“It is democratic politics in Thailand, Malaysia, China, that says do business with Burma“, Democratic politics? Are these the same democratic politics that say human rights arguments are neo-colonial attempts to undermine peace and prosperity and threaten the “non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty” and that claim Asian values prefer submissive populations and unaccountable paternalistic rulers? Or perhaps it’s elite politics that say do business with Burma. As (Philipino) Waldon Bello so eloquently put it, “‘When I first came across Lee’s list of supposed Asian values, I saw values that were not so much specific to Asian culture but good British upper class Tory values dear to threatened elites everywhere.” When “writing on Burma is done solely by rigorous analysts like the authors of these reports” and human rights activists and local (non-elite) people have been effectively silenced it will be a sad day for the Asian poor who, despite the claim that “Asia itself has largely ended poverty” nevertheless still exist in their hundreds of millions. I should tell that family on my street who get by on what they can scavenge and sell from the rubbish bin not to worry since their poverty has “largely” ended.
It may seeem that this KFC’s policy is appreciated and other fastfood enterprises should follow. The policy is indeed providing the deaf staffs better life and incomes to support their families.
However, I am not sure that this opportunity given to the deaf will be the benefit for them in the long term. ( I am a liitle pessimistic. 🙂 )
Namely, by the nature of selling system of KFC or any fastfood restuarants, the employees must forever be the employees. That’s because they will be fixed in one position and do their duties all the working hours. For example, fry chicken, make burgers ,toast bread, and etc.
This may be right and proper according to the division of labour doctrine. But I think that working like this renders people become a machine or a small part in the big Fordian line system.
(I don’t know whether there is anyone can own the resturant after being employed in such fastfood resturant, but I really hope there will be some. ) The working condition in such fastfood restuarants remind me about the movie “Modern time” (1936) starred by Charles Chaplin, for the labourers in the factory were fixed in one spot and did the same thing all day. In the movie, Charles must screw tight a few knots all day, and though finishing work in the evening his hands couldn’t stop screwing.
Besides ( I am starting to be more pessimistic. ) I think this policy is very tricky. That KFC employs the local disadvantaged people is the subtle tricky approach to reduce the resistance to the foreign investment and to gain the good image as a foreign corporation which do care about humanity and has social reponsibiltiy. Thus with this policy of hiring the deaf ( whom I believe that they have working capability as much as normal people but may be received lower wages), KFC become accepted by the local actors and its other exploiting activities are ignored or even forgetten. As far as I’m concerned, the Colonel’s menus are not worse than those of Mcdonald.
Not only Testco Lotus , Mcdonald should be protested, but also KFC.
Wow! It is almost like 2006 all over again – just that the protestors are English/ManCity fans and not Thai/anti-Thaksinites!!! Thanks AjarnChris for the samplers – they are gems.
Jonfernquest, I suspect that PMThaksin’s marketing research was conducted in Thailand amongst the millions of EPL fans – not England or ManCity fans (if past actions (e.g. the proposed buying of Liverpool) can be considered as evidences, he doesn’t care about ManCity, their fans – or football for that matter). This is about making instant media impact amongst Thai voters – and just the rumors of Luiz Felipe Scolari or Jose Mourinho taking over alone should generate a lot of news and excitement.
Would this lead to a ‘coup’ at ManCity? A fans (or another rich businessman) buyout? Personally I don’t think this will happen in the immediate term – as long as ManCity is useful for Thai media promotion (think Ericksson flying over to buy three Thai players; ManCity players accompanying PMThaksin back to Thailand; and the latest stunt, PMThaksin’s name on the Thai flag) – which should be as long as PMThakin’s political exile…
What he seems willing to risk here is exposing his ‘true’ self to the foreign media and they may eventually have less sympathy for the self-proclaimed ‘hero of Thai democracy’. I suspect that he does not care (“the UN is not my father”) – as the most powerful man in Thailand and especially once he also gets his PM post and money back… Maybe Teth’s comments on the Burmese Junta’s “shamelessness and obviousness” might even apply in Thailand then (if the past serves as evidence, especially in terms of the ‘rule of law’, ‘corruption’ and ‘human rights’).
The Internet makes detective work easy, a quick look at the BBC website and the videos on this channel http://www.youtube.com/user/Jakapob and you know that something is going on. These cases seem like real evil attacks on the Thai monarchy to any bystander.
I think the more recent Cinema Chotisak and Thaksin the Flag stories are an attempt evil forces to misuse the Lese Majeste law and help hide the real cases of organised political crime and media fiddling by Jakrapob and the BBC filed by this Colonel Boong chap which is the real can of worms.
