Isn’t there an unwritten rule that any debate is automatically declared as dead as the proverbial dodo as soon as someone drags ‘Hitler’ or ‘Nazi’ into the fray ?
That’s what my Chinese wife use to say to me when I lived in Hong Kong and made the mistake of saying really generic nice things about the Chinese farmers or those in what used to be rural areas. Which may be why I can recognize it clearly when some farangs I know in Thailand talk about the Issarn folks and the red shirts as if they are the purest people in the world. Don’t misunderstand me: I love Issarn, have been many times and will go again. But I don’t place people in rural areas there – farmers or whoever – on a pedestal or see that their main enemy is Big Bad Bangkok. Strangely enough, I notice no one ever romanticizes the rustics in the South, the millions of farmers who voted against Taksin. Curious, no? But, anyway, let’s take a look at a few facts. A farang friend married to a Thai living outside Khon Kaen sent me this:
My wife’s Papa just ran in the local election for ‘Master of the Village’ – and he won. Gives him a monthly salary of 8,500 baht a month but the key perk is the ability to rip off a % of every village project. He was paying 1,000 baht per person to get them to vote for him – cost him over 100,000 baht to win the election. Thai politics – gotta love it.
OK, now I think it is important to note that this guy’s father-in-law is a very hard working farmer. That’s right, he is a farmer in Issarn and paid other farmers in Issarn to vote him in. Money will be disappearing into his pocket that should have been spent on community projects. The farmers agreed to this for quick cash and had no problem with dare we say “corruption” (gong gin). The farmers in that area all love the red shirts and Taksin. So when these projects cannot be carried out, they will blame Bangkok. But who is to be blamed? Obviously themselves.
Another fact: In Thailand, perhaps especially in Essarn, there is what Thais themselves refer to as the NIGHT OF THE HOWLING DOGS. Kheun Ma Hon. This is when before elections the folks called canvassers trot upcountry with bags full of money to bribe the heads of villages for votes. The dogs don’t recognize the strange faces so they bark and howl like hell. Thais – including Essarn Thais – know all about this. In other words, Essarn Thais like all other Thais take the money to vote for someone, rather than vote their conscience. All foreigners have heard the expression, “Thais are the nicest people money can buy.” Indeed. So why then do some foreigners talk about corrupt Big Bad Bangkok ripping off those poor Essarn farmers?
Another fact: Have you ever noticed how whenever some idiot pedophile from the West shows up in Southeast Asia there are big headlines when he is caught. But not one word in print about the tens of thousands of Thai family members who do bad things with niece, daughter or sister. I know of girls who were moved to another part of the country to get away from a family member who did or wanted to rape her. In Nakorn Phanom a Thai-speaking foreigner living with his Thai wife and deeply involved in the community told me that kind of thing seemed to be worse up around his area. Why do Thai newspapers say nothing about this?
Another fact: My former girlfriend was from Korat. She was very happy when she came to Bangkok to live. I told her it was postcard perfect up there and folks had a laid-back life, so why would she be happy away from there? She then began to tell me behind-the-scenes horror stories about murders, jealousy, tales of vengeance, and showed me empty houses where the Thai male had caught AIDs and died but not before passing it onto his wife and she died. Tales that made my blood run cold. You may have a girlfriend from Essarn with fewer horror stories to tell but, certainly, there were no blinders in her eyes toward Issarn. They were like everyone else but lawlessness was a bit worst in the countryside, in her opinion.
The bottom line: Thai farmers work their asses off during much of the year and deserve what help they can get from Bangkok and from their community. But until the system changes, which it won’t, and until Thais at all levels stop participating in or at least stop condoning corruption, please don’t mindlessly blame Bangkok’s government for all the problems and, as my ex-wife would say, please don’t romanticize the rustics.
I think we should assume that nothing to do with the king is accidental, if ‘unofficial’ quots have found their way into the public domain it is not as the result of carelessness or accident, there is a reason.
A recent newspaper article described the Thai king as ‘cunning’. I believe this is right. I believe he did not understand the consequences of his actions and those of his wife. He thought his people were unsophisticated.
