HRK, ’tis a pity not a few readers didn’t get that your original response was meant to be sardonic. One wonders what it says of them that they took at face value a suggestion to discard common objects of daily life in the contemporary world and ‘put your fate in the hands of God!’
“Prior to ____, many analysts, myself included, predicted that ____. But as it turned out ____.” This sounds like a perfect template for future articles by almost all New Mandala’s Thailand experts.
“Legitimacy of the new king is in doubt” writes Pavin. His popularity, perhaps. But Vajiralongkorn’s legitimacy not at all. It is his winning vice-like grip.
Christine – the new king’s pardon ONLY extends to those who have ALREADY served jail time. Thus the Shinawatra’s are automatically excluded. Prem counter-signed the pardon ( which in other respects is very generous, eg. 150,000 to be released, including LM prisoners). Prem is CLEARLY not yet willing to sign off on any reconciliation with the Shinawatra’s.
The interpretation of Islam by radical islamist groups follows identity-politics and tribalism. Identitypolitics become relevant, when the identity has been lost and living in a modern world, tribal perspectives are misleading. Namely the concept of “honour”, so crucial in tribal context, becomes difficult to maintain. As a result, insecurity emerges and the feeling of always beeing insulted.
A good analysis. To maintain internal cohesion among the different elite groups (big business, military, bureaucracy) and factions within these groups a position of moderator in conflict situations is required. Acceptance is based on an assumed moral status and neutrality among the different factions. Obviously, for this the privy council plays an important role. The question is in how far the new king is up to the demands and can provide both legitimacy of the elite and legitimacy of his position by the elite.
Bangladesh is so peaceful you have terrorist attack almost every day all over the country. I don’t really want to remind you of recent Islamists’ brutal rapes, mutilations, and murders of women hostages in Holey Artisan Bakery Cafe in Dhaka. And the machete murders of secular intellectuals including Bangladeshi-American professor Avijit Roy in Dhaka recently.
Bangladesh is so peaceful Bangladeshis flee their country at any given chance that your principal export is human beings. India has to build 3,800 km long border fence and shoot the border-crossing illegal Bangladeshis on sight, some right on the high fence.
In faraway New York where i used to live the second largest number of illegals after the Latinos are the dreaded Bangladeshis. In Australia the Border Security Force has a mandatory rule to deport Bangladeshi illegals as soon as they are caught and Bangladeshi boats are forcefully turned back to Indonesia.
Burma with 60 million people is physically five times larger than your little extremely-crowded-country with nearly 200 million restless souls and anyone can understand why so-called Rohingyas are now demanding Burmese citizenship instead of Bangladeshi one which is their ancestral right.
And people still do not realise that the Rohingya population doubles every 20 years almost like in the Bangladesh their fatherland.
What you stated regarding Buddhists in Bangladesh is clearly false. Not only Buddhists but all the people of other religions here are regarded and treated as equal as Muslims. That’s why Bangladesh is more peaceful than Myanmar tangled in anarchy for decades. Bangladesh is a democratic and secular country, it is advancing day by day with a huge population. We believe that if all the citizens including Buddhists are not given equal opportunity we cannot progress.
Your claim that number of Buddhists are diminishing in Bangladesh. Is it probe of genocide? It is not true. Buddhists here are getting equal access to all facilities the government provides.
Problem is that ( my assumption) the people like you in Myanmar have been influenced with the mentality of your Army which are prolonging the anarchic situation all over the country. As a result it is happening what is to be happened and it will result in a permanent chaos in your country.
BUT NEVER THINK THAT YOU COULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY KILLING ROHIGYA.
Reflecting on the last three rallies (especially the last big two), it appears to me that these ‘Islamic’ movements are a manifestation of a ‘rebound’ or sort of a reaction after a lacklustre performance from the 2014 election and series of scandals involving Islamic-parties’ cadres. This moment could be gained potentially to restore the electability to some degree. Likewise, these events could also be seized by groups of conservatives, radicals, hard-liners and the like to show the assertiveness and significance of their agendas in Indonesia.
I agree with the author that the presence of these organisations in social media needs to be countered effectively, particularly in times when hoaxes are rampant and widely distributed.
It goes without saying that the traditional pardoning of Thai prisoners in December is neither in law nor in reality “all on the deadly serious and powerful royal whim”.
The collective pardon that has up until the recent change in the monarchy been designed as a birthday gift is a vast bureaucratic undertaking and not the work of one all-powerful ruler.