Jakrapob is apparently attacking and squeezing the media hard to keep his own evil activities from making headlines – it looks like we have a Thaksin Dictatorship here in Thailand once again, I remember Thaksin saying in the videos to vote for PPP 🙂
Strange that the Democrats and Thailand’s Special Branch ignore this evil plot and pursue stupid unknown photocopy rubbish! Although Thaksin still has power in Thailand it will be interesting to see how he escapes this time – can money still talk to the police?
The books reviewed are all fine books that provide needed background information….but
“The political landscape described by the authors benefits unscrupulous investors, and its picture of chaos, low-intensity war and desperate poverty suits the plunderers, which is why Burma’s covetous neighbors–China, Thailand and India–and many investors from Russia and Singapore like what they see.”
“Unscrupulous, plunderers suited by extreme poverty, covetous neighbors”?
Right, it’s best not to do business with a poor country and turn all their people into even poorer migrant labourer slaves in other countries (cf. earlier shrimp report) ?!?!?
Economic sanctions causes textile mills to close down, causes females to seek employment elsewhere, brothels, migrant labourers, etc, etc..
If Asia itself has largely ended poverty, it has done so through its own economic policies and wisdom, not through paternalistic tutoring by by the US government, George Soros, or Australian human rights “experts.”
It is democratic politics in Thailand, Malaysia, China, that says do business with Burma, even in the face of bullying by the American government to act against this democratic outcome.
It will be a nice day indeed when writing on Burma is done solely by rigorous analysts like the authors of these reports, rather than the severely challenged human rights “experts” who really need the reports.
I remember thinking when I was in Pokhara and looking at the network of kids who had maimed themselves along New Road to gain better pity points for passers by, that surely the government could have employed them to do something, and so if a private, foreign corporation can take that over role, it is a clear failure for the previous governance which cannot be blamed on anything other than the leadership – holding Ghana as an example of what can happen with good leadership (…maybe Prachanda is not all that, but at least he’s a breath of fresh air before I am called a relativist for democratic communism.)
I was led to believe that a local can rent a single room place (no water) in Pokhara for 400 n. rupee a week, but if one of these kids wants to eat then they cant afford rent and vice versa. So the choice is obviously food and exist 24 hrs on the street – so if theres only one broked hearted foreigner per week – they’re there when they pass by and survival ensured.
What if along with pay – KFC or whomever, also allowed employees for 2 meals a day? This way, overall living is much more manageable. I know being on the street is much worse than my corporate reservations … Business does seem the best option for social welfare while there is inadequate, indecisive, self interested soap opera governance. That might even be a universal!
Dave,
I look forward to reading your book. I’m always looking for information on foreigners who assisted the KNLA.
If you don’t mind, would you please tell me – us – why the foreign military assistance went off the rails and pretty much died out.
I know that in the past, several foreigners spent considerable amounts of time with the KNLA, not a week here, a few days there.
A short while back I saw a program that featured an American who has been living with the KNLA for several years. He’s supposedly ex special forces with service in Viet Nam, and stayed in Asia after ending his military career.
The media likes to portray these guys as mercenaries, but I doubt that few, if any, were actually paid. The KNLA is a real shoe string operation, so the money for mercenaries just isn’t there.
re-the New Light of Myanmar (NLM) article. It is relatively accurate in its depiction of events at that time regarding foreign soldiers and the KNLA but certainly not the French and US doctors and nurses. I met quite a few of these aid workers, and they had absolutely nothing to do with the politics in the region or the KNLA. They were simply there to help refugees and Karen villagers who had no access to medical help or money to pay for it. The ones I met made it clear to me that they were there on humanitarian grounds only. They were wonderful selfless people doing an extremely difficult job with little or no resources except for their medical expertise. I am saddened that the NLM actually printed that piece about the medical people, it was unhelpful and untrue. They were providing medical assistance to people who could not get it from the military government in Burma, it is that simple. But Unfortunately truth is always the first casualty of war.
Teth: I definitely do not subscribe to that myth.
I just think things could have been much worse, although I also concede they could be much better.
(for instance, fairness and transparency in the administration of the rule of law would be a good start).
One of the great texts of Thai politics in the past year has been the blog on the Manchester Evening News. When Thaksin bought the club, and some of the British press drew attention to the drug-war killings, corrupt sources of wealth, and dictatorial behaviour, the dominant theme of the bloggers was: we don’t care how many people he killed or fleeced in funny little Asia as long as we win games. Ah, religion! In the last few hours, the blog has gone mad. Sentiment is about 9:1 against Frank, there is a save-Sven petition, and talk of protests at the coming games. Familiar? The current thread is here Below is a sampler.
