Andrew is going soft. I’ve seen the e-mail as well, and it is an uncharacteristically inept attempt to manipulate the (mostly Western) media (text below). Points for chutzpah, though, considering the amount of uncritical coverage the PAD gets in the Thai media.
—–Original Message—–
From: Ladawan Pittayapiboon (Wan)
[mailto:(XXX)@manager.co.th]
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2008 4:36 PM
To: OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); UNESCO & Communication and Information; Overseas Press Club of America; Inter Press Service (IPS) Asia-Pacific; Asia-Inc.; The Wall Street Journal Asia; TV11 News and AsiaWorks Television / Karuna Buakamsri; BBC; Asahi Shimbun (Japan); FCCT; The Straits Times; Foreign Correspondent’s Club Hong Kong; Pee Mod
Subject: the truth at rally ground
Dear Sirs,
The attached photos show you something not reported by the government. Will
the government still want to disperse them ?
Thank you for your kind attention.
Best
Ladawan Pittayapiboon (Wan)
Executive Secretary
Tel. 662 (XXX) x 1200
Fax. 662 (XXX)
Manager Media Group Co., Ltd. / Thaiday Dot Com Co., Ltd.
102/1 Pra-arthit Road, Chanasongkram, Pranakorn,
Bangkok 10200 THAILAND
Well, I have spent too much time here already and am glad to at least had the chance to see that there are people like nganadeeleg here who dare to say that they actually agree to some things coming out of the mouth of a royalist.
In any case, my intention here was not to engage in debates about the King. I stumbled upon this blog by accident and read the posts on this topic on the King’s Exhibition, and it was apparent that most of the comments made on this topic were really one-sided, with thugs who would quickly jump in to scare away anyone who might want to express the other side. Anyways, I’ve now presented the other side of things and people can judge things for themselves.
But as to your question about lese majeste, the King made clear on his birthday speech that he disagreed with it, but these comments were unfortunately ignored. Guess the politicians/legislators want to keep it as a useful tool for their political games.
My views on this topic resembles that of former PM Anand. Please see his comments on the topic in his answer to Macan-Marker, the first question.
So do I think some people here should be charged with lese majeste?
To be honest, no. But I would like to see them sued for defamation. But unfortunately the King would never, ever do that and third parties, I think, cannot sue on someone else’s behalf.
So much for transparency, “honesty” and “integrity” Teth. All I asked was for a few hundred words short synopsis. I am interested as you write about 1976 as if you were there in person, experiencing incriminating “evidences” (while blind to recent state abuses)… Maybe, in the future, you should refrain from branding people hypocrits so easily. Like demanding good Buddhist practice, then saying “I am not a good Buddhist nor did I ever claim to be one” and taking pleasure from picking on fellow Thais whose English skills isn’t as good as yours and/or less intellectual than you are. You demand “integrity”, then please practice it… Otherwise, at the end of the day, you are just one of us common Thais, Teth.
I didn’t know about the visit to Prince Suphasawat’s farm so I can only speculate that, first, if Alexandra was also a friend of Suphasawat, perhaps this was King Bhumibol just being diplomatic. Or perhaps as you suggested Bhumibol had warmed to the prince. But also look at the timing: if that visit was in 1960, it was also well before the publication of the Devils Discus, in 1964 was it? In the meantime, Sarit took power and made it clear that Pridi was not to return.
On the other hand, one can’t assume that the king was unhappy about the book. As he had tried in earlier years, the prince and Kruger drew the reader away from the conclusion that Bhumibol killed Ananda. The alternative explanation Kruger offered effectively cleared Bhumibol. (Though it maybe impugned the princess mother Somdej Ya over the Swiss girlfriend issue).
As we know with ‘The Revolutionary King,” just because it is banned doesn’t mean the king didn’t like it.
In fact, it is the Pramojs who are damaged most in the “Devil’s Discus,” for putting their relative at the head of the investigation and then him faking evidence and witnesses.
So the short answer is, I don’t know. Did Bhumibol in 1964 realy care about the prince? Did the prince at that time really care to be back in the palace inner circle?
Well, this is typical of the tactics of the spin doctors. First, we assassinate the character of the King. And next up the UN and all its agencies and then out of desperation, look down on all the rural people in Thailand which you have now singled out from the rest of the population as “Thais without internet access”.
