I think the Enlightenment is a red herring, as are the nature of Islam and Roman Catholicism. The issue is to what extent the former colonial power influenced the country.
To talk of the Timor conflict as being between two ‘two rival pre-Enlightenment cultures’ is bizarre given that West Timor is also predominantly Catholic, especially in the eastern districts, with Muslims accounting for only 8 per cent. Mari Alkatiri was demonised less for being Muslim and Arab, and more for being secular and left wing.
The Dutch, despite having had an enlightenment in the 17th century, and being a progressive Protestant liberal democracy, opposed any moves towards self-government in the East Indies as late as 1938, when the Soetardjo Petition, calling for a form of free association, was rejected.
After their return in 1945, the Dutch tried to impose a federal constitution crating a United States of Indonesia. This was seen as a thinly-disguised attempt at partition by the Indonesian nationalists, who re-established a unitary system following the departure of the Dutch in 1950.
This accounts for the hostility towards regional autonomy and special status under both Sukarno and Suharto. Apodeti, the pro-Indonesian party in Portuguese Timor, actually wanted such a status, but was told by Jakarta this was out of the question. Only after Habibie took office did this change.
Goa a busy trading port? Under Portuguese rule, Goa was a free port, but following Indian liberation, it was stripped of this and was subject to the same protectionist policies as India. This is in contrast to Macau, which, like Hong Kong, retains its duty-free status. Much of the Goan freedom movement drew its support from those who had sought exile in India and worked in the Indian civil service, while the most entrepreneurial Goans were living and working abroad, not only in Portuguese Mozambique but British Kenya and Aden.
However, India, to its credit, left the Portuguese-style uniform Civil Code in Goa untouched. This applies to all residents of the state, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or linguistic affiliation, whereas in the rest of India, separate Hindu and Muslim personal laws remain. Rather than being seen as an anomaly or an anachronism, Goa’s uniform code is seen as a model for the whole of India, even by the Hindu BJP.
Pornthip can use the GT 200 to validate the conviction and we will not be surprise that the court will accept it. you dont get to join the tier 3 club for nothing.
Yes that “hanged” was an amusing error of English usage. A plausible explanation of why pictures of the king are hung in so many houses and businesses is that the owners hope the pictures will stop them being robbed or worse, by the army or the police.
This article is interesting but it could do with a fair amount of additional detail. For example, different parts of the UN administration UNTAET ‘supported’ or worked towards political outcomes that benefited the two main poles of power at the time, Xanana and Fretilin; meaning, supporting ‘Xanana’ wasn’t a uniform attitude. Case in point: the first election was for a Constituent Assembly (which was also the combined Parliament), a process which favoured membership-based Fretilin who dominated that body, and then wrote a Constitution with a weak President (because everybody knew that would be Xanana) and a strong Parliament and PM (because everybody knew that would be Fretilin). If ‘the UN’ (as much as it’s ever a coherent body) had been unilaterally in favour of Xanana they could have implemented a smaller constitutional council and put a draft constitution with a strong President to referendum. (The 2006 crisis can in many ways be seen as the continuation of that Xanana-Fretilin power struggle that was not resolved by the UNTAET-facilitated constitution.)
The means by which the resistance in general, and Xanana himself, propagated his own leadership mythology is also a very strong factor. This mythology helped maintain a narrative of unity while papering over, at least for public consumption, many internal resistance splits that dated especially from the early 1980s. International actors didn’t invent this Xanana-centric narrative by themselves; it was core to the resistance itself for many many years; the fact that it was adopted and propagated in the international arena by journalists etc. is a measure of the resistance’s success on that front pre-1999. The splits since then are often a matter of history and the political conflicts coming to the fore, in various stages, post-independence. That’s a bit different from international actors just ‘over-simplifying’ things in accordance with their own preferences. That over-simplification happened, sure; but for many years the resistance actively worked towards making it happen themselves, as part of tactics to appeal to international fora.
On the other handm Mike, there is a reason why commoners are commoners. If they are so great, why are they commoner? At least Srirasmi is a Thaanpuying.
Yes, I am a royalist and will always be a royalist. HM the King is a unifying force for the nation. HM has worked so hard even in his ill health at the hospital. Thai people are not ready for the western-style democracy of the so-called one man, one vote. How could that be possible when most of the people outside of Thailand are so uneducated and easily influenced by vote-buying schemes. HM also needs the lese majeste law to protect him, just as the libel law for the ordinary people. Why should royalist like me need to change our system when everyone of us is so happy under the guidance of our Father. Shut up or get out!
I remember well from years ago a user on The Nation Weblog with the same name as ND, who was just as rabid in righteousness, and just as much a non-contributor to the discourse.
The UK FCO is concerned with trade not justice. Those two young people who were ill-advised to vacation in Thailand, do not merit risking military and economic policy options.
The two boys will be convicted, indeed they already are.
The writer has left the country, and was able to procure a UK citizenship. However most poor Thais would be unable to do this. They are forced by a feudal mindset to profess a ” love” for a King who may well not deserve it. It’s become apparent with just a minimum of research, the mythology of HRH is just that, a myth. A complete lie. The monarchy is at the top of a corruption pyramid.