He was wrong.
He appears to have believed that you can propagandise people ad-infinitum.
He was wrong.
He appears to believe that Thailand would always have a beloved monarchy that could do whatever it wanted because it (he) was the sole repository of wit, wisdom and everything good and wholesome.
there aren’t so many actually: remaining are @ Siam Paragon and Emporium only (is that any @ Thaniya plaza , or only AsiaBooks ?). I purchased my copy @ Paragon a year ago. in any case – I gave a link to their website, there is ISBN number & other details. so, if you come to any of their branches and make inquiry by those details – I’m sure they’ll assist you, they’re very efficient.
Once gain, here is a demonstration of Godwin’s Law: “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” Many thanks to Rebecca #178 for providing proof.
1) Resign – no one responsible for 88 innocent deaths can be part of the solution, flee Thailand because if you are ever caught upcountry a herd of “buffalo” may just stampede over you and dance on your grave.
The advice that follows is for the remaining “yellows”…
2) Return the power to the people
Everyone, and I mean everyone, no matter how stupid or repressed understands democracy. You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to know that as Webster’s defines it, a democracy is “a government by the people; especially: rule of the majority”.
If it is as alleged, that poor, stupid Thai’s cannot be trusted with voting. Please give me examples throughout history where “absolute power” does not corrupt “absolutely”? Or where in the world the Military has ever shown an ability to govern responsibly. Military dictatorships are the most corrupt on this earth.
The most effective form of government might well be a benevolent dictatorship, however I’m sure you would be hard-pressed to give me a good example of one, and don’t say Singapore…it’s a city-state not a nation of 70 million people.
If Thailand were having fights over religion (Middle East,UK/N.Ireland) or race (US Civil War, WW2 jews,South Africa Apartheid) or gender (women’s suffrage movement in USA), the world would be in uproar. But when it’s a homogenous population of Thai-Chinese, the world turns a blind eye.
Someone please tell me how Thailand is any different than Burma, there’s been a coup in 2006, a judicial coup by kicking a PM out for a cooking show, banning 2 political parties, and a blackmailing of a leading coalition leader to jump the fence and join the Democrats. The will of the people is and has been ignored by the “elite”. Who can ever trust a “roadmap” that has empty promises at the end of the rainbow? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
If Thailand wants to join the world of developed nations, stop committing coups and tearing up constitutions. Rule of law is meaningless when the rules are made up as you go along. And lastly, the courts have shown themselves never to be independent nor incorruptible…use a jury system and let the people decide guilt or innocence.
I believe the statement quoted is just one of the latest in a long line of fabricated stories conjured up by the yellow shirts both to arouse hatred of the red shirts and as a channel for their own klansmen (I do believe the behaviour of some yellow shirt members resemble that of the infamous KKK. For instance, one member of PAD whose name I can’t remember openly encouraged Bangkokians to carry guns and to shoot the red shirts at will whenever they see ones.) to express their “exclusive loyalty” to the King. You will see similar stories being dispersed via forward mails or internet forums, generally eliciting sympathetic responses towards the King. Those who opined otherwise, or even expressed his or her indifference at the issue will be quickly branded as “anti-monarchist red shirts” by the loyalists, along with certain derisive comments along the lines of “If you don’t love the King, you are not Thai. Why don’t you go and live with Thaksin at Cambodia and/or Montenegro?”
Even though the King did utter the “Tell me how I should change” statement, the fact that the moment actually took place during the Thai administration fight against the communists in the 1970s (It is Pramote Nakorntorp, the person who actually heard the King saying it, who later revealed that the statement per se was not recent) only served to bolster the claim that the yellow shirts chose to spin those stories to further their own ends.
“I don’t accept any of the results from parties that were still around after TRT was dismembered illegally, after the not to so legal coup d’etat. The “Democratic Party” here in Thailand had no chance against TRT”
And I don’t accept election results that returned a corrupt ‘human rights abuser of the worst kind’ and his clique to power. Had the legal system functioned as it should, Thaksin would not have been sitting where he was at the time of the coup, and more than likely there would not have been a coup.