So your true colors are showing. So is the level of your intelligence and your perspective on things, eg. “The UN stands for international diplomacy. Not human rights, not human development, not peace, not justice”. Well most people do know that the UN’s work has contributed significantly to the great advancements made in human rights, development, peace and justice during modern history. Well, but I guess since the UN and its agencies made some positive comments about the King and endorsed his achievements, now all of those organizations’ work and the things that they did for humanity, all those UN people tirelessly working away for the greater good in refugee camps, etc, well all that just doesn’t matter anymore. They must be smeared and looked down upon at all costs. The same way how whatever the King has done for the poor and needy – who in your view are those “Thais without internet access who can only see on side of things”- in Thailand doesn’t matter to you either.
And you seem to be so obsessed with that Philae medal issue which I find odd since anyways it is just one of the 30 something international awards (my previous post didn’t list out all the awards) the King has received. Talking about awards, let me take this chance to tell you that the King has also received the Berkeley Medal from the University of California, Berkeley. http://awards.berkeley.edu/berkeleyMedal.cfm
Yeah, so in that fantasy world of yours, renown US academic institutions are too willing to risk their reputation by being a part of the axis of evil involved in secret deals to spreading Thai “myths”. Watch out all the spin doctors out there who are Westerners, cause that person sitting next to you on the bus, though white and seemingly intelligent, could be a closet royalist too.
Well, back to the Philae Medal issue, let me answer it this way for you. You can go out and buy as many philae medals as you like and store them up in your living room, but I am willing to put all my money on the table, that in your entire lifetime you will never be presented with one by UNESCO. There’s a difference with buying one and being presented with one. That’s pretty obvious I would have thought.
By the way, so you say the institution of the monarchy has outlived its usefulness and “must go”. And how do you plan to do that? Thailand is a democracy you know. Oh but I guess in your kind of democracy, the views of the “Thais without internet access” (as you referred to them) just don’t matter anymore. Otherwise, if they do matter, perhaps you and your group are waiting for that right moment when you can start some sort of crusade to cleanse the heretical Thais, in particular those rural people without internet access, from their primitive, traditional, superstitious beliefs about their King whom they ignorantly worship as their God. But guess what, your crusade will fail. You will find that the bonds of mutual love and affection between the Thai people and their King are truly hard to break.
Frank – thank you for taking the time to post here. The heart ache of this process is destructive and painful, even if, at the same time, it seems so ridiculous to onlookers.
I can personally attest that this situation is extremely unpleasant for Jonathan and his whole family, both Thai and British alike. This pain is compounded by the seemingly random insults that many people seem compelled to post, as though being demeaning somehow strengthens their cause. Quite the opposite – it makes the insulters look petty and baseless in their accusations and methinks does little to promote respect for the very insitution they claim to be defending.
The one comfort I take in this vendetta on the internet is that plenty can be done to spread this information on the internet not just for the detriment of the people targetted, but also to discourage people from going to Thailand and patronising a country that allows such injustice. The anonymity of the internet cuts both ways.
Derek Melton, the pastor of a church in Pryor, Oklahoma, has placed a link on his church website ( http://www.pryorcreekcommunitychurch.org ) to a video about Timothy Laklem and his efforts to aid the people in the Irrawaddy delta.
As some here might know, Melton has thrown in his lot with Laklem, and would like the KNLA to quit resisting the atrocities visited upon the Karen people by the SPDC.
At one time, Melton, the assistant chief of police in Pryor, was delivering military supplies to the KNLA, but he has since seen “the light” (New Light of Myanmar???) and has decided that the Karen people need to submit to authority, no matter how evil and corrupt.
I would remind Melton and Laklem of these words:
WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW, RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY.
I remember your case and you were innocent, a victim of street scum. These cases do seem to be very suspicious. Please read them all, most people agree that Jon and Jak are guilty
So, Jop, you now go into a little tirade about biases. Again, wallowing in irony.
I am no spin doctor and no conspiracy theorist either. But look beyond your yellow-tinted glasses and your “King can do no wrong” attitude (which the King himself lambasted) and try to see the light.
The UN stands for international diplomacy. Not human rights, not human development, not peace, not justice. Look at all the condemnations against Israel that are instigated by her enemies in the UN. Other countries who don’t hate Israel play along to condemn Israel purely for diplomatic reasons. Is that a conspiracy?
Is it any surprise the US invaded Iraq without UN approval? The UN is all about diplomacy, and creating a few awards, saying a few diplomatic words, et cetera. When Syria can be a member of the Human Rights Commission, it doesn’t mean much. The truth is that there is no conspiracy, you simply do not understand how the UN works. If you want to know why it is such a fragile gathering, google what happened to the League of Nations. Hence its emphasis on diplomacy and meaningless consensus.
