The timing of Prayuth’s imposition of martial law this morning seems to be related directly to the imminent collapse of the street protests led by Suthep. All the evidence was that, apart from a diehard core, the numbers simply weren’t there any longer and the financial support the movement had previously enjoyed had dried to a trickle in the face of anxieties about the worsening economic outlook. This time when Suthep talked of a final battle, he probably really meant it, for it seems unlikely that thereafter enough support would still be there to enable indefinite postponement of the rescheduled elections. In effect the government had probably won and so it became necessary to pursue other means.
Indeed, what the army has done is in effect to provide Suthep and PCAD with a relatively dignified way out while at the same time providing a replacement support mechanism for the anti-government movement as a whole – a lifeline for their cause. Of course if the army goes ahead and ensures that the postponed elections actually take place unhindered within a short period of time, I shall be happy to have been proved wrong!
There seems to be no other logical motive for imposing martial law at this time. The UDD had maintained discipline at their rally some 25 miles away from the PCAD groups in the centre of Bangkok. None of the circumstances required to instigate the 100-year-old act in fact pertain; the country is not at war and, despite the 28 deaths over the last six months, it cannot be said that the country has been subjected to serious rioting. Ironically the government’s previous state of emergency was rendered ineffective by the decision of the court, which maintained that such draconian measures were unnecessary!
I thought I already cited the example of the Nixon Watergate case to underscore the point that the US Supreme Court had ruled that the court is constitutionally empowered to demand from then President Nixon to hand over ‘Watergate tapes’ that led to his impeachment.
Similarly in the same vein, Thailand’s NAAC had ruled that PM Yingluck was derelict (if not downright conspirational) in the large scale corruption leading to the catastrophic economic losses from Yingluck’s Rice Pledge Scheme that she herself chairs, and has instructed the Thai Senate to begin her impeachment process.
Thailand’s constitution maybe flawed but that’s the way the nation evolved its own political development. Juristocracy? Nonsense.
But were Yingluck & Thaksin kleptocrats? Definitely …. in their each and every corpurscle.
Excellent post again Matt, I always enjoy reading your pieces.
The roots of ethnic tension go back a long way. At the time of George Bush’s second election I was in Yangon, and at breakfast the waiter asked me, “What is your opinion of the bacterium Bush?”
I’m as anti-American as the next man, but even I thought this was a little harsh, so I asked him what he meant. Turned out he was talking about “the victory of Bush.” He felt this was a Good Thing, as Bush was fighting Islam in Iraq. Not Islamic extremism, just Islam. And the waiter was a Karen Christian.
Money and charisma are two most powerful ammunitionso Prabowo’s arsenal. Millions of Indonesian have been fascinated by them. Thanks to Professor Carey, more would probably be convinced to join the adoring crowd this election. Although he shouldn’t feel too bad about it either, even those kidnapped victims are staunch Prabowo supporters now thanks to his generous approach.
Many Burmese Blog sits are claiming now that KIA Vice-chief General Gun Maw came back from Washington D.C. with at least 20 Million US for KIA (5 million for himself) and a cache of super-deadly Barrette 50 cal high-powered sniper rifles with plenty ammunition, all from CIA. Now Chinese are more alarmed than Burmese by that news.
Individual rights are not subject to a public vote. A majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority, including women.
The political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities.
And the smallest minority on earth is the individual.
We are all born ignorant but ultra-nationalists like Wirathu work very hard to remain stupid.
If U Nu, Burma’s first freely-elected prime minister — and a devout Buddhist — were alive today he would condemn the despicable Wirathu as a fake (monk).
Meanwhile, religion has always been a politician’s tool. Malaysia is no exception.
It would be great if New Mandala could direct this piece to Dr. Carey and see whether he could respond to Prof. Aspinall’s criticisms. Having met Dr. Carey before I have found him to be informed, genuine in his work,and generally a nice and helpful person. However I too have noticed in at least one occasion that Dr. Carey seems to be relatively reserved when asked/challenged about certain political figures that he knows personally, at least publicly. Perhaps it is old-fashion “British politeness” (sic ?), but it certainly puts Dr. Carey in a difficult position. Again I think it would be great if Dr. Carey is given the platform to respond to this.
I did say virtually, aiontay. If perception and belief are important enough to lead to a certain behaviour and action then evidence becomes academic so far as what’s known as the herd instinct is concerned. Hard to dispel such a ‘myth’.
The Chin has never figured as a major thorn in the side to the govt but they are not only majority Christian but aspire to a Greater Mizoram with their kin over the Manipur border. Race and religion unfortunately will remain a stumbling block, be it out in the open or hidden and institutionalised like everywhere else.
