[…] article linked above), Michael McKinley (in the ABC’s coverage), and on their personal blogs. Andrew Walker of the RSPAS at New Mandela has also posted a letter from Stephen Dobbs of the University of […]
Srithanonchai – to answer your question. I feel that at the moment the ANU award of the degree on Lee is receiving almost zero coverage in Singapore’s state controlled press. The Singapore blogosphere is also silent on the issue, apart from a few sites, Singabloodypore.rsfblog.org and tomorrow.sg have covered a few articles. [If anyone is aware of others can you place them in this thread]
As the editor and main contributor to singabloodypore, I think I speak with some knowledge. There is little interest in the issue and I imagine the award is unlikely to be given anything other than a positive slant on Singapore’s national media. If heckling were to be heard during the ceremony they will simply edit it out.
As for this thread falling into the old ‘Asian Values’ debate, I doubt it, even the People’s Action Party have dropped that little piece of ideology. The main argument will be ‘Yes he may not respect human rights, but look at how much cleaner and more modern we are compared to our neighbours.’
How can anyone have thought for a second that this was not the work of Southerners…
Remember about one month prior to the Bangkok bombings there were 22…yes 22 banks hit in one 2-minute span.
The southern insurgents are capable, organized, well-funded and in my estimate will be back for more. As long as the police is as totally incompetent as they have shown to be they can continue their terror for years to come, unobstructed but not unnoticed.
Thaksin also admired newspapers on sale in Singapore for having very little political content, but were talking instead about technological innovations. He also pointed to the size of the opposition in Parliament as his model for Thailand. But since Thaksin messed everything up, he will never receive an honorary PhD from ANU, or Melbourne.
‘ Someone should hold an alternative awards ceremony to recognize his innovation of the defamation suit in electoral democracy. Other neighbouring democracies have stopped following his lead, thank goodness. ‘
I don’t know that that is true. Thaksin certainly followed the Lee lead in many ways, not least of which was to sue his critics for outrageous sums to shut them up. He had not yet made bankruptcy as a result of lawsuits automatic grounds for disqualification for office as the Lees have in Singapore.
But the tactic was nearly as effective in Thailand as in Singapore, at east among those who had cash to lose. Like the Bangkok Post. Remember when the former PM had their editor canned and threatened to sue for grillions if the paper did not back off of its “slander” concerning cracks at the former PM’s New International Airport? It’s amazing how peoples’ ability to see those cracks improved once the former PM was run out of town.
No I think that the former PM was instrumental in bringing many of the Lees’ “innovations” to Thailand. And of course he sold all his political spoils to the Lees as well.
Of course the former PM is not alone among the Thai political inhis admiration for the Lees’ political model. Most of them view Thailand as a City State as well. The City State of Bangkok. It just has a firmer grip on its hinterlands than the Lees’ grip on Malaysia and Indonesia.
Batman/Oliver: I have to admit that I am quite satisfied living in Thailand, politically speaking (even under present conditions), and as far as my research activities and writings are concerned. Of course, I am not happy with the pervasive cronyism and corruption in most spheres of society here.
Some years back, a Singaporean academic told me that she had spoken up critically in a meeting. The minister present asked for her name. Some time later, a friend of hers working in Singapores secret police (or whatever this is called) called her on the phone. He warned her that her remark in that discussion had made it into her personnel file in his agency, and that she should be more careful in the future if she ever wanted to get a job in state academic institutions. That was when the term “fascism” (lacking a more accurate expression) sprang to my mind.
Those, who are interested in Lee Yuan Yew, should “Singapore’s Authoritarian Capitalism” by Chistopher Lingle, Lingle is an American Academic, who was forced out of Singapore by Lee, for responding making comments in the International Herald Tribune (c.1994). Suppressing free speech, Lee prosecuted Lingle, in absentia, in Singapore and won of course. [There are references to the inceident on line, but the book is better].
Of course, Lee is the power behind the PAP and will not stop at using the Law to suppress opposition.
