Sorry Dylan, didn’t you realise that IDPs in Myanmar are caused by Thailand, because they don’t practice a policy of non-interference like China? Actually, the whole “KNU issue”, as well as IDPs, would be resolved if Thailand stopped supporting the KNU – according to the New Light of Myanmar on June 11. I can’t find the article on the net – it should be on Burma Library somewhere – but this is the summary of the report printed in today’s Myanmar Times:
State media slams Thai interference
MYANMAR’S state media has accused Thailand of damaging relations between the two countries by harbouring Karen National Union (KNU) insurgents along the conflict-ravaged Thai-Myanmar border.
In an article published on June 11 in The New Light of Myanmar, a government editorialist writing under the name Kyaw Ye Min said the “KNU issue … will come to an end” if Thailand follows China’s lead and practices a policy of non-interference in Myanmar.
The editorial said the KNU’s refusal to make peace was because “remnant KNU members are aided and abetted … [at] KNU stations under the name of refugee camps” in Thailand.
“There remain only a handful of KNU remnants and they are taking shelter at the so-called refugee camps in [Thailand],” he wrote. “Then, they frequently leave their camps, secretly enter Myanmar and wage guerrilla attacks.”
“Such unnecessary issue takes place in none of the borders Myanmar shares with other neighbouring countries. The root cause of issues on [internally displaced persons] and refugees in the Thai-Myanmar border is that [Thailand] accept and let the problems keep on taking place.”
The statement came about a week after fighting between Tatmadaw-controlled forces and KNU guerrillas close to Ler Per Her camp in eastern Kayin State forced thousands of IDPs to flee across the border and into Thailand.
The New Light of Myanmar said Myanmar’s current relationship with Thailand was under “unprecedented” strain and Thailand is no longer “a good neighbouring country”.
“Though the relations between Thailand and Myanmar were good during the time of the former [Thai] prime minister, at present the relations between the two countries are under strain which had been unprecedented in the history,” Kyaw Ye Min wrote.
Looks like the day of reckoning is here. The CP hasn’t surfaced since BP’s post. 15th straight day now. But then again, the Queen herself had disappeared for months on end once.
here is a fresh update on PAD & ASTV finansial status :
No knight on a white horse with a bundle of cash and much more, which it can’t do without, has thus far appeared on the horizon.
It is thought that not many people with deep pockets would risk choosing sides openly and donating to the alliance …
The funds to keep afloat the ASTV cable station and newspaper, which are the broadcasting and publishing arms of the PAD, are reportedly depleting. The revenue from advertisements is barely enough to pay staff salaries, said a source who complained the path to new politics was strewn with spikes.
The source said if the pay cheques are late, staff are distributed 10 bags of ‘‘ASTV rice’’ to make ends meet until they are paid.
In other words, the company is struggling to get its financial act together.
At this rate even if the PAD has the mind and muscle to get the party rolling, achieving anything without the ‘m’ factor is out of the question.
PAD is back to business, full speed : new logo (swastika is no more), new “timeless” songs, new “fashionable” clothes and other paraphernalia and all sorts of merchandise, new EVERYTHING ! well after all, it is “New Politics”, hey ! 🙂
Antipadshist: 5 million party members is a pie in the sky figure – forget the other 60 million, if they get 5 million votes let alone that many members, they will be a big player!
A right wing socialist party – New Politics indeed!
Is it s a cultural ‘Asian’ thing for ruling parties here to be fearful of dissent? Or even censoring of differing political points of view?
Thanks for a great question Dickie, and for those taking up the challenge, can I humbly request that the question be expanded to add:
– Are the reasons for that fear based more on a desire to protect privileges, or a desire to hold the country together instead of splintering apart?