I had a similar experience working indirectly for a dodgy Indonesian businessman engaged in philanthropy, luckily I got out before I got in too deep, but they made me sign a waiver that I wouldn’t criticise them publicly. Thankfully I don’t feel the need to do that, even though I could at length and would if I felt I had to signed agreement or not, which is not worth a knob of goat cheese to me.
Well…I am not the supporter of Prabowo and in the 98-99 periods I was one of those student protester forcing Soeharto to back off himself from being the president of RI. As part of that generation I do not believe why would prabowo comes again to indonesia to take part this 2014 national election.
But what ever From Peter Carey had done to be paid by djohadikusumo family and to make such film is his right .None of us can forbid him from doing that .He of course had thought over about doing it before he decided to do. Respect others decision but doing critics is legal. How about those stuffs regarding Joko widodo? The Jojo widodo’a teammate had done more stupid and bullshits more than others to make Indonesian believe Even mentioned he is equal with Jesus!
And, since you raised it first, the facts that neither a US nor a UK court can dismiss a President/PM, nor allow criminal prosecution for violations of the Constitution, whereas the Thai Court can, surely gives credence to the view that the 2007 Constitution is essentially juristocratic.
Vichai, it was you – nobody else – who started this thread by erroneously citing the example of the US Constitution, in order to defend the action of the Thai court. So it is a bit pathetic, now that everybody above has simply pointed out exactly why you were mistaken, to argue that, of course, the US Constitution is irrelevant to the case against Yingluck.
Tnx Richard. The bloke who lived next to the old Thai resto in Motael died of Aids not long after Ross Kemp interviewed him for ‘Gangs’ so its a wee bit of practical advice, even for the roving hordes of cashed-up researchers.
The naughty boys who launched the 2006 bizzo haven’t fessed up and told the truth, not a jot, so nobody should be surprised that they’ve told porkies about 1974-99 too. I certainly understand the need for propaganda during that period and the active consent given by some in the dual card carrying activist-academic set in the effort, but to now deliberately deceive future generations of E.Timorese, who may just want to know the truth some day, with a compendium of collected porkies 74-99, may just be a crime against, well, those future generations. We need some of those Sci-Fi TV detectives to teleport to the future and right wrongs that may have been avoided if historians had told the truth today. Anybody up for it? A bit of Honest History for E.Timor sans past activist allegiances? Thanks also to the moderator, others freak and hit the censor key.
In the Watergate case the only ruling from the Supreme Court was against Nixon’s claim of “executive privilege” as a basis to refuse the Special Prosecutor’s subpoena for the tapes of White House conversations that Nixon had had recorded. Under the US Constitution impeachment (formal accusation) of the President can only be done by the House of Representatives and removal from office can only result from a trial by the Senate on the articles of impeachment. Nixon resigned before the House could impeach him.
Somehow I get this sense that the defense (in this forum) of the constitutionally dismissed former PM Yingluck is because PM Yingluck had NOT violated the US or UK constitutions. That’s nonsense, isn’t it?
Thailand has a constitution and Yingluck won the recent election under that constitution and she was sworn that she will protect and abide that very constitution while in office. And she has lawyers aplenty to recheck that whenever she may be wading on ‘constitutionally-sensitive’ issues, that there are no violations thereof.
And yet despite that, Yingluck and her bunch of yes-men cabinet members rejected all good sense (and maybe against her lawyers advice too) to blatantly remove a sensitive national security chief position in a shuffle to pave the way for the appointment of Thaksin’s (the Master) brother in-law Pol. General Damapong to the National Police Chief position. That’s a serious and very specific Thai constitution offense that Yingluck had violated, and by the Thai constitution, deserves her to be removed from the Thai Premiership office.
I thus continue to deem this ‘juristocracy’ discussions as pure nonsense.
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Coup? What coup?
The timing of Prayuth’s imposition of martial law this morning seems to be related directly to the imminent collapse of the street protests led by Suthep. All the evidence was that, apart from a diehard core, the numbers simply weren’t there any longer and the financial support the movement had previously enjoyed had dried to a trickle in the face of anxieties about the worsening economic outlook. This time when Suthep talked of a final battle, he probably really meant it, for it seems unlikely that thereafter enough support would still be there to enable indefinite postponement of the rescheduled elections. In effect the government had probably won and so it became necessary to pursue other means.
Indeed, what the army has done is in effect to provide Suthep and PCAD with a relatively dignified way out while at the same time providing a replacement support mechanism for the anti-government movement as a whole – a lifeline for their cause. Of course if the army goes ahead and ensures that the postponed elections actually take place unhindered within a short period of time, I shall be happy to have been proved wrong!
