Ryamizard’s proxy wars are little different to the ‘latent’ communism and asymmetrical threat of foreign ideologies and interests infiltrating Indonesia with NGOs, that LEMHANAS has never stopped teaching. I miss my old LEMHANAS materials, a Canberra based thief borrowed and never returned them.
LEMHANAS isn’t entirely paranoid. Foreign ideologies and values have indeed infiltrated Indonesia, and NGOs are indeed used to fight proxy wars. The PRC and Taiwan both have their proxy NGOs, as do KSA and Iran. Remember Al Haramain? Ex Communists in the Netherlands use unresolved 1965 issues to delegitimise and weaken TNI, knowingly serving the interests of Papuan activist groups. Soros fronts allow activists to present themselves as ‘researchers.’ Environmental groups fund local NGOs to wage proxy battles against select businesses investing in RI. No proxy wars being fought over Freeport then? Move along, nothing to see there?
Your fixation on the west useless careless policy and cheating Myanmar of the true beginning where Myanmar need to start from reminds me of the Irish joke: if I were you I wouldn’t start from here.
Developing proper infrastructure that actually extends into the countryside I agree must have priority in a farming nation.
Bypassing the local farmers and establishing Western style agribusiness in partnership with cronies or international corporations on the other hand can only end in tears. Going about exactly the wrong way to fulfil the urgent need for improving the rural population’s household incomes, their nutrition and health, their children’s education in the end.
Nicely put, James, and an important message. Its easy to forget that ‘tone’ is very difficult to read in emails or comments so its worth re-reading your response and thinking about how others might interpret it.
A yearly memorial to victims of extra-judicial abuses is a wonderful idea.
Maybe Thailand’s families or friends/neighbors of victims (some 2500 of them although BangkokPundit had not yet completed his count thereof) of Thaksin’s extra-judicial rampage, could hold such a memorial because of the horrible injustice. And Thaksin or his family or friends and cronies could be invited to attend such memorials.
General Gatot Nurmantyo began ranting against the proxy war to which Indonesia is currently subjected long before Jokowi appointed him as TNI Commander. This suggests that Jokowi endorses Gatot’s paranoid vision or at least is unfazed by it.
Enemies that are unseen are more terrifying than visible ones. This mental outlook could be a legacy of the animist beliefs that persisted for many centuries among various Indonesian ethnic groups. On Java, Clifford Geertz provided a useful catalogue of some of these unseen forces or spirits, tuyuls and others, when he wrote up his research among those he called abangans in Pare, East Java. Nothing happens by chance in this world-view.
Soeharto understood how fearsome unseen enemies were when he denounced latter-day communists for conspiring to set up an ‘organisasi tanpa bentuk’, which acquired its appropriate acronym, ‘OTB’. The PKI was bad enough, but at least one knew where it usually hung out.
Similarly, the soldiers in Gatot’s proxy war don’t wear uniforms or carry arms, but they are more dangerous than if they did.
The likely result of Gatot’s campaign against the proxy war is the reinforcement of regrettable tendencies towards insularity and xenophobia in Indonesian society. It is no surprise that Ryamizard Ryacudu, of 60,000 foreign spies fame, should echo Gatot, but why has Jokowi fallen dupe to such people?
It is disappointing to record that the authors of Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper seem oblivious to the proxy war that Indonesia faces. Here is a sample paragraph:
“The modernisation of the Indonesian armed forces and Indonesia’s
growing influence are positive developments that will add to Indonesia’s
security, and that of the region. A secure Indonesia is in Australia’s
interests and its growing military capabilities will offer Australia and
Indonesia opportunities for more effective cooperation to respond to
regional challenges, including terrorism, transnational crime such as
people smuggling and humanitarian disasters as well as search and
rescue operations.”
Why not go further and try to obtain Ryamizard’s and Gatot’s undying friendship by condemning the proxy war, even if we still harbour some lingering doubts about how grave the LGBT threat is?
Might be an admirer of “the salt of the earth” in Myanmar. Restricting them as living relics is far from the intention.
Ah Ko Gyi Moe Aung
The eras since the monarchy until now, as Nich has mentioned, have been a restriction to these 2/3 of the citizenry, the majority.
