Peace-loving Thais moved their capital city to faraway Bangkok from Burmese-destroyed Ayuhtayar just to get away as far as possible from the warlike Burmese.
Since then they have been living in unbroken peace for centuries while Burmese were horribly punished by the British first and then Japanese for their notoriously haughty and petulant character.
Thais should think more than twice before joining a union (political or economic or both) with Burmese their traditional enemy. Pilgrimage trips to Shwe-dagon and Kyaik-htee-yoe pagodas are not worth it at all.
And unlike Thai monks vain Burmese monks do not shave their eyebrows so that they can quickly put on civilian cloths and chase women and other luxuries of normal life.
There seems to be no stopping President Duterte from taking the law into his own hands; in his war on drugs President Duterte is determined to be prosecutor, judge and executioner. He even admonished the Philippines Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that her remarks urging drug suspects to refuse to surrender sans warrant of arrest . . . amounts to anarchy.
This finding would be interesting especially for communal ‘sleeping” land which could be more utilised for agricultural purposes.
Local government should encourage rural households to cultivate that communal lands to increase agriculture productions aiming at food security.
Mm, looks like the $130 billion might be an aspirational figure for the value of e-commerce transactions based on Kominfo’s recent National e-commerce Roadmap.
“Apabila 31 inisiatif tersebut diimplementasikan secara disiplin dan tepat waktu dan tepat sasaran, maka diperkirakan nilai transaksi akan mencapai USD 130 miliar pada tahun 2020 dengan syarat implementasi harus sudah dimulai akhir Januari 2016 ini.”https://kominfo.go.id/index.php/content/detail/6607/Siaran+Pers+No.+7-PIH-KOMINFO-1-2016+tentang+%3Ci%3ERoadmap+E-commerce%3C-i%3E+Menjadi+Program+Nasional/0/siaran_pers
Although now targeting less powerful members of Indonesia’s ruling elite, the Anti-Corruption Commission’s latest arrest and naming of Indonesia’s Regional Parliament (DPD) Chair Irman Gusman as a suspect in a bribery corruption case is unsurprising.
As I clearly explained back in a 2011 article, “the DPD is little more than an example of the hazards of democratic triumphalism.”
“…an institutional environment ridden with money politics…has allowed the DPD to be treated as a political vehicle for narrow interests”
“The DPD has increasingly focused on fighting for narrow regional interests at the national level in terms of national budget, projects and oversight.”
“Overall, as a national political body, the DPD has not produced any significant public policy outcomes for the Indonesian society, [and] the DPD’s quest for political power will more than likely remain elusive..”
Frank Leung – given that Prem has basically been in charge, ever since at the least – his infamous July 2006 “jockey” speech – when do you see Thailand being re-United ?
I’ve recently been thinking of a trip to the now DEVOLVED (courtesy of Tony Blair), former UNITARY CENTRALISED United Kingdom. An extremely highly placed Thai was SO impressed by the food@Thai Kingdom Restaurant, Stratford upon Avon (Shakespeare’s home town). I’d like to know if this restaurant is still in business?
Maybe I spoke too soon . . . about big stinking fish and big stinking President Duterte. More recent Manila news: Duterte had named/implicated mayors, provincial governors, and a senator as beneficiaries or directly involved in drug trafficking.
But of course Duterte could NOT just send his extra-judicial trigger-itchy policemen to shoot mayors, governors and senators suspected of drug-dealing. Because in the Philippines mayors, governors and senators have their own private armies; and a real civil war could ensue . . . ha ha! So President Duterte is promising the Pilipino people that these mayors, governors and senators will be indicted, after evidence is gathered. Due Process!
Imagine that, for certain class of criminal suspects, President Duterte will follow DUE PROCESS! That does NOT sound right President Duterte, the more powerful the drug trafficker, the more speedy justice (that is, extra-judicial extermination, of course!) should be!
The Buddhist Sangha is the oldest organisation on earth. Even in this present age it has seen the rise and fall of numerous kings and emperors. Some have sponsored the monks, and some have tried to destroy them, and not a few have tried to control them for their own unworthy ends.
Regardless of the world, they pursue the Ultimate Truth of all things. Do you really imagine that they should kowtow to some lowly child on a throne? They rightly ‘submit themselves’ to just one authority; the Buddhadhamma.
Can’t tell here. This is too sensitive and to protect some copies still available, you simply need to do an extensive search.
Lucky there are still some out there.
Never mind. Just wait until the Thai godfather bites the dust, then you’ll get to know a truckload of untold. It’s gonna go down harsh on the Thai Royals and their attached Mafia Gangs.