Antipadshist: I still think you need a name change:)
Some of the stuff you say could even have come from the early PAD (or its latest reincarnation:)
Yes Thaivisa is terrified of upsetting the authority’s.But as it stands they are the first website you see when you need info on visa.Good marketing for sure.Being that so many expats and casual browsers read the threads its essential that some kind of balance should be strived for.It seemed when I first posted on TV there was a clich’e of posters content of their restricted position.Re HMK. and LM. and hardly anyone was commenting on the self censoring/Pro Goverment of the day stance of Nation and Bangkok post and the lack of journalistic integrety in investigating military abuses.Now these things are more talked about and understood ie bringing the corrupt/guilty to account.I do not think it is in the Thais interest to withdraw to a small blog type forum without at least trying to put your point across even though at some time I will probably get banned from there.BUT AT LEAST I WILL GO DOWN FIGHTING
Q3 : What is New Politics like? It has been widely criticised so far.
Suriyasai : … our PAD spirit is to oppose the global capitalist system, with less reliance on the outside and greater self reliance. All free trade must be reviewed.
“free” trade?
according to too many opinions by foreigners living here, there is very little, or nothing, of “free” in the trade as well as all the laws (as land, property ownership, etc) in this “land of smiles”.
and apparently PAD will work hard on making it even LESS “free” – how wonderful and inspiring ! 😀
Q10: There were reports that some have withdrawn from the party because they felt the party was leaning towards socialism.
Suriyasai : I think the majority of the criticism was that we’re right wing. But it’s true that some people said the PAD party is socialist, which is impossible, because the truth is the PAD is middle class. I don’t think the PAD went as far as to become socialist. There may be leftists within the movement but they are reformist leftists who think the struggle must be in Parliament or peaceful.
yeah, right – like stabbing police with flag-poles, running them over with cars, shooting taxi drivers in bright day light, blowing up jeeps with bombs stocked inside …
Q 11: Some see the PAD’s role is to strengthen people’s politics. Will this be weakened now that it’s entering party politics?
Suriyasai : I have been with the people’s movement for more than a decade. I think the people’s sector has grown a lot and is increasing. I think the PAD’s becoming a party could only make it more vibrant and provide more venues for people in politics. In reality, the past three years saw only the PAD representing people’s politics. With the party, we can now link up to more people.
Q12: Where will the candidates come from?
Suriyasai : We’re trying to create a new group of people; we’re looking into various occupational sectors. A call for meetings for those in specific occupations may be made and – though it may sound complicated – we will strengthen such a structure.
Q13: Will you file candidates in all areas?
Suriyasai : It’s not necessary. Perhaps in the initial contest we’ll need to file candidates in all districts in order to gauge how much electoral support we have. Our goal is in Central region, Bangkok and surrounding areas. Work at local levels such as tambon administrative councils or provincial administrative councils will also be introduced.
alright, so from all said by him I understand that by “people” he actually means : middle class, “provincial elite” (and whatever other rural lordlings), and mostly in Central region, in and around Bkk.
somehow he doesn’t even bother to include other areas, say, N & NE Thailand (and even South – because it is Dems’ stronghold ?).
oh, and in last answer (Q15) he says that he expects around 5mln party members. also hardly an indicator of genuine efforts to “link up to more people” (of remaining 60mln ).
… all these characterizations are **negative pre-judgements** instead of attempts to elucidate the oftentimes complex inter-relationships they have in their rural-provincial world.
and what, pray, do you find positive in these guys?
I see them as blood suckers, including that your good fella wealthy middleman, even if he might be a “good” person – it only makes him another “good” blood sucker.
BP said something along the lines of “this isn’t the biggest of rumours”, so this surely means it has nothing to do with the king. I reckon we can rile this out.
re. #53: “…what YOU may have meant with ‘carthago’…” No K. I meant ‘the enemy,’ which in the context of this discussion is ***the current use*** of an unnecessary law. I’m not American, I don’t believe destroying cities contributes to the solution of problems, and I’m all in favour of blasphemy, although I can’t see it has anything to do with this discussion.
Matt,
I don’t know anything about the virgin soil give aways, but I am sure that in just about every case the land is probably in some way, either for hunting, firewood, grazing etc. by local communities. Also, given the Kachin State’s status as a biodiversity hotspot, clearing the land to facilitate the military regime’s latest agricultural program isn’t the smartest idea.