Through natural discrimination, warfare, isolation by lack of roads make the mainstay of way of keeping rural rural. Therefor just by being able to keeep local Abbots happy this inequity was allowed to exist.
Only U Nu made a concerted effort to tackle this problems with plan that was disrupted with subsequent military ascent.
The day of wooden plows with metal tips seen only in museum in MYanmar sound very futuristic.
WIth no roads that extend more than a few miles to none tourist area this futuristic scenario will be as Thibau was doing what he did to his sibling that still fascinate most westerners.
IT only take a pretty good road to open up all area around that road including the Golden Rock. If we should have roads like those everywhere as in Thailand what a difference it will make.
As long as the participation of the 2/3 of the citizenry is not allowed to participate the tourist need not worry loosing the chance to see Bullock Carts down a dusty trail with Burmese orchestra playing through loud speaker taht only seen in Myanmar.
“WE can not get there unless we know where we have to start from.”
As it is the west is cheating Myanmar of the true beginning where Myanmar need to start from if only the latest set back is mentioned without qualifying the true quagmire beginning.
Let’s hope that given the right kind of leadership we shall see an explosion of endeavour and creativity that only the Burmese nation is capable of… with just one major snag.
It’s time the bullock cart and plough belonged to the museum.
Probably won’t ditch longyi and thanaka, least of all pagoda building and merit sharing. Farm mechanisation on the principles of “Small Is Beautiful” is long overdue.
The need for sustained effort however cannot be overemphasised as the Burmese are well known for their “champagne fizz” trait (hpauk shoo).
Appreciate the moving forward message with a vetted ‘Prochain vs Hier’.
However limiting the hier part to SPDC and NE WIn eras only do no justice to Prochain for the following reasons.
1) 2/3 of the citizenry have essentially unchanged life since the monarchy.
2) These citizenry remain dedicated to rural life with addition of modern and most modern amenities only to enhance their w/o craving for much otherwise.
Taking above 2 facts alone, one might see the need to also make monarchic as well as historically 2nd longest hier part of Colonial eras.
With enough knowledge of the other hier eras will the rest of the world/west realize the changes needed and taking place that will have the components of essentially unchanged and remain so with the still 2/3 of rural population.
Understanding the past that endure all these period within the proper context will make the future more realistic and secure.
Proper contexts?
Buddhism, Colonial Decisiveness, Cold war inspired continuation of colonial policy and SPDC era are all the majors factors within the context.
As shown above Buddhism play a significant role in every eras.
BUddhism is also what maintain the unchanged rural where 2/3 of citizenry still is.
Jon, you are correct to say that low-cost clinics and hospitals are now easily accessible. Where you are amiss, IMHO, is that this access can be clearly attributed to the policies of Thaksin. I have heard from doctors, patients and teachers about the cruel corruption of doctors working in government hospitals. Patients would be forced to sign away their property in order to receive treatment, and nearly always at their private clinics. Christine may use a writing style that bothers you, but her naming the discontent that Thaksin harnessed is far from hyperbolic.
How do you account for Aryan and Davidian languages? As for being the same “race”, race is a loaded word. Black Africans are a different type/race to Chinese that is visibly recognisable. Yes all races merge into one and another but there is a visible difference between those traditionally from the north or south of India( as well as differences with tribal indigenous groups).
And of course, the regime did not find anything wrong with the rally to support Vivat despite the current ban on all political gathering. Double standards as usual.
There is more to this than helping the Thai Tourist Authority maintain its market share by being more honest in its depiction of potential dangers facing tourists.
What about the dangers facing Thai citizens if they dare to speak their mind in the land of the junta? Do we acquiesce to presenting Thailand to tourists as if nothing has happened since the coup?
The case of Maldivian human rights activist Jennifer Latheef in 2006 is worthy of study. During the time of her house arrest her movement devised a ‘Name and Shame’ campaign in which the Gayoom regime was boycotted and opposed for their brutality and oppression. They connected themselves with the travel guide company ‘Lonely Planet’ and linked all of the major resorts in the Maldives that funded the government or individual officials. They allowed for tourists to choose to participate in boycotting the government by choosing ‘clean’ resorts to spend their money in.