Had Thaksin followed the rule of law, stuck to his original mandate and kept his hand out of the cookie jar, he could have gained broad support across all sections of society making any coup almost impossible. Had he not taken gleeful pride in the murder of thousands his cause may have gained some sympathy internationally subsequent to the coup.
Democracy is not a divine instrument handed down from heaven. It is a game which requires a consensus of all players to abide by the rules. Without respect for the rule of law it is almost inevitable the power will reside with ‘he who has the biggest stick’. Until a broad consensus on what constitutes the rule of law is established in Thailand all discussion of ‘democracy’ is a waste of time.
why dont you mention the military and their unbalanced role in Thailand?
do you think Abhisit, the government and the parliament has any freedom to act without military approval?
what do you think they will be permitted to do?
I think Thaksin would be happy if there is decentralisation of elected officials
I seem to remember he introduced elections of head men at some level (kamnan?) much to the dismay of those that thought they had positions for life and the Interor Ministry because it loosened their grip
I believe this was one of the reforms undone by the junta
I am sure Sondhi used these people to spin stories about megalomania that it sounds you have probably heard and believed
oh, and Thaksin tried to bring the military under control, which is what Thailand really needs… more stories and a coup…
This must have been a good fifteen years ago, when you first return to Thailand, fresh and clean from England, to do your part for Thailand. If you remember at that time, how popular you were. Girls were literally hanging around waiting for an autograph from you, shyly giggling behind and murmuring how handsome you were.
You are unlikely to remember me. But I remember meeting you and asking a question or two. That was at the youth in politics forum that held by Thammasat University. You were valiantly but eloquently defending PM Chuan’s miserable leadership qualities. It was valiant as it was a well-known fact that PM Chuan was naught but a puppet on the PM Chair. The Democrat Party needed a clean civilian fact and Chuan was it.
It was clear then who would take over from Chuan as the party front. The failed 92 coup means that all the old guards need a clean face and you were the only one the Democrat Party had. I was hopeful that unlike Chuan, you have the intelligence and the courage to leverage your popularity against the old guards and do some good for Thailand. I dared hope that you, being an Oxford grad, would not share the establishment’s attitude for the country folk and that you can and would put into practice well-developed academic proposed solutions to improve the lot of the poor. Sadly for me, some of those solutions were campaigned on and finally put into action by the TRT.
Do you know when you lost my respect and crushed my hopes? It was when you started talking in the same tones and using the same style of wording as Chuan. You were so much better than that, and if you want to emulate someone, for chrissakes there were plenty of other real heroes out there to choose from.
And I reasoned: if you do not have the guts to cut out your own image, you do not have the self confidence and determination to do what needed be done. You will not have the ability to grab opportunities and lead when the situation requires a leader.
I was sadly proven right: even when the protest was peaceful, you were hiding in the military bunkers.
I am a realist, I do not expect you to solve the massive problems in Thailand. I expected you to be the new face, a start of better things to come. My expectations, even back then, are lower than your lofty and idealistic expectations of the TRT government. And finally, you fell so far short of those same expectations you set for others, how could you not be ashamed of yourself?
You wanted the PM chair so much, you sold out your beliefs and democracy for it. You never publicly condemned the PAD call to install 70% of the lawmakers instead of holding rightful elections. You condemned Taksin for media censorship, yet I read about how evil Taksin is from the likes of The Nation and The Manager every single day he was in power – neither of them were shut down. After you became PM with the help of the courts and the military, I cannot even read a proper local critique of the establishment. Anti-government media were closed down. You, the Oxford grad, tightened censorship laws and upped the ante on Les Majeste. Instead of travelling up north to get to know the people, you chose to work on hosting international summits so you can meet and get photographed with other leaders – photographs with other legit leaders does not a leader make. You continued the Taksin witchhunt that deepens the divide rather than heal that divide. Finally you withdrew the Nov 14 deal, ordered the sniping, and refused the protesters appeal to re-start the negotiation and instead order a crackdown without having proper anti-riot crowd control in place.
It was appalling. It was disappointing.
But you are still in place when you should have resigned. Any decent person would have.
