The real worthwhile study right now would be to look at why so many commentators and analysts are completely obsessed with the Thai royal family.
Of course these photos of a tattooed Thai prince are “sensational” but they tell us nothing of how the power of the military is sustained nor how to build political alternatives to Thailand’s anti-democratic alliance.
Instead, it’s gossipy titillating tittle-tattle, with the myth of the all powerful monarchy providing a convenient get-out for the failure of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement and the insipid Thai Studies academics.
That’s not to knock this article’s well thought out and argued analysis.
I’m just bored of clicking on discussions and reading the same old same old – “ooooeeeerrr, look what the prince/queen/king/princess did, isn’t it terrible” etc etc blah blah blah.
Thank you for that piece. I’ve been reading Barme and Copeland just recently, and I like being reminded that there was a time when things were quite different, under Pibul and in the 15 years prior to 1932. I had also missed knowing that the constitution was a central point of engagement between the monarchy and the military government of the early 1950s, a reprise of the contest from the period after 1945. Do you care to comment on how the current draft constitution treats the monarchy in that respect? My sense is that the appointive powers, in particular, are strongly biased to the military. Is that true? Another sign of decoupling?
One ‘theory’ has it that Luhut B. Panjaitan, the superminister presiding over security, law and human rights who is also President Jokowi’s best friend and confidant, has to oversee the maritime sector, which is believed to be the president’s most promising innovation. Maritime matters involve both business and security as Jokowi wants to build a fishery industry in greater scale and the sector would be important as the South China Sea conflict becoming a geo-political hot issue involving Asean (though not Indonesia), China & US. Luhut, most succesfull bussinesman among retired generals, seems most experienced on this and offered to develop an industrial zone on Natuna Islands which is close to the south border of South China Sea. So who’s to fullfill Luhut’s key security post? Jokowi naively chose Wiranto, Dili court-SCU (Serious Crimes Unit)-indicted war criminal, but also chef of Hanura, the only political party thus far unrewarded as yet for his support for Jokowi’s election. Wiranto, a former Suharto’s personal guard, is the New Order’s last Mohican. As most senior generals left of the 1980-90s Wiranto may be expected to deal with those ‘stone head’ ret. generals who strongly opposed Jokowi-Luhut’s attempt to resolve the 1965 issue. So there you have it: a coalition of nationalistic ret. generals and neo-lib oriented ministers in economic sector.
Could not agree more. As an Australian based in Bali but traveling regularly through Indonesia, it is a continual source of frustration to not have a free to air Australian produced channel to recommend to interlocutors not interested in cooking shows or AFL. Many Indonesians are genuinely intrigued by what is happening in Australia, politically and socially.
To an extent, Australia minus is currently achieving one aspect of a possible mandate; that of providing a realistic window into what many Australians watch – footy, cooking shows, and some news, and giving some expats something to look at. But wouldn’t it be nice if they presented Australia a little more worldly by adding more SBS and Four Corners, and a lot less popular drivel? It would certainly help offset the bad feelings remaining from Tony Abbott’s time.
I’m no fan of the CP but that’s just not accurate. What’s available on the internet is not a sex tape but a video of a birthday party for Foo Foo the Chief Air Marshall. Albeit in a gaudy Hawaiian shirt, the CP is fully clothed. His former wife is taped skimping around in nothing but a G-string but that’s a far cry from “explicit sex” or “wearing no clothing at all”.
Unless of course you possess a sex tape that no one else has seen but I doubt it, since you say it’s easily available on the internet.
Thing is, irresponsible exaggeration invariably plays in one’s opposition’s favor. For instance, a major element of and one of the reasons for the popularity of holocaust revisionism has always been the fantastic exaggerations as to the number of victims, reports of killing methods that turned out to be physically impossible or claims such as that the Germans were turning Jews into soap and lampshades, a piece of Soviet propaganda long since discounted but some people still treat it as fact, which actually helps the revisionis agenda.