It is sad but true that much of what the tourism industry and its customers call “traditional”, “authentic” and “exotic” is more honestly described as “impoverished” and “oppressed”.
In much the same way, entrenched elites fight tooth and nail to preserve their dominance and call it “culture”, while liberals reach for their revolvers?
Andrew Walker is spot-on in identifying more than a whiff of orientalism in Marshall’s book and it goes without saying, for anyone who has actually bothered to read the book, that the central thesis of the book remains utterly unproven.
As to the suggestion that Marshall has “broken the taboo”, I can’t agree. Handley’s book did that, and did it with more dignity and far less spurious rancor, which means of course that it will be taken more seriously by a wide range of readers.
When I first read Marshall’s book, which is very well-written, I thought that despite making no significant contribution to understanding the “crisis”, it would at least provide an introduction, biased though it is, to Thai history for readers who might otherwise not bother.
But ultimately I have come to think that, as Walker points out in his review, the erasure of the Thai people as actors in their own history serves only to reinforce the tradition of palace-centric historiography that belongs somewhere in the past.
Facebook 
Twitter 
Soundcloud 
Youtube 
Rss
Predicting Myanmar’s next president
All is now revealed to put us all out of our misery.
It’s Htin Kyaw, a Mon Burmese, her close aide and driver, fellow Oxford alumnus, son of Min Thu Wun the famous and much loved poet.
Ryamizard’s proxy wars
Ryamizard’s proxy wars are little different to the ‘latent’ communism and asymmetrical threat of foreign ideologies and interests infiltrating Indonesia with NGOs, that LEMHANAS has never stopped teaching. I miss my old LEMHANAS materials, a Canberra based thief borrowed and never returned them.
LEMHANAS isn’t entirely paranoid. Foreign ideologies and values have indeed infiltrated Indonesia, and NGOs are indeed used to fight proxy wars. The PRC and Taiwan both have their proxy NGOs, as do KSA and Iran. Remember Al Haramain? Ex Communists in the Netherlands use unresolved 1965 issues to delegitimise and weaken TNI, knowingly serving the interests of Papuan activist groups. Soros fronts allow activists to present themselves as ‘researchers.’ Environmental groups fund local NGOs to wage proxy battles against select businesses investing in RI. No proxy wars being fought over Freeport then? Move along, nothing to see there?
A comment on comments and bone-crunching tackles
Good one James..
Agree with Elisabeth, we? or should I say “I” cannot (easily) add nuance & inflection to the written word.
Proof reading, with that in mind, is a good call..
Misplaced affection for Myanmar’s old days
Your fixation on the west useless careless policy and cheating Myanmar of the true beginning where Myanmar need to start from reminds me of the Irish joke: if I were you I wouldn’t start from here.
Developing proper infrastructure that actually extends into the countryside I agree must have priority in a farming nation.
Bypassing the local farmers and establishing Western style agribusiness in partnership with cronies or international corporations on the other hand can only end in tears. Going about exactly the wrong way to fulfil the urgent need for improving the rural population’s household incomes, their nutrition and health, their children’s education in the end.
A comment on comments and bone-crunching tackles
Nicely put, James, and an important message. Its easy to forget that ‘tone’ is very difficult to read in emails or comments so its worth re-reading your response and thinking about how others might interpret it.
A massive mistake for a Marcos at mass
A yearly memorial to victims of extra-judicial abuses is a wonderful idea.
Maybe Thailand’s families or friends/neighbors of victims (some 2500 of them although BangkokPundit had not yet completed his count thereof) of Thaksin’s extra-judicial rampage, could hold such a memorial because of the horrible injustice. And Thaksin or his family or friends and cronies could be invited to attend such memorials.
A massive mistake for a Marcos at mass
Too bad, she chose the perfect shoes.
Ryamizard’s proxy wars
General Gatot Nurmantyo began ranting against the proxy war to which Indonesia is currently subjected long before Jokowi appointed him as TNI Commander. This suggests that Jokowi endorses Gatot’s paranoid vision or at least is unfazed by it.
