[…] will talk about the birth and development of his best known series, ‘Pink Man’, the fat Asian man in the obscene pink satin suit who pushes a matching obscene pink shopping cart. […]
DEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE WHEN THERE IS PEACE…THERE IS NEED TO BE PEACE ALL OVER THE WORLD. IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES WHERE INTER – TRIBAL WARS ARE COMMON, POVERTY IS COMMONPLACE. SUCH AREAS COULD BENEFIT FROM SOCIAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT WHICH WILL GO A LONG WAY TO IMPROVE UPON THE WELFARE OF THE RURAL PEOPLE
I think Craig overestimates the level of critical material in Thai on the monarchy. Handley’s book is undoubtedly unique, even if it is in some ways a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal. There are of course underground publications, but on the whole its a struggle to find critical things on the monarchy before the 2000s, though of course not impossible. In the last few years Ji Giles Ungpakorn’s interventions – for instance his translation of Thomas Paine on monarchy and other materials are notable and of course Somsak Jeamteerasakul in Faa Diaw Kan and elsewhere. Somsak especially seems to be working the archives for what they are worth. There is no doubt a project here, as Craig mentions, and this would involve looking at critical left writers mostly.
Despite the relative opening in the last few years there has been nothing like Handley’s book in published Thai materials nor in English. The big fuss is that someone was finally willing to lift the benchmark. We are all better for it.
I haven’t seen the tusks, but I’ve seen a photo of the last Ginsi duwa in front of the tusks from the elephant his ancestor killed. If they’re from a boar, it must be the largest boar ever known, since the tusks are taller than a man. Furthermore, those tusks are more than just a phallic symbol, they have to do with political legitimacy, particularly with regard to the Hpakant region.
“Almost all the sources are in Thai” would be the more desirable starting point but foreign journalists rarely seemed to be immersed in any of the many different Thai discourse worlds.
Sinlapawatthanatham magazine being an instance of one kind of discourse world that intellectuals are involved in.
The daily TV news being an important instance of another. I know you don’t get a good idea of what most people are thinking about news-wise from watching TV if you are just reading the newspaper. You have to listen to the Thai TV continuously like my boss does.
As op-ed piece type journalism gets outsourced to academics more and more hopefully more of this sort of reversal of perspective will take place.
Smoking gun that the king opposes democratic development and feels more comfortable with authoritarian and military governments? In my estimation, Handley provides sufficient evidence of this.
Or to put it another way: – Rightly or wrongly, the king feels many elected politicians have been disappointing, and with his conservative nature, he therefore prefers the stability offered by authoritarian governments .
Bit of a contradiction there, Teth – I fail to see how embellishing with propaganda tactics can be considered presenting it properly.
Yours would just be another version of history, and I doubt it would be a smoking gun amongst the general populace.
To present it properly, you would also need to put things into historical perspective (fear of communists etc), as well as Srithanonchai/Seni’s well made point about law & order (stability).
No, nganadeeleg, I meant the dissemination and constant bleating in a similar scale to the propaganda used today, but with subtlety and truth, of course.
Historical perspective or not, murder is still murder. Fear is still just that, fear. Especially if you shatter the illusion held by so many, do expect them to care.
Why is it all about stability and order when we’re speaking about royalist forces rioting and killing civilians. Somehow that doesn’t strike me as very lawful, stable, nor orderly. Again, its only the perception of stability when you and your friends have power in your hands. Instability = when you’re not the one in power. Tell me how the King’s reign has produced stability in Thailand in real terms rather than in fear-mongering “what if’s” and vague intentions.
Comparisons with the region? Well, the Khmer Rogue are being held on trial. Last I checked, they were supported in part by the Thai government. Hmm. So when are the royalist forces going to be held on trial?
Are you sure that the Thai general population have not already heard the claims on the gossip/rumor mill already.
No they haven’t. I’m absolutely sure. I’ve heard pretty nasty and totally fake rumors about the royal family, but not this. People who discuss 6 Oct are the people who already dislike the King.
