I must commend Awzar Thi for his rational and accommodating response to the outburst of LSS. The disappearance and death of Neelphaijit is like having a cog which rotates for the promotion of universal rights, lose one of it’s teeth.
LSS, I am inclined to think that Somchai Neelaphaijit acted pro deo. And a good job he did too. Are you saying that the people he defended are not human? Because quite clearly they are. Just as human as one who confuses the Zionist movement with productive, liberal values — which are values one must observe if one believes in the UDHR as an instrument for good (just in case you or others were not aware, seeing as this is an international blog and all).
If Mr.Neelaphaijit sincerely believed those men were innocent, then I am within my rights to consider him naive; if he defended them, either knowing they committed the crime or merely out of anti-Israeli/anti-Zionist sentiment, then I am within my rights to consider his choice to defend them morally repugnant. Either way, I feel his canonization to be in error.
This is like the speculative justice found in the Pentagon! Do you work for them, or are you angling for a job with the DoD? I plead with you that the values you hold regarding rights are not to be so rigid as to mirror the mentality of a suicide cult!
Again, I ask cui bono? Who benefits? How was the defense of three Iranians who plotted to bomb the Israeli embassy a “human rights” issue?
They’re human!? *mouse with violin in background yet again* Or is it that because the UDHR was created in an attempt to prevent more holocausts, like the one suffered by Jewish peoples, given Zionists the ‘right’ to say what is human and what is not?!
Moreover, must you bring Israel into everything? Last time I checked South East Asia was nowhere near the Middle East. Just for the record, it is possible to be Muslim and not have an opinion on Israel! Did you spend time in Southern Thailand? I did and I asked a husband and wife who were Muslim what they thought of Palestine/Israel and they shrugged their shoulders with sincere indifference as much as I did. This is not to say that the men Somchai defended were good or bad, or not extremists against Zionism, it’s just Rawlsian, and I think it would prove useful for you (because clearly he cannot have influenced you thus far) to take a good look into one of your American academics that did not have selective hearing/reading.
I suppose this will be taken as an antagonistic response. But I am surprised you maintain such ugly, contradictory ethics.
I want to be careful what I say here, but I slightly agree with what LSS says about the singling out Somchai to make him a cause celebre although I disagree with the rest of what he says. For me it is more the amount of coverage that his given to his situation and not that his situation is not worth highlighting.
Defendants have the right to representation and I am not too fussed which clients that Somchai take on as long as he complies with their professional and legal obligations. If lawyers break the law when defending their clients they can be prosecuted – ala Lynne Stewart.
LSS – you should shift the blame to the incompetence of the Thai police* in gathering evidence for terrorism cases – well in fact most cases as they always invariably revert to a confession and gathering minimal evidence if you think the Iranian concerned was guilty. The evidence they had against him was weak.
*Alternatively, it might not have been police incompetence though as many suspect more government pressure for an acquittal as they caved to Iranian pressure for better bilateral relations.
First and foremost, thank you for the “Wikipedia-style” hagiography of Somchai Neelaphaijit. It didn’t contain any information I wasn’t aware of previously, but thank you nonetheless.
You’re welcome. I’m glad that you are well-informed.
Secondly, I don’t think my link to the Time Magazine article was “irrelevant” at all. As I understand that I am writing in a blog with an international audience, I realize that some readers may not be familar with the term “mob lawyer,” and thus, might not understand the analogy I was drawing. Just as you misinterpreted my employment of the term as literally labeling him, in your words, a “mafia lawyer”.
Indeed, the analogy was lost.
As for my third point, your defense of him seems to revolve around the fact that his clients were acquitted. That Mr. Neelaphaijit’s clients were acquitted doesn’t mean they didn’t commit the crime; it merely speaks to his skill as a criminal defense lawyer and courtroom rhetorician. Now, I believe in the right of the accused to have adequate representation in court…
So we can agree that defendants have a right to a lawyer, and that Somchai was entitled to represent them, and do so to the best of his ability.
… Either way, I feel his canonization to be in error.