Enemies that are unseen are more terrifying than visible ones. This mental outlook could be a legacy of the animist beliefs that persisted for many centuries among various Indonesian ethnic groups. On Java, Clifford Geertz provided a useful catalogue of some of these unseen forces or spirits, tuyuls and others, when he wrote up his research among those he called abangans in Pare, East Java. Nothing happens by chance in this world-view.
Soeharto understood how fearsome unseen enemies were when he denounced latter-day communists for conspiring to set up an ‘organisasi tanpa bentuk’, which acquired its appropriate acronym, ‘OTB’. The PKI was bad enough, but at least one knew where it usually hung out.
Similarly, the soldiers in Gatot’s proxy war don’t wear uniforms or carry arms, but they are more dangerous than if they did.
The likely result of Gatot’s campaign against the proxy war is the reinforcement of regrettable tendencies towards insularity and xenophobia in Indonesian society. It is no surprise that Ryamizard Ryacudu, of 60,000 foreign spies fame, should echo Gatot, but why has Jokowi fallen dupe to such people?
It is disappointing to record that the authors of Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper seem oblivious to the proxy war that Indonesia faces. Here is a sample paragraph:
“The modernisation of the Indonesian armed forces and Indonesia’s
growing influence are positive developments that will add to Indonesia’s
security, and that of the region. A secure Indonesia is in Australia’s
interests and its growing military capabilities will offer Australia and
Indonesia opportunities for more effective cooperation to respond to
regional challenges, including terrorism, transnational crime such as
people smuggling and humanitarian disasters as well as search and
rescue operations.”
Why not go further and try to obtain Ryamizard’s and Gatot’s undying friendship by condemning the proxy war, even if we still harbour some lingering doubts about how grave the LGBT threat is?
Misplaced affection for Myanmar’s old days
Might be an admirer of “the salt of the earth” in Myanmar. Restricting them as living relics is far from the intention.
Ah Ko Gyi Moe Aung
The eras since the monarchy until now, as Nich has mentioned, have been a restriction to these 2/3 of the citizenry, the majority.
Through natural discrimination, warfare, isolation by lack of roads make the mainstay of way of keeping rural rural. Therefor just by being able to keeep local Abbots happy this inequity was allowed to exist.
Only U Nu made a concerted effort to tackle this problems with plan that was disrupted with subsequent military ascent.
The day of wooden plows with metal tips seen only in museum in MYanmar sound very futuristic.
WIth no roads that extend more than a few miles to none tourist area this futuristic scenario will be as Thibau was doing what he did to his sibling that still fascinate most westerners.
IT only take a pretty good road to open up all area around that road including the Golden Rock. If we should have roads like those everywhere as in Thailand what a difference it will make.
As long as the participation of the 2/3 of the citizenry is not allowed to participate the tourist need not worry loosing the chance to see Bullock Carts down a dusty trail with Burmese orchestra playing through loud speaker taht only seen in Myanmar.
“WE can not get there unless we know where we have to start from.”
As it is the west is cheating Myanmar of the true beginning where Myanmar need to start from if only the latest set back is mentioned without qualifying the true quagmire beginning.
Misplaced affection for Myanmar’s old days
Let’s hope that given the right kind of leadership we shall see an explosion of endeavour and creativity that only the Burmese nation is capable of… with just one major snag.
It’s time the bullock cart and plough belonged to the museum.
Probably won’t ditch longyi and thanaka, least of all pagoda building and merit sharing. Farm mechanisation on the principles of “Small Is Beautiful” is long overdue.
The need for sustained effort however cannot be overemphasised as the Burmese are well known for their “champagne fizz” trait (hpauk shoo).
Ben Anderson: the one and only
[…] New Mandala (ANU, Australia), 15/12/2015, http://www.newmandala.org/2015/12/15/ben-anderson-the-one-and-only/ […]
Misplaced affection for Myanmar’s old days
Nich
Appreciate the moving forward message with a vetted ‘Prochain vs Hier’.
However limiting the hier part to SPDC and NE WIn eras only do no justice to Prochain for the following reasons.