Four hundred migrant workers and their children were arrested by Thai border guards at around 3 am, yesterday morning. The Thai border guard soldiers raided the “44 Kilo Village” in Phuphaya townsip, south of Mae Sot on the Thai-Burma border. After they arrested four hundreds migrants, including children who are studying in school, the soldiers also burnt the houses, clothes and kitchen wares of migrants in the village who had managed to escaped arrest.
As of Saturday June 6th, over 3,000 villagers have fled the area of Ler Per Her IDP camp in Dta Greh Township, Pa’an District to seek refuge in neighbouring Thailand. This includes villagers fleeing joint SPDC/DKBA attacks against the KNLA as well as those fleeing forced recruitment as porters to carry supplies for SPDC and DKBA troops engaged in the fighting. This is the largest refugee exodus from Karen State on a single occasion since 1997. Also, more refugees are expected as joint SPDC/DKBA forces have advanced towards the camp of KNLA Battalion #202, about 30 kilometres north of Ler Per Her.
If one is interested in further parsing out the status of the KIO/SPDC negotiations, more has been publish in the last day or so – though that’s not to say there’ve been any actual developments…
Yesterday, the Democratic Voice of Burma perhaps took the middle ground between the Irrawaddy and KNG stories:
“Kachin ceasefire group waver over transformation,” DVB 6/12/09 http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=2617
Does anyone know more about the “virgin soil” give-aways described in the last article? KNG seems to imply that more than just the KIO leaders mentioned have been recipients.
@michael #52
a very militant approach & clarion call indeed!
although i’ve learned it as ONE man’s (cato) opinion:
“Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam”
“Furthermore, I think Carthage must be destroyed”
in the modern sense, we do object firmly, we do not destroy cities.
only if you are an american hardliner
who wants to treat bangkok like the u.s. treated baghdad
perhaps for alleged ‘weapons of blasphemy destruction’.
but first look into the bible & the qur’an:
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain;
for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
“Blasphemy in Islam constitutes speaking ill of Muhammad
or of any other prophet mentioned in the Qur’an, or to claim that there is more than one god or that Jesus Christ (the son of Mary) is the son of God, or to speak ill of God.”
only when those bibles and qur’ans are ‘destroyed’,
we can come back to what YOU may have meant with ‘carthago’, ok?
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Government of the Union of Myanmar: Irony of the week
Sorry Dylan, didn’t you realise that IDPs in Myanmar are caused by Thailand, because they don’t practice a policy of non-interference like China? Actually, the whole “KNU issue”, as well as IDPs, would be resolved if Thailand stopped supporting the KNU – according to the New Light of Myanmar on June 11. I can’t find the article on the net – it should be on Burma Library somewhere – but this is the summary of the report printed in today’s Myanmar Times:
State media slams Thai interference
MYANMAR’S state media has accused Thailand of damaging relations between the two countries by harbouring Karen National Union (KNU) insurgents along the conflict-ravaged Thai-Myanmar border.
In an article published on June 11 in The New Light of Myanmar, a government editorialist writing under the name Kyaw Ye Min said the “KNU issue … will come to an end” if Thailand follows China’s lead and practices a policy of non-interference in Myanmar.
The editorial said the KNU’s refusal to make peace was because “remnant KNU members are aided and abetted … [at] KNU stations under the name of refugee camps” in Thailand.
“There remain only a handful of KNU remnants and they are taking shelter at the so-called refugee camps in [Thailand],” he wrote. “Then, they frequently leave their camps, secretly enter Myanmar and wage guerrilla attacks.”
“Such unnecessary issue takes place in none of the borders Myanmar shares with other neighbouring countries. The root cause of issues on [internally displaced persons] and refugees in the Thai-Myanmar border is that [Thailand] accept and let the problems keep on taking place.”
The statement came about a week after fighting between Tatmadaw-controlled forces and KNU guerrillas close to Ler Per Her camp in eastern Kayin State forced thousands of IDPs to flee across the border and into Thailand.
The New Light of Myanmar said Myanmar’s current relationship with Thailand was under “unprecedented” strain and Thailand is no longer “a good neighbouring country”.
