Wiphu is another correspondent who needs to read previous posts before sending stuff off to NM: “Most of you probably don’t know this, but Thaksin brought universal health care to Thailand. ” Would there be a single correspondent at NM who doesn’t know this? etc. etc. Thaksin for US president? Yeah, right. Okay, I know this is about health care, but that’s just dumb.
But here’s the real issue: “So what if he’s a corrupted politician.” Yes, it does matter. Sure, finding a politician in Thailand who is not corrupt is not easy, but being corrupt and being seen to be corrupt does matter. One of the reasons – just one – that the yellow shirts got support was because of the perception of nepotism and conflicts of interest. Yes, it does matter.
As I slandered earlier, Than Shwe is intelligent in that he is able to maintain his reclusiveness, but foolish in that he persists with maintaining it. If he doesn’t want to be known, then it is obvious that this self consciousness permeates through his tainted, pungent and fetid ‘leadership.’ This self consciousness must perpetuate a paranoia that fuels a logic that equates sustaining power with success.
Obviously no foreign intereference occured. Eighteen months is a compromise between what they would like to do and what they felt they could get away with.
Foreign being ‘alien in character’, I wonder how remote and alien it is for characters like Than Shwe to involve themselves in a “judicial process” which hands down a politicised sentence to a sixty-four year old Lady?
By knowing about him, I’m sure there will be less reason for anyone to see him as the leader. The same is true for all cowards masquerading as beacons of strength. That is why we will never know about him; because he knows it.
Thaksin have done many great things for the poor of Thailand.
So what if he’s a corrupted politician.
Most of you probably don’t know this, but Thaksin brought universal health care to Thailand. It cost 30 baht that is less a dollar a year for health care. There’s also a million baht per village scheme, where you could take out a loan and do what ever you want with it. Most people in the rural area borrowed from that fund to buy cell phone and a vehicle with it. That is a good stimulus package. He even promised a cow for each family, but never got to it.
If he ever runs for a President in the US, I would definitely vote for him.
The republican are trying to stall the universal health care, I wish Thaksin was here in the US. Americans should learn from Thaksin because that is what we need in the US.
“… audio clips of Tee Srisuwan making a confession to the late Panyananta Bhikku in 1979 for having framed Pridi in the case of King Ananda’s death were also available on the website.”
Does anybody have a script of what is being said? We are unable to understand the wording. Text in Thai or English would be welcome!
Generally speaking, ASEAN started with political and security cooperation in the course of which attempts have been made to develop closer relations though the creation of an economic community. At its very outset, even though an enormous effort was put into establishing ASEAN, it was generally only seen as an instrument of nationalist elites in their efforts to secure domestic stability and oppose external challenges–divisive political ideologies, communist insurgencies and separatist ethno-religious nationalist movements. Even today, to secure its internal political economy, Southeast Asian states need to participate in or integrate with the international market and open their countries for foreign capital inflow. The role of ASEAN, in this regard, seems to have changes as a result. That is because they are not only the arenas for political action by weak or small states in arranging their collective security and acting against outside threats, they are also stages in promoting regional and domestic economic development – through ASEAN Economic Community. In the period of the globalized economy, therefore, ASEAN is seemingly used to enhance the internal economies of member states on the one hand, and enable them to deal with global economic cooperation and competition on the other hand.
Not a mermaid, but equally strange. In the Bangkok Post Outlook section (10 August), in the Social Scene set of photos, Princess Bajrakityabha is shown being welcomed with flowers, people curtsying and senior police at attention and saluting. Not odd you might think, but what is the princess doing? She is visiting the La Baguette Bakery at the Woodlands Hotel in Pattaya “to enjoy cakes and crepes.” Now even going to have a snack is cause for royal entourages and celebration. Not unlike Sirivannavari’s toursim getting on the royal news.
Anyone interested in migration and refugee issues in Burma/Myanmar should definitely take a look at Stephen Hull’s paper. I haven’t read this published version, but a previous version which was presented at the Burma Studies conference in Illinois in 2008. I’m unsure if much was changed. An interesting contribution from this article is the concept of ‘migration AS protection’ in the Myanmar context.
Published: June 23 2009 16:48 | Last updated: June 23 2009 16:48
Like most young Indians going overseas, Pooja Thakur was excited about new opportunities when she went to Australia last year for graduate studies.
Although the A$30,000 ($23,700, тВм17,000, ┬г14,500) fee seemed hefty, Ms Thakur, 22, whose father is a schoolmaster, was assured by education agents in Ahmedabad, her home town, that she could earn enough to cover it and A$900 in monthly living expenses through part-time work. “I wanted to learn more and see the world,” she recalls.
Yet almost 18 months into her sojourn, Ms Thakur is filled with regret. Her first semester was spent in a disappointing accountancy course pushed hard by an agent but filled only with other students from India and China.
She has since switched to a mainstream MBA programme but money remains a constant worry. Unable to find a job for six months, she now spends five hours a day selling electricity plans door-to-door, earning just enough for living expenses.
The Rs1.5m ($30,000, тВм22,000, ┬г18,900) bank loan her family took out to finance her studies weighs heavily. “I realise I made a huge mistake,” Ms Thakur says. “I should have studied in universities in India.”
Disillusionment is not unique among Australia’s Indian students, whose frustration spilled into public view during street protests triggered by attacks on their compatriots.
Shortage of places
Puneet Singh, a 25-year-old pursuing a master’s degree in accounting, opted for Australia’s Latrobe University, because as an “average student” working part-time at a restaurant, he felt he had “no chance” of attending a top-ranked university at home Competition for India’s elite universities is fierce, with many people spending huge sums on coaching for the arduous entry exams. “There are so many good students, and they work so hard,” Mr Singh said. “It’s not always possible for others to compete with them.”
Addressing India’s shortage of higher education opportunities is one of the biggest priorities of India’s new government. Under 10 per cent of college-age students are enrolled in higher education.
The National Knowledge Commission wants the gross enrolment ratio in higher education raised to 15 per cent through opening 1,500 new universities in the next few years. More than 20m Indians reach college age each year.
To Mr Singh, who drives a taxi three nights a week to finance his Australian studies, a second-tier Indian university was simply not an appealing option. “I don’t think companies will take you if you come out from [one of] them,” he said.
