What I would like to read are some examples of just what constitutes lese majeste: we hear that so and so has been charged but are left in the dark as to what it is she or he actually did or said -a rare exception is the recent ‘sitting’ case and the daubing of paint on a picture.
Of course, stating such details might itself be a breach of the LM law. Is that the case?
Tiyavanich, Kamala. Forest Recollections: Wandering Monks in Twentieth-Century Thailand. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997.
Contrasts wonderfully the scholarly Pali imaginaire with more localised rural “folk Buddhism.” (Over the last six months I’ve been studying Pali rather intensively (studying matching English-Pali sentences in Buddhadhata’s Pali Primers during the walk to work, while keeping an eye out for sixteen wheelers emerging into Bangkok streets, as well as Jatakas and Suttas at home), and it seems from reflecting on the vocabulary in these texts that the **frequency of occurence of the word “nibbana” itself in Pali texts isn’t really that high**. Perhaps expressions that express the idea of nibbana and the “cessation of samsara” are more common, like “putting out the lamp.” Steven Collins book has more of those metaphors, I think. In the suttas people are always gaining sudden realisation and becoming arhants and that’s technically “attaining nibbana” or “final cessation” I guess too.)
Evaluating whether some belief is “Buddhist” seemingly depends on whether one is an anthropologist or a practicing Buddhist (not that one can’t be both).
If the world wasn’t such a screwed up place with so many laws preventing people of different cultures from living with each other **everyone would be an anthropologist**.
I certainly appreciate your input. And it is interesting that “tsapi” isn’t a word you have ever heard used in the Shan State – even for the particularly pungent stuff that does the rounds at festivals, or other special occasions?
Happy to hear what your pop has to say, if you wouldn’t mind asking.
Aiontay and myself, and the other people who hang out on New Mandala with more than a passing interest in these places, are always keen to learn more.
Cheers, with hpalap, tsapi, n-tsin, or whatever takes your fancy,
“…do the examples of theft in the linked story really seem so huge and awful? …trucking away of orphans…Should they be left to fend for themselves or to wait for other relief agencies to show up?”
They may actually be instances of why the (albeit immoral) powers that be in Burma, take a hard line on foreign assistance, Thaksin also took a rather hostile view of foreign NGO operations and the intrusions into internal affairs that they represented.
Things would be different right now, and relief efforts possible, if Burma had had any intrinsic value to the US over the last 40 years. There would have been serious efforts to create good relations despite internal human rights abuses as there has been in countries that the US has deemed important such as China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and South Korea. Blaming it all on some paranoid and superstitious generals hunkered down in a foxhole hasn’t solved any problems, and these problems have existed for a long, long time.
Iraq’s strategic importance led ultimately to invasion and invasion led ultimately to the realisation among policymakers that they did not fully comprehend the situation. Burma, being strategically unimportant has led to only a meaningless, futile venting of emotion, while the country slipped down the drain (and now die in large numbers). Time for a new approach.
Wow,i was amazed by your snap shot.cuz i never knew that there’ll be Kachin restaurants in India!
We use “n-tsin” or “lu hka” for drinkin’ water in Lashio(Shan state,Burma).Frankly sayin’ i never ever heard about “tsapi ot tsahku” words in my entire life till now.We just call beer down there.If i ain’t wrong,we use different usage in diffrent province yah.
FYI:My Pop (he really is a master in Kachin language tho’.any question,i can ask him for ya?)
Yea,hpalap hka is my fav drink too…we can say Cheers with hpalap hka instead of Beer.(Lol..)
sign off for now.
I am no fan of the Burmese military and I know I risk being chastised for this comment, but do the examples of theft in the linked story really seem so huge and awful? Of course, these may be the tip of a very large iceberg, but I would have thought that the army getting some of this stuff is probably to be expected, especially if the military is coordinating the relief efforts. At the same time, as we know, the military in Burma is huge and their related families etc. also probably need assistance. The one issue deserving of attention is the trucking away of orphans. But does that amount to forcing them into the army? Should they be left to fend for themselves or to wait for other relief agencies to show up? I am sorry if this offends some people, but I went to the link for evidence of the Burmese military acting badly and came away a bit puzzled.