“Though the relations between Thailand and Myanmar were good during the time of the former [Thai] prime minister, at present the relations between the two countries are under strain which had been unprecedented in the history,” Kyaw Ye Min wrote.
Rumours, rumours
Looks like the day of reckoning is here. The CP hasn’t surfaced since BP’s post. 15th straight day now. But then again, the Queen herself had disappeared for months on end once.
So, is this (http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2009/06/succession-white-elephant-in-room.html) the bombshell?
Thai political and social analysis unleashed
@Nga
it’s a bit too early to change name.
coz fascist element in PAD is still too strong.
PAD tries a political party
here is a fresh update on PAD & ASTV finansial status :
New Politics ready to party
PAD is back to business, full speed : new logo (swastika is no more), new “timeless” songs, new “fashionable” clothes and other paraphernalia and all sorts of merchandise, new EVERYTHING ! well after all, it is “New Politics”, hey ! 🙂
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/145962/padhas-many-loose-ends-to-tie
New Politics ready to party
Antipadshist: 5 million party members is a pie in the sky figure – forget the other 60 million, if they get 5 million votes let alone that many members, they will be a big player!
A right wing socialist party – New Politics indeed!
Thai political and social analysis unleashed
Is it s a cultural ‘Asian’ thing for ruling parties here to be fearful of dissent? Or even censoring of differing political points of view?
Thanks for a great question Dickie, and for those taking up the challenge, can I humbly request that the question be expanded to add:
– Are the reasons for that fear based more on a desire to protect privileges, or a desire to hold the country together instead of splintering apart?
Antipadshist: I still think you need a name change:)
Some of the stuff you say could even have come from the early PAD (or its latest reincarnation:)
The lèse majesté plot thickens
Yes Thaivisa is terrified of upsetting the authority’s.But as it stands they are the first website you see when you need info on visa.Good marketing for sure.Being that so many expats and casual browsers read the threads its essential that some kind of balance should be strived for.It seemed when I first posted on TV there was a clich’e of posters content of their restricted position.Re HMK. and LM. and hardly anyone was commenting on the self censoring/Pro Goverment of the day stance of Nation and Bangkok post and the lack of journalistic integrety in investigating military abuses.Now these things are more talked about and understood ie bringing the corrupt/guilty to account.I do not think it is in the Thais interest to withdraw to a small blog type forum without at least trying to put your point across even though at some time I will probably get banned from there.BUT AT LEAST I WILL GO DOWN FIGHTING
New Politics ready to party
“free” trade?
according to too many opinions by foreigners living here, there is very little, or nothing, of “free” in the trade as well as all the laws (as land, property ownership, etc) in this “land of smiles”.
and apparently PAD will work hard on making it even LESS “free” – how wonderful and inspiring ! 😀
yeah, right – like stabbing police with flag-poles, running them over with cars, shooting taxi drivers in bright day light, blowing up jeeps with bombs stocked inside …
alright, so from all said by him I understand that by “people” he actually means : middle class, “provincial elite” (and whatever other rural lordlings), and mostly in Central region, in and around Bkk.
somehow he doesn’t even bother to include other areas, say, N & NE Thailand (and even South – because it is Dems’ stronghold ?).
oh, and in last answer (Q15) he says that he expects around 5mln party members. also hardly an indicator of genuine efforts to “link up to more people” (of remaining 60mln ).
Thai political and social analysis unleashed
@JF #11
and what, pray, do you find positive in these guys?
I see them as blood suckers, including that your good fella wealthy middleman, even if he might be a “good” person – it only makes him another “good” blood sucker.
Rumours, rumours
BP said something along the lines of “this isn’t the biggest of rumours”, so this surely means it has nothing to do with the king. I reckon we can rile this out.
Suwicha Thakor on his life in prison
re. #53: “…what YOU may have meant with ‘carthago’…” No K. I meant ‘the enemy,’ which in the context of this discussion is ***the current use*** of an unnecessary law. I’m not American, I don’t believe destroying cities contributes to the solution of problems, and I’m all in favour of blasphemy, although I can’t see it has anything to do with this discussion.