There is a so called Speaker’s Corner in Singapore, where people can speak provided they obtain a permit and tell the police the topic.
In earlier days, Lee had a programme calling for the sterilisation of some Singaporeans and set-up meetings, so the educated would couple. In a word, “eugenics”. [Reseach it. Not making this up.]
If, like me. you have lived a few years in Singapore, it evident that there is no Free Press and the worse sides of US and Australia are presented in the Straits T. Yes, Australia;, “The Poor White Trash of Asia”, to quote Dr. no Mr. Lee .
Honorary doctorates are slap in the face of real researcher. But, Lee Kuan Yew! That is a double assault. One assault is to the pursuit of free speach and the other to “real” academia.
A good topic for the Occasional Address? ” Compliant Judiciaries in Asia”.
Srithanonchai: Thanks for posting the link to the HRW report.
You have raised a very good point about the majority muslim population – IMHO the situation can only be resolved by the moderate muslims weeding out the extremists. The government should be doing everything it can to make that happen.
A good start would be to adopt the recommendations of all 3 reports:
The Abuza recommendations should help with security, which combined with the HRW & ICG recommendations should help win the hearts & minds of the moderate majority.
The junta should put the policies in place and hopefully the political parties make it a bi-partisan issue so the new government can follow through on the policy.
Batman: “Srithanonchai, please read up a little more before posting platitudes about this man.” > Will do as soon as I will have finished some more important things! BTW: where did YOU get your degree from?
nganadeeleg: “The sooner the lese majeste laws are repealed the better. Or perhaps leave the law on the books, but make it that the only person who can make the complaint is HMK.” That sounds like a very sensible idea to me.
Jon: respect and loyalty in “a normal person’s life.” This addition makes an answer difficult. Or, perhaps, one can say that, for the ordinary person, all the state requires of them is the outward demonstration of loyalty, but neither the thing itself, nor respect. Does this help?
As for the history of the yellow shirt phenomenon, I am not sure. Sondhi Lim claimed that he had started it, when he introduced yellow shirt with the print “We will fight for the King” on it to be worn by his supporters. BTW, they sold like hot cakes at his rallies at Lumpini Park. On the BTS, you just had to follow people wearing yellow shirts to get to the venue.
There was a brief article in Krungthep Thurakit of January 42, 2007, p. 11, headlined “Lueang–mai lueang: The politics of shirt color.” The author, Katsara Khamawan, wonders why people who did not wear the yellow shirt had become to be seen as being not loyal to the King. The following question is whether wearing the shirt meant that this person was indeed loyal.
Apparently, the author did not wear the yellow shirt. So, she was asked by relatives, neighbors, shop keepers, fellow passengers on a song thaew, “Don’t you love the King?” That is, social pressure was exerted re the core of her “Thainess”. She felt that, in public, it was at least necessary to “show” that one was loyal.
The author did not like to be forced to wear yellow, while wearing such a shirt did not have anything to do with the question of whether one was loyal or not. She was worried that yellow had become an indicator of one’s political orientation to the point were it interfered with a person’s individual rights.
The wearing of yellow shirts, which had started as an earnest expression of the love and loyalty to the King, had turned into social pressure that impacts on the relationships between people, and has subjected a lot of people to a situation of coercion in order to show conformity.
Noticed at Chiang Rai’s fair last month at the old airport, gun culture t-shirts that read something like, “I use a…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLOCK
nganadeeleg: Yes, sobering. Finally (see the article pasted in below), there seem to be a growing acceptance that Islamist radicalism is decisively important in the insurgency. The political environment under Thaksin, regarding both the pro- and the contra-Thaksin camps, seem to have prevented this insight. Traditionalist interpretations of ethnic separatism, blaming the Thai state and Thaksin, and culturalism/reconciliation were more convenient.