======================
Lets wait until the end of the season, the guys certainly not a fool and I have a feeling he would shoot everyone else in the foot before himself.
Thaksin will take this club the way Leeds have gone. He needs to be ousted immediately. Just when you thought things were going pretty nicely, you get this bombshell. Sven is the best manager we’ve had for ages. O.k at times his tactics and team selections have baffled us, but at least the players seem to want to play for him. what a huge step backwards for this club. I’ve finished with city now and I hope several more thousand stay away in protest next season
Frank is a dictator over in Thailand but we as fans need to make him aware that in this country we won’t put up with a dictatorship at Manchester City,any city fan renewing there season ticket,well thats your choice but all your doing is adding fuel to the fire and saying ok Thaksin you can do what you want we will follow you like sheep
Is there a protest being arranged outside the ground? Does any one know?
Thaksin – almost overnight you turned our club from being a running joke (when we didn’t score at home after Xmas) into a club that was respected. You have now turned it back into a joke again – well done!
Noel Gallagher reckons that ‘Frank’ is a bit of a nutcase. He does look a bit short of stuff upstairs, I have to admit.
But its never been a secret that raising his OWN profile in Asia and Thailand was always on Thaksin’s agenda,…
All the excitement, all the promise we felt gone in an instant!
The worst fears about this man taking over our club rumbling in tandem have now become horrifically true. We now have a dictator and his familly in charge who know zilch about football and care even less about the fans or this clubs tradition. All he wants is to score political points and pave his way to acceptability in Thailand.The sooner the whole sorry lot of them go there permenantly the better and give us our club back!!
Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT
Dr Shinawatra has set his stall out now. THIS is how I’m going to run this club ladies and gentlemen. I might ask your opinion occasionally but ultimately if i want to do it…I’ll just do it. How long will it be before other members of the staff think…stuff this for a game of soldiers? If that’s how he treats someone who’s done well???
Apart from the disgusting treatment, the sacking of Sven isn’t the main reason for concern and upset. The reason for serious concern is that the owner is interfering with decisions he shouldn’t. Regardless of the fact the Thai clown has bought the club (however with funds questionable earned) he should not and I repeat not, interfer with any managerial decisions. If he’s allowed to do that without any resistance, he will continue to do so with whichever manager we’ll have, eventually leading to no manager will be interested in the job. That is why I urge every true fan to stop naming possible successors and accepting the mess, and stand up for the manager instead.
Thaksin has really no idea just what he’s started. He’s completely gone back on his 3 – year commitment (year1 top ten finish).
shinawatra is a ruthless despot whose power does not take anybody elses opinion into account.MCFC is an investment. Fans should make sure it becomes a bad investment and STAY AWAY
The club is being run on a whim, from a few thousand miles away. I have no doubt that the Board will be sacked too (i.e. Mackintosh, Bodek and Wardle) and I think that’s a good thing. They are shop keepers and we need a management structure more fitting for a supermarket chain. However, I am beginning to wonder whether Frank is a good businessman or a just a dicatator backed up by a few dodgy business deals.
The guy is a top businessman and he expects results and when the results are not to his satisfaction he takes action, end of!!
What do the board expect? If you drink with the devil that is what happens.
Nganadeeleg, I will counter your relativist drivel with this question, how much criticism and denunciation has occurred with regards to those events? On the other hand, has justice been had to those who were brutally (shall we compare the brutality of events as well?) slain in the 1970s? Furthermore, I would have liked to ask the rhetorical question “Do these occurrences and context excuse murder?” but you’ve already answered that network monarchy is despicable.
As long as you don’t subscribe to the myth that the monarchy is an irreplaceable, supernatural force that has singlehandedly kept the country together and is the essence of Thailand, I will agree to disagree about the pro’s and con’s of a Republican reform, the outcome of which is far too uncertain for any of us to determine, let alone whip up mass hysteria (a la Sondhi L) based on such fears.
PMThaksin has been making very huge decisions lately from plans to dismantle the whole 2007 Constitution (predictibly meddling the the independent bodies and freeing himself and the 11o other TRT executives from political exile) and also shutting down the hi-Thaksin website. This is sending out multiple signals as he intends it to. PMThaksin is as busy as ever – and, as usual, I suggest NM closely monitor his movements if we’d like to know the fate and future of Thailand… If there’s a ‘network monarchist’ movement, they’ve lost the will and appetite (not to mention ruthlessness which PMThaksin has in abundance) long, long time ago. But we can still continue barking up the wrong tree if it makes us happy!