Even Indonesians themselves often do not understand Indonesian politics, let alone outsiders who do not really understand deep psyche of the Indonesians. One would make a big mistake if he claims he understands JOKOWI…..
And let’s Not forget, 3 innocent Thai were executed for the shooting of Rama IIIV, if any – the only rightful king of Thailand.
Bhumi should be behind bars for this crime on humanity, only, not to speak for the 20/30/50 chance, him shooting his own brother (20 on request of his brother, 30 intentionally, 50 accidentally).
And then there is still so too much that is still untold.
Fact is, the entire pack; Thai Royal (extended) family and their puppet group the Thai Royal Army, together with their muppets club, Thai Royal Police they form the most efficient Mafia ring on earth.
And the Thai folk?
Being brainwashed and made believe and love the Thai Royal pack.
Trying to analyse the latest cabinet reshuffle runs into the problem that we really don’t know much about Jokowi. Was Luhut’s demotion to the maritime affairs coordinating ministerial post related to 1965 massacres or to Jokowi’s perception that Luhut was becoming too powerful and ambitious? I don’t know. Speculation unfounded on evidence is useless.
Luhut Panjaitan is a typical New Order TNI general (or Lt-gen) who made a fortune after leaving TNI. If there is any sense in calling Jokowi an outsider, maybe he held some resentment towards Luhut or was envious of him, despite the fact that Luhut had been his principal business partner for a long time.
In my view, the latest reshuffle highlights Jokowi’s inexperience and ignorance of how a national government should work. To have appointed a cabinet three months after he had been elected, a long enough period for Jokowi to have chosen the best people available, then to have carried out two reshuffles before he had completed two years in office, shows that Jokowi has poor judgement of the credentials and talents of the people he has appointed.
Jokowi also fails to understand the efficient working of a national government. Sofyan Djalil is now in his third economic post in the Jokowi government. What kind of continuity can government ministries achieve when their minister may be changed three times in less than two years? Has Jokowi promised Sofyan that he will have a turn at every economic post before the next presidential election? If so, Jokowi should remember that Sofyan was already a cabinet minister in the SBY era. So there may be one or two future reshuffles in which Sofyan won’t have to move.
It is very disruptive for a ministry to undergo three ministerial changes in such a short time.
Jokowi’s appointment of Wiranto may have nothing to do with his hard-line attitudes. It could simply reflect Jokowi’s ignorance of Wiranto’s background and some strange desire to please the Hanura chairman and founder. Keeping Prasetyo as attorney-general in place certainly reflects Jokowi’s hard-line attitudes on executing some drug traffickers, but it is hard to see any connection between this and Wiranto’s appointment.
A minor correction to this post is in order. When Wiranto was last coordinating minister, it was just politics and security. Law hadn’t been added to the portfolio.
Bleeding hearts liberals are the cause of violence, not the solution. It is nice to sit somewhere nice and talk rubbish about ‘rights of violent criminals”, it is something else to be in the midst of “rights violation” by violent criminals, perpetrated upon the ever suffering victims.
You have a right to defend the criminals only on two conditons – 1. you are a victim, 2 you are a criminal.
As I travel through the Asia-Pacific region, I am constantly reminded that Australia doesn’t interest or excite. Winning new deals isn’t easy, but losing them is.
Thanks to Tony Abbott and his former employer, Rupert Murdoch, Australia’s long-term national interest, it will be nearly impossible to win back what used to be dedicated audiences. In the Pacific, Radio Australia has lost to RNZI.
Real news is hard to come by on Australia Plus (or Minus). Fashion news has become ‘fashionable’, and one must ask where this fashion news comes from? Women’s Day?
Bumipol was born in America , he is not Thai, and was an agent of American anti-communism ie a right wing supporter of murdering the masses if they did not grovel and submit to re-invented oppressive Brahmin and Buddhist illusions to enthrone the military and Chinese Thai Capitlalist rulers. Siam would have been better if colonized by the British….
