@Alec Bamford – you are correct, it was Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry who made this rather jarring comparison. Even so, it wouldn’t have surprised if Big Boss Man Prayut had uttered the words himself – his earlier comments about ‘erasing Thaksin’ from Thai history books, and for the press to refrain from writing about him are straight out of the Stalin/Mao handbook about making troublesome foes completely invisible as if they never existed. As I suggested previously there appears to be something of a deficit in the junta’s ‘brains trust’.
No, the Nation ‘letter to the editor’ (not article) quotes the Minister of Education Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, not Prayut.
How much the good admiral was unwittingly led into this farce by the ideologues of the Ministry (who were in attendance) is another matter.
@ Chris Beale – I think ‘The Nation’ (sure it’s not from the real McCoy ‘Not the Nation’?) is going too far to liken Prayut’s coup to the goings on in North Korea. The only real similarity between Thailand and NK being the extraordinary mythologising surrounding the sainted figure at the apex of the socio-political order – but you certainly won’t read that in ‘The Nation’. Rather, as a nameless commentator wrote in ‘Matichon’ a couple of months back (2 Sept. ’14) Prayut is quite enamoured with the Chinese communist model of ‘democracy’. This notion even impressed Australia’s clueless clod of a PM when Xi Jinping recently visited the country to conclude a ‘Free trade agreement’ and referred, in a speech to the Aussie parliament, to the move towards ‘Chinese democracy’ – a very slippery concept based on some bizarro form of communist ‘logic’.
While certainly repressive, one wonders if the ham-fisted and foot-in-mouth infected Prayut and his clique could come anywhere near the ruthless efficiency of Xi’s one party state. While Prayut and his cronies are a nasty bunch, they’re basically hopeless – the man and his backers seem to to be a little short of the grey matter up top.
In mainland China it’s unlikely you’d get critical commentators such as Ajarn Nithi Eosiwong regularly pouring scorn (albeit with a certain panache) on Prayut’s dictatorial regime. It’s a shame more of Nithi’s commentaries aren’t available in English (that would take time and effort as his style of writing requires a very deft translator). In one of his ‘Matichon’ pieces from three or four weeks (can’t remember the date off hand) he called on Prayut to stop being the leader of a ‘gang’ (he used the English loan word ‘gaeng’) and start being the prime minister of the country. And then there’s much more. ‘Returning happiness to the Thai people’ by hoping for a re-run of the Prem era simply will not fly.
And for English readers that cheeky, but astute and incisive commentator Kong Rithee in the Bangkok Post (most Saturdays) frequently serves up some tasty denunciations of the boneheads currently running the country.
I should add that it’s a great pity quite a few of Ajarn Nithi (Eiosriwong’s) pieces about Prayut and the coup group more generally from ‘Matichon’ aren’t available in English
Springs to mind sandals and flip flops strewn all over in the street whenever a protest is broken up violently and the crowd dispersed losing their footwear in flight.
[…] would deliver. Edward Aspinall, a professor of politics at the Australian National University, argues this cabinet is an unadventurous continuation of ‘business as usual’ politics, with a prevalence of mediocre party politicians over […]
General Prayuth was never an impartial arbiter. We saw how efficiently and ‘cleanly’ he usurped power. So, one wonders why he didn’t use the same tactic to clear the streets of Bangkok and allow for elections to take place. Of course, had he done that, then he wouldn’t have the excuse to seize power.
General Prayuth is also clearly responsible for the murders in 2010, many of whom were not even protestors but innocent people caught in the hail of bullets that Prayuth’s soldiers so courageously showered on their fellow countrymen. It is reasonable to believe that General Prayuth’s ambitions to seize power and become Thailand’s dictator, or “savoir” as he likes to think of himself, were years in the making.
As a westerns who loves Thailand, I hope to god that Prayuth succeeds in what he says he wants to achieve. However, the realist in me can’t see any unbiased intentions from him. But even a tactician like Prayuth will not be able to subdue the dynamic forces in Thailand. Just like his adversary, Thaksin, Prayuth is cocky and will overplay his cards and that will bring down his house of cards.
