Excellent article on an important topic. But why does he fail to mention the build up to the 2006 coup ? The PAD Yellow shirt seizure of Bangkok’s, and other airports certainly severely damaged tourism, though TAT did manage a brilliant bounce back.
Widening the canals is the wrong way to do it. Such action will only increase the sedimentation rate, as wider channels always do due to reduced transportation capacity of shallower, slower water flow. Thus, this project will only increase the need for dredging… and maintenance dredging is something that the government does not historically do well anyway! There are many other low-regret solutions available.
Doing something blatantly illogical is worse than inaction, and that is what is going on here. It is a purely political move for Ahok to show the upper and middle class that he is “disciplining” the poor, blaming them for something they didn’t do, and for something that he is powerless to change (the land use change in the upper catchment).
This also does not explain why many areas where richer residents who encroach on the riverside were not targeted. Why doesn’t the government instead try to form a Ciliwung catchment authority to work towards cross-boundary spatial planning that can tackle deforestation. Since this is the real culprit, then such focus on evictions really do nothing to alleviate floods – and that is the whole (false) justification for evicting these people.
We know about the humanity risk that would be taken by the Jakarta government, but remember, how people of the Kampung lived? There weren’t any fresh water access, illegal electicity, nor any safe-control at there.. they drink,taka a bath, brush teeth with the water of Ciliwung River.. which full of flood, brown coloured, rubbish everywhere and certainly unhealthy.
Would the Government,whose duty as the protector, of its citizens let their citizens lived as like as stray cats or strays dogs?
I thought that Jakatra governments step to relocate the Kampong citizens to rent apartments were more valuable as they could educated the poor citizens that let them lived as like as stray animals..
I emphatized with the victims, both for the kampung pulo natives and the officers hurt during these incidence. From what I heard from a friend working with Jakarta’s goverment, idea of Kampung Susun or Kampung deret was accepted as a good idea. However there is no law in Indonesia will permit such housing because everything has to be build over a land; not over the water or river banks. Thus, the NGO has to help everyone with a more feasible idea. Pushing the members of house of representative to do their job and make more accomodating laws regarding housing and buildings could be one of them. Plus, as someone who works in public health, free medical service given by this organization might only be part of their ‘image-builders’. If they really care about people in Kampung Pulo they should have help them move to a place with a better water supply and sanitation.
You misrepresented me as somebody who made an unjustified assertion, when I made an assertion that was backed up by a solid argument. Your attempted refutation is the kind of argument that would deny tobacco sales to be fraudulent so long as the majority of adults continued to smoke, and would have them become fraudulent once smokers were in the minority.
Through all this confusion, I think you are implying that I am guilty of lèse majesté towards the head of the class system to which you belong.
If there is such a “Burmese Way to Freedom” Dr Cable article will be describing the witnessed past and the future that entail a patient, none nihilistic participants.
The one point not made yet important is which part of the citizenry will have to carry the day to achieve BWTF.
BWTF is very closed to the past failed and shameful’Burmese way to Socialism’. Ne Win lost his way in the BWTS process even though he has the power to achieve the goals.
BWTF even though very closed to BWTS will have to come from rural citizenry insistence. After all they are and never tainted by the nihilistic and self serving Urban and Military citizenry.
Dr O. Cable should expound on the rural citizenry effect of BWTF as a future. The examples are screaming from the pages of Burmese history.
After all the successful example of students against the colonial rule are from support of rural citizenry with Buddhism as strength.
Where will the incorruptible leader that heed the rural citizenry freedom come from?
DASSK is consider incorruptible will she through all those abandoned NLD offices again fulfill the dream of her father the Bogyoke and U Nu to seek freedom most needed for the rural citizenry?
Constitutional monarchy is a system in which the monarchy is merely symbolic and political power lies with Parliament. The monarch is said to have influence not power and is seen as a unifying symbol. Republicans would rather have a system in which elections determine who is symbolic of the country.
In the UK no one knows what percentage of the people support retaining the monarchy as authoritative surveys are lacking. There has never been a referendum on this question.