Jon, thanks for that personal account and I think it fits in fine with the notion of the gradient of Buddhist practice. Just trying to be a “decent” person is a very wholesome way to live. But still such a life, from a Buddhist perspective, leads towards nibbana even if someone doesn’t verbalise the term “nibbana“. But here do we come to the point that people of Christian, Hindu, Islamic or whatever faith who lead ‘wholesome’ lives are reborn as Buddhists? Possibly. While such a statement may make non-Buddhists cringe, this perspective nevertheless allows for a large degree of tolerance within Buddhism (and thus the syncretism that’s so ubiquitous). So long as an act of thought, speech or deed is done with wholesome (i.e. selfless) intention, it leads towards the cessation of the self, and it’s somewhat besides to point to argue about whether it’s Buddhism proper. Although, the Buddha on his deathbed did urge, “All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!“. So, I think the Buddhist take on things is that the shortest route to nibbana is superior to the long way around. Although Buddhism embraces a wide range of spiritual practice it nevertheless encourages people (according to their particular level of spiritual development) to move up the gradient of dhammic practice and towards the ultimate goal of nibbana.
Evaluating whether some belief is “Buddhist” seemingly depends on whether one is an anthropologist or a practicing Buddhist (not that one can’t be both).
I’m not completely sure that’s accurate. Even if you’re an anthropologist it seem reasonable to distinguish between “originated from Buddhism” or “originated from somewhere else” rather than simply label a people “Buddhist” then attribute everything they believe to “Buddhism.” Furthermore you also have the idea of practices, as you mention, which are either encouraged, simply “ok”, or discouraged by canonical Buddhism.
For example, I don’t see why monks would burn spirit houses since you could see this practice of building them as a sort of brahma-vihara whether there are actual spirits there or not.
What you say makes sense though if you’re an anthropologist without any knowledge of Buddhism (or perhaps history even) who approaches a group of people, accepts whatever label they give for their beliefs (such as “Buddhist”) then tries to infer what “Buddhist” means simply based on their beliefs. If this is the case then the same anthropologist probably should come to the conclusion that Santaria is simply Christianity or something. Regardless though, i think the anthropologist would have to admit that their label of “Buddhist” was entirely local to that group.
Nat worship and other popular practices are a Buddhist (i.e. nibbanic utilitarian) ‘good’ insofar as they allow Buddhism to embrace a wider audience without alienating those not interested in (or possibly, whose kamma is not ripe enough) scriptural study or vipassana.
This is exactly why I don’t see any problem with certain “superstitious” (from the point of view of westerners) beliefs. Some beliefs “lead toward”, some are basically neutral, and some do tend to “lead away” (like astrology).
Westerners are out of touch with what actual people in South East Asia believe? Are you a Westerner? Have you attended a Western university? How do you know?!
I’m a westerner and I’ve attend a Thai Theravada temple for quite some time. Unlike some westerners though I actually talk to the Thai people instead of just ignoring them and going on with Dhamma class or meditation. I’ve also been studying this issue on my own to some extent. The “westerners” that I was primarily thinking of were Buddhist westerners. My guess is that non-Buddhist westerners may be even less likely to know what anyone else in the world anywhere believes.
It is true that my experiences are anecdotal. The Thai people I’ve known have usually been more like “reform” Buddhists. I’m not a scholar but I have been trying to study this kind of stuff on my own from a “scholarly” perspective. Next I think I’m going to look up Winston King….
*** “you can’t say what is a legitimate significance.” for someone other than yourself***.. anyway, I post again to say that what Stephen says is a far superior response.
Stephen: “…from a Buddhist point of view a particular practice or doctrine is only ‘Buddhist’, per se, if it leads towards nibbana.”
