Nick Nostitz, obviously nothing of which I spoke of sunk in.
Police reform is the only answer.
I suggest you zoom out and take a broader perspective.
Include the recent confused Bangkok Bombing.
Today apparently trying to prove guilt by crime reenactment.
This after contradicting themselves a million times and having essentially no real hard evidence. Read Alan Dawson’s commentary in the Bangkok Post.
Or the Koh Trial, the Andy Hall trial and most important READ FOR THE DETAILS ….. questionable secretive practices along the same lines as the extrajudicial killings of 2003 are always at work.
Billionaire ex-cop Thaksin is the problem incarnate.
A corrupt police force that cannot even enforce basic traffic laws and yet gets appointed deputy prime minister, to the central bank board…. and virtually all high positions
Many years ago there were some people like Ruth McVey who compiled works like Money and Power in Provincial Thailand and Local godfathers in Thai politics, but now scholars can’t pull their heads out of overwhelming all-encompassing social movements like the red shirts. Truly pitiful.
At least 2 generations of Myanmar citizenry, a product of military rule since ’62, for nearly 6 decades (that’s 60 years), will immediately alert even the MOST casual observer to realize that at most, with mathematical probability will take at best 1/2 that long or more practically as long IF everything will progress in the correct direction.
Nich
Among all the ‘Political Ruts’ that the NLD has to avoid the “Kalar in Yakhine rut” will be the least important, compared to the recent flooding, IDP , Human trafficking etc etc.
Why does the inclusion of very Muslim, leader has become front and center for significance of existence.
As if DASSK reflection as icon of “Freedom from Fear” is not enough.
Her leadership is questioned and criticized as stubborn due to mostly misunderstanding of western media.
As we all know the changes/more freedom/freedom from fear will not come until the rural citizenry the majority of Myanmar realize what she mean.
Seeing the best way to reach half of the population is through women, DASSK has promoted women involvement in everything, is blind to the chauvinistic west and the Muslim.
A proof of ‘the west jaundice view of Myanmar” is obviously being used by the Muslim as islamophobe!
The most venerable BBC has now many Asian/ African reporters and newsreaders apart from the usual occasional West Indian. Just that if you close your eyes you would never have guessed.
The Rohingya goal is to take over Rakhaine State by force of demographics. The Myanmar Army, government, and even the NLD are saying “NO”!!!! This is to be applauded, not condemned.
Cambodia was no more Vietnam-controlled in the 80s than Vietnam was US-controlled 54-75. Vietnam and the Cambodian Salvation Front liberated Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge just as the Red Army liberated Poland from the nazis. If you still think otherwise, you’re a KR sympathizer who fooled Jimmy Carter into thinking the KR were “nationalists”.
Unfortunately (and un-apologetically) your congenital / and acquired faith in high idealistic (romantic) “Democratic” value may be the basis of regarding this dress up money waster and mind bender as “momentous”.
However, if you look at the way the most “free and liberal” America is being managed, you would see that no one really knows how decisions are made and whoever you think makes the decision usually has no clue whatsoever on the subject. E.g. Clinton was reputed to be “elected” simply because all the “election fundings” miraculously realised and all the media drummed up for his “virtues” (reminiscent of Ike commercials after the war!) because he answered to David Rockefeller correctly when asked about NAFTA approval while he did not even know what NAFTA was. Etc.
The visible/ famous/ award-winning named executives are but well-dressed jokes. At least that is what Bernays said.
“THE conscious and intelligent manipulation of the
organized habits and opinions of the masses is an
important element in democratic society. Those who
manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute
an invisible government which is the true ruling
power of our country.
We are governed, our minds are molded, our
tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men
we have never heard of. This is a logical result of
the way in which our democratic society is organized.” http://www.voltairenet.org/IMG/pdf/Bernays_Propaganda_in_english_.pdf
As far as the international corporations of which academics and pseudo-academic blogs like this one are simply PR arms go, they simply want a government who would happily do their dirty work. That “Dirty work” usually comprises of wholesale eviction, indentured labour and extreme restriction of resources use and ownership by the majority by physical force (why do you think the Australians and British have been busy “educating” the “police” or “pa-late” as they are lovingly called in Burma?) and they will go with whoever would do that heap their praise for such guy or guyzess or any third gender. All the time saying otherwise because THIS NOW IS “DEMOCRACY”, a word the multitude of suckers are desperately in love but have no clue of the meaning.
