Only entrenched power can stage manage impunity to immunity. Truth and reconciliation seem like a mirage.
The Lady may be willing to sweep it under the carpet or block it out from her memory and conscience, but an awful lot of people won’t be able to. She may represent the people but she is not the people. She’d be ill advised to let a dichotomy grow as popular struggle will not let up what with the new found freedoms.
What is Thai Studies then? Only the study of Thai State? I wonder. Put away what Thongchai is concernec about ‘senstive issues’ that probably are freely discussed elsewhere but violating Thai laws for the moment, or forever.
Also I should like to ask how many scholars who have worked on these critical issues, and probably show thier interest in presenting it in the 13 ICTS.
And does not Thongchai talks about also other two conference which are about Asian studies and SEA studies? Does any partner show up here?
Or oh I just realised Thongchai is Thai and he actually should like to post about Thai/Thai Studies.
Madhouse generates web traffic & any self-respecting churnalist is vigilant 24/7 for snake-in-toilet-bites-penis stories that can engage the whole greater ASEAN readership, generating million-fold page views 🙂
Posturing ? You weren’t actually born in Yala were you ? You aren’t fluent in Thai and five Malay dialects are you ? You didn’t grow up in either Thailand or Malay(si)a since birth did you ? Since you did not, you are the dilettante, you are the “farang” and your conceit is so infantile, I surprised you aren’t embarrassed. I had already spent 15 years of my life in Malaya, before you were born. Don’t embarrass yourself again.
Don’t you all get fed up with this never ending “does-she-love-does-she-not” trope? Be bold everyone and read your your Thailand critique papers at Thailand as encouragement to Thai academics to be as bold.
Oh Lordy, there’s nothing like a bunch of old farang debating amongst themselves just how many angels they can get on a pin head.
Please gentlemen, keep the pseudo-intellectual posturing for the faculty room, and if you are going to comment, then make it pertinent.
As someone who actually lives in-country, in a Muslim area of metropolitan Bangkok, this is not an issue of history or cultural nuance, it’s a daily, in-your-face matter. Islamisation is entrenched, it’s becoming ever more assertive too the point of borderline belligerence and it’s potential for much wider and greatly more serious violence is ever-present. So, lets have less of the semiotics and linguistics and a bit more hard headed analysis, please.
Corrupt journalists, corrupt military and police officers, drug lords and suspects … even criminals already incarcerated but still dealing could be executed in jail (wow!). Nobody’s safe in the Republic of the Philippines with President DMuerte this trigger-happy and this trigger-angry and this trigger-justified (by the Philippine electorate).
We know that academic freedom is curtailed in Thailand. It is even possible that anybody from anywhere in the world who has expressed doubt as to the suitability of monarchy as a political system in Thailand could be abducted and thrown into prison on setting foot in the country. Under those circumstances, no academic with integrity would either attempt to organise a conference in Thailand which might be expected to cover those matters, or attend one there.
Does the Sultanate ofBrunei have their equivalent of the Thai lese majeste law? If yes, are there any Brunei citizens incarcerated and how many?
Seems to me that the Sultan and his profligate brother “wasting” Brunei’s wealth, by the mega-billions if anyone would care to check, on women, harem and cars would draw widespread resentment from the Brunei people . . . but hardly anyone thereat raise any voice of protest.
I’m so sorry – if one reads the news every day one can only conclude that Thailand is a Giant madhouse
does anyone need international conferences in a Giant madhouse ?
Filipinos are being fed up with politicians who like to promise but never deliver their promises. Filipinos would like to vote someone who had done something. That’s Duterte wins by landslide. We don’t know if Duterte can do something but atleast there is hope.
In how far the effects of a boycott, any boycott, have effects towards liberalisation etc. can be disputed. Often the common people and middle classes suffer far more than the elites or political leaders, who were the targets of the boycott. Myanmar can be cited as an example. I doubt that a boycott of an academic conference has any effects, besides isolating the colleagues. Nevertheless, the conditions under which the conference takes place cannot be ignored. In how far freedom of speech and opinion is reduced through self- and other forms of censorship depends, not the least on those who present their analysis’. I doubt that a whole panel would be send to attitude adjustment. Foreigners have more room to express opinions, and that can of course be used, and might provide as well some more space for Thai colleagues. To have the conference in Chiang Mai is a positive aspect, and that Chayan is the main organizer guaranties a level of openness and academic freedom.
