involved (especially the “grass roots”). In your world view it’s almost like everything is part of a wider game played out by a few key poo yai and everyone else is a mere pawn. I’m not saying you’re completely wrong, but it seems somewhat problematic…
Thanks in advance for your answer.
The power of art and symbols against authoritarianism
Art is seen when one opens one’s eye’s and mind.
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
I think I have a slightly different opinion about the time of the election. My stance on election is that it is just a part of political activity. Will election bring a complete and prosper democracy? my answer is no, but do we need an election? yes.
What is lacking in Thailand now is the total sovereignty, full freedom, and power by the people. Without fulfilling those condition before election then an election is just another political activity with no real political impact. The succession issue, in my opinion, will certainly bring some chaos within the palace, but would it change the old establishment power structure? I don’t think so. Remember that the whole reason why Rama 8 was pick in the first place was exactly because he was from the least influence network among other princes and the People Assembly thought that he would post to threat to them. Now see what his brother has become.
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
Fire away, Wildekimf. Note that my story made no mention of the government’s 50,000 claim.
Sulak on Buddhism and the red shirts
Khun Sulak was in Europe immediately after the coup in 2006 arguing it was a necessary coup and a necessary evil. I’m glad he is more critical now (Ok, so back in 2006, he wasn’t the only one).
Sulak on Buddhism and the red shirts
The framing of Pridi was the beginning of the end of the 1932 revolution. I would love to think that someday there will be a statue of him in Bangkok as tall and prominent as those of the Chakri kings. Thai students frequently make offerings to the statue of Rama V before exams, as he is the informal patron saint of education. Perhaps social progressives, activists, and would-be statesmen could make offerings to Pridi?
Burma in Limbo, Part 3
Thanks Stephen,
This Burma and Myanmar confusion or dispute is becoming really annoying. Also the word Burman seems rather an army-invented word to replace the word Burmese we traditionally used for the ethnic Burmese race.
We Burmese used Myanmar in writing but use Bama in either colloquial or speeches. Yay-daw-ah-mhan, Phat-taw-ah-than (Write the true but read the sound) is the practice we follow in general.
Burmese also tend to pronounce every word harsh and sharp, and I honestly believe it is our racial character as a proud martial race.
Most typical example is the name Sita of the main princess in Ramayana. We called her princess Thi-da. The Indian word Raja for king become Ya-za in Burmese.
One crazy thing is the way Burmese army is substituting the word Bama with Myanmar. Even in the army marching songs. “Doh Bama” becomes “Doh Myanmar” in every marching song and it really sounds funny whenever I hear it.
The beginning words “Bama Bama” in the copy march of famous, but banned, Japanese Imperial Naval March is now sung “Myanmar Myanmar”. It basically sounds out-of-key.
So I will stubbornly stick with Burmese and Burma instead of Myanmar and Burman.
You are right about GCBA. I checked Khin Thida’s book and she wrote The General Council of Burmese Associations. Sorry for my mistake. But I do not think the Association of Islamic Burmese (AIB) was in GCBA.
Multi-ethnic character of anti-colonial struggle? I think most high-land ethnics, mainly the Christian Karens and Kachins, preferred the continuation of British protection. And leaving the British Commonwealth was the main trigger for the Karen rebellion in 1949.
May be I am wrong, but Sir Dorman Smith and many others believed so.
The power of art and symbols against authoritarianism
MattB ,
and now you have proof of the Reds launching the grenades? Why not submit that to the DSI.
Now, I dont think you understand the “subtlety ” of Thailand.:)
“Mumbo-jumbo” and other things you mention just shows your disbelief in another cultures. Maybe you are superior, continental European I would guess.
The power of art and symbols against authoritarianism
If you visit the BACC on a regular basis, which I recommend, you can get a glimpse at the subtle changes in Thailand’s culture via art. It’s not a thorough sampling of course, but the BACC is (despite its BMA overlords) generally run by genuinely qualified art people who are interested in furthering the expression of ideas through art. This includes regular exhibits of student work, which often takes on a tone of political or at least cultural commentary. I have personally seen numerous works of art that address and question issues of Thai-ness, enforced unity, censorship, and even ones that criticize Buddhism. While not openly sympathetic to the reds, (and occasionally critical of them), the discussion is refreshingly far from reactionary. Of course, the exhibit names and official themes are always milk-toast vague, but that’s a necessary cover. Presumably the Overlords will peruse the brochures for stamp approval, but never once look at the actual art.
Anyway, it’s a start. Say what you want about the BACC, it’s the first permanent public forum in Bangkok for non-traditional art by Thais, and if the reds ever hope to go mainstream they would do well to reach out to the young artists who are among the first in their generation to ask the hard questions without color-coded biases.
The power of art and symbols against authoritarianism
I have yet so see any artistic or aesthetic symbolic works that define the Red anger and angst. The mumbo-jumbo blood shedding by the Reds around March/Apr2010 . . . was not it, I presume. The M79 grenade Red fireworks at ground (not sky) level was frighteningly dramatic nor aethetically subtle, so was not it either I presume. The finale of fire and flames . . . arson rampage at Rajaprasong . . was neither artistic nor aesthetic . . . but that is just my opinion.
Perhaps I just don’t understand the subtlety nor symbolism of Red art.
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
Just a side note, mr. Shawn Crispin is as reliable as the Nation and Bangkok Post Newspapers combined (as the latter now reporting 50 thousand government supporters gathering to support the government, in, of all places Udon, govt stronghold 🙂 – this was so funny I had to call to friend I know in U and she knew nothing of that mass gathering of 50000 people )
Asia Times where mr. Crispin reports has quite a background as you will find.
