Shortly before Suthep went into hiding behind a monk’s cloak he upset Prayuth by stating that they had conspired together for a coup. He was promptly told to shut by Prayuth. This is well documented in the Bangkok Post at the time.
Older reports in the same newspaper? mentioned a war chest for a possible coup had been set up several years.
Has anyone actually been prosecuted for actual fraud in the rice scheme or any other schemes for that matter? The companies that lost rice and had bad storage falls on them and not the govt.
Yes there was possible corruption in YL’s govt but that is now dwarfed by this illegal govt. 3 Submarines? More planes for the airforce? the airforce to apply for one airport around Bangkok to use commercial traffic under their control?
Soldiers stealing from the people with immunity. Military courts prosecuting civilians.
As for the 14 students held on remand being backed by Thaksin with finances is so ridiculous that you must still require help.
And you know this how? Are you privy to information that others are not?
Or is it that you like to make unsubstantiated accusations.
All of you want proof of the debilitating regime of Yingluck and the loss to the country’s treasury of Baht700billion. Corruption in the GtoG with China and 38% of rice bought by the previous government are so low grade and unable to be consume by democratic Thais that they have to be sold off as fuel in furnaces.
That’s the truth.
The truth will out. And we will finally see that the democratic students are led and financed by thaksin and his supporters and abetted by NM in its false reporting.
Another falsehood. Proving once again that that NMITES rely on sarcasm and lies to ‘prove your lies. There are civilian courts at the present moment trying the theft of the country’s treasury by thaksin’s clone government.
The point that all of you miss is that they can leave anytime they wish if they or you post bail for them. That was the point of my comments. Stick with the article that starts out with an outright lie. This to maintain prevarications that seek to support the deceit of thaksin and NM.
Your other points are moot.The article is typical of NM; and NMites will believe anything but the real truth and reality. Careful in believing the half-truth you may have deluded yourselves in believing a falsehood.
The Prayuth govt is ILLEGAL. Has no basis of power other than the gun. Conspired 4 years before the coup with Suthep (Suthep’s own words). He committed treason. He claims to want reconciliation whist unable to understand the word. He talks to the people like a father.
I can go on and on.
Let me make one thing very clear.
The supression of free speech and the jailing of all people who dare to challenge his illegal actions will lead to a very dangerous situation.
When the bombs and bullets start flying, by people so frustrated that this is the only way they can be heard, then PRAYUTH will be to blame for the many deaths that follow.
However, I do not advocate any violence from people who are forced to take this path of action to stop the illegal general and his illegal team from gross intimidation by his goons.
They refuse bail because they do not recognize the military court’s jurisdiction over civilians. They should be tried in a civil court. Their human rights as civilians are being violated, the military courts should be abolished, and replaced with the standard court martial, and only for active duty military.
There are few reasons why scholars think Pali suttas are accurate.
1) Pali suttas were poems or stanzas. These stanzas were memorized by many monks. Its not easy for one person to change anything. There is no mechanism for that. Only way this could happen is that a certain king making an oder that a certain stanza has to be changed so that it will be memorized in a different way. So that everyone will make the change. No such thing happened.
2) They were first written down in Sri Lanka not in India. These Sri Lankan monks were not scholars. They just wrote down what came to them thru oral tradition. Nowhere in Tripitaka word lanka appears. If they want to change something they would add their own country, but they never did. also there is no evidence in the suttas itself that any change was made.
Thank you for this intersting and informative article. I have just one objection. Why do you refer to the Pali suttas as a primary source? As the Princeton website puts it, “A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study.” http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html
By that definition, there are no primary sources for Buddha’s life. The suttas were written down in Pali from an oral tradition. That is not a primary source. Isn’t it sufficient to state that the Pali suttas pre-date the other texts and images that attempt to show Buddha’s physical appearance?
In your attempt to put a negative light on the Prayuth government; you failed in your half-truths reporting (a normal trait of NM) of fairly showing all dudes of the situation.
Those students who were arrested and detained can leave at any time – if they request bail. They choose to not do so. Thus they remain incarcerated of their own choosing. By any rule of law and justice system throughout the world, those who break the law can request bail.
Let me reiterate:they remain as guest of the state of their own choosing. If NM and it’s readers are so concerned for them, then by all means please post bail on their behalf.
But try to avoid your usual prevarications and reliance on half-truths in your reporting and be more balanced.