It is sad that to recall a life lost and appeal for the rudiments of criminal justice can be mistaken as “canonization”.
In short, and I hope the following truth doesn’t prove to be too confusing for you, even if a particular country’s justice system is corrupt, that does not mean that every defendant that appears before those courts is innocent…
The trial of the five police accused of abducting Somchai being a case in point. But nor does it mean the opposite, as implied by your initial remark about “a glorified mob lawyer for Islamic terrorists”.
Finally, as for your attempt to smear me by insinuating that I am a bigot, that fits the definition of “throwaway line[s]” much more closely than anything I have previously written.
This outburst makes me wonder whether LSS holds some religio-racist grudge. Must have been one of the more ideologically disgusting contributions to this blog…
Most young Burmese are unemployed and the number of prostitutions are growing inside the country day by day. Our society is quite a mess, students are suffering and they do not have any prospects for their future. It is obvious that we are walking on the wrong path. I agree with Dr. Win Maung, Daw Suu needs to change her attitude and work with the militatry regime to get rid of the economic sanctions. Let us forget about the politics for a minute. For the sake of our children, let’s work together. If we go on like this, nobody gains. Instead of demanding “free Aung San Suu Kyi”, why can’t we demand from the government for instance better postal and communication services and better education systems, etc.. which could make our lives better.
First and foremost, thank you for the “Wikipedia-style” hagiography of Somchai Neelaphaijit. It didn’t contain any information I wasn’t aware of previously, but thank you nonetheless.
Secondly, I don’t think my link to the Time Magazine article was “irrelevant” at all. As I understand that I am writing in a blog with an international audience, I realize that some readers may not be familar with the term “mob lawyer,” and thus, might not understand the analogy I was drawing. Just as you misinterpreted my employment of the term as literally labeling him, in your words, a “mafia lawyer”.
As for my third point, your defense of him seems to revolve around the fact that his clients were acquitted. That Mr. Neelaphaijit’s clients were acquitted doesn’t mean they didn’t commit the crime; it merely speaks to his skill as a criminal defense lawyer and courtroom rhetorician.
Now, I believe in the right of the accused to have adequate representation in court. Mr. Neelaphaijit’s work as a criminal defense lawyer for the underprivileged is not in dispute; however, and this is where you refuse to answer the question I posit in my first comment, if Mr. Neelaphaijit and his Muslim Lawyers Club of Thailand offer pro bono services, then it implies that he and the other lawyers who take up such cases do so for parties they feel some sympathy for. Now let’s be honest here, many of Mr. Neelaphaijit’s clients were not naif schoolboys ; are not plotting to blow up embassies, “separatist activities,” and “arson attacks” acts of terrorism? Would not the defendants in such cases be referred to as “accused terrorists”? Even acknowledging the massive corruption that exists in the Thai judicial system, I find it hard to believe that the defendants were chosen at random.
Again, I ask cui bono? Who benefits? How was the defense of three Iranians who plotted to bomb the Israeli embassy a “human rights” issue? Or did Mr. Neelaphaijit’s reputation preceed him in every case he argued? If Mr.Neelaphaijit sincerely believed those men were innocent, then I am within my rights to consider him naive; if he defended them, either knowing they committed the crime or merely out of anti-Israeli/anti-Zionist sentiment, then I am within my rights to consider his choice to defend them morally repugnant. Either way, I feel his canonization to be in error.
In short, and I hope the following truth doesn’t prove to be too confusing for you, even if a particular country’s justice system is corrupt, that does not mean that every defendant that appears before those courts is innocent. Unfortunately, in my opinion, many times in his career Mr. Neelaphaijit was fighting the good fight for bad men.
Finally, as for your attempt to smear me by insinuating that I am a bigot, that fits the definition of “throwaway line[s]” much more closely than anything I have previously written.
With metta,
Lleij Samuel Schwartz (Abu Ali Asad ibn Aswad al-Amriki)
OMG, never in my entire life I thought I would say this.
But that brig-gen got a point.
As I recalled, the Thai constitution was partly referring to Burmese junta’s referendum as predecessor case. Now, Burmese junta are refering to Thai as their predecessor case. Circular logic at work here?