My reading here is that in closing the hi-thaksin website, he is showing maturity and tactical nous. The actions of his red-shirt supporters outside Thammasat must have warned him that things can easily get out of hand if he plays the violence (or threat of violence) card. He has the number, money and influence to get what he wants through parliament and he need not give PAD and his opponents media space – one of the fatal mistake he committed last time. He is betting (and taking the right actions to ensure) that they’ll be no large street protest like last time… Once he amends the constitution, dismantles the Election Commission and Counter Corruption Commission, he will be in the clear to make a grand comeback with his unfrozen billions…
But, with his well-known impatience (as well as unwillingness to consult and intolerance of opposing opinions) he is bound to make critical mistakes along the way. The appointment of PMSamak as his nominee (who, I am certain, will do anything to ‘be his own man’ and govern the full term. LuangPor Koon just gave a blessing that he is PM for more than 4 years which must make PMSamak a very happy old man) is already haunting him. The firing of Ericksson reflects these tendencies (the fans are happy, the players are happy, the sports pressed were impressed with Ericksson – PMThaksin is not happy as finishing top 10 in the EPL is not generating enough good PR in Thailand!!!)…
New Mandala readers who can’t wait for Everett’s forthcoming book – but who still want to learn more about those years along the border – may find interest in this extract from The New Light of Myanmar in the early 1990s:
Influx of West bloc mercenaries among the KNU. The first were “French, Belgian and Australian stragglers,” especially French. “A group of doctors and nurses who called themselves ‘Medicins san Frontieres {sic},’ joined the KNU, followed by a handful of rogue soldiers.” In 1985 a French mercenary named Jean-Philippe Coureges Clercq was killed and an Australian named Martin Donnelly (known as Sonny Wingate) was wounded during a Tatmadaw offensive against the KNU. A 10-man group of Belgians, French, British, and Franco-Khmers was led by the Belgian Jimmy Vogler. In March 1986, a French commando instructor gave a course to the KNU, after which a Frenchman named Olivier led an attack. Also in 1986 a 19-man group of American doctors and nurses arrived at the KNU camp in November, and another five Japanese and French doctors in December. “In November 1988, a US Republican Senator stole into Myanmar territory from across the border. He met the misled students then seeking shelter in KNU camps and encouraged them to rush down the path to doom. A Mr Joseph {sic} Silverstein who is said to be an expert on Myanmar politics paid a call on Bo Mya. The same year, a certain Colonel Blue from the US came to confer with Bo Mya and KIA chief Brang Seng.”
The source is the Burma Press Summary available here. I’m sure we will get a different side of the story when Shadow Warrior is released. If any New Mandala readers want to volunteer to write a review please do get in touch.
These are very intriguing analysis and discussions on violence in the Thai South. I would also like to see LSS and others review and analyze the documentary “Citizen Juling”, which I think provides an excellent source (if not the best, apart from actually living there) of primary data of events in the southernmost provinces. I am certain we will benefit from it. I understand that very few would have seen the documentary with only limited screening so far (limited invitation in Thailand and a few sessions in Australia’s state capitals) – and maybe it is worth contacting the makers – KhunIng K, Ajarn Kraisak Choonhavan and Ajarn Manit Sriwanichpoom – directly (or through Ajarn Michael Connors – as Latrobe University sponsored the Melbourne screening)…
I worked with the KNLA on and off from 1986 through until 1991. I have a book coming out on 30 June 2008 SHADOW WARRIOR published by Penguin in Australia. Unlike Mr Blemming, I spent a long time fighting alohgside and training KNLA troops. I did meet quite a few other foreigners whilst I was there, some good, some not so good. I can confirm that foreigners do fight alongside and train KNLA soldiers. One of my friends, Martin Donnely, was severely wounded there in 1985 and died of his woulds back here in Australia.
It’s all in my book if you want to have an informative view of the situation when I was there.