This much hyped “Democracy” thing thrives on the victim’s lively expectation of realizing his/ her expression of own selfish interest in secret. Making so much easier to manipulate.
In the natural course, anything can and does happen. That’s why you always have to be in with Big Mac as well as Chicken Nugget and only then give the “People” their esteemed “Choice” to make their subjugation post-choice that much smoother.
Incidentally this line:
‘If someone’s house is on fire, then use the opportunity from the chaos that ensues to loot their house and steal their fortune.’
That was from Burmese Military Combat Training book. They even get their municipal cleaning gangs to use it on market stalls which regularly catch fire on exact time.
Tiziano Terzani was an excellent observer and insightful and delightful writer, always one with the community he visited. Also visited Burma. May he rest in peace.
Reading your posts is like hitting your head against a wall. You just wont admit the truth. Maybe the DNA has been handle properly through the whole chain of custody.
Or maybe it hasn’t. All krajongpa is asking is for you to admit that it is possible that the DNA evidence has been initially falsified to implicate the two Burmese men.
Simple yes or no question:
Do you believe it is in any way possible, no matter how remote the possibility, that the DNA evidence has been tampered with in order to implicate the current suspects?
Well if the king royally pardoned the three men, then that would seem to imply that the king had some knowledge or belief that those three men are not responsible for the crime. thereby implying that there seems to be another guilty party, and the king may know that with certainty.
for those reasons above, and the reason those reasons matter, the petition would be going too far on NM.
Wow that is honestly one of the most accurate yet simply ways Ive ever come across to conceptualize how the ultra-royalist posters are thinking, and why they simply refuse to participate in any form of rational debate whatsoever.
As you respect Somsak Jeanteerasakul, I am sure you will be glad to read his arguments to refute the CPB’s claims and, hence, yours. http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/2603
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The changing face of Xanana Gusmao
I think the Enlightenment is a red herring, as are the nature of Islam and Roman Catholicism. The issue is to what extent the former colonial power influenced the country.
To talk of the Timor conflict as being between two ‘two rival pre-Enlightenment cultures’ is bizarre given that West Timor is also predominantly Catholic, especially in the eastern districts, with Muslims accounting for only 8 per cent. Mari Alkatiri was demonised less for being Muslim and Arab, and more for being secular and left wing.
The Dutch, despite having had an enlightenment in the 17th century, and being a progressive Protestant liberal democracy, opposed any moves towards self-government in the East Indies as late as 1938, when the Soetardjo Petition, calling for a form of free association, was rejected.
After their return in 1945, the Dutch tried to impose a federal constitution crating a United States of Indonesia. This was seen as a thinly-disguised attempt at partition by the Indonesian nationalists, who re-established a unitary system following the departure of the Dutch in 1950.
This accounts for the hostility towards regional autonomy and special status under both Sukarno and Suharto. Apodeti, the pro-Indonesian party in Portuguese Timor, actually wanted such a status, but was told by Jakarta this was out of the question. Only after Habibie took office did this change.
Goa a busy trading port? Under Portuguese rule, Goa was a free port, but following Indian liberation, it was stripped of this and was subject to the same protectionist policies as India. This is in contrast to Macau, which, like Hong Kong, retains its duty-free status. Much of the Goan freedom movement drew its support from those who had sought exile in India and worked in the Indian civil service, while the most entrepreneurial Goans were living and working abroad, not only in Portuguese Mozambique but British Kenya and Aden.
However, India, to its credit, left the Portuguese-style uniform Civil Code in Goa untouched. This applies to all residents of the state, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or linguistic affiliation, whereas in the rest of India, separate Hindu and Muslim personal laws remain. Rather than being seen as an anomaly or an anachronism, Goa’s uniform code is seen as a model for the whole of India, even by the Hindu BJP.
Koh Tao trial another litmus test
Pornthip can use the GT 200 to validate the conviction and we will not be surprise that the court will accept it. you dont get to join the tier 3 club for nothing.
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
Yes that “hanged” was an amusing error of English usage. A plausible explanation of why pictures of the king are hung in so many houses and businesses is that the owners hope the pictures will stop them being robbed or worse, by the army or the police.
The changing face of Xanana Gusmao
This article is interesting but it could do with a fair amount of additional detail. For example, different parts of the UN administration UNTAET ‘supported’ or worked towards political outcomes that benefited the two main poles of power at the time, Xanana and Fretilin; meaning, supporting ‘Xanana’ wasn’t a uniform attitude. Case in point: the first election was for a Constituent Assembly (which was also the combined Parliament), a process which favoured membership-based Fretilin who dominated that body, and then wrote a Constitution with a weak President (because everybody knew that would be Xanana) and a strong Parliament and PM (because everybody knew that would be Fretilin). If ‘the UN’ (as much as it’s ever a coherent body) had been unilaterally in favour of Xanana they could have implemented a smaller constitutional council and put a draft constitution with a strong President to referendum. (The 2006 crisis can in many ways be seen as the continuation of that Xanana-Fretilin power struggle that was not resolved by the UNTAET-facilitated constitution.)
