You appear to believe you can adjudicate a response to censorship, when you are incapable of viewing the censored content? That’s a little unfair old boy. And you’ll -quite literally – have to take my word for it.
Not at all.
You can easily show me, and the world, all your “censored content” — everything that has your knickers in a knot.
You don’t need to rely on the administrators of this site to give you access to me, or to the world.
As previously stated, you can easily — literally, in a matter of minutes — set up your own blog and say everything you want to say without interference.
You have gotten confused, thinking that your belief in your right to free speech equates another person’s obligation to publish your ideas.
It doesn’t.
If you want unfettered free speech on the internet you can create your blog, forum or website. Post all your ideas. Send me an email at werewolfs_lair@yahoo.com giving me your URL and I promise to personally read your website content, at least for the first month.
Give yourself a voice! It’s not hard. In fact, I’ll bet starting your own website would take less time than typing one more comment about how you’re being “oppressed” and “censored” here.
If your ideas are compelling and well-presented then you can expect to develop a world-wide following. You can become a leader in the fight against lese majeste or any other cause you believe in.
Shout your ideas to the world on your own website! Scream it at the top of your lungs in a forum that you control. It’s never been easier or cheaper to reach an audience.
Take a positive action, driven by your convictions!
…or, just keep typing plaintive comments on this website about your unfair treatment and hoping that somebody cares.
Bangkok politicians have long paid for terrorist attacks in the South. Perhaps its more the case that Bangkok & Chiangmai’s politically-bankrolled terrorists are now shitting on the own doorsteps.
Whoops! Meant to include the following quote: ” The turbines are supported on steel structures placed in a river that do not obstruct in any way the natural water flow the source of energy to generate electric energy. Fish passages are provided for and the flow of the river bed is in no way obstructed. Dams, used in other sources of waterpower generation, are not installed therefore land is not flooded, persons residing on the river are not removed and the course of the river remains unchanged.” from the magazine Small Companies & Big Businesses, Thursday, 14 January 2010 18:08 Jo├гo Gualberto. (I’m not an engineer or a scientist – don’t ask me about this, but it DOES look interesting, & it’s great that it comes from Brazil.)
Perhaps I misunderstood, perhaps not. But because Chris Beale you are notable for your repeating broken-record -like posters on ‘Isaarn secesion’, and, then you jumped at the recent Nonthaburi bombing as, by your own words, ‘Pattani-style WAR coming to Bangkok’, you did sound like you were cheering . . .
I definitely disagree that hydropower is the only option for Laos. It is never a good idea for a country to become overly dependent on a single resource or industry.
I disagree with the way that ‘GoodnessGraciousMe’ has represented Laos’ development situation. For one, there are certainly some potential drawbacks of tourism development, but it should be acknowledged that tourism is already Laos’ #1 source of foreign currency, and that the importance of tourism is likely to increase in the future. The garment industry is also more important than has been acknowledged.
Also, when it comes to hydropower development, it is important to recognise that some projects are potentially more problematic than others. For example, the Thakho Hydropower Project, which I conducted the fisheries Social and Environmental Impact Assessment for, is, I believe, a preferrable option to the Don Sahong Dam, which is also being considered in the Khone Falls area in Champassak Province. Crucially, the expected developers of the Thakho Project are being much more transparent about the project than most others. Check out their website:
It is important to recognise that the design of the Nam Theun 2 dam makes this project bound to be more destructive than most other dams, as it involves damming one large river (the Theun), creating a large reservoir (a large area of flooding and various associated water quality problems), and then discharging a large amount of water into another river (the Xe Bang Fai). Therefore, it is ultimately totally altering the hydrological and water quality of two large rivers, not just one.