Cheers,
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“Balkanization” and Burma’s tragedies
“It is democratic politics in Thailand, Malaysia, China, that says do business with Burma“, Democratic politics? Are these the same democratic politics that say human rights arguments are neo-colonial attempts to undermine peace and prosperity and threaten the “non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty” and that claim Asian values prefer submissive populations and unaccountable paternalistic rulers? Or perhaps it’s elite politics that say do business with Burma. As (Philipino) Waldon Bello so eloquently put it, “‘When I first came across Lee’s list of supposed Asian values, I saw values that were not so much specific to Asian culture but good British upper class Tory values dear to threatened elites everywhere.” When “writing on Burma is done solely by rigorous analysts like the authors of these reports” and human rights activists and local (non-elite) people have been effectively silenced it will be a sad day for the Asian poor who, despite the claim that “Asia itself has largely ended poverty” nevertheless still exist in their hundreds of millions. I should tell that family on my street who get by on what they can scavenge and sell from the rubbish bin not to worry since their poverty has “largely” ended.
Popcorn Chicken in Phnom Penh – yes please…
It may seeem that this KFC’s policy is appreciated and other fastfood enterprises should follow. The policy is indeed providing the deaf staffs better life and incomes to support their families.
However, I am not sure that this opportunity given to the deaf will be the benefit for them in the long term. ( I am a liitle pessimistic. 🙂 )
Namely, by the nature of selling system of KFC or any fastfood restuarants, the employees must forever be the employees. That’s because they will be fixed in one position and do their duties all the working hours. For example, fry chicken, make burgers ,toast bread, and etc.
This may be right and proper according to the division of labour doctrine. But I think that working like this renders people become a machine or a small part in the big Fordian line system.
(I don’t know whether there is anyone can own the resturant after being employed in such fastfood resturant, but I really hope there will be some. ) The working condition in such fastfood restuarants remind me about the movie “Modern time” (1936) starred by Charles Chaplin, for the labourers in the factory were fixed in one spot and did the same thing all day. In the movie, Charles must screw tight a few knots all day, and though finishing work in the evening his hands couldn’t stop screwing.
Besides ( I am starting to be more pessimistic. ) I think this policy is very tricky. That KFC employs the local disadvantaged people is the subtle tricky approach to reduce the resistance to the foreign investment and to gain the good image as a foreign corporation which do care about humanity and has social reponsibiltiy. Thus with this policy of hiring the deaf ( whom I believe that they have working capability as much as normal people but may be received lower wages), KFC become accepted by the local actors and its other exploiting activities are ignored or even forgetten. As far as I’m concerned, the Colonel’s menus are not worse than those of Mcdonald.
Not only Testco Lotus , Mcdonald should be protested, but also KFC.
http://hi-thaksin.net/
Wow! It is almost like 2006 all over again – just that the protestors are English/ManCity fans and not Thai/anti-Thaksinites!!! Thanks AjarnChris for the samplers – they are gems.
Jonfernquest, I suspect that PMThaksin’s marketing research was conducted in Thailand amongst the millions of EPL fans – not England or ManCity fans (if past actions (e.g. the proposed buying of Liverpool) can be considered as evidences, he doesn’t care about ManCity, their fans – or football for that matter). This is about making instant media impact amongst Thai voters – and just the rumors of Luiz Felipe Scolari or Jose Mourinho taking over alone should generate a lot of news and excitement.
Would this lead to a ‘coup’ at ManCity? A fans (or another rich businessman) buyout? Personally I don’t think this will happen in the immediate term – as long as ManCity is useful for Thai media promotion (think Ericksson flying over to buy three Thai players; ManCity players accompanying PMThaksin back to Thailand; and the latest stunt, PMThaksin’s name on the Thai flag) – which should be as long as PMThakin’s political exile…
What he seems willing to risk here is exposing his ‘true’ self to the foreign media and they may eventually have less sympathy for the self-proclaimed ‘hero of Thai democracy’. I suspect that he does not care (“the UN is not my father”) – as the most powerful man in Thailand and especially once he also gets his PM post and money back… Maybe Teth’s comments on the Burmese Junta’s “shamelessness and obviousness” might even apply in Thailand then (if the past serves as evidence, especially in terms of the ‘rule of law’, ‘corruption’ and ‘human rights’).
“Balkanization” and Burma’s tragedies
“Unscrupulous, plunderers suited by extreme poverty”? Sounds like a pretty good description of the curremt regime, doesn’t it?
Yeah, the US is pretty paternalisitic, but geez my family has know that since at least 1837, if not earlier. So what else is new?
Who actually controls the economy in Burma? It’s the “Maha Bandoola insects”, not George Soros.
Popcorn Chicken in Phnom Penh – yes please…
[…] […]
Lèse majesté and the BBC
The Internet makes detective work easy, a quick look at the BBC website and the videos on this channel http://www.youtube.com/user/Jakapob and you know that something is going on. These cases seem like real evil attacks on the Thai monarchy to any bystander.