Although the protests focused on safety and policing, Gautum Gupta of the Federation of Indian Students in Australia says they reflected deep disgruntlement among the students, many of whom feel they came to Australia under false pretences and are now stuck in uninviting jobs.
“They are feeling helpless, stuck in a system where they can’t move forward or backward,” Mr Gupta says. “If they are unhappy and want to go back, it’s not an option. They have already invested all the money and they can’t go back without losing a lot.”
India has an acute shortage of high-quality university places, creating intense competition for admission, and Indian elites have long sent their children for higher studies abroad, mainly to the US and UK.
Australia has also received a huge influx of Indian students, many from middle-class, small-town families who take large loans to finance their progeny’s overseas venture. From 13,000 in 2003, Australia’s Indian student population has soared to 96,000, close to the number of Indian students in the US.
In their quest for upward mobility, young Indians are encouraged by agents who receive commissions from Australian education institutions for each student they recruit. Commissions range from 10 per cent of the tuition fee for top-ranked public universities to 25 per cent for private universities and up to 45 per cent from the lowest-level vocational schools.
Less than a third of Indian students in Australia are enrolled in traditional degree programmes. The vast majority are in vocational institutions, sometimes just two or three rooms in an office block, obtaining skills such as commercial cookery, hairdressing and automotive repair: agents tout these programmes as advantageous towards obtaining permanent residency.
Australian authorities have tried to promote ethical conduct among education agents, backing creation of the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India, whose members promise “to provide accurate and realistic counselling” on cost, courses and work prospects.
Gulshan Kumar, the association’s president, says numerous unaffiliated agents are pushing low-quality education institutions and painting unrealistically sunny pictures of Australia, especially its job market. Many such agents also supplement their commissions by taking huge fees from the students, adding to their debt burden.
“They are not purely dealing with education – they are doing it as a business. I would even term it as human smuggling,” Mr Kumar says.
Australian authorities should crack down on the proliferation of “shoddy” education companies, Mr Kumar believes
In a tacit recognition of a system seemingly out of control, Julia Gillard, Australia’s minister for education, said last week her government would review urgently the legal framework governing its A$14bn foreign education business.
Such measures, however, will offer little consolation to the current crop of students, many of whom are living in cheap housing in Melbourne’s crime-ridden western suburbs, and working part-time in jobs such as night shifts at petrol pumps that leave them vulnerable to violent crime.
“They are basically importing cheap labour, for cooking, cleaning and driving cabs, in the guise of education,” says Mr Gupta. “It’s a masterstroke.”
Michael I mean the neo-cons should have gone to Burma not Iraq to really practice what they preach the best of the Wilsonian legacy: freedom and democracy promotion by force against true fascist tyrants whose deserve violent death not wishy washy liberal sentiments…
It is a very good news that many countries and many organizations would like to help Myanmar citizens. Due to the primitive society in Myanmar, many HIV infected patients dare not come to the right center for medical treatment. Society in Myanmar has not modernized yet so that people avoid HIV infected patients. Society, neighbors, environment put HIV infected patients out in the cold. HIV infected patients need moral support as well as medication support. Due to the very poor medical treatments by local doctors, some die without any proper reason. Local doctors, nurses, hospitals, centers, etc., provides very unfriendly atmosphere to all patients. Some even hostile to the patients.
Medications for HIV patients are very complicated. Physicians need to check HIV patient with a great care and decide which level of HIV medication is suitable for that particular patient (according to the HIV blood test –cd4 result for each patient). Medication for one HIV patient and other HIV patient may not be the same. ARV medication is just a general name for HIV patients. Same level of ARV medication cannot treat for all HIV patients. All HIV patients must take medication at least twice a day and 12 hours time difference. HIV patients cannot miss even a single dose of the medication and a great care to take twice a day with only 12 hours time difference. Maximum 15 minutes can be late to take the daily medications. All HIV patients must take the medication for life long period. HIV medications are very costly so that it is hard for anyone to pay for the medications for life long. As far as we know, one type of HIV medications is directly imported from U.S.A. to Thailand and the other type of HIV medications is from under license companies in Thailand. HIV medications from under license companies in Thailand are cheaper. It cost THB or Baht 20, 000 (Baht twenty thousands) per month in government hospitals, according to a HIV patient in Bangkok. It can say that it is expensive enough for a Thai people in Thailand too. No wonder that it is very hard for any single person to afford taking HIV medications for life long period especially where he or she is living in a third world countries or from a developing countries.
In Thailand, people can buy condoms even in convenience stores like 7Eleven, family marks, am pm, etc which opens 24 hours. Where to buy and how to buy condoms in Myanmar? Can local people afford to buy one or not? Do they have knowledge to use it or not? HIV virus can spread not only from having sex without condom, but also from blood transmission, from hair-cut blade, from oral sex, from dental-clinics, from lip-kiss, from knife which is used in operation-theaters of the hospitals, from drug-addicts, needles from syringes, etc, etc.
Life is very cheap in Myanmar. Many people here are lack of education, knowledge and dare not speak openly to what they feel to their doctors, clinics and the medications. Corruption is everywhere and every level in Myanmar. Least number of medications will go into the hands of infected patients and the rest may sell out in the black market. Even NGOs are not reliable at all. But patients can get at least some help from NGOs (something is better than nothing). We heard that HIV medications supplied by NGOs are just off and on time period. Whenever there is a shortage of medications or lack of fund, patients must stop taking medications. Is there any hope for anyone to get a NGO job especially in Burma? We heard that although they post job vacancies on the net, they already had selected job applicants to fill the positions. They only employ those who know them very well like family members, relatives, closed friends, someone special, etc. NGOs job posting on the net may be only for publicity. Actually job vacancies may not open to ALL.
One breast cancer patient for example, was taken medical treatment in Yangon, one of her breast was cut without doing even mammogram or X-ray in one of the private hospitals in Yangon. She then went to Thailand for further treatment. She is an engineer and a government officer. Thai doctors do not know what to do with her because she could not submit her past medical record and she cannot submit the tissue or paraffin wax of the tissue of the breast she cut off in Myanmar.
In Myanmar, many local LABs are totally useless and not at all dependable and reliable. As I said above, the tissue must keep in the paraffin wax and it must keep in a lab at least for one year long (international standard), but in Myanmar, no lab keep that even for three months long.