Mr Beale in unfamiliar with Malaysia’s inner-workings and thus has a rudimentary understanding of Malaysian politics. His
paean for Mahathir reflects the common novice’s belief that UMNO and Che Det
created an economic miracle (a very shallow understanding of the interplay of ethnic
politics in Malaysia), rather than a totalitarian nightmare. It is all too common for businessmen to come to KL, completely
oblivious of the venality of the Government and Tun (apparently Mr Beale is either unconcerned or unaware of the money Prime
Minister Najib is rightly accused of stealing), and only concerned with setting up shop and making money, from the very
abusive system that divides and destroys Malaysian society. Mr Beale could have been excused his innocence, but the rather haughty tone and insistence on a false Malaysia, that bears no resemblance to reality, makes a defence of his naivete, that much more difficult.
Seems like Mr. Beale is a big fan of Mahathir. The old crook is not “Taking Najib To Task”
Everything that he had said were said repeatedly by the Pakatan group. Nothing new. Mahathir is just an old opportunist, trying to “run down” Najib, so that his son can have another shot.
News Flash for you – Mahathir can scream and throw as much tantrums as he wants, it will not bring Najib down. Everything that he has accuse Najib of, he was the guru. The opposition, then accused him (Mahathir) of the same thing, except, there was no “Internet” then and Mahathir had no problems using the ISA and the police to rough up opposition politicians and any other who opposed him.
Najib failure is that he is too soft, switch the roles around, and Mahathir would have balaclava cladded special Branch thugs kicked down Najib’s door and arrested him (just like the case with Anwar Ibrahim)
I wish Najib would do that – Can’t stand Najib, but Mahathir is far far worse..
It is a comforting thought that, if Jokowi becomes preoccupied with domestic affairs, ‘foreign policy will devolve to the most competent parts of the foreign policy bureaucracy’.
Is it a universal truth that, when the head of state or head of government becomes too busy to focus on foreign policy, it is ‘the most competent parts of the foreign policy bureaucracy’ that will take over? If it is, we surely need to encourage heads of state and of government around the world to give up their amateurish involvement in foreign affairs. The world can only benefit.
Perhaps, though, it is only in Indonesia that ‘the most competent parts of the foreign policy bureaucracy’ are likely to fill the void.
Presumably the intelligence agencies warrant being included among the ‘most competent parts of the foreign policy bureaucracy’. Endorsed by acclamation by Indonesia’s parliament, BIN chief-designate Sutiyoso, who said he would prepare for the ordeal of parliamentary grilling by getting as much sleep as possible, also deserves to have a chance to contribute his full input.
Only then will Jokowi be free to turn his mind to sacking as many of the incompetent ministers he appointed eight months ago as he can get away with. Their ‘dwell time’ in cabinet has already been excessive.
Cynicism and even hostility towards the locals is a well-known feature often found among long-term expats. We often came across it when I moved around countries with my UN parents. Mahathir IS taking Najib to task – but you don’t seem to like Mahathir either. Seems like there’s no pleasing you. Far, far more general prosperity than when I first visited late ’70’s, a well-ordered generally safe society, no major race riots since 1969 : seems successful to me.
Yes, a parallel universe of 44 years in Malaysia and you just visiting. Your thanks to UMNO is abhorrent and next time, you visit, blow a kiss to Najib for yourself and ask him for the 1 million he stole. Highly successful ? You haven’t the faintest clue.
Is Peter Cohen living in some parallel universe ? Hard to match his description of malfunctioning Malaysia with the highly successful country I recently visited. And thanks to UMNO for that success.
I must disagree with Bob. The Cardamom Mountains is the only area in Cambodia with high endemism in wildlife in plants. Cambodia is not all forested. There are rice plantations and grassland, the result of timber collection and cutting forest for population resettlement. Bandos quotes specific numbers related to deforestation and its impact on Cambodia; it could not be more relevant to the term “carving”.
On the contrary, for anyone who knows Cambodia, and the role China (in particular) and Vietnam (to a lesser degree) play in denuding Cambodia of its small forested areas, and the resulting destruction of endemic ecosystems, with all due respect, Bob, it is your comments that are anomalous, and the title and the full commentary by Bandos Ros, is relevant, contiguous and completely pertinent and consistent with the extant situation in Cambodia. The title is very much in keeping with the article and the scope of the ‘story’.
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Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
Shortly before Suthep went into hiding behind a monk’s cloak he upset Prayuth by stating that they had conspired together for a coup. He was promptly told to shut by Prayuth. This is well documented in the Bangkok Post at the time.
Older reports in the same newspaper? mentioned a war chest for a possible coup had been set up several years.