Jop, you haven’t bought me a Philae Medal yet. You haven’t even mentioned it! Or are you going to categorize this as a “false accusation” and “spin” and simply avoid mentioning it?
Lastly, I suspect that the Thais without internet access would only be able to see and hear one side of the story. Shame.
This is the KNU/KNLA Peace Council’s own press release on their assistance:
KNU/KNLA Peace Council top leaders on helping hand trip.
Starting from the last week of May 2008, a group of leader from KNU/KNLA Peace Council, lead by Gen. Htay Maung, chairman of the KNU/KNLA Peace Council, and some top leaders have been making a helping hand trip to the delta region, recently hit by the cyclone Nargis. Despite of having some daily –need shortages in its own area in the Karen state the KNU/KNLA Peace Council has decided to share what we have in hand toward those who are desperately in need. After traveling some worse area in delta region such as BoGa Lay, Bessin(Pa Thien) and some islands, Gen. Htay Maung has decided, on the 23rd May to move two tractors from the Hto Kaw Koo Base to Myaung Mya and help people there for paddy cultivation in time. The group is also organizing some tons of paddy seed for the area to cover up possible great rice shortages next year. However, we have to admit that our helping hand is quite limited as we ourselves have been struggling in new unfamiliar condition. Despite his followers worrying for his health, the 80 year old Gen. Htay Maung show no sign of stepping back in helping people in delta region where he was born. A short presentation about the trip has been broadcasted on an Australian TV, on the 23rd of May at 20.00hr. local time.
Jop: I find your post #39 quite interesting, and agree with some of your points.
Can you please advise where, amongst your spin doctors, fake, conservative & elite royalists, would you place the Privy Councilors?
I would also be interested to know who it is that appoints the Privy Councilors, and what are the qualities they have exhibited that makes them suitable appointees for the position?
Well, it is not difficult to see the kind of prejudices and biases that some people have in here.
So, you spin doctors can cling on to your prejudices and live in your fantasy world. A world where there is an unholy alliance between hardcore Thai royalist diplomats and the others whom you would probably call the “closet royalists”. These, in your world, would include the UNDP, FAO, UNESCO, UNDCP, FAO, World Bank,WMO, WHO, etc. Yeah so all these organizations and Thai diplomats have come together, to what you probably consider as an axis of evil, who have over the years made several secret deals behind closed doors to spread Thai royalist “myths” to the world. The UN has surely prostituted itself to the royalists, since Kofi Annan made clear of his intention when he presented the first ever UNDP Lifetime Achievenment Award to the King that it was, to quote him, “help draw attention to Your Majesty’s visionary thinking beyond the borders of the Kingdom of Thailand”. Oh, but now that Ban Ki-moon is the new secretary-general, maybe, just maybe, he will see the light and righteously lead all the UN organizations out of this axis of evil.
I suspect that If we were to put some of the spin doctors here on a couch, it may be revealed that their true anger stems from, what I would call, the fake royalists. Those yellow-tie and pin-bearing hypocrites who appear on Thai television to appease the masses by pretending to be royalists. To me, that does not only include people like Jakrapob and others in the current government who often come on television wearing the yellow tie and the royal pin, but any conservative elites in the military who, while claiming to be royalists, similarly do things for their self interests to the detriment of national interests and the Thai people. While these people brandish their yellow ties and royal pin and prance around in their yellow polo shirts on the weekends, these people never follow what the King teaches. These people may bow when they meet the King, they may be quick to accuse others for lese majeste, but the King is not truly in their hearts.
So the spin doctors can take that path. The one in which the actions of some fake, elite royalists – who are in fact the minority of royalists – has clouded their objectivity and led them to their dislike of all and any royalists and even the King himself. It doesn’t matter anymore that the King has spent his entire lifetime dedicated to the people of Thailand, travelling and working in the rural areas to better understand the poor and disadvantaged. In fact in the past 40 years he has only stepped outside of Thailand once to neighbouring Laos (yeah, the spin doctors are now rushing to google.com to dig up something on this fact to spin on), so that he could spend more time with his people in Thailand and improve their lives.
I and I dare say the majority of Thais, on the other hand, have chosen a different path. We have chosen to love our King. We have chosen to respect him and put him firmly in our hearts. We have witnessed his dedication to his people and his country and we have been inspired by him. While this online discussion is going on, most of the true royalists are out in the open, working the land, yes even on the weekend. They are working the land with their King in their hearts and they have since their early years been inspired by him to make their living honestly and to try to live a modest life so that at the end of the day they will have more to share with their community. These are the people that many foreigners who travel to Thailand have come to love for their simplicity, honesty, kindness, compassion, gentleness, politeness, etc. and not some of those Thais who prance around in the city in their yellow shirts (or more recently black) while busily trying to work their own way to the top of the corporate ladder as their foremost priority, having forgotten about Thai values, having forgotten about giving back to the community, about the fact that there are still many poor and needy people in the rural areas. But the King never forgets about them. Just as they have him in their hearts, he has them in his heart.