Smoking gun that the king opposes democratic development and feels more comfortable with authoritarian and military governments? In my estimation, Handley provides sufficient evidence of this.
Hewison’s older 1997 paper also argued that the king favored authoritarian political arrangements over democratic arrangements and presented considerable evidence in support of this. And Kobkua’s book makes similar claims, albeit in a slightly more circumspect manner.
The quote from Seni is interesting when read in its context. Seni says he ‘agonized’ over the King’s role in his downfall.
“The leaders of the Manau Festival wear long robes with headdresses of hornbill or peacock feathers. The headdresses are also adorned with tusks of wild boar.
Are you sure that the Ginsi Duwa tusks are specifically from an elephant? Or do the Ginsi Duwa’s out phallic all the other Kachin Duwas? I think with the considerable size of the tusks in the picture, that they could not be from a boar!
If it were translated and presented properly (ie. use the same propaganda tactics against the royalist, but this time with the flip side of the coin)
Bit of a contradiction there, Teth – I fail to see how embellishing with propaganda tactics can be considered presenting it properly.
Yours would just be another version of history, and I doubt it would be a smoking gun amongst the general populace.
To present it properly, you would also need to put things into historical perspective (fear of communists etc), as well as Srithanonchai/Seni’s well made point about law & order (stability).
Comparison with other events of the time in the region and further afield would also be relevant to coming to a proper understanding of what happened.
For instance, regarding the latest events in Tibet – who do you believe has the correct version of events?
The free-Tibet activists or the Chinese Communist Party, or might the real version be somewhere in between both versions?
Are you sure that the Thai general population have not already heard the claims on the gossip/rumor mill already.
Also, will they really care?
Arguably Thaksin was involved in episodes just as brutal and more recent than 1976 (War on Drugs particularly, and Tak Bai to a lesser extent), and yet he seems fairly popular (‘loved’, even)
I don’t love, worship, or crawl to HMK, and don’t believe he is semi-divine or has super human powers, yet I did not find the Handley book a smoking gun, so I imagine it would be much harder to get that reaction from his more ardent supporters.
It is regrettable, however, that all these thing cannot be discussed openly (and rationally) in Thailand.
Re the king’s support for democracy: In “Alone on the sharp edge” on Seni Pramoj (van Praagh; 1989, p. 176), we read, “On King Bhumiphol switching from suport of democratic forces in October 1973 to support of renewed military rule three years later, Seni asserts: ‘The King didn’t turn about – he was always for law and order. The end result (in both 1973 and 1976) was law and order.'”
[…] few days ago, regular New Mandala contributor Aiontay asked about the tusks at the Manau ground at Laiza, the Kachin Independence Army/Kachin Independence […]
P.S. On breaking the psychological and propaganda hold of the royalists, Thais must at least know that loving the King is NOT a consensus in society. That I used to think everybody loved the King was a main factor in establishing his invincibility in my mind. Should reasonable people (important to note the word reasonable as I only used to think evil, evil people would be those who didn’t love HMK) doubt him would shake this confidence and allow Thais to begin to dare step out of line and actually examine the evidence critically rather than with blinkered and grossly skewed viewpoints.
I have read (& enjoyed) the book – It debunks much of the royal propaganda and reiterates that the king does not trust politicians, but IMO there was no ’smoking gun’ proving that he does not want democracy and a happy and prosperous nation, or that he does not care about the people.
I rest my case when your best defense is that of “there is no proof that his intentions were bad”.
If it were translated and presented properly (ie. use the same propaganda tactics against the royalist, but this time with the flip side of the coin), all hell will break loose. Subtle is probably the best way.
Dear Chandan,
First I guess, one needs to understand what is meant by ‘Inner Line’ and ‘Outer Line’ in order to know why Arunachal have an Inner Line Regime even though it is an Indian State?