On every Buddhist holy day my dear wife and my mother in law take a little basket of food and go to the monastery to feed all the people in our lives who are no longer with us on this planet earth (i.e. dead) and that includes my mother who died 30 years ago and our two pet dogs who died, and they they feed their spirits (I guess, any citations to the mechanics, history, precise terminology, of this sort of activity would be welcome). It is also probably relevant that they are Tai Lue, because I read somewhere (no systematic research) that Tai Lue unlike others, have rituals that involve **ancestors** (people in northern Thailand do have those spirit houses though). Maybe Terwiel’s book on comparative Tai ritual has details.
Anyway, my point is, that they are definitely **serious practicing Buddhists**, always observing the five precepts, and my mother in law the eight precepts sometimes, but apparently not preoccupied with “nibbana” like so many westerners are, just in being decent people, in fact I’ve never heard anyone in the family even mention the word or idea: nibbana. They are concerned about the danger of ghosts from time to time. I think they were just raised this way. Lucky.
Interesting contrasting media coverage of PMThaksin and ManCity. A year ago, it may have been the another way round! The three Thai players Ericksson ‘bought’ will also play for ManCity too according to the news. Scolari have resisted PMThaksin’s money and now Frank Rikaard (formerly of Barcelona) is the new target so the rumour goes. The best option (for the future of the team) is to kiss and make up with Ericksson I say.
The news that ASC’s investigations into PMThaksin’s and TRT government alleged corruption may be derailed sooner (for being ‘unconstitutional’) rather than later (through PPP’s constitution ‘amendment’) also speaks volumes about “Fair Play The Dr Thaksin Way”. It is possible that we’ll never get to see that “evidences” of corruption (that many in NM call for) – and not because there aren’t any. On the contrary, these developments points and confirms the opposite that there are probably too many cases/evidences of corruption.
You are really stupid р╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Ж
I don’t know about Handley’s background.
But,after I read the book.
90% р╕Др╕╖р╕нр╕кр╕┤р╣Ир╕Зр╕Чр╕╡р╣И I р╕гр╕╣р╣Й I р╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щ (р╕лр╕ер╕▓р╕вр╕Др╕Щр╕Бр╣Зр╕Др╕Зр╕гр╕╣р╣Йр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щр╣Ар╕лр╕бр╕╖р╕нр╕Щ I) р╣Бр╕Хр╣Ир╕Юр╕╣р╕Фр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╣Др╕Фр╣Й
10% I р╣Ар╕Бр╕┤р╕Фр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕Чр╕▒р╕Щр╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щ р╣Бр╕Хр╣Ир╕гр╕╣р╣Йр╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕З р╣Бр╕Хр╣Ир╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕нр╕вр╕▓р╕Бр╕кр╕гр╕╕р╕Ы
I р╕вр╕Бр╕вр╣Ир╕нр╕З Faraday , Edison, etc. р╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Др╕Щр╕Шр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕Фр╕▓р╕нр╕╡р╕Бр╕лр╕ер╕▓р╕вр╣Жр╕Др╕Щр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Чр╕│р╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╣Вр╕вр╕Кр╕Щр╣Мр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕Бр╕▒р╕Ър╕Кр╕▓р╕зр╣Вр╕ер╕Бр╕бр╕▓р╕Бр╕Бр╕зр╣Ир╕▓.
Thanks, Wendell, for the clarification. People rarely write about the procedural details of how the legal system works, and details do sometimes make a big difference in terms of how “justice” is reckoned.
For example, I know for a fact that rural people who get in traffic accidents in Bangkok and have their cases adjudicated on the scene by police officers, and who obviously can’t produce character witnesses on the spot, are at an extreme disadvantage. There was also an article in the Bangkok Post Perspective section several months ago about alleged injustices in pre-hearing arraignments.
As far as lese majeste goes, the details would be interesting, of how this not standing up in a movie theater case, **an act that was meant to be provocative**, but probably happens from time without incident, **got blown up into such a big case, presumably the intention of the provocateur, provoking even further legal conflict**, at a time in Thai politics when one would think **conflict resolution**, not conflict generation, would be sought.
