absolutelyBangkok archive · News & Media
Originally published Nov. 1, 2010
The day started so lovely after a beautifully coolish night without fan nor air con, just cuddling in a thick blanket. And then this in Foreign Policy after the guy already managed to hijack the Huffington Post (understand it as a sign how far away their faraway editors are from here):
“Opponents of Thaksin recently carried out a massacre of more than 80 peaceful protesters, bystanders, and even some journalists, firing upon them in an indiscriminate and disproportionate fashion from rooftop snipers.” All I saw was peaceful cannon fodder and bargaining chips at the mercy of red rulers.
Lobbying as an end in itself. Thought we’ve all been there, done that, and try to move on. It has been documented beyond any doubt that there were no angels on both sides. But now they can’t even take it that the U.K.’s prime minister David Cameron is spending his family’s Christmas holiday in Thailand on the invitation of his old pal from Eton, Abhisit Vejjajiva. Cling together, swing together! Expect Cam to be accused of crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court pretty soon as well.
The oh-so-one-sided Bangkok Post writes in a timely editorial of “Thaksin’s dependably tasteless U.S. lawyer Robert Amsterdam,” their “shocking misuse of the justice system” and attempts of that man’s lawyer to “put Mr. Abhisit at the level of Sudan’s despot” Omar al-Bashir who tried to commit genocide in Darfur.
The U.N.’s Ban Ki Moon said it and Dave Cameron says it by visiting: Where’s the international case.
There will be elections next year. If, and that’s the grand if, if Puea Thai et al renounce violence and abide by the electoral law. There’s no conspiracy. There was no planned bloodbath. There’s a less than perfect system, terrible mistakes were made and 99 percent of the people want to move on, without blindly forgetting that is.
Face it, what place isn’t run by unelected elites. Some more, some less.
The main problem remains this: Even under the next government, you’re expecting much betterment? Less shame? To say it with this PostBag letter:
Nepal, one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries, has established 3G service near one of the most remote places on earth, Mt. Everest.
This little parable says so much and more. You’re in the wrong place with the wrong hosts if you expect what others can do. Take the system with all it’s deficiencies. Or you think Iranians today are happy about their revolutions?
“Fighting for power by force and guns will destroy everything.”
Said by Mohsen Sazegara, one of the quiet masterminds behind the Islamic revolution of 1979 who ever since tries to undo what he had done.
Just imagine, if they wouldn’t have made such a brouhaha we’d go to the polls in a few weeks. Give us more brouhaha and more and more people think maybe elections are not such a good thing after all. Just terrible.
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