Hmmm
January 2nd, 2007, 18:01
Since reading Handley's eye-opening biography of the King, I have tapped into a range of online political and social commentators on Thailand, both Thai and farang, in Thailand and outside.
Their commentary often includes information and perspectives I had rarely read before, certainly not in the English language Thai press, nor in any of the academic literature on Thailand I had read (not that I am particularly widely read in that regard). Some are obviously academics; others are 'insiders' of one sort or another.
Since many of these commentators speak and read Thai, they have access to material that most of us never see (mental note - yet another reason for returning to my Thai language studies).
Amongst these sources, 'Bangkok Pundit' today provides a summary of the Thai language press' reporting of the bombings:
http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2007/ ... pdate.html (http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2007/01/bangkok-bombs-further-update.html)
In this summary are the following snippets, which I don't recall reading anywhere in the online English language Thai press (i.e. Bangkok Post and The Nation). In particular, they concern possible bombs in Pattaya and evidence apparently implicating southern militant islamists. Whether or not any or all of this is true, it seems rather odd that it does not appear in the English language press (nor therefore in the western press).
* "Authorities in Pattaya say that a bomb was found before it exploded in Pattaya. The location was near the Central Festival on Pattaya North Road. They found a Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) bomb in the bushes which was set to go off at 00:01. Large numbers of nails were found in the bomb device. As many tourists were in the area, the New Year's Eve celebrations were immediately called."
* This site is cited as the basis of (unsupported) rumours of further bombs found in Pattaya (I don't put much credence in this):
http://whatismatt.com/possible-pattaya-bombs/
* "(The bombs in Bangkok were) very similar to what the "Mujahideen" in the South have been using."
* "The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) had warned the government that there would be 10 events [10 bombs? or 10 different coordinated bombings?] in Bangkok. This warning had been passed onto the government 3 times."
* "Thai Military Intelligence and Special Branch have received intelligence that there would be bombs in up to 30 places in Bangkok and surrounding areas (i.e Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan etc), particularly popular shopping malls like Siam Paragon, the Mall Bangkapi, and Seacon Square. "
* "Pol Gen Kowit, head of the Royal Thai Police [he was involved in the coup, but his participation is seen as being reluctant and only after Thaksin didn't have the numbers] says it was definitely not the "undercurrents" (ie Thaksin/TRT)."
Furthermore ...
"The Thai-language daily Krungthep Turakij, part of The Nation group, reported on its website that the National Security Agency knew that bombings were planned in Bangkok for several weeks since they discovered a map of the capital in a house owned by separatists in southern ThailandтАЩs Yala province. The map reportedly pointed out several locations, including Victory Monument, Klong Toei, and Seacon Square. If true, the news would indicate that authorities failed to thwart the attacks."
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=31 (http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=323&Itemid=31)
There is already a Wikipedia piece on the bombings and it contains the following, attributed to Thai Rath:
"The initials "IRK" were found written in marker in four places at three bomb sites. The IRK is an Afghanistan-trained urban guerilla terrorism unit."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Bangkok_Bombings
The 'rush to judgement' by the Prime Minister to convict Thaksin allies had me in mind of Mandy Rice Davies - "He would say that wouldn't he". It's not unlike the Spanish government wrongly implicating ETA in the Madrid bombs, because it suited their political purposes to do so. Implicating Thaksin in the Bangkok bombs - albeit without presenting any evidence at all - vindicates the coup and the government's shaky hold on power, and the continuation of martial law. On the other hand, if the southern militant islamists are responsible, it would show that the government has lost control over the south.
The sort of comments coming from the prime minister and coup leaders can only further discredit their finger pointing at Thaksin allies. e.g. an early candidate for most inane political comment of the year, from junta chief Sonthi trying to deflect suspicion from southern muslims:
' "I don't think they would come here as they could get lost in Bangkok".'
http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/02/ ... 023093.php (http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/02/headlines/headlines_30023093.php)
A number of commentators are actually discounting Thaksin loyalists and splitting their money between either southern muslims or rogue elements within the current administration itself:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_ ... 2Ae01.html (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IA02Ae01.html)
It's obviously all still speculation at this point. But 'evidence' implicating southern militant islamists does not appear to be finding its way into the English language press. Political bias ? Incompetence ? Nationalism ? Who knows ?