Interesting analysis on the recent photos of the CP on the runway at Munich Airport. Thanks.
But the photos of the CP in the tiny t-shirt and strange fitting jeans and sandals are small pototoes compared to the many completely unfiltered explicit sex tapes of the CP easily available on the internet. Wearing no clothing at all, full of abandonment, desire and passion.
No wonder Thailand’s Royalists and their Network are so focused on their draconian enforcement of the Lese Majeste and “112” laws and are so desperate to “criminalize” any uncontrolled information, images and video of the CP.
I agree Indonesia is much more lenient on Israel than Malaysia is! I am betting they WILL beat Malaysia to the punch when it comes to opening ties with Israel!
Interesting anecdotes regarding Israel in Indonesia as hinted by family living there, as well as things I have been reading online – 1) The media coverage on Israel is NOT as overwhelmingly negative as 20 years ago! 2) There are groups that exist on FB promoting Indonesia-Israel ties and some of them even have many thousands of members (including local Muslims themselves)!
You forgot the Philippines! We after all helped midwife Israel’s rebirth as a nation in that 1947 UN Conference by voting in favor of its establishment – a vote deemed highly crucial in hindsight!
Reuters reports that hackers attacked the website of a national airline and flight information screens at Vietnam’s two biggest airports on Friday, posting notices that state media said criticized the Philippines and Vietnam and their claims in the South China Sea: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-hacking-idUSKCN1091YL
It’s hard to know whether you are serious or just a troll, Chris, and I am gravitating towards assuming the latter, but if you genuinely believe the nonsense you are spouting here, please share with us the details of a single globally recognised achievement of any member of the Thai royal family. Just one. Not difficult, surely?
Andrew – what is wrong with SOME of Sirindhorn and Chulabhorn’s degrees being honorary ? Universities often give out such degrees. Australia’s ANU, host of this New Mandala website, does. I bet your own university has its’ fair share. Very prestigious universities have given out honorary degrees to people who have not even a basic bachelor degree – eg. in Asian Studies, Cornell to John Pilger. Far from denigrating Peter Cohen, you should be congratulating this MacQuarie University academic for at long last, posting something favourable about some Asian leaders.
At last I’be seen a positive comment from Peter Cohen, about some Asian leaders. Yes, you are completely correct : those you cite are very accomplished, hard working members of the Thai Royal Family, thoroughly deserving of their due deference.
1 PLEASE don’t use the ‘David vs Goliath’ analogy (in any context). After all, we all know who was on David’s side and that Goliath didn’t stand a chance.
2. If the equally cliched phrase ‘possession is nine-tenths of the law’ has any remnant validity, then where is the victory? – especially since possession of nine-tenths of the reefs, rocks and islets was taken whilst the lawyers convened. I wish ex-President Ramos well in his role but can’t help feeling that the Pinoy obsession with law (especially when its results in the Philippines itself are usually so frustrating) won’t help them very much.
Unfortunately you seem to have been fooled by royal propaganda. It’s absolute nonsense that Sirindhorn and Chulabhorn are respected in the world of science or academia. Their awards are all honorary and they have achieved nothing of note. It is pure fantasy to believe Chulabhorn is an internationally renowned synthetic organic chemist.
I realise that the pair of you are trolls who frequently post querulous nonsense in the comments section of this website, so I usually don’t bother to engage you, but your comments here are just so comically wrong they do need to be corrected.
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Private: ‘Excuse me, Emperor …’
The real worthwhile study right now would be to look at why so many commentators and analysts are completely obsessed with the Thai royal family.
Of course these photos of a tattooed Thai prince are “sensational” but they tell us nothing of how the power of the military is sustained nor how to build political alternatives to Thailand’s anti-democratic alliance.
Instead, it’s gossipy titillating tittle-tattle, with the myth of the all powerful monarchy providing a convenient get-out for the failure of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement and the insipid Thai Studies academics.