*** I don’t mean that analysing spirituality is incorrect, I mean that trying to climb to some sort of moral truth through having a scientific deconstruction of a faith is irrelevant to people who have a significance to the faith, and therefore trying to use a deconstruction of the faith itself as a basis for determining right and wrong is hypocritical. It insists on social order being arbitrary and I can’t have a meal with someone in that sort of context, so good luck on the giddy ropes of misanthropy!
I think taking a scientific approach to analysing spirituality will see whomever barking up the wrong tree. Socially, of course there are differences in interpretations of Buddhism accross borders because there are different cultures, but to (in my eyes) imply that one is more legitimate than the other is irrelevant because you can’t say what is a legitimate significance. Trying to deconstruct faith only results in nothing… Maybe I don’t quite follow what your point is Robert, other than to confirm whatever it is you believe. Westerners are out of touch with what actual people in South East Asia believe? Are you a Westerner? Have you attended a Western university? How do you know?!
Dave Everett,
Your comment about religious groups meddling is very timely.
Just today I read an article about Patrick Klein, the head of a Christian ministry, Visions Beyond Borders. he and his cohorts are heading in to Burma to hand out bibles to all the displaced and starving people in the Irrawaddy delta.
A little salt and they should be very tasty.
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Prominent Thai websites in the firing line
What I would like to read are some examples of just what constitutes lese majeste: we hear that so and so has been charged but are left in the dark as to what it is she or he actually did or said -a rare exception is the recent ‘sitting’ case and the daubing of paint on a picture.
Of course, stating such details might itself be a breach of the LM law. Is that the case?
Scholarly comments on religion and the cyclone
Stephen, the first chapter of :
Tiyavanich, Kamala. Forest Recollections: Wandering Monks in Twentieth-Century Thailand. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997.
Contrasts wonderfully the scholarly Pali imaginaire with more localised rural “folk Buddhism.” (Over the last six months I’ve been studying Pali rather intensively (studying matching English-Pali sentences in Buddhadhata’s Pali Primers during the walk to work, while keeping an eye out for sixteen wheelers emerging into Bangkok streets, as well as Jatakas and Suttas at home), and it seems from reflecting on the vocabulary in these texts that the **frequency of occurence of the word “nibbana” itself in Pali texts isn’t really that high**. Perhaps expressions that express the idea of nibbana and the “cessation of samsara” are more common, like “putting out the lamp.” Steven Collins book has more of those metaphors, I think. In the suttas people are always gaining sudden realisation and becoming arhants and that’s technically “attaining nibbana” or “final cessation” I guess too.)
Evaluating whether some belief is “Buddhist” seemingly depends on whether one is an anthropologist or a practicing Buddhist (not that one can’t be both).
If the world wasn’t such a screwed up place with so many laws preventing people of different cultures from living with each other **everyone would be an anthropologist**.
Would you like Tsa Pi with that?
Thanks Ja San Ra,
I certainly appreciate your input. And it is interesting that “tsapi” isn’t a word you have ever heard used in the Shan State – even for the particularly pungent stuff that does the rounds at festivals, or other special occasions?
Happy to hear what your pop has to say, if you wouldn’t mind asking.
Aiontay and myself, and the other people who hang out on New Mandala with more than a passing interest in these places, are always keen to learn more.
Cheers, with hpalap, tsapi, n-tsin, or whatever takes your fancy,
Best wishes to all,
Nich
More excellent coverage from Rule of Lords
“…do the examples of theft in the linked story really seem so huge and awful? …trucking away of orphans…Should they be left to fend for themselves or to wait for other relief agencies to show up?”
They may actually be instances of why the (albeit immoral) powers that be in Burma, take a hard line on foreign assistance, Thaksin also took a rather hostile view of foreign NGO operations and the intrusions into internal affairs that they represented.