But you are now a politician just like Taksin and perhaps more like Banyaat or even Prem.
Still, I appeal for this: Remember who you were 15 years ago. That young man must have dreams of making his country better. Do something right for the People.
Roger, thanks for sharing your first hand experience at Terendak Barracks. My dad – Mr. Gracian Lopez – was a clerk (civilian) at the Terendak “camp” as he called it. I was born in Malacca in 1972 as my parents opted to stay in Malaysia after the British withdrew in spite of May 13 although they were offered citizenship of Britain or any Commonwealth country of choice.
My families own experience is limited as Malacca was not affected as deeply as Kuala Lumpur by the riots. This is also the very surprising part: that the riot was at its highest and most violent around the Kampung Baru/Kuala Lumpur area.
Neptunian, thanks very much for your personal insights too. I have met several Malaysians who migrated to Australia immediately after May 13, who shared their fears of being non-Malay at that time. I have also personally met two non – Malay police officers (one with the special branch and one patrol) who served during May 13 in Kuala Lumpur. Their stories are similar to those related by you i.e. that the Royal Malay Regiment was biased against non – Malays and stability was restored when the Sarawak Rangers were brought to KL.
They also noted various anomalies: that when non – Malay or mixed police patrols were doing the rounds, incidents of vandalism, rioting, killing, etc – were negligible but the converse would happen when all Malay patrols were doing the rounds.
The officer who was with the special branch noted that immediately after May 13 was under control, all non – Malay officers were asked to do a Jawi test. Of the 13 of them, 12 failed and were reassigned to various other government department of their choice.
I must say that I have yet to confirm this through proper research.
The number of Chinese who died compared to Malays suggests that it was not a level playing or fighting field. A similar strategy seem to be employed in the Kampung Medan incident, where the victims were Malaysians of Indian decent (read here).
Malaysia needs some sought of closure on this issue.
Rebecca – 178
Good point, I want to add on your point about comparing with Germany.
It might sound a bit naive, but I think he yellow ideology (or the middle class Thai for that matter) is much more similar to Fascism is many aspect, so I will just compare this in a bit simplify way.
The race superiority that the Nazi had push which involved the idea of the pure and noble Aryan blood, the descender of the Tunic Knight and so on. While in Thailand, we have the smart-elite, the educated, and the noble tradition. I think its save to say that if we compare Germany to Thailand it is this term of race superiority to class superiority. Moreover, the Nazi had exert their influenced over the media, the justice system, and the military much the same way the Bangkok establishment did. I think the middle class Bangkok is living in the illusion they created themselves, and I afraid that one day when they woke up from their delusion, it will be too late for the country….
Abhisit has to prepare for Thaksin’s eventual return to power. Unless Thaksin is assassinated or dies some other way he will be back. At that point, if the system has not changed Thaksin will accrue immense power to the detriment of civil society and democracy. Abhisit must re-architect the Thai system of government. He has to diffuse power. Governors and mayors must be elected not appointed. There must be elections at all levels of government and there must be more levels of government with responsibilities for local governance. Police forces must be accountable to city councils, and national police must be disbanded. As long as power is concentrated it can be seized whether by a popular prime minister like Thaksin or an ambitious general.
They have to design a properly functioning system of checks and balances in Thailand.
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Nick Nostitz in the killing zone
Isn’t there an unwritten rule that any debate is automatically declared as dead as the proverbial dodo as soon as someone drags ‘Hitler’ or ‘Nazi’ into the fray ?
The rebellion of Thailand’s middle-income peasants
Please don’t Romanticize the Rustics!