Other interesting perspectives:
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/
http://newley.com/
http://www.2bangkok.com/
Their commentary often includes information and perspectives I had rarely read before, certainly not in the English language Thai press, nor in any of the academic literature on Thailand I had read (not that I am particularly widely read in that regard). Some are obviously academics; others are 'insiders' of one sort or another.
Since many of these commentators speak and read Thai, they have access to material that most of us never see (mental note - yet another reason for returning to my Thai language studies).
Amongst these sources, 'Bangkok Pundit' today provides a summary of the Thai language press' reporting of the bombings:
http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2007/ ... pdate.html (http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2007/01/bangkok-bombs-further-update.html)
In this summary are the following snippets, which I don't recall reading anywhere in the online English language Thai press (i.e. Bangkok Post and The Nation). In particular, they concern possible bombs in Pattaya and evidence apparently implicating southern militant islamists. Whether or not any or all of this is true, it seems rather odd that it does not appear in the English language press (nor therefore in the western press).
* "Authorities in Pattaya say that a bomb was found before it exploded in Pattaya. The location was near the Central Festival on Pattaya North Road. They found a Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) bomb in the bushes which was set to go off at 00:01. Large numbers of nails were found in the bomb device. As many tourists were in the area, the New Year's Eve celebrations were immediately called."
* This site is cited as the basis of (unsupported) rumours of further bombs found in Pattaya (I don't put much credence in this):
http://whatismatt.com/possible-pattaya-bombs/
* "(The bombs in Bangkok were) very similar to what the "Mujahideen" in the South have been using."
* "The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) had warned the government that there would be 10 events [10 bombs? or 10 different coordinated bombings?] in Bangkok. This warning had been passed onto the government 3 times."
* "Thai Military Intelligence and Special Branch have received intelligence that there would be bombs in up to 30 places in Bangkok and surrounding areas (i.e Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan etc), particularly popular shopping malls like Siam Paragon, the Mall Bangkapi, and Seacon Square. "
* "Pol Gen Kowit, head of the Royal Thai Police [he was involved in the coup, but his participation is seen as being reluctant and only after Thaksin didn't have the numbers] says it was definitely not the "undercurrents" (ie Thaksin/TRT)."
Furthermore ...
"The Thai-language daily Krungthep Turakij, part of The Nation group, reported on its website that the National Security Agency knew that bombings were planned in Bangkok for several weeks since they discovered a map of the capital in a house owned by separatists in southern ThailandтАЩs Yala province. The map reportedly pointed out several locations, including Victory Monument, Klong Toei, and Seacon Square. If true, the news would indicate that authorities failed to thwart the attacks."
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=31 (http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=323&Itemid=31)
There is already a Wikipedia piece on the bombings and it contains the following, attributed to Thai Rath:
"The initials "IRK" were found written in marker in four places at three bomb sites. The IRK is an Afghanistan-trained urban guerilla terrorism unit."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Bangkok_Bombings
The 'rush to judgement' by the Prime Minister to convict Thaksin allies had me in mind of Mandy Rice Davies - "He would say that wouldn't he". It's not unlike the Spanish government wrongly implicating ETA in the Madrid bombs, because it suited their political purposes to do so. Implicating Thaksin in the Bangkok bombs - albeit without presenting any evidence at all - vindicates the coup and the government's shaky hold on power, and the continuation of martial law. On the other hand, if the southern militant islamists are responsible, it would show that the government has lost control over the south.
The sort of comments coming from the prime minister and coup leaders can only further discredit their finger pointing at Thaksin allies. e.g. an early candidate for most inane political comment of the year, from junta chief Sonthi trying to deflect suspicion from southern muslims:
' "I don't think they would come here as they could get lost in Bangkok".'
http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/02/ ... 023093.php (http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/02/headlines/headlines_30023093.php)
A number of commentators are actually discounting Thaksin loyalists and splitting their money between either southern muslims or rogue elements within the current administration itself:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_ ... 2Ae01.html (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IA02Ae01.html)
It's obviously all still speculation at this point. But 'evidence' implicating southern militant islamists does not appear to be finding its way into the English language press. Political bias ? Incompetence ? Nationalism ? Who knows ?
Other interesting perspectives:
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/
http://newley.com/
http://www.2bangkok.com/