An interesting looking seminar later today at the Asia Foundation in San Francisco. Reports on the seminar from New Mandala readers would be very welcome. Here is the notice I received. It seems that somebody knows what most Thai citizens thought about the coup!

On September 19, 2006, military leaders in Thailand staged a bloodless coup to overthrow the administration installed by Thaksin Shinawatra. The coup was welcomed by most Thai citizens, who deemed it necessary to rid the nation of systemic corruption and restore democracy, but condemned by the international community as a blow to democracy. Seven months later, as promised, a military-appointed Constitution Drafting Assembly has proposed the draft of a new constitution that will be open for public comment until May 26, 2007.

Has the coup in fact been “good” for Thai democracy, and will the new constitution help ensure the coup’s promises of ending political divisiveness, corruption, and the violence in southern Thailand?

Please join The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Thailand, Dr. James Klein, a renowned Thailand expert who — with over 30 years of experience in the country — is widely published on Thai democracy, rule of law, and conflict resolution.

Co-sponsored by The Asia Foundation.

Thursday, May 3, 2007
5:30 PM registration
6:00 pm program
Haydn Williams Conference Room
The Asia Foundation
465 California Street, 8th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Free and open to the public.
Light refreshments served.

To register, please call 415.743.3347 or email [email protected].