The Thai military have retaken the Thaicom Hq shortly just before midnight. This indicates the importance of Thaicom to them. Saturday morning now, almost all pro-red community radios have been jammed or blocked. This is done by Democrat Party-led government under Abhisit.
Signs of imminent crackdown against red shirts at Phanfa and Rajprasong ? However, Abhisit and Anupong still cannot solve the problem of “watermelon soldiers” (green uniform outside but pro-red inside). This phenomenon was very clear at Thaicom scuffles yesterday where you can see the soldiers fought half-heartedly. If these soldiers are sent to crack down on the reds, no one knows the outcome.
Absolutely incredible photos. Does anyone have further information about the seizure of state actors’ weapons by the red shirts? In other words, is disarming the police and military a clear strategy? The images of the seized weapons, and their return, are tremendously powerful.
All M16s and HK33s have no magazines attached and the soldiers appeared to be without the equipment belts for their spare magazines.
The armed soldiers confronting the red shirts are basically unarmed. No wonder they were easily disarmed and their rifles taken away by the protesters.
The generals are intentionally relaying a peace message by deliberately sending their soldiers unarmed.
Nobody say it is a game. Please recall that the Red Shirts are even a minority of people that even voted for Thaksin and hope for something different. You are a Farang anthropologist and maybe represent some of your kin. Which of the Thai kin do you represent?
Given that this is an open blog – as the editors of the Agrarian Angst book – we would like to take the liberty of such a great venue to briefly respond to some of the comments made to date. We appreciate the attention our book is getting, and are grateful that it is reviewed here.
First, of the original review, we very much appreciate the time taken by Sokbunthoeun So to provide a detailed assessment of our book. His point is well taken that the approach appeared to this reviewer as limiting the ability to provide systematic comparisons across cases. Indeed, perhaps we should have made it more clear that the point was instead to try to show the interweaving of resistance forms and shapes across scale- hence the cases were chosen to move from the very micro at the start to the nation level and the transnational. But thank you for your careful commentary.
To Suzie Wong, given that this is an edited book, ‘the writers’ as a whole include a variety of academics coming from a range of disciplines. One of the beauties of such an edited collection is therefore the diversity of ideas and debates the book raises. Hence ‘the writers’ do not do the things that you have suggested; rather a group of individual authors are using in-depth fieldwork to focus on specific case studies, that together bring to our attention three core arguments: 1) a multi-scalar approach that moves beyond simple conceptions of local and global, reveals that resistance is intertwined across scales in complex, recursive ways; 2) that there are numerous, rapidly changing forms of resistance, both covert and overt, and not only class-based but at times taking on dimensions of ethnicity, culture, local interests, and so on; 3) that a more inductive, post-structuralist approach recognises the scope for agency, whether decision-making is individual or collective, spontaneous or tightly organised.
As such, we do not outrightly argue that ‘rural agrarian populations resist the introduction of a market economy into their communities’; that would be a far too simplistic statement. However we do explore the degree to which individuals, households and communities take on board certain aspects of agrarian change and decide to resist, circumnavigate or avoid others. The subtleties are many.
Bravo to New Mandala for bringing this book to many people’s attention!
StanG says: “Prachatai English and Prachatai Thai are two different beasts. Prachatai English has mostly articles from the Nation and comments about selling viagra, I bet that’s not what ticked the government off.” I submit that StanG has deliberately lied. Prachatai English seems to publish “Nation” material when it is Pravit (who is, after all, the only serious journalist at that rag). The viagra comments are from spammers and are nowhere near “mostly.” Indeed, they even take comments from StanG himself. Like NM, Prachatai is remarkably liberal in accepting comments.
There was another British Guy some time later on stage, a young English teacher it could have been 5 pm Thai time.
He was much cheered on, too and after some words about western democracy I remember his finish in Thai, that his yellow employers will probably lay him off for his appearance on the stage and asked joking the red crowd if they could find a new job for him for as little als Abhisit’ salary, which drew much cheering and laughter…
I’m just pointing out the fact that things have to be looked at objectively, both the Government and the UDD leadership twist information in there favor (the Abhisit government much more so).