That’s what my Chinese wife use to say to me when I lived in Hong Kong and made the mistake of saying really generic nice things about the Chinese farmers or those in what used to be rural areas. Which may be why I can recognize it clearly when some farangs I know in Thailand talk about the Issarn folks and the red shirts as if they are the purest people in the world. Don’t misunderstand me: I love Issarn, have been many times and will go again. But I don’t place people in rural areas there – farmers or whoever – on a pedestal or see that their main enemy is Big Bad Bangkok. Strangely enough, I notice no one ever romanticizes the rustics in the South, the millions of farmers who voted against Taksin. Curious, no? But, anyway, let’s take a look at a few facts. A farang friend married to a Thai living outside Khon Kaen sent me this:
My wife’s Papa just ran in the local election for ‘Master of the Village’ – and he won. Gives him a monthly salary of 8,500 baht a month but the key perk is the ability to rip off a % of every village project. He was paying 1,000 baht per person to get them to vote for him – cost him over 100,000 baht to win the election. Thai politics – gotta love it.
OK, now I think it is important to note that this guy’s father-in-law is a very hard working farmer. That’s right, he is a farmer in Issarn and paid other farmers in Issarn to vote him in. Money will be disappearing into his pocket that should have been spent on community projects. The farmers agreed to this for quick cash and had no problem with dare we say “corruption” (gong gin). The farmers in that area all love the red shirts and Taksin. So when these projects cannot be carried out, they will blame Bangkok. But who is to be blamed? Obviously themselves.
Another fact: In Thailand, perhaps especially in Essarn, there is what Thais themselves refer to as the NIGHT OF THE HOWLING DOGS. Kheun Ma Hon. This is when before elections the folks called canvassers trot upcountry with bags full of money to bribe the heads of villages for votes. The dogs don’t recognize the strange faces so they bark and howl like hell. Thais – including Essarn Thais – know all about this. In other words, Essarn Thais like all other Thais take the money to vote for someone, rather than vote their conscience. All foreigners have heard the expression, “Thais are the nicest people money can buy.” Indeed. So why then do some foreigners talk about corrupt Big Bad Bangkok ripping off those poor Essarn farmers?
Another fact: Have you ever noticed how whenever some idiot pedophile from the West shows up in Southeast Asia there are big headlines when he is caught. But not one word in print about the tens of thousands of Thai family members who do bad things with niece, daughter or sister. I know of girls who were moved to another part of the country to get away from a family member who did or wanted to rape her. In Nakorn Phanom a Thai-speaking foreigner living with his Thai wife and deeply involved in the community told me that kind of thing seemed to be worse up around his area. Why do Thai newspapers say nothing about this?
Another fact: My former girlfriend was from Korat. She was very happy when she came to Bangkok to live. I told her it was postcard perfect up there and folks had a laid-back life, so why would she be happy away from there? She then began to tell me behind-the-scenes horror stories about murders, jealousy, tales of vengeance, and showed me empty houses where the Thai male had caught AIDs and died but not before passing it onto his wife and she died. Tales that made my blood run cold. You may have a girlfriend from Essarn with fewer horror stories to tell but, certainly, there were no blinders in her eyes toward Issarn. They were like everyone else but lawlessness was a bit worst in the countryside, in her opinion.
The bottom line: Thai farmers work their asses off during much of the year and deserve what help they can get from Bangkok and from their community. But until the system changes, which it won’t, and until Thais at all levels stop participating in or at least stop condoning corruption, please don’t mindlessly blame Bangkok’s government for all the problems and, as my ex-wife would say, please don’t romanticize the rustics.
The king and facebook
I think we should assume that nothing to do with the king is accidental, if ‘unofficial’ quots have found their way into the public domain it is not as the result of carelessness or accident, there is a reason.
A recent newspaper article described the Thai king as ‘cunning’. I believe this is right. I believe he did not understand the consequences of his actions and those of his wife. He thought his people were unsophisticated.
He was wrong.
He appears to have believed that you can propagandise people ad-infinitum.
He was wrong.
He appears to believe that Thailand would always have a beloved monarchy that could do whatever it wanted because it (he) was the sole repository of wit, wisdom and everything good and wholesome.
He was very wrong.
Nick Nostitz in the killing zone
Chanchai, thanks for your comment!
The king and facebook
I have been told the same story, but he said it while in hospital and a nurse wrote it down.
London discussion of Thailand’s political turmoil
Portman -30
A unite that involve in the 19th May assault was using a gun from FN, I saw a FAL in some of the pictures taken during that day.