Things would be different right now, and relief efforts possible, if Burma had had any intrinsic value to the US over the last 40 years. There would have been serious efforts to create good relations despite internal human rights abuses as there has been in countries that the US has deemed important such as China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and South Korea. Blaming it all on some paranoid and superstitious generals hunkered down in a foxhole hasn’t solved any problems, and these problems have existed for a long, long time.
Iraq’s strategic importance led ultimately to invasion and invasion led ultimately to the realisation among policymakers that they did not fully comprehend the situation. Burma, being strategically unimportant has led to only a meaningless, futile venting of emotion, while the country slipped down the drain (and now die in large numbers). Time for a new approach.
Would you like Tsa Pi with that?
Wow,i was amazed by your snap shot.cuz i never knew that there’ll be Kachin restaurants in India!
We use “n-tsin” or “lu hka” for drinkin’ water in Lashio(Shan state,Burma).Frankly sayin’ i never ever heard about “tsapi ot tsahku” words in my entire life till now.We just call beer down there.If i ain’t wrong,we use different usage in diffrent province yah.
FYI:My Pop (he really is a master in Kachin language tho’.any question,i can ask him for ya?)
Yea,hpalap hka is my fav drink too…we can say Cheers with hpalap hka instead of Beer.(Lol..)
sign off for now.
The King Never Smiles?
Hi there,
Can you please tell me where “The Kind Never Smiles” by Paul M.Handley can be buy in Phnom Penh (Cambodia).
Thanks,
Rasey
More excellent coverage from Rule of Lords
I am no fan of the Burmese military and I know I risk being chastised for this comment, but do the examples of theft in the linked story really seem so huge and awful? Of course, these may be the tip of a very large iceberg, but I would have thought that the army getting some of this stuff is probably to be expected, especially if the military is coordinating the relief efforts. At the same time, as we know, the military in Burma is huge and their related families etc. also probably need assistance. The one issue deserving of attention is the trucking away of orphans. But does that amount to forcing them into the army? Should they be left to fend for themselves or to wait for other relief agencies to show up? I am sorry if this offends some people, but I went to the link for evidence of the Burmese military acting badly and came away a bit puzzled.
Thai style democracy – “Asian values” reborn?
Coup ruined our country.
=====================
http://www.sheddoe.com
Scholarly comments on religion and the cyclone
Jon, thanks for that personal account and I think it fits in fine with the notion of the gradient of Buddhist practice. Just trying to be a “decent” person is a very wholesome way to live. But still such a life, from a Buddhist perspective, leads towards nibbana even if someone doesn’t verbalise the term “nibbana“. But here do we come to the point that people of Christian, Hindu, Islamic or whatever faith who lead ‘wholesome’ lives are reborn as Buddhists? Possibly. While such a statement may make non-Buddhists cringe, this perspective nevertheless allows for a large degree of tolerance within Buddhism (and thus the syncretism that’s so ubiquitous). So long as an act of thought, speech or deed is done with wholesome (i.e. selfless) intention, it leads towards the cessation of the self, and it’s somewhat besides to point to argue about whether it’s Buddhism proper. Although, the Buddha on his deathbed did urge, “All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!“. So, I think the Buddhist take on things is that the shortest route to nibbana is superior to the long way around. Although Buddhism embraces a wide range of spiritual practice it nevertheless encourages people (according to their particular level of spiritual development) to move up the gradient of dhammic practice and towards the ultimate goal of nibbana.
Scholarly comments on religion and the cyclone
I’m not completely sure that’s accurate. Even if you’re an anthropologist it seem reasonable to distinguish between “originated from Buddhism” or “originated from somewhere else” rather than simply label a people “Buddhist” then attribute everything they believe to “Buddhism.” Furthermore you also have the idea of practices, as you mention, which are either encouraged, simply “ok”, or discouraged by canonical Buddhism.
For example, I don’t see why monks would burn spirit houses since you could see this practice of building them as a sort of brahma-vihara whether there are actual spirits there or not.