These Thai people whom many have had the chance to encounter and come to love are the exact same people, if they were to see some of the comments made about the King by the spin doctors in here, would be quick to jump into the King’s defence out of their love for him. But in the circumstances, it happens to be that the overwhelming majority of the Thais have mostly been silenced by their lack of access to the internet, some by their lack of English skills, a few by their own wisdom to refrain engaging in fruitless arguments with those who lack objectivity, all the while as some of their other fellow countrymen have joined hands with some other Western internet surfers in a campaign of online false accusations against the person who they hold most dear in their hearts. These millions of Thais would be deeply and truly saddened, as I am, to see that this was going on. So I wish that they could go on without having to bear witness to this and to lead their lives in peace with their King in their hearts and continue to be inspired – by their King’s generosity, integrity, compassion and dedication – to do good for their families and communities and to be good citizens of the country.
I am still waiting for your lived memory of Thai politics, Teth. As a common Thai to another common Thai, let’s be transparent and honest with our agendas (we might just start the small ball of change rolling!). Practice what you preach if you really value “honesty, hard work, and integrity”…
In my past two and a half decades of lived memory (minus the fun fun-filled childhood days, ofcourse), I have observed change and evolution in Thai society – from what you are saying, it seems that you haven’t seen any??? Be a man (or woman? it doesn’t matter) and let’s hear your side of the story, Teth…
I never challenged you to reveal your life story. On the contrary, you must have not have heard of mine, and how, growing up as a royalist, the pieces of the puzzle only began to fit once I had changed my basic assumption.
On the other hand, equating your challenge to me as a challenge to “practice what I preach” is rather ridiculous. I ever only asked how old you were. Yet here we are, you demanding something (rather off topic and besides the point) that Prime Minister Samak would probably demand as well. In all this, the point itself has been lost.
This is all very characteristically Sidh. I applaud your obduracy in these arguments. Obduracy, as in: “The Amazonian tribe refused to learn numeracy because of cultural obduracy.”
And if you still cannot figure out my agenda after me having clearly laid it out so many times before, I don’t know how else to say it. As for your own agenda, the sentimental life story hasn’t exactly given us a clear picture either, so if you still insist my agenda is murky, then we are in the same boat. But alas, I have always been clear.
As for the evolution of Thai society, it has usually been the result of the ebb and flow of globalization and nothing systematic or forward-looking. The systematic attempts to improve our political culture have failed, no thanks to the old guard nor the new. Society cannot be accurately viewed as a monolith (or straw men as you have constructed), but our majorities and averages have continued to be reactionary and in a real need for change.
Why in the world was Jakrapob lecturing the foreign elites at the FCCT on pre-modern Thai history?
His explanations are ridiculous. I can think of several Thai experts (non-celebrities) who have devoted their whole lives to this subject. Get them to do it.
This is just another instance of a widespread phenomenon in the Thai media.
All the attention gets paid to the so-called broadcast journalists with smooth talk, big egos, good looks, and stage makeup. Support for tank top, hot pants, soap operas, football, beer and potato chips, avalanches of advertising dollars. “Journalists” who essentially take the news straight out of the newspaper. (Except, for the talk show hosts, at least the radio ones, on channel 3, they really have to plan and improvise with their guests. )
Little wunder boy Jakrapob just wore too many hats.
Diplomat, intelligent handsome TV personality, spokesperson for the PM, media superstar, ruthless machiavellian minister manipulator, revolutionary, historian, intellectual, dizzy, dizzy, dizzy…
Little Icarus just flew too high. Bang.
Facebook 
Twitter 
Soundcloud 
Youtube 
Rss
Sugar and spice and all things nice!
Andrew is going soft. I’ve seen the e-mail as well, and it is an uncharacteristically inept attempt to manipulate the (mostly Western) media (text below). Points for chutzpah, though, considering the amount of uncritical coverage the PAD gets in the Thai media.