U Razak, U Rashid, U Khin Maung Latt, Hajima Daw Pu, Saya Chair and Colonel Tin Soe were all Muslims, Plan B, so what is your point ? None of them were Rohingya either. So, ethnic Chinese also fought for Malayan independence, so both Malays and Chinese could be free, and I can tell you Chinese in Malaysia are now treated far worse than Muslims in Burma. You want your cake and eat it too. On the one hand, you chafe at the mere hint that Burmese Muslims, from the very start of British India, were anything but loyal to Burma, but you have no issue, apparently, when Rohingya activists visit Malaysia, complain to the Malaysian Foreign Minister that they are discriminated against because they are Muslims. NO. General Thein Sein rightly objects (as do many Burmese) to Bangladeshis pawning themselves off as indigenous to Burma, which they are not.
I am sure you are also fine with Malaysia importing Muslims from Indonesia and the Philippines to increase the Muslim ratio in East Malaysia. Something Burma does not interfere with as an ASEAN member, even though every Burmese knows Malaysia is hypocritical, on this issue. You let Malaysia interfere in Burmese affairs (even while it covets Burma’s natural gas fields), arm and aid the Rohingya, who demand to be identified
as BURMESE MUSLIMS (not just Burmese) when they are only Muslims, but are not Burmese. Perhaps Burma should take a cue from Malaysia, and start importing other Buddhists from Chittagong, Assam, Bhutan,
Sikkim, even Thailand, and increase the Buddhist ratio domestically. Those who so piously cry discrimination when a Rohingya starts complaining, have no issue when Bangladesh persecutes non-Bengali hill tribes. And by the way, U Nu’s government recognized Muslims as having equal status with Buddhists and Christians. I have seen many sarcastic comments here on New Mandala, questioning Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s loyalties, just because her husband was British and she was educated in England, but these same cynics, insist with no evidence, that Rohingya loyalties
are somehow provided by Allah, and no Burmese, least of all the Government, has a right to question them. And enough of this pseudo-nationalism and tiresome rants against the West. You allowed Ne Win to ruin your nation, and not the West. If you feel the Rohingya are so deserving of special dispensations, go to the Malaysian Representative on the U.N. Security Council and complain. The problem is you have a conundrum. You say the Rohingya are Burmese first, but the Malaysian Rep won’t give you the time of day, unless you say the Rohingya are Muslims first and Burmese second. So which is it ?
At your service, a Tayoke,Yakhine,Mon and Bamar with an Inferiority Complex rather than complex inferiority.
SO little time so much left to do. By the way Tayoke is a derogatory term as well, a bastard advocating for a beleaguered Citizenry does that make one faux c├┤mplex supér├оor?
How about the question:
“Did U Rashid ever insist on being Classified as a Pashtun or Pakistani ?”.
“… promise of political and policy change …” I wonder what would happen if parties emerged that might carry with them the possibility that the current military rulers might later be tried and sentenced. Chile only made the transition by granting the worst perpetrators immunity and it proved a divisive cancer ever since until Pinochet finally died – in the office of “respected” senator for life.
As far as I know they are illegal migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh who offense Burma for many years and the government can’t do much because the border is connected. They live illegally in Burma like Burmese people from generation to the next generation, even though they live illegally in Burma and also cause a lot of problems there. Burmese OWN the country and love their country and they really know these people cause too much trouble there for long time and seem out of control. The government have tried to clean up and send them back but these people keep coming live their hiding living mixed with Burmese people like normal sometimes it is hard for the police to arrest them and send them back because they live illegally there from generation to next generation but they are Burmese. Another thing is the Burmese law is too weak to arrest the gang who trade these Muslim migrants some are their gang trade the illegal migrants from those countries. These people OFFENSE the border every day some come by boat and sometimes their destination is not only Burma. They spread everywhere including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. Stop talks bad to Burmese or Buddhists. If they offense Burma and abuse the law they MUST be thrown out of the country as many government can. They have NO RIGHTS TO CLAIM ANYTHING FROM THIS COUNTRY. Burmese are not aware of dangerous people enough that why they have deserve the rubbish and garbage from these people. I am sure that they are MUSLIMS from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India and they are not Burmese. This country is Buddhist almost 100%. The Burmese government MUST clean up the country no matter how long they live there and they are ILLEGAL MIGRANTS. They Muslim can’t live with anybody because they can’t adapt to any culture except their Muslim group moreover they don’t know the value of the owner of the country. My western country has problem with the boat people who are these countries and Indonesia. We send them back to their countries. They are OFFENDERS so they must be sent back to their home country no matter how long they live there and they HAVE NO RIGHTS to claim anything from this country. To be fair for the Burmese people who are peaceful people and are NOT violence people as you say.