What you say makes sense though if you’re an anthropologist without any knowledge of Buddhism (or perhaps history even) who approaches a group of people, accepts whatever label they give for their beliefs (such as “Buddhist”) then tries to infer what “Buddhist” means simply based on their beliefs. If this is the case then the same anthropologist probably should come to the conclusion that Santaria is simply Christianity or something. Regardless though, i think the anthropologist would have to admit that their label of “Buddhist” was entirely local to that group.
This is exactly why I don’t see any problem with certain “superstitious” (from the point of view of westerners) beliefs. Some beliefs “lead toward”, some are basically neutral, and some do tend to “lead away” (like astrology).
I’m a westerner and I’ve attend a Thai Theravada temple for quite some time. Unlike some westerners though I actually talk to the Thai people instead of just ignoring them and going on with Dhamma class or meditation. I’ve also been studying this issue on my own to some extent. The “westerners” that I was primarily thinking of were Buddhist westerners. My guess is that non-Buddhist westerners may be even less likely to know what anyone else in the world anywhere believes.
It is true that my experiences are anecdotal. The Thai people I’ve known have usually been more like “reform” Buddhists. I’m not a scholar but I have been trying to study this kind of stuff on my own from a “scholarly” perspective. Next I think I’m going to look up Winston King….
Scholarly comments on religion and the cyclone
re: jonfernquest
See here.
Scholarly comments on religion and the cyclone
*** “you can’t say what is a legitimate significance.” for someone other than yourself***.. anyway, I post again to say that what Stephen says is a far superior response.
Scholarly comments on religion and the cyclone
Stephen: “…from a Buddhist point of view a particular practice or doctrine is only ‘Buddhist’, per se, if it leads towards nibbana.”
On every Buddhist holy day my dear wife and my mother in law take a little basket of food and go to the monastery to feed all the people in our lives who are no longer with us on this planet earth (i.e. dead) and that includes my mother who died 30 years ago and our two pet dogs who died, and they they feed their spirits (I guess, any citations to the mechanics, history, precise terminology, of this sort of activity would be welcome). It is also probably relevant that they are Tai Lue, because I read somewhere (no systematic research) that Tai Lue unlike others, have rituals that involve **ancestors** (people in northern Thailand do have those spirit houses though). Maybe Terwiel’s book on comparative Tai ritual has details.
Anyway, my point is, that they are definitely **serious practicing Buddhists**, always observing the five precepts, and my mother in law the eight precepts sometimes, but apparently not preoccupied with “nibbana” like so many westerners are, just in being decent people, in fact I’ve never heard anyone in the family even mention the word or idea: nibbana. They are concerned about the danger of ghosts from time to time. I think they were just raised this way. Lucky.
http://hi-thaksin.net/
Fair Play The Dr Thaksin Way
http://football.guardian.co.uk/Fiver/0,,2279237,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=football
How Thaksin turned from saviour to sinner in a single season
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/14/manchestercity?gusrc=rss&feed=football
‘р╕кр╣Ар╕зр╕Щ’р╕Щр╣Нр╕▓р╕Чр╕▒р╕Ю р╣Ар╕гр╕╖р╕нр╣Гр╕Ър╕Цр╕╢р╕Зр╣Др╕Чр╕в
http://www.thairath.co.th/news.php?section=sports&content=89834
Interesting contrasting media coverage of PMThaksin and ManCity. A year ago, it may have been the another way round! The three Thai players Ericksson ‘bought’ will also play for ManCity too according to the news. Scolari have resisted PMThaksin’s money and now Frank Rikaard (formerly of Barcelona) is the new target so the rumour goes. The best option (for the future of the team) is to kiss and make up with Ericksson I say.
The news that ASC’s investigations into PMThaksin’s and TRT government alleged corruption may be derailed sooner (for being ‘unconstitutional’) rather than later (through PPP’s constitution ‘amendment’) also speaks volumes about “Fair Play The Dr Thaksin Way”. It is possible that we’ll never get to see that “evidences” of corruption (that many in NM call for) – and not because there aren’t any. On the contrary, these developments points and confirms the opposite that there are probably too many cases/evidences of corruption.
The King Never Smiles?