—–Original Message—–
From: Ladawan Pittayapiboon (Wan)
[mailto:(XXX)@manager.co.th]
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2008 4:36 PM
To: OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); UNESCO & Communication and Information; Overseas Press Club of America; Inter Press Service (IPS) Asia-Pacific; Asia-Inc.; The Wall Street Journal Asia; TV11 News and AsiaWorks Television / Karuna Buakamsri; BBC; Asahi Shimbun (Japan); FCCT; The Straits Times; Foreign Correspondent’s Club Hong Kong; Pee Mod
Subject: the truth at rally ground
Dear Sirs,
The attached photos show you something not reported by the government. Will
the government still want to disperse them ?
Thank you for your kind attention.
Best
Ladawan Pittayapiboon (Wan)
Executive Secretary
Tel. 662 (XXX) x 1200
Fax. 662 (XXX)
Manager Media Group Co., Ltd. / Thaiday Dot Com Co., Ltd.
102/1 Pra-arthit Road, Chanasongkram, Pranakorn,
Bangkok 10200 THAILAND
Exhibition: The King – “Father of Thai Innovation”
Mariner,
Well, I have spent too much time here already and am glad to at least had the chance to see that there are people like nganadeeleg here who dare to say that they actually agree to some things coming out of the mouth of a royalist.
In any case, my intention here was not to engage in debates about the King. I stumbled upon this blog by accident and read the posts on this topic on the King’s Exhibition, and it was apparent that most of the comments made on this topic were really one-sided, with thugs who would quickly jump in to scare away anyone who might want to express the other side. Anyways, I’ve now presented the other side of things and people can judge things for themselves.
But as to your question about lese majeste, the King made clear on his birthday speech that he disagreed with it, but these comments were unfortunately ignored. Guess the politicians/legislators want to keep it as a useful tool for their political games.
My views on this topic resembles that of former PM Anand. Please see his comments on the topic in his answer to Macan-Marker, the first question.
http://www.panyathai.or.th/wiki/index.php/Shane_Come_back
So do I think some people here should be charged with lese majeste?
To be honest, no. But I would like to see them sued for defamation. But unfortunately the King would never, ever do that and third parties, I think, cannot sue on someone else’s behalf.
Samak’s talents!
So much for transparency, “honesty” and “integrity” Teth. All I asked was for a few hundred words short synopsis. I am interested as you write about 1976 as if you were there in person, experiencing incriminating “evidences” (while blind to recent state abuses)… Maybe, in the future, you should refrain from branding people hypocrits so easily. Like demanding good Buddhist practice, then saying “I am not a good Buddhist nor did I ever claim to be one” and taking pleasure from picking on fellow Thais whose English skills isn’t as good as yours and/or less intellectual than you are. You demand “integrity”, then please practice it… Otherwise, at the end of the day, you are just one of us common Thais, Teth.
The Devil’s Discus – in Thai
Khun Somsak,
I didn’t know about the visit to Prince Suphasawat’s farm so I can only speculate that, first, if Alexandra was also a friend of Suphasawat, perhaps this was King Bhumibol just being diplomatic. Or perhaps as you suggested Bhumibol had warmed to the prince. But also look at the timing: if that visit was in 1960, it was also well before the publication of the Devils Discus, in 1964 was it? In the meantime, Sarit took power and made it clear that Pridi was not to return.
On the other hand, one can’t assume that the king was unhappy about the book. As he had tried in earlier years, the prince and Kruger drew the reader away from the conclusion that Bhumibol killed Ananda. The alternative explanation Kruger offered effectively cleared Bhumibol. (Though it maybe impugned the princess mother Somdej Ya over the Swiss girlfriend issue).
As we know with ‘The Revolutionary King,” just because it is banned doesn’t mean the king didn’t like it.
In fact, it is the Pramojs who are damaged most in the “Devil’s Discus,” for putting their relative at the head of the investigation and then him faking evidence and witnesses.
So the short answer is, I don’t know. Did Bhumibol in 1964 realy care about the prince? Did the prince at that time really care to be back in the palace inner circle?
Exhibition: The King – “Father of Thai Innovation”
To Teth,
Well, this is typical of the tactics of the spin doctors. First, we assassinate the character of the King. And next up the UN and all its agencies and then out of desperation, look down on all the rural people in Thailand which you have now singled out from the rest of the population as “Thais without internet access”.
So your true colors are showing. So is the level of your intelligence and your perspective on things, eg. “The UN stands for international diplomacy. Not human rights, not human development, not peace, not justice”. Well most people do know that the UN’s work has contributed significantly to the great advancements made in human rights, development, peace and justice during modern history. Well, but I guess since the UN and its agencies made some positive comments about the King and endorsed his achievements, now all of those organizations’ work and the things that they did for humanity, all those UN people tirelessly working away for the greater good in refugee camps, etc, well all that just doesn’t matter anymore. They must be smeared and looked down upon at all costs. The same way how whatever the King has done for the poor and needy – who in your view are those “Thais without internet access who can only see on side of things”- in Thailand doesn’t matter to you either.
