'The call for blood must be nipped in the bud'
Pannika Wanich
The parliament has only recently been appointed and already there are the necessary feuds and accusations. The Future Forward parliamentarians in particular should be spared. Not only party leader Thanathorn and party secretary Piyabutr, but also party spokeswoman Pannika are now under fire. With her white and black outfit, for example, she would have shown no respect for the announced period of mourning following the death of former Prime Minister Prem. The June 13 Bangkok Post featured the following op-ed by former editor Sanitsuda Ekachai.
What started as a childish quarrel between two female politicians from the two opposing camps will have a not so pleasant ending. This given the cry for blood from the camp of right-wing ultra-royalists.
At first I thought it was just a storm in a teacup. Of course it is disappointing to see female pro-junta politicians bullying a newcomer like jealous schoolgirls. But after the dress code ruckus ignited into a bloodthirsty lèse-majeste witch hunt, our worst fears came true sooner than expected.
This chilling thought occurred to me when I read conversations between temple-going mothers in one of my chat rooms about the lèse-majesté allegation against Pannika Wanich, MP and spokeswoman for the Future Forward Party (FFP).
It was shocking to read that these usually nice and considerate women are also anti-monarchic witch hunters. Their conversations reveal that Pannika Wanich is not the only target of their hate campaigns, but also other members of the FFP, who they believe are pro-Thaksin and anti-monarchy.
"Jail them, force them to give up their idiotic ideas and send them to the Deep South."
'Too late to change their minds. They no longer know what is good and what is bad. Lock them up forever'.
'they should die'.
'Remove them from Thailand'.
“They are part of the movement to continue the 1932 revolution. They must be dealt with harshly or they will come up with even more lies.'
Lessons from the past
Hearing hate speech from strangers is one thing, but hearing it from people you know and personally appreciate is quite another.
I suddenly saw a horrifying image before me. Yes, the picture of that man beating a so-called communist who was hanged from a tree with a chair, while the spectators - including children - cheered as the so-called enemy of the monarchy, the nation and Buddhism was beaten before their very eyes.
The communist threat no longer exists. And yet the fervent ultra-royalist sentiments can easily be abused by those in power to eliminate dissenters and further cement their power. Why?
Why do people who are proud of their Buddhist faith, such as the mothers who go to the temples, think it is good to insist on and support murder, when it is the greatest sin in Buddhism? What's going on in their heads? What are their motives? Love for the fatherland? Fear of change? Or are they simply brainwashed? How can we nip their desire for violence in the bud before it is too late?
Thailand really a Buddhist country?
Although Thailand is a mainly Buddhist country, Buddhism does not seem to be our main guiding principle. It is a simple principle: as a Buddhist, you refrain from exploitation, both of others and of yourself.
If our country were truly Buddhist, we would not support the death penalty. We would not profit from prostitution, human trafficking or alcoholism. The country would not suffer from corruption and environmental destruction. And people would think before expressing verbal abuse or agreeing to it.
If Thailand is a Buddhist country, it must learn to respond to criticism in a Buddhist manner. When an old Brahmin showered the Buddha with insulting diatribes, he did not answer with anger or hatred, nor did he imprison the ignorant in prison. He listened to them as if they were sounds passing by. Then he told the old man that hostility and its negative consequences remain with those it harbors.
When the Buddha was accused of getting a woman pregnant, he tortured the woman neither to tell the truth nor to silence her. He waited for the truth to reveal itself.
This is the path that people of moral confidence should follow. That is why King Bhumibol said in a speech in 2005 that he was open to criticism and that the lese-majeste law actually damaged him and the monarchy. But criticism on emotionally charged subjects is necessary. Let's see how Buddhism sees right speech.
Just telling the truth is not enough. It should be done with good intentions and without hurting anyone else. Hateful and divisive speech is not good. The truth must be beneficial and spoken at the right time to bring about change.
Both sides of the political landscape have neglected these principles.
Patriotic patriots?
What then is our national religion, if not Buddhism? Arguably royalist nationalism: the main ideology hammered in through education and ruling every corner of our society.
