Cambodian royalist rage: A lesson for Thailand
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 24, 2012 Last week, the former King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk, died in exile at the age of 89 years. The monarch played a major role in the country's turbulent past, having been credited with leading Cambodia to independence from French rule but also assisting the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime. He served numerous times as prime minister and twice as King of Cambodia until ceding the throne to his son in 2004.
However, royalist rage erupted last week amid an online scandal. The privately run 'I Love Cambodia' page on Facebook posted a picture on October 17 showing Thapanee Eadsrichai, a reporter for Thailand's Channel 3, doing a piece-to-camera while laying her paper notes at her feet. One of the pieces of paper was a portrait of the late King Norodom, which the reporter almost stepped on - an unimaginable offense to any individual, let alone a King, in Cambodia and Thailand.
This accidental misstep by Thapanee sparked outrage on Cambodian social media - as of writing, on the original Facebook post alone over 900 'likes' and over 500 comments have been posted with the majority spewing hateful, emotional and often barely comprehensible calls for violence (or worse) either against the Channel 3 reporter, Thailand or both.
Fortunately, the ultra-royalist rage hasn't turned to violence and all involved parties were executing damage control, with the Cambodian government calling on its people to exercise restraint, and the Thai reporter, her channel and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs all apologizing, insisting that there was no intention to defame the late King and to harm relations between the two country
The Channel 3 reporter explained that as she was doing a stand up report in front of the main pavilion, Chaturamouk, and she needed to lay down all of her personal belongings including mobile phones, notebooks, and the newspapers which carried stories and the photo of the late king Sihanouk.
She said she did not lay the stuff close to her. The photo that appeared on Facebook was shot from behind and to the side, making it appear that the items were on the ground near her.
Learning about the misunderstanding on the social media on Tuesday night, she had returned to the same spot and made gestures of remorse in front of the king’s photo board.
"Reporter apologises for mistreating Sihanouk photo", Bangkok Post, October 10, 2012
The story could have ended there with all sides acting very quickly to defuse the situation and to clear up the unintentional gaffe. Nevertheless, some still found something to be riled up about:
After causing an uproar by mistakenly stepping on a photograph of late Cambodian King Sihanouk while covering his funeral, Channel 3 reporter Thapanee Ietsrichai is in trouble again - this time it is for not taking her shoes off while apologising at the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok. Messages posted on Cambodian websites and the social media dubbed her apology as being insincere, claiming she was "not genuinely penitent".
"Channel 3 reporter in trouble again", The Nation, October 19, 2012
Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent years. In 2003 a Cambodian newspaper wrongly accused a Thai actress of claiming Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand. Riots ensued and protesters burned down the Thai Embassy in Phnom Phen. There have also been a number of border clashes between the two countries. On the other hand relations have turned friendlier recently with the new Yingluck government, as Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen welcomed her brother Thaksin more than he already used to.
One thing the two countries certainly have in common is a tendency towards royal extremism. The ferociousness of the reactions to this latest incident in Cambodia should give Thais an opportunity to reflect about similar behavior among their own people. The Thai Ministry for Information and Communication Technology (MICT) issued a redundant warning to Thais not "to share or to 'like'" the controversial photograph and cited the same ambiguously worded Computer Crimes Act that it has been using in against suspects in lèse majesté cases.
With the unchanged stances over Thailand's lèse majesté law and the continuous insistence of Thai ultra-royalists to show their loyalty to the monarchy by witch-hunting those deemed not loyal, some should look at the comments made by their Cambodian counterparts to get an idea of how it feels to be a victim of extremism.
Bangkok's Formula 1 Grand Prix a done deal?
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 19, 2012
We have been following the attempts by the Sports Authority of Thailand to bring the Formula 1 World Championship to Thailand in 2014 and even possibly to the streets of the capital Bangkok. From the first concrete declaration to bid for a race in March and the estimated costs in July and motorsports' exhibition equivalent to All-Star Weekend, the Race of Champions, taking place later this December, we have heard a lot from the Thai organizers revving up their efforts, as much as now calling it numerous times a 'done deal'. Ironically, this early call could potentially throw a speed bump into Thailand's F1 ambitions. But first things first...