That’s not to knock this article’s well thought out and argued analysis.
I’m just bored of clicking on discussions and reading the same old same old – “ooooeeeerrr, look what the prince/queen/king/princess did, isn’t it terrible” etc etc blah blah blah.
Private: ‘Excuse me, Emperor …’
Thank you for that piece. I’ve been reading Barme and Copeland just recently, and I like being reminded that there was a time when things were quite different, under Pibul and in the 15 years prior to 1932. I had also missed knowing that the constitution was a central point of engagement between the monarchy and the military government of the early 1950s, a reprise of the contest from the period after 1945. Do you care to comment on how the current draft constitution treats the monarchy in that respect? My sense is that the appointive powers, in particular, are strongly biased to the military. Is that true? Another sign of decoupling?
Wiranto and Indonesia’s new Cabinet
One ‘theory’ has it that Luhut B. Panjaitan, the superminister presiding over security, law and human rights who is also President Jokowi’s best friend and confidant, has to oversee the maritime sector, which is believed to be the president’s most promising innovation. Maritime matters involve both business and security as Jokowi wants to build a fishery industry in greater scale and the sector would be important as the South China Sea conflict becoming a geo-political hot issue involving Asean (though not Indonesia), China & US. Luhut, most succesfull bussinesman among retired generals, seems most experienced on this and offered to develop an industrial zone on Natuna Islands which is close to the south border of South China Sea. So who’s to fullfill Luhut’s key security post? Jokowi naively chose Wiranto, Dili court-SCU (Serious Crimes Unit)-indicted war criminal, but also chef of Hanura, the only political party thus far unrewarded as yet for his support for Jokowi’s election. Wiranto, a former Suharto’s personal guard, is the New Order’s last Mohican. As most senior generals left of the 1980-90s Wiranto may be expected to deal with those ‘stone head’ ret. generals who strongly opposed Jokowi-Luhut’s attempt to resolve the 1965 issue. So there you have it: a coalition of nationalistic ret. generals and neo-lib oriented ministers in economic sector.
How Australia Plus became Australia minus
Could not agree more. As an Australian based in Bali but traveling regularly through Indonesia, it is a continual source of frustration to not have a free to air Australian produced channel to recommend to interlocutors not interested in cooking shows or AFL. Many Indonesians are genuinely intrigued by what is happening in Australia, politically and socially.
To an extent, Australia minus is currently achieving one aspect of a possible mandate; that of providing a realistic window into what many Australians watch – footy, cooking shows, and some news, and giving some expats something to look at. But wouldn’t it be nice if they presented Australia a little more worldly by adding more SBS and Four Corners, and a lot less popular drivel? It would certainly help offset the bad feelings remaining from Tony Abbott’s time.
Private: ‘Excuse me, Emperor …’
I’m no fan of the CP but that’s just not accurate. What’s available on the internet is not a sex tape but a video of a birthday party for Foo Foo the Chief Air Marshall. Albeit in a gaudy Hawaiian shirt, the CP is fully clothed. His former wife is taped skimping around in nothing but a G-string but that’s a far cry from “explicit sex” or “wearing no clothing at all”.
Unless of course you possess a sex tape that no one else has seen but I doubt it, since you say it’s easily available on the internet.
Thing is, irresponsible exaggeration invariably plays in one’s opposition’s favor. For instance, a major element of and one of the reasons for the popularity of holocaust revisionism has always been the fantastic exaggerations as to the number of victims, reports of killing methods that turned out to be physically impossible or claims such as that the Germans were turning Jews into soap and lampshades, a piece of Soviet propaganda long since discounted but some people still treat it as fact, which actually helps the revisionis agenda.
Wiranto and Indonesia’s new Cabinet
Even Indonesians themselves often do not understand Indonesian politics, let alone outsiders who do not really understand deep psyche of the Indonesians. One would make a big mistake if he claims he understands JOKOWI…..