The constitutional prescription for greater unity of the Theravada Buddhism and the state, especially with the state in its present authoritarian form, is bound to lead to more trouble in the south. It is hard to imagine a better way of stirring up the southern Malays and inviting Al Qaeda or the Islamic State into those provinces. Malaysia should be alarmed at the prospect of that actually coming to pass, and the contagion spreading there. If that does happen, it will be because of the actions of powerful and stupid Thai authoritarians. They could easily do to the Malay Peninsula and beyond, what the cack-handed coalition of Americans, British, Israelis, and Saudis have done to the middle east.
Thai Buddhism’s reliance on the state is not unique to Thailand. Lacking the central organization like Catholic church, Buddhist communities always submit themselves under the state’s authority. However, some countries are doing better than others in distancing themselves from state controls, most of them Mahayana like Japan, Taiwan, or South Korea. Theravada Buddhism seems to like state endorsement more.
Also, when we discuss politics, Buddhist organization should be viewed simply as another political actor trying to use religious discourse for political gain and wealth.
When the notion of making Buddhism the official religion first was raised in 2005, Phra Phaisal Visalo was one of the most vocal opponents. He said it would undermine the connections of the wat to their local communities, and accelerate the growth of consumerism at the expense of Buddhist practice.
Also, I recall reading Ajahn Sulak describe the perversity of having the Sangha serve to protect the Monarchy rather than the reverse.
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Keeping friends close, Thailand closer
Peace-loving Thais moved their capital city to faraway Bangkok from Burmese-destroyed Ayuhtayar just to get away as far as possible from the warlike Burmese.
Since then they have been living in unbroken peace for centuries while Burmese were horribly punished by the British first and then Japanese for their notoriously haughty and petulant character.
Thais should think more than twice before joining a union (political or economic or both) with Burmese their traditional enemy. Pilgrimage trips to Shwe-dagon and Kyaik-htee-yoe pagodas are not worth it at all.
And unlike Thai monks vain Burmese monks do not shave their eyebrows so that they can quickly put on civilian cloths and chase women and other luxuries of normal life.
How human rights can win Duterte’s war
There seems to be no stopping President Duterte from taking the law into his own hands; in his war on drugs President Duterte is determined to be prosecutor, judge and executioner. He even admonished the Philippines Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that her remarks urging drug suspects to refuse to surrender sans warrant of arrest . . . amounts to anarchy.
http://www.hngn.com/articles/204008/20160827/philippine-president-chief-justice-clash-war-drugs.htm
Thai blasts a wake-up call for peace?
I know news out of Thailand, of late, has been grim. But is there any chance of a Madam Feefee Update ?
The tragedy of communal land in Indonesia
This finding would be interesting especially for communal ‘sleeping” land which could be more utilised for agricultural purposes.
Local government should encourage rural households to cultivate that communal lands to increase agriculture productions aiming at food security.
Nice job!
Indonesia’s education system sorely lacking leadership
Correction: Indonesia’s education system sorely lacking education.
Digital can breach the divide
Mm, looks like the $130 billion might be an aspirational figure for the value of e-commerce transactions based on Kominfo’s recent National e-commerce Roadmap.
“Apabila 31 inisiatif tersebut diimplementasikan secara disiplin dan tepat waktu dan tepat sasaran, maka diperkirakan nilai transaksi akan mencapai USD 130 miliar pada tahun 2020 dengan syarat implementasi harus sudah dimulai akhir Januari 2016 ini.”https://kominfo.go.id/index.php/content/detail/6607/Siaran+Pers+No.+7-PIH-KOMINFO-1-2016+tentang+%3Ci%3ERoadmap+E-commerce%3C-i%3E+Menjadi+Program+Nasional/0/siaran_pers
Taktik Permainan Prabowo
Apa kabar ya pak Prabowo sekarang?
Indonesia’s anti-corruption drive (part one)
Although now targeting less powerful members of Indonesia’s ruling elite, the Anti-Corruption Commission’s latest arrest and naming of Indonesia’s Regional Parliament (DPD) Chair Irman Gusman as a suspect in a bribery corruption case is unsurprising.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/09/17/kpk-names-dpd-speaker-irman-a-suspect-in-bribery-case.html
As I clearly explained back in a 2011 article, “the DPD is little more than an example of the hazards of democratic triumphalism.”
“…an institutional environment ridden with money politics…has allowed the DPD to be treated as a political vehicle for narrow interests”
“The DPD has increasingly focused on fighting for narrow regional interests at the national level in terms of national budget, projects and oversight.”