Lleij Samuel Schwartz — Your link to an irrelevant article on mob lawyers in the US betrays your confusion about Somchai Neelaphaijit; your throwaway line about Islamic terrorists betrays your bias towards him and his clients and a lack of understanding about the conditions in which he was working.
Before being forcibly disappeared, Somchai was the deputy chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of Thailand as well as an advisor to the Senate Human Rights and Justice Subcommittee, and was held in high esteem by his peers for his work on human rights cases. In 2003 he received a national award from the Lawyers Society of Thailand in recognition of this work. Although there are plenty of mafia lawyers in Thailand, Somchai was not one of them.
Among those “Islamic terrorists” whom he represented, the five torture victims whose case led to his disappearance were all found to be unconnected with the crime of which they were accused; in 1995 three Iranians he represented who were accused of a terrorist plot against the Israeli embassy were all acquitted; in 1994, out of five teachers accused of separatist activities in southern Thailand whom he represented, four were acquitted; and in 1993, four persons accused of arson attacks on schools in the south were all acquitted. Oh, and by the way, he also represented Burmese political exiles who were accused of crimes in Thailand in connection with the struggle against dictatorship in their own country… hmm, they weren’t Muslims, but what’s your opinion–“freedom fighters” or “terrorists”? Oh dear, looks like cause for more confusion.
Of course, abduction and [probable] extrajudicial killing is wrong; however, I must ask if I’m the only one who feels uncomfortable with lionizing someone, who, essentially, was just a glorified “mob lawyer” for Islamic terrorists?
If Mr. Neelaphaijit is to be celebrated for his taking cases pro bono, then one must ask, cui bono?
The article and all the comments are sharp enough to seethrough their beliefs and hopes for the betterment of Burma. However, the issue of ‘sanctions’ has been a global debate since its development after Cold-War and not really easy to say ‘good’ or ‘bad’ without careful analyses. The debate is still going on and the history of sanctions is filled with both successes and failures. If you are really interested to find out whether sanctions ‘work’ in Burma’s politics, then you need to have an in-depth analysis of sanctions on Burma. In fact, according to Burma’s political economy, its relations with regional countries and the West played a critical role in defining the effectiveness of sanctions and its impacts on civilians. Although Theingi argued for impact of sanctions on vulnerable population, she did not provide the well-grounded and factual evidence of civilians’ pain and how the junta and its cronies managed the economy. Frankly, Theingi seems to be proud of her fluncy in English ( as she said) and knowledge of French and German (as she mentioned) and the claim she made as she could be a well-funded exiled activist pointed out that she even did not realize herself that real politics is not about language skills. As she mentioned during the interview, Aung San Suu Kyi always replied that ‘it’s not true’ that people would be suffered of sanctions. Suu Kyi simply replied whether it is true about impacts of sanctions and seemed she never explained Theingi about how sanctions work and its pros and cons. And apparently, Suu Kyi did not want to wast her time for ongoing acute debates about sanctions. Theingi needs to be done a proper research on sanctions if she wants to prove that sanctions on Burma’s junta are affecting vulnerable parts of the population. My answer will be ‘No, sanctions so far do not affect ordinary people of Burma’. It is not a personal opinion but the outcome of an analysis on sanctions and empirical results of Burma’s political economy under the military junta. And obviously, Burma’s politics is more complicated and cunning than any other political scenarios and Naw Naw is absolutely right about the nature and morals of Burmese activists and politicians. Burma’s politics need to be radicalised to achieve a significant difference. Dr. Win Maung should also read more books on sanctions and he should not say so as Theingi if it is for the only reason of going back to Burma as he is getting old in a foreign land.
Teth: Not much more I can say about this subject that I have not already said across several threads here…..It seems we each get what we want out of the speeches, so I’ll just go back to trying to maintain my personal practice of moderation, reasonableness, and (hopefully) immunity.
He’s now in country. I wanted to wait until he was safely away before saying anything that might have jeopardized his safety.
It’s an ugly situation there right now. Well, uglier than usual.