There seems to be no other logical motive for imposing martial law at this time. The UDD had maintained discipline at their rally some 25 miles away from the PCAD groups in the centre of Bangkok. None of the circumstances required to instigate the 100-year-old act in fact pertain; the country is not at war and, despite the 28 deaths over the last six months, it cannot be said that the country has been subjected to serious rioting. Ironically the government’s previous state of emergency was rendered ineffective by the decision of the court, which maintained that such draconian measures were unnecessary!
Thailand’s juristocracy
I thought I already cited the example of the Nixon Watergate case to underscore the point that the US Supreme Court had ruled that the court is constitutionally empowered to demand from then President Nixon to hand over ‘Watergate tapes’ that led to his impeachment.
Similarly in the same vein, Thailand’s NAAC had ruled that PM Yingluck was derelict (if not downright conspirational) in the large scale corruption leading to the catastrophic economic losses from Yingluck’s Rice Pledge Scheme that she herself chairs, and has instructed the Thai Senate to begin her impeachment process.
Thailand’s constitution maybe flawed but that’s the way the nation evolved its own political development. Juristocracy? Nonsense.
But were Yingluck & Thaksin kleptocrats? Definitely …. in their each and every corpurscle.
May flowers
Excellent post again Matt, I always enjoy reading your pieces.
The roots of ethnic tension go back a long way. At the time of George Bush’s second election I was in Yangon, and at breakfast the waiter asked me, “What is your opinion of the bacterium Bush?”
I’m as anti-American as the next man, but even I thought this was a little harsh, so I asked him what he meant. Turned out he was talking about “the victory of Bush.” He felt this was a Good Thing, as Bush was fighting Islam in Iraq. Not Islamic extremism, just Islam. And the waiter was a Karen Christian.
Review of The Birth of Vietnamese Political Journalism
Excellent review. Just wish it were longer.
A lesson for researchers
Money and charisma are two most powerful ammunitionso Prabowo’s arsenal. Millions of Indonesian have been fascinated by them. Thanks to Professor Carey, more would probably be convinced to join the adoring crowd this election. Although he shouldn’t feel too bad about it either, even those kidnapped victims are staunch Prabowo supporters now thanks to his generous approach.
Review of Being and Becoming Kachin
Ko Moe Aung
“The Burmese have been a mongrel race all along in modern times and it’s their culture mostly Therav─Бda Buddhist that binds them. ”
A well summarized vantage that every westerner refuse to see yet clinging on to every belief that is contradictory.
Plenty in this review.
KIA is not a rep of Kachin christians yet it is presumed to be.
KIA is rather a military cousin of the Tamadaw that was vexed by not being included at ALL the trough that the military profited from.
At least now the feeding at the trough is no longer solely determined by who got the guns.
Review of Being and Becoming Kachin
Many Burmese Blog sits are claiming now that KIA Vice-chief General Gun Maw came back from Washington D.C. with at least 20 Million US for KIA (5 million for himself) and a cache of super-deadly Barrette 50 cal high-powered sniper rifles with plenty ammunition, all from CIA. Now Chinese are more alarmed than Burmese by that news.
A democratic anti-corruption discourse for Thailand
Apparently, there’s no word for *corruption* in the Thai language. It was borrowed from English. Hence, *ko-lup-shun*.
The ancien patronage system is alive and well in the 21st century. Welcome to the East . . .
May flowers
RE the divisive inter-faith marriage law:
Individual rights are not subject to a public vote. A majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority, including women.
The political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities.
And the smallest minority on earth is the individual.
We are all born ignorant but ultra-nationalists like Wirathu work very hard to remain stupid.
If U Nu, Burma’s first freely-elected prime minister — and a devout Buddhist — were alive today he would condemn the despicable Wirathu as a fake (monk).
Meanwhile, religion has always been a politician’s tool. Malaysia is no exception.
A lesson for researchers
To be clear the “politician” I mentioned in my earlier comment has nothing to do with Indonesian politics.
A lesson for researchers
It would be great if New Mandala could direct this piece to Dr. Carey and see whether he could respond to Prof. Aspinall’s criticisms. Having met Dr. Carey before I have found him to be informed, genuine in his work,and generally a nice and helpful person. However I too have noticed in at least one occasion that Dr. Carey seems to be relatively reserved when asked/challenged about certain political figures that he knows personally, at least publicly. Perhaps it is old-fashion “British politeness” (sic ?), but it certainly puts Dr. Carey in a difficult position. Again I think it would be great if Dr. Carey is given the platform to respond to this.