1) 2/3 of the citizenry have essentially unchanged life since the monarchy.
2) These citizenry remain dedicated to rural life with addition of modern and most modern amenities only to enhance their w/o craving for much otherwise.
Taking above 2 facts alone, one might see the need to also make monarchic as well as historically 2nd longest hier part of Colonial eras.
With enough knowledge of the other hier eras will the rest of the world/west realize the changes needed and taking place that will have the components of essentially unchanged and remain so with the still 2/3 of rural population.
Understanding the past that endure all these period within the proper context will make the future more realistic and secure.
Proper contexts?
Buddhism, Colonial Decisiveness, Cold war inspired continuation of colonial policy and SPDC era are all the majors factors within the context.
As shown above Buddhism play a significant role in every eras.
BUddhism is also what maintain the unchanged rural where 2/3 of citizenry still is.
Thailand’s new politics and a double wrecking ball
Jon, you are correct to say that low-cost clinics and hospitals are now easily accessible. Where you are amiss, IMHO, is that this access can be clearly attributed to the policies of Thaksin. I have heard from doctors, patients and teachers about the cruel corruption of doctors working in government hospitals. Patients would be forced to sign away their property in order to receive treatment, and nearly always at their private clinics. Christine may use a writing style that bothers you, but her naming the discontent that Thaksin harnessed is far from hyperbolic.
Nationalism and genetics: Thai obsession with race
How do you account for Aryan and Davidian languages? As for being the same “race”, race is a loaded word. Black Africans are a different type/race to Chinese that is visibly recognisable. Yes all races merge into one and another but there is a visible difference between those traditionally from the north or south of India( as well as differences with tribal indigenous groups).
The myth of the popcorn gunman
And of course, the regime did not find anything wrong with the rally to support Vivat despite the current ban on all political gathering. Double standards as usual.
Challenging times for Thai tourism
There is more to this than helping the Thai Tourist Authority maintain its market share by being more honest in its depiction of potential dangers facing tourists.
What about the dangers facing Thai citizens if they dare to speak their mind in the land of the junta? Do we acquiesce to presenting Thailand to tourists as if nothing has happened since the coup?
The case of Maldivian human rights activist Jennifer Latheef in 2006 is worthy of study. During the time of her house arrest her movement devised a ‘Name and Shame’ campaign in which the Gayoom regime was boycotted and opposed for their brutality and oppression. They connected themselves with the travel guide company ‘Lonely Planet’ and linked all of the major resorts in the Maldives that funded the government or individual officials. They allowed for tourists to choose to participate in boycotting the government by choosing ‘clean’ resorts to spend their money in.
Ref: http://canvas3.cervinistrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/MOB_English_May2014.pdf
Misplaced affection for Myanmar’s old days
It is sad but true that much of what the tourism industry and its customers call “traditional”, “authentic” and “exotic” is more honestly described as “impoverished” and “oppressed”.
In much the same way, entrenched elites fight tooth and nail to preserve their dominance and call it “culture”, while liberals reach for their revolvers?
Misplaced affection for Myanmar’s old days
Article is spot on!
Andrew MacGregor Marshall’s royalist history
Just a couple of points.
Andrew Walker is spot-on in identifying more than a whiff of orientalism in Marshall’s book and it goes without saying, for anyone who has actually bothered to read the book, that the central thesis of the book remains utterly unproven.
As to the suggestion that Marshall has “broken the taboo”, I can’t agree. Handley’s book did that, and did it with more dignity and far less spurious rancor, which means of course that it will be taken more seriously by a wide range of readers.
When I first read Marshall’s book, which is very well-written, I thought that despite making no significant contribution to understanding the “crisis”, it would at least provide an introduction, biased though it is, to Thai history for readers who might otherwise not bother.
But ultimately I have come to think that, as Walker points out in his review, the erasure of the Thai people as actors in their own history serves only to reinforce the tradition of palace-centric historiography that belongs somewhere in the past.
Andrew MacGregor Marshall’s royalist history
[…] first is probably already widely known as it is by Andrew Walker at New Mandala. In a lengthy review, Walker […]