I am not saying that there should be no hydropower projects built in Laos, but it is crucial to recognise that so far none of the dams that have been built in the Mekong Basin have involved providing full and fair compensation to impacted people. This includes NT2. If these projects are so good, and if they are so important for poverty reduction, why aren’t they fully compensating the poor people that they are impacting? For example, when fisheries are impacted, those people impacted deserve to be fully compensated for their losses, not just for a short period of time, but for as long as there are impacts, which is almost certainly going to be at least for the life of the projects. The externalities need to totally internalised in the costs of the projects. Then we will know if these projects are actually useful for reducing poverty or not.
Right now, one only has to look at projects like the Houay Ho Dam on the Bolaven Plateau. It was built in 1997 and the people relocated for the project still have not been adequately compensated for their losses over a decade later. They are much poorer than they were before the dam was built. Their lives have been shamelessly impacted, and the Lao government is gaining very little revenue from the project. The people impacted by the Theun-Hinboun dam have also not been nearly adequately compensated, especially those located along the Nam Kading River, but also those living along the Hinboun. The same goes for the Nam Leuk project. I could go on.
If the type of long-term compensation that impacted people deserve is deemed too expensive to pay for, one has to wonder if the social and economic benefits of these projects are really as high as some people claim. If the NT2 project is really such a great example–and I have lots of information to indicate that they are not–they should begin by fully compensating the tens of thousands of people that are presently been heavily impacted due to poor quality water releases into the Xe Bang Fai River, and unusual hydrological patterns. Many people living along the river haven’t even been provided with wells for drinking water, even though they can no longer drink water from the river or bath in the river without experiencing serious rashes, etc. Crucially, nobody is receiving full compensation for fisheries losses, not even close! The situation is really shameful.
Please don’t claim that these dams are important for poverty alleviation until all the serious problems that they are causing have been solved or fully compensated for. Without that happening, all these claims about dams being Laos’ only option really do ring hollow. And don’t forget, NT2 is not fully owned by the Lao government, so they will not be gaining all, or even most, of the revenue from this project. Most of the revenue will be going to the foreign investors who are not nearly as poor as those Lao people whose lives are being shamelessly turned upside down by the project’s serious social and environmental impacts. The foreigners working for NT2 are receiving very large salaries, but yet they feel justified in claiming that the dam is important for reducing poverty in Laos even as the people along the Xe Bang Fai continue to suffer! There is no excuse for this type of blatant hypocrisy. Are any of these foreigners offering all or even part of their huge salaries to the poor and uncompensated people who they claim to be speaking for?
MattB #21 :
That’s a disgracefully unfair tactic : putting words into my mouth which I never said.
I certainly do not “exude relief” at this – or any other acts of violence. I would exude relief if Thais found a peaceful way to resolve their differences.
Suggestions of a Pattani link were reported in Thailand. The police are currently denying this, but one of the vehicles involved had a Narathiwat number plate.
I agree with Martin Rathie that it was a reasonable report (shown on the Australian channel).
I wonder if the debate on the Mekong is considering new technologies like turbines without dams.
The following was reported in the Economist some time back: “Hydroelectric power.Ending a dammed nuisance.
A new generation of free-standing turbines will liberate hydroelectricity from its dependence on dams
Feb 19th 2008
I realize the article was posted by the Irrawaddy and picked up by the Bangkok Post, but it is still the Bangkok Post’s choice to direct attention away from the military dictatorship in Thailand to the military dictatorship in Burma.
That is the reason that this article was published and that a longer one, originating at the Bangkok Post, was published as well.
In truth, as the Irrawaddy pointed out the two regimes are rapidly converging around their ridiculous shared marketing concept : ‘semi-democracy’.
Jonny: I suspect you would not be welcome to fly down to ANU and walk into any classes taught by Nich and Andrew and start lecturing their students, just because you feel like it. However, I believe you could rent a hall on campus, put up posters advertising your talk, and speak to your heart’s content to whoever shows up.
And really, you should cool the hyperbole. “I’m currently being censored in oppressive fashion.” Chiranuch is facing 50 years or more in jail, but she’s supposed to suck it in and not complain, while you are facing… umm, what, exactly? Your perspective on oppression is a little strange.
