Maybe corruption really is not a problem as all parties participate in this buffet! Don’t tell me the old power isn’t corrupted, actually they are real р╣Ар╕кр╕╖р╕нр╕Щр╕нр╕Щр╕Бр╕┤р╕Щ; a Thai metaphor that means “one who need only eat and sleep, not being required to work” Overall it is about power as the old power is losing their control.
We have had 18 coups and every time they say they do it to stop corruption. It’s a kind of joke for me as they simply turn themselves into big tummy guys.
From my perspective, Thailand needs to be cleaned up and therefore all(Thai)tigers should go to hunt and all Thai people should be aware of what’s happening!
Excellent analytical article of the root causes of the present political deadlock in Thailand. This article not only makes an astute diagnosis of the disease but goes on to proscribe an intelligent cure as well.
“Nevertheless, having committed himself to a brave agenda, Najib is going to be judged by the high standards he has implicitly set for himself.”
OMG… is this for real?!? Najib reads off paper written by high priced consultants, then goes ahead to do whatever suits him… Nothing in his action for the past few years has reflected or displayed any kind of leadership OR the so called “Transformation”
BTW.. the US$15,000 per capita is nominal income NOT real income – please go read the GTP paper
Well maybe I do not fully and entirely understand the American judicial system. But that said, in the US or UK judicial system if the laws are broken … the lawbreaker must pay. And public office holders particularly those elected to legislative or executive offices are NOT immune to prosecutions or judicial scrutiny, for malfeasance and abuse of office.
So what’s the difference in Thailand K. Suriyon? Thaksin and Yingluck broke serious laws, the constitution, and public trust. And their criminal behaviours, while holding the Thai premiership chair, had led to their judicial indictments … and sadly also visited upon the Thai Kingdom the escalating political quagmire and rifts that demand a resolution lest the Thai nation falls irreparably to chaos and deepening strifes.
This article about ‘juristocracy’ is complete nonsense.
If Malaysia wants to be a high income economy by 2020, they MUST do one thing – abolish bumiputra. Bumiputra has sentenced Malaysia to a lifetime of mediocrity, malaise, and incompetency. It’s like 60% of the population are zombies that shuffle through everyday – not thinking and barely functioning.
Why do bumi’s act this way? Because they can!!!! They are not challenged, they don’t have to think, they just have to show up and float through the day. They know they have a job and always will, no matter what.
As an American that lived there, I was shocked and appalled by how long it took govt. agencies to do anything. A working visa takes 1.5-2 months and usually longer. WHY!?! This is unacceptable.
When you walk into any govt. office or GLC (govt. linked company), all you see are bumi’s. WHY!?! Why don’t you see Chinese people working there. Chinese make up 30% of the population. If you’re lucky, you’ll see one Indian for every 1,000 bumi’s. What’s up with that?
Bumi’s don’t excel because they don’t have to. Bumiputra makes it clear that it is their God-given right to have a job where you don’t have to be competent. All you have to do is show up and pretend you’re actually accomplishing something.
One thing America learned a few decades ago was that strength lies in diversity (actually, Republicans still haven’t learned that lesson). Malaysia needs to dismantle the barriers called racism. Stop labeling people by their race. Stop giving jobs to people based on their race. Jobs should be given to those most qualified, with the best education, not the best connections.
As long as bumiputra is allowed to exist, Malaysia will limp along like an intestinal worm in the bowels of mediocrity.
Even in USA’s ‘democracy’, the US Congress does not have the power to take a vote to change Supreme Court decisions. And the US Supreme Court had been habitually relied upon to rule on issues pertaining to abuses by political office holders … including its President (the Nixon Watergate case immediately comes to mind).
Anytime elected politicians face judicial issues, accusatory hackles of ‘juristocracy’ nonsense are raised by these politicians.
Had Thaksin or Yingluck not abused the office of the PM of Thailand, they would certainly not have to face those past indictments.
“On 20 November 2013, the Court ruled that reverting the 2007-model of half-appointed Senate back to its 1997-fully-elected model was an attempt to overthrow democracy.”
For me, the above paragraph says it all when it comes to how royalists think about democracy. Only in their warped, little minds can a fully elected Senate be “an attempt to overthrow democracy.” I think the rest of world would think the exact opposite, but obviously it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks or does. Why follow the white man’s ass when you can create your own cesspool – complete with begging lepers on the streets and stinky klongs everywhere? You should be proud of yourselves, Maithailand!