The means by which the resistance in general, and Xanana himself, propagated his own leadership mythology is also a very strong factor. This mythology helped maintain a narrative of unity while papering over, at least for public consumption, many internal resistance splits that dated especially from the early 1980s. International actors didn’t invent this Xanana-centric narrative by themselves; it was core to the resistance itself for many many years; the fact that it was adopted and propagated in the international arena by journalists etc. is a measure of the resistance’s success on that front pre-1999. The splits since then are often a matter of history and the political conflicts coming to the fore, in various stages, post-independence. That’s a bit different from international actors just ‘over-simplifying’ things in accordance with their own preferences. That over-simplification happened, sure; but for many years the resistance actively worked towards making it happen themselves, as part of tactics to appeal to international fora.
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
On the other handm Mike, there is a reason why commoners are commoners. If they are so great, why are they commoner? At least Srirasmi is a Thaanpuying.
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
Yes, I am a royalist and will always be a royalist. HM the King is a unifying force for the nation. HM has worked so hard even in his ill health at the hospital. Thai people are not ready for the western-style democracy of the so-called one man, one vote. How could that be possible when most of the people outside of Thailand are so uneducated and easily influenced by vote-buying schemes. HM also needs the lese majeste law to protect him, just as the libel law for the ordinary people. Why should royalist like me need to change our system when everyone of us is so happy under the guidance of our Father. Shut up or get out!
Thais in exile
I remember well from years ago a user on The Nation Weblog with the same name as ND, who was just as rabid in righteousness, and just as much a non-contributor to the discourse.
Koh Tao trial another litmus test
The UK FCO is concerned with trade not justice. Those two young people who were ill-advised to vacation in Thailand, do not merit risking military and economic policy options.
The two boys will be convicted, indeed they already are.
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
The writer has left the country, and was able to procure a UK citizenship. However most poor Thais would be unable to do this. They are forced by a feudal mindset to profess a ” love” for a King who may well not deserve it. It’s become apparent with just a minimum of research, the mythology of HRH is just that, a myth. A complete lie. The monarchy is at the top of a corruption pyramid.
Striving for safety
This much hyped “Democracy” thing thrives on the victim’s lively expectation of realizing his/ her expression of own selfish interest in secret. Making so much easier to manipulate.
In the natural course, anything can and does happen. That’s why you always have to be in with Big Mac as well as Chicken Nugget and only then give the “People” their esteemed “Choice” to make their subjugation post-choice that much smoother.
Incidentally this line:
‘If someone’s house is on fire, then use the opportunity from the chaos that ensues to loot their house and steal their fortune.’
That was from Burmese Military Combat Training book. They even get their municipal cleaning gangs to use it on market stalls which regularly catch fire on exact time.
Striving for safety
Tiziano Terzani was an excellent observer and insightful and delightful writer, always one with the community he visited. Also visited Burma. May he rest in peace.
Striving for safety
Totally aside from ongoing repartee, no one would argue that Singapore is “engineered beyond belief”.
Still hope the United States is not exempt from that particular deserving epitaph as well.
Former Lao President Nouhak Phoumsavanh reported to have died
Condolences to your family.
Prayuth, do you hear the people sing?
Just a thought that popped into my head, is Les Mis known about in Thailand, banned, or what?
It just seems like the type of media to be banned.
Koh Tao trial another litmus test
Hang Tuah,
Reading your posts is like hitting your head against a wall. You just wont admit the truth. Maybe the DNA has been handle properly through the whole chain of custody.
Or maybe it hasn’t. All krajongpa is asking is for you to admit that it is possible that the DNA evidence has been initially falsified to implicate the two Burmese men.
Simple yes or no question:
Do you believe it is in any way possible, no matter how remote the possibility, that the DNA evidence has been tampered with in order to implicate the current suspects?
Just give us a yes or no answer.
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
Well if the king royally pardoned the three men, then that would seem to imply that the king had some knowledge or belief that those three men are not responsible for the crime. thereby implying that there seems to be another guilty party, and the king may know that with certainty.
for those reasons above, and the reason those reasons matter, the petition would be going too far on NM.
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
Wow that is honestly one of the most accurate yet simply ways Ive ever come across to conceptualize how the ultra-royalist posters are thinking, and why they simply refuse to participate in any form of rational debate whatsoever.
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
Plato,
I hope your allegory doesnt use logic or reason to make an argument, because then it will be worthless to Boon and the gang.
However if its just a bunch of random unsupported statements to make a point then Im sure it will be highly effective!
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
“One can see pictures of HM the king and queen are hanged in everyone’s living room”
I wonder if the writer meant to be ironic aor was sending a subliminal message and should be reported for lese majeste?
Thailand’s royal billions
As you respect Somsak Jeanteerasakul, I am sure you will be glad to read his arguments to refute the CPB’s claims and, hence, yours. http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/2603