Pridi thought that Ananda had killed himself. For both the boys, after a protected and somewhat puritanical upbringing in civilised countries, the prospect of life in the seething cesspit of the Thai court (where possession of a Colt .45 automatic was thought to be a wise precaution), must have been a depressing one. It would have been more so for Ananda, who was pining away for his Swiss sweetheart. The family, like most families, would deny suicide even if it were likely. The extended family made the best of a nasty situation by weaving more lies into the story and blaming Pridi and the democratic elements in the government. I think suicide is a real possibility, as is a dirty deed by someone from the cesspit.
I do not quibble with DASSK’s appeal to the Burmese. On the contrary, I agree with you and I also support her. I take issue only with the FOREIGN view of her, which was the pedestal/prostitute syndrome. In fact, Myanmar has rightly indicated they do not care much what the West thinks and I entirely support DASSK and her internal policies; it is the naïve and arrogant West (governments and NGOs) that I laugh at, as they don’t get Myanmar at all, and you can’t on one hand how many diplomats even speak standard Burmese. No, I support DASSK 100 %, I believe Burmese largely do, and to hell with the brown-nosers who would whine about Bangladeshis in Myanmar, but not beheaded Hindus in Bangladesh.
I’m not going to say anything about Chris Beale apart from the fact that his air-headed remarks about Thailand are self-parody enough, no need for him to start to talk about Indonesia, a country he knows even less about.
But Mohammed Asher – I would be so glad if you are right to think that Jokowi’s side is winning. Why don’t you write an article about it?
As it is, however, the “blasphemy” trial against the Christian Chinese-Indonesian governor of Jakarta is still running, while the head of anti-Pancasila FPI has not been named suspect yet although he is clearly working against the constitution of Indonesia. It’s not more than 2 or 3 weeks ago that the defense minister of Indonesia defended (no pun intended) training FPI and said he would like to train ISIS also.
Last year, 2016, started with a hate campaign against gay, lesbians, and trans-people (LGBT) , then anti-Chinese-Indonesian resentment was revived, by people including the then Indonesian ambassador to Japan, followed by anti-communist paranoia, although I have met many Islamists in Indonesia but not communist yet, then 2016 ended with the most prominent Christian politician of Indonesia, the governor of Jakarta, “Ahok”, being put on trial for “blasphemy” because he has allegedly “insulted” the Koran. And all of this while the openly anti-Pancasila, so anti-Indonesian FPI gets trained by the military. How can you expect serious blogs like New Mandala and other foreign media not to publish articles about these very frightening developments in Indonesia?
Btw I hope you are right and Jokowi and the reformists will win, because I love Indonesia. But Western media being silent about the all too frightening recent developments in Indonesia would not make that more likely to happen but less. – Write your article, I for one would be very interested !
Suu Kyi may be a great disappointment to many of us, but the fact is that she was overwhelmingly elected by the Burmese people to be their leader. This included most non-Burman ethnic constituencies where the NLD beat off challenges from fragmented ethnic political parties. She may no longer be the darling of activist groups overseas, but nary a word of criticism is heard from Western Governments who recognise that current problems are not all her fault, but rather inherited. Boris was completely bowled over by her during his recent visit.
As that perceptive and passionate writer on human rights issues, David Mathieson, a former researcher for Human Rights Watch, has recently observed (VoA News 26 January 2017): “A major thing (the international community) can do right now is to reorient a lot of the valid criticism of what is going on away from the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and to the actual perpetrators: the army and the police.”
Unfortunately, Brexit has greatly reduced British influence in the EU, which used to follow the British lead on Burma, but not any more. Obama also fought valiantly for Rohingya rights, but Trump sadly will move in the opposite direction. Pity Ambassador Scot Marciel who may now have to defend water-boarding, unless he joins the growing band of US career diplomats who are refusing to serve under Trump.
Nonetheless Ralph, Thailand did move back to democracy. Do you really think that could have happened, if the Royal Family opposed it ? Furthermore, Royal favourite former PM Anand was a major player / writer of Thailand’s most democratic ever constitution – ie. the 1997 People’s Constitution. How do you – and other Jacobin Royal haters – explain those two facts ?
Leaving aside a notion of ideological osmosis, the comments on 1992 suggest you refer to a statement he made about “restraint.” As Wikipedia has it: “Early on the morning of 20 May, the popular Princess Sirindhorn addressed the country on television, calling for an end to the violence. Her appeal was rebroadcast throughout the day. That evening, her brother, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, broadcast a similar appeal.” That doesn’t add up to him and the royal family “shifting Thailand back to democracy” unless you mean Democracy with the King as Head of State….
