Hehehehe! That’s the spirit of’ sanuk’!
(I’ll never be caught out wearing pink though – yellow was very hard enough for me and I managed it on two occasions)
I think we are forgetting that pink is also King Chulalongkorn’s favourite color as well as Chulalongk0rn University’s color and that the occasion where Yellow/Red vies against Pink is at the annual Chula-Thammasat football match.
Originally I thought the pink had something to do with last week’s gay pride festival in Bangkok, but I guess I was wrong.
Smoked, mummified babies in premodern Tai warfare are documented in Quaritch Wales book on Southeast Asian warfare (discussing their inclusion in an ancient Thai classic). **Proper incantations and rituals in the dead of night** provide invulnerability, kind of premodern supernatural armour.
“What a ridiculous, pretentious, pseudo-theory laced gobbledeegook of a post.”
Strong words Republican, but I respect your views…
I am not sure what you mean Grasshopper – from my understanding of your post I agree that the underlying spirit of “Buddhist economics”, “sustainability”, “sustainable development”, “Sufficiency Theory”, “Smart Growth” has been around since time immemorial, independent of the labels, old and new.
But frankly, I am rather pessimistic. As Teth mentioned, very few Thais listen to the Lord Buddha – and it can be assumed that even less, HMK. Globally, governments and businesses are merely paying lip service to ‘sustainability” – which is losing credit again with “climate change” hegemony taking over resulting in narrow-minded policies to address it. How many million hectares of rain forests and productive farmlands needs to be cleared to produce ethanol?
As Grasshopper pointed out, SE may be used as a political tool to counter PMThaksin’s populism. But, really, reading the various political parties’ policy platforms what’s the point when society at large believes ‘large is beautiful’, SD and SE are either too idealistic or merely jokes and no fun at all…
Contrary to what the reductivists here think, it suggest a much less powerful and influential monarchy. It is purely out of deep respect and affection that people respond to HMK’s plea to tackle corruption or adopt SE – at least formally. But they are like many teenagers who love their parents but also often do not listen – only until the mistakes are already made. HM the King’s ‘power’ is that of a beloved Father while Thailand is a rebellious teenager.
PMThakin was the most powerful and dominant figure since GenSarit, not HMK. He could have easily become a Lee Kuan Yew or Dr.Mahathir and rule/govern Thailand for 30 years. He was just too greedy and amazingly stingy. I don’t think PAD would have garnered that much support had PMThaksin paid taxes on his ShinCorp sale (or just contribute to HMK’s charity!). On that note, PMThaksin could have benefited from ‘SE for billionaires’!
re: Sheikh Abu Hamaar Nganadeeleg ibn Abd’malik al-Siam
Greetings in the name of HE, who is most compassionate and municifent,
You wrote that, “Maybe I just don’t understand the social sciences – can one of you please explain to this non-academic just why AW & co only take digs at one side of the Thai political divide, and it’s basically ‘hands off’ the other side?”
When Sufficency Economy provides the politically and economically disenfranchised Issan folk with the discretionary income to rush out and buy the newest red polo shirts (or is blue the new red?), then I’m sure the bloggers at New Mandala will be the first to comment on this trend with their usual verve.
Sincerely,
Abu Tarikh Usama ibn Warraq al-Amriki
re: Grasshopper: I reference the good Shiekh Hilaly because his comments were recent, and, thusly, are fresh in the Australian popular imagination.
I apologize for not putting the obligatory disclaimer that misogynists can be found in all religions and creeds. I hope that my sin of only mentioning it in a Muslim context will be forgiven and that I am not labeled as that wickedest of creatures, the vile Islamophobe.
Forgot to mention historian of Pagan Tilman Frasch at Manchester Metropolitan University who is the necessary antidote to Michael Aung-Thwin’s one man show in this area.
“Martin Smith (who by the way is not a professor as far as I am aware) but award him top marks as a Burmese commentator…”
Martin Smith is one of the **historians** of Burma who has contributed most in recent times. The fact that Martin Smith does not have a PhD or that he is not a “professor” is pretty irrelevant as far as Burmese history is concerned, because up until recently there were very fewed tenured Burmese **history professors** that he could study under, and it is post-WWII political history that he wrote **the definitive work** on. Now that Michael Charney is at SOAS, Burmese **history** has been renewed in the UK, but given that journalists are not wealthy, it is doubtful that he could fund his studies there for a PhD.
