Following some of the events that are filling up the calendars of New Mandala readers in the UK Giles Ji Ungpakorn has released a statement. Like some of his other statements the English is not an exact translation of the Thai. The two versions read:

*р╕Ир╕Фр╕лр╕бр╕▓р╕вр╕Цр╕╢р╕Зр╕Чр╕╣р╕Хр╣Др╕Чр╕вр╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕Ир╕│р╕ер╕нр╕Щр╕Фр╕нр╕Щ Open Letter to Thai Embassy in London*

р╕Ьр╕бр╕вр╕┤р╕Щр╕Фр╕╡р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕кр╕Цр╕▓р╕Щр╕Чр╕╣р╕Хр╣Др╕Чр╕вр╕Юр╕гр╣Йр╕нр╕бр╕Ир╕░р╣Бр╕кр╕Фр╕Зр╕Ир╕╕р╕Фр╕вр╕╖р╕Щр╕Чр╕▓р╕Зр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╣Ар╕бр╕╖р╕нр╕Зр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╣Бр╕Хр╕Бр╕Хр╣Ир╕▓р╕Зр╕Ир╕▓р╕Бр╕Ир╕╕р╕Фр╕вр╕╖р╕Щр╕Ьр╕бр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Ьр╕бр╕вр╕┤р╕Щр╕Фр╕╡р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕бр╕╡р╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Ир╕▒р╕Фр╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕Кр╕╕р╕бр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕кр╕▓р╕бр╕▒р╕Др╕Др╕╡р╕кр╕бр╕▓р╕Др╕бр╣Ар╕Юр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕Чр╕╣р╕Хр╣Др╕Чр╕вр╣Бр╕кр╕Фр╕Зр╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕бр╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щр╕Вр╕нр╕Зр╕Эр╣Ир╕▓р╕вр╕гр╕▒р╕Рр╕Ър╕▓р╕е

р╣Ар╕Юр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Юр╕▒р╕Тр╕Щр╕▓р╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╣Бр╕ер╕Бр╣Ар╕Ыр╕ер╕╡р╣Ир╕вр╕Щр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╣Гр╕Кр╣Йр╕Ыр╕▒р╕Нр╕Нр╕▓р╕Хр╣Ир╕нр╣Др╕Ы р╕Ьр╕бр╕Ир╕╢р╕Зр╕Вр╕нр╣Ар╕Кр╕┤р╕Нр╕Чр╕╣р╕Хр╣Др╕Чр╕вр╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕Ир╕│р╕ер╕нр╕Щр╕Фр╕нр╕Щр╕гр╣Ир╕зр╕бр╣Вр╕Хр╣Йр╕зр╕▓р╕Чр╕╡р╕зр╕┤р╕Кр╕▓р╕Бр╕▓р╕г р╕кр╕нр╕Зр╕Хр╣Ир╕нр╕кр╕нр╕З р╕Бр╕▒р╕Ър╕Ьр╕бр╣Гр╕Щр╣Ар╕зр╕Чр╕╡р╕кр╕▓р╕Шр╕▓р╕гр╕Ур╕░ р╣Ар╕гр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Зр╕Ыр╕▒р╕Нр╕лр╕▓р╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕Кр╕▓р╕Шр╕┤р╕Ыр╣Др╕Хр╕вр╣Др╕Чр╕вр╣Вр╕Фр╕вр╕бр╕╡р╕Ьр╕╣р╣Йр╕Фр╕│р╣Ар╕Щр╕┤р╕Щр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╣Ар╕Ыр╣Зр╕Щр╕Бр╕ер╕▓р╕З р╕нр╕▓р╕Ир╕Ир╕▒р╕Фр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕ер╕нр╕Щр╕Фр╕нр╕Щр╣Гр╕Щр╣Ар╕Фр╕╖р╕нр╕Щр╣Ар╕бр╕йр╕▓р╕вр╕Щ

р╕лр╕зр╕▒р╕Зр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Ир╕░р╕бр╕╡р╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Хр╕нр╕Ър╕гр╕▒р╕Ър╕бр╕▓р╕Ир╕▓р╕Бр╕кр╕Цр╕▓р╕Щр╕Чр╕╣р╕Хр╣Ар╕Юр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╣Бр╕кр╕Фр╕Зр╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕бр╕Ир╕гр╕┤р╕Зр╣Гр╕Ир╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕бр╣Ар╕Ыр╕┤р╕Фр╕Бр╕зр╣Йр╕▓р╕Зр╕Чр╕▓р╕Зр╕зр╕┤р╕Кр╕▓р╕Бр╕▓р╕г

р╕г.р╕и. р╣Гр╕И р╕нр╕╢р╣Кр╕Зр╕ар╕▓р╕Бр╕гр╕Ур╣М

р╣С р╕бр╕╡р╕Щр╕▓р╕Др╕б р╣Тр╣Хр╣Хр╣Т

I am happy that the Thai Ambassador is taking a keen interest in public discussions concerning the Thai political situation. His talk at Sammagi Samakom shows this. Therefore may I suggest as a next step that the Ambassador and I debate the issue of Thai Democracy publically sometime in April. We can ensure a neutral chair person. I hope that the Ambassador will agree to this public debate in a spirit of open-minded academic freedom.

Associate Professor Giles Ji Ungpakorn

1 March 2009