There are not at all modern medical technology machines, equipments, etc in throughout Myanmar (Example, Mammogram machine, digital radiation machine, etc).
Although there are many medical doctors in Myanmar who graduated from UK or other Western countries or elsewhere in the world, they are very careless and they do not have any medical ethic. Even the Local doctors with overseas degree themselves are not at all up-to-date with modern medical technology. For some instances, the diagnosis of the patients does not match the medications given by a doctor.
We are sure that in other countries, family members, relatives, etc of the patients take a legal action against the doctor if their love ones die with the careless of the doctor, but in Myanmar, because of the religious teachings, family members, relatives, etc of the patients do not sue or take the legal action against the doctor even if their love ones die with the careless of the doctor because they can easily forgive to the doctor. They believe that whatever they put a spite on the doctor, they cannot get their love ones back with life again. That forgiveness unintentionally encourages the doctors to do more and more careless and accidently to commit more and more crimes in future.
Patients who cannot afford to go abroad for medical treatment are same like guinea pigs in Myanmar. Only 15 percents of the total population in Myanmar can afford to go abroad for medical check-up, for education, for holidays, etc. The fate of the rest are just depends on their own “Karma”.
We read many news, magazines, etc for swine flu or A H1 N1 infected virus. We know that there is a medication to prevent that virus from spreading only. We haven’t read any article that people who already infected A H1 N1 virus can 100% cured. Is there anyone who cured fully from infected A H1 N1 virus? Kindly advise us.
State-run television in the union of Myanmar said that some A H1 N1 infected patients cured fully and already discharged from the respective hospitals. Can it be possible? The media never announce that it is swine flu. It only mentioned that it is a kind of human flu. It said consumption of pigs is not at all harmful to people with regard to A H1 N1. Is it right?
Is the Union of Myanmar is the first and the only country in the world that can 100% cured some A H1 N1 infected patients and can even discharged from the respective local hospitals? Please advice.
These poor conditions really existing in the most developed city in Myanmar called Yangon. So, what about and how about of the patients who live in the provinces?
Many villages do not even have first aid clinic / center. In Irrawaddy division for example, the villages between Nga Ting Chaung town and Lay Myat Nhar town (except I tha byu town) do not even have a first aid center and there is no power supply at all. Each hat (each family) does not have own toilet. A few numbers of hats have to share one toilet.
Due to the language barrier, foreigners cannot speak directly to the local people or infected patients or even if he or she does, he/she cannot get right answer from them because local authorities (government as well as NGOs) already shouted them what to say to the foreigners. People who live in the province are very timid type compared to the city dwellers.
Still now, many local people in Myanmar and many foreigners do not know how many NGO HIV treatment centers in Myanmar and Please advice if there is a website to see the location or address of the NGO HIV treatment centers existing in Yangon and throughout Myanmar and how the effective treatments given to the patients. Many NGOs give the reason that they have shortage of medications, funds, etc.
There is no international standard hospital or ISO certified in Myanmar. We cannot say that a hospital with international standard is just in-terms of the decoration of the hospital rooms only. The Hygienic, doctors and nurses treatments to the patients, hospital rooms’ service, food service render by the hospitals, hospital equipments, services provided by all level of hospital staff, etc, etc are also counted. Some people who live in urban areas and many people who live in rural areas can afford / can rely on only tradition medicines/herbs/leaves, etc because it is cheap and they can read the description of the medications easily because it is written in Burmese language. 95 percent of the tradition medicines/herbs/leaves, etc are not at all internationally recognized or ISO certified. Anyone who would like to discuss this matter, he or she is welcome to write us [email protected]
Leveller #6 – I strongly disagree with your final remarks: “Human rights need to not just be imposed but enforced as does Western style democracy.” What is “a military humantarian intervention regime change” ?
The “humanitarian” interventions of the West in Burma don’t seem to have achieved anything so far – quite the opposite, it could be argued, for the bulk of the people. A military one could very well end up in the usual scramble for their oil/gas resources (surely a major motivation for the Generals wanting to stay in power). Or, is that what you mean by “Western style democracy”?
re. “slow genocide of Malay Muslims in the South” of Thailand – see LSS’s post of today (http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/2009/08/07/review-of-tearing-apart-the-land/#comment-663169), & ask yourself why it may be convenient to ignore the intelligence reports of connexions to external terrorist organisations & keep the whole thing going, thereby continuing to increase budgets for the corrupt military.
There are two different debates incorporated in these pages and comments, one is the debate about how monarchy plays a role as head of state in a democracy, and a second about how freedom of press is either essential for a modern successful democracy in this age of an educted population, or not useful at all, which appears to be the view of certain segments of the Thai elite.
In several European countries which I am familiar with the people are very used to the idea of the separate of executive power from the head of state and whatever our views on hereditary systems, we know it can be a great force for stability and cohesive national identity.
Some countries in Europe have the same experience as the Americans with an elected head of state who also has an executive role in government, this also appears to be capable of generated stable open governments. From the evidence available today it is hard to state that either one of these is the only successful model.
Republican sentiments are fair and valid in certain countries due to their history and culture, and people should be free to hold such views and indeed express them. Equally it is important that people who believe democracy can flourish with a hereditary head of state have copious evidence to prove their approach is fair and valid, despite the apparent (in western structured thinking) illogicality in not having a method of selecting the best person in the country for the role of head of state, though even they admit this depends on the role and powers of the head of state.
It therefore seems to me that the discussion should focus on the second issue that of freedom of the press.
It seems apparent that the world is moving in the direction that it is OK to restrict freedom of speech to ensure that no offence is given to a group of people with common beliefs. This is happening in the so called “politically correct” world of the western democracies where it is no considered appropriate to allow criticism of fundamental beliefs of other as it will cause offence. This is based on some concept of greater good for the greater number of people, which is then guarded in some way by the government of the day.
I find it hard to differentiate this from the Thai governments views on Lese Majeste!
Should people be free to state that they want to change to a republican model in a country, if that is their viewpoint, well of course that does in some if not most countries with a Monarchy, cause offence sometimes great offence. So the question is, really as simple as do you believe in unfettered freedom of speech and if not what are the boundaries and the method of guardianship that you espouse?
My view remains that in Thailand today, the rule of law, with equality for all people under the law, is sadly missing from many aspects of everyday life. Therefore my concern is much more about who decides what is free speech and what is exceeding the boundaries of acceptable free speech. This is difficult to answer in many countries, and is not in itself an issue of republicanism or the current democratic monarchy.