A good sensible article. It’s all speculation at the moment but I’d like to point out that the possible involvement of Southern separatists has been ruled out by some because ‘they don’t operate outside the South’ Ever heard of a change of tactics? The same applies to an international islamic terrorist link. Just because it hasn’t been seen before (apparently) doesn’t mean it can’t be happening now.
‘you know the only way change happens over time is when religions move their previous thinking and positions’ We know nothing of the kind. Change may occur for a great many reasons. To cite a Thai example, Thaksin’s election brought about political change because he implemented populist policies and in doing so changed the political landscape. I’m not a supporter of Thaksin, simply making a point.
The reality is less sanguine or palatable if precedents are any indication. God help Shwe Mann if he were to stage a successful ‘coup’ unlike in the case of the pathetic yet unrepentant Khin Nyunt.
The British monarchy is certainly not responsible for EU policies, however, as large landowner they gain from it. If people prefer to have a monarchical system, I don’t mind. It certainly has its charme and many newpapers and magazines make their living from the folklore associated with it.
The fact that he was so quickly released by the police, does to me from a distance smell rather fishy, but not too surprising in the context of colour-coded military and police factional politics, perhaps? No wonder Australian and UK govt. offers of assistance were politely refused. No knowing what political intrigue may be uncovered.
According to a paper presented by David Streckfuss, the UK monarchy costed the UK taxpayer $1.06 per capita, against an equivalent cost in Thailand of $5.65 per capita (not sure of year, but pre-2012). The most expensive monarchy in the world, both absolutely and relatively for its burden on the taxpayer by a long shot is Swaziland, which cost $30 / capita, placed on the small population of just one million. Thailand ranked second in the world for its burden on taxpayers, when per capita incomes are taken into account. This and much other interesting data and analysis on the relative financial burdens and democratic de/merits of various monarchies globally, can be found on the FACT website link below:
To HRK, agree the EU agricultural subsidies are rather scandalous and definitely need reform, but they are not the fault of the British monarchy, but a lack of democracy in the heart of Europe. Closer to home is the question of tax breaks on income earned on royal estates, which our elected parliamentarians have the power to change, should they so wish and the electorate decide it is a matter that concerns them.
Amen to all that. Thank my lucky stars everyday to have been born Burmese – a kinder, more generous, hospitable, friendly and cheerful race on earth will be hard to find.
Sadly there are always exceptions to the rule. The cardinal ills of this world – greed, hate and ignorance (loba, dosa, moha) symbolise the ruling military elite.
The woeful neglect of the country’s welfare, economy, healthcare, education and not least its infrastructure has been glaringly obvious under their watch which continues to this day.
The first kidney dialysis machine for RGH did not arrive until Ne Win’s wife Khin Mat Than fell ill with kidney failure. His successors would rather go to Singapore for medical treatment, alas in vain for some of them desperately ill like the notorious Aung Thaung and Soe Win, a former PM. The middle classes can go to Bangkok. Let the devil take the hindmost.
Farrelly seems to imply that much of the (academic) research “…on bushfires, hazard reduction and myriad other disaster-related topics ….”is done by universities.
I very much doubt it.I would say that much of the research is conducted by non-university research organisation(CSIRO) or government departments (Forestry,Lands,Natural Resources and so on ).
I am assuming you don’t live in Thailand . If you did You might have been wArned about inauspicious days or why You shouldnt travel to such and such due to some broad pronouncement by a famous or even unknown fortune teller
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Tourism and terror in Thailand
Excellent article on an important topic. But why does he fail to mention the build up to the 2006 coup ? The PAD Yellow shirt seizure of Bangkok’s, and other airports certainly severely damaged tourism, though TAT did manage a brilliant bounce back.
Floods and forced evictions in Jakarta
Widening the canals is the wrong way to do it. Such action will only increase the sedimentation rate, as wider channels always do due to reduced transportation capacity of shallower, slower water flow. Thus, this project will only increase the need for dredging… and maintenance dredging is something that the government does not historically do well anyway! There are many other low-regret solutions available.
Doing something blatantly illogical is worse than inaction, and that is what is going on here. It is a purely political move for Ahok to show the upper and middle class that he is “disciplining” the poor, blaming them for something they didn’t do, and for something that he is powerless to change (the land use change in the upper catchment).