What next for Thailand?
there aren’t so many actually: remaining are @ Siam Paragon and Emporium only (is that any @ Thaniya plaza , or only AsiaBooks ?). I purchased my copy @ Paragon a year ago. in any case – I gave a link to their website, there is ISBN number & other details. so, if you come to any of their branches and make inquiry by those details – I’m sure they’ll assist you, they’re very efficient.
Nick Nostitz in the killing zone
Once gain, here is a demonstration of Godwin’s Law: “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” Many thanks to Rebecca #178 for providing proof.
Send your suggestions to Abhisit
1) Resign – no one responsible for 88 innocent deaths can be part of the solution, flee Thailand because if you are ever caught upcountry a herd of “buffalo” may just stampede over you and dance on your grave.
The advice that follows is for the remaining “yellows”…
2) Return the power to the people
Everyone, and I mean everyone, no matter how stupid or repressed understands democracy. You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to know that as Webster’s defines it, a democracy is “a government by the people; especially: rule of the majority”.
If it is as alleged, that poor, stupid Thai’s cannot be trusted with voting. Please give me examples throughout history where “absolute power” does not corrupt “absolutely”? Or where in the world the Military has ever shown an ability to govern responsibly. Military dictatorships are the most corrupt on this earth.
The most effective form of government might well be a benevolent dictatorship, however I’m sure you would be hard-pressed to give me a good example of one, and don’t say Singapore…it’s a city-state not a nation of 70 million people.
If Thailand were having fights over religion (Middle East,UK/N.Ireland) or race (US Civil War, WW2 jews,South Africa Apartheid) or gender (women’s suffrage movement in USA), the world would be in uproar. But when it’s a homogenous population of Thai-Chinese, the world turns a blind eye.
Someone please tell me how Thailand is any different than Burma, there’s been a coup in 2006, a judicial coup by kicking a PM out for a cooking show, banning 2 political parties, and a blackmailing of a leading coalition leader to jump the fence and join the Democrats. The will of the people is and has been ignored by the “elite”. Who can ever trust a “roadmap” that has empty promises at the end of the rainbow? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
If Thailand wants to join the world of developed nations, stop committing coups and tearing up constitutions. Rule of law is meaningless when the rules are made up as you go along. And lastly, the courts have shown themselves never to be independent nor incorruptible…use a jury system and let the people decide guilt or innocence.
The king and facebook
I believe the statement quoted is just one of the latest in a long line of fabricated stories conjured up by the yellow shirts both to arouse hatred of the red shirts and as a channel for their own klansmen (I do believe the behaviour of some yellow shirt members resemble that of the infamous KKK. For instance, one member of PAD whose name I can’t remember openly encouraged Bangkokians to carry guns and to shoot the red shirts at will whenever they see ones.) to express their “exclusive loyalty” to the King. You will see similar stories being dispersed via forward mails or internet forums, generally eliciting sympathetic responses towards the King. Those who opined otherwise, or even expressed his or her indifference at the issue will be quickly branded as “anti-monarchist red shirts” by the loyalists, along with certain derisive comments along the lines of “If you don’t love the King, you are not Thai. Why don’t you go and live with Thaksin at Cambodia and/or Montenegro?”
Even though the King did utter the “Tell me how I should change” statement, the fact that the moment actually took place during the Thai administration fight against the communists in the 1970s (It is Pramote Nakorntorp, the person who actually heard the King saying it, who later revealed that the statement per se was not recent) only served to bolster the claim that the yellow shirts chose to spin those stories to further their own ends.
Send your suggestions to Abhisit
Maratjp #19
“I don’t accept any of the results from parties that were still around after TRT was dismembered illegally, after the not to so legal coup d’etat. The “Democratic Party” here in Thailand had no chance against TRT”
And I don’t accept election results that returned a corrupt ‘human rights abuser of the worst kind’ and his clique to power. Had the legal system functioned as it should, Thaksin would not have been sitting where he was at the time of the coup, and more than likely there would not have been a coup.
Had Thaksin followed the rule of law, stuck to his original mandate and kept his hand out of the cookie jar, he could have gained broad support across all sections of society making any coup almost impossible. Had he not taken gleeful pride in the murder of thousands his cause may have gained some sympathy internationally subsequent to the coup.