Interestingly, both the ICG and the HRW reports formulate policy recommendations to the Thai government. Neither one has any recommendations concerning what the majority Muslim population and the Muslim religious personnel ought to do. It seems that they are not included as actors in this situation, or are merely perceived as observers sitting on the fence, watching the insurgents and their supporters, and the government slug it out.
Thai militants adopting Al-Qaeda tactics: general
Islamic separatists in the restive South are adopting Al-Qaeda’s tactics, a top Thai general said Wednesday after a wave of gruesome beheadings and seemingly random attacks on civilians.
The increasingly bloody violence shows the growing Islamic influence on the separatists, General Watanachai Chaimuanwong said in an interview at his office in the prime minister’s Government House compound.
…
But Watanachai, the top security adviser to army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, said that while previous generations of rebels were mainly motivated by nationalism, today’s militants showed a greater tendency toward religious extremism.
“This is a group of young-turk militants who want to challenge the old groups. Their operations are more gruesome and more violent because they have imported those techniques from Al-Qaeda and the Taleban, with the goal of creating a pure Islamic state,” he said.
“They want to create a state called Pattani Darusalam” which would include Thailand’s Muslimmajority South and two northern states in Malaysia, he said.
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ANU honours Lee Kuan Yew. Why?
[…] article linked above), Michael McKinley (in the ABC’s coverage), and on their personal blogs. Andrew Walker of the RSPAS at New Mandela has also posted a letter from Stephen Dobbs of the University of […]
“Frankly very disturbing”
Srithanonchai – to answer your question. I feel that at the moment the ANU award of the degree on Lee is receiving almost zero coverage in Singapore’s state controlled press. The Singapore blogosphere is also silent on the issue, apart from a few sites, Singabloodypore.rsfblog.org and tomorrow.sg have covered a few articles. [If anyone is aware of others can you place them in this thread]
As the editor and main contributor to singabloodypore, I think I speak with some knowledge. There is little interest in the issue and I imagine the award is unlikely to be given anything other than a positive slant on Singapore’s national media. If heckling were to be heard during the ceremony they will simply edit it out.
As for this thread falling into the old ‘Asian Values’ debate, I doubt it, even the People’s Action Party have dropped that little piece of ideology. The main argument will be ‘Yes he may not respect human rights, but look at how much cleaner and more modern we are compared to our neighbours.’
Populism!
How come she’s not wearing yellow?
From the New Mandala archive: Bangkok at night
you all need to get out more…
Thai nightlife is significantly different sure. circling around a whiskey bottle with friends doesn’t stop one from meeting those at the next table.
besides, thais prefer to meet potential dates through friends.
finally, thais don’t really pick up girls as much as they pick up numbers.
a kway tiao meeting and an invitation to the next night out with the guy’s group finalizes the relationship.
Southern insurgents now prime suspects
How can anyone have thought for a second that this was not the work of Southerners…
Remember about one month prior to the Bangkok bombings there were 22…yes 22 banks hit in one 2-minute span.
The southern insurgents are capable, organized, well-funded and in my estimate will be back for more. As long as the police is as totally incompetent as they have shown to be they can continue their terror for years to come, unobstructed but not unnoticed.
Lee Kuan who?
Thaksin also admired newspapers on sale in Singapore for having very little political content, but were talking instead about technological innovations. He also pointed to the size of the opposition in Parliament as his model for Thailand. But since Thaksin messed everything up, he will never receive an honorary PhD from ANU, or Melbourne.
Lee Kuan who?
‘ Someone should hold an alternative awards ceremony to recognize his innovation of the defamation suit in electoral democracy. Other neighbouring democracies have stopped following his lead, thank goodness. ‘
I don’t know that that is true. Thaksin certainly followed the Lee lead in many ways, not least of which was to sue his critics for outrageous sums to shut them up. He had not yet made bankruptcy as a result of lawsuits automatic grounds for disqualification for office as the Lees have in Singapore.