This also does not explain why many areas where richer residents who encroach on the riverside were not targeted. Why doesn’t the government instead try to form a Ciliwung catchment authority to work towards cross-boundary spatial planning that can tackle deforestation. Since this is the real culprit, then such focus on evictions really do nothing to alleviate floods – and that is the whole (false) justification for evicting these people.
Floods and forced evictions in Jakarta
We know about the humanity risk that would be taken by the Jakarta government, but remember, how people of the Kampung lived? There weren’t any fresh water access, illegal electicity, nor any safe-control at there.. they drink,taka a bath, brush teeth with the water of Ciliwung River.. which full of flood, brown coloured, rubbish everywhere and certainly unhealthy.
Would the Government,whose duty as the protector, of its citizens let their citizens lived as like as stray cats or strays dogs?
I thought that Jakatra governments step to relocate the Kampong citizens to rent apartments were more valuable as they could educated the poor citizens that let them lived as like as stray animals..
Lèse-majesté today
“…authoritative surveys are lacking.”
OK – depends what you define as “authoritative” and “lacking” – but there have been opinion polls on the question (see http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=UK+poll+on+monarchy&ie=UTF-8).
Floods and forced evictions in Jakarta
I emphatized with the victims, both for the kampung pulo natives and the officers hurt during these incidence. From what I heard from a friend working with Jakarta’s goverment, idea of Kampung Susun or Kampung deret was accepted as a good idea. However there is no law in Indonesia will permit such housing because everything has to be build over a land; not over the water or river banks. Thus, the NGO has to help everyone with a more feasible idea. Pushing the members of house of representative to do their job and make more accomodating laws regarding housing and buildings could be one of them. Plus, as someone who works in public health, free medical service given by this organization might only be part of their ‘image-builders’. If they really care about people in Kampung Pulo they should have help them move to a place with a better water supply and sanitation.
Lèse-majesté today
You misrepresented me as somebody who made an unjustified assertion, when I made an assertion that was backed up by a solid argument. Your attempted refutation is the kind of argument that would deny tobacco sales to be fraudulent so long as the majority of adults continued to smoke, and would have them become fraudulent once smokers were in the minority.
Through all this confusion, I think you are implying that I am guilty of lèse majesté towards the head of the class system to which you belong.
Life after the Bangkok blast
“Political violence over the past decade has overwhelmed the Thai justice system.”
Maybe this point could be expanded?
Thai junta turning tragedy to farce
Fair enough, but as I suspect you know, I was merely using “red shirts” to denote the faction around Thaksin, which certainly was blamed.
The ‘political science experiment’
If there is such a “Burmese Way to Freedom” Dr Cable article will be describing the witnessed past and the future that entail a patient, none nihilistic participants.
The one point not made yet important is which part of the citizenry will have to carry the day to achieve BWTF.
BWTF is very closed to the past failed and shameful’Burmese way to Socialism’. Ne Win lost his way in the BWTS process even though he has the power to achieve the goals.
BWTF even though very closed to BWTS will have to come from rural citizenry insistence. After all they are and never tainted by the nihilistic and self serving Urban and Military citizenry.
Dr O. Cable should expound on the rural citizenry effect of BWTF as a future. The examples are screaming from the pages of Burmese history.
After all the successful example of students against the colonial rule are from support of rural citizenry with Buddhism as strength.
Where will the incorruptible leader that heed the rural citizenry freedom come from?
DASSK is consider incorruptible will she through all those abandoned NLD offices again fulfill the dream of her father the Bogyoke and U Nu to seek freedom most needed for the rural citizenry?
Lèse-majesté today
Constitutional monarchy is a system in which the monarchy is merely symbolic and political power lies with Parliament. The monarch is said to have influence not power and is seen as a unifying symbol. Republicans would rather have a system in which elections determine who is symbolic of the country.
In the UK no one knows what percentage of the people support retaining the monarchy as authoritative surveys are lacking. There has never been a referendum on this question.
