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Re: Protests update
Enticing Patriotism: Thai National Anthems and ElitesтАЩ Political Interests in the 1930s
Chanon Adsanatham
In May 2014, a video clip of an illegal Myanmarese immigrant singing the Thai national anthem with native-like proficiency at the order of the Thai police went viral, becoming an ironic spectacle for Thai citizens, who often assume only they can accurately sing the song. From this presumption, officers have used the singing of the anthem as a test to determine whether a suspected immigrant is a Thai native, but now the Myanmarese manтАЩs performance has complicated things. As the officer who arrested him remarked: тАЬIt will now be difficult to do an arrest because the man can sing the anthem so accurately. A crack down will be harder nowadays.тАЭ 1 The officerтАЩs comment and Thai citizensтАЩ fascination with the singer point to the larger significance of the Thai national anthem as a signifier of identity, commonalityтАФand exclusivity. How did Thais come to develop these perceptions, and what larger political functions does the song play in Thai political history? This essay offers a condensed history of the Thai national anthem to illustrate that the hymn is not merely a patriotic, ceremonial song; it exemplifies a multivalent rhetoric to propel the political interest and power of the elites, while simultaneously inciting patriotism, nationalism, and sovereignty.... (read more).... http://kyotoreview.org/yav/enticing-pat ... the-1930s/
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Re: Protests update
Military court sends mother of two to 28 years for l├иse majest├й
Submitted by editor2 on Fri, 07/08/2015
A military court in northern Thailand has sentenced a hotel employee with two children to 28 years behind bars for posting Facebook messages alleged to defame the Thai monarchy.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Chiang Mai Military Court on Friday afternoon, 7 August 2015, sentenced Sasiwimol (surname withheld due to privacy concerns), a 29-year-old hotel worker in the province, to 56 years in jail for allegedly posting seven l├иse majest├й messages under the Facebook identity тАШRungnapha KampichaiтАЩ.
The military court sentenced the suspect to 8-year jail terms on each of the seven l├иse majest├й counts. But since the defendant pleaded guilty as charged, the court halved the jail term to 28 years.
At the deposition hearing in June 2015, the defendant denied all allegations. However, during the prosecution examination hearing today, 7 August 2015, she retracted her pretrial statements and pleaded guilty.
Prior to the ruling, Sasiwimol submitted a letter to the court, requesting the judges to reduce the jail sentence because she has never previously committed any crime and is the mother of two daughters aged seven and five. The military court judges dismissed the request and reasoned that the jail sentence is already light given the severity of the case because it is related to the revered Thai monarchy and has gravely affected the public sentiment of Thai people..... (read more)..... http://prachatai.org/english/node/5377? ... m=facebook
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Re: Protests update
Khaosod English
07 August 2015
Prayuth Eager To тАШReach UnderstandingтАЩ With New US Ambassador
BANGKOK тАФ Junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said today he is eagerly looking forward to meeting the new United States ambassador to Thailand..... (read more).... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... 6§ion=
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Re: Protests update
Prayut 'to retain power till new govt is formed'
THE SUNDAY NATION August 9, 2015
CHARTER DRAFTERS AGREE FOR NCPO CHIEF TO HAVE AUTHORITY VIA ARTICLE 44 TILL ELECTED CABINET IS READY TO TAKE OFFICE
THE CONSTITUTION Drafting Committee (CDC) has decided that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the Cabinet maintain the power to invoke Article 44 of the post-coup interim constitution until a new government is formed, a source said yesterday.... (read more)... http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politic ... 66231.html
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Re: Protests update
EU diplomat visits Isaan student group
KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN
THE SUNDAY NATION
August 9, 2015
A SENIOR European Union diplomat has visited the Daodin activist student group in Khon Kaen province to see if they had illicit items such as weapons and to get an update on their activities..... (read more).....
http://linkis.com/nationmultimedia.com/KvGGG
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Re: Protests update
BP Opinion
Quit moaning and fix Thailand's problems (Full text)
David Lyman Chairman of Tilleke & Gibbins
10 Aug 2015
David Lyman, chairman and chief values officer at Tilleke & Gibbins, gave this talk on Thai-US relations at the Foreign Correspondents Club last Wednesday. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of his firm.... (read more)....
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -full-text
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Re: Protests update
Thai king treated for 'water on the brain': palace statement
BANGKOK | Mon Aug 10, 2015
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest reigning monarch, has been treated by doctors for 'water on the brain' and also has a chest infection, the palace said on Monday.
It was the second official statement on the 87-year-old king's health since he was admitted to hospital in May for what the palace said was a check-up..... (read more)....
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSK ... 0?irpc=932
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Re: Protests update
Why Is China Buying One Million Tons of Rice from Thailand?[youtube][/youtube]
Beijing is helping Thailand ease a large burden.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
August 11, 2015
On August 10, ThailandтАЩs Commerce Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya announced that China and Thailand had reached a government-to-government agreement for Beijing to buy one million tons of Thai rice.... (read more)....
http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/why-is-c ... -thailand/
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Re: Protests update
BP Opinion
Without decentralisation, unity talk is meaningless
Achara Ashayagachat Senior Reporter
11 Aug 2015
The military regime has promised to bring unity and reconciliation back to society after the May 22 coup. But any reconciliation efforts have been significantly undermined by the regime's intensified campaign of centralisation and top-down administration..... (read more)....
http://bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/ ... eaningless
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Re: Protests update
Vpn or proxy needed
There can be no struggle for democracy which ignores l├иse majest├й тАУ so why is the Free Thai Movement silent about this?
August 7, 2015
Giles Ji Ungpakorn
During a trip to Denmark a few months ago I met with Thai pro-democracy activists. Many of them were former Red Shirts who now identify themselves with the Free Thai Movement. To my surprise I discovered that the Free Thai Movement were reluctant to have any public discussion or any public position about the l├иse majest├й law..... (read more)....
https://uglytruththailand.wordpress.com ... bout-this/