?????People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)????? *This is how Hitler and Pol Pot and such monsters come into being--under a national pride banner. Chaos will great monster chaos es and I fear Thailand (and Burma too) is heading that direction. Once rightist (or leftist for that matter) took over, no one is safe. PAD in Thailand is no exception--quite a radical group/bunch. Somethings to fear and be fear. * On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 3:42 PM, Ông-thu N <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> For the past two or more years – and especially since the September 2006 > coup – Thai society has been hypnotised into forgetting about its real > social and political issues. Instead, the whole of society – and, most > tragically, the social movements – have been entranced by a fight between > two factions of the Thai ruling class. > > On the one side is the Thai government, the ruling People's Power Party, > the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his former party Thai Rak > Thai. > > On the opposing side is a loose collection of authoritarian royalists, > comprising the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), elements of the > military and judiciary that supported the coup and the Democrat Party. The > authoritarian royalists are not a unified body – but they share a collective > interest in wiping out Thaksin's party. > > The two sides are mirror images of each other. Both are firmly in the camp > of the Thai capitalist elite. Both are nationalistic and prepared to abuse > human rights. > > Thaksin's former government and current prime minister Samak Sundaravej's > government support extrajudicial killings and a hardline murderous position > against the insurgency in the south of Thailand. > > But the opposing side also cares little about such killings. It counts > General Panlop Pinmanee, who oversaw a massacre at Krue Sae mosque in 2004, > among its leadership. > > *Corruption* > > Both factions are associated with people who have a record of corruption. > It is common knowledge that all Thai politicians are engaged in corrupt > practices, whether legal or illegal. > > The military also has a long record of corruption and the junta that > oversaw the illegal coup in 2006 is no exception. After the coup, they > appointed themselves to boards of state enterprises and forced through > increased military spending. > > Yet the courts have clearly been used to single out Thaksin's faction on > charges of corruption and "abuse of power". And while Thaksin was still in > power, the courts bent to his wishes. > > So there is no real justice in Thailand. The judiciary are not accountable > to the electorate and always support the rich and powerful. In labour courts > they always rule against trade unions. There is no jury in Thailand. > > *Political strategies* > > There are some differences between the two factions. Thaksin's side is > committed to a strategy of winning power by elections, parliamentary > democracy and money politics. The PAD and their friends favour of military > coups, reducing the number of elected MPs and increasing the power of > unelected bureaucrats and the army. > > The justification for this is the belief that the poor majority in the > country are too stupid to be given the vote. The PAD faction are also > fanatical royalists. They want a new coup and were happy to whip up hatred > of neighbouring Cambodia and to risk a war over an ancient Khmer temple. > > The PAD strategy, as outlined by one of its leading figures Pipop > Thongchai, is to create enough political chaos that institutions and parties > are destroyed, with a "new order" arising from the ashes. Needless to say, > this new order will not be democratic, nor will it have any commitment to > social justice or equality. > > *Economic policies* > > In terms of economic policy, the Thaksin faction wants to use a "dual > track" strategy that mixes neoliberalism with elements of grassroots > Keynesianism. They say the poor must not be left out and they do have a > record of implementing pro-poor policies such as a recent heathcare scheme. > However, they are not remotely socialist and are opposed to taxing the rich > or building a welfare state. > > The PAD and the other royalists, in contrast, are hardline monetarists. > They propose interest rate hikes, cutting down spending on the poor and > squeezing wages. > > Bhumibol Adulyadej, the king of Thailand, is one of the richest monarchs in > the world. He supports this economic policy and has also advocated a > "sufficiency economy" where everyone curbs their spending according to their > means. That means income redistribution is ruled out – which is why the poor > have consistently voted for the Thaksin faction. > > *Social movements* > > Compounding this situation is the total disarray of the social movements, > NGO networks and trade unions in Thailand. After the collapse of the > Communist Party in the mid 1980s, the new slogan of the people's movements > was "the answer is in the villages". > > This was an NGO strategy to promote to rural development along single-issue > lines. The slogan also reflected a respect for villagers which contrasted > greatly with the attitude of the government. > > Now the slogan of those people's movement networks that are supporting the > PAD has changed to "the villagers are stupid and don't deserve the vote!" or > "the answer is with the military, courts and the king". > > Sections of the NGO Coordinating Committee, some Thai staff in Focus on the > Global South, HIV+ networks, Friends of the People and some farmer groups > have all lined up to support the PAD and the demand to decrease democracy. > > The railway workers' union and the Thai Airways union have also shown their > support for PAD. The rail union leaders have never campaigned for hundreds > of rail employees who have been on temporary contracts without welfare for > decades. The Thai Airways union has ignored military corruption in the > airline and in the airports authority. > > Both unions have turned their backs on serious attacks on trade unions in > the private sector and are only prepared to take action when people in high > places give them the green light. > > *Activists pulled* > > Other activists who cannot stand the PAD have allowed themselves to be > pulled into supporting the government. This is just as bad as those > supporting the PAD. Some have even