Democracy is not a divine instrument handed down from heaven. It is a game which requires a consensus of all players to abide by the rules. Without respect for the rule of law it is almost inevitable the power will reside with ‘he who has the biggest stick’. Until a broad consensus on what constitutes the rule of law is established in Thailand all discussion of ‘democracy’ is a waste of time.
Send your suggestions to Abhisit
stop the massacre #29,30
talking of checks and balances:
why dont you mention the military and their unbalanced role in Thailand?
do you think Abhisit, the government and the parliament has any freedom to act without military approval?
what do you think they will be permitted to do?
I think Thaksin would be happy if there is decentralisation of elected officials
I seem to remember he introduced elections of head men at some level (kamnan?) much to the dismay of those that thought they had positions for life and the Interor Ministry because it loosened their grip
I believe this was one of the reforms undone by the junta
I am sure Sondhi used these people to spin stories about megalomania that it sounds you have probably heard and believed
oh, and Thaksin tried to bring the military under control, which is what Thailand really needs… more stories and a coup…
UNDP releases Thailand’s 2009 Human Development Report
[…] Security, Today and Tomorrow’ 177 sider med relativt tungt materiale om Thailand… UNDP releases Thailand’s 2009 Human Development Report […]
Send your suggestions to Abhisit
dear Derek #21
so whats the difference between Thailand and feudal england?
military supplemented by mercenaries supporting born to rule…?
populace seeking solace in temples and churches?
Send your suggestions to Abhisit
Dear Khun Abhisit,
This must have been a good fifteen years ago, when you first return to Thailand, fresh and clean from England, to do your part for Thailand. If you remember at that time, how popular you were. Girls were literally hanging around waiting for an autograph from you, shyly giggling behind and murmuring how handsome you were.
You are unlikely to remember me. But I remember meeting you and asking a question or two. That was at the youth in politics forum that held by Thammasat University. You were valiantly but eloquently defending PM Chuan’s miserable leadership qualities. It was valiant as it was a well-known fact that PM Chuan was naught but a puppet on the PM Chair. The Democrat Party needed a clean civilian fact and Chuan was it.
It was clear then who would take over from Chuan as the party front. The failed 92 coup means that all the old guards need a clean face and you were the only one the Democrat Party had. I was hopeful that unlike Chuan, you have the intelligence and the courage to leverage your popularity against the old guards and do some good for Thailand. I dared hope that you, being an Oxford grad, would not share the establishment’s attitude for the country folk and that you can and would put into practice well-developed academic proposed solutions to improve the lot of the poor. Sadly for me, some of those solutions were campaigned on and finally put into action by the TRT.
Do you know when you lost my respect and crushed my hopes? It was when you started talking in the same tones and using the same style of wording as Chuan. You were so much better than that, and if you want to emulate someone, for chrissakes there were plenty of other real heroes out there to choose from.
And I reasoned: if you do not have the guts to cut out your own image, you do not have the self confidence and determination to do what needed be done. You will not have the ability to grab opportunities and lead when the situation requires a leader.
I was sadly proven right: even when the protest was peaceful, you were hiding in the military bunkers.
I am a realist, I do not expect you to solve the massive problems in Thailand. I expected you to be the new face, a start of better things to come. My expectations, even back then, are lower than your lofty and idealistic expectations of the TRT government. And finally, you fell so far short of those same expectations you set for others, how could you not be ashamed of yourself?
You wanted the PM chair so much, you sold out your beliefs and democracy for it. You never publicly condemned the PAD call to install 70% of the lawmakers instead of holding rightful elections. You condemned Taksin for media censorship, yet I read about how evil Taksin is from the likes of The Nation and The Manager every single day he was in power – neither of them were shut down. After you became PM with the help of the courts and the military, I cannot even read a proper local critique of the establishment. Anti-government media were closed down. You, the Oxford grad, tightened censorship laws and upped the ante on Les Majeste. Instead of travelling up north to get to know the people, you chose to work on hosting international summits so you can meet and get photographed with other leaders – photographs with other legit leaders does not a leader make. You continued the Taksin witchhunt that deepens the divide rather than heal that divide. Finally you withdrew the Nov 14 deal, ordered the sniping, and refused the protesters appeal to re-start the negotiation and instead order a crackdown without having proper anti-riot crowd control in place.
