Do we need to take the contextual knowledge of the death of Ananda Mahidol into consideration in our attempt to understand the imposition of the lese majeste law in Thailand under Phumipon?
With the absence of the impact of Ananda Mahidol’s factor in other countries constitutional monarchy, are we sure that we can make a comparison?
Even when you make a comparison with Spain, I think it’s still different. Spain takes divergent course toward a full democracy, while Thailand moves toward something like God King or the Fuhrer. So would it be fair to say the reason behind the death in Spanish case was different from the Thailand case.
We also need to remind ourselves that Phumipon was born in the U.S. and educated in Switzerland so it could not be about the lack of exposure to Western culture either. Also, in the recent Thai tradition and history, no Thai king had impose harsh measure on Thais like Phumipon did. Neither the Western nor the Thai culture could be the explanation.
Do we need to modify our analysis by exploring other set of issues and combining more levels of analysis (individual, domestic politics, and international politics) to our understanding of the harsh imposition of the lese majeste law in Thailand?
AFAIK its still way to go on the ground from India into Burma before we see the wheels rolling. Of course the people of the area are very excited about it all, as we all are. Here’s a link to the annual pow wow of the local tribes
“More than 200 dead in Nigeria violence. JOS, Nigeria — Charred bodies with scorched hands reaching skyward lay in the streets and a mosque with blackened minarets smoldered Wednesday after several days of fighting between Christians and Muslims killed more than 200 people.
Sectarian violence in this central region of Nigeria has left thousands dead over the past decade, and the latest outbreak that began Sunday came despite the government’s efforts to quell religious extremism in the West African country.” (The Associated Press, Wednesday, January 20, 2010)
1. Did the Malaysian government have any preventive measures for the situation in Malaysia that despite the government’s efforts to quell religious extremism, fighting still could have the possibility of happening?
2. Did the Christian community in Malaysia prepare for the possibility that they need to depend on themselves beyond the protection of the government? The ratio of Muslim to Christian in Malaysia worries me that the Christian would be slaughtered.
I agree with Nich. There is a ton of stuff available and more each day. There’s no doubt it worries the authorities. This is not something done and finished. It is an on-going and expensive exercise that continues to be beefed up. Much of it appears, is blocked, reappears, is sent around by emails and so on. StanG thinks the govt doesn’t care/worry about international opinion. He’s wrong in my view. Look at the way Abhisit has been paraded before the international media. Indeed, one of Abhisit’s main positives is his ability to communicate internationally. Maybe StanG could, sometimes, suggest whyhe carries the beliefs and feelings he has?
This, in my mind is an excellent explanation on how a learned Muslim looks at the “Allah” issue.
Dr. Dzul is the head of research/think-tank of PAS – The Islamic Party in Malaysia which has defended the decision that Christians can use the term Allah. Read here.
Please be careful StanG, your “Every Thai, and I mean every, has someone senior to him to defer to and take advice from, even the King himself“ comment might put you in danger of an LM charge.
Look after those teeth, go to the dentist now, as it might be 18 years before you get to see one again
Just quickly: I have the opposite impression of Thai government efforts to “contain” the critical, subversive web. Without any data to back up this intuition, I reckon that there is a proliferation of subversive content — on a scale that would have been hard to imagine 18 months ago. The battle between censor and censored continues, and there are constant outbreaks of new “rebellion”. The authorities are probably getting better at targeting and disrupting the most radical stuff. But at the same time they seem to struggle in certain key regards.
For all the money spent on trying to influence international opinion it is remarkable just how little traction the official line gets with non-Thai, non-resident journalists, diplomats, academics, and others. At the end of the reign the censors have their work cut out for them.
If anybody out there wants to write a New Mandala post on this topic we would be keen to consider it for publication…
StanG says of Abhisit and his people: “he/they have learned to live with and largely ignore internet activism on sites like NM or Prachatai.” Yes, that’s why they have banned/blocked thousands and have made internet snooping and blocking THE major concern for thousands of civil servants and the military.
The fundamental reason he is different, from Young’s point of view, is that he doesn’t recognize any kind of authority. Every Thai, and I mean every, has someone senior to him to defer to and take advice from, even the King himself.
Thaksin bows to no authority and has no superiors.
WLH – taking a risk ?
Thais have no right to impinge on our Western democratic values of free speach.
If they do – we’ll seize their bank accounts : for starters.
If the Red-Shirts go to Suvarnabhummi airport for less than one hour of protest they are called “terrorists”, and their protest will not be tolerated.
If Yellow Shirts occupy the airport for months – that’s fine by “Thailand’s” Royalist tyranny.
THIS is Thailand’s Boston Tea Party.
There is no more “Thailand”.
Isaarn is an independent state, fighting against monarchist dictatorship.
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On the judgment against Da Torpedo
Do we need to take the contextual knowledge of the death of Ananda Mahidol into consideration in our attempt to understand the imposition of the lese majeste law in Thailand under Phumipon?
With the absence of the impact of Ananda Mahidol’s factor in other countries constitutional monarchy, are we sure that we can make a comparison?
Even when you make a comparison with Spain, I think it’s still different. Spain takes divergent course toward a full democracy, while Thailand moves toward something like God King or the Fuhrer. So would it be fair to say the reason behind the death in Spanish case was different from the Thailand case.
We also need to remind ourselves that Phumipon was born in the U.S. and educated in Switzerland so it could not be about the lack of exposure to Western culture either. Also, in the recent Thai tradition and history, no Thai king had impose harsh measure on Thais like Phumipon did. Neither the Western nor the Thai culture could be the explanation.
Do we need to modify our analysis by exploring other set of issues and combining more levels of analysis (individual, domestic politics, and international politics) to our understanding of the harsh imposition of the lese majeste law in Thailand?