In a similar fashion, Euwen Bagshawe has made the late 19th century folk political science of the Burmese court (Nitishastra) available to those who cannot read Burmese, but few seem to avail themselves of the opportunity to read it. This will likely change in the future as scholars come to learn how important his contribution is and how important reading Burmese sources as opposed to easy colonial era English sources really is. History emphasizes preconveived theory less and is more likely to allow the reader to come to his or her own conclusions. This is definitely the case with Martin Smith and Euwen Bagshawe, neither of whom have a PhD or a professorship, but perhaps should.
Enjoy your four-month holiday in warmer and sunnier climes, Professor Taylor. If in between projects you stick to the restaurants and bars then I’m confident that the smell of the real world won’t get up your nose too much.
I can not believe it can just be mere coincidence. But it does appear Thaksin Shinawatra could not have soared so high (and accumulated so much) without the help of COOKS! Even Andrew Walker is now absorbed with the study of Khmer voodo and the preternatural powers of the ‘cooked unborn foetus Khmer talisman’ thought to have given powers of invincibility to Thaksin Shinawatra and Newin Chidchob (if it is not good looks or intelligence, what else can you credit for Newin’s political charisma?).
I will always wonder what else Thaksin Shinawatra could be cooking at any moment . . .
(still could NOT access PINK NEW MANDALA from Bangkok . . NM posters are frozen at Nov 9th to-date).
Hello,
I would like to ask you for a favor, to talk about and post the new campaign dontforgetburma.org if it is not too much trouble for you.
We created this site because we wanted a space where normal people could show that although the media spotlight over Burma may have dimmed, we are still thinking of Burma.
The team that runs this site came together through the “Support the Monks’ Protest in Burma ” Facebook group (439,000 members) and has created the website http://www.burma-watch.org .
We’re a team of activists from around the world that work around the clock on our sites, we were key to coordinating the Global Day of Action for Burma on October 6th 2007 and Aung Sang Suu Kyi day (October 24th 2007).
We’d like to thank our launch partners who have helped make this project work., they are: Burma Campaign UK, The US Campaign for Burma, Avaaz.org, the European Burma Network and wearenotafraid.com .
About Burma
Burma is ruled by one of the most brutal military dictatorships in the world; a dictatorship charged by the United Nations with a “crime against humanity” for its systematic abuses of human rights, and condemned internationally for refusing to transfer power to the legally elected Government of the country – the party led by Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
In September 2007 monks led thousands of peaceful protestors onto the streets of Burma. The Burmese military put this peaceful uprising down with ruthless brutality routinely using violence and torture against the protestors, even the monks. The people of Burma have lived under military dictatorship for 45 years. The last peaceful uprising that occurred in1988 was brutally put down by the army killing at least 3,000 people. However the West didn’t act because very little news came out of Burma. This time is different, we know people have been tortured, we know hundreds and possibly thousands of people have been murdered by the regime in an attempt to put down the uprising.
Re 40,
Thanks Kevin. I have read the World Development debate but not the papers you cite here, which I will do.
I do regard SE, in as much as it makes specific proposals for how to develop farms, etc, as an anti-market strategy, whatever the UNDP says. Of course this aspect has really paled compared to its use as a political catch-all/football.
Myo Nyunt — read my book and you will find that not only have I ‘consulted’ Martin Smith (who by the way is not a professor as far as I am aware) but award him top marks as a Burmese commentator. I am also aware of the other authors you mention. Quite honestly I do not know what possessed you to post this comment, which has nothing to do with what went before. But watch this space! 🙂 JW
Re Khmer Voodoo: There’s a classic anthropological rule of thumb (goes back to Victor Turner I think) that subordinate/defeated ethnic groups are always said to have the most powerful sorcery/black magic. Can’t remember his explanation at the moment: I think partly to do with legitimising conquest (by claiming that the conquered are evil), partly to do with the process of symbolic appropriation of power recapitulating the material seizure: The precursor peoples are identified with the forces of nature which can both be appropriated through magical procedures.
Certainly this seemed to be the case in classical Laos where the Khmu and other (austronesian?) peoples played a symbolicly important ritual subordination role in the Luang Prabang court.
Does attribution of “Voodoo” to the Khmer, who have been kicked around by the Thais since 1431 IIRC, fit the mold, or are there better explanations? American servicemen attributing “voodoo” to the Khmer Rouge? (since “voodoo” is a quintessentially american craze & should be analytically distinguised from voudon, the syncretic religion of Haiti).