Thus as so many issues in Thailand this devolves down to the even more fundamental issue of the application of the law equally and fairly to all people in Thailand. Currently this appears not to be the model, and I see no intention of any currently active political grouping to make this the core of their efforts. This much more than any other aspect of how Thailand arranges its internal operations and conduct of government is what needs to change.
Simply speaking, there are two arguments in the author generates; one is that the militancy in the Thai Deep South is ethno-centric rather than religious in its characteristic, and another is that it lacks structural planning. Only time can tell whether these readings are correct.
I, for one, would love to see a debate between McCargo and Zachary Abuza on this issue. In Abuza’s latest book, Militant Islam in Southeast Asia: Crucible of Terror, he writes:
Islam in Southeast Asia has always been defined by tolerance, moderation, and pluralism … There have always been Muslim militants in the region, but the conventional wisdom holds that these militants were focused on their own domestic agenda… That analysis is naive and underestimates the degree to which radical Islamists in Southeast Asia have linked up with transnational terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida. Academics and policymakers have been loathe to come to terms with the growing threat of radical Islamicism (sic) in Southeast Asia. (1)
Currently, I must say I lean more toward Abuza’s views on the subject, taking into account my understanding of Islamic doctrine concerning the illegitimacy of the nation-state, the subjection of all aspects of secular life, especially politics to the dictates of sharia, and finally the relationship between Islam and “Malayness”.
I am truly saddened by the heart breaking news on the demise of our Malaysian icon and a true harmonist propagator. Definitely, i will remember the inspiring commercials and films that the late Yasmin had made which had touched our hearts. Wish her soul will rest in peace and will surely missed by all …
An exploration of the “monastic idiom of political expression” in modern Theravada Buddhism is a project well worth pursuing and long overdue. Although I would quickly add that it must become a project of exploring idioms in the plural very quickly, both within any modern domestic national Sangha and across various national communities. And it must also become a thoroughly historical project very quickly as well. It is clear after all that in every Theravada country, the idioms, the possibilities, and the abilities to express political opinions have changed quite sharply across just the decades of the twentieth century. After all, to take just one example (which expands the horizon of the original post) Cambodian monks obtained the right to vote at a very particular time (the 1990s) under very particular conditions (the influence of UN officials and political discourse).
In such a project though I would argue that we do have to distinguish quite clearly between words and actions, myth and history, ideology and practice. To that degree I think Borchert’s examples of the Mahavamsa and Kitthivuttho is a bit like apples and oranges. One is a mythic charter of questionable historical documentation, the other is a well documented historical case. Of course, studying the changing twentieth-century rhetorical use of supposed examples of monastic political behavior drawn from chronicles or the Pali canon – which examples are used, how are they rhetorically employed, when and to what end are they employed – would in itself illuminate much about these changing idioms. Arguing that Kittivuttho preached the “mindless extermination of anyone who goes against the modern Thai capitalist grain of milking cheap labor to death” to my eye is not attending very closely to the actual idioms of expression used by this monk in that time and place (Thailand in the 70s). That is however a very interesting re-statement and interpretation of what he asserted. I do think we need to keep these two things clearly separate in any analysis of modern Theravada monastic idioms of political expression.
It is quite clear that the loosely associated rise of Buddhist modernism, political liberalism and the nation state have reconfigured these idioms if only because they have reconfigured the very boundaries and definitions of what is political and what is religious. And often, but certainly not always, this has in general seemingly narrowed the scope of legitimate public political expression by monks. Or at least raised the level of suspicion and scrutiny when political opinions are expressed. But a closer historical and social reading of how exactly this has narrowed, when this narrowing has been strategically reversed, and what sorts of expressions continue to be perceived as non-political (support for the Thai monarchy, for instance) would be well worth the effort. I would argue that the lack of attention to and writing on this topic by Thai academics and the Thai press is part of the story itself, of course, as well.
Well you can either be somewhat cynical about undoubted realities, or you can partake of the old sanyassin powder and switch off the old brainpan completely. And I am absolutely certain that this is not what is being advocated by those who truly believe in mindfulness. One may be somewhat cynical for the purposes of debate, but then still manage to go with the flow in every day life. Which is how I work. But sit back and note just how many are prepared to ruthlessly exploit one’s more accepting moments.
The forest monks are revered by many. And I have quite a lot of respect for them. (Modern Thai politics has taught me not to revere.) I note, however, that many of the same people who revere them are usually more attuned to the fact that their heroes are making pleasant and positive noises. I see no real move, by the vast majority, to actually act on those words. Such followers will usually tell you that such and such monk is a refreshing change because, “He reduces my stress levels.” Sure, some Buddhists are engaged in community projects of a very interesting and positive nature. And they are helping those at the village level. But middle-class supporters don’t really seem to do much else other than tune into the positive vibes, and then chill out completely. But I guess that is the inevitable result of barbaric thugs like Pra Kittivuttho preaching mindless extermination of anyone who goes against the modern Thai capitalist grain of milking cheap labor to death.
Conversely, those monks who really do seem to get most of the real media attention these days are those who are not terribly fussy about who they work for, and who are prepared to work with all sorts of dubious hocus-pocus to get that attention. And it is perhaps well-worth noticing that Pra Kittivuttho never advocated mowing down such quacks,charlatans and snakeoil salesman. Probably because he knew only too well that was where his support base came from to a very large degree.
Conclusion. There aren’t enough monks who are engaged and active enough in their desire for social change (as opposed to just passively wanting to see more massive dollops of highly-dubious ‘development’) to actually make any significant difference.
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Charles Keyes on Sondhi Limthongkul
Wiphu is another correspondent who needs to read previous posts before sending stuff off to NM: “Most of you probably don’t know this, but Thaksin brought universal health care to Thailand. ” Would there be a single correspondent at NM who doesn’t know this? etc. etc. Thaksin for US president? Yeah, right. Okay, I know this is about health care, but that’s just dumb.
But here’s the real issue: “So what if he’s a corrupted politician.” Yes, it does matter. Sure, finding a politician in Thailand who is not corrupt is not easy, but being corrupt and being seen to be corrupt does matter. One of the reasons – just one – that the yellow shirts got support was because of the perception of nepotism and conflicts of interest. Yes, it does matter.