Thai junta turning tragedy to farce
A good sensible article. It’s all speculation at the moment but I’d like to point out that the possible involvement of Southern separatists has been ruled out by some because ‘they don’t operate outside the South’ Ever heard of a change of tactics? The same applies to an international islamic terrorist link. Just because it hasn’t been seen before (apparently) doesn’t mean it can’t be happening now.
Thai junta turning tragedy to farce
‘you know the only way change happens over time is when religions move their previous thinking and positions’ We know nothing of the kind. Change may occur for a great many reasons. To cite a Thai example, Thaksin’s election brought about political change because he implemented populist policies and in doing so changed the political landscape. I’m not a supporter of Thaksin, simply making a point.
Watch the enemies from your own side
The reality is less sanguine or palatable if precedents are any indication. God help Shwe Mann if he were to stage a successful ‘coup’ unlike in the case of the pathetic yet unrepentant Khin Nyunt.
Lèse-majesté today
The British monarchy is certainly not responsible for EU policies, however, as large landowner they gain from it. If people prefer to have a monarchical system, I don’t mind. It certainly has its charme and many newpapers and magazines make their living from the folklore associated with it.
Thai junta turning tragedy to farce
I guess you’d be referring to Phongphob Butsari / Pongpob Boonsaree and his multiple Facebook aliases referred to in this article?
http://www.thephuketnews.com/2-more-bomb-suspects-sought-53716.php
The fact that he was so quickly released by the police, does to me from a distance smell rather fishy, but not too surprising in the context of colour-coded military and police factional politics, perhaps? No wonder Australian and UK govt. offers of assistance were politely refused. No knowing what political intrigue may be uncovered.
Lèse-majesté today
According to a paper presented by David Streckfuss, the UK monarchy costed the UK taxpayer $1.06 per capita, against an equivalent cost in Thailand of $5.65 per capita (not sure of year, but pre-2012). The most expensive monarchy in the world, both absolutely and relatively for its burden on the taxpayer by a long shot is Swaziland, which cost $30 / capita, placed on the small population of just one million. Thailand ranked second in the world for its burden on taxpayers, when per capita incomes are taken into account. This and much other interesting data and analysis on the relative financial burdens and democratic de/merits of various monarchies globally, can be found on the FACT website link below:
https://facthai.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/a-comparison-of-modern-monarchies-dr-david-streckfuss/
To HRK, agree the EU agricultural subsidies are rather scandalous and definitely need reform, but they are not the fault of the British monarchy, but a lack of democracy in the heart of Europe. Closer to home is the question of tax breaks on income earned on royal estates, which our elected parliamentarians have the power to change, should they so wish and the electorate decide it is a matter that concerns them.
Solidarity and resilience emerge in Myanmar
Amen to all that. Thank my lucky stars everyday to have been born Burmese – a kinder, more generous, hospitable, friendly and cheerful race on earth will be hard to find.
Sadly there are always exceptions to the rule. The cardinal ills of this world – greed, hate and ignorance (loba, dosa, moha) symbolise the ruling military elite.
The woeful neglect of the country’s welfare, economy, healthcare, education and not least its infrastructure has been glaringly obvious under their watch which continues to this day.
The first kidney dialysis machine for RGH did not arrive until Ne Win’s wife Khin Mat Than fell ill with kidney failure. His successors would rather go to Singapore for medical treatment, alas in vain for some of them desperately ill like the notorious Aung Thaung and Soe Win, a former PM. The middle classes can go to Bangkok. Let the devil take the hindmost.
Facebook and Myanmar’s two floods
The photo in this article is not from Myanmar, but from Philippines.
http://funnyjunk.com/Dedication+for+gaming+in+the+philippines/funny-pictures/5425814/
Making knowledge count
Farrelly seems to imply that much of the (academic) research “…on bushfires, hazard reduction and myriad other disaster-related topics ….”is done by universities.
I very much doubt it.I would say that much of the research is conducted by non-university research organisation(CSIRO) or government departments (Forestry,Lands,Natural Resources and so on ).
Thai junta turning tragedy to farce
I am assuming you don’t live in Thailand . If you did You might have been wArned about inauspicious days or why You shouldnt travel to such and such due to some broad pronouncement by a famous or even unknown fortune teller