Undoubtedly there are often a very small number of specific individuals who come up for consideration who may receive the attention of the monarch but the vast majority are not in that category.
The reports “detailing” this year’s version vary wildly as to the number of eligible prisoners and the range of offences that will be considered for pardon. Drug offences are apparently on the table, but in some reports it is stated that “drug dealers” will not be eligible.
As usual, lese majeste offenders are eligible and it may or may not be interesting to see who is and who isn’t released in this round.
Chuvit, for one, is already out, having been jailed earlier this year for having ordered the destruction of a strip of bars and shops on Sukumvit some 13 years ago.
The justice handed out by the democratically-elected Thaksin administration back in the day was to force Chuvit to build a park as a holding tactic for a piece of valuable real estate. A public apology was also involved if I recall correctly.
Thai notions of crime and punishment, as ever, fail to meet the standards (or the understanding) of those who insist on bringing their purely theoretical versions of “western” justice as lenses through which to view the Thai “system”.
One way to view the annual round of pardons is as an economic measure. Thailand’s prisons now hold over 300,000 prisoners, most of whom are in for minor drug offences.
Unlike America, where almost a quarter of a million people are imprisoned, Thai prisons are not for-profit operations and so there is little economic benefit and a lot of economic damage done by holding so many people in inadequate facilities.
Of course, the American prison system is more than just a profit center for a burgeoning industry.
With around 60% of all prisoners being either black or hispanic, the US system operates as one element in a vast system of racial oppression that ensures that white folks get to sit at their keyboards and tap away creating orientalist visions of dark powers imprisoning people at their whim in Asian societies.
I imagine if Prisons’R’Us Corp Ltd was doing the work for freedom and democracy and billions in annual profits in Thailand, it might not look quite so arcane and downright evil.
Spot on. Disempowered women are not to be given any credibility but military officers are to be accorded as much respect as possible. Arguments about sperm samples in rape cases is just BS. Females or males can be raped with objects other than their genitalia. Think at least one NM reader needs a lesson or two as to what constitutes rape and in war rape is often used. Look at the Nanking Massacre, the annuversary of which was yesterday. Japanese soldiers did not rape women: the latter provided “comfort”! So no more talk of “sperm” as those using this ridiculous argument only make themselves look sillier.
What seems to be emerging from the transition is that there is no law, but there is order — a traditional, pliant ritual order, and order from the point of a gun. The new king’s supposed pardon of tens of thousands of prisoners would seem to support this point.
Which prisoners? With what confirmation? And really, will this include the king’s former in-laws, and Shinawatras?
All on the deadly serious and powerful royal whim.
The question is where the Thai economy stands in the above, especially in light of the fact that millions of baht are pouring into the palace, or disappearing into the palace, one might say, as part of the late king’s funerary rites.
I’m guessing, from the logic of your complaint about lack of sperm samples to back allegations of rape, that white slave-owners in South Carolina in the eighteenth century can’t be proved to have raped slaves, that Nazi soldiers can’t be proved to have raped French civilians in World War Two, that Japanese troops can’t be proved to have raped Chinese women in Nanjing, and that the Burmese army can’t be proved to have raped ANYONE! Interesting world you live in, where a video of a woman claiming to have been raped is worthless, but the words of the Burmese military on the affair you trust.
Islamic followers are so insecure & the religion is so weak that it needs defending on a constant basis. That is the message that is being propagated by Muslims.
Just wondering why they are so insecure in their faith.
The Jumma people have been massacred, and they have been the victims of countless crimes carried out by the Bangladeshi government, but the extraordinary demographic change in the CHT is really due to a tsunami of Bengali landgrabbers. The same wave that India is blocking with a 3600km fence and the same wave that has created the ‘Rohingya’ out of nothing in Myanmar.
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The professor and the secular
HRK, ’tis a pity not a few readers didn’t get that your original response was meant to be sardonic. One wonders what it says of them that they took at face value a suggestion to discard common objects of daily life in the contemporary world and ‘put your fate in the hands of God!’
A new chapter, but the same old story
“Prior to ____, many analysts, myself included, predicted that ____. But as it turned out ____.” This sounds like a perfect template for future articles by almost all New Mandala’s Thailand experts.
Decades of denial as Rohingya genocide continues
Why do so many people, who are supposed to be happy, are leaving Bangladesh?