On Khmer voodoo: I am VERY interested, and in fact took the opportunity to interview a couple of my Cambodian masters students on the issue. They gave me some good background about the use of smoked/mummified babies (don’t try this at home!). I would be VERY happy to host an investigative post about the ways in which Thaksin used khmer voodoo for electoral or financial ends. And if there is evidence that PPP is doing the same then let’s get it out in the open. Please send me the evidence!
Mr Wintle might have consulted Prof Martin Smiths works on minority majority relations in the making of the myanmar(burma) state, apart from the contributions of Profs Taylor and Steinberg. My request to New Mandala and Nicholas, it will be wonderful if Profs Khin Maung Kyi, R M Sundrum and R Findlay could be interveiwed too.
Thailand awash in pink in support of king
Monarch Recovers
Reuters
Published: Saturday, November 10, 2007
BANGKOK – Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej has unleashed a new colour on his country — baby pink.
Since he left hospital on Wednesday wearing a pink shirt and pink jacket, Thais have rushed out to buy clothes in the same colour.
“Pink shirt sales jumped 60% today from yesterday after people saw the King in the colour,” a woman selling polo shirts emblazoned with the royal emblem at a Bangkok street market said yesterday.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Some caught on sooner than others.
An aide to Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn told The Matichon newspaper astrologers had advised that the planet Mars, represented by pink, would help strengthen the Thai monarch, who spent more than three weeks in hospital.
“Since Her Royal Highness had been aware of the suggestions at the beginning of the year, she started to wear pink every Tuesday,” Katevalee Napasap said.
In Thailand, Mars rules Tuesday, which translates into Thai as day of Mars. Each day is also associated with a colour. For example, Monday, the day King Bhumibol was born, is yellow.
So Bangkok is awash with people wearing yellow on Mondays to show their support for the King, a genuinely revered figure in a country that has had 18 coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
Now pink has become the rage in hopes that wearing it will help return the world’s longest-reigning monarch, who will be 80 next month, to full health.
King Bhumibol, a semi-divine figure whose portrait is hung in every Thai home, was taken to Bangkok’s Siriraj hospital on Oct. 13 for treatment for a blood clot in his brain.
More than one million people in the largely Buddhist nation signed books wishing him a speedy recovery and many prayed at statues of the King’s parents.
But pink may have a sting in its tail.
One fortune teller said Thailand, which is due to hold a general election in December to return the country to civilian rule after the latest army coup last year, could become chaotic if everybody started wearing pink on the same day.
“We will be under the influence of Mars from next week to February, which will bring conflicts to the country,” said Kengkaard Jongjaiprah.
“If many people wear pink, I am afraid that will strengthen Mars’ influence.”
The planet in Thai astrology, which is derived from the Hindu cosmology, is associated with conflict and violence. Mr. Kengkaard believes lots of people wearing pink would strengthen its characteristics.
Is anyone else in Thailand experiencing the problem highlighted here by the Colonel? Any other reports on current access (difficulties or otherwise) would be much appreciated.
This is very strange and very disturbing Andrew Walker.
If I access your website, via google route where I found your latest “New Mandala Pink Perspectives” blog, straight forwardly , I only get as far as your Nov. 9th poster “Network Myanmar”. (are you being blocked from Thailand Andrew????)
The only way I can reach your latest Nov. 10th “New Mandala goes PINK” poster is via PROXY servers.
BTW, you all make too much fuss of Thailand’s Yellow or Pink crazes. As crazes go, these things just sort of snowball by itself. I was at lunch Thursday last week having my noodles were I overheard three merchants discussing ‘profit possibilities’ of Pink shirts after seeing HMK in pink suits. Conspiracy my foot!
I wonder what reasons you drew a conclusion that the King was behind the coup.
Of course, this is all speculation based on “probable” causes and motives and of course, one’s bias. I, for one, do not consider it to be any sort of academic analysis. The first salient point is the role of Gen Prem. Why did he meet with Potjaman Shinawatra nearly immediately after the coup? Why has he been seen ushering the coup generals into the palace? Why has there been no denial? The connection between Prem and the King is also very clear over the past three decades.
Secondly, the appointment of a Privy Councillor as Prime Minister, who very likely still remains a Privy Councillor. The palace must have consented before allowing such a closely related figure to be appointed Prime Minister if it did not in fact make the decision itself. Mind you, selection of Privy Councillors is a reserved power of the throne, therefore those on the Privy Council must be extremely close to it.