Than Shwe in profile
As I slandered earlier, Than Shwe is intelligent in that he is able to maintain his reclusiveness, but foolish in that he persists with maintaining it. If he doesn’t want to be known, then it is obvious that this self consciousness permeates through his tainted, pungent and fetid ‘leadership.’ This self consciousness must perpetuate a paranoia that fuels a logic that equates sustaining power with success.
Obviously no foreign intereference occured. Eighteen months is a compromise between what they would like to do and what they felt they could get away with.
Foreign being ‘alien in character’, I wonder how remote and alien it is for characters like Than Shwe to involve themselves in a “judicial process” which hands down a politicised sentence to a sixty-four year old Lady?
By knowing about him, I’m sure there will be less reason for anyone to see him as the leader. The same is true for all cowards masquerading as beacons of strength. That is why we will never know about him; because he knows it.
Red versus yellow
Hi Nick Nostitz
Sorry for my poor English,
You have done the great job. Do you think we can have this book available in Australia?
Charles Keyes on Sondhi Limthongkul
Thaksin have done many great things for the poor of Thailand.
So what if he’s a corrupted politician.
Most of you probably don’t know this, but Thaksin brought universal health care to Thailand. It cost 30 baht that is less a dollar a year for health care. There’s also a million baht per village scheme, where you could take out a loan and do what ever you want with it. Most people in the rural area borrowed from that fund to buy cell phone and a vehicle with it. That is a good stimulus package. He even promised a cow for each family, but never got to it.
If he ever runs for a President in the US, I would definitely vote for him.
The republican are trying to stall the universal health care, I wish Thaksin was here in the US. Americans should learn from Thaksin because that is what we need in the US.
The Devil’s Discus – in Thai
“… audio clips of Tee Srisuwan making a confession to the late Panyananta Bhikku in 1979 for having framed Pridi in the case of King Ananda’s death were also available on the website.”
Does anybody have a script of what is being said? We are unable to understand the wording. Text in Thai or English would be welcome!
ASEAN and human rights: can they mix? (Part 2)
Generally speaking, ASEAN started with political and security cooperation in the course of which attempts have been made to develop closer relations though the creation of an economic community. At its very outset, even though an enormous effort was put into establishing ASEAN, it was generally only seen as an instrument of nationalist elites in their efforts to secure domestic stability and oppose external challenges–divisive political ideologies, communist insurgencies and separatist ethno-religious nationalist movements. Even today, to secure its internal political economy, Southeast Asian states need to participate in or integrate with the international market and open their countries for foreign capital inflow. The role of ASEAN, in this regard, seems to have changes as a result. That is because they are not only the arenas for political action by weak or small states in arranging their collective security and acting against outside threats, they are also stages in promoting regional and domestic economic development – through ASEAN Economic Community. In the period of the globalized economy, therefore, ASEAN is seemingly used to enhance the internal economies of member states on the one hand, and enable them to deal with global economic cooperation and competition on the other hand.
Stranger than fiction
Not a mermaid, but equally strange. In the Bangkok Post Outlook section (10 August), in the Social Scene set of photos, Princess Bajrakityabha is shown being welcomed with flowers, people curtsying and senior police at attention and saluting. Not odd you might think, but what is the princess doing? She is visiting the La Baguette Bakery at the Woodlands Hotel in Pattaya “to enjoy cakes and crepes.” Now even going to have a snack is cause for royal entourages and celebration. Not unlike Sirivannavari’s toursim getting on the royal news.
Monk
Monks are human. Trappings make them different. Be not misled by those trappings.
Burma: Journal special edition
Anyone interested in migration and refugee issues in Burma/Myanmar should definitely take a look at Stephen Hull’s paper. I haven’t read this published version, but a previous version which was presented at the Burma Studies conference in Illinois in 2008. I’m unsure if much was changed. An interesting contribution from this article is the concept of ‘migration AS protection’ in the Myanmar context.
Problems in Australia’s overseas student program
Costly lessons for Indians in Australia
By Amy Kazmin in New Delhi
Published: June 23 2009 16:48 | Last updated: June 23 2009 16:48
Like most young Indians going overseas, Pooja Thakur was excited about new opportunities when she went to Australia last year for graduate studies.
Although the A$30,000 ($23,700, тВм17,000, ┬г14,500) fee seemed hefty, Ms Thakur, 22, whose father is a schoolmaster, was assured by education agents in Ahmedabad, her home town, that she could earn enough to cover it and A$900 in monthly living expenses through part-time work. “I wanted to learn more and see the world,” she recalls.
Yet almost 18 months into her sojourn, Ms Thakur is filled with regret. Her first semester was spent in a disappointing accountancy course pushed hard by an agent but filled only with other students from India and China.
She has since switched to a mainstream MBA programme but money remains a constant worry. Unable to find a job for six months, she now spends five hours a day selling electricity plans door-to-door, earning just enough for living expenses.
The Rs1.5m ($30,000, тВм22,000, ┬г18,900) bank loan her family took out to finance her studies weighs heavily. “I realise I made a huge mistake,” Ms Thakur says. “I should have studied in universities in India.”
Disillusionment is not unique among Australia’s Indian students, whose frustration spilled into public view during street protests triggered by attacks on their compatriots.
Shortage of places
Puneet Singh, a 25-year-old pursuing a master’s degree in accounting, opted for Australia’s Latrobe University, because as an “average student” working part-time at a restaurant, he felt he had “no chance” of attending a top-ranked university at home Competition for India’s elite universities is fierce, with many people spending huge sums on coaching for the arduous entry exams. “There are so many good students, and they work so hard,” Mr Singh said. “It’s not always possible for others to compete with them.”
Addressing India’s shortage of higher education opportunities is one of the biggest priorities of India’s new government. Under 10 per cent of college-age students are enrolled in higher education.
The National Knowledge Commission wants the gross enrolment ratio in higher education raised to 15 per cent through opening 1,500 new universities in the next few years. More than 20m Indians reach college age each year.
To Mr Singh, who drives a taxi three nights a week to finance his Australian studies, a second-tier Indian university was simply not an appealing option. “I don’t think companies will take you if you come out from [one of] them,” he said.