Decades of denial as Rohingya genocide continues
The ability to lie to oneself seems to be a requirement of “peace loving” islam…
A new chapter, but the same old story
“Legitimacy of the new king is in doubt” writes Pavin. His popularity, perhaps. But Vajiralongkorn’s legitimacy not at all. It is his winning vice-like grip.
A new chapter, but the same old story
You can not keep the lid on a pot of boiling water .
It remains to be seen as to how long the pot can be kept off the boil …………
Thailand’s long succession
Christine – the new king’s pardon ONLY extends to those who have ALREADY served jail time. Thus the Shinawatra’s are automatically excluded. Prem counter-signed the pardon ( which in other respects is very generous, eg. 150,000 to be released, including LM prisoners). Prem is CLEARLY not yet willing to sign off on any reconciliation with the Shinawatra’s.
Defending Islam and reclaiming diversity
The interpretation of Islam by radical islamist groups follows identity-politics and tribalism. Identitypolitics become relevant, when the identity has been lost and living in a modern world, tribal perspectives are misleading. Namely the concept of “honour”, so crucial in tribal context, becomes difficult to maintain. As a result, insecurity emerges and the feeling of always beeing insulted.
A new chapter, but the same old story
A good analysis. To maintain internal cohesion among the different elite groups (big business, military, bureaucracy) and factions within these groups a position of moderator in conflict situations is required. Acceptance is based on an assumed moral status and neutrality among the different factions. Obviously, for this the privy council plays an important role. The question is in how far the new king is up to the demands and can provide both legitimacy of the elite and legitimacy of his position by the elite.
A new chapter, but the same old story
Given the new governor’s bad reputation amongst the inmates, it seems doubtful that the prison will run smoothly for long.
Decades of denial as Rohingya genocide continues
Dear Amin,
Bangladesh is so peaceful you have terrorist attack almost every day all over the country. I don’t really want to remind you of recent Islamists’ brutal rapes, mutilations, and murders of women hostages in Holey Artisan Bakery Cafe in Dhaka. And the machete murders of secular intellectuals including Bangladeshi-American professor Avijit Roy in Dhaka recently.
Bangladesh is so peaceful Bangladeshis flee their country at any given chance that your principal export is human beings. India has to build 3,800 km long border fence and shoot the border-crossing illegal Bangladeshis on sight, some right on the high fence.
In faraway New York where i used to live the second largest number of illegals after the Latinos are the dreaded Bangladeshis. In Australia the Border Security Force has a mandatory rule to deport Bangladeshi illegals as soon as they are caught and Bangladeshi boats are forcefully turned back to Indonesia.
Burma with 60 million people is physically five times larger than your little extremely-crowded-country with nearly 200 million restless souls and anyone can understand why so-called Rohingyas are now demanding Burmese citizenship instead of Bangladeshi one which is their ancestral right.
And people still do not realise that the Rohingya population doubles every 20 years almost like in the Bangladesh their fatherland.
Decades of denial as Rohingya genocide continues
To Aung Moe.
What you stated regarding Buddhists in Bangladesh is clearly false. Not only Buddhists but all the people of other religions here are regarded and treated as equal as Muslims. That’s why Bangladesh is more peaceful than Myanmar tangled in anarchy for decades. Bangladesh is a democratic and secular country, it is advancing day by day with a huge population. We believe that if all the citizens including Buddhists are not given equal opportunity we cannot progress.
Your claim that number of Buddhists are diminishing in Bangladesh. Is it probe of genocide? It is not true. Buddhists here are getting equal access to all facilities the government provides.
Problem is that ( my assumption) the people like you in Myanmar have been influenced with the mentality of your Army which are prolonging the anarchic situation all over the country. As a result it is happening what is to be happened and it will result in a permanent chaos in your country.
BUT NEVER THINK THAT YOU COULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY KILLING ROHIGYA.
Defending Islam and reclaiming diversity
Reflecting on the last three rallies (especially the last big two), it appears to me that these ‘Islamic’ movements are a manifestation of a ‘rebound’ or sort of a reaction after a lacklustre performance from the 2014 election and series of scandals involving Islamic-parties’ cadres. This moment could be gained potentially to restore the electability to some degree. Likewise, these events could also be seized by groups of conservatives, radicals, hard-liners and the like to show the assertiveness and significance of their agendas in Indonesia.
I agree with the author that the presence of these organisations in social media needs to be countered effectively, particularly in times when hoaxes are rampant and widely distributed.