And you seem to be so obsessed with that Philae medal issue which I find odd since anyways it is just one of the 30 something international awards (my previous post didn’t list out all the awards) the King has received. Talking about awards, let me take this chance to tell you that the King has also received the Berkeley Medal from the University of California, Berkeley. http://awards.berkeley.edu/berkeleyMedal.cfm
Yeah, so in that fantasy world of yours, renown US academic institutions are too willing to risk their reputation by being a part of the axis of evil involved in secret deals to spreading Thai “myths”. Watch out all the spin doctors out there who are Westerners, cause that person sitting next to you on the bus, though white and seemingly intelligent, could be a closet royalist too.
Well, back to the Philae Medal issue, let me answer it this way for you. You can go out and buy as many philae medals as you like and store them up in your living room, but I am willing to put all my money on the table, that in your entire lifetime you will never be presented with one by UNESCO. There’s a difference with buying one and being presented with one. That’s pretty obvious I would have thought.
By the way, so you say the institution of the monarchy has outlived its usefulness and “must go”. And how do you plan to do that? Thailand is a democracy you know. Oh but I guess in your kind of democracy, the views of the “Thais without internet access” (as you referred to them) just don’t matter anymore. Otherwise, if they do matter, perhaps you and your group are waiting for that right moment when you can start some sort of crusade to cleanse the heretical Thais, in particular those rural people without internet access, from their primitive, traditional, superstitious beliefs about their King whom they ignorantly worship as their God. But guess what, your crusade will fail. You will find that the bonds of mutual love and affection between the Thai people and their King are truly hard to break.
Lèse majesté and the BBC
Frank – thank you for taking the time to post here. The heart ache of this process is destructive and painful, even if, at the same time, it seems so ridiculous to onlookers.
I can personally attest that this situation is extremely unpleasant for Jonathan and his whole family, both Thai and British alike. This pain is compounded by the seemingly random insults that many people seem compelled to post, as though being demeaning somehow strengthens their cause. Quite the opposite – it makes the insulters look petty and baseless in their accusations and methinks does little to promote respect for the very insitution they claim to be defending.
The one comfort I take in this vendetta on the internet is that plenty can be done to spread this information on the internet not just for the detriment of the people targetted, but also to discourage people from going to Thailand and patronising a country that allows such injustice. The anonymity of the internet cuts both ways.
The Devil’s Discus – in Thai
Ajarn Somsak – apologies for the difficulties with posting your comment. It is now here, in full, at comment 11.
Aid, politics and propaganda: The Karen “Peace Council” in the Delta
The good folks of Pryor saw the light about one hundred years ago; that’s why they’re there at Pryor.
Aid, politics and propaganda: The Karen “Peace Council” in the Delta
Derek Melton, the pastor of a church in Pryor, Oklahoma, has placed a link on his church website ( http://www.pryorcreekcommunitychurch.org ) to a video about Timothy Laklem and his efforts to aid the people in the Irrawaddy delta.
As some here might know, Melton has thrown in his lot with Laklem, and would like the KNLA to quit resisting the atrocities visited upon the Karen people by the SPDC.
At one time, Melton, the assistant chief of police in Pryor, was delivering military supplies to the KNLA, but he has since seen “the light” (New Light of Myanmar???) and has decided that the Karen people need to submit to authority, no matter how evil and corrupt.
I would remind Melton and Laklem of these words:
WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW, RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY.
Lèse majesté and the BBC
Frank:
I remember your case and you were innocent, a victim of street scum. These cases do seem to be very suspicious. Please read them all, most people agree that Jon and Jak are guilty
What did Jakrapob say?
We have some video footage on our page also and the transcript in English, Thai and German.
http://www.schoenes-thailand.de/politik/thailand-im-umbruch-teil-1.html
Exhibition: The King – “Father of Thai Innovation”
BTW, a little Jop to English dictionary.
Apparently, objectivity n.: agreeing with, or in consensus with Thai royalist propaganda
Exhibition: The King – “Father of Thai Innovation”
So, Jop, you now go into a little tirade about biases. Again, wallowing in irony.
I am no spin doctor and no conspiracy theorist either. But look beyond your yellow-tinted glasses and your “King can do no wrong” attitude (which the King himself lambasted) and try to see the light.