As in all religions, there are powerful players in society who take advantage of it and abuse that belief for their own profit. Criticism is seen as blasphemy that should be severely punished rather than accepted as a freedom of expression. While the 'patriots' ironically think they are defending the monarchy and are proud of it, they actually drag the monarchy into the political arena and harm it.
The modern monarchy is based on royal benevolence towards everyone. What the right-wing ultra-royalists are doing is undermining this foundation. That does not bode well for the future.
It's easy to see who benefits most when the anti-monarchy witch hunt spirals out of control.
The first shots came from the pro-junta camp. An investigation promptly followed. That the target is a new political party that sees the pro-junta camp as a threat makes the witch hunt all the more questionable.
The coalition government will be on weak legs. The opposition will make it very difficult for them to govern. Politics will be tense. No one knows when the military will be tired of the sham of civilian government.
If the supporters of royalist nationalism are unaware that they are being manipulated and used as pawns for political ends, their patriotism can easily lead to extremism and violence. That has happened before. If the anti-monarchy witch hunt continues, we cannot rule out that it will happen again.
Source:: www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1694228/calls-for-blood-must-be-nipped-in-bud
I completely agree with this man. True democrats who are clearly concerned with basic human values such as freedom of expression and human rights are portrayed as a danger to the country. The accusation of being anti-monarchy is unfounded and to combat that, everything seems permitted, even if it goes against the core values of Buddhism, among others. But the networks at the top want to keep the plebs as serfs who should not be able to say too much , listen carefully and know their place in society. That this erodes the foundations of the country..
Nb: I see that in my post-editing of Tino's translation I messed up the colon: “Source:: ” 55
Quote:
'I totally agree with this man.'
Which man do you mean, Rob? Sanitsuda (Sanit means intimate and suda means daughter or wife) is a woman..
Background:
– black and white outfit drama (the pro junta Phalang Pracharat member also throws ugly terms at the head of the Future Forward lady):
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/culture/net/2019/06/05/pantsuit-gate-future-forward-mp-criticized-for-not-wearing-all-black/
– Allegation of article 112 regarding pointing to a photo:
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2019/06/10/parina-vs-pannika-pro-prayuth-mp-says-future-forward-rivals-grad-photo-violates-112/
– A lawyer, in response or to show the double standard, has charged Prayut's brother with lèse majesté for sitting on a throne with the necessary bling bling:
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2019/06/13/lawyer-accuses-prayuths-brother-sister-in-law-of-112-for-sitting-on-thrones/
Cartoon Witch Hunt:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/cartoon/20669
Democratic movements in Thailand are automatically placed in the ranks of communist and anti-monarchist. Then LM is an easy piece of law to tackle Democrats and the elite uses that tool inappropriately. It is such a 'nice' article that neighboring Cambodia has already introduced it.
The fear that the people will be incited and take to the streets to settle scores (read: murder...) is justified and the uniforms then make fun of themselves because this is how they get rid of 'difficult' people. The result of this kind of demagoguery can be seen in Myanmar, where a population group is being slaughtered and expelled under heavy pressure from monks who have no problem with blood on their hands.
Although I have a good and warm heart for TH, TH has absolutely no sympathy for some points. The whole affair surrounding the FFP shows TH at its narrowest. Immature and at times primitive. It is and remains a strange thing that jealousy, jealousy, envy (and other such negative connotations that all mean the same thing) form the main driving force of thinking. Let's hope it doesn't turn into trading.
Religion is just a thin veneer, meant to unite or unite people. Very few care about the principles of faith unless it happens to suit them. People with too little education or little ability to think for themselves are always easy to prod for a witch hunt. People remain people and they like to think in terms of us versus them. That must be a primal reflex from the time when such behavior was convenient or necessary. Wasn't it lovely to hear Prayut recommend reading Animal Farm?
PBS has a short (video) bio about Phannika (พรรณิการ์) เชื่อ), nickname Chòh (ช่อ):
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/pannikar-from-news-presenter-to-lightning-rod/
Just like a few weeks ago when an American who became rich with trading bitcoin and his Thai spouse planned to build a floating resort 19 km off the coast and outside the territorial waters of Phuket.