I don’t rely on mainstream Thai media to get information here, it’s rubbish, and not in the least bit objective. Most of the mainstream channels are military owned, full of pro-government propaganda.
Whether or not people agree with the Red shirt stance, the closure of PTV channel and the censure of pro-UDD websites or other independent news sources which report un-biased news, just goes to show that the military, along with the current government, is fascist.
The PAD’s own channel, ASTV, is still up and running even after they seized parliament and closed the airport, causing billions of baht worth of damage to the economy.
This move by the government will only go to prove, and reinforce the belief, that there is a double standard being applied.
Oh, and Prachatai English and Prachatai Thai are two different beasts. Prachatai English has mostly articles from the Nation and comments about selling viagra, I bet that’s not what ticked the government off.
It’s back now, btw, with the latest George Harrison’s attempt at satire and two Nation’s reprints. It’s available on True with the .org domain.
There are also quite a few stories on censorship but not Prachatai’s particular case.
Look at the setup theory – Abhisit leaves early, Suthep stays in, as a bait. Arisaman takes it and rushes in and disarms one of the Suthep’s guards, Suthep isn’t there anymore, airlifted by a helicopter. By the time other red leaders call back the troops it is too late, PR damage has been done already.
Quite plausible, I think, if the mastermind knew hot headed Arisaman was there and Suthep’s safety was guaranteed all the time.
As for tear gas canisters, according to The Nation they were snatched from one of the parliament guards and tossed back into the red crowd by attackers themselves. That explains why they didn’t go off. Nation had a name of the guard, too.
Before I digress into the topic of “Foreign Clowns and the Red Shirt Mob”, I would like to put forward an observation and share with you an important insight.
It is being openly discussed within the anti-Thaksin camp that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva must either resign or be forced out. Today’s debacle at the Thaicom compound illustrated clearly Abhisit’s inability to lead as well as his crumbling power and authority both within the governing coalition and the State bureaucracy. I myself trust only the military to guide this country out of these dire straits and as such I am advocating openly for General Anupong Paochinda to take the helm of the nation. As an institution it is the most professional in the world, except the 4th Army in the southern part of Thailand which resembles a three-legged soi dog (why can’t the Patani region just be cleansed of all its troubles?). Indeed, I smell the spirit of 1947 in the wind (or is it Nirvana?).
Regarding the notable contributions of Madame Kelly Newton-Woodsworth and her daughter Tara to the Yellow Shirt movement, I take exception to certain comments about them posted on this thread. They are decent human beings who simply were trying to put food on the table for their family. Plus, they had participated in and emerged as the winners of the PAD’s first ever American Idol-style competition. Equally important, their financial contribution of more than 100,000 baht helped to secure their place on our stage and lead us in a protest sing-a-long while our Yellow Shirted “mother hens” (a term of endearment for those dedicated housewives bored with their nighttime dramas and looking for some extracurricular excitement) would swing and swoon to the folksy rhythm of their spiritually-uplifting duet. “Hallelujah”, “Amen”, “Praise be to God”, and all that other evangelical jism. That being said, I for one found the entire enterprise to be amateur night. However, slapping a Western white face onto our Movement heightened our profile both within the country and overseas AND made the PAD appear to be more “right” in the eyes of Thais because it communicated the image of the Yellow Shirts being a powerful international force with supporters throughout the world. I remember one night back in October 2008 being present under the canopy which was covering the front lawn of Government House, listening to their inspirational tune of conservative revolution, and thinking, “This one trick pony show is going to catch on”. It did and now it is immortalized on YouTube.
Yet let’s compare our wholesome and neat Western face to the one that the Red Shirts paraded the other day. Here’s a farang who definitely stumbled out of some go-go bar on Soi Patpong with a dark-skinned, tattooed, somtan-reeking, crab-infested Isaan girl in tow. (Did I forget to mention the three pups she left with her parents?) Inebriated, ignorant and paid this farang with a Chang beer bottle in hand gets onto the stage and says what? “Hey dudes, this is so cool. I’m on the dole and just hanging out here in Thailand. Let’s party!” The Red Shirts really are a pathetic, unimaginative, and clueless bunch.