But the tactic was nearly as effective in Thailand as in Singapore, at east among those who had cash to lose. Like the Bangkok Post. Remember when the former PM had their editor canned and threatened to sue for grillions if the paper did not back off of its “slander” concerning cracks at the former PM’s New International Airport? It’s amazing how peoples’ ability to see those cracks improved once the former PM was run out of town.
No I think that the former PM was instrumental in bringing many of the Lees’ “innovations” to Thailand. And of course he sold all his political spoils to the Lees as well.
Of course the former PM is not alone among the Thai political inhis admiration for the Lees’ political model. Most of them view Thailand as a City State as well. The City State of Bangkok. It just has a firmer grip on its hinterlands than the Lees’ grip on Malaysia and Indonesia.
ANU honours Lee Kuan Yew. Why?
Batman/Oliver: I have to admit that I am quite satisfied living in Thailand, politically speaking (even under present conditions), and as far as my research activities and writings are concerned. Of course, I am not happy with the pervasive cronyism and corruption in most spheres of society here.
Some years back, a Singaporean academic told me that she had spoken up critically in a meeting. The minister present asked for her name. Some time later, a friend of hers working in Singapores secret police (or whatever this is called) called her on the phone. He warned her that her remark in that discussion had made it into her personnel file in his agency, and that she should be more careful in the future if she ever wanted to get a job in state academic institutions. That was when the term “fascism” (lacking a more accurate expression) sprang to my mind.
Populism!
How about Miss Good Intentions?
ANU honours Lee Kuan Yew. Why?
Those, who are interested in Lee Yuan Yew, should “Singapore’s Authoritarian Capitalism” by Chistopher Lingle, Lingle is an American Academic, who was forced out of Singapore by Lee, for responding making comments in the International Herald Tribune (c.1994). Suppressing free speech, Lee prosecuted Lingle, in absentia, in Singapore and won of course. [There are references to the inceident on line, but the book is better].
Of course, Lee is the power behind the PAP and will not stop at using the Law to suppress opposition.
There is a so called Speaker’s Corner in Singapore, where people can speak provided they obtain a permit and tell the police the topic.
In earlier days, Lee had a programme calling for the sterilisation of some Singaporeans and set-up meetings, so the educated would couple. In a word, “eugenics”. [Reseach it. Not making this up.]
If, like me. you have lived a few years in Singapore, it evident that there is no Free Press and the worse sides of US and Australia are presented in the Straits T. Yes, Australia;, “The Poor White Trash of Asia”, to quote Dr. no Mr. Lee .
Honorary doctorates are slap in the face of real researcher. But, Lee Kuan Yew! That is a double assault. One assault is to the pursuit of free speach and the other to “real” academia.
A good topic for the Occasional Address? ” Compliant Judiciaries in Asia”.
Intelligence?
Srithanonchai: Thanks for posting the link to the HRW report.
You have raised a very good point about the majority muslim population – IMHO the situation can only be resolved by the moderate muslims weeding out the extremists. The government should be doing everything it can to make that happen.
A good start would be to adopt the recommendations of all 3 reports:
The Abuza recommendations should help with security, which combined with the HRW & ICG recommendations should help win the hearts & minds of the moderate majority.
The junta should put the policies in place and hopefully the political parties make it a bi-partisan issue so the new government can follow through on the policy.
ANU honours Lee Kuan Yew. Why?
Batman: “Srithanonchai, please read up a little more before posting platitudes about this man.” > Will do as soon as I will have finished some more important things! BTW: where did YOU get your degree from?
Lee Kuan who?
[…] 22/3: More from Tim at Road to Surfdom, Andrew Walker at New Mandala, and today’s Canberra […]
ANU honours Lee Kuan Yew. Why?
The Chancellor, Dr Allan Hawke, Joins the ever increasing conga line…. I wonder how many $ MM LEE paid !
“Frankly very disturbing”
ANU – whatever next, an honorary degree in Social Work for Mugabe perhaps?
Will Thaksin join Jufer on lèse majesté charges?