Public of Burma are also so muddled up in their delusion and false hope, they have been nothing but helping along their own future and devastating predicament enthusiastically by themselves.
One thing right about Aung San Suu Kyi parroting her handlers. Only good thing for November would be if there is no violence and lives lost as is the prime feature of all the neighbouring “Democracies” including the biggest Democracy on earth India (where the rightly elected Sonia Gandhi was so scared that she had to use a double (Singh) to rule).
While screaming otherwise, the worshipping desire of people of Burma towards Than Shwe is immeasurably intense. (Incidentally the likes of Thein Sein and Min Aung Hling are props. Good ones but all the same good props.)
Not really anything hew here though. On the ground and with legions of close and camaraderie buddy “Myanmarese” friends who he always could extensively saying exactly he would not be surprised to say painting how rabid “Burmese Buddhists”- from taxi drivers to teashop punters- have been conspiring to annihilate the poor little Muslims for so long, all of them seem to merge into one.
The prevailing tone of the country sure does not help. Yet for an absolutely shocking surprise, you can’t possibly walk for one minute in downtown Rangoon without noticing those filthy Muslims and those rabid homicidal Fascist Buddhist Burmese having tea together and sharing a joke.
Nick Nostitz – what you post is excellent, and brave. You should contact Sydney’s ACIJ – Australian Centre for Investigative Journalism. I am sure they would love to hear from you, I once started a Thai project with them. Also Peter Cronau, excellent journalist @Sydney Ultimo HQ of our ABC would be a great contact.
“when the addicts become a problem in the west i.e ‘when heroine is cheap on the streets of EU and USA’”
It’s the other way around…
‘Problematic’ drug use (a phenomenon that’s pretty hard to define) usually refers to the social problems of caused by drug use, such as poverty, or crime committed either under the influence of drugs (which is pretty rare for drugs like heroin), or crimes such as robbery in order to feed habits.
These social problems tend to rise when the price of heroin rises, and/or purity decreases, which largely means that there is less supply of the drug. They rise because people need more money to feed their habits. Users may often use more conservative techniques so that there drugs go further, so they start injecting which causes far more damage to the users (collapsed veins, abscesses, heart failure) and society (eg. through transmission of HIV).
Although it’s hard to prove causation empirically, other than observe correlation. Any interview with a problem drug user will generally demonstrate that this to be the case, rather than the other way around.
Any sensible demand-side drug policy should revolve around destigmatising addiction so that more users are willing to access treatment, among other things, including measures to move control out of the hands of gangs, perhaps through some kind of regulation that would allow heroin to be rationed to drug addicts that do not respond to other treatment programmes (ie. a return to ‘the British method’ which was often used during the early- to mid-1990s). Alternatives such as methadone often do not work, and many still continue to buy heroin off criminals anyway. Leading to the endless spiral of social problems, and forms of avoidable violence, fuelled by the illicit nature of the heroin trade.
Can’t believe how I managed to miss Matt’s excellent post and also the absence of comments.
It is an exciting time what with so many now possessing android phones with the Burmese font ready installed and online. Even young ethnic housemaids in Yangon households have a ‘hand phone’ nowadays.
You see cyber warriors calling one another sit khway (military dogs) and demo khway (democracy dogs), monks divided between the regime stooge Ma Ba Tha and the rest, and of course a lot of people sharing stuff false and true. The riots in Mandalay and Meiktila had typically been instigated by planting false information like the monk in the article received and shared.
Good to see also a significant amount of political education on social media including facts on the Constitution, legislation and legal rights.
What can become more important perhaps even decisive in the near future is the amount of information sloshing about on Facebook that has been reaching the rank and file of the security apparatus and their families since information stopped being a state monopoly, not least the freeing of the press, all for the military elite’s own selfish reasons in their pursuit of legitimacy and filthy lucre.
This comment is for closure Historicus. Samak S . was eventually convicted for that BMA fire-truck scandal and the courts ruled to confiscate some Bht 600 million of property and assets from the departed Samak’s wife and children,
Doesn’t ‘stability’ in this context mean the military elite staying in power unchallenged, or am I being really obtuse?
And the rest follows – the economy in their service, all resources material and human, the minorities disarm themselves and make sure they know their place, then the ‘transition’ promised only since 1962 will be smooth.
Déj├а vu on a loop only more elaborate than Ground Hog Day. Do we even need a crystal ball?