Third, the constant overuse of royalist themes and propaganda. Note the original name of the coup group: “Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy.” Note the use of yellow ribbons, note one of the reasons the CDRM took over: because of Thaksin’s “insults to the King.” Then, once a civilian government took over, the Sufficiency Economy was to be a major tenet of its economic policy. Was there any word of protest from the Palace?
Here is an excerpt from the King’s birthday speech of 2006:
For old people in the government, they have no greed for themselves and deserve a compliment for their willingness to continue to serve the country although they have long worked and should have their retirement time. Although they have never taken this kind of job before, they will likely do it well thanks to their experiences.
Very clearly indicative of his mood towards the post-coup government (and perhaps to the coup itself). No words of condemnation, in fact, he is praising this illegitimate government, which is exceedingly weird. After all, the old man had refused to gratify anti-Thaksinites with a royally appointed PM for fear of being “undemocratic.” The full quote:
Article 7 does not empower the King to make a unilateral decision. It talks about constitutional monarchy but does not give the King power to do anything he wants. If the King made a decision, he would overstep his duty and it would be undemocratic.
Installing a royally appointed prime minister means appointing the prime minister without any rules. At that time there were rules. Professor Sanya was royally appointed as prime minister and his appointment was then legally countersigned by a deputy House speaker. Go review history.
Now I have suffered a great deal because whatever happened there will always be calls for a royally appointed prime minister. It is not democratic. Go back and read Article 7. This is a wrong citation of Article 7. The article only has two lines; that is, whatever not stated by the Constitution, then should follow the traditional practices. But asking for the royally appointed prime minister is undemocratic. It is irrational, it is a mess.
Why the sudden change of heart with regards to the coup? All of a sudden it becomes democratic to appoint a Prime Minister with the coup general to countersign the order? I recall somebody talking about double standards once…
In any case, Freeman, though we may never uncover the true intentions of the Palace or whether it was Prem acting to destroy the country (as pro-Thaksinites allege), I for one, have reason to believe based on history and from the news I’ve heard that this is in fact, a coup by the King for the King.
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New Mandala goes …….
Hehehehe! That’s the spirit of’ sanuk’!
(I’ll never be caught out wearing pink though – yellow was very hard enough for me and I managed it on two occasions)
I think we are forgetting that pink is also King Chulalongkorn’s favourite color as well as Chulalongk0rn University’s color and that the occasion where Yellow/Red vies against Pink is at the annual Chula-Thammasat football match.
New Mandala goes …….
Originally I thought the pink had something to do with last week’s gay pride festival in Bangkok, but I guess I was wrong.
Smoked, mummified babies in premodern Tai warfare are documented in Quaritch Wales book on Southeast Asian warfare (discussing their inclusion in an ancient Thai classic). **Proper incantations and rituals in the dead of night** provide invulnerability, kind of premodern supernatural armour.
Royalist propaganda and policy nonsense
“What a ridiculous, pretentious, pseudo-theory laced gobbledeegook of a post.”
Strong words Republican, but I respect your views…
I am not sure what you mean Grasshopper – from my understanding of your post I agree that the underlying spirit of “Buddhist economics”, “sustainability”, “sustainable development”, “Sufficiency Theory”, “Smart Growth” has been around since time immemorial, independent of the labels, old and new.
But frankly, I am rather pessimistic. As Teth mentioned, very few Thais listen to the Lord Buddha – and it can be assumed that even less, HMK. Globally, governments and businesses are merely paying lip service to ‘sustainability” – which is losing credit again with “climate change” hegemony taking over resulting in narrow-minded policies to address it. How many million hectares of rain forests and productive farmlands needs to be cleared to produce ethanol?
As Grasshopper pointed out, SE may be used as a political tool to counter PMThaksin’s populism. But, really, reading the various political parties’ policy platforms what’s the point when society at large believes ‘large is beautiful’, SD and SE are either too idealistic or merely jokes and no fun at all…
Contrary to what the reductivists here think, it suggest a much less powerful and influential monarchy. It is purely out of deep respect and affection that people respond to HMK’s plea to tackle corruption or adopt SE – at least formally. But they are like many teenagers who love their parents but also often do not listen – only until the mistakes are already made. HM the King’s ‘power’ is that of a beloved Father while Thailand is a rebellious teenager.
