Southeast Asia: Reactions to Thailand protests

Global Voice

By Mong Palatino

For two months, Red Shirt protesters occupied the streets of Bangkok demanding the resignation of the prime minister. The protest camps have been dismantled already but the city is still reeling from the political crisis.

The violent confrontations between the heavily armed soldiers and protesters in the past week have stunned the world. What are the reactions of bloggers from neighbouring Southeast Asian nations?

A few days ago, the Thailand government revealed that Cambodian “mercenaries” were hired by the Red Shirts to sow violence in the city. This accusation elicited strong reactions in Cambodia. Khmerizationreminds the Thailand government that there are many ethnic Khmers in Thailand who are already Thai citizens.

Many red shirt protesters were mainly made up of ethnic Khmers and Laotians living in the northeastern provinces of Thailand who are Thai citizens. We need to remember also that the Thai media owned by the Red Shirt Movement also accused the Abhisit government of dressing up Khmer prisoners in military uniform and sent them to crackdown on the red shirt recently. How true are these rumours? Nobody knows.

The Son of the Khmer Empire believes the motive for spreading this rumor is to demonize Cambodians

I believe the rumour is circulated intentionally and politically in order to…make the Khmer as scapegaot to appease Thai anger against each other and turn the revenge/hatred towards Khmers and esp. the bloody Thai elite and royal family will not be held responsible for the bloodshed.

A political cartoon about the Red Shirt protest crackdown in Bangkok. Cartoon created by Cambodian artist Bun Heang Ung

Filipino journalist Joe Torres visited a Red Shirt protest site

It was like our EDSA “revolutions.” There were raw emotions, spontaneous actions and a lot of fun. The people, many of them from the countryside, wanted the ruling party out. They wanted “change,” something we hear in our politicians campaign sorties these days.

Kopisusu2 from Indonesia was also visiting Bangkok when the Red Shirts were still in the streets

Many analysts agree the protesters have a point. But as long as the demonstration lasts, the Red Shirts are cutting off the supply of joy to businesses in the Red Zone and impeding its flow to the entire economy.

Our old hotel, the VIP Golden House, is inside the zone. It will stay closed until the protesters leave, said the woman behind the desk with a stoic smile.

i eat padek, who blogs about Laos, reacts

wow. red shirts, yellow shirts, thaksin vs. vejjajivait, it’s all really confusing… most people have already heard about the recent violence consuming bangkok, thailand and killing it’s land-of-smiles-and-etc tourism industry

Southeast Asian Archaeology newsblog warns that the protests are affecting attendance in museums near the protest zones

Most of you would be familiar with the protests going on in Bangkok, which have recently claimed lives due to clashes between the protesters and the authorities. The Fine Arts Department also report that museum visitorships have suffered greatly because of the protests, as the majority of the museums in Bangkok are located near the protest areas, and in some cases protesters have mistakenly stormed the museums!

Musings from the Lion City, a Singapore blogger, analyzes Thailand’s political situation

Even if he wants to call fresh elections, Abhisit most probably can’t as the Bangkok elite that support him and put him in power will not allow it. They will probably also know that any elections will be won by the rural “Red Shirts”. Mistakes have been made by both sides in this conflict and I’m afraid the mistakes has piled up to such an extent that there’s no longer an easy way out for anyone.

Twitter and Facebook were extensively used to monitor the situation in Bangkok. Jonathan Russell provides a better and clearer context about the usage of social media in relation to the Red Shirt protests

While I do agree Twitter, and more prominently Facebook, amplified hateful comments, many of the vitriol online (though worrying itself) can be put down to extreme opinions which do not represent the popular opinion.

A minority of Thais use Facebook (around 3 million) and Twitter (less than a million), and of these the comments came from a small percentage. For example, an vitriolic Facebook Group with 1,000 is large number but, in the bigger picture, is 0.03% of Thai Facebook members and clearly not representative of any kind of majority.

I agree that the manner in which social networks can legitimize vitriolic groups which grew in Thailand during the protests is worrying. As the average Facebook users is more likely in Bangkok, middle class or affluent, and not a red shirt, much of comments and rage were against the UDD and its protest. Here.

The Future of Thailand

Thai royalist tries to discover a “New Religion”

Originally posted at: Thai Intelligence News

I never really read Daily News, an odd newspaper of total stupid anti-democratic royalist reactionary crap. But I saw in it, one day, as Thailand went deeper and deeper into the crisis-about how Thailand is slowly closing its doors to the globe.