Given that it now ‘appears’ that the perpetrators of the recent campaign of terrorist atrocities are in fact red-shirt ‘democracy’ activists, not government/army/yellow/blue/Amart agents; and that the evidence against the red-shirt movement can no longer be described as ‘laughable’, can we now expect Mr Amsterdam, the evangelical left and other assorted Thaksin toadies to admit that the ‘strategy of tension’ theory was pure fantasy. Or will we see an even more convoluted and bizarre conspiracy theory emerge in a further attempt to muddy the waters.
Living in Thailand does not make you more credible in your argument, and if you want to raise that point here I’m sure that there are many Thai people here who would genuinely disagree with you. Moreover, I think we have enough government’s propaganda who repeat exactly what you said here in ASTV, channel 3 5 7 9 NBT, and most of the news paper except “maybe” Matichon group. We are more than aware of the point you made because we see it everyday so maybe you should be listening to us rather than project another government’s propaganda to the already small number of website that are willing to show the other side of the story?
On 21 January 1949 Socialist Party Boss Kyaw Nyein allowed Army Deputy Chief Ne Win to launch a provoking, all-out attack on the Karen quarters at Thamaing and Insein in Rangoon. They wanted to start a real civil war and rid of Karens’ influence once and forever.
They immediately found out well-armed and well-trained Karen KNDO had more men and guns than Burmese then had, thanks to the British colonial masters. Ne Win had only 3 battalions of Sitwundan(Socialist paramilitary or Kyaw Nyein levies) and UMP (Union Military Police).
But both Kyaw Nyein and Ne Win knew the undeniable fact that in a racial war the dominating race would win eventually. The less than 10 percent minority couldn’t fight the majority for too long, just simply because they had more guns. Guns can be quickly bought easily, of course, but men behind the guns cannot be made that quick and easy.
And Burmese had Jawahalal Nehru on their side. He sold them more than 200,000 Lee Enfield 303 rifles cheaply and even bartered some for Burmese rice within a year. And thousands and thousands of so-called patriotic young Burmese men flocked into the rapidly-formed regular and irregular battalions to fight Karens.
That was our crooked and violent history. But that twisted and racist propaganda of army protecting our race, our religion, and the Union of Burma has stuck in Burmese psyche for very long time now.
And since then most guns and the fighting men are on the army’s side not on the peoples’ side. Men and the guns have changed but the underlying ideology is still the same.
Until the people realize how twisted that current version of our modern history is Burma will keep on being the same as in 1949.
That article was published in The Irrawaddy, not the Bangkok Post (which re-ran the piece)
Maybe ASSK has been “too quiet” over the years, as Burmese friend (in her early 20s) put it to me. But – nobody seems to be able to say what exactly she can do while under house arrest, other than to say she has has been an ineffective leader, without really getting into detail as to what options she could or should have taken at different times, much less now…as for 1988, hindsight makes a for a good prophet..
perhaps some people in the know could advise ASSK on how she could rally her banned NLD to compete in the upcoming sha…oh hang on!..or how she could perhaps evade the surveillance at her lakeside home to communicate with pro-NLD or reform-minded elements in the army…or do these exist? …who knows?…
could Mandela rally the ANC from inside prison? Did he bring about the end of apartheid by fomenting unrest? Could he have?
As for the Philippines, the soldiers refused to fire on civilians, priests and nuns at EDSA I. When the monks took to the streets in 2007 on Burma, some speculated that, akin to Manila 1986, the Burmese troops would not harm the monks, and a tipping point might be reached…didn’t quite happen, did it? Whatever about the Marcos dictatorship, it never came close to brutal and uncompromising iron fist with which Than Shwe runs Burma, so comparisons across the decades and the seas do not hold water. On another level, the US withdrew support for Marcos, precipitating his downfall…is there a parallel with Burma here? China to pull the rug from under Than Shwe? How likely is that, and again, even if China did, would it work?