Finally, it depends as well on how matters are formulated. I found it quite useful to use writings of King Chulalongkorn. For example: the first acts he did when he became king was to end slavery and prostration. As he wrote, the latter is more fitting to a crocodile than civilized humans.
Let’s pose this question in a different way. There have been many national and international academic conferences in Thailand since the May 2014 coup, many of them including papers and themes that I might have considered “politically sensitive.” As far as I can tell, almost none of these university-associated have been canceled or censored. The only canceled events I can think of at the moment have been talks or panel discussions explicitly focused on the draft constitution(s) or on general critiques of the government’s performance, and even there the suppression has been far from absolute. Those cancellations (and the ones at the FCCT) are the ones that you hear about abroad. But there are many other conferences that appear to be proceeding normally just as they would abroad. (Thongchai still raises an interesting question–what would these organizers do IF they were pressured by the military or by a self-censoring “sponsoring university”)
There’s always been this trade for academic freedoms over the political rights of millions of ordinary Thais. Although it should be fairly obvious to anyone that until you completely secure political rights then academic freedoms and freedom of speech will only ever be transitory gifts which can be removed at will by those with power as and when it suits them.
So, at times when ordinary Thais are being shot, oppressed and imprisoned, as long as the academy can get to deliver a paper or two or discuss this and that it soon shuts up and falls into line. It’s quite pathetic but been going on for decades.
Same for the Western media – as long as they can host their silly events at the FCCT and have their media visas renewed they care little for the political rights of Thais other than as vehicles to embelish their own careers.
But I suppose we can all come on NM and bitch and whine, huh?
The 5th International Conference on Lao Studies is being held July 8-10, 2016 at | Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Would the Thai Government interfere with the ICLS in any way?
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Remembering Depayin and other tragedies
Only entrenched power can stage manage impunity to immunity. Truth and reconciliation seem like a mirage.
The Lady may be willing to sweep it under the carpet or block it out from her memory and conscience, but an awful lot of people won’t be able to. She may represent the people but she is not the people. She’d be ill advised to let a dichotomy grow as popular struggle will not let up what with the new found freedoms.
Banharn and Suphan: the end of an era
What? No.
The captions render what is in pictures and only that.
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
What is Thai Studies then? Only the study of Thai State? I wonder. Put away what Thongchai is concernec about ‘senstive issues’ that probably are freely discussed elsewhere but violating Thai laws for the moment, or forever.
Also I should like to ask how many scholars who have worked on these critical issues, and probably show thier interest in presenting it in the 13 ICTS.
And does not Thongchai talks about also other two conference which are about Asian studies and SEA studies? Does any partner show up here?
Or oh I just realised Thongchai is Thai and he actually should like to post about Thai/Thai Studies.
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
“Giant madhouse” captures it perfectly.
Madhouse generates web traffic & any self-respecting churnalist is vigilant 24/7 for snake-in-toilet-bites-penis stories that can engage the whole greater ASEAN readership, generating million-fold page views 🙂
The school in the middle
Posturing ? You weren’t actually born in Yala were you ? You aren’t fluent in Thai and five Malay dialects are you ? You didn’t grow up in either Thailand or Malay(si)a since birth did you ? Since you did not, you are the dilettante, you are the “farang” and your conceit is so infantile, I surprised you aren’t embarrassed. I had already spent 15 years of my life in Malaya, before you were born. Don’t embarrass yourself again.
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
Don’t you all get fed up with this never ending “does-she-love-does-she-not” trope? Be bold everyone and read your your Thailand critique papers at Thailand as encouragement to Thai academics to be as bold.
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
On the boycott question, how do the various attitudes expressed translate into the BDS and Israel context?
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
In Thailand, there also is a special on tin-foil hats as Mr. Roberts can vouch for.
The school in the middle
Oh Lordy, there’s nothing like a bunch of old farang debating amongst themselves just how many angels they can get on a pin head.
Please gentlemen, keep the pseudo-intellectual posturing for the faculty room, and if you are going to comment, then make it pertinent.
As someone who actually lives in-country, in a Muslim area of metropolitan Bangkok, this is not an issue of history or cultural nuance, it’s a daily, in-your-face matter. Islamisation is entrenched, it’s becoming ever more assertive too the point of borderline belligerence and it’s potential for much wider and greatly more serious violence is ever-present. So, lets have less of the semiotics and linguistics and a bit more hard headed analysis, please.
How to introduce Duterte in Southeast Asia
The Filipinos had elected for DMuerte as President of their republic because of his promise to rid the country of criminals within six months.