During the British rule, British drew a line along the foot of the hills of now Arunachal Pradesh, which was to be called the “Inner Line” under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873. This Inner Line was the line upto which Britishers administered and beyond which no administrative control was there and one needed a permit to go beyond this line.
The ‘Outer Line’ was the International Boundary of the then British India which was not clearly defined and which finally led to the present Indo-China border dispute. For more on the history of Arunachal and the border dispute, I would recommend you to go through this article by Cho.
When India became free, Arunachal (then NEFA) was administered under the Ministry of External Affairs and the Inner Line Permit regime introduced by Britishers’ was carried forward by the Indian government even when NEFA was rechristened as Arunachal Pradesh and made Union Territory of India and later an Indian State-the reasoning being the fear that the tribals of this area would be exploited by the mainland Indians and to allow the tribals to grow in it’s own pace without any external influence-see Nehru’s Philosophy on NEFA here.
Hope I was able to make you understand why an Indian or Foreigner having Indian Visa needs additional permit to visit Arunachal.
Advice or command: The powered (vermachtet, in Habermas’ sense) discourse that had developed following the king’s utterances about suffiency econonomy was strong enough to make it impossible for some members on the Constitution Drafting Assembly to reject the notion that sufficiency economy should be enshrined in the constitution. It was also impossible for the observing public to criticize this. Thus, sufficiency economy has become part of Thailand’s highest law (quoted from the Council of State’s translation).
Part 3
State Administration Policy
Section 78. The State shall act in compliance with the State administration policy as follows:
(1) carrying out the administration of State affairs with a view to establish sustainable development of social, economic and security of the nation and strengthening an implementation of the sufficient economy philosophy with due regard to general benefits of the nation materially;
Part 7
Economic Policy
Section 83. The State shall encourage and support an implementation of the sufficient economy philosophy.
Obviously, whether anybody will follow the king’s behavioral requests, here as stipulated in the constitution, is a very different matter. For example, regarding the elections planned for October 2006, the king had attached a handwritten “Royal Message” (phraratchakrasae) when he returned the royal decree on the election to the government. It expressed his wish to see the nation swiftly to return to peace and order. Moreover, the king expressed his wish that the election should proceed truly orderly, cleanly, and fairly (Matichon, July 23, 2006:13).
The military did not care that much, just like most Thais do not care about phraboromarachowat.
After all, much in this area is merely ceremonial.
As a Burmese who has lived all my life in Burma , I have given up hope for NLD and ASSK. They have failed us and sanctions have failed us.
Some communications between East and West are seriously wrong.
We shall trust more on our own people and our neighbors than the Western leaders and Western activists.
I specialize in communications and know the insight of Myanmar people. They are still a bit far from what Daw Su thinks they are. She grew up abroad to understand this.
You need to fill this gap first. With investment and technology.
Pressure on Yale: Reportedly, Thaksin’s cabinet secretary, Borwornsak Uwanno, went to Yale to convince them to at least defer the publication date to after the king’s anniversary.
Translation: As far as I know, chapters 1-14 of TKNS have been translated into Thai and are circulating as pdf files and print-outs. Apparently, the interest in these texts is quite high.
Interesting and useful remarks. However, I find the conclusion absurd. Yes, it does seem that there have been scattered critical comments on the role of the King, but never a book laying the whole thing out and certainly not one aimed a the public.
The monarchy apparently put enormous pressure on Yale not to publish the book at all. It seems obvious that had someone attempted to publish it here it would have been quashed.
The idea floated by academics that there really is a lively discussion on the monarchy in Thailand looks to me like an effort to avoid blame for years of avoiding the issue. The cases of the webmasters whose doors were knocked down by police in the night and were carted away hidden from any due process makes a mockery of this weak claim.
If it would be no big deal to translate the book, why doesn’t someone do it. I’m sure Reynolds knows the answer as well as I do: It would be a big deal, at least for them.