You are not the first and you will not be the last who cries foul at New Mandala ‘s supposed “censorship”. Insofar as I can help, I expect our many previous statements on the same topic will be sufficient to clarify why some of your comments are not published on our website.
Jonny@44
Where are you being censored? Seems to me you are standing very firm on your soap box and having a good shout.
On Al-Qaeda @ 36. Al- Qaeda are anti American foreigners. The Red Shirts and their supporters are not anti Thai they are in the most part good Thai people in their own country, their only grumble is with the present regime.
I found that this report was a satisfactory summary of what has been happening in Laos, although definitely not in-depth (but what is in 25 minutes?) and lacking in comments from upstream and downstream Mekong basin partners. No mention was made of other well advanced hydro projects along key tributaries of the Mekong which was a bit disappointing but understandable due to media restrictions. At least THPC and NT2PC with their international partners (Thai, Norwegian) are willing to allow outsiders to view their facilities and take on the chin what criticisms there are to be given. Don’t expect to see Baird and Shoemaker being given permission to assess the impact of the Xe Kaman and Don Sahong projects by their developers. The biggest issue to be investigated effectively is the process of getting revenue from these mega projects to make its way back to the everyday Laotian living in these impact zones who in most cases has been relocated for a fraction of the value of their land which has been claimed by the authorities for the civilizing mission of national development.
@ werewolf. What makes you think tantrums are being thrown? You appear to believe you can adjudicate a response to censorship, when you are incapable of viewing the censored content? That’s a little unfair old boy. And you’ll –quite literally – have to take my word for it.
My efforts here are driven by ethics. I cannot stay silent whilst the situation in Thailand is being gleefully misrepresented.
New Mandala is tarring Thailand with a garishly one-sided brush; ostensibly with honourable intent. I’m here to try and present – as a resident of the country in question – a case for why the especially bright paint is uncalled for. When the New Mandala censors do not allow that case to be made, I’m then compelled to collect evidence of the duplicity. I have already raised eyebrows with the evidence acquired thus far. Any genuine academic would be appalled.
It’s shameful that an Australian blog hosted by a taxpayer-subsidised university is being utilised for such an un-academic pursuit. Ignoring evidence which lies contrary to one’s opinion is one thing. When the ignoring becomes suppression, that gives rise to questions of motive.
I have always been outspoken against misapplication of lese majeste laws; to the point where I have been quite vocal in my opinion Thailand’s best interests are not being served by the law’s very existence. Abuse is inevitable. And Westerners are quite right to be appalled at the potential for abuse. Quite wrong to feign aghast at suppression of free speech whilst censoring evidence which would prove the situation on the ground is nothing like the one they’re attempting to…what exactly? Sell? I’m living in Thailand. Criticising lese majeste. I’m currently being censored in oppressive fashion, and it’s not by Thailand’s monarchy or the current government.
Do the maths.
I’m attempting to show – nay, prove – that the brush tarring Thailand is being dipped into paint far too garish. And I’m being censored for it. By academics who are not interested in evidence I am attempting to provide.
Why? I really don’t care all that much – but if it continues, I may be compelled to determined exactly why. As a matter of due process.
[…] graph is taken from New Mandela: Thailand’s hungry military – an update. I just added the list of prime ministers and the two coups we had during the […]
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Prachatai manager arrested
@jonny:
Not at all.
You can easily show me, and the world, all your “censored content” — everything that has your knickers in a knot.
You don’t need to rely on the administrators of this site to give you access to me, or to the world.
As previously stated, you can easily — literally, in a matter of minutes — set up your own blog and say everything you want to say without interference.
You have gotten confused, thinking that your belief in your right to free speech equates another person’s obligation to publish your ideas.
It doesn’t.
If you want unfettered free speech on the internet you can create your blog, forum or website. Post all your ideas. Send me an email at werewolfs_lair@yahoo.com giving me your URL and I promise to personally read your website content, at least for the first month.