Although the protests focused on safety and policing, Gautum Gupta of the Federation of Indian Students in Australia says they reflected deep disgruntlement among the students, many of whom feel they came to Australia under false pretences and are now stuck in uninviting jobs.
“They are feeling helpless, stuck in a system where they can’t move forward or backward,” Mr Gupta says. “If they are unhappy and want to go back, it’s not an option. They have already invested all the money and they can’t go back without losing a lot.”
India has an acute shortage of high-quality university places, creating intense competition for admission, and Indian elites have long sent their children for higher studies abroad, mainly to the US and UK.
Australia has also received a huge influx of Indian students, many from middle-class, small-town families who take large loans to finance their progeny’s overseas venture. From 13,000 in 2003, Australia’s Indian student population has soared to 96,000, close to the number of Indian students in the US.
In their quest for upward mobility, young Indians are encouraged by agents who receive commissions from Australian education institutions for each student they recruit. Commissions range from 10 per cent of the tuition fee for top-ranked public universities to 25 per cent for private universities and up to 45 per cent from the lowest-level vocational schools.
Less than a third of Indian students in Australia are enrolled in traditional degree programmes. The vast majority are in vocational institutions, sometimes just two or three rooms in an office block, obtaining skills such as commercial cookery, hairdressing and automotive repair: agents tout these programmes as advantageous towards obtaining permanent residency.
Australian authorities have tried to promote ethical conduct among education agents, backing creation of the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India, whose members promise “to provide accurate and realistic counselling” on cost, courses and work prospects.
Gulshan Kumar, the association’s president, says numerous unaffiliated agents are pushing low-quality education institutions and painting unrealistically sunny pictures of Australia, especially its job market. Many such agents also supplement their commissions by taking huge fees from the students, adding to their debt burden.
“They are not purely dealing with education – they are doing it as a business. I would even term it as human smuggling,” Mr Kumar says.
Australian authorities should crack down on the proliferation of “shoddy” education companies, Mr Kumar believes
In a tacit recognition of a system seemingly out of control, Julia Gillard, Australia’s minister for education, said last week her government would review urgently the legal framework governing its A$14bn foreign education business.
Such measures, however, will offer little consolation to the current crop of students, many of whom are living in cheap housing in Melbourne’s crime-ridden western suburbs, and working part-time in jobs such as night shifts at petrol pumps that leave them vulnerable to violent crime.
“They are basically importing cheap labour, for cooking, cleaning and driving cabs, in the guise of education,” says Mr Gupta. “It’s a masterstroke.”
Additional reporting by Peter Smith in Sydney
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
ASEAN and Human Rights – Can they mix?
Michael I mean the neo-cons should have gone to Burma not Iraq to really practice what they preach the best of the Wilsonian legacy: freedom and democracy promotion by force against true fascist tyrants whose deserve violent death not wishy washy liberal sentiments…
Blog on HIV in Myanmar
Dear Sir / Madam,
It is a very good news that many countries and many organizations would like to help Myanmar citizens. Due to the primitive society in Myanmar, many HIV infected patients dare not come to the right center for medical treatment. Society in Myanmar has not modernized yet so that people avoid HIV infected patients. Society, neighbors, environment put HIV infected patients out in the cold. HIV infected patients need moral support as well as medication support. Due to the very poor medical treatments by local doctors, some die without any proper reason. Local doctors, nurses, hospitals, centers, etc., provides very unfriendly atmosphere to all patients. Some even hostile to the patients.
Medications for HIV patients are very complicated. Physicians need to check HIV patient with a great care and decide which level of HIV medication is suitable for that particular patient (according to the HIV blood test –cd4 result for each patient). Medication for one HIV patient and other HIV patient may not be the same. ARV medication is just a general name for HIV patients. Same level of ARV medication cannot treat for all HIV patients. All HIV patients must take medication at least twice a day and 12 hours time difference. HIV patients cannot miss even a single dose of the medication and a great care to take twice a day with only 12 hours time difference. Maximum 15 minutes can be late to take the daily medications. All HIV patients must take the medication for life long period. HIV medications are very costly so that it is hard for anyone to pay for the medications for life long. As far as we know, one type of HIV medications is directly imported from U.S.A. to Thailand and the other type of HIV medications is from under license companies in Thailand. HIV medications from under license companies in Thailand are cheaper. It cost THB or Baht 20, 000 (Baht twenty thousands) per month in government hospitals, according to a HIV patient in Bangkok. It can say that it is expensive enough for a Thai people in Thailand too. No wonder that it is very hard for any single person to afford taking HIV medications for life long period especially where he or she is living in a third world countries or from a developing countries.
In Thailand, people can buy condoms even in convenience stores like 7Eleven, family marks, am pm, etc which opens 24 hours. Where to buy and how to buy condoms in Myanmar? Can local people afford to buy one or not? Do they have knowledge to use it or not? HIV virus can spread not only from having sex without condom, but also from blood transmission, from hair-cut blade, from oral sex, from dental-clinics, from lip-kiss, from knife which is used in operation-theaters of the hospitals, from drug-addicts, needles from syringes, etc, etc.
Life is very cheap in Myanmar. Many people here are lack of education, knowledge and dare not speak openly to what they feel to their doctors, clinics and the medications. Corruption is everywhere and every level in Myanmar. Least number of medications will go into the hands of infected patients and the rest may sell out in the black market. Even NGOs are not reliable at all. But patients can get at least some help from NGOs (something is better than nothing). We heard that HIV medications supplied by NGOs are just off and on time period. Whenever there is a shortage of medications or lack of fund, patients must stop taking medications. Is there any hope for anyone to get a NGO job especially in Burma? We heard that although they post job vacancies on the net, they already had selected job applicants to fill the positions. They only employ those who know them very well like family members, relatives, closed friends, someone special, etc. NGOs job posting on the net may be only for publicity. Actually job vacancies may not open to ALL.
One breast cancer patient for example, was taken medical treatment in Yangon, one of her breast was cut without doing even mammogram or X-ray in one of the private hospitals in Yangon. She then went to Thailand for further treatment. She is an engineer and a government officer. Thai doctors do not know what to do with her because she could not submit her past medical record and she cannot submit the tissue or paraffin wax of the tissue of the breast she cut off in Myanmar.
In Myanmar, many local LABs are totally useless and not at all dependable and reliable. As I said above, the tissue must keep in the paraffin wax and it must keep in a lab at least for one year long (international standard), but in Myanmar, no lab keep that even for three months long.