Your claim is for “grounds for hope.” I hope I win Lotto but that doesn’t mean I will.
Fully agree with Chris’ post, and I suspect that AMM is being charitable when he refers to it being ‘an accident’. I seriously doubt that for all the reasons Chri and others have offered, and events subsequent to the act suggest something to hide rather than something for which nobody was deliberately to blame.
Somebody who claimed to be close to circles in the Palace told me some years ago that the murder (the word he used) was because of Thailand’s relationship with the Japanese during WW2. I have no means of judging the merit or otherwise of that, but the claim strongly suggests something other than an ‘accident’, and given the USA’s self-interested opposition to Churchill’s insistence that Thailand should pay war reparations, it seems likely that they were involved somewhere along the line.
Well, setting aside Chris’s rather obsequious comment, and noting Ralph’s dubious view about the new head boy, I still think that he has a few surprises to spring yet. No I don’t have any evidence to support this, it’s an intuition only, and probably worthless for that reason, but thats what I believe might well happen. Personally I welcome the fact that in the short time since his ascension, he has humiliated Prayuth and emasculated Prem, 2 things which his father was too dim and corrupt to recognise needed doing and too spineless to do even if he did.
Bringing in Suthep was an important necessity for Paul’s points to be made, and even though I understand that lying, cheating and stealing is second nature to many Thais (having been set an excellent example on all counts by their dear departed totem), I am an optimist and believe that Suthep has shot his bolt. I doubt he will be trusted or even given credence by any intelligent and non-corrupt Thai ever again, however rare those beasts may be. He’s an excellent example of poacher turned gamekeeper and is now laughably and shamelessly critical of other people’s corruption, mendacity and deceit. Life’s funny sometimes I’ve found. Suthep is a factor most people overlook when castigating Thailand for it’s manifold stupidities, but he is the elephant in many rooms which most Thais would now much prefer to ignore. Turning a blind eye is something Thais do well, even if it’s only to the extent to which they allowed themselves to be conned by a consummate conman.
And so to Prayuth, who, it seems to me, has a proper place at the end of a rope or in front of a firing squad and not parading himself on the international stage where it seems he isn’t astute enough to know he’s been and is being treated like a complete leper. Presumably treason is still a crime in Thailand? How anyone can take this clown seriously is beyond me altogether, and he seems not to enjoy the esteem of the new head boy at all, which would be a major point in favour of the new head boy. Time will tell I suppose.
If the persistent rumours of communications with the infernal Thaksin are true, one only hopes that once the execrable Prayuth is inevitably shown the door, someone will then punish him and his conspirators so harshly, that no-one in the Thai Armed Forces type will ever again want to consider a putsch against an elected government. Sticking to bailing out floodwater and blocked sewers would play altogether more to their natural strengths I feel. A recurring daydream of mine is that every officer above the rank of Captain will be dismissed from the Thai army, and every officer above the rank of major to have their assets investigated seriously. No pension, no rights, end of. Just a lengthy spell in prison. Then it will be time to start on the police and the judiciary.
Sigh. I doubt it will ever happen but imho it’s the only way to rehabilitate Thailand and make it a fit member of the international community instead of a pariah.
Even so, I haven’t yet abandoned the notion that the new head boy will yet surprise us all.
My complain is this : why so much negativism when in fact our current situation is looking up, or at least the anti-reform-development faction is currently losing against the government? Why can’t just criticize Indonesia for the sake of exposing the reality in details instead of wasting so much time cherry picking on bits that only serves to feed white ego?
This article so reeks of “here is Indonesian discourses for bule dummies” cloaked in alarmism. This article would fit better when Bela Negara was only in its first weeks and months and the actors behind them were indeed on upperhand. These days, those people’s very grip on power are slipping, and the Jokowi’s regime is winning. If anything we’re expecting a landslide progress of reforms this year, what with Luhut has basically declared our military to operate in American manner and no less then Wiranto himself has encouraged the Chinese to pursue carreer in military, government and education, effectively inviting them into the system.
I remember new mandala has an article containing astute analysis upon Indonesian vigilante politics, but these days the situation is evolving beyond that. If anything we’re currently seeing the rise of popularly mandated security state based on neoliberal civil principles, which is in itself is not free of critics and has its own batch of worries to offer. But any appeal to Orba style vigilantist thought suppression and other Orbaist MOs are now becoming outdated, since a new generation of power structure is currently on the rise.