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Horror in pink
[…] will talk about the birth and development of his best known series, ‘Pink Man’, the fat Asian man in the obscene pink satin suit who pushes a matching obscene pink shopping cart. […]
Message from Burma
DEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE WHEN THERE IS PEACE…THERE IS NEED TO BE PEACE ALL OVER THE WORLD. IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES WHERE INTER – TRIBAL WARS ARE COMMON, POVERTY IS COMMONPLACE. SUCH AREAS COULD BENEFIT FROM SOCIAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT WHICH WILL GO A LONG WAY TO IMPROVE UPON THE WELFARE OF THE RURAL PEOPLE
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
I think Craig overestimates the level of critical material in Thai on the monarchy. Handley’s book is undoubtedly unique, even if it is in some ways a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal. There are of course underground publications, but on the whole its a struggle to find critical things on the monarchy before the 2000s, though of course not impossible. In the last few years Ji Giles Ungpakorn’s interventions – for instance his translation of Thomas Paine on monarchy and other materials are notable and of course Somsak Jeamteerasakul in Faa Diaw Kan and elsewhere. Somsak especially seems to be working the archives for what they are worth. There is no doubt a project here, as Craig mentions, and this would involve looking at critical left writers mostly.
Despite the relative opening in the last few years there has been nothing like Handley’s book in published Thai materials nor in English. The big fuss is that someone was finally willing to lift the benchmark. We are all better for it.
Tusks at the Laiza Manau ground
I haven’t seen the tusks, but I’ve seen a photo of the last Ginsi duwa in front of the tusks from the elephant his ancestor killed. If they’re from a boar, it must be the largest boar ever known, since the tusks are taller than a man. Furthermore, those tusks are more than just a phallic symbol, they have to do with political legitimacy, particularly with regard to the Hpakant region.
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
“…Almost all the sources are in English,…”
“Almost all the sources are in Thai” would be the more desirable starting point but foreign journalists rarely seemed to be immersed in any of the many different Thai discourse worlds.
Sinlapawatthanatham magazine being an instance of one kind of discourse world that intellectuals are involved in.
The daily TV news being an important instance of another. I know you don’t get a good idea of what most people are thinking about news-wise from watching TV if you are just reading the newspaper. You have to listen to the Thai TV continuously like my boss does.
As op-ed piece type journalism gets outsourced to academics more and more hopefully more of this sort of reversal of perspective will take place.
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
Smoking gun that the king opposes democratic development and feels more comfortable with authoritarian and military governments? In my estimation, Handley provides sufficient evidence of this.
Or to put it another way: – Rightly or wrongly, the king feels many elected politicians have been disappointing, and with his conservative nature, he therefore prefers the stability offered by authoritarian governments .
You’ve got your blinkers, and I’ve got mine.
🙂
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
No, nganadeeleg, I meant the dissemination and constant bleating in a similar scale to the propaganda used today, but with subtlety and truth, of course.
Historical perspective or not, murder is still murder. Fear is still just that, fear. Especially if you shatter the illusion held by so many, do expect them to care.
Why is it all about stability and order when we’re speaking about royalist forces rioting and killing civilians. Somehow that doesn’t strike me as very lawful, stable, nor orderly. Again, its only the perception of stability when you and your friends have power in your hands. Instability = when you’re not the one in power. Tell me how the King’s reign has produced stability in Thailand in real terms rather than in fear-mongering “what if’s” and vague intentions.
Comparisons with the region? Well, the Khmer Rogue are being held on trial. Last I checked, they were supported in part by the Thai government. Hmm. So when are the royalist forces going to be held on trial?
No they haven’t. I’m absolutely sure. I’ve heard pretty nasty and totally fake rumors about the royal family, but not this. People who discuss 6 Oct are the people who already dislike the King.
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
Smoking gun that the king opposes democratic development and feels more comfortable with authoritarian and military governments? In my estimation, Handley provides sufficient evidence of this.
Hewison’s older 1997 paper also argued that the king favored authoritarian political arrangements over democratic arrangements and presented considerable evidence in support of this. And Kobkua’s book makes similar claims, albeit in a slightly more circumspect manner.