This excellent essay may take a rather innocent view of the 1997 Thai constitution.
The (allegedly) “liberal” royalists who crafted that document, along with their useful-idiot NGO backers and the Asia Foundation, made sure to broaden and strengthen the number and power of “independent” bodies that were never really meant to be independent at all. What we are seeing now in the rise of the Thai juristocracy is more fundamentally the operationalization of a vision central to the 1997 constitution than the result of changes adopted in 2006 and 2007. And the sooner that observers of Thailand disabuse themselves of illusions about that former document, the better.
interesting article and shows that politics usually flows throughout the entire family. but this could also be said for most family. my father was a policeman and so are me and 2 brothers, my sister was a lawyer and uncles etc. only my aunty opened a business in dubai called blindsandcurtains.ae but besides that, all military or police. so i couldn’t argue with this
The Bamar have reason to be concerned. Brunei is not just introducing Shari’a Law, it has mandated Hudud for Muslims AND non-Muslims. Malaysia is rife with Fascist Malay NGOs engaging in Hitlerian racist speech against non-Malays, calling for their expulsion from Malaysia. The always voluble Dr Mahathir nows says Hitler was a good man. They are also talking about introducing Hudud throughout Malaysia, the Malay-dominated Government stoking religious stridency and Malay ethnocentrism. The Rohingya have long been aided and supported by Malaysia and Bangladesh. Most Rohingya are peaceful, but some are Islamic fanatics little different than their counterparts in Bangladesh (from whom they are ethnically indistinguishable) and Malaysia. Yes, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is right, but if you read Mr Schissler commentary, one would be excused for possibly conflating Buddhist ‘extremism’ with Malaysian Islamic fanaticism. They are not the same. Bamar people are not going around threatening to convert Rohingya and Rakhine Muslims to Buddhism; they are not uttering Hitlerian speeches about a Buddhist paradise cleansed of Muslims; they are not clamoring for the extermination or expulsion of all non-Bamar people; they are not claiming that if a Buddhist accidentally touches a Qur’an, he will be transformed into a Muslim (Malay NGO Perkasa claimed that Catholic Holy Water when sprinkled on a Malay Muslim, will turn them into a Catholic); they are not blaming Jews and Zionists for all the problems in Burma (unlike their Malay NGO counterparts).
Burma has problems, but they are of varied origins and have a multitude of solutions. But if the Bamar Buddhists have reason to fear Islam, it is not without precedent, either in Burma or in nations near Burma.
Despite all its problems, if one has any doubt whether Burma remains a mostly tolerant
nation, spend a week in Brunei and Malaysia, and read the local papers and talk to local Malay NGOs and see what they say about non-Muslims, and you might find yourself longing for Yangon again.
Did you see how many people sent their kids to school in Indonesia when Timor shut down in 2006? How many have TL passports but use a second Indonesian passport to access all the goodies next door? Can you imagine what would happen if Indonesia reopened the old Pelni passenger ferry route to Dili, cheap tickets and no visas? Perleeeze, let’s not be coy about this, there wouldn’t be a prominent name who didn’t have some pro Indonesian family who still live in Indonesia. One of the dumbest mistakes Mari made was to introduce the offensive ‘sarjana supermie’ bizzo, especially when everybody knew his parents came from Kupang.
We all have layers of identity, Indonesian remains one of their identities, they use it to the max when it suits them, and yep, young people still aspire to owning that identity, among others. In fact, not much different to young people in the neighbouring provinces of R.I.
Don’t know about the Lao restos though, that may be a unique cultural influence worthy of a research grant. If they’re anything like the Thai restos in Dili I’d watch out for HIV.
This is Suthep’s situation right now: “My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.” He and his PDRC, whose leadership consists mainly of former Democrat Party members, have been leading us on a merry chase. We didn’t understand his motives or his antics, bizarre to say the least, but getting rid of Yingluck and installing an interim government are merely red herrings. He and his backers now have what they really wanted all along.
Perhaps the establishment has come to realise what a disaster Suthep has become in its push to seize power.
Even the dinosaurs behind Suthep must be shaking their heads at the nonsense he spouts in their name.
The PDRC are anything but loyal to the king. In 2006 Bhumibol strongly rejected appointing an unelected Prime Minister, saying that the idea would “trouble” him and would not be democratic but “a mess”. Now they announced to rally in front of his palace in Hua Hin to demand just this! Is this loyal to the king? Suthep has claimed “sovereign power” for himself. This is real lese-majesty and attempt to overthrow the monarchy!