Give yourself a voice! It’s not hard. In fact, I’ll bet starting your own website would take less time than typing one more comment about how you’re being “oppressed” and “censored” here.
If your ideas are compelling and well-presented then you can expect to develop a world-wide following. You can become a leader in the fight against lese majeste or any other cause you believe in.
Shout your ideas to the world on your own website! Scream it at the top of your lungs in a forum that you control. It’s never been easier or cheaper to reach an audience.
Take a positive action, driven by your convictions!
…or, just keep typing plaintive comments on this website about your unfair treatment and hoping that somebody cares.
Up to you.
Red art: Democracy Monument April 12 2010
Bangkok politicians have long paid for terrorist attacks in the South. Perhaps its more the case that Bangkok & Chiangmai’s politically-bankrolled terrorists are now shitting on the own doorsteps.
“The Amazon of Asia” – Laos and the Mekong on ABC TV
Whoops! Meant to include the following quote: ” The turbines are supported on steel structures placed in a river that do not obstruct in any way the natural water flow the source of energy to generate electric energy. Fish passages are provided for and the flow of the river bed is in no way obstructed. Dams, used in other sources of waterpower generation, are not installed therefore land is not flooded, persons residing on the river are not removed and the course of the river remains unchanged.” from the magazine Small Companies & Big Businesses, Thursday, 14 January 2010 18:08 Jo├гo Gualberto. (I’m not an engineer or a scientist – don’t ask me about this, but it DOES look interesting, & it’s great that it comes from Brazil.)
“The Amazon of Asia” – Laos and the Mekong on ABC TV
Turbines without dams: http://www.careelectric.com.br/index.php?lang=en
Thai institutions: Police
http://www.thekoratpost.com/
Remote remand! No court appearance. Well, a virtual appearance. What potential for abuse!
Red art: Democracy Monument April 12 2010
Perhaps I misunderstood, perhaps not. But because Chris Beale you are notable for your repeating broken-record -like posters on ‘Isaarn secesion’, and, then you jumped at the recent Nonthaburi bombing as, by your own words, ‘Pattani-style WAR coming to Bangkok’, you did sound like you were cheering . . .
A war coming to Bangkok Chris Beale???
“The Amazon of Asia” – Laos and the Mekong on ABC TV
I definitely disagree that hydropower is the only option for Laos. It is never a good idea for a country to become overly dependent on a single resource or industry.
I disagree with the way that ‘GoodnessGraciousMe’ has represented Laos’ development situation. For one, there are certainly some potential drawbacks of tourism development, but it should be acknowledged that tourism is already Laos’ #1 source of foreign currency, and that the importance of tourism is likely to increase in the future. The garment industry is also more important than has been acknowledged.
Also, when it comes to hydropower development, it is important to recognise that some projects are potentially more problematic than others. For example, the Thakho Hydropower Project, which I conducted the fisheries Social and Environmental Impact Assessment for, is, I believe, a preferrable option to the Don Sahong Dam, which is also being considered in the Khone Falls area in Champassak Province. Crucially, the expected developers of the Thakho Project are being much more transparent about the project than most others. Check out their website:
http://www.thakhosustainablehydro.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=15
It is important to recognise that the design of the Nam Theun 2 dam makes this project bound to be more destructive than most other dams, as it involves damming one large river (the Theun), creating a large reservoir (a large area of flooding and various associated water quality problems), and then discharging a large amount of water into another river (the Xe Bang Fai). Therefore, it is ultimately totally altering the hydrological and water quality of two large rivers, not just one.
I am not saying that there should be no hydropower projects built in Laos, but it is crucial to recognise that so far none of the dams that have been built in the Mekong Basin have involved providing full and fair compensation to impacted people. This includes NT2. If these projects are so good, and if they are so important for poverty reduction, why aren’t they fully compensating the poor people that they are impacting? For example, when fisheries are impacted, those people impacted deserve to be fully compensated for their losses, not just for a short period of time, but for as long as there are impacts, which is almost certainly going to be at least for the life of the projects. The externalities need to totally internalised in the costs of the projects. Then we will know if these projects are actually useful for reducing poverty or not.