There are not at all modern medical technology machines, equipments, etc in throughout Myanmar (Example, Mammogram machine, digital radiation machine, etc).
Although there are many medical doctors in Myanmar who graduated from UK or other Western countries or elsewhere in the world, they are very careless and they do not have any medical ethic. Even the Local doctors with overseas degree themselves are not at all up-to-date with modern medical technology. For some instances, the diagnosis of the patients does not match the medications given by a doctor.
We are sure that in other countries, family members, relatives, etc of the patients take a legal action against the doctor if their love ones die with the careless of the doctor, but in Myanmar, because of the religious teachings, family members, relatives, etc of the patients do not sue or take the legal action against the doctor even if their love ones die with the careless of the doctor because they can easily forgive to the doctor. They believe that whatever they put a spite on the doctor, they cannot get their love ones back with life again. That forgiveness unintentionally encourages the doctors to do more and more careless and accidently to commit more and more crimes in future.
Patients who cannot afford to go abroad for medical treatment are same like guinea pigs in Myanmar. Only 15 percents of the total population in Myanmar can afford to go abroad for medical check-up, for education, for holidays, etc. The fate of the rest are just depends on their own “Karma”.
We read many news, magazines, etc for swine flu or A H1 N1 infected virus. We know that there is a medication to prevent that virus from spreading only. We haven’t read any article that people who already infected A H1 N1 virus can 100% cured. Is there anyone who cured fully from infected A H1 N1 virus? Kindly advise us.
State-run television in the union of Myanmar said that some A H1 N1 infected patients cured fully and already discharged from the respective hospitals. Can it be possible? The media never announce that it is swine flu. It only mentioned that it is a kind of human flu. It said consumption of pigs is not at all harmful to people with regard to A H1 N1. Is it right?
Is the Union of Myanmar is the first and the only country in the world that can 100% cured some A H1 N1 infected patients and can even discharged from the respective local hospitals? Please advice.
These poor conditions really existing in the most developed city in Myanmar called Yangon. So, what about and how about of the patients who live in the provinces?
Many villages do not even have first aid clinic / center. In Irrawaddy division for example, the villages between Nga Ting Chaung town and Lay Myat Nhar town (except I tha byu town) do not even have a first aid center and there is no power supply at all. Each hat (each family) does not have own toilet. A few numbers of hats have to share one toilet.
Due to the language barrier, foreigners cannot speak directly to the local people or infected patients or even if he or she does, he/she cannot get right answer from them because local authorities (government as well as NGOs) already shouted them what to say to the foreigners. People who live in the province are very timid type compared to the city dwellers.
Still now, many local people in Myanmar and many foreigners do not know how many NGO HIV treatment centers in Myanmar and Please advice if there is a website to see the location or address of the NGO HIV treatment centers existing in Yangon and throughout Myanmar and how the effective treatments given to the patients. Many NGOs give the reason that they have shortage of medications, funds, etc.
There is no international standard hospital or ISO certified in Myanmar. We cannot say that a hospital with international standard is just in-terms of the decoration of the hospital rooms only. The Hygienic, doctors and nurses treatments to the patients, hospital rooms’ service, food service render by the hospitals, hospital equipments, services provided by all level of hospital staff, etc, etc are also counted. Some people who live in urban areas and many people who live in rural areas can afford / can rely on only tradition medicines/herbs/leaves, etc because it is cheap and they can read the description of the medications easily because it is written in Burmese language. 95 percent of the tradition medicines/herbs/leaves, etc are not at all internationally recognized or ISO certified. Anyone who would like to discuss this matter, he or she is welcome to write us [email protected]
Rohingya
I want to leave a massage that one day,the government must give citizenship to rohingya.
ASEAN and Human Rights – Can they mix?
Leveller #6 – I strongly disagree with your final remarks: “Human rights need to not just be imposed but enforced as does Western style democracy.” What is “a military humantarian intervention regime change” ?
The “humanitarian” interventions of the West in Burma don’t seem to have achieved anything so far – quite the opposite, it could be argued, for the bulk of the people. A military one could very well end up in the usual scramble for their oil/gas resources (surely a major motivation for the Generals wanting to stay in power). Or, is that what you mean by “Western style democracy”?
re. “slow genocide of Malay Muslims in the South” of Thailand – see LSS’s post of today (http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/2009/08/07/review-of-tearing-apart-the-land/#comment-663169), & ask yourself why it may be convenient to ignore the intelligence reports of connexions to external terrorist organisations & keep the whole thing going, thereby continuing to increase budgets for the corrupt military.
Defending the taboo – the royal response
There are two different debates incorporated in these pages and comments, one is the debate about how monarchy plays a role as head of state in a democracy, and a second about how freedom of press is either essential for a modern successful democracy in this age of an educted population, or not useful at all, which appears to be the view of certain segments of the Thai elite.
In several European countries which I am familiar with the people are very used to the idea of the separate of executive power from the head of state and whatever our views on hereditary systems, we know it can be a great force for stability and cohesive national identity.
Some countries in Europe have the same experience as the Americans with an elected head of state who also has an executive role in government, this also appears to be capable of generated stable open governments. From the evidence available today it is hard to state that either one of these is the only successful model.
Republican sentiments are fair and valid in certain countries due to their history and culture, and people should be free to hold such views and indeed express them. Equally it is important that people who believe democracy can flourish with a hereditary head of state have copious evidence to prove their approach is fair and valid, despite the apparent (in western structured thinking) illogicality in not having a method of selecting the best person in the country for the role of head of state, though even they admit this depends on the role and powers of the head of state.
It therefore seems to me that the discussion should focus on the second issue that of freedom of the press.
It seems apparent that the world is moving in the direction that it is OK to restrict freedom of speech to ensure that no offence is given to a group of people with common beliefs. This is happening in the so called “politically correct” world of the western democracies where it is no considered appropriate to allow criticism of fundamental beliefs of other as it will cause offence. This is based on some concept of greater good for the greater number of people, which is then guarded in some way by the government of the day.
I find it hard to differentiate this from the Thai governments views on Lese Majeste!
Should people be free to state that they want to change to a republican model in a country, if that is their viewpoint, well of course that does in some if not most countries with a Monarchy, cause offence sometimes great offence. So the question is, really as simple as do you believe in unfettered freedom of speech and if not what are the boundaries and the method of guardianship that you espouse?