“Overall, as a national political body, the DPD has not produced any significant public policy outcomes for the Indonesian society, [and] the DPD’s quest for political power will more than likely remain elusive..”
http://www.insideindonesia.org/reformasi-or-deformasi
A vague vote and uncertain future
Frank Leung – given that Prem has basically been in charge, ever since at the least – his infamous July 2006 “jockey” speech – when do you see Thailand being re-United ?
The real meaning of Thailand’s referendum
All sorts of candles will go out for the birthday cake.
The weakness of the Thai royalists
I’ve recently been thinking of a trip to the now DEVOLVED (courtesy of Tony Blair), former UNITARY CENTRALISED United Kingdom. An extremely highly placed Thai was SO impressed by the food@Thai Kingdom Restaurant, Stratford upon Avon (Shakespeare’s home town). I’d like to know if this restaurant is still in business?
How human rights can win Duterte’s war
Maybe I spoke too soon . . . about big stinking fish and big stinking President Duterte. More recent Manila news: Duterte had named/implicated mayors, provincial governors, and a senator as beneficiaries or directly involved in drug trafficking.
But of course Duterte could NOT just send his extra-judicial trigger-itchy policemen to shoot mayors, governors and senators suspected of drug-dealing. Because in the Philippines mayors, governors and senators have their own private armies; and a real civil war could ensue . . . ha ha! So President Duterte is promising the Pilipino people that these mayors, governors and senators will be indicted, after evidence is gathered. Due Process!
Imagine that, for certain class of criminal suspects, President Duterte will follow DUE PROCESS! That does NOT sound right President Duterte, the more powerful the drug trafficker, the more speedy justice (that is, extra-judicial extermination, of course!) should be!
Religion after the referendum
The Buddhist Sangha is the oldest organisation on earth. Even in this present age it has seen the rise and fall of numerous kings and emperors. Some have sponsored the monks, and some have tried to destroy them, and not a few have tried to control them for their own unworthy ends.
Regardless of the world, they pursue the Ultimate Truth of all things. Do you really imagine that they should kowtow to some lowly child on a throne? They rightly ‘submit themselves’ to just one authority; the Buddhadhamma.
The Devil’s Discus – in Thai
So, what does this mean?
Ah, wait everybody.
3 men had been charged for it and executed. File closed!
This “Case Solving” culture (and some other very weird attributes accompanying it) had been carried through to date.
And the New King? (he was the One in that room at that time)
Hm.
No wonder, truth was suppressed every since!
The Devil’s Discus – in Thai
Can’t tell here. This is too sensitive and to protect some copies still available, you simply need to do an extensive search.
Lucky there are still some out there.
Never mind. Just wait until the Thai godfather bites the dust, then you’ll get to know a truckload of untold. It’s gonna go down harsh on the Thai Royals and their attached Mafia Gangs.
Religion after the referendum
The constitutional prescription for greater unity of the Theravada Buddhism and the state, especially with the state in its present authoritarian form, is bound to lead to more trouble in the south. It is hard to imagine a better way of stirring up the southern Malays and inviting Al Qaeda or the Islamic State into those provinces. Malaysia should be alarmed at the prospect of that actually coming to pass, and the contagion spreading there. If that does happen, it will be because of the actions of powerful and stupid Thai authoritarians. They could easily do to the Malay Peninsula and beyond, what the cack-handed coalition of Americans, British, Israelis, and Saudis have done to the middle east.
Religion after the referendum
Thai Buddhism’s reliance on the state is not unique to Thailand. Lacking the central organization like Catholic church, Buddhist communities always submit themselves under the state’s authority. However, some countries are doing better than others in distancing themselves from state controls, most of them Mahayana like Japan, Taiwan, or South Korea. Theravada Buddhism seems to like state endorsement more.
Also, when we discuss politics, Buddhist organization should be viewed simply as another political actor trying to use religious discourse for political gain and wealth.
The Devil’s Discus – in Thai
As Isaarn now secedes, there will not be any of these LM cases in a free Isaarn.
Behind the rifts in modern Malaysia
My error. Technically, 50 years (1898-1946), though some will argue that it is longer than that.
Religion after the referendum
When the notion of making Buddhism the official religion first was raised in 2005, Phra Phaisal Visalo was one of the most vocal opponents. He said it would undermine the connections of the wat to their local communities, and accelerate the growth of consumerism at the expense of Buddhist practice.
Also, I recall reading Ajahn Sulak describe the perversity of having the Sangha serve to protect the Monarchy rather than the reverse.