A simple floating structure was just finished when the Thai navy was already on site.
A threat to Thailand's sovereignty and monarchy was said.
The Thai American couple disappeared somewhere in Thailand and they are still looking to arrest them.
Sovereignty and the monarchy with that weapon shield the junta and the elite.
To actually do something about the real problems that this country is confronted with every day, for example, the rapidly increasing yaba problem.
You don't hear them about that, that this problem will bring the country into bigger trouble, probably doesn't get through to them.
Or maybe because some people earn a lot from this.
Jan Beute.
Thailand is just not ready for democracy, you can see it already.
Let's be honest, the so-called democratic parties in Thailand don't give each other the light in the eye.
This is not a new phenomenon and if the army is still involved in the battle, the end will be lost.
Then let the army call the shots, that's better for everyone.
Democracy is nice but it must be able to function in a normal way and that is unfortunately not the case in Thailand.
In short, Thailand has no democracy that comes close to what we understand by democracy.
No now the name – Politic
Poli from Latin is called – a lot
Tic in english is a blood sucking insect!
I don't like the military taking over. But those who think that the biggest and only problem for democratic development in Thailand is the military have really shit in their eyes if you follow the political news of the past few weeks.
The Pheu Thai that the senate wants to declare illegal because the list of the elect has not been published in the government gazette. The FFP wants 30 senators to investigate shares in companies that may also (will) exploit media. The henchmen of the PPRP targeting several members of the FFP. A political party with clear links to construction company SinoTai that supplies the Minister of Transport.
It all seems very childish, bullying, playing the man / woman, but the game is very serious, involves a lot of money and power. . Not for the sake of the country or the fate of all Thais. Nothing has been learned from the past.
This morning the Godfather of the Thai mafia passed away, Khamnan Poh. I advise you to watch TV every day and see which politicians (old and new) come to pay his last respects. The reasoning will undoubtedly be that people know the sons well. And think of the following: which Dutch politician would be present at the cremation of Willem Holleeder because he/she has such a good heart for the sisters????
And what causes much of this behavior? I see the attempts to undermine the Senate as an attempt to undermine something that really makes no sense. The Constitution, the current composition of the Senate, those things are shit, fraud and theft. The attempts to undermine Phalang Pracharat members are a piece of cake, the absurd charges have been unleashed by junta people on Future Forward (1 FF member disqualified, several high FF members under heavy fire for nonsensical things with serious consequences).
But it's about a lot of money and power, the elite families (also deep green) don't want to let go of that just like that. There is enough conflict among themselves about that, so the plebs should stay away from that, imagine that Somchai gets something in the milk of the worker. Brrr.. democracy.
The problem is that the 'khon die' at the top, in the military, business and so on don't want democracy to keep the cake for themselves.
The solution?? Well..
I think there is something wrong with your knowledge of Thai parliamentary history. This childish, greedy thing is nothing new at all, but has been going on for years. The number of defamation lawsuits can hardly be counted, especially when it comes to red and yellow. It all distracts from what it's really about and the population is getting tired of these politicians, of all of them.
Thai “democracy” is so incredibly immature, not to say annoyingly childish. Stop trying to teach the reader that different rules apply in TH. Democracy was Greek, is universal, and there is nothing Thai about it.
huh? Now you're reading things I didn't write Chris. Well done.
People who have followed political history a bit may be aware that the well-known figures, persons and parties have been playing this game for years. Therefore, it is also irresponsible that a new party such as Anakot Mai (Future Forward), which clearly wants to break with this, has found a lot of sympathy among the Thai population. They are tired of the old guard. And also those who attack - I think - why the party has to deal with so many backward, dirty and nonsensical attacks. There are clearly groups that are not waiting for a clean slate with democratic norms and values and everything around it.
Quote:
"I don't like soldiers who take over power."
That's very nice, Chris, but you were quite enthusiastic about the coup in 2014 and you made little or no criticism of the military regime afterwards. As I have often said, your criticism of the elected politicians is generally correct. No, the military are not the biggest and certainly not the only problem in Thailand, but they are a pretty big problem. Agree? Or do you think they are the right solution for Thailand?