Ralph Kramden – he’s always been a good friend of Australia, one of the most democratic countries. He also seems to have been happier here growing up, than in more hidebound English boarding school. He also spends much of his time in Germany, one of Europe’s most democratic countries. During and after Suchinda’s May ’92 fiasco, he supported – together with the rest of Thailand’s Royal Family – Anand, Chuan Leek Pai, and others, shifting Thailand back to democracy. There ARE grounds for hope.
I’m not sure why anyone thought that this prince, now king, would be interested in democracy. What is there in his life that even hints at such an absurd notion?
Excellent news. The new king is strengthening his position vis a vis self-serving upstart military power-grabbers like Prayut. I pray that one day His Majesty will be in a sufficiently strong position, to do what Spain’s great King Juan Carlos did – I.e. bring democracy back, thereby HUGELY boosting this king’s popularity, and strength. God bless His Majesty.
What WE DO KNOW is :
1) that the gun was loaded. Why would Ananda have a LOADED gun by his bed ? Not child’s play.
2) that the SAFETY LATCH was DISABLED. Either it was tampered with, or someone deliberately turned it off. Just as they DELIBERATELY loaded the bullet. Amanda’s regicide was NO ACCIDENT – despite AMM ‘s parroting of that ridiculous leave-of-reality, post- truth politics line.
3) the single shot was TARGETED AT the site where it could do most irretrievable damage – I.e. Ananda’s HEAD. Not his feet, not his arms, not his torso, etc.
On the contrary, DASSK has been abandoned by the political class mesmerized by the fake “Rohingya” issue. I do not agree at all that Boris Johnson, a buffoon, will defend DASSK. On what grounds ? DASSK used to be the darling of the UN crowd. NOT ANY MORE. I do not see say the same criticisms of Imran Khan, Cricketer turned politician who was a Bollywood star. When support for his political ambitions waned, there was no comment whatsoever in any Press, except Pakistan’s. Me thinks there is a absolute bias against DASSK for being a Burmese patriot, and an infantile view of Myanmar influenced by Arab and Islamic money and the UNHCR and UNWRA Ponzi scheme, developed in Gaza and the West Bank and spread to other places like Iraq, Syria and Myanmar.
‘the Southern ‘Thai Muslims’ to be friendly, helpful, and eager to get on with their lives’.
or that the people are ‘not a well-spring of anti-Thai/central government feelings’
or that ‘[you] never have ever relied on the police or military for security as [your] association with everyday Muslims have given [you] comfort’
mean in any way that they are not malay muslims?
Are they malay? Yes. The majority of them are. They are recognised as having been a colonised Malay sultanate. They speak the malay language (whose specific dialect is largely the same as those malays in the neighbouring Malaysian state of Kelantan). They practise other aspects of malay culture such as in dress, food, architecture and so on. And most importantly, they identify their own ethnicity as Malay.
Are they muslim? Yes. The majority of them are.
So there really should not be a problem in referring to a people according to how they want to be identified. Unless of course when there are political reasons not to do so.
She’s basically contradicting herself on this “politics Vs. human rights”. As I said, she is establishing a false dilemma now that is convenient for her to do so. But the problem is not so much that she’s a politician (which is absolutely ok, and it’s actually what she should be), but that she is an awful politician, without any strategic skills or a workable vision for her country; and she has had time enough to develop it after almost three decades involved in politics with long periods of time she could have devoted to reflect on solutions to her country’s woes, but she emerged from them with nothing but a few platitudes. She surely believes it’s her right to rule, but she has frivolously neglected the most important aspect of all: what to do once in power (and I’m talking here not only about the Rohingya, but about most issues affecting Burma). I still maintain what I wrote in 2014, she doesn’t represent a real alternative to the Tatmadaw: http://www.dvb.no/analysis/the-lady-doth-protest-too-seldom/34291
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Setting the record straight
The Challenge will be in ensuring that the real history , good and bad is always remembered .
One can only repeat George Santayana
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
A visit to Arte Moris should be part of the curriculum .
Eyes on the spies in Thailand
Pridi thought that Ananda had killed himself. For both the boys, after a protected and somewhat puritanical upbringing in civilised countries, the prospect of life in the seething cesspit of the Thai court (where possession of a Colt .45 automatic was thought to be a wise precaution), must have been a depressing one. It would have been more so for Ananda, who was pining away for his Swiss sweetheart. The family, like most families, would deny suicide even if it were likely. The extended family made the best of a nasty situation by weaving more lies into the story and blaming Pridi and the democratic elements in the government. I think suicide is a real possibility, as is a dirty deed by someone from the cesspit.