Review of Being and Becoming Kachin
I did say virtually, aiontay. If perception and belief are important enough to lead to a certain behaviour and action then evidence becomes academic so far as what’s known as the herd instinct is concerned. Hard to dispel such a ‘myth’.
The Chin has never figured as a major thorn in the side to the govt but they are not only majority Christian but aspire to a Greater Mizoram with their kin over the Manipur border. Race and religion unfortunately will remain a stumbling block, be it out in the open or hidden and institutionalised like everywhere else.
A lesson for researchers
I had a similar experience working indirectly for a dodgy Indonesian businessman engaged in philanthropy, luckily I got out before I got in too deep, but they made me sign a waiver that I wouldn’t criticise them publicly. Thankfully I don’t feel the need to do that, even though I could at length and would if I felt I had to signed agreement or not, which is not worth a knob of goat cheese to me.
A lesson for researchers
Well…I am not the supporter of Prabowo and in the 98-99 periods I was one of those student protester forcing Soeharto to back off himself from being the president of RI. As part of that generation I do not believe why would prabowo comes again to indonesia to take part this 2014 national election.
But what ever From Peter Carey had done to be paid by djohadikusumo family and to make such film is his right .None of us can forbid him from doing that .He of course had thought over about doing it before he decided to do. Respect others decision but doing critics is legal. How about those stuffs regarding Joko widodo? The Jojo widodo’a teammate had done more stupid and bullshits more than others to make Indonesian believe Even mentioned he is equal with Jesus!
Thailand’s juristocracy
And, since you raised it first, the facts that neither a US nor a UK court can dismiss a President/PM, nor allow criminal prosecution for violations of the Constitution, whereas the Thai Court can, surely gives credence to the view that the 2007 Constitution is essentially juristocratic.
Thailand’s juristocracy
Vichai, it was you – nobody else – who started this thread by erroneously citing the example of the US Constitution, in order to defend the action of the Thai court. So it is a bit pathetic, now that everybody above has simply pointed out exactly why you were mistaken, to argue that, of course, the US Constitution is irrelevant to the case against Yingluck.
Timor’s silence
Tnx Richard. The bloke who lived next to the old Thai resto in Motael died of Aids not long after Ross Kemp interviewed him for ‘Gangs’ so its a wee bit of practical advice, even for the roving hordes of cashed-up researchers.
The naughty boys who launched the 2006 bizzo haven’t fessed up and told the truth, not a jot, so nobody should be surprised that they’ve told porkies about 1974-99 too. I certainly understand the need for propaganda during that period and the active consent given by some in the dual card carrying activist-academic set in the effort, but to now deliberately deceive future generations of E.Timorese, who may just want to know the truth some day, with a compendium of collected porkies 74-99, may just be a crime against, well, those future generations. We need some of those Sci-Fi TV detectives to teleport to the future and right wrongs that may have been avoided if historians had told the truth today. Anybody up for it? A bit of Honest History for E.Timor sans past activist allegiances? Thanks also to the moderator, others freak and hit the censor key.
Thailand’s juristocracy
In the Watergate case the only ruling from the Supreme Court was against Nixon’s claim of “executive privilege” as a basis to refuse the Special Prosecutor’s subpoena for the tapes of White House conversations that Nixon had had recorded. Under the US Constitution impeachment (formal accusation) of the President can only be done by the House of Representatives and removal from office can only result from a trial by the Senate on the articles of impeachment. Nixon resigned before the House could impeach him.
Thailand’s juristocracy
Yinglick’s predecessor from the Democrat party did the same thing. Somehow the CC never found the time to hear the case.
Thailand’s juristocracy
Somehow I get this sense that the defense (in this forum) of the constitutionally dismissed former PM Yingluck is because PM Yingluck had NOT violated the US or UK constitutions. That’s nonsense, isn’t it?
Thailand has a constitution and Yingluck won the recent election under that constitution and she was sworn that she will protect and abide that very constitution while in office. And she has lawyers aplenty to recheck that whenever she may be wading on ‘constitutionally-sensitive’ issues, that there are no violations thereof.
And yet despite that, Yingluck and her bunch of yes-men cabinet members rejected all good sense (and maybe against her lawyers advice too) to blatantly remove a sensitive national security chief position in a shuffle to pave the way for the appointment of Thaksin’s (the Master) brother in-law Pol. General Damapong to the National Police Chief position. That’s a serious and very specific Thai constitution offense that Yingluck had violated, and by the Thai constitution, deserves her to be removed from the Thai Premiership office.
I thus continue to deem this ‘juristocracy’ discussions as pure nonsense.