The quote from Seni is interesting when read in its context. Seni says he ‘agonized’ over the King’s role in his downfall.
Tusks at the Laiza Manau ground
Perhaps this is of interest:
From http://www.kachinland.org/kno_2006/Kachin_Culture/index.htm
“The leaders of the Manau Festival wear long robes with headdresses of hornbill or peacock feathers. The headdresses are also adorned with tusks of wild boar.
Are you sure that the Ginsi Duwa tusks are specifically from an elephant? Or do the Ginsi Duwa’s out phallic all the other Kachin Duwas? I think with the considerable size of the tusks in the picture, that they could not be from a boar!
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
If it were translated and presented properly (ie. use the same propaganda tactics against the royalist, but this time with the flip side of the coin)
Bit of a contradiction there, Teth – I fail to see how embellishing with propaganda tactics can be considered presenting it properly.
Yours would just be another version of history, and I doubt it would be a smoking gun amongst the general populace.
To present it properly, you would also need to put things into historical perspective (fear of communists etc), as well as Srithanonchai/Seni’s well made point about law & order (stability).
Comparison with other events of the time in the region and further afield would also be relevant to coming to a proper understanding of what happened.
For instance, regarding the latest events in Tibet – who do you believe has the correct version of events?
The free-Tibet activists or the Chinese Communist Party, or might the real version be somewhere in between both versions?
Are you sure that the Thai general population have not already heard the claims on the gossip/rumor mill already.
Also, will they really care?
Arguably Thaksin was involved in episodes just as brutal and more recent than 1976 (War on Drugs particularly, and Tak Bai to a lesser extent), and yet he seems fairly popular (‘loved’, even)
I don’t love, worship, or crawl to HMK, and don’t believe he is semi-divine or has super human powers, yet I did not find the Handley book a smoking gun, so I imagine it would be much harder to get that reaction from his more ardent supporters.
It is regrettable, however, that all these thing cannot be discussed openly (and rationally) in Thailand.
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
Re the king’s support for democracy: In “Alone on the sharp edge” on Seni Pramoj (van Praagh; 1989, p. 176), we read, “On King Bhumiphol switching from suport of democratic forces in October 1973 to support of renewed military rule three years later, Seni asserts: ‘The King didn’t turn about – he was always for law and order. The end result (in both 1973 and 1976) was law and order.'”
Manau festival at Laiza
[…] few days ago, regular New Mandala contributor Aiontay asked about the tusks at the Manau ground at Laiza, the Kachin Independence Army/Kachin Independence […]
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
P.S. On breaking the psychological and propaganda hold of the royalists, Thais must at least know that loving the King is NOT a consensus in society. That I used to think everybody loved the King was a main factor in establishing his invincibility in my mind. Should reasonable people (important to note the word reasonable as I only used to think evil, evil people would be those who didn’t love HMK) doubt him would shake this confidence and allow Thais to begin to dare step out of line and actually examine the evidence critically rather than with blinkered and grossly skewed viewpoints.
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
nganadeeleg, the smoking gun is 6 October.
I have read (& enjoyed) the book – It debunks much of the royal propaganda and reiterates that the king does not trust politicians, but IMO there was no ’smoking gun’ proving that he does not want democracy and a happy and prosperous nation, or that he does not care about the people.
I rest my case when your best defense is that of “there is no proof that his intentions were bad”.
If it were translated and presented properly (ie. use the same propaganda tactics against the royalist, but this time with the flip side of the coin), all hell will break loose. Subtle is probably the best way.
“Arunachal Pradesh…exotically yours”
Dear Chandan,
First I guess, one needs to understand what is meant by ‘Inner Line’ and ‘Outer Line’ in order to know why Arunachal have an Inner Line Regime even though it is an Indian State?
During the British rule, British drew a line along the foot of the hills of now Arunachal Pradesh, which was to be called the “Inner Line” under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873. This Inner Line was the line upto which Britishers administered and beyond which no administrative control was there and one needed a permit to go beyond this line.