Thailand’s long succession
It goes without saying that the traditional pardoning of Thai prisoners in December is neither in law nor in reality “all on the deadly serious and powerful royal whim”.
The collective pardon that has up until the recent change in the monarchy been designed as a birthday gift is a vast bureaucratic undertaking and not the work of one all-powerful ruler.
Undoubtedly there are often a very small number of specific individuals who come up for consideration who may receive the attention of the monarch but the vast majority are not in that category.
The reports “detailing” this year’s version vary wildly as to the number of eligible prisoners and the range of offences that will be considered for pardon. Drug offences are apparently on the table, but in some reports it is stated that “drug dealers” will not be eligible.
As usual, lese majeste offenders are eligible and it may or may not be interesting to see who is and who isn’t released in this round.
Chuvit, for one, is already out, having been jailed earlier this year for having ordered the destruction of a strip of bars and shops on Sukumvit some 13 years ago.
The justice handed out by the democratically-elected Thaksin administration back in the day was to force Chuvit to build a park as a holding tactic for a piece of valuable real estate. A public apology was also involved if I recall correctly.
Thai notions of crime and punishment, as ever, fail to meet the standards (or the understanding) of those who insist on bringing their purely theoretical versions of “western” justice as lenses through which to view the Thai “system”.
One way to view the annual round of pardons is as an economic measure. Thailand’s prisons now hold over 300,000 prisoners, most of whom are in for minor drug offences.
Unlike America, where almost a quarter of a million people are imprisoned, Thai prisons are not for-profit operations and so there is little economic benefit and a lot of economic damage done by holding so many people in inadequate facilities.
Of course, the American prison system is more than just a profit center for a burgeoning industry.
With around 60% of all prisoners being either black or hispanic, the US system operates as one element in a vast system of racial oppression that ensures that white folks get to sit at their keyboards and tap away creating orientalist visions of dark powers imprisoning people at their whim in Asian societies.
I imagine if Prisons’R’Us Corp Ltd was doing the work for freedom and democracy and billions in annual profits in Thailand, it might not look quite so arcane and downright evil.
Decades of denial as Rohingya genocide continues
Spot on. Disempowered women are not to be given any credibility but military officers are to be accorded as much respect as possible. Arguments about sperm samples in rape cases is just BS. Females or males can be raped with objects other than their genitalia. Think at least one NM reader needs a lesson or two as to what constitutes rape and in war rape is often used. Look at the Nanking Massacre, the annuversary of which was yesterday. Japanese soldiers did not rape women: the latter provided “comfort”! So no more talk of “sperm” as those using this ridiculous argument only make themselves look sillier.
Thailand’s long succession
What seems to be emerging from the transition is that there is no law, but there is order — a traditional, pliant ritual order, and order from the point of a gun. The new king’s supposed pardon of tens of thousands of prisoners would seem to support this point.
Which prisoners? With what confirmation? And really, will this include the king’s former in-laws, and Shinawatras?
All on the deadly serious and powerful royal whim.
The question is where the Thai economy stands in the above, especially in light of the fact that millions of baht are pouring into the palace, or disappearing into the palace, one might say, as part of the late king’s funerary rites.
Thailand’s long succession
Nice work. It’s very hard to keep an eye on the ball, and decide which ball is worthy of analysis. Ergo all that spectacle.
Decades of denial as Rohingya genocide continues
I’m guessing, from the logic of your complaint about lack of sperm samples to back allegations of rape, that white slave-owners in South Carolina in the eighteenth century can’t be proved to have raped slaves, that Nazi soldiers can’t be proved to have raped French civilians in World War Two, that Japanese troops can’t be proved to have raped Chinese women in Nanjing, and that the Burmese army can’t be proved to have raped ANYONE! Interesting world you live in, where a video of a woman claiming to have been raped is worthless, but the words of the Burmese military on the affair you trust.
Defending Islam and reclaiming diversity
Islamic followers are so insecure & the religion is so weak that it needs defending on a constant basis. That is the message that is being propagated by Muslims.
Just wondering why they are so insecure in their faith.
Decades of denial as Rohingya genocide continues
The Jumma people have been massacred, and they have been the victims of countless crimes carried out by the Bangladeshi government, but the extraordinary demographic change in the CHT is really due to a tsunami of Bengali landgrabbers. The same wave that India is blocking with a 3600km fence and the same wave that has created the ‘Rohingya’ out of nothing in Myanmar.