“The solution is to close Thailand for three years, and fix Thailand’s internal problems,” said a very large and serious analysis of Thailand.

I just laughed and laughed and laughed-but then turned real stupid in recent days.

And that is because the anti-democratic royalist worshipers-are like trashing CNN and BBC and foreigners in Thailand-like very big big times-to the extent that a university recently had a meeting that said CNN is biased-towards non-Thai values.

So like after killing the ethnocentric question in Thailand with bullets and massive numbers of dead and injured-in the Bangkok elite vs the rest of Thailand, it is now total talk about ethnocentric war with the foreigners.

“Democracy and freedom are foreign values to Thailand, said an actress that went to the university gathering.

But it is sort of like a total turning away from global “Commonly Accepted” values-like justice, equality, democracy and freedom.

So since Thailand-when it comes to moral and ethical values-it is Buddhism off course. But Buddhism teaches against killings very strongly. But then the royalist does not even care about that-and went slaughtering hundreds. So then off course-Buddhism is non-Thai as well-as it is imported from India.

So Buddhism is out and non-Thai now.

So the logical conclusion are-is Thailand royalist are just totally fucked up and lost-or is Thailand so cutting edge, the royalist are going to “DISCOVER A NEW RELIGION.”

If it is a new religion or philosophy-it will be amazing. Since the rest of the planet-have sort of realized now-that the only thing left to discover is new technology. A new philosophy and religion these days-wow.

So far this quest for a new religion-got Bangkok burning and an insurgent underground movement going. And also so many death and injured. Then the Thai economy suffered. And much of the planet is against the royalist Thais.

But lets say at the end of the road, the royalist Thais discover a brand new religion-what will it be?

• Well, Thai Intelligence News has been talking about the love of the Thai royalist now for a long time of the Bhutan Model-a peaceful, subsistence and happy country of absolute monarchy.
• Well, then since the Thai royalist are mass murderers and total mind control-the Thai royalist are also into the Hitler’s Nazi system as well.
• Well, the Thai royalist is also led by a commoner Sondhi of the Yellow Shirt who believes in the occult-so it is into the “Voodoo” and “Black Magic” of the Caribbean type of stuff.
• Well, then as we mentioned before, the royalist are anti-freedom of expression, anti-democracy, anti-social justice, anti-equality, anti-ethics, anti-moral-and about a hundred other modern values and norms.

So just combined them together! I think I am starting to see the final picture here-something like a pure Thai Neanderthal age. Here.

The future of Thailand: A mixture between caveman and technology

Baby Hor’s school of undiplomatic diplomacy

Cambodian Embassy withdraws offer of public debate

Press Release – 24/05/2010

Global Witness is disappointed, but not entirely surprised, to hear that the Cambodian Embassy has withdrawn its offer for a public debate with us. We had responded to their proposal in good faith and saw this as an opportunity for sensible and necessary discussion about issues of public interest. However, it seems they are continuing their policy of opacity in natural resource management, which they appear to be unable to defend or to justify in public. We therefore hope that Cambodia’s international donors will be bringing up issues of accountability, transparency and corruption at the forthcoming government-donor meeting in early June.

NOTE: Hor 5 Bora does put me and Cambodians, except for his family and CPP clan, on shame. So I call Hor 5 Bora,  his father,  Hun Sen, and other CPP’s clan are “BARSTARD” and “DICKHEAD”.  We have taken note every word that you have insulted us.

ខ្ញុំមានមោទនភាពដែលបានកើតជាពូជខែ្មរ​ និពន្ថដោយពូជខ្មែរ Poem by Pouch Khmer

Originally Posted at: The Son Of the Khmer Empire

May 25,2010 at 5:27 pm

ឪកូនខែ្មរអើយ កុំភ្លេចទឹកដី​​                           សូមខែ្មរប្រុសស្រី ឃ្មាតឃ្មីការពារ
ដីកេរ្ដិ៍មរតក ខែ្មរទាំងអស់គ្នា                          កុំឲ្យពួកមារ វាមកឈ្លានពាន

ពូជខែ្មរមានសាសន៍ ឃើញច្បាស់ប្អូនបង      ជាតិខ្មែរមិនឆ្កង មានចិត្ដជាទាន
រក្សាវប្បធម៌ កូនខែ្មរគ្រប់ប្រាណ                      ពួកចោរសាមាន្យ វាហ្នឹងរាថយ