cheered when the police tried to break up > PAD protests. > > The lack of independent class politics in the Thai people's movement is a > result of years of rejecting any kind of overall politics or political > organisation. This stems anarchist ideas that became popular after the > collapse of the Communist Party as a reaction to the party's Stalinist > authoritarianism. > > The problem is also a result of the "lobby politics" of the NGOs. Neither > strategy leads to building an independent position for the trade unions and > social movements. They reject "representative democracy" – but have no > concrete democratic proposals to put in its place. > > *Build independence* > > Even today, at this late hour, we can still build political independence. > We must campaign for more democracy and more control of institutions from > below. > > We must advocate a root and branch reform of the justice system, a > reduction in the role of the military and the building of a welfare state > through cuts in the military budget and progressive taxation of the rich. > > Yet there are still those who say that we must take sides in the current > elite dispute and leave such reforms until later. The problem with that is > that the dispute will not be settled quickly. > > And even if it is settled, it will be on the terms of one or other elite > grouping – and that will result in a smaller democratic space and less > bargaining power for social movements. > > A GROUP of people in Norwich have dedicated their time to raising as much > money as possible for 20 wells to be built in Cambodia to provide people > with free running and clean water. > > Members of the Proclaimer Church, based at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel on > Boundary Road, have gathered together over the past few months in various > fundraising activities, the latest of which was a fancy dress bicycle ride > around Norwich's outer ring road. > > Steve East is an 18 stone body builder who decided to take part as the > incredible hulk. He took two hours to cycle the route with six others and > raised £250. As a group the ride raised enough money for three wells to be > built in Cambodia. > > Mr East, 33, a cavity wall insulator, said: "It was such a good laugh. We > got beeped all the way round by cars. We found either people were beeping at > us or waving or clapping, or they pretended they didn't see us. > > "I think they thought they'd just seen the incredible hulk on a bike and > then thought, 'no, that can't be right.'" > > Mr East's wife, Marie, 30, has also taken part in a number of events > throughout the summer. She said: "This could change the lives of millions of > people. > > "It's quite exciting to find out how much money we've raised. I know we've > got enough money for four wells but I think more people will hand their > money in over the next few days. > > "I can see us having enough for the 20 wells." > > The church is working with an organisation called Metamorphic > International, which help to develop communities abroad. Through Metamorphic > the money will be handed over and building will begin almost immediately. > > Senior leaders of China and Cambodia on Tuesday underscored the traditional > friendship between the two neighbours. > > "Let's work more closely to take our five-decade bilateral friendship > and cooperation to a new high," China's top legislator Wu Bangguo told the > President of the Cambodian Senate, Chea Sim.. > > In their talks in the Great Hall of the People, Wu, chairman of the > National People's Congress Standing Committee, reviewed the sound > development of China-Cambodia ties, citing political trust, substantive > cooperation and support on important issues. > > In response, Sim said the Cambodian leadership will carry forward the > bilateral traditional solidarity that was forged by the older leaders in the > previous century. > > Sim said he hoped the two legislatures can step up their cooperation > and share experience on governance. > > Sim's visit to Beijing coincided with the 50th anniversary of the > establishment of China-Cambodia ties. > > Later Tuesday, Sim met with Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National > Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's > top advisory body. > > Jia said China would like to enhance its comprehensive and in-depth > cooperation with Cambodia. > > The top advisor also expressed appreciation for Cambodia's adherence to > the one-China policy and opposition to "Taiwan independence". > > Sim said Cambodia was grateful for the assistance China had offered > and would like to work more closely with China in politics, economics and > other fields. > > Cambodia's<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/International_Business/Cambodia_casino_reaps_25_mn_dollars_profit/articleshow/3440355.cms>burgeoning > economy brought casino operator NagaCorp 25.5 million dollars in > profit in the first half of the year, a company report obtained by media > revealed Wednesday. The profit signalled a rise of 26.9 per cent on a year > earlier. > > "Our operations continued to benefit from the political stability and > economic development of Cambodia," the NagaCorp report said. After decades > of turmoil, Cambodia has emerged as a rising economy in Southeast Asia - > posting an average of 11 per cent growth over the past three years on the > back of strong tourism and garment sectors. > > Nagacorp reported its > revenue<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/International_Business/Cambodia_casino_reaps_25_mn_dollars_profit/articleshow/3440355.cms>soared > 68.5 per cent from the same period last year to approximately 109.1 > million dollars, in a country hosting several casinos popular with gamblers > across the region. > > The *Malaysian-owned* company runs the largest casino in Cambodia's > capital Phnom Penh. The government awarded it a gambling license in 1994 to > promote international tourism. > > More than a dozen casinos operated by other companies dot Cambodia's > borders with Vietnam and Thailand, raking in an estimated tens, if not > hundreds of millions of dollars each year. > > The industry fuels the economies of several hard-scrabble Cambodian cities, > though the country remains desperately poor with more than 30 per cent of > its 14 million population living in poverty. > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. 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