Sorry: “January 42” should read “January 31”.
Will Thaksin join Jufer on lèse majesté charges?
nganadeeleg: “The sooner the lese majeste laws are repealed the better. Or perhaps leave the law on the books, but make it that the only person who can make the complaint is HMK.” That sounds like a very sensible idea to me.
Jon: respect and loyalty in “a normal person’s life.” This addition makes an answer difficult. Or, perhaps, one can say that, for the ordinary person, all the state requires of them is the outward demonstration of loyalty, but neither the thing itself, nor respect. Does this help?
As for the history of the yellow shirt phenomenon, I am not sure. Sondhi Lim claimed that he had started it, when he introduced yellow shirt with the print “We will fight for the King” on it to be worn by his supporters. BTW, they sold like hot cakes at his rallies at Lumpini Park. On the BTS, you just had to follow people wearing yellow shirts to get to the venue.
There was a brief article in Krungthep Thurakit of January 42, 2007, p. 11, headlined “Lueang–mai lueang: The politics of shirt color.” The author, Katsara Khamawan, wonders why people who did not wear the yellow shirt had become to be seen as being not loyal to the King. The following question is whether wearing the shirt meant that this person was indeed loyal.
Apparently, the author did not wear the yellow shirt. So, she was asked by relatives, neighbors, shop keepers, fellow passengers on a song thaew, “Don’t you love the King?” That is, social pressure was exerted re the core of her “Thainess”. She felt that, in public, it was at least necessary to “show” that one was loyal.
The author did not like to be forced to wear yellow, while wearing such a shirt did not have anything to do with the question of whether one was loyal or not. She was worried that yellow had become an indicator of one’s political orientation to the point were it interfered with a person’s individual rights.
The wearing of yellow shirts, which had started as an earnest expression of the love and loyalty to the King, had turned into social pressure that impacts on the relationships between people, and has subjected a lot of people to a situation of coercion in order to show conformity.
My apologies for this imperfect ad-hoc summary.
Southern insurgents now prime suspects
Noticed at Chiang Rai’s fair last month at the old airport, gun culture t-shirts that read something like, “I use a….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLOCK
Intelligence?
nganadeeleg: Yes, sobering. Finally (see the article pasted in below), there seem to be a growing acceptance that Islamist radicalism is decisively important in the insurgency. The political environment under Thaksin, regarding both the pro- and the contra-Thaksin camps, seem to have prevented this insight. Traditionalist interpretations of ethnic separatism, blaming the Thai state and Thaksin, and culturalism/reconciliation were more convenient.
Interestingly, both the ICG and the HRW reports formulate policy recommendations to the Thai government. Neither one has any recommendations concerning what the majority Muslim population and the Muslim religious personnel ought to do. It seems that they are not included as actors in this situation, or are merely perceived as observers sitting on the fence, watching the insurgents and their supporters, and the government slug it out.
Thai militants adopting Al-Qaeda tactics: general
Islamic separatists in the restive South are adopting Al-Qaeda’s tactics, a top Thai general said Wednesday after a wave of gruesome beheadings and seemingly random attacks on civilians.
The increasingly bloody violence shows the growing Islamic influence on the separatists, General Watanachai Chaimuanwong said in an interview at his office in the prime minister’s Government House compound.
…
But Watanachai, the top security adviser to army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, said that while previous generations of rebels were mainly motivated by nationalism, today’s militants showed a greater tendency toward religious extremism.
“This is a group of young-turk militants who want to challenge the old groups. Their operations are more gruesome and more violent because they have imported those techniques from Al-Qaeda and the Taleban, with the goal of creating a pure Islamic state,” he said.
“They want to create a state called Pattani Darusalam” which would include Thailand’s Muslimmajority South and two northern states in Malaysia, he said.
Agence France-Presse
TN 21 March 2007
“Frankly very disturbing”
Also wonder whether we are about to continue the “Asian values” debate on this occasion.