PMThakin was the most powerful and dominant figure since GenSarit, not HMK. He could have easily become a Lee Kuan Yew or Dr.Mahathir and rule/govern Thailand for 30 years. He was just too greedy and amazingly stingy. I don’t think PAD would have garnered that much support had PMThaksin paid taxes on his ShinCorp sale (or just contribute to HMK’s charity!). On that note, PMThaksin could have benefited from ‘SE for billionaires’!
New Mandala goes …….
re: Sheikh Abu Hamaar Nganadeeleg ibn Abd’malik al-Siam
Greetings in the name of HE, who is most compassionate and municifent,
You wrote that, “Maybe I just don’t understand the social sciences – can one of you please explain to this non-academic just why AW & co only take digs at one side of the Thai political divide, and it’s basically ‘hands off’ the other side?”
When Sufficency Economy provides the politically and economically disenfranchised Issan folk with the discretionary income to rush out and buy the newest red polo shirts (or is blue the new red?), then I’m sure the bloggers at New Mandala will be the first to comment on this trend with their usual verve.
Sincerely,
Abu Tarikh Usama ibn Warraq al-Amriki
re: Grasshopper: I reference the good Shiekh Hilaly because his comments were recent, and, thusly, are fresh in the Australian popular imagination.
I apologize for not putting the obligatory disclaimer that misogynists can be found in all religions and creeds. I hope that my sin of only mentioning it in a Muslim context will be forgiven and that I am not labeled as that wickedest of creatures, the vile Islamophobe.
Interview with Professor Robert Taylor
Forgot to mention historian of Pagan Tilman Frasch at Manchester Metropolitan University who is the necessary antidote to Michael Aung-Thwin’s one man show in this area.
Interview with Professor Robert Taylor
“Martin Smith (who by the way is not a professor as far as I am aware) but award him top marks as a Burmese commentator…”
Martin Smith is one of the **historians** of Burma who has contributed most in recent times. The fact that Martin Smith does not have a PhD or that he is not a “professor” is pretty irrelevant as far as Burmese history is concerned, because up until recently there were very fewed tenured Burmese **history professors** that he could study under, and it is post-WWII political history that he wrote **the definitive work** on. Now that Michael Charney is at SOAS, Burmese **history** has been renewed in the UK, but given that journalists are not wealthy, it is doubtful that he could fund his studies there for a PhD.
In a similar fashion, Euwen Bagshawe has made the late 19th century folk political science of the Burmese court (Nitishastra) available to those who cannot read Burmese, but few seem to avail themselves of the opportunity to read it. This will likely change in the future as scholars come to learn how important his contribution is and how important reading Burmese sources as opposed to easy colonial era English sources really is. History emphasizes preconveived theory less and is more likely to allow the reader to come to his or her own conclusions. This is definitely the case with Martin Smith and Euwen Bagshawe, neither of whom have a PhD or a professorship, but perhaps should.
Interview with Professor Robert Taylor
Enjoy your four-month holiday in warmer and sunnier climes, Professor Taylor. If in between projects you stick to the restaurants and bars then I’m confident that the smell of the real world won’t get up your nose too much.
New Mandala goes …….
I can not believe it can just be mere coincidence. But it does appear Thaksin Shinawatra could not have soared so high (and accumulated so much) without the help of COOKS! Even Andrew Walker is now absorbed with the study of Khmer voodo and the preternatural powers of the ‘cooked unborn foetus Khmer talisman’ thought to have given powers of invincibility to Thaksin Shinawatra and Newin Chidchob (if it is not good looks or intelligence, what else can you credit for Newin’s political charisma?).
I will always wonder what else Thaksin Shinawatra could be cooking at any moment . . .
(still could NOT access PINK NEW MANDALA from Bangkok . . NM posters are frozen at Nov 9th to-date).
New Burma blog
Hello,
I would like to ask you for a favor, to talk about and post the new campaign dontforgetburma.org if it is not too much trouble for you.
We created this site because we wanted a space where normal people could show that although the media spotlight over Burma may have dimmed, we are still thinking of Burma.
The team that runs this site came together through the “Support the Monks’ Protest in Burma ” Facebook group (439,000 members) and has created the website http://www.burma-watch.org .
We’re a team of activists from around the world that work around the clock on our sites, we were key to coordinating the Global Day of Action for Burma on October 6th 2007 and Aung Sang Suu Kyi day (October 24th 2007).