Has anyone actually been prosecuted for actual fraud in the rice scheme or any other schemes for that matter? The companies that lost rice and had bad storage falls on them and not the govt.
Yes there was possible corruption in YL’s govt but that is now dwarfed by this illegal govt. 3 Submarines? More planes for the airforce? the airforce to apply for one airport around Bangkok to use commercial traffic under their control?
Soldiers stealing from the people with immunity. Military courts prosecuting civilians.
As for the 14 students held on remand being backed by Thaksin with finances is so ridiculous that you must still require help.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
So you admit that they refused bail.
So the article is moot. The premise that the article relies on is QED, false
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
And you know this how? Are you privy to information that others are not?
Or is it that you like to make unsubstantiated accusations.
All of you want proof of the debilitating regime of Yingluck and the loss to the country’s treasury of Baht700billion. Corruption in the GtoG with China and 38% of rice bought by the previous government are so low grade and unable to be consume by democratic Thais that they have to be sold off as fuel in furnaces.
That’s the truth.
The truth will out. And we will finally see that the democratic students are led and financed by thaksin and his supporters and abetted by NM in its false reporting.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
Another falsehood. Proving once again that that NMITES rely on sarcasm and lies to ‘prove your lies. There are civilian courts at the present moment trying the theft of the country’s treasury by thaksin’s clone government.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
The point that all of you miss is that they can leave anytime they wish if they or you post bail for them. That was the point of my comments. Stick with the article that starts out with an outright lie. This to maintain prevarications that seek to support the deceit of thaksin and NM.
Your other points are moot.The article is typical of NM; and NMites will believe anything but the real truth and reality. Careful in believing the half-truth you may have deluded yourselves in believing a falsehood.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
At the moment there is no civilian court in Thailand, unless you consider kangaroos civilians.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
The Prayuth govt is ILLEGAL. Has no basis of power other than the gun. Conspired 4 years before the coup with Suthep (Suthep’s own words). He committed treason. He claims to want reconciliation whist unable to understand the word. He talks to the people like a father.
I can go on and on.
Let me make one thing very clear.
The supression of free speech and the jailing of all people who dare to challenge his illegal actions will lead to a very dangerous situation.
When the bombs and bullets start flying, by people so frustrated that this is the only way they can be heard, then PRAYUTH will be to blame for the many deaths that follow.
However, I do not advocate any violence from people who are forced to take this path of action to stop the illegal general and his illegal team from gross intimidation by his goons.
Dear Mr President
Nicely said sir… the President of the United States is a strange place to look for justice…
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
They refuse bail because they do not recognize the military court’s jurisdiction over civilians. They should be tried in a civil court. Their human rights as civilians are being violated, the military courts should be abolished, and replaced with the standard court martial, and only for active duty military.
The Buddha was bald
Dear Sir
There are few reasons why scholars think Pali suttas are accurate.
1) Pali suttas were poems or stanzas. These stanzas were memorized by many monks. Its not easy for one person to change anything. There is no mechanism for that. Only way this could happen is that a certain king making an oder that a certain stanza has to be changed so that it will be memorized in a different way. So that everyone will make the change. No such thing happened.
2) They were first written down in Sri Lanka not in India. These Sri Lankan monks were not scholars. They just wrote down what came to them thru oral tradition. Nowhere in Tripitaka word lanka appears. If they want to change something they would add their own country, but they never did. also there is no evidence in the suttas itself that any change was made.
The Buddha was bald
Thank you for this intersting and informative article. I have just one objection. Why do you refer to the Pali suttas as a primary source? As the Princeton website puts it, “A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study.” http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html
By that definition, there are no primary sources for Buddha’s life. The suttas were written down in Pali from an oral tradition. That is not a primary source. Isn’t it sufficient to state that the Pali suttas pre-date the other texts and images that attempt to show Buddha’s physical appearance?
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
Blah blah blah!
In your attempt to put a negative light on the Prayuth government; you failed in your half-truths reporting (a normal trait of NM) of fairly showing all dudes of the situation.
Those students who were arrested and detained can leave at any time – if they request bail. They choose to not do so. Thus they remain incarcerated of their own choosing. By any rule of law and justice system throughout the world, those who break the law can request bail.
Let me reiterate:they remain as guest of the state of their own choosing. If NM and it’s readers are so concerned for them, then by all means please post bail on their behalf.
But try to avoid your usual prevarications and reliance on half-truths in your reporting and be more balanced.