The ‘Outer Line’ was the International Boundary of the then British India which was not clearly defined and which finally led to the present Indo-China border dispute. For more on the history of Arunachal and the border dispute, I would recommend you to go through this article by Cho.
When India became free, Arunachal (then NEFA) was administered under the Ministry of External Affairs and the Inner Line Permit regime introduced by Britishers’ was carried forward by the Indian government even when NEFA was rechristened as Arunachal Pradesh and made Union Territory of India and later an Indian State-the reasoning being the fear that the tribals of this area would be exploited by the mainland Indians and to allow the tribals to grow in it’s own pace without any external influence-see Nehru’s Philosophy on NEFA here.
Hope I was able to make you understand why an Indian or Foreigner having Indian Visa needs additional permit to visit Arunachal.
Sufficiency going forward, diversity going backward
Advice or command: The powered (vermachtet, in Habermas’ sense) discourse that had developed following the king’s utterances about suffiency econonomy was strong enough to make it impossible for some members on the Constitution Drafting Assembly to reject the notion that sufficiency economy should be enshrined in the constitution. It was also impossible for the observing public to criticize this. Thus, sufficiency economy has become part of Thailand’s highest law (quoted from the Council of State’s translation).
Part 3
State Administration Policy
Section 78. The State shall act in compliance with the State administration policy as follows:
(1) carrying out the administration of State affairs with a view to establish sustainable development of social, economic and security of the nation and strengthening an implementation of the sufficient economy philosophy with due regard to general benefits of the nation materially;
Part 7
Economic Policy
Section 83. The State shall encourage and support an implementation of the sufficient economy philosophy.
Obviously, whether anybody will follow the king’s behavioral requests, here as stipulated in the constitution, is a very different matter. For example, regarding the elections planned for October 2006, the king had attached a handwritten “Royal Message” (phraratchakrasae) when he returned the royal decree on the election to the government. It expressed his wish to see the nation swiftly to return to peace and order. Moreover, the king expressed his wish that the election should proceed truly orderly, cleanly, and fairly (Matichon, July 23, 2006:13).
The military did not care that much, just like most Thais do not care about phraboromarachowat.
After all, much in this area is merely ceremonial.
The disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit
Point taken. I shall work on my German then!
Interview with Burma’s Ma Thanegi
I agree with Ma Theingi.
As a Burmese who has lived all my life in Burma , I have given up hope for NLD and ASSK. They have failed us and sanctions have failed us.
Some communications between East and West are seriously wrong.
We shall trust more on our own people and our neighbors than the Western leaders and Western activists.
I specialize in communications and know the insight of Myanmar people. They are still a bit far from what Daw Su thinks they are. She grew up abroad to understand this.
You need to fill this gap first. With investment and technology.
Do not sacrifice our people for your ambitions.
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
Pressure on Yale: Reportedly, Thaksin’s cabinet secretary, Borwornsak Uwanno, went to Yale to convince them to at least defer the publication date to after the king’s anniversary.
Translation: As far as I know, chapters 1-14 of TKNS have been translated into Thai and are circulating as pdf files and print-outs. Apparently, the interest in these texts is quite high.
Reynolds on Handley’s The King Never Smiles
Interesting and useful remarks. However, I find the conclusion absurd. Yes, it does seem that there have been scattered critical comments on the role of the King, but never a book laying the whole thing out and certainly not one aimed a the public.
The monarchy apparently put enormous pressure on Yale not to publish the book at all. It seems obvious that had someone attempted to publish it here it would have been quashed.
The idea floated by academics that there really is a lively discussion on the monarchy in Thailand looks to me like an effort to avoid blame for years of avoiding the issue. The cases of the webmasters whose doors were knocked down by police in the night and were carted away hidden from any due process makes a mockery of this weak claim.
If it would be no big deal to translate the book, why doesn’t someone do it. I’m sure Reynolds knows the answer as well as I do: It would be a big deal, at least for them.