Very good review. Now I have to read Sadan’s book and also Friedman’s.
Kachins are relative late-comers (during the last 300 years or so) to the region know nowadays as “Kachin State” (and also to their new religion known as “Christianity”) There were earlier populations; Shan/Tai/Ahom, etc. It would be interesting to find out how the “majority Jingphaws” view the other minorities: Lisu, Rawang, Tarong etc. (even some Buddhist Tibetams) who also live in what they now claim to be Kachin Land. No group of human beings is a pure race, since race (as well as religion) is an ideological social-construct (am I a neo-Marxist now? lol).
Anyway, a lot of people in the West (especially academics and NGO’s) tend to think of ethnic problems in Burma as a legitimate struggle of the “noble Christian savages” for liberation and autonomy against the “brutal Buddhist Burmese central government”. In my opinion, it’s more like battling for turf between rival “legsl” smuggling gangsters and war-lords (Chinese are heavily involved). Smuggling to China is a very lucrative business and it’s not just jade, but also timber, tiger parts, bear bile, snake liver dried geckos, you name it the insatiable Chinese will want it) The Kachin (and also the Burmese central government) are nowadays playing the “US/China tension in the region” card (pivot in Asia and all that rubbish). Not only Suu Kyi but also Gun Maw was in the US recently probably collecting cash and guns (Suu Kyi prefers prizes, honorary degrees and other accolades)
Now that the Sentinelese and the Tarong are vanishing races, anthropology can perhaps be studied by watching how armed gangs operate (let’s say in Mexico and Columbia, where it’s not tainted that much by this racial lingo)
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A democratic anti-corruption discourse for Thailand
Maybe corruption really is not a problem as all parties participate in this buffet! Don’t tell me the old power isn’t corrupted, actually they are real р╣Ар╕кр╕╖р╕нр╕Щр╕нр╕Щр╕Бр╕┤р╕Щ; a Thai metaphor that means “one who need only eat and sleep, not being required to work” Overall it is about power as the old power is losing their control.
We have had 18 coups and every time they say they do it to stop corruption. It’s a kind of joke for me as they simply turn themselves into big tummy guys.
From my perspective, Thailand needs to be cleaned up and therefore all(Thai)tigers should go to hunt and all Thai people should be aware of what’s happening!
A democratic anti-corruption discourse for Thailand
Excellent analytical article of the root causes of the present political deadlock in Thailand. This article not only makes an astute diagnosis of the disease but goes on to proscribe an intelligent cure as well.
Highly appreciated and most commendable.
Malaysia’s ETP: Of diagnosis and prescription
The Writer
“Nevertheless, having committed himself to a brave agenda, Najib is going to be judged by the high standards he has implicitly set for himself.”
OMG… is this for real?!? Najib reads off paper written by high priced consultants, then goes ahead to do whatever suits him… Nothing in his action for the past few years has reflected or displayed any kind of leadership OR the so called “Transformation”
BTW.. the US$15,000 per capita is nominal income NOT real income – please go read the GTP paper
Thailand’s juristocracy
That is exactly right – “twisted little minds”
By votes – non democratic
By appointment – protecting democracy
I can not for the life of me understand how these people can say the above with a straight face. (maybe I am not twisted enough)
Thailand’s juristocracy
Well maybe I do not fully and entirely understand the American judicial system. But that said, in the US or UK judicial system if the laws are broken … the lawbreaker must pay. And public office holders particularly those elected to legislative or executive offices are NOT immune to prosecutions or judicial scrutiny, for malfeasance and abuse of office.
So what’s the difference in Thailand K. Suriyon? Thaksin and Yingluck broke serious laws, the constitution, and public trust. And their criminal behaviours, while holding the Thai premiership chair, had led to their judicial indictments … and sadly also visited upon the Thai Kingdom the escalating political quagmire and rifts that demand a resolution lest the Thai nation falls irreparably to chaos and deepening strifes.
This article about ‘juristocracy’ is complete nonsense.
Malaysia’s ETP: Of diagnosis and prescription
If Malaysia wants to be a high income economy by 2020, they MUST do one thing – abolish bumiputra. Bumiputra has sentenced Malaysia to a lifetime of mediocrity, malaise, and incompetency. It’s like 60% of the population are zombies that shuffle through everyday – not thinking and barely functioning.
Why do bumi’s act this way? Because they can!!!! They are not challenged, they don’t have to think, they just have to show up and float through the day. They know they have a job and always will, no matter what.