I think the more recent Cinema Chotisak and Thaksin the Flag stories are an attempt evil forces to misuse the Lese Majeste law and help hide the real cases of organised political crime and media fiddling by Jakrapob and the BBC filed by this Colonel Boong chap which is the real can of worms.
Jakrapob is apparently attacking and squeezing the media hard to keep his own evil activities from making headlines – it looks like we have a Thaksin Dictatorship here in Thailand once again, I remember Thaksin saying in the videos to vote for PPP 🙂
Strange that the Democrats and Thailand’s Special Branch ignore this evil plot and pursue stupid unknown photocopy rubbish! Although Thaksin still has power in Thailand it will be interesting to see how he escapes this time – can money still talk to the police?
“Balkanization” and Burma’s tragedies
The books reviewed are all fine books that provide needed background information….but
“The political landscape described by the authors benefits unscrupulous investors, and its picture of chaos, low-intensity war and desperate poverty suits the plunderers, which is why Burma’s covetous neighbors–China, Thailand and India–and many investors from Russia and Singapore like what they see.”
“Unscrupulous, plunderers suited by extreme poverty, covetous neighbors”?
Right, it’s best not to do business with a poor country and turn all their people into even poorer migrant labourer slaves in other countries (cf. earlier shrimp report) ?!?!?
Economic sanctions causes textile mills to close down, causes females to seek employment elsewhere, brothels, migrant labourers, etc, etc..
If Asia itself has largely ended poverty, it has done so through its own economic policies and wisdom, not through paternalistic tutoring by by the US government, George Soros, or Australian human rights “experts.”
It is democratic politics in Thailand, Malaysia, China, that says do business with Burma, even in the face of bullying by the American government to act against this democratic outcome.
It will be a nice day indeed when writing on Burma is done solely by rigorous analysts like the authors of these reports, rather than the severely challenged human rights “experts” who really need the reports.
http://hi-thaksin.net/
I wonder if Thaksin: 1. anticipated this reaction to the firing of Sven at Manchester, or 2. didn’t anticipate it and now regrets it?
I remember one columnist arguing that one of the secrets of Thaksin’s success was his marketing research, i.e. knowing what customers or voters want.
Did he mess up this time or he just being the Genghis Khan he once touted himself to be?
Popcorn Chicken in Phnom Penh – yes please…
I remember thinking when I was in Pokhara and looking at the network of kids who had maimed themselves along New Road to gain better pity points for passers by, that surely the government could have employed them to do something, and so if a private, foreign corporation can take that over role, it is a clear failure for the previous governance which cannot be blamed on anything other than the leadership – holding Ghana as an example of what can happen with good leadership (…maybe Prachanda is not all that, but at least he’s a breath of fresh air before I am called a relativist for democratic communism.)
I was led to believe that a local can rent a single room place (no water) in Pokhara for 400 n. rupee a week, but if one of these kids wants to eat then they cant afford rent and vice versa. So the choice is obviously food and exist 24 hrs on the street – so if theres only one broked hearted foreigner per week – they’re there when they pass by and survival ensured.
What if along with pay – KFC or whomever, also allowed employees for 2 meals a day? This way, overall living is much more manageable. I know being on the street is much worse than my corporate reservations … Business does seem the best option for social welfare while there is inadequate, indecisive, self interested soap opera governance. That might even be a universal!
Reporting from Naypyidaw…or Sittwe…or Traders Hotel
I’d really like to see the face of Burma’s first post-constitutional (civilian?) government.
Volunteering to fight in Burma
Dave,
I look forward to reading your book. I’m always looking for information on foreigners who assisted the KNLA.
If you don’t mind, would you please tell me – us – why the foreign military assistance went off the rails and pretty much died out.
I know that in the past, several foreigners spent considerable amounts of time with the KNLA, not a week here, a few days there.
A short while back I saw a program that featured an American who has been living with the KNLA for several years. He’s supposedly ex special forces with service in Viet Nam, and stayed in Asia after ending his military career.
The media likes to portray these guys as mercenaries, but I doubt that few, if any, were actually paid. The KNLA is a real shoe string operation, so the money for mercenaries just isn’t there.