My view remains that in Thailand today, the rule of law, with equality for all people under the law, is sadly missing from many aspects of everyday life. Therefore my concern is much more about who decides what is free speech and what is exceeding the boundaries of acceptable free speech. This is difficult to answer in many countries, and is not in itself an issue of republicanism or the current democratic monarchy.
Thus as so many issues in Thailand this devolves down to the even more fundamental issue of the application of the law equally and fairly to all people in Thailand. Currently this appears not to be the model, and I see no intention of any currently active political grouping to make this the core of their efforts. This much more than any other aspect of how Thailand arranges its internal operations and conduct of government is what needs to change.
Review of “Tearing Apart the Land”
Simply speaking, there are two arguments in the author generates; one is that the militancy in the Thai Deep South is ethno-centric rather than religious in its characteristic, and another is that it lacks structural planning. Only time can tell whether these readings are correct.
I, for one, would love to see a debate between McCargo and Zachary Abuza on this issue. In Abuza’s latest book, Militant Islam in Southeast Asia: Crucible of Terror, he writes:
Islam in Southeast Asia has always been defined by tolerance, moderation, and pluralism … There have always been Muslim militants in the region, but the conventional wisdom holds that these militants were focused on their own domestic agenda… That analysis is naive and underestimates the degree to which radical Islamists in Southeast Asia have linked up with transnational terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida. Academics and policymakers have been loathe to come to terms with the growing threat of radical Islamicism (sic) in Southeast Asia. (1)
Currently, I must say I lean more toward Abuza’s views on the subject, taking into account my understanding of Islamic doctrine concerning the illegitimacy of the nation-state, the subjection of all aspects of secular life, especially politics to the dictates of sharia, and finally the relationship between Islam and “Malayness”.
Tribute to Yasmin Ahmad, Malaysian filmmaker (1958-2009)
I am truly saddened by the heart breaking news on the demise of our Malaysian icon and a true harmonist propagator. Definitely, i will remember the inspiring commercials and films that the late Yasmin had made which had touched our hearts. Wish her soul will rest in peace and will surely missed by all …
Always admired by a Msian citizen,
CPW
Monk
An exploration of the “monastic idiom of political expression” in modern Theravada Buddhism is a project well worth pursuing and long overdue. Although I would quickly add that it must become a project of exploring idioms in the plural very quickly, both within any modern domestic national Sangha and across various national communities. And it must also become a thoroughly historical project very quickly as well. It is clear after all that in every Theravada country, the idioms, the possibilities, and the abilities to express political opinions have changed quite sharply across just the decades of the twentieth century. After all, to take just one example (which expands the horizon of the original post) Cambodian monks obtained the right to vote at a very particular time (the 1990s) under very particular conditions (the influence of UN officials and political discourse).
In such a project though I would argue that we do have to distinguish quite clearly between words and actions, myth and history, ideology and practice. To that degree I think Borchert’s examples of the Mahavamsa and Kitthivuttho is a bit like apples and oranges. One is a mythic charter of questionable historical documentation, the other is a well documented historical case. Of course, studying the changing twentieth-century rhetorical use of supposed examples of monastic political behavior drawn from chronicles or the Pali canon – which examples are used, how are they rhetorically employed, when and to what end are they employed – would in itself illuminate much about these changing idioms. Arguing that Kittivuttho preached the “mindless extermination of anyone who goes against the modern Thai capitalist grain of milking cheap labor to death” to my eye is not attending very closely to the actual idioms of expression used by this monk in that time and place (Thailand in the 70s). That is however a very interesting re-statement and interpretation of what he asserted. I do think we need to keep these two things clearly separate in any analysis of modern Theravada monastic idioms of political expression.
It is quite clear that the loosely associated rise of Buddhist modernism, political liberalism and the nation state have reconfigured these idioms if only because they have reconfigured the very boundaries and definitions of what is political and what is religious. And often, but certainly not always, this has in general seemingly narrowed the scope of legitimate public political expression by monks. Or at least raised the level of suspicion and scrutiny when political opinions are expressed. But a closer historical and social reading of how exactly this has narrowed, when this narrowing has been strategically reversed, and what sorts of expressions continue to be perceived as non-political (support for the Thai monarchy, for instance) would be well worth the effort. I would argue that the lack of attention to and writing on this topic by Thai academics and the Thai press is part of the story itself, of course, as well.
Bhum Jai Thai and the business of protests slightly gone wrong
Thanks. Great article.
So (surprisingly) there would be corruption on both sides…
Monk
Well you can either be somewhat cynical about undoubted realities, or you can partake of the old sanyassin powder and switch off the old brainpan completely. And I am absolutely certain that this is not what is being advocated by those who truly believe in mindfulness. One may be somewhat cynical for the purposes of debate, but then still manage to go with the flow in every day life. Which is how I work. But sit back and note just how many are prepared to ruthlessly exploit one’s more accepting moments.
The forest monks are revered by many. And I have quite a lot of respect for them. (Modern Thai politics has taught me not to revere.) I note, however, that many of the same people who revere them are usually more attuned to the fact that their heroes are making pleasant and positive noises. I see no real move, by the vast majority, to actually act on those words. Such followers will usually tell you that such and such monk is a refreshing change because, “He reduces my stress levels.” Sure, some Buddhists are engaged in community projects of a very interesting and positive nature. And they are helping those at the village level. But middle-class supporters don’t really seem to do much else other than tune into the positive vibes, and then chill out completely. But I guess that is the inevitable result of barbaric thugs like Pra Kittivuttho preaching mindless extermination of anyone who goes against the modern Thai capitalist grain of milking cheap labor to death.
Conversely, those monks who really do seem to get most of the real media attention these days are those who are not terribly fussy about who they work for, and who are prepared to work with all sorts of dubious hocus-pocus to get that attention. And it is perhaps well-worth noticing that Pra Kittivuttho never advocated mowing down such quacks,charlatans and snakeoil salesman. Probably because he knew only too well that was where his support base came from to a very large degree.
Conclusion. There aren’t enough monks who are engaged and active enough in their desire for social change (as opposed to just passively wanting to see more massive dollops of highly-dubious ‘development’) to actually make any significant difference.