I would accept to hear any Mr. Crispin’s opinions and explanations and discuss them over on neutral ground as in here. But I will not be holding my breath, rather looking for holiday in Rayong…
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
Perhaps I am being dim but I do not understand why the succession should be an issue for democratic elections, other than as a poor excuse for not having one.
Many, many Thais are now convinced that, far from being a part of the solution, this King, his odious wife, and Prem are actually a very large part of the problem. Living in Isaan enables me to get a first-hand view of the opinions of people up here, and I can tell you this is what by far the majority of people who are prepared to discuss the matter at all are thinking. There are very few neutrals here.
As to the question about when elections will be held, we must fall back on basic Thai psychology; elections will happen when and only when the existing illegitimate government has no choice but to hold them for fear of the rest of the world seeing in them exactly what I believe the majority of Thais already see in them. in other words, when hell freezes over if they have a choice.
The succession is only useful to the government and the elites if somehow they can engineer the period of mourning into a ‘Thai-ness-fest’, which I doubt. Up in Isaan, many people will not be mourning but will be dancing in the streets, and if the wife and her alleged former lover were to somehow die on the same day there would be street parties to rival anything seen anywhere. Whilst the CP has been a despised figure and unacceptable to most Thais for a long time, I believe he would be welcomed if only the incumbent and his entourage were to somehow go away. The credibility bank account is empty, and they have only themselves and their persistent incompetent efforts to avoid a democracy in Thailand to blame.
Lets not fool ourselves, I believe this government is despised by the majority of Thais, but the Thai is lazy and compliant, it has taken a long time to bring them to the current stage of rebellion, and there is some way to go yet. The only answer to this problem is a civil war, which I predicted more than a year ago, long before it became fashionable to predict. The Gods of change require blood sacrifice, it has always been that way, and elites the world over only ever relinquish their grip on the side of the trough when all other choices are denied them.
I believe 2011 is going to be an especially unhappy year for Thais and Thailand. On the richter scale of awfulness that will be seen, I think the massacre ordered by Abhisit and gleefully perpetrated by Anupong and his lackeys earlier this year will be seen to have been no more than someone’s tummy rumbling.
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
@Polo: Yes if the old mans die all shortly after one another a whole empire can fall. Remember the death of Breschnew?
It was Breschnew, Andropow, Tschernenko and Boom – they had to choose a younger because all the old puppet masters passed away.
And the younger one wiped out the soviet union from the world map within 5 years.
Burma in Limbo, Part 3
Another fascinating installment, Hla Oo.
However, I have always been a bit uncertain about translations of the “Doh-bamar Asi-a-yone” as the “We Burman Association”. My wariness has to do with the ambiguous and overlapping uses of bamar and myanma in Burmese language as well as Burman, Burmese, and Myanmar in English. The term “Burman” is generally (at least now) used as a referent to an ethnic group as distinct from, say, Karen and Kachin. In some cases, Burmese is now used as a nationality, thus including, groups like the Karen and Kachin and other. Officially, post ’88 bamar has been restricted to narrowly refer to the majority ethnic group, while Myanma has been re-defined as the name of the country and the citizens regardless of ethnicity, thus including Karen, Shan, etc. However, prior to ’88, as I understand it, this usage was not standardised. Thus Burmese (in English) was sometimes used as the term for nationality (as in of the citizens of the country). So, was the “Doh-bamar Asi-a-yone” explicitly ethnically exclusive (as the name “We Burman Association” would imply, or ethnically inclusive, as “We Burmese Association” might imply? Were there non-Burman members of the Doh-bamar Asi-a-yone? I don’t know either way.
Also, you have written that the GCBA was the acronym of the General Council of Buddhist Associations. To my knowledge it was actually the General Council of Burmese Associations. But, again, is this (as I think it was) an ethnically inclusive “G.C. of Burmese A.” or an ethnically exclusive “G.C. of Burman A”?
The reason I think this is a relevant issue is that highlighting the multi-ethnic character of the anti-colonial struggle can serve to support ethnic reconciliation and solidarity, whereas suggesting that the anti-colonial movement was an exclusively Burman/bamar affair (which I don’t believe it was) seems to miss this opportunity for promoting inter-ethnic reconciliation and solidarity.
Thai elections in 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018, or ….
[…] Farrely has an interesting comment over on New Mandala in response to Shawn Crispin’s latest article on the seemingly permanent and repeated delays […]
Saying the unsayable about Thailand’s monarchy
This whole discussion of what is “Scandinavia”, or Norden, or whatever, reminds me of the question – what is “Thailand” ?
What is “Siam” ?
The Railway Atlas of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia
Brendan – it sounds like a lovely book, and I’ll definitely buy it next time I’m in Lao PDR.
Re :
“8 pages on the Khone Island line, including 6 contemporary accounts from the journals of the constructor, Lt. Georges Simon, and of travellers on it (both during its coolie- and locomotive-powered stages).”
Did you mention the backpacker parties now a regular feature close to the Khone Island line ? : good parties – full of young backpackers of the more intelligent kind, quite sensitive to the local Lao – it has n’t become Full Moon Party wild just yet !!
If not, this would be worth mentioning in a second edition.
2) “The 5 pages on the Tan Ap – Thakek line, including a two route descriptions, one by a strong promoter of the line, Henri Cucherousset.”
I never knew of this : the fascination of your intriguing book is its’ coverage of new ground.
3)And finally a page on the Nong Khai-Tha Na Laeng branch over the Friendship Bridge towards Vientiane.
About 15 years ago radical leftists of Australia’s Green Party were opposing Australia’s building of the Friendship Bridge.
Looks like you are providing further evidence that they were wrong !!