Because what he says is ambiguous and often more harm done than good. Like Srithanonchai says, its Nessie.
How many would be able to distill “moderation, reasonableness, and immunity” from SE?
To answer your question, misusing, misinterpreting, or abusing those 3 principles is not good for it.
Shall I repeat it again?
Yes: when you hear something and choose to only focus on a tiny part, why on earth would you continue saying the whole speech, or worse, why would you repeat someone’s propaganda about the piece?
An interesting report about International Shan Conference and Shan New Year Celebration in London. I wish I were there attending the seminars and celebrating the event showcasing “Shan Culture and Literature”. Thank you for writing this. I hope I would see more articles about Shan (cultural events, updates, seminars,talks around the world, people,updates, etc) on this website.
I first met Ma Theingyi in late 1996 and in all subsequent meetings felt that she was endowed with uncommon, commonsense.She is,above all else, a realist and with this,based upon a comprehensive knowledge of her country and its customs etc. has held to her opinions over the years and has, in the final analysis been proved right.She deserves to be listened to very carefully by ALL.
Burma’s future may well not be decided in any one ‘political generation’ but I feel sure that by degrees the emphasis is changing along with the macro status of Burma Vs China and India.
Ma Theingyi well have much more to offer her country as the years unfold.
ONCB says alarming increase in the number of drug users
Hat Yai, Songkhla The Office of the Narcotic Control Board (ONCB) has expressed grave concern over the sharp increase in the number of drug users in Thailand, saying the number of illicit drug users jumped to 2.5 million in 2007, up by half a million from the previous year.
Kitti Limchaikit, secretary-general of the ONCB, told a press conference in Hat Yai that he was alarmed because the latest figure indicated a big rise in the number of users. According to ONCB figures, Thailand had about 475,000 drug users in 2003.
Moreover, the three southernmost provinces accounted for about 300,000 of the 2.5 million users for 2007, while Bangkok accounted for about 128,707 users.
“But even so, somehow the whole event left a taste in the mouth that one doesn’t ordinarily associate with things Thai. Democracy is not the one-size fits all formula for all, and as mentioned, the elected Thaksin was no second coming of Thomas Jefferson. But removed as the prime minister had been by the force of arms, the East-West Center’s bow to the king seemed odd. One rests happily when American nonprofits honor geniuses or freedom fighters or even the otherwise disenfranchised. But kings — or queens for that matter — would seem to need no honorific welfare from American nonprofits. Generally, they can get along just fine on their own, especially those with the power to eject elected governments.”
I would use the words “rambling” and “stream of thought” to describe this op-ed piece by Tom Plate, not “informative” or “factual.”
If all the good things that have resulted from the long-term relation between Thailand and the East-West Center as well as the University of Hawaii over what must be several decades were thoroughly documented and only one google query away from Tom Plate, maybe his op-ed piece would be different.
Thanks. This newspaper certainly shows that Rambo was mistaken when he declared that the only way into the country was “up the river” namely the tiny malaria infested Moei river that passes by Mae Sot and the so-called state of “Kawthoolei” shortly before it joins the Salween at Sub Moei.
The Diaries of Tom Plate, now playing near you alongside the squeaks of a very small violin played by a mouse in a sari. I can see why he only references English language papers in his personal work history. Thoroughly demagogic of him. A writer for expats.
This article seemed fairly myopic and more of a personal complaint. If personal complaints are insights I should start a blog and call it ‘listen to me!, live my way or I shall …’ The ‘…’ would be the preface for each blog post. Tom Plate’s would be ‘listen to me! I go to functions where I am bored and empty. I then translate these feelings into articles!!!’
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The disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit
I must commend Awzar Thi for his rational and accommodating response to the outburst of LSS. The disappearance and death of Neelphaijit is like having a cog which rotates for the promotion of universal rights, lose one of it’s teeth.
LSS, I am inclined to think that Somchai Neelaphaijit acted pro deo. And a good job he did too. Are you saying that the people he defended are not human? Because quite clearly they are. Just as human as one who confuses the Zionist movement with productive, liberal values — which are values one must observe if one believes in the UDHR as an instrument for good (just in case you or others were not aware, seeing as this is an international blog and all).