We’d like to thank our launch partners who have helped make this project work., they are: Burma Campaign UK, The US Campaign for Burma, Avaaz.org, the European Burma Network and wearenotafraid.com .
About Burma
Burma is ruled by one of the most brutal military dictatorships in the world; a dictatorship charged by the United Nations with a “crime against humanity” for its systematic abuses of human rights, and condemned internationally for refusing to transfer power to the legally elected Government of the country – the party led by Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
In September 2007 monks led thousands of peaceful protestors onto the streets of Burma. The Burmese military put this peaceful uprising down with ruthless brutality routinely using violence and torture against the protestors, even the monks. The people of Burma have lived under military dictatorship for 45 years. The last peaceful uprising that occurred in1988 was brutally put down by the army killing at least 3,000 people. However the West didn’t act because very little news came out of Burma. This time is different, we know people have been tortured, we know hundreds and possibly thousands of people have been murdered by the regime in an attempt to put down the uprising.
To make sure the world doesn’t forget get active, submit a photo of support to this site, join the Facebook group and find a local activist organisation via http://www.burma-watch.org/index.php?option=com_glossary&Itemid=113
Sophie Lwin
sophielwin.blogspot.com
Royalist propaganda and policy nonsense
Re 40,
Thanks Kevin. I have read the World Development debate but not the papers you cite here, which I will do.
I do regard SE, in as much as it makes specific proposals for how to develop farms, etc, as an anti-market strategy, whatever the UNDP says. Of course this aspect has really paled compared to its use as a political catch-all/football.
Interview with Professor Robert Taylor
Myo Nyunt — read my book and you will find that not only have I ‘consulted’ Martin Smith (who by the way is not a professor as far as I am aware) but award him top marks as a Burmese commentator. I am also aware of the other authors you mention. Quite honestly I do not know what possessed you to post this comment, which has nothing to do with what went before. But watch this space! 🙂 JW
New Mandala goes …….
Re Khmer Voodoo: There’s a classic anthropological rule of thumb (goes back to Victor Turner I think) that subordinate/defeated ethnic groups are always said to have the most powerful sorcery/black magic. Can’t remember his explanation at the moment: I think partly to do with legitimising conquest (by claiming that the conquered are evil), partly to do with the process of symbolic appropriation of power recapitulating the material seizure: The precursor peoples are identified with the forces of nature which can both be appropriated through magical procedures.
Certainly this seemed to be the case in classical Laos where the Khmu and other (austronesian?) peoples played a symbolicly important ritual subordination role in the Luang Prabang court.
Does attribution of “Voodoo” to the Khmer, who have been kicked around by the Thais since 1431 IIRC, fit the mold, or are there better explanations? American servicemen attributing “voodoo” to the Khmer Rouge? (since “voodoo” is a quintessentially american craze & should be analytically distinguised from voudon, the syncretic religion of Haiti).
New Mandala goes …….
On Khmer voodoo: I am VERY interested, and in fact took the opportunity to interview a couple of my Cambodian masters students on the issue. They gave me some good background about the use of smoked/mummified babies (don’t try this at home!). I would be VERY happy to host an investigative post about the ways in which Thaksin used khmer voodoo for electoral or financial ends. And if there is evidence that PPP is doing the same then let’s get it out in the open. Please send me the evidence!
Interview with Professor Robert Taylor
Mr Wintle might have consulted Prof Martin Smiths works on minority majority relations in the making of the myanmar(burma) state, apart from the contributions of Profs Taylor and Steinberg. My request to New Mandala and Nicholas, it will be wonderful if Profs Khin Maung Kyi, R M Sundrum and R Findlay could be interveiwed too.
New Mandala goes …….
From the press:
Thailand awash in pink in support of king
Monarch Recovers
Reuters
Published: Saturday, November 10, 2007
BANGKOK – Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej has unleashed a new colour on his country — baby pink.
Since he left hospital on Wednesday wearing a pink shirt and pink jacket, Thais have rushed out to buy clothes in the same colour.
“Pink shirt sales jumped 60% today from yesterday after people saw the King in the colour,” a woman selling polo shirts emblazoned with the royal emblem at a Bangkok street market said yesterday.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Some caught on sooner than others.
An aide to Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn told The Matichon newspaper astrologers had advised that the planet Mars, represented by pink, would help strengthen the Thai monarch, who spent more than three weeks in hospital.