Kudos to Ms Peterson for her refreshing objective views of problems with attainable SOLUTIONS offered.
Economy-Infrastructure Improvement.
Ethnic Conflicts – Mon as examples instead of continuing insistence on 1947 (Pinlone/Panlong) agreement.
Military Attitude – Surprisingly this military like previous one is willing to eventually let go of power.
NE Win renege on his promise with BSPP, one party control.
This administration seem more forthcoming with Multi party approach with control for stability or self serving (25%). THere are possibly lots of stops ahead e.g. involvement of religion, towards return of the military into barracks.
DASSK has prove that her sentiment can easily pick up admirer/follower even among opposition party, may be as well as from the 25% military.
Let all hope her persistence of “Freedom from Fear” motto hold true and persevere in the end with support from every one.
Yes, pompous and ignorant. And wrong. This is how myths are made and written into history. I know plenty of people who’ve lived in Australia all their lives and still manage write rubbish about it, not surpsrising how much rot is scribbled by blow-ins to Timor. Gusmao Mandela like? Gimme a break. Just a hint of evidence to the contrary and NM editors censor the comment. INTERFET and PKF stood by and did nothing while kids were being abused by JORBATT in Oecussi. Didn’t seem to harm subsequent careers. INTERFET most certainly did not defeat nor even deter paramilitary, it just bequeathed an unarmed insurgency to PKF, which panicked and was unable to handle it. Cosgrove had a chance to stabilize Timor but muffed it when Falintil, threatened with disarmament, put on a show of force in Dili. Cosgrove blinked. Thereafter INTERFET was shown no respect nor fear by either FALINTIL or Pro Integ paramil. An insurgency became inevitable and was only able to be countered after the murder of the UNHCR staff in Atambua. The true history of that period has not been written. Of the 300,000 refugees, 80-100,000 remain in Indon. They fled from us. Like the US, we love to be loved. We love our myths. E.Timor is burdened with a military nobody, especially us, wanted. They were supposed to have a Police Force and no military. All subsequent security concerns result from this.
btw the Portuguese were by far the best Peacekeepers I encountered, Fijians runner-up.
Granted the outcome will most likely be more or less as planned by the puppet master whether the polls are boycotted or contested although the latter option will lend legitimacy as it did when she decided to become a lawmaker herself three years ago. And you might say look where it got us. But there is no denying that the democracy show has had some mileage and they may well have unintentionally locked themselves in the process.
Whilst the kind of landslide in the 2012 by-election (per kind permission no doubt) let alone as in 1990 (too cocky and their eye off the ball) seems unlikely another 2010 cannot happen either.
What else do you suppose people can do at this momentous juncture? Electoral shenanigans and outright fraud will be exposed and they are being even as we speak.
What will be interesting is if the army itself will remain monolithic in the event of a recidivist betrayal over the people’s genuine verdict including the expectations of the rank and file.
The deployment of Interfet troops and the management and (self) discipline by command and individual units, along with logical in-field decisions was first rate.
It’s a pity the hearts and minds campaign that Interfet implemented and conducted so well and which had a good chance of transforming past practices and breaking concentrations of power by individuals and families was wasted by allowing Portugal back in.
I hope John Blaxland gives the Timorese some credit for fighting for their own independence in his book. What a pompous article. Altruistic Australia. Sure.
Must say your “faith” in the “Election” is fascinating.
It is a simple dress up party indulged by Than Shwe for the general amusement, foolery and being fooled. If one accepts the lofty “Ne-pyi-daw” is a sick fairy town wnd the super-expensive to maintain dressup people in clown clothes there are simple backdrops as they are (otherwise you must say they do make important decision like whem and how many Kachins and Karens are to be killed or to declare war on Kokant, etc. or even whihc company the most important fascility in modern times- telecommunication is entrusted with), and any no one even knows who even makes those decisions, there seems any point in spending millions of dollars for this we-are-also-very-much-like-a-mae-di-kar extravaganza.
Again, Ma-ba-tha is just useless noicy attack dogs used by people for their own purpose. If Than Shwe wants the Ma-ba-tha to disappear today it would be gone tonight.
As for NLD, people have tramendous self delusion. Since 2011 since that 18th August “Family Dinner” with Mr and Mrs Thein Seina nd Ms Aung San Suu Kyi wich ends up her singing unceasing “Thein Sein is Great” mantra, not a single policy, suggestion or action whihc has been visibly beneficial or inspiring for the country. Yet the concerted effort of “West” with historic visits, awards, glassswares, articles of praise, academic positions at cushy schools etcs, are handsomely paying off to the fairy princess worshiping populace.