As an American that lived there, I was shocked and appalled by how long it took govt. agencies to do anything. A working visa takes 1.5-2 months and usually longer. WHY!?! This is unacceptable.
When you walk into any govt. office or GLC (govt. linked company), all you see are bumi’s. WHY!?! Why don’t you see Chinese people working there. Chinese make up 30% of the population. If you’re lucky, you’ll see one Indian for every 1,000 bumi’s. What’s up with that?
Bumi’s don’t excel because they don’t have to. Bumiputra makes it clear that it is their God-given right to have a job where you don’t have to be competent. All you have to do is show up and pretend you’re actually accomplishing something.
One thing America learned a few decades ago was that strength lies in diversity (actually, Republicans still haven’t learned that lesson). Malaysia needs to dismantle the barriers called racism. Stop labeling people by their race. Stop giving jobs to people based on their race. Jobs should be given to those most qualified, with the best education, not the best connections.
As long as bumiputra is allowed to exist, Malaysia will limp along like an intestinal worm in the bowels of mediocrity.
Thailand’s juristocracy
Vichai, your message raises questions about your understanding of the American judicial system and its history, I am sorry to say.
Thailand’s juristocracy
Even in USA’s ‘democracy’, the US Congress does not have the power to take a vote to change Supreme Court decisions. And the US Supreme Court had been habitually relied upon to rule on issues pertaining to abuses by political office holders … including its President (the Nixon Watergate case immediately comes to mind).
Anytime elected politicians face judicial issues, accusatory hackles of ‘juristocracy’ nonsense are raised by these politicians.
Had Thaksin or Yingluck not abused the office of the PM of Thailand, they would certainly not have to face those past indictments.
Thailand’s juristocracy
“On 20 November 2013, the Court ruled that reverting the 2007-model of half-appointed Senate back to its 1997-fully-elected model was an attempt to overthrow democracy.”
For me, the above paragraph says it all when it comes to how royalists think about democracy. Only in their warped, little minds can a fully elected Senate be “an attempt to overthrow democracy.” I think the rest of world would think the exact opposite, but obviously it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks or does. Why follow the white man’s ass when you can create your own cesspool – complete with begging lepers on the streets and stinky klongs everywhere? You should be proud of yourselves, Maithailand!
Thailand’s juristocracy
This excellent essay may take a rather innocent view of the 1997 Thai constitution.
The (allegedly) “liberal” royalists who crafted that document, along with their useful-idiot NGO backers and the Asia Foundation, made sure to broaden and strengthen the number and power of “independent” bodies that were never really meant to be independent at all. What we are seeing now in the rise of the Thai juristocracy is more fundamentally the operationalization of a vision central to the 1997 constitution than the result of changes adopted in 2006 and 2007. And the sooner that observers of Thailand disabuse themselves of illusions about that former document, the better.
The Shinawatra family tree
interesting article and shows that politics usually flows throughout the entire family. but this could also be said for most family. my father was a policeman and so are me and 2 brothers, my sister was a lawyer and uncles etc. only my aunty opened a business in dubai called blindsandcurtains.ae but besides that, all military or police. so i couldn’t argue with this
A coup by any other name…
Except that this was pure reporting, not opinion. Even The Nation cannot always escape the facts.
May flowers
The Bamar have reason to be concerned. Brunei is not just introducing Shari’a Law, it has mandated Hudud for Muslims AND non-Muslims. Malaysia is rife with Fascist Malay NGOs engaging in Hitlerian racist speech against non-Malays, calling for their expulsion from Malaysia. The always voluble Dr Mahathir nows says Hitler was a good man. They are also talking about introducing Hudud throughout Malaysia, the Malay-dominated Government stoking religious stridency and Malay ethnocentrism. The Rohingya have long been aided and supported by Malaysia and Bangladesh. Most Rohingya are peaceful, but some are Islamic fanatics little different than their counterparts in Bangladesh (from whom they are ethnically indistinguishable) and Malaysia. Yes, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is right, but if you read Mr Schissler commentary, one would be excused for possibly conflating Buddhist ‘extremism’ with Malaysian Islamic fanaticism. They are not the same. Bamar people are not going around threatening to convert Rohingya and Rakhine Muslims to Buddhism; they are not uttering Hitlerian speeches about a Buddhist paradise cleansed of Muslims; they are not clamoring for the extermination or expulsion of all non-Bamar people; they are not claiming that if a Buddhist accidentally touches a Qur’an, he will be transformed into a Muslim (Malay NGO Perkasa claimed that Catholic Holy Water when sprinkled on a Malay Muslim, will turn them into a Catholic); they are not blaming Jews and Zionists for all the problems in Burma (unlike their Malay NGO counterparts).