If Mr.Neelaphaijit sincerely believed those men were innocent, then I am within my rights to consider him naive; if he defended them, either knowing they committed the crime or merely out of anti-Israeli/anti-Zionist sentiment, then I am within my rights to consider his choice to defend them morally repugnant. Either way, I feel his canonization to be in error.
This is like the speculative justice found in the Pentagon! Do you work for them, or are you angling for a job with the DoD? I plead with you that the values you hold regarding rights are not to be so rigid as to mirror the mentality of a suicide cult!
Again, I ask cui bono? Who benefits? How was the defense of three Iranians who plotted to bomb the Israeli embassy a “human rights” issue?
They’re human!? *mouse with violin in background yet again* Or is it that because the UDHR was created in an attempt to prevent more holocausts, like the one suffered by Jewish peoples, given Zionists the ‘right’ to say what is human and what is not?!
Moreover, must you bring Israel into everything? Last time I checked South East Asia was nowhere near the Middle East. Just for the record, it is possible to be Muslim and not have an opinion on Israel! Did you spend time in Southern Thailand? I did and I asked a husband and wife who were Muslim what they thought of Palestine/Israel and they shrugged their shoulders with sincere indifference as much as I did. This is not to say that the men Somchai defended were good or bad, or not extremists against Zionism, it’s just Rawlsian, and I think it would prove useful for you (because clearly he cannot have influenced you thus far) to take a good look into one of your American academics that did not have selective hearing/reading.
I suppose this will be taken as an antagonistic response. But I am surprised you maintain such ugly, contradictory ethics.
*kiss*
The disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit
I want to be careful what I say here, but I slightly agree with what LSS says about the singling out Somchai to make him a cause celebre although I disagree with the rest of what he says. For me it is more the amount of coverage that his given to his situation and not that his situation is not worth highlighting.
Defendants have the right to representation and I am not too fussed which clients that Somchai take on as long as he complies with their professional and legal obligations. If lawyers break the law when defending their clients they can be prosecuted – ala Lynne Stewart.
LSS – you should shift the blame to the incompetence of the Thai police* in gathering evidence for terrorism cases – well in fact most cases as they always invariably revert to a confession and gathering minimal evidence if you think the Iranian concerned was guilty. The evidence they had against him was weak.
*Alternatively, it might not have been police incompetence though as many suspect more government pressure for an acquittal as they caved to Iranian pressure for better bilateral relations.
The disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit
First and foremost, thank you for the “Wikipedia-style” hagiography of Somchai Neelaphaijit. It didn’t contain any information I wasn’t aware of previously, but thank you nonetheless.
You’re welcome. I’m glad that you are well-informed.
Secondly, I don’t think my link to the Time Magazine article was “irrelevant” at all. As I understand that I am writing in a blog with an international audience, I realize that some readers may not be familar with the term “mob lawyer,” and thus, might not understand the analogy I was drawing. Just as you misinterpreted my employment of the term as literally labeling him, in your words, a “mafia lawyer”.
Indeed, the analogy was lost.
As for my third point, your defense of him seems to revolve around the fact that his clients were acquitted. That Mr. Neelaphaijit’s clients were acquitted doesn’t mean they didn’t commit the crime; it merely speaks to his skill as a criminal defense lawyer and courtroom rhetorician. Now, I believe in the right of the accused to have adequate representation in court…
So we can agree that defendants have a right to a lawyer, and that Somchai was entitled to represent them, and do so to the best of his ability.
… Either way, I feel his canonization to be in error.
It is sad that to recall a life lost and appeal for the rudiments of criminal justice can be mistaken as “canonization”.
In short, and I hope the following truth doesn’t prove to be too confusing for you, even if a particular country’s justice system is corrupt, that does not mean that every defendant that appears before those courts is innocent…
The trial of the five police accused of abducting Somchai being a case in point. But nor does it mean the opposite, as implied by your initial remark about “a glorified mob lawyer for Islamic terrorists”.