Fact is nothing useful at all is coming out of the whole of Potemkin city. People talk about 25% etc. Problem is 100% is utterly useless. Pleas give a single example aht that multi-million dollars vaccuimg dres up gig produce in the last four years?
The sole reason to do this election facade wasting millions and millions of dollars is to look like a-may-di-kar. That’s all.
At this moment in time the choice cannot be clearer – NLD.
“Regardless of who is in charge” sounds selfless and laudable, almost apolitical, perhaps as intended – on the surface. No wonder some people believe they and no one else ever have the right to be in charge.
In 2013, our professor said we had “once in a lifetime” opportunity to meet with DASSK when she came to Singapore. The competition was quite intense, with only two Burmese students selected per institution. But curious to study her personality, I tried hard to make it. Somehow, I expected she would say we should return to Myanmar and help our country regardless of who is in charge. But what she said completely dumbfounded me, “Please help your mother Su to become President.” Given her “iconic” status at that time, I was like “omg, is this a real Suu Kyi?”
It means Burmese people are like animals in Orwellian farm, hoping and dreaming for prosperity that will never come. In the past four years, she could have used her energy on development, asking help from international experts, drafting and proposing laws to strive forward equality and prosperity. But she has spent all her time and energy for single-minded pursuit to become president, sometimes even trying to block Thein Sein’s efforts–as in the peace process–in order not to give him any credits. Burmese are one of the most unlucky people. The West uses them as “hypocrisy reserve”. Now, they have a choice, USDP which is corrupt and cony-controlled, and DASSK who is power hungry, stubborn and will do anything (think about sanctions) to obtain presidency.
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Governing by the gun
Nick Nostitz, obviously nothing of which I spoke of sunk in.
Police reform is the only answer.
I suggest you zoom out and take a broader perspective.
Include the recent confused Bangkok Bombing.
Today apparently trying to prove guilt by crime reenactment.
This after contradicting themselves a million times and having essentially no real hard evidence. Read Alan Dawson’s commentary in the Bangkok Post.
Or the Koh Trial, the Andy Hall trial and most important READ FOR THE DETAILS ….. questionable secretive practices along the same lines as the extrajudicial killings of 2003 are always at work.
Billionaire ex-cop Thaksin is the problem incarnate.
A corrupt police force that cannot even enforce basic traffic laws and yet gets appointed deputy prime minister, to the central bank board…. and virtually all high positions
Many years ago there were some people like Ruth McVey who compiled works like Money and Power in Provincial Thailand and Local godfathers in Thai politics, but now scholars can’t pull their heads out of overwhelming all-encompassing social movements like the red shirts. Truly pitiful.
NLD needs to lift the standard
At least 2 generations of Myanmar citizenry, a product of military rule since ’62, for nearly 6 decades (that’s 60 years), will immediately alert even the MOST casual observer to realize that at most, with mathematical probability will take at best 1/2 that long or more practically as long IF everything will progress in the correct direction.
Nich
Among all the ‘Political Ruts’ that the NLD has to avoid the “Kalar in Yakhine rut” will be the least important, compared to the recent flooding, IDP , Human trafficking etc etc.
Why does the inclusion of very Muslim, leader has become front and center for significance of existence.
As if DASSK reflection as icon of “Freedom from Fear” is not enough.
Her leadership is questioned and criticized as stubborn due to mostly misunderstanding of western media.
As we all know the changes/more freedom/freedom from fear will not come until the rural citizenry the majority of Myanmar realize what she mean.
Seeing the best way to reach half of the population is through women, DASSK has promoted women involvement in everything, is blind to the chauvinistic west and the Muslim.
A proof of ‘the west jaundice view of Myanmar” is obviously being used by the Muslim as islamophobe!
The Tharman effect
The most venerable BBC has now many Asian/ African reporters and newsreaders apart from the usual occasional West Indian. Just that if you close your eyes you would never have guessed.
ASEAN can learn from Europe’s refugee crisis
It is predicted that with present rate of growth and legal immigration Muslim will be the majority by 2050.
This wave of migration might just validate the prediction or shorten the period by xxxx AD.
To those progressive who ask for it, here come Sheria, very soon.