God bless His Majesty !! And thanks Andrew and Nich for an excellent post. Whatever the debates about Thailand’s Royals – NO-ONE can deny they are dog lovers, great supports of cannine protection, and animal liberation generally – as are their loyal servants, the Thai Royal Army. (And NO – I do not believe for one whoof, that whiff of a rumour about a certain canine “assassination” – it’s simply yet another pathetic attempt at character assassination of the CP. Incidentally, I once had the honour of sitting at “high table” at Oxford – and am over-joyed to know the good Colonel Fufu has also been so honoured.)
If in writing that the Jakarta Post reported that Andika was “allegedly involved in the killing of Theis Eluay”, the author is referring to a Jakarta Post article published on or around 27 July 2002, he needs to be more careful. That article reported merely that the father of one of those accused of Theis’s murder had claimed Andika forced his son to confess, not that Andika was involved in the murder himself. This is not to say he was not so involved. But, free as the Indonesian press may be, the Jakarta Post would not have been able to publish that insinuation with impunity.
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Crown Prince’s family update?
[…] There’s more here. The “problem” of Yuvathida and her sons was mentioned in Wikileaks and is also mentioned at New Mandala. […]
Thailand’s Prayuth: Not just another coup-maker
@Alec Bamford – you are correct, it was Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry who made this rather jarring comparison. Even so, it wouldn’t have surprised if Big Boss Man Prayut had uttered the words himself – his earlier comments about ‘erasing Thaksin’ from Thai history books, and for the press to refrain from writing about him are straight out of the Stalin/Mao handbook about making troublesome foes completely invisible as if they never existed. As I suggested previously there appears to be something of a deficit in the junta’s ‘brains trust’.
Thailand’s Prayuth: Not just another coup-maker
No, the Nation ‘letter to the editor’ (not article) quotes the Minister of Education Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, not Prayut.
How much the good admiral was unwittingly led into this farce by the ideologues of the Ministry (who were in attendance) is another matter.
Thailand’s Prayuth: Not just another coup-maker
Kaen Phaet – if you read The Nation article which I cited, you will see that Prayut HIMSELF said this.
Will Myanmar’s reforms continue after 2015?
[…] other areas too, Myanmar’s reforms have often been frustratingly slow – and in some cases appear to be moving backward. Hundreds of […]
Thailand’s Prayuth: Not just another coup-maker
@ Chris Beale – I think ‘The Nation’ (sure it’s not from the real McCoy ‘Not the Nation’?) is going too far to liken Prayut’s coup to the goings on in North Korea. The only real similarity between Thailand and NK being the extraordinary mythologising surrounding the sainted figure at the apex of the socio-political order – but you certainly won’t read that in ‘The Nation’. Rather, as a nameless commentator wrote in ‘Matichon’ a couple of months back (2 Sept. ’14) Prayut is quite enamoured with the Chinese communist model of ‘democracy’. This notion even impressed Australia’s clueless clod of a PM when Xi Jinping recently visited the country to conclude a ‘Free trade agreement’ and referred, in a speech to the Aussie parliament, to the move towards ‘Chinese democracy’ – a very slippery concept based on some bizarro form of communist ‘logic’.
While certainly repressive, one wonders if the ham-fisted and foot-in-mouth infected Prayut and his clique could come anywhere near the ruthless efficiency of Xi’s one party state. While Prayut and his cronies are a nasty bunch, they’re basically hopeless – the man and his backers seem to to be a little short of the grey matter up top.
In mainland China it’s unlikely you’d get critical commentators such as Ajarn Nithi Eosiwong regularly pouring scorn (albeit with a certain panache) on Prayut’s dictatorial regime. It’s a shame more of Nithi’s commentaries aren’t available in English (that would take time and effort as his style of writing requires a very deft translator). In one of his ‘Matichon’ pieces from three or four weeks (can’t remember the date off hand) he called on Prayut to stop being the leader of a ‘gang’ (he used the English loan word ‘gaeng’) and start being the prime minister of the country. And then there’s much more. ‘Returning happiness to the Thai people’ by hoping for a re-run of the Prem era simply will not fly.
And for English readers that cheeky, but astute and incisive commentator Kong Rithee in the Bangkok Post (most Saturdays) frequently serves up some tasty denunciations of the boneheads currently running the country.
