Wallenda Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 There was a documentary shown on ABC in Australia focused on lese majeste and the current situation in Thailand. The video is supposedly available to view on ABC's website but when I went, I got a message it was unavailable outside Australia. My next idea was to see if it was up on Youtube, which timely things like this often are. It was. This was a few days ago. Next time I looked it was takken down. I just went into my Firefox history and recalled the exact page I viewed it on, and indeed I get a message that the user took it down. I guess that would be because they received a message from ABC threatening action, or else from Youtube itself. Were others able to watch this? Thoughts? I have to say, it seemed to me a lot more credible than the debate I see a lot up here, which to me seems to follow party talking points of reds and yellows/dems. It definitely mostly painted an unflattering portrait of its main subject, but didn't whitewash Mr T's role the way the dyed-in-wool-red-backers here mostly do. To me, it seems as if both sides can't accept the other being in power because in this country being in power means breaking any law you want any time you want. So the only way to really break this standoff is to make it so that laws actually are laws that everyone has to adhere to, even the government, even the military. Once thats in place, then it isn't nearly as threatening to have your opponent in power because they have to behave well or else suffer consequences. But as I see it, you just have 2 sides mostly just striving for their corrupt top-of-heap position, and not any serious will at all to work on changing the dynamic. That's why it's so inane to me that one side or the other claims to be fighting for democracy. So in the end, this situation seems nearly hopeless to me mainly because the parties involved seem hopelessly stupid. It's like watching a baby trying to jam a square peg in a round hole... for hours and hours, then days. Only here it's 2 babies, just one hole, and they're fighing to the death over the square peg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimDidMeGood Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 If it were only two sides, it wouldn't be so hard to sort out... I didn't see the ABC documentary but I saw a certain private video that is used as an exhibit in the ABC program. Strange stuff, somewhat overblown by the interweb commentators. Anyway, does someone know of any forum where the unmentionable can be mentioned without hurting the webmasters? That unmentionable part of the discussion enfolds some important keys to this whole mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 Try Thaivisa.com p.s. Wendie, if you didn't see it, how do you know its viewpoints? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian2 Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 Flash and I discussed it by PM, I never mentioned it on the board because... well, because.... The comments are amazing, I've even made a couple myself under various names. This one was interesting... Author: AromDee Comment: I am sorry for what other Thai people like jothestrong say. Many people here think differently now but dare not express themselves - especially the real Thais - the rural people. Sadly, many of the ruling (mostly Thai-Chinese) elite consider themselves educated, but know nothing because Daddy bought their degrees. Like Mai (32) who has little grammar, but has done well to learn the 'F' word - he clearly associates with the best kind of company and his opinion is eloquently expressed! I know what goes on because I am a university lecturer here. Most of the work students produce is plagiarised by email networking and they don't even come to a lot of the lectures. At the end, enough baht under the table gets the piece of paper. Still, they have the temerity to call the rural people 'buffaloes'. They openly ridicule and mock the Issan people who have struggled for generations to survive with a long line of indifferent government unbroken only by whom...? You guessed it - love him or hate him - THAKSIN! I don't dare comment on the ######## (deleted) of course - I value my freedom. But 'Tony thai' (31) says, "...would u still love them or judge if they are a criminal?" Clearly he infers something here and maybe should be locked up for acknowledging such a thing on the Internet...? Maybe someone who is safe in a free country like Australia would like to comment on the interpretation here? Of course, if you Google some of the other members of our noble establishment, you will find it hard to get the real facts. Like what the Deputy Prime Minister, Suthep of Surat Thani, does in his spare time. Maybe it is not fair to single out an individual who is still in that exalted position, despite having to resign his seat in parliament for breaking electoral law... Sorry, I digressed a little. What was the topic - informed and researched opinion from my fellow-Thais? Or about the nice, smiling, gentle Thai characteristics that are exhibited in their posts? For my part, congratulations to Australia for maintaining an open media! Whether or not our Feudal system collapses, I hope you will still visit our beautiful country and enjoy the majority of nice people here! See all comments on this post here: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2010/04/13/abc-tv-on-thai-politics/#comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimDidMeGood Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 Am I paranoid to think that some "influential Thais" have given their blessing to ABC to air that program? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 I watched it on youtube, at your suggestion (thanks) and, you're right, it's been 'removed by user' now. The gist of it was (IMO - I know nothing about Thai politics) that lese majeste law is a major hindrance to democracy in Thailand. Edit Mod3 - Apart from that, there was a really cool royalist elderly monk guy who spoke freely against lese majeste (as opposed to the editor of The Nation, who skirted related questions), and quoted HM in saying the law is detrimental to the monarchy. There may have been insinuations about where decisions really come from, but, again, I didn't see anything derogatory of HRM. Anyway, that's my recollection. Your youtube commentator, Usvirgin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimDidMeGood Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 USVirgin, are you trying to get this thread locked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 No, I was just looking for a reason to suddenly vacate my office and flee Thailand. Honest mistake, if I made one, actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian2 Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 Am I paranoid to think that some "influential Thais" have given their blessing to ABC to air that program? They may have passed on the some of the information, The ABC doesn't need anyone's blessing, it's considered genuinely independent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimDidMeGood Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 Am I paranoid to think that some "influential Thais" have given their blessing to ABC to air that program? They may have passed on the some of the information' date=' The ABC doesn't need anyone's blessing, it's considered genuinely independent. [/quote'] Well, when I wrote "blessing" I didn't mean "authorization". While ABC can be considered independent, it's publicly financed and the matter at hand is - or used to be - radioactive, as far as diplomatic relations go. My perception, though, is that the Thai side is doing minimal lip service to voice disapproval. There was something in USVirgin's post before it got moderated that is also my understanding of the key message in that documentary and I don't think it's just a coincidence that it relates quite a bit with some alleged power-struggles at some unmentionable level. And many people seem to suggest that it is not a coincidence as well that the current red-shirt unrest happens in the same time as the invisible power-struggle. I gotta love conspiracy theories when Thai politics are concerned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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