ASEAN can learn from Europe’s refugee crisis
The Rohingya goal is to take over Rakhaine State by force of demographics. The Myanmar Army, government, and even the NLD are saying “NO”!!!! This is to be applauded, not condemned.
Cambodia was no more Vietnam-controlled in the 80s than Vietnam was US-controlled 54-75. Vietnam and the Cambodian Salvation Front liberated Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge just as the Red Army liberated Poland from the nazis. If you still think otherwise, you’re a KR sympathizer who fooled Jimmy Carter into thinking the KR were “nationalists”.
NLD needs to lift the standard
Unfortunately (and un-apologetically) your congenital / and acquired faith in high idealistic (romantic) “Democratic” value may be the basis of regarding this dress up money waster and mind bender as “momentous”.
However, if you look at the way the most “free and liberal” America is being managed, you would see that no one really knows how decisions are made and whoever you think makes the decision usually has no clue whatsoever on the subject. E.g. Clinton was reputed to be “elected” simply because all the “election fundings” miraculously realised and all the media drummed up for his “virtues” (reminiscent of Ike commercials after the war!) because he answered to David Rockefeller correctly when asked about NAFTA approval while he did not even know what NAFTA was. Etc.
The visible/ famous/ award-winning named executives are but well-dressed jokes. At least that is what Bernays said.
“THE conscious and intelligent manipulation of the
organized habits and opinions of the masses is an
important element in democratic society. Those who
manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute
an invisible government which is the true ruling
power of our country.
We are governed, our minds are molded, our
tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men
we have never heard of. This is a logical result of
the way in which our democratic society is organized.” http://www.voltairenet.org/IMG/pdf/Bernays_Propaganda_in_english_.pdf
As far as the international corporations of which academics and pseudo-academic blogs like this one are simply PR arms go, they simply want a government who would happily do their dirty work. That “Dirty work” usually comprises of wholesale eviction, indentured labour and extreme restriction of resources use and ownership by the majority by physical force (why do you think the Australians and British have been busy “educating” the “police” or “pa-late” as they are lovingly called in Burma?) and they will go with whoever would do that heap their praise for such guy or guyzess or any third gender. All the time saying otherwise because THIS NOW IS “DEMOCRACY”, a word the multitude of suckers are desperately in love but have no clue of the meaning.
Public of Burma are also so muddled up in their delusion and false hope, they have been nothing but helping along their own future and devastating predicament enthusiastically by themselves.
One thing right about Aung San Suu Kyi parroting her handlers. Only good thing for November would be if there is no violence and lives lost as is the prime feature of all the neighbouring “Democracies” including the biggest Democracy on earth India (where the rightly elected Sonia Gandhi was so scared that she had to use a double (Singh) to rule).
While screaming otherwise, the worshipping desire of people of Burma towards Than Shwe is immeasurably intense. (Incidentally the likes of Thein Sein and Min Aung Hling are props. Good ones but all the same good props.)
Some kind of feeling
Not really anything hew here though. On the ground and with legions of close and camaraderie buddy “Myanmarese” friends who he always could extensively saying exactly he would not be surprised to say painting how rabid “Burmese Buddhists”- from taxi drivers to teashop punters- have been conspiring to annihilate the poor little Muslims for so long, all of them seem to merge into one.
The prevailing tone of the country sure does not help. Yet for an absolutely shocking surprise, you can’t possibly walk for one minute in downtown Rangoon without noticing those filthy Muslims and those rabid homicidal Fascist Buddhist Burmese having tea together and sharing a joke.
Governing by the gun
Nick Nostitz – what you post is excellent, and brave. You should contact Sydney’s ACIJ – Australian Centre for Investigative Journalism. I am sure they would love to hear from you, I once started a Thai project with them. Also Peter Cronau, excellent journalist @Sydney Ultimo HQ of our ABC would be a great contact.
Reassessing Myanmar’s poppy problem
“when the addicts become a problem in the west i.e ‘when heroine is cheap on the streets of EU and USA’”
It’s the other way around…
‘Problematic’ drug use (a phenomenon that’s pretty hard to define) usually refers to the social problems of caused by drug use, such as poverty, or crime committed either under the influence of drugs (which is pretty rare for drugs like heroin), or crimes such as robbery in order to feed habits.
These social problems tend to rise when the price of heroin rises, and/or purity decreases, which largely means that there is less supply of the drug. They rise because people need more money to feed their habits. Users may often use more conservative techniques so that there drugs go further, so they start injecting which causes far more damage to the users (collapsed veins, abscesses, heart failure) and society (eg. through transmission of HIV).