Private: ‘Excuse me, Emperor …’
And let’s Not forget, 3 innocent Thai were executed for the shooting of Rama IIIV, if any – the only rightful king of Thailand.
Bhumi should be behind bars for this crime on humanity, only, not to speak for the 20/30/50 chance, him shooting his own brother (20 on request of his brother, 30 intentionally, 50 accidentally).
And then there is still so too much that is still untold.
Fact is, the entire pack; Thai Royal (extended) family and their puppet group the Thai Royal Army, together with their muppets club, Thai Royal Police they form the most efficient Mafia ring on earth.
And the Thai folk?
Being brainwashed and made believe and love the Thai Royal pack.
Wiranto and Indonesia’s new Cabinet
Trying to analyse the latest cabinet reshuffle runs into the problem that we really don’t know much about Jokowi. Was Luhut’s demotion to the maritime affairs coordinating ministerial post related to 1965 massacres or to Jokowi’s perception that Luhut was becoming too powerful and ambitious? I don’t know. Speculation unfounded on evidence is useless.
Luhut Panjaitan is a typical New Order TNI general (or Lt-gen) who made a fortune after leaving TNI. If there is any sense in calling Jokowi an outsider, maybe he held some resentment towards Luhut or was envious of him, despite the fact that Luhut had been his principal business partner for a long time.
In my view, the latest reshuffle highlights Jokowi’s inexperience and ignorance of how a national government should work. To have appointed a cabinet three months after he had been elected, a long enough period for Jokowi to have chosen the best people available, then to have carried out two reshuffles before he had completed two years in office, shows that Jokowi has poor judgement of the credentials and talents of the people he has appointed.
Jokowi also fails to understand the efficient working of a national government. Sofyan Djalil is now in his third economic post in the Jokowi government. What kind of continuity can government ministries achieve when their minister may be changed three times in less than two years? Has Jokowi promised Sofyan that he will have a turn at every economic post before the next presidential election? If so, Jokowi should remember that Sofyan was already a cabinet minister in the SBY era. So there may be one or two future reshuffles in which Sofyan won’t have to move.
It is very disruptive for a ministry to undergo three ministerial changes in such a short time.
Jokowi’s appointment of Wiranto may have nothing to do with his hard-line attitudes. It could simply reflect Jokowi’s ignorance of Wiranto’s background and some strange desire to please the Hanura chairman and founder. Keeping Prasetyo as attorney-general in place certainly reflects Jokowi’s hard-line attitudes on executing some drug traffickers, but it is hard to see any connection between this and Wiranto’s appointment.
A minor correction to this post is in order. When Wiranto was last coordinating minister, it was just politics and security. Law hadn’t been added to the portfolio.
Dear Jokowi: are you sure?
Bleeding hearts liberals are the cause of violence, not the solution. It is nice to sit somewhere nice and talk rubbish about ‘rights of violent criminals”, it is something else to be in the midst of “rights violation” by violent criminals, perpetrated upon the ever suffering victims.
You have a right to defend the criminals only on two conditons – 1. you are a victim, 2 you are a criminal.
How Australia Plus became Australia minus
As I travel through the Asia-Pacific region, I am constantly reminded that Australia doesn’t interest or excite. Winning new deals isn’t easy, but losing them is.
Thanks to Tony Abbott and his former employer, Rupert Murdoch, Australia’s long-term national interest, it will be nearly impossible to win back what used to be dedicated audiences. In the Pacific, Radio Australia has lost to RNZI.
Real news is hard to come by on Australia Plus (or Minus). Fashion news has become ‘fashionable’, and one must ask where this fashion news comes from? Women’s Day?
Private: ‘Excuse me, Emperor …’
Bumipol was born in America , he is not Thai, and was an agent of American anti-communism ie a right wing supporter of murdering the masses if they did not grovel and submit to re-invented oppressive Brahmin and Buddhist illusions to enthrone the military and Chinese Thai Capitlalist rulers. Siam would have been better if colonized by the British….