Rumors about a potential Formula 1 race in Thailand's capital Bangkok have gained considerable traction this week with the Thai organizers going to press to say this:
Thailand's government sports authority says it has struck an in-principle deal to host a Formula One race in Bangkok in 2014, with negotiations ongoing about the hosting fee, according to a report in The Nation newspaper.
Kanokphand Chulakasem, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, was quoted as saying "Formula One has decided to include Thailand in its 2014 season calendar" with a race slated for November. (...)
"Once the negotiations are complete, we will bring this before the cabinet for discussion and approval," Kanokphand was quoted as saying. "We will sign a deal only after we get the nod from the government."
"Thailand government claims to have struck deal to host Bangkok Grand Prix in 2014", Associated Press, October 18, 2012
First off, that report from The Nation is nowhere to be found! Most likely, AP has confused it for this article from the Bangkok Post, which we will get to later.
Secondly, we are used to Thai politicians and officials saying things that could be premature. Numerous international news outlets have picked up on this non-existant The Nation article and also on Kanokphand's confident words that this deal is as good as done. However, there's at least one important person who wouldn't like that - both the words and especially the timing: Bernie Ecclestone, president of the Formula One Management (FOM) and effectively F1's promoter for decades, is not a friend when the other party of a deal does something not OK'ed by him. Seasoned Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward had this to say:
Bernie Ecclestone likes race promoters who do not talk a lot and deliver deals – before they go public. Thus he cannot be overly impressed with the Thailand’s government’s sports authority, which has been putting out stories for some weeks that it will be hosting a Formula 1 race in Bangkok in 2014. If a contract has been signed, numbers agreed and guaranteed by the government then it is a good moment to make a noise, but Kanokphand Chulakasem, the man in charge of the Sports Authority, admits that the negotiations are not yet completed and the project has not been signed off by the Thai government.
"A lot of talk in Thailand…", by Joe Saward, October 14, 2012
Then there's also the financial aspect to this. Various reports have quoted Kanokphand's estimation that the hosting fee will be 1.2 billion baht ($39.2 million) per year and "not more expensive than Singapore". 60 per cent will be paid by the government and the rest will come from wealthy sponsors such as Red Bull and Singha. However the bill could get bigger - a lot bigger:
It would be a surprise if the Formula One group would be willing to accept such a deal. One can understand that the total may have dropped from the high-spending days in the early 2000s, when deals up to $50 million a year were agreed. All the F1 contracts are believed to include a 10 percent increase per year, which means that a $40 million a year race fee with a normal 10 percent annual hike means that over a seven-year contract a promoter must find around $380 million, without including the money needed to either build a track or assemble and disassemble a street circuit each year. This will add around $200 million to the bill.
Thus the government must be willing to guarantee funds of around $600 million if a deal is to go ahead. If private partners are going to kick in 40 percent that is fine, but the guarantee is likely to be at government level only.
"A lot of talk in Thailand…", by Joe Saward, October 14, 2012
And finally, there's the question about the venue of that potential Thailand Grand Prix. Many possible places have been named, from an upgrade of the nation's only internationally certified Bira Circuit near Pattaya to a new purpose-built circuit in Chiang Mai, it looks like the organizers have zeroed in on the most obvious, but also potentially most complicated, solutions to where the F1 cars will run:
It is likely to be a night race and could be staged at Ratchadamnoen Avenue or Muang Thong Thani, the governor said. "We have been working closely with F1 officials to look for the best site," Mr Kanokphand said. Such a big project must be approved by the government and a public hearing may be needed, he said.
"Formula 1 venues in Thailand", Bangkok Post, October 17, 2012
The idea of a night race is an obvious attempt to rival the championship's only night race so far at Singapore's Marina Bay. However, closing off the area of Ratchadamnoen Avenue, a large boulevard not far from the Democracy Monument but also from the back-packer district of Kao San Road, for weeks before and after race to construct and dismantle all the barriers, catch-fences, etc. would be a daunting task for literally everybody involved, especially the traffic that would be diverted.
As much as I'm personally a fan of Formula 1 and motorsports in general and have been since my childhood, a Thailand Grand Prix and much less a Bangkok city race still would not create enough excitement to care about. Maybe it's the fact that this country doesn't have a large enough fan base for the sport.