The UN stands for international diplomacy. Not human rights, not human development, not peace, not justice. Look at all the condemnations against Israel that are instigated by her enemies in the UN. Other countries who don’t hate Israel play along to condemn Israel purely for diplomatic reasons. Is that a conspiracy?
Is it any surprise the US invaded Iraq without UN approval? The UN is all about diplomacy, and creating a few awards, saying a few diplomatic words, et cetera. When Syria can be a member of the Human Rights Commission, it doesn’t mean much. The truth is that there is no conspiracy, you simply do not understand how the UN works. If you want to know why it is such a fragile gathering, google what happened to the League of Nations. Hence its emphasis on diplomacy and meaningless consensus.
Jop, you haven’t bought me a Philae Medal yet. You haven’t even mentioned it! Or are you going to categorize this as a “false accusation” and “spin” and simply avoid mentioning it?
Lastly, I suspect that the Thais without internet access would only be able to see and hear one side of the story. Shame.
Exhibition: The King – “Father of Thai Innovation”
So, Jop, do you think any of the contributors to this column should be charged with lese majeste and imprisoned? Just curious.
Aid, politics and propaganda: The Karen “Peace Council” in the Delta
This is the KNU/KNLA Peace Council’s own press release on their assistance:
KNU/KNLA Peace Council top leaders on helping hand trip.
Starting from the last week of May 2008, a group of leader from KNU/KNLA Peace Council, lead by Gen. Htay Maung, chairman of the KNU/KNLA Peace Council, and some top leaders have been making a helping hand trip to the delta region, recently hit by the cyclone Nargis. Despite of having some daily –need shortages in its own area in the Karen state the KNU/KNLA Peace Council has decided to share what we have in hand toward those who are desperately in need. After traveling some worse area in delta region such as BoGa Lay, Bessin(Pa Thien) and some islands, Gen. Htay Maung has decided, on the 23rd May to move two tractors from the Hto Kaw Koo Base to Myaung Mya and help people there for paddy cultivation in time. The group is also organizing some tons of paddy seed for the area to cover up possible great rice shortages next year. However, we have to admit that our helping hand is quite limited as we ourselves have been struggling in new unfamiliar condition. Despite his followers worrying for his health, the 80 year old Gen. Htay Maung show no sign of stepping back in helping people in delta region where he was born. A short presentation about the trip has been broadcasted on an Australian TV, on the 23rd of May at 20.00hr. local time.
Spot the Thai national dress
Wearing a hmong shirt is very good
This is my hmong t-shirt see detail
http://mt-shirt.blogspot.com
Exhibition: The King – “Father of Thai Innovation”
Jop: I find your post #39 quite interesting, and agree with some of your points.
Can you please advise where, amongst your spin doctors, fake, conservative & elite royalists, would you place the Privy Councilors?
I would also be interested to know who it is that appoints the Privy Councilors, and what are the qualities they have exhibited that makes them suitable appointees for the position?
Exhibition: The King – “Father of Thai Innovation”
Well, it is not difficult to see the kind of prejudices and biases that some people have in here.
So, you spin doctors can cling on to your prejudices and live in your fantasy world. A world where there is an unholy alliance between hardcore Thai royalist diplomats and the others whom you would probably call the “closet royalists”. These, in your world, would include the UNDP, FAO, UNESCO, UNDCP, FAO, World Bank,WMO, WHO, etc. Yeah so all these organizations and Thai diplomats have come together, to what you probably consider as an axis of evil, who have over the years made several secret deals behind closed doors to spread Thai royalist “myths” to the world. The UN has surely prostituted itself to the royalists, since Kofi Annan made clear of his intention when he presented the first ever UNDP Lifetime Achievenment Award to the King that it was, to quote him, “help draw attention to Your Majesty’s visionary thinking beyond the borders of the Kingdom of Thailand”. Oh, but now that Ban Ki-moon is the new secretary-general, maybe, just maybe, he will see the light and righteously lead all the UN organizations out of this axis of evil.
I suspect that If we were to put some of the spin doctors here on a couch, it may be revealed that their true anger stems from, what I would call, the fake royalists. Those yellow-tie and pin-bearing hypocrites who appear on Thai television to appease the masses by pretending to be royalists. To me, that does not only include people like Jakrapob and others in the current government who often come on television wearing the yellow tie and the royal pin, but any conservative elites in the military who, while claiming to be royalists, similarly do things for their self interests to the detriment of national interests and the Thai people. While these people brandish their yellow ties and royal pin and prance around in their yellow polo shirts on the weekends, these people never follow what the King teaches. These people may bow when they meet the King, they may be quick to accuse others for lese majeste, but the King is not truly in their hearts.