Putting aside my invective against flotsam farang, what intrigues me the most is that I have yet to come across an article in the New Mandala or a post that explores in a critical and analytical fashion the Red Shirts’ political goals (short-term and long-term). Can anyone itemize for us discerning readers what exactly the Red Shirts are “fighting” to accomplish through their rioting and mayhem? I am certain this challenge will be mission impossible for you Red Shirt lackeys as the so-called United Democratic Front Against Dictatorship DOES NOT have any stated platform. Shame on you for propagandizing on behalf of a manipulated mob.
Well, I am off to the Union of Myanmar tomorrow to learn more about how Thailand can model itself after its progressive western neighbour.
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Stunning images from 9 April
The Thai military have retaken the Thaicom Hq shortly just before midnight. This indicates the importance of Thaicom to them. Saturday morning now, almost all pro-red community radios have been jammed or blocked. This is done by Democrat Party-led government under Abhisit.
Signs of imminent crackdown against red shirts at Phanfa and Rajprasong ? However, Abhisit and Anupong still cannot solve the problem of “watermelon soldiers” (green uniform outside but pro-red inside). This phenomenon was very clear at Thaicom scuffles yesterday where you can see the soldiers fought half-heartedly. If these soldiers are sent to crack down on the reds, no one knows the outcome.
Najib’s first year in office, Part I
[…] April 6th, 2010 by Greg Lopez ┬╖ […]
Stunning images from 9 April
Absolutely incredible photos. Does anyone have further information about the seizure of state actors’ weapons by the red shirts? In other words, is disarming the police and military a clear strategy? The images of the seized weapons, and their return, are tremendously powerful.
Stunning images from 9 April
All M16s and HK33s have no magazines attached and the soldiers appeared to be without the equipment belts for their spare magazines.
The armed soldiers confronting the red shirts are basically unarmed. No wonder they were easily disarmed and their rifles taken away by the protesters.
The generals are intentionally relaying a peace message by deliberately sending their soldiers unarmed.
Review of Agrarian Angst and Rural Resistance
In hardcover the book is somewhat pricey. Is there a date scheduled for the release of the softcover version?
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
Yom Jim Taylor,
Nobody say it is a game. Please recall that the Red Shirts are even a minority of people that even voted for Thaksin and hope for something different. You are a Farang anthropologist and maybe represent some of your kin. Which of the Thai kin do you represent?
Can Thailand’s new consensus hold?
Yom banphai,
You did not know Greek [phaasaa yuan] before and that is perfectly understandable! Why now would you now purport to understand Khon Muang?
Ayu, wanno, sukham, balam . . .
Bhikkhu V.
Review of Agrarian Angst and Rural Resistance
Greetings,
Given that this is an open blog – as the editors of the Agrarian Angst book – we would like to take the liberty of such a great venue to briefly respond to some of the comments made to date. We appreciate the attention our book is getting, and are grateful that it is reviewed here.
First, of the original review, we very much appreciate the time taken by Sokbunthoeun So to provide a detailed assessment of our book. His point is well taken that the approach appeared to this reviewer as limiting the ability to provide systematic comparisons across cases. Indeed, perhaps we should have made it more clear that the point was instead to try to show the interweaving of resistance forms and shapes across scale- hence the cases were chosen to move from the very micro at the start to the nation level and the transnational. But thank you for your careful commentary.
To Suzie Wong, given that this is an edited book, ‘the writers’ as a whole include a variety of academics coming from a range of disciplines. One of the beauties of such an edited collection is therefore the diversity of ideas and debates the book raises. Hence ‘the writers’ do not do the things that you have suggested; rather a group of individual authors are using in-depth fieldwork to focus on specific case studies, that together bring to our attention three core arguments: 1) a multi-scalar approach that moves beyond simple conceptions of local and global, reveals that resistance is intertwined across scales in complex, recursive ways; 2) that there are numerous, rapidly changing forms of resistance, both covert and overt, and not only class-based but at times taking on dimensions of ethnicity, culture, local interests, and so on; 3) that a more inductive, post-structuralist approach recognises the scope for agency, whether decision-making is individual or collective, spontaneous or tightly organised.