The Rohingya crisis and Suu Kyi’s chance
Derek,
I do not quibble with DASSK’s appeal to the Burmese. On the contrary, I agree with you and I also support her. I take issue only with the FOREIGN view of her, which was the pedestal/prostitute syndrome. In fact, Myanmar has rightly indicated they do not care much what the West thinks and I entirely support DASSK and her internal policies; it is the naïve and arrogant West (governments and NGOs) that I laugh at, as they don’t get Myanmar at all, and you can’t on one hand how many diplomats even speak standard Burmese. No, I support DASSK 100 %, I believe Burmese largely do, and to hell with the brown-nosers who would whine about Bangladeshis in Myanmar, but not beheaded Hindus in Bangladesh.
The dangerous ideology behind Bela Negara
I’m not going to say anything about Chris Beale apart from the fact that his air-headed remarks about Thailand are self-parody enough, no need for him to start to talk about Indonesia, a country he knows even less about.
But Mohammed Asher – I would be so glad if you are right to think that Jokowi’s side is winning. Why don’t you write an article about it?
As it is, however, the “blasphemy” trial against the Christian Chinese-Indonesian governor of Jakarta is still running, while the head of anti-Pancasila FPI has not been named suspect yet although he is clearly working against the constitution of Indonesia. It’s not more than 2 or 3 weeks ago that the defense minister of Indonesia defended (no pun intended) training FPI and said he would like to train ISIS also.
Last year, 2016, started with a hate campaign against gay, lesbians, and trans-people (LGBT) , then anti-Chinese-Indonesian resentment was revived, by people including the then Indonesian ambassador to Japan, followed by anti-communist paranoia, although I have met many Islamists in Indonesia but not communist yet, then 2016 ended with the most prominent Christian politician of Indonesia, the governor of Jakarta, “Ahok”, being put on trial for “blasphemy” because he has allegedly “insulted” the Koran. And all of this while the openly anti-Pancasila, so anti-Indonesian FPI gets trained by the military. How can you expect serious blogs like New Mandala and other foreign media not to publish articles about these very frightening developments in Indonesia?
Btw I hope you are right and Jokowi and the reformists will win, because I love Indonesia. But Western media being silent about the all too frightening recent developments in Indonesia would not make that more likely to happen but less. – Write your article, I for one would be very interested !
The Rohingya crisis and Suu Kyi’s chance
Suu Kyi may be a great disappointment to many of us, but the fact is that she was overwhelmingly elected by the Burmese people to be their leader. This included most non-Burman ethnic constituencies where the NLD beat off challenges from fragmented ethnic political parties. She may no longer be the darling of activist groups overseas, but nary a word of criticism is heard from Western Governments who recognise that current problems are not all her fault, but rather inherited. Boris was completely bowled over by her during his recent visit.
As that perceptive and passionate writer on human rights issues, David Mathieson, a former researcher for Human Rights Watch, has recently observed (VoA News 26 January 2017): “A major thing (the international community) can do right now is to reorient a lot of the valid criticism of what is going on away from the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and to the actual perpetrators: the army and the police.”
Unfortunately, Brexit has greatly reduced British influence in the EU, which used to follow the British lead on Burma, but not any more. Obama also fought valiantly for Rohingya rights, but Trump sadly will move in the opposite direction. Pity Ambassador Scot Marciel who may now have to defend water-boarding, unless he joins the growing band of US career diplomats who are refusing to serve under Trump.
State of denial
Nonetheless Ralph, Thailand did move back to democracy. Do you really think that could have happened, if the Royal Family opposed it ? Furthermore, Royal favourite former PM Anand was a major player / writer of Thailand’s most democratic ever constitution – ie. the 1997 People’s Constitution. How do you – and other Jacobin Royal haters – explain those two facts ?
State of denial
Leaving aside a notion of ideological osmosis, the comments on 1992 suggest you refer to a statement he made about “restraint.” As Wikipedia has it: “Early on the morning of 20 May, the popular Princess Sirindhorn addressed the country on television, calling for an end to the violence. Her appeal was rebroadcast throughout the day. That evening, her brother, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, broadcast a similar appeal.” That doesn’t add up to him and the royal family “shifting Thailand back to democracy” unless you mean Democracy with the King as Head of State….