So the spin doctors can take that path. The one in which the actions of some fake, elite royalists – who are in fact the minority of royalists – has clouded their objectivity and led them to their dislike of all and any royalists and even the King himself. It doesn’t matter anymore that the King has spent his entire lifetime dedicated to the people of Thailand, travelling and working in the rural areas to better understand the poor and disadvantaged. In fact in the past 40 years he has only stepped outside of Thailand once to neighbouring Laos (yeah, the spin doctors are now rushing to google.com to dig up something on this fact to spin on), so that he could spend more time with his people in Thailand and improve their lives.
I and I dare say the majority of Thais, on the other hand, have chosen a different path. We have chosen to love our King. We have chosen to respect him and put him firmly in our hearts. We have witnessed his dedication to his people and his country and we have been inspired by him. While this online discussion is going on, most of the true royalists are out in the open, working the land, yes even on the weekend. They are working the land with their King in their hearts and they have since their early years been inspired by him to make their living honestly and to try to live a modest life so that at the end of the day they will have more to share with their community. These are the people that many foreigners who travel to Thailand have come to love for their simplicity, honesty, kindness, compassion, gentleness, politeness, etc. and not some of those Thais who prance around in the city in their yellow shirts (or more recently black) while busily trying to work their own way to the top of the corporate ladder as their foremost priority, having forgotten about Thai values, having forgotten about giving back to the community, about the fact that there are still many poor and needy people in the rural areas. But the King never forgets about them. Just as they have him in their hearts, he has them in his heart.
These Thai people whom many have had the chance to encounter and come to love are the exact same people, if they were to see some of the comments made about the King by the spin doctors in here, would be quick to jump into the King’s defence out of their love for him. But in the circumstances, it happens to be that the overwhelming majority of the Thais have mostly been silenced by their lack of access to the internet, some by their lack of English skills, a few by their own wisdom to refrain engaging in fruitless arguments with those who lack objectivity, all the while as some of their other fellow countrymen have joined hands with some other Western internet surfers in a campaign of online false accusations against the person who they hold most dear in their hearts. These millions of Thais would be deeply and truly saddened, as I am, to see that this was going on. So I wish that they could go on without having to bear witness to this and to lead their lives in peace with their King in their hearts and continue to be inspired – by their King’s generosity, integrity, compassion and dedication – to do good for their families and communities and to be good citizens of the country.
Samak’s talents!
I never challenged you to reveal your life story. On the contrary, you must have not have heard of mine, and how, growing up as a royalist, the pieces of the puzzle only began to fit once I had changed my basic assumption.
On the other hand, equating your challenge to me as a challenge to “practice what I preach” is rather ridiculous. I ever only asked how old you were. Yet here we are, you demanding something (rather off topic and besides the point) that Prime Minister Samak would probably demand as well. In all this, the point itself has been lost.
This is all very characteristically Sidh. I applaud your obduracy in these arguments. Obduracy, as in: “The Amazonian tribe refused to learn numeracy because of cultural obduracy.”
And if you still cannot figure out my agenda after me having clearly laid it out so many times before, I don’t know how else to say it. As for your own agenda, the sentimental life story hasn’t exactly given us a clear picture either, so if you still insist my agenda is murky, then we are in the same boat. But alas, I have always been clear.
As for the evolution of Thai society, it has usually been the result of the ebb and flow of globalization and nothing systematic or forward-looking. The systematic attempts to improve our political culture have failed, no thanks to the old guard nor the new. Society cannot be accurately viewed as a monolith (or straw men as you have constructed), but our majorities and averages have continued to be reactionary and in a real need for change.
What did Jakrapob say?
Why in the world was Jakrapob lecturing the foreign elites at the FCCT on pre-modern Thai history?
His explanations are ridiculous. I can think of several Thai experts (non-celebrities) who have devoted their whole lives to this subject. Get them to do it.
This is just another instance of a widespread phenomenon in the Thai media.
All the attention gets paid to the so-called broadcast journalists with smooth talk, big egos, good looks, and stage makeup. Support for tank top, hot pants, soap operas, football, beer and potato chips, avalanches of advertising dollars. “Journalists” who essentially take the news straight out of the newspaper. (Except, for the talk show hosts, at least the radio ones, on channel 3, they really have to plan and improvise with their guests. )
Little wunder boy Jakrapob just wore too many hats.
Diplomat, intelligent handsome TV personality, spokesperson for the PM, media superstar, ruthless machiavellian minister manipulator, revolutionary, historian, intellectual, dizzy, dizzy, dizzy…
Little Icarus just flew too high. Bang.