Quote:
"The Pheu Thai that the senate wants to declare illegal because the list of the elect has not been published in the government gazette."
No, that was about the 10-man committee (many of them military) that appointed the senators. Of those 10 men, 6 subsequently had themselves appointed as senators.
Quote:
'The FFP that wants to have 30 senators investigated for shares in companies that could (be going to) exploit media.'
This is not about senators, but about members of parliament. The leader of the FFP, Thanathorn, has therefore been suspended as a member of parliament. It is quite right that other members of parliament should also be held accountable for this.
Yes, you are right that it is often quite childish and is about power and money at the same time. Let us, as Sanitsuda does in the story above, name the shortcomings without criticizing the democratic process in general.
I was NEVER excited about the coup. I only wrote pieces in which I understood how to act in the situation that prevailed at the time, especially in Bangkok. And yes, after 100 days the junta had also done a number of things well. That may also be said. Then it all slipped because the approach was mainly focused on symptoms.
Holleeder cannot be compared to Khamnan Poh, if only because the latter was someone to be reckoned with in both the political playground and in the upper world, and below is a piece from 2003.
Kamnan Poh's name is a synonym for “godfather” and “influence”.
This is not because he has been the biggest or baddest of them all. Rather, he has been the proudest and the most confident. His rise was spectacular. fisherman. Smuggler. Country dealer. Local politician. Big national political wheel.
The godfathers rose at a time there was not a lot of law or government in the provinces. They made lots of money by exploiting that space and then they provided the law and government.
They regulated who got the good deals.
They got rid of people who made trouble. They helped out those in difficulty.
When big people like ministers, generals, or senior bureaucrats came down from Bangkok, they went straight to the godfather to get things done. This was when the term “influence” came into vogue.
Then in the 1980s, parliamentary politics offered them a way to launder themselves and to upgrade themselves — a broader range of contacts, some bigger deals, and higher status.
But it also had a downside. It bought them into contact with a very different system of law and government which claimed to be superior.
This started a period of uncomfortable transition. They were still very powerful-in fact more powerful than ever. But they had to put up with a lot of flak.
“Influence” was now modified to “dark influence”. Journalists portrayed them as semi-outlaws. Policemen were occasionally sent to hound them. A few got caught and a few retired.
Their survival strategy was to go legit, and to promote their sons. But this wasn't easy.
Other countries have been through this change from a lawless environment for business and politics to a much more regulated one.
Think of the transition in the US from the Kennedy patriarch to his presidential son.
But in Thailand, it happened much faster. The Thai godfathers had little more than a decade. They had to bring their sons on quickly. They had to settle the blood feuds stretching back over many years and many killings. They had to get out of the bad businesses while preventing another apprentice godfather slipping into their place.
In 2019 it is still a battle for power and perhaps the Godfathers play a game with the visible politicians so that the interests of both parties can be defended.
In the Netherlands and the EU, this is called lobbying paid for by the large companies in order to get less informed managers to work for those companies.
Another new opinion piece in the Bangkok post about the polarization surrounding the elections and party support. Yes some Thai love to throw pizza:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1696356/a-new-chill-is-coming-to-thailand
And a third good piece, in short: the military regime believes in ruling with an iron fist, intimidating and eliminating other sounds through article 112. Hate and polarization that are encouraged. This means that the strife/quarreling continues into subsequent generations. If the ruling conservatives continue to crack down on dissidents instead of pushing for an inclusive and tolerant society, the road ahead is still long and dark.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1697176/fanatics-make-a-mockery-of-our-democracy
I think the conclusion of the piece is quite different. And it is not about the military regime at all, but about the new government that is already showing all kinds of fractures. And it is now private individuals (whether or not encouraged by others) who accuse other private individuals of lese majeste.
In 2018 there was NOT ANY new accusations from lese majeste.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30355507
What about the iron fist of the military regime? Injury?
The oppression by regime and allies continues, think of the Computer Crimes Act and the like. That is why three Thai opinion pieces in the newspaper about the not so pleasant climate that prevails in the country.