But maybe it is also be due to the fact of how of things work in Thailand, especially if politicians are involved in the organization of large-scale international events - or not, as the fiasco of the still unfinished Futsal stadium shows, while the FIFA Futsal World Cup is just two weeks away from now. We will have to wait and see if the Formula 1 grid will ever race on Thai soil or even through the streets of Bangkok. However, if the deal suddenly does not materialize, we may know why.
Thailand's Democrat Party rallies behind "men in black" conspiracy
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 15, 2012 On Saturday, members of Thailand's opposition Democrat Party rallied in the streets of Bangkok that were the scenes of the bloody clashes of the anti-government protests in 2010. At least 92 people were killed and thousands were injured when the red shirts rallied and blocked off streets in central Bangkok in order to force out the government of that very same party, that of then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. They took to the streets recently to present their own version of under what circumstances people, both civilians and security officers alike, lost their lives and also who is to be blamed.
The mobile rally, accompanied by supporters wearing black T-shirts, black balaclavas and cardboard rifles, made stops at various places of the 2010 protests. One of them was Wat Pathum Wan, a Buddhist temple which was supposedly a designated safe zone after the bloody crackdown of May 19, 2010. However, six were killed inside the temple compound by shots fired from the elevated BTS tracks, where soldiers where supposedly engaged in a firefight with nearby armed men.
The Democrat Party held an emotional rally in Lumpini Park yesterday to condemn the government and provide its version of the military crackdown against red shirt protesters in 2010 when it was in power.
Party members attempted to shed light on the mysterious men in black who had been linked to the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and who were believed by some to have attacked security forces and killed people during the 2010 political violence.
"Abhisit urges truth about men in black", Bangkok Post, October 14, 2012
The 'men in black' are the often mentioned group of armed men that have been spotted at various incidents like during the first clashes of April 10, 2010 and have reportedly fought against military forces. Countless rumors have been made about their affiliations, among them allegedly being under command of the late Maj. Gen. Khattiya ’Seh Daeng’ Sawatdiphol, who had his own group of 'security personnel' during the rally and was considered to be a hawkish hardliner among the red shirt protest leaders. 'Seh Daeng' was shot by a sniper (most likely from a building under military control) on May 13, 2010 while he was giving an interview for The New York Times and later died in a hospital.
The activities culminated in a rally in Lumphini Park, not far from where Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi was killed on May 19, 2010 - recent reports suggest he was killed by shots from the army side (same goes for the death of Japanese Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto). Reportedly 2,000 supporters listened to the speeches by the Democrat Party heavyweights, as they presented "The Truth Without Colours" - same as the book by party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva that is being currently released. The takeaway from this event was probably this accusation:
The Democrats yesterday accused ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of being behind the so-called "men in black" who were allegedly hired to kill innocents including red-shirt protesters in order to smear the previous Abhisit government.
"Democrats: Thaksin was behind 'men in black'", The Nation, October 14, 2012
Despite or rather especially because of this, last Saturday's rally is very reminiscent in style and content to their pre-election rally at Rajaprasong in 2011, where in a last-ditch attempt the Democrat Party was presenting their version of what happened at that intersection during the military crackdown and taking every opportunity to blame Thaksin for rallying up a 'red mob' and painting him as the main reason of the political crisis.
Another parallel is that both rallies were primarily held to fire up their own supporter base, as those loyal to one political party are unlikely to switch allegiances and those neutral are likely by now fed up with the bi-partisan bickering. This shows that the Democrat Party, Thailand's oldest political party, has moved forward very little since their defeat in the 2011 elections and sometimes come across as desperate, as their antics in parliament earlier this year have shown.
However, what is particularly striking is the apparent willingness of the Democrat Party to still overlook the role of the military during the protests, as this tweet by Abhisit shows: he wrote that "if there weren't any 'men in black', no policeman, civilian or red shirt would have lost their lives!"