I should add that it’s a great pity quite a few of Ajarn Nithi (Eiosriwong’s) pieces about Prayut and the coup group more generally from ‘Matichon’ aren’t available in English
In the shoes of reporters in Naypyitaw
Springs to mind sandals and flip flops strewn all over in the street whenever a protest is broken up violently and the crowd dispersed losing their footwear in flight.
Jokowi fails his first test
[…] would deliver. Edward Aspinall, a professor of politics at the Australian National University, argues this cabinet is an unadventurous continuation of ‘business as usual’ politics, with a prevalence of mediocre party politicians over […]
Thailand’s Prayuth: Not just another coup-maker
You’ve said it so well.
General Prayuth was never an impartial arbiter. We saw how efficiently and ‘cleanly’ he usurped power. So, one wonders why he didn’t use the same tactic to clear the streets of Bangkok and allow for elections to take place. Of course, had he done that, then he wouldn’t have the excuse to seize power.
General Prayuth is also clearly responsible for the murders in 2010, many of whom were not even protestors but innocent people caught in the hail of bullets that Prayuth’s soldiers so courageously showered on their fellow countrymen. It is reasonable to believe that General Prayuth’s ambitions to seize power and become Thailand’s dictator, or “savoir” as he likes to think of himself, were years in the making.
As a westerns who loves Thailand, I hope to god that Prayuth succeeds in what he says he wants to achieve. However, the realist in me can’t see any unbiased intentions from him. But even a tactician like Prayuth will not be able to subdue the dynamic forces in Thailand. Just like his adversary, Thaksin, Prayuth is cocky and will overplay his cards and that will bring down his house of cards.
Myanmar’s Muslim mosaic and the politics of belonging
During the cultural revolution, is not BSPP orchestrated anti Tayoke demonstration clear enough which should come first?
This sectarian violence is the same in every respect replacing Tayoke with Muslim Kala.
Malaysia OAS and beyond can promote what they wish with Rohingyas. In Myanmar when push come to shove history has shown to be very consistent.
Tayoke learn long ago being Bamar has advantages even if you don’t know a word of Burmese.
Will the Muslim Kala in Yakhine learn?
Thailand’s Prayuth: Not just another coup-maker
THIS about says it all re. Prayut’s coup – NORTH Korea is the new, officially approved, educational model !! : http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Can-North-Korea-boost-Thailands-failing-education-30248521.html
Myanmar’s Muslim mosaic and the politics of belonging
U Razak, U Rashid, U Khin Maung Latt, Hajima Daw Pu, Saya Chair and Colonel Tin Soe were all Muslims, Plan B, so what is your point ? None of them were Rohingya either. So, ethnic Chinese also fought for Malayan independence, so both Malays and Chinese could be free, and I can tell you Chinese in Malaysia are now treated far worse than Muslims in Burma. You want your cake and eat it too. On the one hand, you chafe at the mere hint that Burmese Muslims, from the very start of British India, were anything but loyal to Burma, but you have no issue, apparently, when Rohingya activists visit Malaysia, complain to the Malaysian Foreign Minister that they are discriminated against because they are Muslims. NO. General Thein Sein rightly objects (as do many Burmese) to Bangladeshis pawning themselves off as indigenous to Burma, which they are not.
I am sure you are also fine with Malaysia importing Muslims from Indonesia and the Philippines to increase the Muslim ratio in East Malaysia. Something Burma does not interfere with as an ASEAN member, even though every Burmese knows Malaysia is hypocritical, on this issue. You let Malaysia interfere in Burmese affairs (even while it covets Burma’s natural gas fields), arm and aid the Rohingya, who demand to be identified
as BURMESE MUSLIMS (not just Burmese) when they are only Muslims, but are not Burmese. Perhaps Burma should take a cue from Malaysia, and start importing other Buddhists from Chittagong, Assam, Bhutan,
Sikkim, even Thailand, and increase the Buddhist ratio domestically. Those who so piously cry discrimination when a Rohingya starts complaining, have no issue when Bangladesh persecutes non-Bengali hill tribes. And by the way, U Nu’s government recognized Muslims as having equal status with Buddhists and Christians. I have seen many sarcastic comments here on New Mandala, questioning Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s loyalties, just because her husband was British and she was educated in England, but these same cynics, insist with no evidence, that Rohingya loyalties
are somehow provided by Allah, and no Burmese, least of all the Government, has a right to question them. And enough of this pseudo-nationalism and tiresome rants against the West. You allowed Ne Win to ruin your nation, and not the West. If you feel the Rohingya are so deserving of special dispensations, go to the Malaysian Representative on the U.N. Security Council and complain. The problem is you have a conundrum. You say the Rohingya are Burmese first, but the Malaysian Rep won’t give you the time of day, unless you say the Rohingya are Muslims first and Burmese second. So which is it ?