President DMuerte is certainly in a hurry to … what words to use … exterminate, eliminate and execute all the criminal elements:
http://www.startribune.com/philippine-president-elect-offers-bounties-for-drug-dealers/381385681/
Corrupt journalists, corrupt military and police officers, drug lords and suspects … even criminals already incarcerated but still dealing could be executed in jail (wow!). Nobody’s safe in the Republic of the Philippines with President DMuerte this trigger-happy and this trigger-angry and this trigger-justified (by the Philippine electorate).
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
We know that academic freedom is curtailed in Thailand. It is even possible that anybody from anywhere in the world who has expressed doubt as to the suitability of monarchy as a political system in Thailand could be abducted and thrown into prison on setting foot in the country. Under those circumstances, no academic with integrity would either attempt to organise a conference in Thailand which might be expected to cover those matters, or attend one there.
The voice of the voiceless
Does the Sultanate ofBrunei have their equivalent of the Thai lese majeste law? If yes, are there any Brunei citizens incarcerated and how many?
Seems to me that the Sultan and his profligate brother “wasting” Brunei’s wealth, by the mega-billions if anyone would care to check, on women, harem and cars would draw widespread resentment from the Brunei people . . . but hardly anyone thereat raise any voice of protest.
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
but perhaps do not have to give up the hope that this is overcome by then
The voice of the voiceless
Is my king so bad that he need this law? I taught to worship him, but, now believe he is very bad.
I so very sorry for these people.
How can I send money, they will find me?
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
I’m so sorry – if one reads the news every day one can only conclude that Thailand is a Giant madhouse
does anyone need international conferences in a Giant madhouse ?
How to introduce Duterte in Southeast Asia
Filipinos are being fed up with politicians who like to promise but never deliver their promises. Filipinos would like to vote someone who had done something. That’s Duterte wins by landslide. We don’t know if Duterte can do something but atleast there is hope.
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
In how far the effects of a boycott, any boycott, have effects towards liberalisation etc. can be disputed. Often the common people and middle classes suffer far more than the elites or political leaders, who were the targets of the boycott. Myanmar can be cited as an example. I doubt that a boycott of an academic conference has any effects, besides isolating the colleagues. Nevertheless, the conditions under which the conference takes place cannot be ignored. In how far freedom of speech and opinion is reduced through self- and other forms of censorship depends, not the least on those who present their analysis’. I doubt that a whole panel would be send to attitude adjustment. Foreigners have more room to express opinions, and that can of course be used, and might provide as well some more space for Thai colleagues. To have the conference in Chiang Mai is a positive aspect, and that Chayan is the main organizer guaranties a level of openness and academic freedom.
Finally, it depends as well on how matters are formulated. I found it quite useful to use writings of King Chulalongkorn. For example: the first acts he did when he became king was to end slavery and prostration. As he wrote, the latter is more fitting to a crocodile than civilized humans.
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
Let’s pose this question in a different way. There have been many national and international academic conferences in Thailand since the May 2014 coup, many of them including papers and themes that I might have considered “politically sensitive.” As far as I can tell, almost none of these university-associated have been canceled or censored. The only canceled events I can think of at the moment have been talks or panel discussions explicitly focused on the draft constitution(s) or on general critiques of the government’s performance, and even there the suppression has been far from absolute. Those cancellations (and the ones at the FCCT) are the ones that you hear about abroad. But there are many other conferences that appear to be proceeding normally just as they would abroad. (Thongchai still raises an interesting question–what would these organizers do IF they were pressured by the military or by a self-censoring “sponsoring university”)
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
There’s always been this trade for academic freedoms over the political rights of millions of ordinary Thais. Although it should be fairly obvious to anyone that until you completely secure political rights then academic freedoms and freedom of speech will only ever be transitory gifts which can be removed at will by those with power as and when it suits them.
So, at times when ordinary Thais are being shot, oppressed and imprisoned, as long as the academy can get to deliver a paper or two or discuss this and that it soon shuts up and falls into line. It’s quite pathetic but been going on for decades.
Same for the Western media – as long as they can host their silly events at the FCCT and have their media visas renewed they care little for the political rights of Thais other than as vehicles to embelish their own careers.
But I suppose we can all come on NM and bitch and whine, huh?
Questions about international conferences in Thailand in 2017
The 5th International Conference on Lao Studies is being held July 8-10, 2016 at | Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Would the Thai Government interfere with the ICLS in any way?