เพื่อที่จะบอกท่านว่า ถ้าวันนั้นไม่มีชายชุดดำ ไม่ว่าตำรวจ ไม่ว่าทหาร ไม่ว่าปชช. คนธรรมดา หรือคนเสื้อแดง จะไม่มีใครเสียชีวิตเลยครับ (3/3)
— Abhisit Vejjajiva (@Abhisit_DP) October 13, 2012
It bears some cruel irony that this political rally, meant to reveal the 'truth' of what happened to the victims of the bloody clashes during these 9 and a half weeks in 2010, took place on the same weekend as the anniversary of October 14, 1973, when pro-democracy protesters were brutally gunned down by the military regime of Field Marshal Thanom. Seventy-seven people were killed and over 800 were injured, but ultimately no one was held responsible. It is this culture of impunity that still prevails today and that is being preserved by the mindset the Democrat Party (but also the Pheu Thai government, should they give a blanket amnesty including for Thaksin) is still promoting with this rally - by focussing on one issue only and completely missing the bigger picture.
Op-Ed: A 'truth' for the sake of Thailand's reconciliation does little
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 30, 2012 Last week, the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) presented its final report of their investigations of the violent clashes between the authorities and the red shirts during the 2010 anti-government protests. At least 92 people were killed and thousands injured. The overall outcome was that they find faults at both sides. However, it does very little to move the country forward to the much-yearned for national reconciliation.
Right from the outset the commission was met with skepticism and rejection, especially from the red shirts, since it was established shortly after the protests during the Abhisit administration and the fear of bias was strong. Even if an investigation would have been set up by the succeeding Yingluck government, any inquiry that would be set up by any government would be regarded as partisan in this current political climate.
The real problem of this panel is not what is being pointed out by the report or whether or what the motives of the nine commissioners were, but rather the toothless nature of the panel. It was given virtually no powers and access to forensic and official information in order to conduct proper investigations regarding the violent clash of April 10, 2010, and the bloody crackdown that ended on May 19, 2010.
And so the actual report was criticized and rejected by both sides, neither fully acknowledging the claims by the TRCT that there were mistakes done by them in order to prevent violence. However, the emphasis of the alleged link of a black-clad militia group to the red shirt leaders, especially to the late rogue Major General Khattiya"Seh Daeng" Sawatdiphol - who denied any involvement with them, but confirmed their role during the April 10 clashes shortly before he was assassinated from a sniper who the TRCT concluded must have shot from a building under control of the army - all without proper evidence, which begs the question where the priorities of the commission lie.
The personal opinion of TRCT chairman Khanit na Nakhon (which has been wrongly reported as an official statement of the commission by a few outlets) that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra should "sacrifice himself" and keep out of politics underlines one major misunderstanding and the ultimate blind spot of many political actors: the notion that Thaksin is the root of all evil problems ignores the long-term effects of his (in no way altruistic or goodie-goodie) policies that lead to the political awakening of the population outside of Bangkok.
On the other hand, there were many solid and legitimate findings and recommendations made by the TRCT report, such as the call for amendment of the draconian lèse majesté law and the call to the armed forces to restrain themselves from taking political sides. But those are just non-binding recommendations and it has to be seen if anyone would take these to heart and implement actual change. Furthermore, this report does not give more clarity for the victim's families, which is unfortunately more the rule than the exception in Thailand, as political events that have turned violent in the past have never been properly investigated.
This country has a very long history of impunity where the state perpetrators have never been held accountable for their decisions and their consequences - many of them resulting in deaths. Whether it was the attacks on democracy activists on October 14, 1973, the Thammasat University massacre of October 6, 1976, the Black May of 1992 or the recent military coup of 2006, the events of modern Thai history have left gaping wounds in the nation's fabric and those responsible have never been brought to justice. Instead, for the sake of national 'reconciliation,' the anger has been attempted to be quelled with the ever-repeating mantra of forgiving and forgetting - only for the next tragedy to strike and many to ask how it could happen again.
Reconciliation cannot happen without understanding or even be ready to acknowledge what brought us here to the first place, that competing narratives and opinions about our past, present and future exist, that 'unity' should not require surrender of differences and that the 'truth' can no longer be claimed by just a few. That is the main point of this column: it's not so much what the 'truth' is here presented by the TRCT, what is crucial for this country is how the 'truth' is being handled and implemented by the stakeholders and by the common citizen in order to move Thailand beyond the current power gridlock.
The full TRCT report in Thai can be downloaded in PDF form here and the English-language press release here.