ខែ្មរស្រលាញ់ខែ្មរ ប្រែជាប្រយោជន៍             ខែ្មរមិនអសោចន៍ ខែ្មរមិនចុះខ្សោយ
កុំជឿបង្វែ ប្រយ័ត្នថ្លោះថ្លូយ                            ជាតិខ្មែរតែមួយ ជឿខែ្មរដូចគ្នា

ខែ្មរចេះជួយខែ្មរ ទើបខែ្មរចំរើន                     ជាតិខែ្មរយើងកើន ទូទាំងកម្ពុជា
ខែ្មរមិនសាមគ្គី ពិតជាចាញ់មារ                    ខែ្មរជួបវេទនា​​​​​​​​ ដូចសព្វថ្ងៃនេះ

បើខ្មែរចេះយល់​​​​​​​ ​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​ ដល់តម្លៃមខ្លួន                នោះពួកសៀមយួន​ មិនហ៊ានជាន់ជិះ
សូមខ្មែរគ្រប់រូប ទូទាំងប្រទេស                  កុំបីប្រហេះ​​ ​ ប្រយ័ត្នបាត់កេរ្ដិ៍

យើងជាតិខេមរា ដូនតាសាងទុក              ដីកេរ្ដិ៍ឪពុក ​ ជួយរក្សាថែ
កុំជឿអ្នកផ្សេង ក្រៅពីជាតិខែ្មរ                   កុំជឿបង្វែ នាំខែ្មរវិនាស

បើខែ្មរជឿខែ្មរ ខែ្មរពិតគង់្វង់                          ខែ្មរមិនលិចលង់ ខែ្មរមិនព្រាត់ប្រាស់
បើខ្មែរគ្រប់រូប ខំប្រឹងខ្នែងខ្នះ                      ខែ្មរទាំងក្មេងចាស់ បានផុតទម្និញ

លើទឹកដីខែ្មរ ត្រូវខែ្មររស់នៅ                       មិនម៉ែនសត្រូវ រស់នៅទៅវិញ
យួនមានសិទ្ធិ៍ធំ ដេញខែ្មរឲ្យចេញ             ខែ្មរសែនទម្និញ រស់ក្រោមអាណា

ខែ្មរជាម្ចាស់ដី ប្រុសស្រីគ្មានសិទ្ធិ៍               រស់មានកម្រត់ ជាតិខែ្មរខ្លោចផ្សា
យួនរទេស រស់ដោយរដ្ឋា                            ឯជាតិខេមរា រដ្ឋាសម្លាប់

នឹកឡើងហួសចិត្ដ អាណិតឈាមខែ្មរ         យួនវាយដូចឆ្កែ ជាតិខែ្មរចុះអាប់
បើជឿយួនខ្លាំង មិនយូរខែ្មរស្លាប់                  មិនយូរមិនឆាប់ ស្លាបអស់ពូជខែ្មរ។

យួនធ្វើបាបខ្មែរ​​និពន្ធដោយពូជខ្មែរYoun Keep Killing Khmers by Pouch Khmer

Originally Posted at: The Son Of Khmer Empire

May 25,2010 at 5:14 pm

យួនធ្វើបាបខែ្មរ គ្មានត្រាប្រណី                        យួនប្លន់យកដី កេរ្ដិ៍ពីដូនតា
យកដីខែ្មរ ដីជាទីស្នេហា                                    វាប្រឹងប្រហារ ខេមរាឲ្យសូន្យ

ជាតិខែ្មរទាំងឡាយ ជិតឆ្ងាយកុំភ្លេច               ចូចាំជានិច្ច កល្បិចយួន

ក្រោកឡើងកូនខែ្មរ ការពារជាតិខ្លួន               នាំគ្នាវាយយួន ជាតិចោរឬស្សា

ប្រវត្ដិសាស្រ្ដ ប្រាប់ច្បាស់ថាខែ្មរ                     ត្រូវយួនបង្វែ ប្រែក្បត់ដូនតា

ក្បត់ជាតិខ្លួន ជឿយួនបច្ចា                               ក្បត់ជាតិខេមរា ដូនតាសាងទុក

ព្រៃនគរខ្មែរ គឺជាសាក្សី                                   នោះគឺជាដី កេរ្ដិ៍ពីឪពុក

ច្រើនឆ្នាំខែហើយ ជាតិខែ្មរកើតទុក្ខ               ព្រោះតែរណ្នុក រុកឲ្យខែ្មរបែក។។។

សំគាល់ះ​លំនាំបទ កំហែងឈើទាល