Right now, one only has to look at projects like the Houay Ho Dam on the Bolaven Plateau. It was built in 1997 and the people relocated for the project still have not been adequately compensated for their losses over a decade later. They are much poorer than they were before the dam was built. Their lives have been shamelessly impacted, and the Lao government is gaining very little revenue from the project. The people impacted by the Theun-Hinboun dam have also not been nearly adequately compensated, especially those located along the Nam Kading River, but also those living along the Hinboun. The same goes for the Nam Leuk project. I could go on.
If the type of long-term compensation that impacted people deserve is deemed too expensive to pay for, one has to wonder if the social and economic benefits of these projects are really as high as some people claim. If the NT2 project is really such a great example–and I have lots of information to indicate that they are not–they should begin by fully compensating the tens of thousands of people that are presently been heavily impacted due to poor quality water releases into the Xe Bang Fai River, and unusual hydrological patterns. Many people living along the river haven’t even been provided with wells for drinking water, even though they can no longer drink water from the river or bath in the river without experiencing serious rashes, etc. Crucially, nobody is receiving full compensation for fisheries losses, not even close! The situation is really shameful.
Please don’t claim that these dams are important for poverty alleviation until all the serious problems that they are causing have been solved or fully compensated for. Without that happening, all these claims about dams being Laos’ only option really do ring hollow. And don’t forget, NT2 is not fully owned by the Lao government, so they will not be gaining all, or even most, of the revenue from this project. Most of the revenue will be going to the foreign investors who are not nearly as poor as those Lao people whose lives are being shamelessly turned upside down by the project’s serious social and environmental impacts. The foreigners working for NT2 are receiving very large salaries, but yet they feel justified in claiming that the dam is important for reducing poverty in Laos even as the people along the Xe Bang Fai continue to suffer! There is no excuse for this type of blatant hypocrisy. Are any of these foreigners offering all or even part of their huge salaries to the poor and uncompensated people who they claim to be speaking for?
Red art: Democracy Monument April 12 2010
MattB #21 :
That’s a disgracefully unfair tactic : putting words into my mouth which I never said.
I certainly do not “exude relief” at this – or any other acts of violence. I would exude relief if Thais found a peaceful way to resolve their differences.
Suggestions of a Pattani link were reported in Thailand. The police are currently denying this, but one of the vehicles involved had a Narathiwat number plate.
“The Amazon of Asia” – Laos and the Mekong on ABC TV
I agree with Martin Rathie that it was a reasonable report (shown on the Australian channel).
I wonder if the debate on the Mekong is considering new technologies like turbines without dams.
The following was reported in the Economist some time back: “Hydroelectric power.Ending a dammed nuisance.
A new generation of free-standing turbines will liberate hydroelectricity from its dependence on dams
Feb 19th 2008
Critics of Aung San Suu Kyi say…
I realize the article was posted by the Irrawaddy and picked up by the Bangkok Post, but it is still the Bangkok Post’s choice to direct attention away from the military dictatorship in Thailand to the military dictatorship in Burma.
That is the reason that this article was published and that a longer one, originating at the Bangkok Post, was published as well.
In truth, as the Irrawaddy pointed out the two regimes are rapidly converging around their ridiculous shared marketing concept : ‘semi-democracy’.
Prachatai manager arrested
Jonny: I suspect you would not be welcome to fly down to ANU and walk into any classes taught by Nich and Andrew and start lecturing their students, just because you feel like it. However, I believe you could rent a hall on campus, put up posters advertising your talk, and speak to your heart’s content to whoever shows up.