Volunteering to fight in Burma
Hi Nich,
re-the New Light of Myanmar (NLM) article. It is relatively accurate in its depiction of events at that time regarding foreign soldiers and the KNLA but certainly not the French and US doctors and nurses. I met quite a few of these aid workers, and they had absolutely nothing to do with the politics in the region or the KNLA. They were simply there to help refugees and Karen villagers who had no access to medical help or money to pay for it. The ones I met made it clear to me that they were there on humanitarian grounds only. They were wonderful selfless people doing an extremely difficult job with little or no resources except for their medical expertise. I am saddened that the NLM actually printed that piece about the medical people, it was unhelpful and untrue. They were providing medical assistance to people who could not get it from the military government in Burma, it is that simple. But Unfortunately truth is always the first casualty of war.
Cheers,
Dave
http://hi-thaksin.net/
Man City fans seem quite a fickle bunch…. Anyways, I think Thaksin and City are a match made in heaven.
Taking a stand against lèse majesté
Teth: I definitely do not subscribe to that myth.
I just think things could have been much worse, although I also concede they could be much better.
(for instance, fairness and transparency in the administration of the rule of law would be a good start).
http://hi-thaksin.net/
Thanks Sidh.
One of the great texts of Thai politics in the past year has been the blog on the Manchester Evening News. When Thaksin bought the club, and some of the British press drew attention to the drug-war killings, corrupt sources of wealth, and dictatorial behaviour, the dominant theme of the bloggers was: we don’t care how many people he killed or fleeced in funny little Asia as long as we win games. Ah, religion! In the last few hours, the blog has gone mad. Sentiment is about 9:1 against Frank, there is a save-Sven petition, and talk of protests at the coming games. Familiar? The current thread is here Below is a sampler.
======================
Lets wait until the end of the season, the guys certainly not a fool and I have a feeling he would shoot everyone else in the foot before himself.
Thaksin will take this club the way Leeds have gone. He needs to be ousted immediately. Just when you thought things were going pretty nicely, you get this bombshell. Sven is the best manager we’ve had for ages. O.k at times his tactics and team selections have baffled us, but at least the players seem to want to play for him. what a huge step backwards for this club. I’ve finished with city now and I hope several more thousand stay away in protest next season
Frank is a dictator over in Thailand but we as fans need to make him aware that in this country we won’t put up with a dictatorship at Manchester City,any city fan renewing there season ticket,well thats your choice but all your doing is adding fuel to the fire and saying ok Thaksin you can do what you want we will follow you like sheep
Is there a protest being arranged outside the ground? Does any one know?
Thaksin – almost overnight you turned our club from being a running joke (when we didn’t score at home after Xmas) into a club that was respected. You have now turned it back into a joke again – well done!
Noel Gallagher reckons that ‘Frank’ is a bit of a nutcase. He does look a bit short of stuff upstairs, I have to admit.
But its never been a secret that raising his OWN profile in Asia and Thailand was always on Thaksin’s agenda,…
All the excitement, all the promise we felt gone in an instant!
The worst fears about this man taking over our club rumbling in tandem have now become horrifically true. We now have a dictator and his familly in charge who know zilch about football and care even less about the fans or this clubs tradition. All he wants is to score political points and pave his way to acceptability in Thailand.The sooner the whole sorry lot of them go there permenantly the better and give us our club back!!
Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT Thaksin Shinawatra OUT
Dr Shinawatra has set his stall out now. THIS is how I’m going to run this club ladies and gentlemen. I might ask your opinion occasionally but ultimately if i want to do it…I’ll just do it. How long will it be before other members of the staff think…stuff this for a game of soldiers? If that’s how he treats someone who’s done well???
Apart from the disgusting treatment, the sacking of Sven isn’t the main reason for concern and upset. The reason for serious concern is that the owner is interfering with decisions he shouldn’t. Regardless of the fact the Thai clown has bought the club (however with funds questionable earned) he should not and I repeat not, interfer with any managerial decisions. If he’s allowed to do that without any resistance, he will continue to do so with whichever manager we’ll have, eventually leading to no manager will be interested in the job. That is why I urge every true fan to stop naming possible successors and accepting the mess, and stand up for the manager instead.
Thaksin has really no idea just what he’s started. He’s completely gone back on his 3 – year commitment (year1 top ten finish).
shinawatra is a ruthless despot whose power does not take anybody elses opinion into account.MCFC is an investment. Fans should make sure it becomes a bad investment and STAY AWAY
The club is being run on a whim, from a few thousand miles away. I have no doubt that the Board will be sacked too (i.e. Mackintosh, Bodek and Wardle) and I think that’s a good thing. They are shop keepers and we need a management structure more fitting for a supermarket chain. However, I am beginning to wonder whether Frank is a good businessman or a just a dicatator backed up by a few dodgy business deals.