“Since Her Royal Highness had been aware of the suggestions at the beginning of the year, she started to wear pink every Tuesday,” Katevalee Napasap said.
In Thailand, Mars rules Tuesday, which translates into Thai as day of Mars. Each day is also associated with a colour. For example, Monday, the day King Bhumibol was born, is yellow.
So Bangkok is awash with people wearing yellow on Mondays to show their support for the King, a genuinely revered figure in a country that has had 18 coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
Now pink has become the rage in hopes that wearing it will help return the world’s longest-reigning monarch, who will be 80 next month, to full health.
King Bhumibol, a semi-divine figure whose portrait is hung in every Thai home, was taken to Bangkok’s Siriraj hospital on Oct. 13 for treatment for a blood clot in his brain.
More than one million people in the largely Buddhist nation signed books wishing him a speedy recovery and many prayed at statues of the King’s parents.
But pink may have a sting in its tail.
One fortune teller said Thailand, which is due to hold a general election in December to return the country to civilian rule after the latest army coup last year, could become chaotic if everybody started wearing pink on the same day.
“We will be under the influence of Mars from next week to February, which will bring conflicts to the country,” said Kengkaard Jongjaiprah.
“If many people wear pink, I am afraid that will strengthen Mars’ influence.”
The planet in Thai astrology, which is derived from the Hindu cosmology, is associated with conflict and violence. Mr. Kengkaard believes lots of people wearing pink would strengthen its characteristics.
New Mandala goes …….
Dear New Mandala readers,
Is anyone else in Thailand experiencing the problem highlighted here by the Colonel? Any other reports on current access (difficulties or otherwise) would be much appreciated.
Best wishes to all,
Nicholas
New Mandala goes …….
Yellow->Pink->Black
New Mandala goes …….
This is very strange and very disturbing Andrew Walker.
If I access your website, via google route where I found your latest “New Mandala Pink Perspectives” blog, straight forwardly , I only get as far as your Nov. 9th poster “Network Myanmar”. (are you being blocked from Thailand Andrew????)
The only way I can reach your latest Nov. 10th “New Mandala goes PINK” poster is via PROXY servers.
BTW, you all make too much fuss of Thailand’s Yellow or Pink crazes. As crazes go, these things just sort of snowball by itself. I was at lunch Thursday last week having my noodles were I overheard three merchants discussing ‘profit possibilities’ of Pink shirts after seeing HMK in pink suits. Conspiracy my foot!
New Mandala goes …….
Fan of Pink Floyd? ;-p
Royalist propaganda and policy nonsense
I wonder what reasons you drew a conclusion that the King was behind the coup.
Of course, this is all speculation based on “probable” causes and motives and of course, one’s bias. I, for one, do not consider it to be any sort of academic analysis. The first salient point is the role of Gen Prem. Why did he meet with Potjaman Shinawatra nearly immediately after the coup? Why has he been seen ushering the coup generals into the palace? Why has there been no denial? The connection between Prem and the King is also very clear over the past three decades.
Secondly, the appointment of a Privy Councillor as Prime Minister, who very likely still remains a Privy Councillor. The palace must have consented before allowing such a closely related figure to be appointed Prime Minister if it did not in fact make the decision itself. Mind you, selection of Privy Councillors is a reserved power of the throne, therefore those on the Privy Council must be extremely close to it.
Third, the constant overuse of royalist themes and propaganda. Note the original name of the coup group: “Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy.” Note the use of yellow ribbons, note one of the reasons the CDRM took over: because of Thaksin’s “insults to the King.” Then, once a civilian government took over, the Sufficiency Economy was to be a major tenet of its economic policy. Was there any word of protest from the Palace?
Here is an excerpt from the King’s birthday speech of 2006:
Very clearly indicative of his mood towards the post-coup government (and perhaps to the coup itself). No words of condemnation, in fact, he is praising this illegitimate government, which is exceedingly weird. After all, the old man had refused to gratify anti-Thaksinites with a royally appointed PM for fear of being “undemocratic.” The full quote:
Why the sudden change of heart with regards to the coup? All of a sudden it becomes democratic to appoint a Prime Minister with the coup general to countersign the order? I recall somebody talking about double standards once…
In any case, Freeman, though we may never uncover the true intentions of the Palace or whether it was Prem acting to destroy the country (as pro-Thaksinites allege), I for one, have reason to believe based on history and from the news I’ve heard that this is in fact, a coup by the King for the King.