Your claim is for “grounds for hope.” I hope I win Lotto but that doesn’t mean I will.
Eyes on the spies in Thailand
Fully agree with Chris’ post, and I suspect that AMM is being charitable when he refers to it being ‘an accident’. I seriously doubt that for all the reasons Chri and others have offered, and events subsequent to the act suggest something to hide rather than something for which nobody was deliberately to blame.
Somebody who claimed to be close to circles in the Palace told me some years ago that the murder (the word he used) was because of Thailand’s relationship with the Japanese during WW2. I have no means of judging the merit or otherwise of that, but the claim strongly suggests something other than an ‘accident’, and given the USA’s self-interested opposition to Churchill’s insistence that Thailand should pay war reparations, it seems likely that they were involved somewhere along the line.
State of denial
Well, setting aside Chris’s rather obsequious comment, and noting Ralph’s dubious view about the new head boy, I still think that he has a few surprises to spring yet. No I don’t have any evidence to support this, it’s an intuition only, and probably worthless for that reason, but thats what I believe might well happen. Personally I welcome the fact that in the short time since his ascension, he has humiliated Prayuth and emasculated Prem, 2 things which his father was too dim and corrupt to recognise needed doing and too spineless to do even if he did.
Bringing in Suthep was an important necessity for Paul’s points to be made, and even though I understand that lying, cheating and stealing is second nature to many Thais (having been set an excellent example on all counts by their dear departed totem), I am an optimist and believe that Suthep has shot his bolt. I doubt he will be trusted or even given credence by any intelligent and non-corrupt Thai ever again, however rare those beasts may be. He’s an excellent example of poacher turned gamekeeper and is now laughably and shamelessly critical of other people’s corruption, mendacity and deceit. Life’s funny sometimes I’ve found. Suthep is a factor most people overlook when castigating Thailand for it’s manifold stupidities, but he is the elephant in many rooms which most Thais would now much prefer to ignore. Turning a blind eye is something Thais do well, even if it’s only to the extent to which they allowed themselves to be conned by a consummate conman.
And so to Prayuth, who, it seems to me, has a proper place at the end of a rope or in front of a firing squad and not parading himself on the international stage where it seems he isn’t astute enough to know he’s been and is being treated like a complete leper. Presumably treason is still a crime in Thailand? How anyone can take this clown seriously is beyond me altogether, and he seems not to enjoy the esteem of the new head boy at all, which would be a major point in favour of the new head boy. Time will tell I suppose.
If the persistent rumours of communications with the infernal Thaksin are true, one only hopes that once the execrable Prayuth is inevitably shown the door, someone will then punish him and his conspirators so harshly, that no-one in the Thai Armed Forces type will ever again want to consider a putsch against an elected government. Sticking to bailing out floodwater and blocked sewers would play altogether more to their natural strengths I feel. A recurring daydream of mine is that every officer above the rank of Captain will be dismissed from the Thai army, and every officer above the rank of major to have their assets investigated seriously. No pension, no rights, end of. Just a lengthy spell in prison. Then it will be time to start on the police and the judiciary.
Sigh. I doubt it will ever happen but imho it’s the only way to rehabilitate Thailand and make it a fit member of the international community instead of a pariah.
Even so, I haven’t yet abandoned the notion that the new head boy will yet surprise us all.
The dangerous ideology behind Bela Negara
My complain is this : why so much negativism when in fact our current situation is looking up, or at least the anti-reform-development faction is currently losing against the government? Why can’t just criticize Indonesia for the sake of exposing the reality in details instead of wasting so much time cherry picking on bits that only serves to feed white ego?
The dangerous ideology behind Bela Negara
This article so reeks of “here is Indonesian discourses for bule dummies” cloaked in alarmism. This article would fit better when Bela Negara was only in its first weeks and months and the actors behind them were indeed on upperhand. These days, those people’s very grip on power are slipping, and the Jokowi’s regime is winning. If anything we’re expecting a landslide progress of reforms this year, what with Luhut has basically declared our military to operate in American manner and no less then Wiranto himself has encouraged the Chinese to pursue carreer in military, government and education, effectively inviting them into the system.
I remember new mandala has an article containing astute analysis upon Indonesian vigilante politics, but these days the situation is evolving beyond that. If anything we’re currently seeing the rise of popularly mandated security state based on neoliberal civil principles, which is in itself is not free of critics and has its own batch of worries to offer. But any appeal to Orba style vigilantist thought suppression and other Orbaist MOs are now becoming outdated, since a new generation of power structure is currently on the rise.