Private: ‘Excuse me, Emperor …’
Interesting analysis on the recent photos of the CP on the runway at Munich Airport. Thanks.
But the photos of the CP in the tiny t-shirt and strange fitting jeans and sandals are small pototoes compared to the many completely unfiltered explicit sex tapes of the CP easily available on the internet. Wearing no clothing at all, full of abandonment, desire and passion.
No wonder Thailand’s Royalists and their Network are so focused on their draconian enforcement of the Lese Majeste and “112” laws and are so desperate to “criminalize” any uncontrolled information, images and video of the CP.
Indonesia’s Israeli passport pain
I agree Indonesia is much more lenient on Israel than Malaysia is! I am betting they WILL beat Malaysia to the punch when it comes to opening ties with Israel!
Interesting anecdotes regarding Israel in Indonesia as hinted by family living there, as well as things I have been reading online – 1) The media coverage on Israel is NOT as overwhelmingly negative as 20 years ago! 2) There are groups that exist on FB promoting Indonesia-Israel ties and some of them even have many thousands of members (including local Muslims themselves)!
Indonesia’s Israeli passport pain
You forgot the Philippines! We after all helped midwife Israel’s rebirth as a nation in that 1947 UN Conference by voting in favor of its establishment – a vote deemed highly crucial in hindsight!
ASEAN’s South China Sea ulcer
Reuters reports that hackers attacked the website of a national airline and flight information screens at Vietnam’s two biggest airports on Friday, posting notices that state media said criticized the Philippines and Vietnam and their claims in the South China Sea:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-hacking-idUSKCN1091YL
A crown prince and German affairs
It’s hard to know whether you are serious or just a troll, Chris, and I am gravitating towards assuming the latter, but if you genuinely believe the nonsense you are spouting here, please share with us the details of a single globally recognised achievement of any member of the Thai royal family. Just one. Not difficult, surely?
A crown prince and German affairs
Andrew – what is wrong with SOME of Sirindhorn and Chulabhorn’s degrees being honorary ? Universities often give out such degrees. Australia’s ANU, host of this New Mandala website, does. I bet your own university has its’ fair share. Very prestigious universities have given out honorary degrees to people who have not even a basic bachelor degree – eg. in Asian Studies, Cornell to John Pilger. Far from denigrating Peter Cohen, you should be congratulating this MacQuarie University academic for at long last, posting something favourable about some Asian leaders.
A crown prince and German affairs
At last I’be seen a positive comment from Peter Cohen, about some Asian leaders. Yes, you are completely correct : those you cite are very accomplished, hard working members of the Thai Royal Family, thoroughly deserving of their due deference.
To rule over the waves
1 PLEASE don’t use the ‘David vs Goliath’ analogy (in any context). After all, we all know who was on David’s side and that Goliath didn’t stand a chance.
2. If the equally cliched phrase ‘possession is nine-tenths of the law’ has any remnant validity, then where is the victory? – especially since possession of nine-tenths of the reefs, rocks and islets was taken whilst the lawyers convened. I wish ex-President Ramos well in his role but can’t help feeling that the Pinoy obsession with law (especially when its results in the Philippines itself are usually so frustrating) won’t help them very much.
A crown prince and German affairs
Dear Alex and Peter
Unfortunately you seem to have been fooled by royal propaganda. It’s absolute nonsense that Sirindhorn and Chulabhorn are respected in the world of science or academia. Their awards are all honorary and they have achieved nothing of note. It is pure fantasy to believe Chulabhorn is an internationally renowned synthetic organic chemist.
I realise that the pair of you are trolls who frequently post querulous nonsense in the comments section of this website, so I usually don’t bother to engage you, but your comments here are just so comically wrong they do need to be corrected.
Best regards
Andrew