Finally, as for your attempt to smear me by insinuating that I am a bigot, that fits the definition of “throwaway line[s]” much more closely than anything I have previously written.
No smear or insinuation was intended.
The disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit
This outburst makes me wonder whether LSS holds some religio-racist grudge. Must have been one of the more ideologically disgusting contributions to this blog…
Interview with Burma’s Ma Thanegi
Most young Burmese are unemployed and the number of prostitutions are growing inside the country day by day. Our society is quite a mess, students are suffering and they do not have any prospects for their future. It is obvious that we are walking on the wrong path. I agree with Dr. Win Maung, Daw Suu needs to change her attitude and work with the militatry regime to get rid of the economic sanctions. Let us forget about the politics for a minute. For the sake of our children, let’s work together. If we go on like this, nobody gains. Instead of demanding “free Aung San Suu Kyi”, why can’t we demand from the government for instance better postal and communication services and better education systems, etc.. which could make our lives better.
The disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit
Re: Awzar Thi
First and foremost, thank you for the “Wikipedia-style” hagiography of Somchai Neelaphaijit. It didn’t contain any information I wasn’t aware of previously, but thank you nonetheless.
Secondly, I don’t think my link to the Time Magazine article was “irrelevant” at all. As I understand that I am writing in a blog with an international audience, I realize that some readers may not be familar with the term “mob lawyer,” and thus, might not understand the analogy I was drawing. Just as you misinterpreted my employment of the term as literally labeling him, in your words, a “mafia lawyer”.
As for my third point, your defense of him seems to revolve around the fact that his clients were acquitted. That Mr. Neelaphaijit’s clients were acquitted doesn’t mean they didn’t commit the crime; it merely speaks to his skill as a criminal defense lawyer and courtroom rhetorician.
Now, I believe in the right of the accused to have adequate representation in court. Mr. Neelaphaijit’s work as a criminal defense lawyer for the underprivileged is not in dispute; however, and this is where you refuse to answer the question I posit in my first comment, if Mr. Neelaphaijit and his Muslim Lawyers Club of Thailand offer pro bono services, then it implies that he and the other lawyers who take up such cases do so for parties they feel some sympathy for. Now let’s be honest here, many of Mr. Neelaphaijit’s clients were not naif schoolboys ; are not plotting to blow up embassies, “separatist activities,” and “arson attacks” acts of terrorism? Would not the defendants in such cases be referred to as “accused terrorists”? Even acknowledging the massive corruption that exists in the Thai judicial system, I find it hard to believe that the defendants were chosen at random.
Again, I ask cui bono? Who benefits? How was the defense of three Iranians who plotted to bomb the Israeli embassy a “human rights” issue? Or did Mr. Neelaphaijit’s reputation preceed him in every case he argued? If Mr.Neelaphaijit sincerely believed those men were innocent, then I am within my rights to consider him naive; if he defended them, either knowing they committed the crime or merely out of anti-Israeli/anti-Zionist sentiment, then I am within my rights to consider his choice to defend them morally repugnant. Either way, I feel his canonization to be in error.
In short, and I hope the following truth doesn’t prove to be too confusing for you, even if a particular country’s justice system is corrupt, that does not mean that every defendant that appears before those courts is innocent. Unfortunately, in my opinion, many times in his career Mr. Neelaphaijit was fighting the good fight for bad men.
Finally, as for your attempt to smear me by insinuating that I am a bigot, that fits the definition of “throwaway line[s]” much more closely than anything I have previously written.
With metta,
Lleij Samuel Schwartz (Abu Ali Asad ibn Aswad al-Amriki)
CONLAW301 with Brigadier Kyaw Hsan
OMG, never in my entire life I thought I would say this.
But that brig-gen got a point.
As I recalled, the Thai constitution was partly referring to Burmese junta’s referendum as predecessor case. Now, Burmese junta are refering to Thai as their predecessor case. Circular logic at work here?
The disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit
Lleij Samuel Schwartz — Your link to an irrelevant article on mob lawyers in the US betrays your confusion about Somchai Neelaphaijit; your throwaway line about Islamic terrorists betrays your bias towards him and his clients and a lack of understanding about the conditions in which he was working.
Before being forcibly disappeared, Somchai was the deputy chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of Thailand as well as an advisor to the Senate Human Rights and Justice Subcommittee, and was held in high esteem by his peers for his work on human rights cases. In 2003 he received a national award from the Lawyers Society of Thailand in recognition of this work. Although there are plenty of mafia lawyers in Thailand, Somchai was not one of them.
Among those “Islamic terrorists” whom he represented, the five torture victims whose case led to his disappearance were all found to be unconnected with the crime of which they were accused; in 1995 three Iranians he represented who were accused of a terrorist plot against the Israeli embassy were all acquitted; in 1994, out of five teachers accused of separatist activities in southern Thailand whom he represented, four were acquitted; and in 1993, four persons accused of arson attacks on schools in the south were all acquitted. Oh, and by the way, he also represented Burmese political exiles who were accused of crimes in Thailand in connection with the struggle against dictatorship in their own country… hmm, they weren’t Muslims, but what’s your opinion–“freedom fighters” or “terrorists”? Oh dear, looks like cause for more confusion.
The disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit
Of course, abduction and [probable] extrajudicial killing is wrong; however, I must ask if I’m the only one who feels uncomfortable with lionizing someone, who, essentially, was just a glorified “mob lawyer” for Islamic terrorists?
If Mr. Neelaphaijit is to be celebrated for his taking cases pro bono, then one must ask, cui bono?
Interview with Burma’s Ma Thanegi
The article and all the comments are sharp enough to seethrough their beliefs and hopes for the betterment of Burma. However, the issue of ‘sanctions’ has been a global debate since its development after Cold-War and not really easy to say ‘good’ or ‘bad’ without careful analyses. The debate is still going on and the history of sanctions is filled with both successes and failures. If you are really interested to find out whether sanctions ‘work’ in Burma’s politics, then you need to have an in-depth analysis of sanctions on Burma. In fact, according to Burma’s political economy, its relations with regional countries and the West played a critical role in defining the effectiveness of sanctions and its impacts on civilians. Although Theingi argued for impact of sanctions on vulnerable population, she did not provide the well-grounded and factual evidence of civilians’ pain and how the junta and its cronies managed the economy. Frankly, Theingi seems to be proud of her fluncy in English ( as she said) and knowledge of French and German (as she mentioned) and the claim she made as she could be a well-funded exiled activist pointed out that she even did not realize herself that real politics is not about language skills. As she mentioned during the interview, Aung San Suu Kyi always replied that ‘it’s not true’ that people would be suffered of sanctions. Suu Kyi simply replied whether it is true about impacts of sanctions and seemed she never explained Theingi about how sanctions work and its pros and cons. And apparently, Suu Kyi did not want to wast her time for ongoing acute debates about sanctions. Theingi needs to be done a proper research on sanctions if she wants to prove that sanctions on Burma’s junta are affecting vulnerable parts of the population. My answer will be ‘No, sanctions so far do not affect ordinary people of Burma’. It is not a personal opinion but the outcome of an analysis on sanctions and empirical results of Burma’s political economy under the military junta. And obviously, Burma’s politics is more complicated and cunning than any other political scenarios and Naw Naw is absolutely right about the nature and morals of Burmese activists and politicians. Burma’s politics need to be radicalised to achieve a significant difference. Dr. Win Maung should also read more books on sanctions and he should not say so as Theingi if it is for the only reason of going back to Burma as he is getting old in a foreign land.
Sufficiency going forward, diversity going backward
Teth: Not much more I can say about this subject that I have not already said across several threads here…..It seems we each get what we want out of the speeches, so I’ll just go back to trying to maintain my personal practice of moderation, reasonableness, and (hopefully) immunity.
Thomas Bleming on Wyoming TV
He’s now in country. I wanted to wait until he was safely away before saying anything that might have jeopardized his safety.
It’s an ugly situation there right now. Well, uglier than usual.