Burma has problems, but they are of varied origins and have a multitude of solutions. But if the Bamar Buddhists have reason to fear Islam, it is not without precedent, either in Burma or in nations near Burma.
Despite all its problems, if one has any doubt whether Burma remains a mostly tolerant
nation, spend a week in Brunei and Malaysia, and read the local papers and talk to local Malay NGOs and see what they say about non-Muslims, and you might find yourself longing for Yangon again.
Timor’s silence
Did you see how many people sent their kids to school in Indonesia when Timor shut down in 2006? How many have TL passports but use a second Indonesian passport to access all the goodies next door? Can you imagine what would happen if Indonesia reopened the old Pelni passenger ferry route to Dili, cheap tickets and no visas? Perleeeze, let’s not be coy about this, there wouldn’t be a prominent name who didn’t have some pro Indonesian family who still live in Indonesia. One of the dumbest mistakes Mari made was to introduce the offensive ‘sarjana supermie’ bizzo, especially when everybody knew his parents came from Kupang.
We all have layers of identity, Indonesian remains one of their identities, they use it to the max when it suits them, and yep, young people still aspire to owning that identity, among others. In fact, not much different to young people in the neighbouring provinces of R.I.
Don’t know about the Lao restos though, that may be a unique cultural influence worthy of a research grant. If they’re anything like the Thai restos in Dili I’d watch out for HIV.
A coup by any other name…
This is Suthep’s situation right now: “My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.” He and his PDRC, whose leadership consists mainly of former Democrat Party members, have been leading us on a merry chase. We didn’t understand his motives or his antics, bizarre to say the least, but getting rid of Yingluck and installing an interim government are merely red herrings. He and his backers now have what they really wanted all along.
A coup by any other name…
Perhaps the establishment has come to realise what a disaster Suthep has become in its push to seize power.
Even the dinosaurs behind Suthep must be shaking their heads at the nonsense he spouts in their name.
Serhat ├Ьnaldi on kingship in Thailand and Spain
Late, but hopefully not too late: Thank you for the new link.
A coup by any other name…
The PDRC are anything but loyal to the king. In 2006 Bhumibol strongly rejected appointing an unelected Prime Minister, saying that the idea would “trouble” him and would not be democratic but “a mess”. Now they announced to rally in front of his palace in Hua Hin to demand just this! Is this loyal to the king? Suthep has claimed “sovereign power” for himself. This is real lese-majesty and attempt to overthrow the monarchy!
Review of Being and Becoming Kachin
Very good review. Now I have to read Sadan’s book and also Friedman’s.
Kachins are relative late-comers (during the last 300 years or so) to the region know nowadays as “Kachin State” (and also to their new religion known as “Christianity”) There were earlier populations; Shan/Tai/Ahom, etc. It would be interesting to find out how the “majority Jingphaws” view the other minorities: Lisu, Rawang, Tarong etc. (even some Buddhist Tibetams) who also live in what they now claim to be Kachin Land. No group of human beings is a pure race, since race (as well as religion) is an ideological social-construct (am I a neo-Marxist now? lol).
Anyway, a lot of people in the West (especially academics and NGO’s) tend to think of ethnic problems in Burma as a legitimate struggle of the “noble Christian savages” for liberation and autonomy against the “brutal Buddhist Burmese central government”. In my opinion, it’s more like battling for turf between rival “legsl” smuggling gangsters and war-lords (Chinese are heavily involved). Smuggling to China is a very lucrative business and it’s not just jade, but also timber, tiger parts, bear bile, snake liver dried geckos, you name it the insatiable Chinese will want it) The Kachin (and also the Burmese central government) are nowadays playing the “US/China tension in the region” card (pivot in Asia and all that rubbish). Not only Suu Kyi but also Gun Maw was in the US recently probably collecting cash and guns (Suu Kyi prefers prizes, honorary degrees and other accolades)
Now that the Sentinelese and the Tarong are vanishing races, anthropology can perhaps be studied by watching how armed gangs operate (let’s say in Mexico and Columbia, where it’s not tainted that much by this racial lingo)
A coup by any other name…
So much then for the fallacious but alas much promoted argument on NM that the Nation is merely a mouthpiece of the establishment.