Myanmar’s Muslim mosaic and the politics of belonging
At your service, a Tayoke,Yakhine,Mon and Bamar with an Inferiority Complex rather than complex inferiority.
SO little time so much left to do. By the way Tayoke is a derogatory term as well, a bastard advocating for a beleaguered Citizenry does that make one faux c├┤mplex supér├оor?
How about the question:
“Did U Rashid ever insist on being Classified as a Pashtun or Pakistani ?”.
Will Myanmar’s reforms continue after 2015?
“… promise of political and policy change …” I wonder what would happen if parties emerged that might carry with them the possibility that the current military rulers might later be tried and sentenced. Chile only made the transition by granting the worst perpetrators immunity and it proved a divisive cancer ever since until Pinochet finally died – in the office of “respected” senator for life.
Reality check on Islam, Buddhism in Myanmar
As far as I know they are illegal migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh who offense Burma for many years and the government can’t do much because the border is connected. They live illegally in Burma like Burmese people from generation to the next generation, even though they live illegally in Burma and also cause a lot of problems there. Burmese OWN the country and love their country and they really know these people cause too much trouble there for long time and seem out of control. The government have tried to clean up and send them back but these people keep coming live their hiding living mixed with Burmese people like normal sometimes it is hard for the police to arrest them and send them back because they live illegally there from generation to next generation but they are Burmese. Another thing is the Burmese law is too weak to arrest the gang who trade these Muslim migrants some are their gang trade the illegal migrants from those countries. These people OFFENSE the border every day some come by boat and sometimes their destination is not only Burma. They spread everywhere including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. Stop talks bad to Burmese or Buddhists. If they offense Burma and abuse the law they MUST be thrown out of the country as many government can. They have NO RIGHTS TO CLAIM ANYTHING FROM THIS COUNTRY. Burmese are not aware of dangerous people enough that why they have deserve the rubbish and garbage from these people. I am sure that they are MUSLIMS from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India and they are not Burmese. This country is Buddhist almost 100%. The Burmese government MUST clean up the country no matter how long they live there and they are ILLEGAL MIGRANTS. They Muslim can’t live with anybody because they can’t adapt to any culture except their Muslim group moreover they don’t know the value of the owner of the country. My western country has problem with the boat people who are these countries and Indonesia. We send them back to their countries. They are OFFENDERS so they must be sent back to their home country no matter how long they live there and they HAVE NO RIGHTS to claim anything from this country. To be fair for the Burmese people who are peaceful people and are NOT violence people as you say.
King denies royal rumour
Poor dog!
King denies royal rumour
God bless His Majesty !! And thanks Andrew and Nich for an excellent post. Whatever the debates about Thailand’s Royals – NO-ONE can deny they are dog lovers, great supports of cannine protection, and animal liberation generally – as are their loyal servants, the Thai Royal Army. (And NO – I do not believe for one whoof, that whiff of a rumour about a certain canine “assassination” – it’s simply yet another pathetic attempt at character assassination of the CP. Incidentally, I once had the honour of sitting at “high table” at Oxford – and am over-joyed to know the good Colonel Fufu has also been so honoured.)
Jokowi: hope for Papua?
The standard spelling of Eluay’s first name is ‘Theys’.
Jokowi: hope for Papua?
If in writing that the Jakarta Post reported that Andika was “allegedly involved in the killing of Theis Eluay”, the author is referring to a Jakarta Post article published on or around 27 July 2002, he needs to be more careful. That article reported merely that the father of one of those accused of Theis’s murder had claimed Andika forced his son to confess, not that Andika was involved in the murder himself. This is not to say he was not so involved. But, free as the Indonesian press may be, the Jakarta Post would not have been able to publish that insinuation with impunity.
Jokowi: hope for Papua?
Papua must be given independence or merge with Papua New Guinea. Full stop.