As such, we do not outrightly argue that ‘rural agrarian populations resist the introduction of a market economy into their communities’; that would be a far too simplistic statement. However we do explore the degree to which individuals, households and communities take on board certain aspects of agrarian change and decide to resist, circumnavigate or avoid others. The subtleties are many.
Bravo to New Mandala for bringing this book to many people’s attention!
Regards
Dominique Caouette and Sarah Turner
State of Emergency in Bangkok
StanG says: “Prachatai English and Prachatai Thai are two different beasts. Prachatai English has mostly articles from the Nation and comments about selling viagra, I bet that’s not what ticked the government off.” I submit that StanG has deliberately lied. Prachatai English seems to publish “Nation” material when it is Pravit (who is, after all, the only serious journalist at that rag). The viagra comments are from spammers and are nowhere near “mostly.” Indeed, they even take comments from StanG himself. Like NM, Prachatai is remarkably liberal in accepting comments.
Stunning images from 9 April
The photos of the liberation of Thaicom are “stunning”. Soldiers aiming their weapons at Thais, Thais helping injured soldiers.
Will the Redshirts return? How can they not return?
Will the Brownshirts kill them? Or will they once again refuse to remain as obstacles before the will of the people?
Stunning images from 9 April
For sure, these are great. The photo of Democrat MP Varong’s anxious eyes while holding up the ladder is gold. Well done to the photographers!
State of Emergency in Bangkok
According to the Bangkok Post, Troops reoccupy Thaicom station.
A comment at prachathai.org notes :
ASTV is of course the PAD station, and the PAD is one leg of the Democrat-Military-PAD triad that has ruled Thailand since 19 September 2006.
The brownshirts seem intent on doing as much damage as possible to Thailand as they can as they circle the drain on their way out.
Stunning images from 9 April
Wow, these photos are incredible! The BBC described these events as ‘scuffles’.
Foreign Reds
Please come back soon, Enrico
Foreign Reds
There was another British Guy some time later on stage, a young English teacher it could have been 5 pm Thai time.
He was much cheered on, too and after some words about western democracy I remember his finish in Thai, that his yellow employers will probably lay him off for his appearance on the stage and asked joking the red crowd if they could find a new job for him for as little als Abhisit’ salary, which drew much cheering and laughter…
State of Emergency in Bangkok
Julian // Apr 9, 2010 at 1:35 pm
I’m just pointing out the fact that things have to be looked at objectively, both the Government and the UDD leadership twist information in there favor (the Abhisit government much more so).
I don’t rely on mainstream Thai media to get information here, it’s rubbish, and not in the least bit objective. Most of the mainstream channels are military owned, full of pro-government propaganda.
Whether or not people agree with the Red shirt stance, the closure of PTV channel and the censure of pro-UDD websites or other independent news sources which report un-biased news, just goes to show that the military, along with the current government, is fascist.
The PAD’s own channel, ASTV, is still up and running even after they seized parliament and closed the airport, causing billions of baht worth of damage to the economy.
This move by the government will only go to prove, and reinforce the belief, that there is a double standard being applied.
State of Emergency in Bangkok
Oh, and Prachatai English and Prachatai Thai are two different beasts. Prachatai English has mostly articles from the Nation and comments about selling viagra, I bet that’s not what ticked the government off.
It’s back now, btw, with the latest George Harrison’s attempt at satire and two Nation’s reprints. It’s available on True with the .org domain.
There are also quite a few stories on censorship but not Prachatai’s particular case.