Rice, repression and rule by force
But ironically, he isn’t even a Buddhist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surin_Pitsuwan
More bad news for Malaysia’s democracy
Neptunian,
Mr Beale in unfamiliar with Malaysia’s inner-workings and thus has a rudimentary understanding of Malaysian politics. His
paean for Mahathir reflects the common novice’s belief that UMNO and Che Det
created an economic miracle (a very shallow understanding of the interplay of ethnic
politics in Malaysia), rather than a totalitarian nightmare. It is all too common for businessmen to come to KL, completely
oblivious of the venality of the Government and Tun (apparently Mr Beale is either unconcerned or unaware of the money Prime
Minister Najib is rightly accused of stealing), and only concerned with setting up shop and making money, from the very
abusive system that divides and destroys Malaysian society. Mr Beale could have been excused his innocence, but the rather haughty tone and insistence on a false Malaysia, that bears no resemblance to reality, makes a defence of his naivete, that much more difficult.
More bad news for Malaysia’s democracy
Seems like Mr. Beale is a big fan of Mahathir. The old crook is not “Taking Najib To Task”
Everything that he had said were said repeatedly by the Pakatan group. Nothing new. Mahathir is just an old opportunist, trying to “run down” Najib, so that his son can have another shot.
News Flash for you – Mahathir can scream and throw as much tantrums as he wants, it will not bring Najib down. Everything that he has accuse Najib of, he was the guru. The opposition, then accused him (Mahathir) of the same thing, except, there was no “Internet” then and Mahathir had no problems using the ISA and the police to rough up opposition politicians and any other who opposed him.
Najib failure is that he is too soft, switch the roles around, and Mahathir would have balaclava cladded special Branch thugs kicked down Najib’s door and arrested him (just like the case with Anwar Ibrahim)
I wish Najib would do that – Can’t stand Najib, but Mahathir is far far worse..
Going it alone
It is a comforting thought that, if Jokowi becomes preoccupied with domestic affairs, ‘foreign policy will devolve to the most competent parts of the foreign policy bureaucracy’.
Is it a universal truth that, when the head of state or head of government becomes too busy to focus on foreign policy, it is ‘the most competent parts of the foreign policy bureaucracy’ that will take over? If it is, we surely need to encourage heads of state and of government around the world to give up their amateurish involvement in foreign affairs. The world can only benefit.
Perhaps, though, it is only in Indonesia that ‘the most competent parts of the foreign policy bureaucracy’ are likely to fill the void.
Presumably the intelligence agencies warrant being included among the ‘most competent parts of the foreign policy bureaucracy’. Endorsed by acclamation by Indonesia’s parliament, BIN chief-designate Sutiyoso, who said he would prepare for the ordeal of parliamentary grilling by getting as much sleep as possible, also deserves to have a chance to contribute his full input.
Only then will Jokowi be free to turn his mind to sacking as many of the incompetent ministers he appointed eight months ago as he can get away with. Their ‘dwell time’ in cabinet has already been excessive.
More bad news for Malaysia’s democracy
Cynicism and even hostility towards the locals is a well-known feature often found among long-term expats. We often came across it when I moved around countries with my UN parents. Mahathir IS taking Najib to task – but you don’t seem to like Mahathir either. Seems like there’s no pleasing you. Far, far more general prosperity than when I first visited late ’70’s, a well-ordered generally safe society, no major race riots since 1969 : seems successful to me.
More bad news for Malaysia’s democracy
Yes, a parallel universe of 44 years in Malaysia and you just visiting. Your thanks to UMNO is abhorrent and next time, you visit, blow a kiss to Najib for yourself and ask him for the 1 million he stole. Highly successful ? You haven’t the faintest clue.
More bad news for Malaysia’s democracy
Is Peter Cohen living in some parallel universe ? Hard to match his description of malfunctioning Malaysia with the highly successful country I recently visited. And thanks to UMNO for that success.
Carving up Cambodia’s forests
I must disagree with Bob. The Cardamom Mountains is the only area in Cambodia with high endemism in wildlife in plants. Cambodia is not all forested. There are rice plantations and grassland, the result of timber collection and cutting forest for population resettlement. Bandos quotes specific numbers related to deforestation and its impact on Cambodia; it could not be more relevant to the term “carving”.
On the contrary, for anyone who knows Cambodia, and the role China (in particular) and Vietnam (to a lesser degree) play in denuding Cambodia of its small forested areas, and the resulting destruction of endemic ecosystems, with all due respect, Bob, it is your comments that are anomalous, and the title and the full commentary by Bandos Ros, is relevant, contiguous and completely pertinent and consistent with the extant situation in Cambodia. The title is very much in keeping with the article and the scope of the ‘story’.