Faustian Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Scary stuff.... http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/25152/academics-warn-of-rise-of-right-wing Academics warn of rise of right wing Published: 7/10/2009 at 12:00 AM Newspaper section: News The country's new right-wing movement should not be taken lightly, say academics marking the 33rd anniversary of the Oct 6, 1976 student uprising. Sutthachai Yimprasert, of Chulalongkorn University's faculty of arts, yesterday said the new movement, which took shape between 2005 and 2007, is now a force to reckon with. The movement is well-established as it also has a media network under its umbrella. With strong support from the middle-class, it is bent on cultivating a "wrong kind of nationalism" among its supporters, Mr Sutthachai said. The lecturer said history taught us that every time there is a coup d'etat in Thailand, a right-wing group emerges soon after. "Following the 1947 coup, the country's first conservative-minded political parties were established. The country still lacks real democracy even though we have a constitution and a functioning parliament. Democracy is making no progress here," Mr Sutthachai said. The anti-Thaksin camp was formed in 2005. It grew stronger and pushed for the Sept 19, 2006 putsch which toppled the Thaksin government. Thapanan Phiphitthakul, a Thammsat law lecturer, said Thailand was in need of a true democratic culture. Mr Thapanan said the constitutional amendment was unlikely to bring any significant improvements in Thai politics. What is badly needed is a democratic culture in which individuals are treated as equals and are free to voice their opinions. Yesterday, about 100 people attended the anniversary of the Oct 6, 1976 bloodbath at the historical sculpture garden at Thammasat University. The event was quieter than in previous years when many politicians, who were once student activists, would attend. Jinda Thongsri, a relative of a victim of the Oct 6 bloodshed, said she wondered why Thais no longer cared to remember the Oct 6 heroes. "Those who died in the incident sacrificed their lives for the country and democracy," she said. About the author Writer: PENCHAN CHAROENSUTHIPAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTO Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Why don't they name it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Hi, Odd article. It doesn't really say anything, does it? Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Wow what big news : it's already noticeable since mid of 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 << "Those who died in the incident sacrificed their lives for the country and democracy," she said. >> I got the distinct idea the time that the protesters were decidedly far left, thanks to the portraits of Mao, Chou, Ho, Marx, Khieu Sampan etc. Still wasn't any reason to murder them and it bothers me even now to think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 It would seem this is a Bangkok Post writer that is only intent on stirring up as much shit as he can, regardless of the accuracy of what he writes. He is the same one that wrote the article about foreigners owning 90% of Phuket beachfront property. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Funny how these academics were completely silent during the murders of 3000 Thais by the police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted October 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 They are the clever ones.... I guess that's why they are called "academics" and not "dead people who nobody ever talked about again.." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzzz Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 ...The [right wing] movement [in LOS] is well-established as it also has a media network under its umbrella.... I've noticed this in Pattaya. For the last several years, the American right wing Fox news has been shown on TVs in hotels that I have stayed at, but no American left wing news, such as MSNBC, has been available to provide the opposing views. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I have also noticed that in the smaller hotels only Fox is available, but that in the larger hotels you get the BBC, CNN, etc. And in Bangkok you can get BBC, CNBC, CNN, etc. Not sure why? So this is the same author who wrote the article about foreigners owning 90% of Phuket's beach front? It does sound like he either has an agenda or just trying to stir up shit. Foreigners are targets of convenience. There was a great article about this in the New York Times about xenophobia in Russia, but much of the article is applicable to Thailand, such as this excellent insight: Aggressive xenophobia, however, with its open declaration of hatred, discrimination against and physical persecution of “others,†is a purely social phenomenon. It is almost always, in my opinion, a product of policies shaped by a ruling elite in order to acquire and preserve political and economic power. And when elites feel threatened, expect more of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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