And really, you should cool the hyperbole. “I’m currently being censored in oppressive fashion.” Chiranuch is facing 50 years or more in jail, but she’s supposed to suck it in and not complain, while you are facing… umm, what, exactly? Your perspective on oppression is a little strange.
More on the “strategy of tension”
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/200098/man-on-a-mission-of-doom
Given that it now ‘appears’ that the perpetrators of the recent campaign of terrorist atrocities are in fact red-shirt ‘democracy’ activists, not government/army/yellow/blue/Amart agents; and that the evidence against the red-shirt movement can no longer be described as ‘laughable’, can we now expect Mr Amsterdam, the evangelical left and other assorted Thaksin toadies to admit that the ‘strategy of tension’ theory was pure fantasy. Or will we see an even more convoluted and bizarre conspiracy theory emerge in a further attempt to muddy the waters.
Let me guess…..
Prachatai manager arrested
jonny – 44
Living in Thailand does not make you more credible in your argument, and if you want to raise that point here I’m sure that there are many Thai people here who would genuinely disagree with you. Moreover, I think we have enough government’s propaganda who repeat exactly what you said here in ASTV, channel 3 5 7 9 NBT, and most of the news paper except “maybe” Matichon group. We are more than aware of the point you made because we see it everyday so maybe you should be listening to us rather than project another government’s propaganda to the already small number of website that are willing to show the other side of the story?
Critics of Aung San Suu Kyi say…
On 21 January 1949 Socialist Party Boss Kyaw Nyein allowed Army Deputy Chief Ne Win to launch a provoking, all-out attack on the Karen quarters at Thamaing and Insein in Rangoon. They wanted to start a real civil war and rid of Karens’ influence once and forever.
They immediately found out well-armed and well-trained Karen KNDO had more men and guns than Burmese then had, thanks to the British colonial masters. Ne Win had only 3 battalions of Sitwundan(Socialist paramilitary or Kyaw Nyein levies) and UMP (Union Military Police).
But both Kyaw Nyein and Ne Win knew the undeniable fact that in a racial war the dominating race would win eventually. The less than 10 percent minority couldn’t fight the majority for too long, just simply because they had more guns. Guns can be quickly bought easily, of course, but men behind the guns cannot be made that quick and easy.
And Burmese had Jawahalal Nehru on their side. He sold them more than 200,000 Lee Enfield 303 rifles cheaply and even bartered some for Burmese rice within a year. And thousands and thousands of so-called patriotic young Burmese men flocked into the rapidly-formed regular and irregular battalions to fight Karens.
That was our crooked and violent history. But that twisted and racist propaganda of army protecting our race, our religion, and the Union of Burma has stuck in Burmese psyche for very long time now.
And since then most guns and the fighting men are on the army’s side not on the peoples’ side. Men and the guns have changed but the underlying ideology is still the same.
Until the people realize how twisted that current version of our modern history is Burma will keep on being the same as in 1949.
Critics of Aung San Suu Kyi say…
That article was published in The Irrawaddy, not the Bangkok Post (which re-ran the piece)
Maybe ASSK has been “too quiet” over the years, as Burmese friend (in her early 20s) put it to me. But – nobody seems to be able to say what exactly she can do while under house arrest, other than to say she has has been an ineffective leader, without really getting into detail as to what options she could or should have taken at different times, much less now…as for 1988, hindsight makes a for a good prophet..
perhaps some people in the know could advise ASSK on how she could rally her banned NLD to compete in the upcoming sha…oh hang on!..or how she could perhaps evade the surveillance at her lakeside home to communicate with pro-NLD or reform-minded elements in the army…or do these exist? …who knows?…
could Mandela rally the ANC from inside prison? Did he bring about the end of apartheid by fomenting unrest? Could he have?