Although it’s hard to prove causation empirically, other than observe correlation. Any interview with a problem drug user will generally demonstrate that this to be the case, rather than the other way around.
Any sensible demand-side drug policy should revolve around destigmatising addiction so that more users are willing to access treatment, among other things, including measures to move control out of the hands of gangs, perhaps through some kind of regulation that would allow heroin to be rationed to drug addicts that do not respond to other treatment programmes (ie. a return to ‘the British method’ which was often used during the early- to mid-1990s). Alternatives such as methadone often do not work, and many still continue to buy heroin off criminals anyway. Leading to the endless spiral of social problems, and forms of avoidable violence, fuelled by the illicit nature of the heroin trade.
Some kind of feeling
Can’t believe how I managed to miss Matt’s excellent post and also the absence of comments.
It is an exciting time what with so many now possessing android phones with the Burmese font ready installed and online. Even young ethnic housemaids in Yangon households have a ‘hand phone’ nowadays.
You see cyber warriors calling one another sit khway (military dogs) and demo khway (democracy dogs), monks divided between the regime stooge Ma Ba Tha and the rest, and of course a lot of people sharing stuff false and true. The riots in Mandalay and Meiktila had typically been instigated by planting false information like the monk in the article received and shared.
Good to see also a significant amount of political education on social media including facts on the Constitution, legislation and legal rights.
What can become more important perhaps even decisive in the near future is the amount of information sloshing about on Facebook that has been reaching the rank and file of the security apparatus and their families since information stopped being a state monopoly, not least the freeing of the press, all for the military elite’s own selfish reasons in their pursuit of legitimacy and filthy lucre.
Thepchai Yong on normality in Thai politics
This comment is for closure Historicus. Samak S . was eventually convicted for that BMA fire-truck scandal and the courts ruled to confiscate some Bht 600 million of property and assets from the departed Samak’s wife and children,
Crystal balls and change in Myanmar
Doesn’t ‘stability’ in this context mean the military elite staying in power unchallenged, or am I being really obtuse?
And the rest follows – the economy in their service, all resources material and human, the minorities disarm themselves and make sure they know their place, then the ‘transition’ promised only since 1962 will be smooth.
Déj├а vu on a loop only more elaborate than Ground Hog Day. Do we even need a crystal ball?
Crystal balls and change in Myanmar
Kudos to Ms Peterson for her refreshing objective views of problems with attainable SOLUTIONS offered.
Economy-Infrastructure Improvement.
Ethnic Conflicts – Mon as examples instead of continuing insistence on 1947 (Pinlone/Panlong) agreement.
Military Attitude – Surprisingly this military like previous one is willing to eventually let go of power.
NE Win renege on his promise with BSPP, one party control.
This administration seem more forthcoming with Multi party approach with control for stability or self serving (25%). THere are possibly lots of stops ahead e.g. involvement of religion, towards return of the military into barracks.
DASSK has prove that her sentiment can easily pick up admirer/follower even among opposition party, may be as well as from the 25% military.
Let all hope her persistence of “Freedom from Fear” motto hold true and persevere in the end with support from every one.
Independence and interventions
Yes, pompous and ignorant. And wrong. This is how myths are made and written into history. I know plenty of people who’ve lived in Australia all their lives and still manage write rubbish about it, not surpsrising how much rot is scribbled by blow-ins to Timor. Gusmao Mandela like? Gimme a break. Just a hint of evidence to the contrary and NM editors censor the comment. INTERFET and PKF stood by and did nothing while kids were being abused by JORBATT in Oecussi. Didn’t seem to harm subsequent careers. INTERFET most certainly did not defeat nor even deter paramilitary, it just bequeathed an unarmed insurgency to PKF, which panicked and was unable to handle it. Cosgrove had a chance to stabilize Timor but muffed it when Falintil, threatened with disarmament, put on a show of force in Dili. Cosgrove blinked. Thereafter INTERFET was shown no respect nor fear by either FALINTIL or Pro Integ paramil. An insurgency became inevitable and was only able to be countered after the murder of the UNHCR staff in Atambua. The true history of that period has not been written. Of the 300,000 refugees, 80-100,000 remain in Indon. They fled from us. Like the US, we love to be loved. We love our myths. E.Timor is burdened with a military nobody, especially us, wanted. They were supposed to have a Police Force and no military. All subsequent security concerns result from this.
btw the Portuguese were by far the best Peacekeepers I encountered, Fijians runner-up.