Sufficiency going forward, diversity going backward
Because what he says is ambiguous and often more harm done than good. Like Srithanonchai says, its Nessie.
How many would be able to distill “moderation, reasonableness, and immunity” from SE?
To answer your question, misusing, misinterpreting, or abusing those 3 principles is not good for it.
Shall I repeat it again?
Yes: when you hear something and choose to only focus on a tiny part, why on earth would you continue saying the whole speech, or worse, why would you repeat someone’s propaganda about the piece?
Report on Shan conference in London
An interesting report about International Shan Conference and Shan New Year Celebration in London. I wish I were there attending the seminars and celebrating the event showcasing “Shan Culture and Literature”. Thank you for writing this. I hope I would see more articles about Shan (cultural events, updates, seminars,talks around the world, people,updates, etc) on this website.
Interview with Burma’s Ma Thanegi
I first met Ma Theingyi in late 1996 and in all subsequent meetings felt that she was endowed with uncommon, commonsense.She is,above all else, a realist and with this,based upon a comprehensive knowledge of her country and its customs etc. has held to her opinions over the years and has, in the final analysis been proved right.She deserves to be listened to very carefully by ALL.
Burma’s future may well not be decided in any one ‘political generation’ but I feel sure that by degrees the emphasis is changing along with the macro status of Burma Vs China and India.
Ma Theingyi well have much more to offer her country as the years unfold.
Anthropology goes to war
Interesting piece in The Nation today:
ONCB says alarming increase in the number of drug users
Hat Yai, Songkhla The Office of the Narcotic Control Board (ONCB) has expressed grave concern over the sharp increase in the number of drug users in Thailand, saying the number of illicit drug users jumped to 2.5 million in 2007, up by half a million from the previous year.
Kitti Limchaikit, secretary-general of the ONCB, told a press conference in Hat Yai that he was alarmed because the latest figure indicated a big rise in the number of users. According to ONCB figures, Thailand had about 475,000 drug users in 2003.
Moreover, the three southernmost provinces accounted for about 300,000 of the 2.5 million users for 2007, while Bangkok accounted for about 128,707 users.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30067747
Tom Plate on the East-West Center’s royal event
I found this excerpt “thoroughly divisive”:
“But even so, somehow the whole event left a taste in the mouth that one doesn’t ordinarily associate with things Thai. Democracy is not the one-size fits all formula for all, and as mentioned, the elected Thaksin was no second coming of Thomas Jefferson. But removed as the prime minister had been by the force of arms, the East-West Center’s bow to the king seemed odd. One rests happily when American nonprofits honor geniuses or freedom fighters or even the otherwise disenfranchised. But kings — or queens for that matter — would seem to need no honorific welfare from American nonprofits. Generally, they can get along just fine on their own, especially those with the power to eject elected governments.”
Tom Plate on the East-West Center’s royal event
I would use the words “rambling” and “stream of thought” to describe this op-ed piece by Tom Plate, not “informative” or “factual.”
If all the good things that have resulted from the long-term relation between Thailand and the East-West Center as well as the University of Hawaii over what must be several decades were thoroughly documented and only one google query away from Tom Plate, maybe his op-ed piece would be different.
The economics of a Burmese education
Thanks. This newspaper certainly shows that Rambo was mistaken when he declared that the only way into the country was “up the river” namely the tiny malaria infested Moei river that passes by Mae Sot and the so-called state of “Kawthoolei” shortly before it joins the Salween at Sub Moei.
http://www.mmtimes.com/
Tom Plate on the East-West Center’s royal event
The Diaries of Tom Plate, now playing near you alongside the squeaks of a very small violin played by a mouse in a sari. I can see why he only references English language papers in his personal work history. Thoroughly demagogic of him. A writer for expats.
This article seemed fairly myopic and more of a personal complaint. If personal complaints are insights I should start a blog and call it ‘listen to me!, live my way or I shall …’ The ‘…’ would be the preface for each blog post. Tom Plate’s would be ‘listen to me! I go to functions where I am bored and empty. I then translate these feelings into articles!!!’