As for the Philippines, the soldiers refused to fire on civilians, priests and nuns at EDSA I. When the monks took to the streets in 2007 on Burma, some speculated that, akin to Manila 1986, the Burmese troops would not harm the monks, and a tipping point might be reached…didn’t quite happen, did it? Whatever about the Marcos dictatorship, it never came close to brutal and uncompromising iron fist with which Than Shwe runs Burma, so comparisons across the decades and the seas do not hold water. On another level, the US withdrew support for Marcos, precipitating his downfall…is there a parallel with Burma here? China to pull the rug from under Than Shwe? How likely is that, and again, even if China did, would it work?
Prachatai manager arrested
Thanks Jonny,
You are not the first and you will not be the last who cries foul at New Mandala ‘s supposed “censorship”. Insofar as I can help, I expect our many previous statements on the same topic will be sufficient to clarify why some of your comments are not published on our website.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
Prachatai manager arrested
Jonny@44
Where are you being censored? Seems to me you are standing very firm on your soap box and having a good shout.
On Al-Qaeda @ 36. Al- Qaeda are anti American foreigners. The Red Shirts and their supporters are not anti Thai they are in the most part good Thai people in their own country, their only grumble is with the present regime.
“The Amazon of Asia” – Laos and the Mekong on ABC TV
I found that this report was a satisfactory summary of what has been happening in Laos, although definitely not in-depth (but what is in 25 minutes?) and lacking in comments from upstream and downstream Mekong basin partners. No mention was made of other well advanced hydro projects along key tributaries of the Mekong which was a bit disappointing but understandable due to media restrictions. At least THPC and NT2PC with their international partners (Thai, Norwegian) are willing to allow outsiders to view their facilities and take on the chin what criticisms there are to be given. Don’t expect to see Baird and Shoemaker being given permission to assess the impact of the Xe Kaman and Don Sahong projects by their developers. The biggest issue to be investigated effectively is the process of getting revenue from these mega projects to make its way back to the everyday Laotian living in these impact zones who in most cases has been relocated for a fraction of the value of their land which has been claimed by the authorities for the civilizing mission of national development.
Prachatai manager arrested
@ werewolf. What makes you think tantrums are being thrown? You appear to believe you can adjudicate a response to censorship, when you are incapable of viewing the censored content? That’s a little unfair old boy. And you’ll –quite literally – have to take my word for it.
My efforts here are driven by ethics. I cannot stay silent whilst the situation in Thailand is being gleefully misrepresented.
New Mandala is tarring Thailand with a garishly one-sided brush; ostensibly with honourable intent. I’m here to try and present – as a resident of the country in question – a case for why the especially bright paint is uncalled for. When the New Mandala censors do not allow that case to be made, I’m then compelled to collect evidence of the duplicity. I have already raised eyebrows with the evidence acquired thus far. Any genuine academic would be appalled.
It’s shameful that an Australian blog hosted by a taxpayer-subsidised university is being utilised for such an un-academic pursuit. Ignoring evidence which lies contrary to one’s opinion is one thing. When the ignoring becomes suppression, that gives rise to questions of motive.
I have always been outspoken against misapplication of lese majeste laws; to the point where I have been quite vocal in my opinion Thailand’s best interests are not being served by the law’s very existence. Abuse is inevitable. And Westerners are quite right to be appalled at the potential for abuse. Quite wrong to feign aghast at suppression of free speech whilst censoring evidence which would prove the situation on the ground is nothing like the one they’re attempting to…what exactly? Sell? I’m living in Thailand. Criticising lese majeste. I’m currently being censored in oppressive fashion, and it’s not by Thailand’s monarchy or the current government.
Do the maths.
I’m attempting to show – nay, prove – that the brush tarring Thailand is being dipped into paint far too garish. And I’m being censored for it. By academics who are not interested in evidence I am attempting to provide.
Why? I really don’t care all that much – but if it continues, I may be compelled to determined exactly why. As a matter of due process.
Thailand’s hungry military – an update
[…] graph is taken from New Mandela: Thailand’s hungry military – an update. I just added the list of prime ministers and the two coups we had during the […]