Rejecting and accepting headlines up at Laiza
Matt,
I don’t know anything about the virgin soil give aways, but I am sure that in just about every case the land is probably in some way, either for hunting, firewood, grazing etc. by local communities. Also, given the Kachin State’s status as a biodiversity hotspot, clearing the land to facilitate the military regime’s latest agricultural program isn’t the smartest idea.
Last stand for the Karen?
Four hundred migrant workers and their children were arrested by Thai border guards at around 3 am, yesterday morning. The Thai border guard soldiers raided the “44 Kilo Village” in Phuphaya townsip, south of Mae Sot on the Thai-Burma border. After they arrested four hundreds migrants, including children who are studying in school, the soldiers also burnt the houses, clothes and kitchen wares of migrants in the village who had managed to escaped arrest.
http://www.ghre.org/en/
Last stand for the Karen?
Civilians are target in Burmese Army offensive in Nothern Karen State-VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/user/ehnadoh
Last stand for the Karen?
As of Saturday June 6th, over 3,000 villagers have fled the area of Ler Per Her IDP camp in Dta Greh Township, Pa’an District to seek refuge in neighbouring Thailand. This includes villagers fleeing joint SPDC/DKBA attacks against the KNLA as well as those fleeing forced recruitment as porters to carry supplies for SPDC and DKBA troops engaged in the fighting. This is the largest refugee exodus from Karen State on a single occasion since 1997. Also, more refugees are expected as joint SPDC/DKBA forces have advanced towards the camp of KNLA Battalion #202, about 30 kilometres north of Ler Per Her.
http://www.khrg.org/khrg2009/khrg09b6.html
Rejecting and accepting headlines up at Laiza
If one is interested in further parsing out the status of the KIO/SPDC negotiations, more has been publish in the last day or so – though that’s not to say there’ve been any actual developments…
Yesterday, the Democratic Voice of Burma perhaps took the middle ground between the Irrawaddy and KNG stories:
“Kachin ceasefire group waver over transformation,” DVB 6/12/09
http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=2617
KNG also ran a story the next day with a slightly better explanation of the KIO’s position on transforming the KIA into “Border Guards”:
“Junta’s offer of dialogue to ceasefire groups is ridiculous: Kachin politicians,” KNG 6/10/09
http://www.bnionline.net/news/kng/6449-juntas-offer-of-dialogue-to-ceasefire-groups-is-ridiculous-kachin-politicians.html
Making an interesting pair, also on June 10th KNG ran a story highlighting large land grants recently given to highly positioned KIO officials:
“Junta allots large tracts of virgin land to senior KIO leaders,” KNG 6/10/09
http://www.bnionline.net/news/kng/6463-junta-allots-large-tracts-of-virgin-land-to-senior-kio-leaders.html
Does anyone know more about the “virgin soil” give-aways described in the last article? KNG seems to imply that more than just the KIO leaders mentioned have been recipients.
Rejecting and accepting headlines up at Laiza
New Mandala readers might be interested in this recent NY Times piece written from Laiza. Good information on recent KIO activities:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/world/asia/11iht-myanmar.html
Nicolaides on another Thai legal nightmare
wow, i really hope that things go for this guy.
i dont know much about his story, but being in a situation like this would totally suck.
Suwicha Thakor on his life in prison
@michael #52
a very militant approach & clarion call indeed!
although i’ve learned it as ONE man’s (cato) opinion:
“Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam”
“Furthermore, I think Carthage must be destroyed”
in the modern sense, we do object firmly, we do not destroy cities.
only if you are an american hardliner
who wants to treat bangkok like the u.s. treated baghdad
perhaps for alleged ‘weapons of blasphemy destruction’.
but first look into the bible & the qur’an:
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain;
for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
“Blasphemy in Islam constitutes speaking ill of Muhammad
or of any other prophet mentioned in the Qur’an, or to claim that there is more than one god or that Jesus Christ (the son of Mary) is the son of God, or to speak ill of God.”
only when those bibles and qur’ans are ‘destroyed’,
we can come back to what YOU may have meant with ‘carthago’, ok?