The Stilwell Road
AFAIK its still way to go on the ground from India into Burma before we see the wheels rolling. Of course the people of the area are very excited about it all, as we all are. Here’s a link to the annual pow wow of the local tribes
http://www.amazingarunachal.com/ppwf2010/index.html
They also had a rally of lumbering old vintage jeeps some from WW2 time on a short stretch of Stilwell over the border (click on the gallery tab)
A chance to discuss media freedom
A bit shocked to see Air America Radio filing for bankruptcy and laying everyone off. Wow!
The Allah dilemma in Malaysia
“More than 200 dead in Nigeria violence. JOS, Nigeria — Charred bodies with scorched hands reaching skyward lay in the streets and a mosque with blackened minarets smoldered Wednesday after several days of fighting between Christians and Muslims killed more than 200 people.
Sectarian violence in this central region of Nigeria has left thousands dead over the past decade, and the latest outbreak that began Sunday came despite the government’s efforts to quell religious extremism in the West African country.” (The Associated Press, Wednesday, January 20, 2010)
1. Did the Malaysian government have any preventive measures for the situation in Malaysia that despite the government’s efforts to quell religious extremism, fighting still could have the possibility of happening?
2. Did the Christian community in Malaysia prepare for the possibility that they need to depend on themselves beyond the protection of the government? The ratio of Muslim to Christian in Malaysia worries me that the Christian would be slaughtered.
On the judgment against Da Torpedo
I agree with Nich. There is a ton of stuff available and more each day. There’s no doubt it worries the authorities. This is not something done and finished. It is an on-going and expensive exercise that continues to be beefed up. Much of it appears, is blocked, reappears, is sent around by emails and so on. StanG thinks the govt doesn’t care/worry about international opinion. He’s wrong in my view. Look at the way Abhisit has been paraded before the international media. Indeed, one of Abhisit’s main positives is his ability to communicate internationally. Maybe StanG could, sometimes, suggest whyhe carries the beliefs and feelings he has?
Amrita Malhi on Malaysian “Allah”
This, in my mind is an excellent explanation on how a learned Muslim looks at the “Allah” issue.
Dr. Dzul is the head of research/think-tank of PAS – The Islamic Party in Malaysia which has defended the decision that Christians can use the term Allah. Read here.
The return of Thailand’s old friend
Please be careful StanG, your “Every Thai, and I mean every, has someone senior to him to defer to and take advice from, even the King himself“ comment might put you in danger of an LM charge.
Look after those teeth, go to the dentist now, as it might be 18 years before you get to see one again
The Stilwell Road
the road is re opening http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=3218
On the judgment against Da Torpedo
The highest institution in Thailand? Revered and loved….or else!
Giles Ji Ungpakorn on Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
[…] Opprinnelig skrevet av Phayam Kan du ta med teksten som du linker til, og poste den her? Giles Ji Ungpakorn on Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn […]
On the judgment against Da Torpedo
I don’t think they bother with “international opinion” very much either, and a lot of it simply lacks credibility in their eyes.
After the coup and PAD and Songkran this is really minor stuff to explain away. As I said, Abhisit gets to answer this question only once a year.
On the judgment against Da Torpedo
Thanks StanG,
Just quickly: I have the opposite impression of Thai government efforts to “contain” the critical, subversive web. Without any data to back up this intuition, I reckon that there is a proliferation of subversive content — on a scale that would have been hard to imagine 18 months ago. The battle between censor and censored continues, and there are constant outbreaks of new “rebellion”. The authorities are probably getting better at targeting and disrupting the most radical stuff. But at the same time they seem to struggle in certain key regards.
For all the money spent on trying to influence international opinion it is remarkable just how little traction the official line gets with non-Thai, non-resident journalists, diplomats, academics, and others. At the end of the reign the censors have their work cut out for them.
If anybody out there wants to write a New Mandala post on this topic we would be keen to consider it for publication…
Best wishes to all,
Nich
On the judgment against Da Torpedo
Yes, and now that they have done it, it doesn’t bother them very much. It’s been contained.
And they can always shut down some more sites and bring more site owners for questioning to keep the lid on.
The return of Thailand’s old friend
To StanG:
Just say, “Goodnight, Gracie.” Puhleeze……………
Rachel Leow on Malaysian Allah
Thanks Nich for this link.
Rachel indeed is yet another intelligent Malaysian challenging accepted notions of what Malaysia should be.
I first came across her when she wrote this brave article on the Malaysian royal families.
On the judgment against Da Torpedo
StanG says of Abhisit and his people: “he/they have learned to live with and largely ignore internet activism on sites like NM or Prachatai.” Yes, that’s why they have banned/blocked thousands and have made internet snooping and blocking THE major concern for thousands of civil servants and the military.
The return of Thailand’s old friend
The fundamental reason he is different, from Young’s point of view, is that he doesn’t recognize any kind of authority. Every Thai, and I mean every, has someone senior to him to defer to and take advice from, even the King himself.
Thaksin bows to no authority and has no superiors.
On the judgment against Da Torpedo
What assets are you talking about, Chris?
Is there a huge story on Darunee exposing elites and getting jailed for is lurking somewhere?
“15 years in a tiny Thai apartment …”
WLH – taking a risk ?
Thais have no right to impinge on our Western democratic values of free speach.
If they do – we’ll seize their bank accounts : for starters.
The return of Thailand’s old friend
If the Red-Shirts go to Suvarnabhummi airport for less than one hour of protest they are called “terrorists”, and their protest will not be tolerated.
If Yellow Shirts occupy the airport for months – that’s fine by “Thailand’s” Royalist tyranny.
THIS is Thailand’s Boston Tea Party.
There is no more “Thailand”.
Isaarn is an independent state, fighting against monarchist dictatorship.