The guy is a top businessman and he expects results and when the results are not to his satisfaction he takes action, end of!!
What do the board expect? If you drink with the devil that is what happens.
Taking a stand against lèse majesté
Nganadeeleg, I will counter your relativist drivel with this question, how much criticism and denunciation has occurred with regards to those events? On the other hand, has justice been had to those who were brutally (shall we compare the brutality of events as well?) slain in the 1970s? Furthermore, I would have liked to ask the rhetorical question “Do these occurrences and context excuse murder?” but you’ve already answered that network monarchy is despicable.
As long as you don’t subscribe to the myth that the monarchy is an irreplaceable, supernatural force that has singlehandedly kept the country together and is the essence of Thailand, I will agree to disagree about the pro’s and con’s of a Republican reform, the outcome of which is far too uncertain for any of us to determine, let alone whip up mass hysteria (a la Sondhi L) based on such fears.
http://hi-thaksin.net/
… And Ericksson gets the chop at ManCity:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/7372872.stm
PMThaksin has been making very huge decisions lately from plans to dismantle the whole 2007 Constitution (predictibly meddling the the independent bodies and freeing himself and the 11o other TRT executives from political exile) and also shutting down the hi-Thaksin website. This is sending out multiple signals as he intends it to. PMThaksin is as busy as ever – and, as usual, I suggest NM closely monitor his movements if we’d like to know the fate and future of Thailand… If there’s a ‘network monarchist’ movement, they’ve lost the will and appetite (not to mention ruthlessness which PMThaksin has in abundance) long, long time ago. But we can still continue barking up the wrong tree if it makes us happy!
My reading here is that in closing the hi-thaksin website, he is showing maturity and tactical nous. The actions of his red-shirt supporters outside Thammasat must have warned him that things can easily get out of hand if he plays the violence (or threat of violence) card. He has the number, money and influence to get what he wants through parliament and he need not give PAD and his opponents media space – one of the fatal mistake he committed last time. He is betting (and taking the right actions to ensure) that they’ll be no large street protest like last time… Once he amends the constitution, dismantles the Election Commission and Counter Corruption Commission, he will be in the clear to make a grand comeback with his unfrozen billions…
But, with his well-known impatience (as well as unwillingness to consult and intolerance of opposing opinions) he is bound to make critical mistakes along the way. The appointment of PMSamak as his nominee (who, I am certain, will do anything to ‘be his own man’ and govern the full term. LuangPor Koon just gave a blessing that he is PM for more than 4 years which must make PMSamak a very happy old man) is already haunting him. The firing of Ericksson reflects these tendencies (the fans are happy, the players are happy, the sports pressed were impressed with Ericksson – PMThaksin is not happy as finishing top 10 in the EPL is not generating enough good PR in Thailand!!!)…
Volunteering to fight in Burma
Thanks David,
New Mandala readers who can’t wait for Everett’s forthcoming book – but who still want to learn more about those years along the border – may find interest in this extract from The New Light of Myanmar in the early 1990s:
The source is the Burma Press Summary available here. I’m sure we will get a different side of the story when Shadow Warrior is released. If any New Mandala readers want to volunteer to write a review please do get in touch.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
An unwinnable war?
These are very intriguing analysis and discussions on violence in the Thai South. I would also like to see LSS and others review and analyze the documentary “Citizen Juling”, which I think provides an excellent source (if not the best, apart from actually living there) of primary data of events in the southernmost provinces. I am certain we will benefit from it. I understand that very few would have seen the documentary with only limited screening so far (limited invitation in Thailand and a few sessions in Australia’s state capitals) – and maybe it is worth contacting the makers – KhunIng K, Ajarn Kraisak Choonhavan and Ajarn Manit Sriwanichpoom – directly (or through Ajarn Michael Connors – as Latrobe University sponsored the Melbourne screening)…
Volunteering to fight in Burma
Hi,
I worked with the KNLA on and off from 1986 through until 1991. I have a book coming out on 30 June 2008 SHADOW WARRIOR published by Penguin in Australia. Unlike Mr Blemming, I spent a long time fighting alohgside and training KNLA troops. I did meet quite a few other foreigners whilst I was there, some good, some not so good. I can confirm that foreigners do fight alongside and train KNLA soldiers. One of my friends, Martin Donnely, was severely wounded there in 1985 and died of his woulds back here in Australia.
It’s all in my book if you want to have an informative view of the situation when I was there.
Cheers,
David Everett