State of Emergency in Bangkok
Chris and others, re parliament break in:
Look at the setup theory – Abhisit leaves early, Suthep stays in, as a bait. Arisaman takes it and rushes in and disarms one of the Suthep’s guards, Suthep isn’t there anymore, airlifted by a helicopter. By the time other red leaders call back the troops it is too late, PR damage has been done already.
Quite plausible, I think, if the mastermind knew hot headed Arisaman was there and Suthep’s safety was guaranteed all the time.
As for tear gas canisters, according to The Nation they were snatched from one of the parliament guards and tossed back into the red crowd by attackers themselves. That explains why they didn’t go off. Nation had a name of the guard, too.
Foreign Reds
Before I digress into the topic of “Foreign Clowns and the Red Shirt Mob”, I would like to put forward an observation and share with you an important insight.
It is being openly discussed within the anti-Thaksin camp that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva must either resign or be forced out. Today’s debacle at the Thaicom compound illustrated clearly Abhisit’s inability to lead as well as his crumbling power and authority both within the governing coalition and the State bureaucracy. I myself trust only the military to guide this country out of these dire straits and as such I am advocating openly for General Anupong Paochinda to take the helm of the nation. As an institution it is the most professional in the world, except the 4th Army in the southern part of Thailand which resembles a three-legged soi dog (why can’t the Patani region just be cleansed of all its troubles?). Indeed, I smell the spirit of 1947 in the wind (or is it Nirvana?).
Regarding the notable contributions of Madame Kelly Newton-Woodsworth and her daughter Tara to the Yellow Shirt movement, I take exception to certain comments about them posted on this thread. They are decent human beings who simply were trying to put food on the table for their family. Plus, they had participated in and emerged as the winners of the PAD’s first ever American Idol-style competition. Equally important, their financial contribution of more than 100,000 baht helped to secure their place on our stage and lead us in a protest sing-a-long while our Yellow Shirted “mother hens” (a term of endearment for those dedicated housewives bored with their nighttime dramas and looking for some extracurricular excitement) would swing and swoon to the folksy rhythm of their spiritually-uplifting duet. “Hallelujah”, “Amen”, “Praise be to God”, and all that other evangelical jism. That being said, I for one found the entire enterprise to be amateur night. However, slapping a Western white face onto our Movement heightened our profile both within the country and overseas AND made the PAD appear to be more “right” in the eyes of Thais because it communicated the image of the Yellow Shirts being a powerful international force with supporters throughout the world. I remember one night back in October 2008 being present under the canopy which was covering the front lawn of Government House, listening to their inspirational tune of conservative revolution, and thinking, “This one trick pony show is going to catch on”. It did and now it is immortalized on YouTube.
Yet let’s compare our wholesome and neat Western face to the one that the Red Shirts paraded the other day. Here’s a farang who definitely stumbled out of some go-go bar on Soi Patpong with a dark-skinned, tattooed, somtan-reeking, crab-infested Isaan girl in tow. (Did I forget to mention the three pups she left with her parents?) Inebriated, ignorant and paid this farang with a Chang beer bottle in hand gets onto the stage and says what? “Hey dudes, this is so cool. I’m on the dole and just hanging out here in Thailand. Let’s party!” The Red Shirts really are a pathetic, unimaginative, and clueless bunch.
Putting aside my invective against flotsam farang, what intrigues me the most is that I have yet to come across an article in the New Mandala or a post that explores in a critical and analytical fashion the Red Shirts’ political goals (short-term and long-term). Can anyone itemize for us discerning readers what exactly the Red Shirts are “fighting” to accomplish through their rioting and mayhem? I am certain this challenge will be mission impossible for you Red Shirt lackeys as the so-called United Democratic Front Against Dictatorship DOES NOT have any stated platform. Shame on you for propagandizing on behalf of a manipulated mob.
Well, I am off to the Union of Myanmar tomorrow to learn more about how Thailand can model itself after its progressive western neighbour.
Buon Capo d’Anno!
Foreign Reds
Sorry, I should have put direct links in case someone reads it later and today’s posts get buried in archives:
Farang on a red stage
That farang and Kyrgyzstan