Hey Khon Thai,are you kidding?
You are really stupid р╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Жр╣Ж
I don’t know about Handley’s background.
But,after I read the book.
90% р╕Др╕╖р╕нр╕кр╕┤р╣Ир╕Зр╕Чр╕╡р╣И I р╕гр╕╣р╣Й I р╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щ (р╕лр╕ер╕▓р╕вр╕Др╕Щр╕Бр╣Зр╕Др╕Зр╕гр╕╣р╣Йр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щр╣Ар╕лр╕бр╕╖р╕нр╕Щ I) р╣Бр╕Хр╣Ир╕Юр╕╣р╕Фр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╣Др╕Фр╣Й
10% I р╣Ар╕Бр╕┤р╕Фр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕Чр╕▒р╕Щр╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щ р╣Бр╕Хр╣Ир╕гр╕╣р╣Йр╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕З р╣Бр╕Хр╣Ир╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕нр╕вр╕▓р╕Бр╕кр╕гр╕╕р╕Ы
I р╕вр╕Бр╕вр╣Ир╕нр╕З Faraday , Edison, etc. р╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Др╕Щр╕Шр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕Фр╕▓р╕нр╕╡р╕Бр╕лр╕ер╕▓р╕вр╣Жр╕Др╕Щр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Чр╕│р╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╣Вр╕вр╕Кр╕Щр╣Мр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕Бр╕▒р╕Ър╕Кр╕▓р╕зр╣Вр╕ер╕Бр╕бр╕▓р╕Бр╕Бр╕зр╣Ир╕▓.
Thanks Somsak Jeamteerasakul ,for new knowledge.
Prominent Thai websites in the firing line
Thanks, Wendell, for the clarification. People rarely write about the procedural details of how the legal system works, and details do sometimes make a big difference in terms of how “justice” is reckoned.
For example, I know for a fact that rural people who get in traffic accidents in Bangkok and have their cases adjudicated on the scene by police officers, and who obviously can’t produce character witnesses on the spot, are at an extreme disadvantage. There was also an article in the Bangkok Post Perspective section several months ago about alleged injustices in pre-hearing arraignments.
As far as lese majeste goes, the details would be interesting, of how this not standing up in a movie theater case, **an act that was meant to be provocative**, but probably happens from time without incident, **got blown up into such a big case, presumably the intention of the provocateur, provoking even further legal conflict**, at a time in Thai politics when one would think **conflict resolution**, not conflict generation, would be sought.
Scholarly comments on religion and the cyclone
*** I don’t mean that analysing spirituality is incorrect, I mean that trying to climb to some sort of moral truth through having a scientific deconstruction of a faith is irrelevant to people who have a significance to the faith, and therefore trying to use a deconstruction of the faith itself as a basis for determining right and wrong is hypocritical. It insists on social order being arbitrary and I can’t have a meal with someone in that sort of context, so good luck on the giddy ropes of misanthropy!
Scholarly comments on religion and the cyclone
I think taking a scientific approach to analysing spirituality will see whomever barking up the wrong tree. Socially, of course there are differences in interpretations of Buddhism accross borders because there are different cultures, but to (in my eyes) imply that one is more legitimate than the other is irrelevant because you can’t say what is a legitimate significance. Trying to deconstruct faith only results in nothing… Maybe I don’t quite follow what your point is Robert, other than to confirm whatever it is you believe. Westerners are out of touch with what actual people in South East Asia believe? Are you a Westerner? Have you attended a Western university? How do you know?!
Volunteering to fight in Burma
Dave Everett,
Your comment about religious groups meddling is very timely.
Just today I read an article about Patrick Klein, the head of a Christian ministry, Visions Beyond Borders. he and his cohorts are heading in to Burma to hand out bibles to all the displaced and starving people in the Irrawaddy delta.
A little salt and they should be very tasty.
Blog by Burma director of Save the Children
“And this is in an area where at least a third of children were chronically malnourished before the cyclone. ” Is that a result of the sanctions?