It was appalling. It was disappointing.
But you are still in place when you should have resigned. Any decent person would have.
But you are now a politician just like Taksin and perhaps more like Banyaat or even Prem.
Still, I appeal for this: Remember who you were 15 years ago. That young man must have dreams of making his country better. Do something right for the People.
Thank you.
May 13, 1969
Roger, thanks for sharing your first hand experience at Terendak Barracks. My dad – Mr. Gracian Lopez – was a clerk (civilian) at the Terendak “camp” as he called it. I was born in Malacca in 1972 as my parents opted to stay in Malaysia after the British withdrew in spite of May 13 although they were offered citizenship of Britain or any Commonwealth country of choice.
My families own experience is limited as Malacca was not affected as deeply as Kuala Lumpur by the riots. This is also the very surprising part: that the riot was at its highest and most violent around the Kampung Baru/Kuala Lumpur area.
Neptunian, thanks very much for your personal insights too. I have met several Malaysians who migrated to Australia immediately after May 13, who shared their fears of being non-Malay at that time. I have also personally met two non – Malay police officers (one with the special branch and one patrol) who served during May 13 in Kuala Lumpur. Their stories are similar to those related by you i.e. that the Royal Malay Regiment was biased against non – Malays and stability was restored when the Sarawak Rangers were brought to KL.
They also noted various anomalies: that when non – Malay or mixed police patrols were doing the rounds, incidents of vandalism, rioting, killing, etc – were negligible but the converse would happen when all Malay patrols were doing the rounds.
The officer who was with the special branch noted that immediately after May 13 was under control, all non – Malay officers were asked to do a Jawi test. Of the 13 of them, 12 failed and were reassigned to various other government department of their choice.
I must say that I have yet to confirm this through proper research.
The number of Chinese who died compared to Malays suggests that it was not a level playing or fighting field. A similar strategy seem to be employed in the Kampung Medan incident, where the victims were Malaysians of Indian decent (read here).
Malaysia needs some sought of closure on this issue.
Nick Nostitz in the killing zone
Rebecca – 178
Good point, I want to add on your point about comparing with Germany.
It might sound a bit naive, but I think he yellow ideology (or the middle class Thai for that matter) is much more similar to Fascism is many aspect, so I will just compare this in a bit simplify way.
The race superiority that the Nazi had push which involved the idea of the pure and noble Aryan blood, the descender of the Tunic Knight and so on. While in Thailand, we have the smart-elite, the educated, and the noble tradition. I think its save to say that if we compare Germany to Thailand it is this term of race superiority to class superiority. Moreover, the Nazi had exert their influenced over the media, the justice system, and the military much the same way the Bangkok establishment did. I think the middle class Bangkok is living in the illusion they created themselves, and I afraid that one day when they woke up from their delusion, it will be too late for the country….
On Bhumibolists and Royalists
Leeyiankun: I wonder if the Dalai Lama praised HMK before or after Thailand denied a visa to the DL’s sister?
Send your suggestions to Abhisit
And why is Bangkok the only city in the kingdom that can elect its own mayor? Just another example of double standards in Thailand…
Send your suggestions to Abhisit
Abhisit has to prepare for Thaksin’s eventual return to power. Unless Thaksin is assassinated or dies some other way he will be back. At that point, if the system has not changed Thaksin will accrue immense power to the detriment of civil society and democracy. Abhisit must re-architect the Thai system of government. He has to diffuse power. Governors and mayors must be elected not appointed. There must be elections at all levels of government and there must be more levels of government with responsibilities for local governance. Police forces must be accountable to city councils, and national police must be disbanded. As long as power is concentrated it can be seized whether by a popular prime minister like Thaksin or an ambitious general.
They have to design a properly functioning system of checks and balances in Thailand.