Comments

Chris

Chai-Anan’s profile of recent years has been as a right-wing commentator for positions that may be described as PAD-like. One of his recent articles was profiled at PPT (http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/new-chai-anan-samudavanija-and-republicanism/). He is head of the Royal Institute and a long-time friend of Sondhi Limthongkul. Headed the Chaiyong Limthongkul Foundation. He was one of the promoters of the Finland Plot. He’s certainly pro-Yellow positions.

michael, since I came to Thailand the political situation has gone downhill (reinforcing the hull of the capsule) but I continue to be inspired by elements of the contemporary arts scene which I come across. The Patravadi Theatre in particular has put on some memorable shows involving artists from other countries (punching holes in the hull of the capsule to let some air in). You mention some of these shows, I would add “The Vagina Monologues” to the list.

Since you asked me to elaborate I must mention Manit Sriwanichpoom of the “Pink Man” series, one of the first artists I came across in Thailand, when he was part of an exhibition at the new Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Here is the devastating caption (by Ing K) to the “Pink, White and Blue” pictures (of Pink Man with conformist Thai school students) that were on display.

Manit Sriwanichpoom’s
‘PINK, WHITE & BLUE’
Text by Ing K

Pink Man is a leader with a modern image. In his pink satin suit, he is bright and friendly, unlike the grim and scary generals of the past. But this display of modernity belies the reality and contradicts the quaint and disquieting picture of obedient Thai children in their boy scout’s uniforms. The children are stuck in a time warp, generation after generation, trapped and cannibalised by official Thai society’s fascistic mind frame forever.

These committees continue the trend started with the constitution committee, the police reform committee, and the mass media committee. That is, reconciliation almost exclusively aims at the converted. It largely is an exercise in strenthening the self-identity of the establishment, as opposed to an attempt to expand the socio-political system to include those who have largely been excluded.

Also, isn’t it a funny idea that policy-oriented committees of often elderly members of the elite, who have long lost touch with modern Thai society, can contribute anything useful to to the future of a society that develops and operates according to its own criteria already?

StanG – 15
Tarrin, criminal law violates people’s “right” to steal or murder just as emergency decree violates people right to anti-government activities.

Read my post again, I said “POLITICAL” and “HUMAN” right, not the right to commit crime.

The situation in the South is more or less stable, btw. It’s still obviously unacceptable but at least it’s stable and it is unlikely to escalate.

What??? stable? excuse me but I still need to take an alternate route into Malaysia to get to Yala because the main road in Thailand is too dangerous, what kind of stability are you talking about here???

Time is on govt side as it slowly heals all the wounds.

We shall see huh?

When 99% of those names in Anand and Prawet’s lists are PAD members, I wonder what’s the objective in appointing these people?

In developed countries, governments depend on intellectual think-tank experts to conduct research and to produce serious recommendations. In the case of Thailand, I wonder how these monarchic crony network people, with no intellectual expertise in the subject of “reform,” can produce any reliable recommendation all together?

In my opinion, Anand and Prawet are setting up a “corporatism” structure. Corporatism is a system of economic, political, or social organization that views a community as a body based upon functional distinction and roles amongst individuals. That’s why the lists are the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Thai Bankers Association, the Federation of Thai Industries, etc. In corporatism system, these organizations are directly under the State and by-pass politicians. There won’t be any grassroots participation; a democratic system of one man one vote. Corporatism is fascism with a human face.

Fascism was originally founded by an Italian in World War I, who combined left-wing and right-wing political views, but gravitated to the political right. That’s why the mild-left like Nithi Eaosiwong and Seksan Prasertkul are in the lists, but the rest 99% in the lists are PAD members.

Fascism opposes to change and modernization, this is the underlying reason why 99% of those names in Anand and Prawet’s lists are PAD members.

ASEAN Burma policy

A couple of headlines that will have caught the attention of ASEAN capitals including Naypyidaw:
– unelected government under military constitution orders army to shoot protestors on streets of the capital. Atlantic capitals urge restraint.
– Jin Webb tries to avert the State Department’s Tier 3 ranking for Thailand on the TIP as it would affect US aid for human rights and democracy programmes at a time it is “desperately needed to bolster political reforms”.

Newcomer to NM. Great site

ko Moe Aung

“The regime is irredeemably stuck in a vicious circle of voodoo politics alternating with gunslinger politics. Plus ├зa change.”
Expecting a redeeming government out SPDC?
Without exceptions ALL western democratically elected government redeem their past ” wrongs”, historically proven to be plenty and as atrocious in comparison to SPDC, with reversing or modifying their policies that instigating these wrongs, with or without public apology.
By condemning a government of one’s own beyond redemption inadvertently project approve of these unacceptable behavior by the west:
1) That it is OK to continue the same useless policies applied carelessly.Creating this irredeemable monster. We need to do the same useless careless thing more and longer. Because guys like Moe Aung who care about Myanmar do not mind!
2)That the resulting again inadvertent “co conspirator status of the west”, on Myanmar Citizenry sufferings can be disegarded because guys like Moe Aung will NEVER be mentioning that fact.
3) “Irredeemable” implies only “removal option”. Therefore nothing but a future armed solution be it Civil war, or “Change of Government” from the outside is the ONLY solution.
SPDC is but a chapter of the colonial west creation. The ongoing Neo Colonial approach : “Sanctions, constant Banana Republic vilification” says it all.
The focus should be on the plight of the Myanmar citizenry and starting with the most modest approach of “lessening the sufferings of the most vulnerable”.
The most vulnerable by definition are women and children. Therefore development of health care, education and economic well being must not be denied.
Furthermore the 2000+ political prisoners should be considered the most vulnerable.
These Human Right based criteria to Myanmar clearly negate the west chosen approach.
The west policies towards Myanmar need to be modified to reflect it really care about Human Rights that SPDC has proven to care at all in its march to hold on to power .
As it is one size fits all never proven to work “sanctions” are continued, denying or dismissing the inadvertent result of more citizenry suffering through more deprivation of basic Human Rights:Health care, Education, Economic well being also remain.
Apportioning who is more responsible aside, even dignifying these obvious common sense realities are a bear in the western media.
Blaming only SPDC again with being “irredeemable” serves the citizenry of Myanmar nothing but more Same old Stuff in the future.
A spiraling down future with N.Korea as friend to SPDC.