State of denial
I swear, I can hear Air Chief Marshall barking approval, from the grave !
State of denial
Ralph Kramden – he’s always been a good friend of Australia, one of the most democratic countries. He also seems to have been happier here growing up, than in more hidebound English boarding school. He also spends much of his time in Germany, one of Europe’s most democratic countries. During and after Suchinda’s May ’92 fiasco, he supported – together with the rest of Thailand’s Royal Family – Anand, Chuan Leek Pai, and others, shifting Thailand back to democracy. There ARE grounds for hope.
State of denial
I’m not sure why anyone thought that this prince, now king, would be interested in democracy. What is there in his life that even hints at such an absurd notion?
State of denial
Excellent news. The new king is strengthening his position vis a vis self-serving upstart military power-grabbers like Prayut. I pray that one day His Majesty will be in a sufficiently strong position, to do what Spain’s great King Juan Carlos did – I.e. bring democracy back, thereby HUGELY boosting this king’s popularity, and strength. God bless His Majesty.
Eyes on the spies in Thailand
What WE DO KNOW is :
1) that the gun was loaded. Why would Ananda have a LOADED gun by his bed ? Not child’s play.
2) that the SAFETY LATCH was DISABLED. Either it was tampered with, or someone deliberately turned it off. Just as they DELIBERATELY loaded the bullet. Amanda’s regicide was NO ACCIDENT – despite AMM ‘s parroting of that ridiculous leave-of-reality, post- truth politics line.
3) the single shot was TARGETED AT the site where it could do most irretrievable damage – I.e. Ananda’s HEAD. Not his feet, not his arms, not his torso, etc.
The Rohingya crisis and Suu Kyi’s chance
On the contrary, DASSK has been abandoned by the political class mesmerized by the fake “Rohingya” issue. I do not agree at all that Boris Johnson, a buffoon, will defend DASSK. On what grounds ? DASSK used to be the darling of the UN crowd. NOT ANY MORE. I do not see say the same criticisms of Imran Khan, Cricketer turned politician who was a Bollywood star. When support for his political ambitions waned, there was no comment whatsoever in any Press, except Pakistan’s. Me thinks there is a absolute bias against DASSK for being a Burmese patriot, and an infantile view of Myanmar influenced by Arab and Islamic money and the UNHCR and UNWRA Ponzi scheme, developed in Gaza and the West Bank and spread to other places like Iraq, Syria and Myanmar.
Visions of violence in Southern Thailand
How does your experience with finding
‘the Southern ‘Thai Muslims’ to be friendly, helpful, and eager to get on with their lives’.
or that the people are ‘not a well-spring of anti-Thai/central government feelings’
or that ‘[you] never have ever relied on the police or military for security as [your] association with everyday Muslims have given [you] comfort’
mean in any way that they are not malay muslims?
Are they malay? Yes. The majority of them are. They are recognised as having been a colonised Malay sultanate. They speak the malay language (whose specific dialect is largely the same as those malays in the neighbouring Malaysian state of Kelantan). They practise other aspects of malay culture such as in dress, food, architecture and so on. And most importantly, they identify their own ethnicity as Malay.
Are they muslim? Yes. The majority of them are.
So there really should not be a problem in referring to a people according to how they want to be identified. Unless of course when there are political reasons not to do so.
The Rohingya crisis and Suu Kyi’s chance
She’s basically contradicting herself on this “politics Vs. human rights”. As I said, she is establishing a false dilemma now that is convenient for her to do so. But the problem is not so much that she’s a politician (which is absolutely ok, and it’s actually what she should be), but that she is an awful politician, without any strategic skills or a workable vision for her country; and she has had time enough to develop it after almost three decades involved in politics with long periods of time she could have devoted to reflect on solutions to her country’s woes, but she emerged from them with nothing but a few platitudes. She surely believes it’s her right to rule, but she has frivolously neglected the most important aspect of all: what to do once in power (and I’m talking here not only about the Rohingya, but about most issues affecting Burma). I still maintain what I wrote in 2014, she doesn’t represent a real alternative to the Tatmadaw: http://www.dvb.no/analysis/the-lady-doth-protest-too-seldom/34291
The Rohingya crisis and Suu Kyi’s chance
. . . and Arabs get bad press in the West despite their oil wealth? Ah, the Caliphate conspiracy!