NLD needs to lift the standard
Granted the outcome will most likely be more or less as planned by the puppet master whether the polls are boycotted or contested although the latter option will lend legitimacy as it did when she decided to become a lawmaker herself three years ago. And you might say look where it got us. But there is no denying that the democracy show has had some mileage and they may well have unintentionally locked themselves in the process.
Whilst the kind of landslide in the 2012 by-election (per kind permission no doubt) let alone as in 1990 (too cocky and their eye off the ball) seems unlikely another 2010 cannot happen either.
What else do you suppose people can do at this momentous juncture? Electoral shenanigans and outright fraud will be exposed and they are being even as we speak.
What will be interesting is if the army itself will remain monolithic in the event of a recidivist betrayal over the people’s genuine verdict including the expectations of the rank and file.
Independence and interventions
The deployment of Interfet troops and the management and (self) discipline by command and individual units, along with logical in-field decisions was first rate.
It’s a pity the hearts and minds campaign that Interfet implemented and conducted so well and which had a good chance of transforming past practices and breaking concentrations of power by individuals and families was wasted by allowing Portugal back in.
Independence and interventions
I hope John Blaxland gives the Timorese some credit for fighting for their own independence in his book. What a pompous article. Altruistic Australia. Sure.
NLD needs to lift the standard
Must say your “faith” in the “Election” is fascinating.
It is a simple dress up party indulged by Than Shwe for the general amusement, foolery and being fooled. If one accepts the lofty “Ne-pyi-daw” is a sick fairy town wnd the super-expensive to maintain dressup people in clown clothes there are simple backdrops as they are (otherwise you must say they do make important decision like whem and how many Kachins and Karens are to be killed or to declare war on Kokant, etc. or even whihc company the most important fascility in modern times- telecommunication is entrusted with), and any no one even knows who even makes those decisions, there seems any point in spending millions of dollars for this we-are-also-very-much-like-a-mae-di-kar extravaganza.
Again, Ma-ba-tha is just useless noicy attack dogs used by people for their own purpose. If Than Shwe wants the Ma-ba-tha to disappear today it would be gone tonight.
As for NLD, people have tramendous self delusion. Since 2011 since that 18th August “Family Dinner” with Mr and Mrs Thein Seina nd Ms Aung San Suu Kyi wich ends up her singing unceasing “Thein Sein is Great” mantra, not a single policy, suggestion or action whihc has been visibly beneficial or inspiring for the country. Yet the concerted effort of “West” with historic visits, awards, glassswares, articles of praise, academic positions at cushy schools etcs, are handsomely paying off to the fairy princess worshiping populace.
Fact is nothing useful at all is coming out of the whole of Potemkin city. People talk about 25% etc. Problem is 100% is utterly useless. Pleas give a single example aht that multi-million dollars vaccuimg dres up gig produce in the last four years?
The sole reason to do this election facade wasting millions and millions of dollars is to look like a-may-di-kar. That’s all.
NLD needs to lift the standard
At this moment in time the choice cannot be clearer – NLD.
“Regardless of who is in charge” sounds selfless and laudable, almost apolitical, perhaps as intended – on the surface. No wonder some people believe they and no one else ever have the right to be in charge.
NLD needs to lift the standard
In 2013, our professor said we had “once in a lifetime” opportunity to meet with DASSK when she came to Singapore. The competition was quite intense, with only two Burmese students selected per institution. But curious to study her personality, I tried hard to make it. Somehow, I expected she would say we should return to Myanmar and help our country regardless of who is in charge. But what she said completely dumbfounded me, “Please help your mother Su to become President.” Given her “iconic” status at that time, I was like “omg, is this a real Suu Kyi?”
It means Burmese people are like animals in Orwellian farm, hoping and dreaming for prosperity that will never come. In the past four years, she could have used her energy on development, asking help from international experts, drafting and proposing laws to strive forward equality and prosperity. But she has spent all her time and energy for single-minded pursuit to become president, sometimes even trying to block Thein Sein’s efforts–as in the peace process–in order not to give him any credits. Burmese are one of the most unlucky people. The West uses them as “hypocrisy reserve”. Now, they have a choice, USDP which is corrupt and cony-controlled, and DASSK who is power hungry, stubborn and will do anything (think about sanctions) to obtain presidency.