Week 20 (14 April 2012 – 20 May 2012)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Week 20 (14 April 2012 – 20 May 2012) Week 20 (14 April 2012 – 20 May 2012) ASEAN Newspapers Issues pertaining to Thailand/politics Number of article(s): 9 Keywords/criteria used for search: Thailand, Thai Online newspapers included in search: Borneo Bulletin (Brunei) Brunei Times (Brunei) Phnom Penh Post (Cambodia) Cambodia Daily (Cambodia) Jakarta Post (Indonesia) Jakarta Globe (Indonesia) Vientiane Times (Laos) Vietnam Net (Vietnam) Nhan Dan (Vietnam) The Star (Malaysia) The New Straits Times (Malaysia) The Philippine Inquirer (Philippines) The Straits Times (Singapore) Table of Contents BRUNEI TIMES 4 15 / MAY / 2012 ­ 17 WOUNDED IN THAILAND ROADSIDE BOMBING (APF – ALSO FEATURED IN THE STRAIT TIMES) 4 • This article relates to the Southern insurgency. • 17 people including paramilitary troops and a civilian were injured in a roadside bombing in Southern Thailand, local police said • Local news reported of the blast on the 14 May. The blast targeted Thai security personnel on their way back from guard duties at an annual fair in Pattani town just after midnight. 20 / MAY / 2012 ­ 40,000 RED SHIRT SUPPORTERS GATHER IN CENTRAL BANGKOK (APF ­ ALSO FEACTURED IN THE STRAIT TIMES) 4 • This article relates to the gather of Red Shirt supporters at Rajaprasong area on the 19 of May for the second anniversary since the clashes in 2010. • It was estimated that approx. 40,000 "Red Shirt" supporters converged on central Bangkok • According to the report the rally highlight was a live video link with Red Shirt hero Thaksin at around 6:00 PM 20 / MAY / 2012 ­ SHARED PASSIONS ARE BRIDGING THE DIVIDE IN THAILAND'S SOUTH (AFP) 5 • This article relates to the conflict in the South. • According to the article, there exists a common interest for sports, among southerners particularly for football. This common factor, it is argued, is where Buddhists and Muslims in Thailand's restive south can find common ground, where grassroots efforts to find elusive peace are gaining ground after years of bloodshed. The case is made in terms of the Pattani football team where people of different background and culture • It is stated that Thailand's obsession with football comes second only to Thai boxing, except in the deep south where football is even more popular and provides a rare space for often‐divided communities to come together. THE PHNOM PENH POST 7 17 / MAY / 2012 ­ AGREEMENT REACHED AT THAI SEAFOOD FACTORY 7 • This article relates to the working situation and possible human rights violation at the Phattana Seafood factory which is own by PTN. According to the Phnom Penh Post, a conclusive settlement seem to have been reached between the factory and its Cambodian employees, Cambodian ambassador to Thailand You Ay said on the 16 / May. • The ambassador was quoted for stating that she had helped strike an agreement that ensured the workers received free housing, This comes after a string of allegations of contractual breaches as well a the seizure fo passports from the Cambodia employee by the factory and CDM Trading Manpower in Cambodia. JAKARTA POST 8 19 / MAY / 2012 ­ DIVIDED BUT PEACEFUL 2 YEARS AFTER THAI VIOLENCE 8 • This article is an opinion piece and summary of the past events and the current situation with regards to the domestic political situation (Red shirts/government and the Democrats/opposition). • According to the article, there seems to exist a temporary acceptance of the situation from both sides, yet this can only be seen as temporary. Issues of Thaksin's return and amnesty are seen as potential factors that could destabilize the truce between the two groups. JAKARTA GLOBE 10 20 / MAY / 2012 ­ RED SHIRTS SEND WARNING TO THAI ELITE (AP) 10 • This article relates to the gather of Red Shirt supporters at Rajaprasong area on the 19 of May for the second anniversary since the clashes in 2010. • Furthermore, according to the article, Red Shirts supporters are demanding accountability from the political elites for the deaths of some 91 people during the violent clashes in March‐May 2010. NEW STRAIT TIMES 12 14 / MAY / 2012 ­ 17 INJURED IN SOUTHERN THAI BOMB BLAST 12 • This article relates to the Southern insurgency. • 17 people including paramilitary troops and a civilian were injured in a roadside bombing in Southern Thailand, local police said • Local news reported of the blast on the 14 May. The blast targeted Thai security personnel on their way back from guard duties at an annual fair in Pattani town just after midnight. • Also in a separate incident seven people made up of a police officer, a paramilitary volunteer and five civilians were injured in a hand grenade attack late last night in downtown Narathiwat province. A suspect has been detained in relations to this incident 18 / MAY / 2012 – YINGLUCK ANNOUNCES STRATEGIES FOR FIGHT CORRUPTION 13 • This articles relates to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra recent announcement on the government's anti‐corruption strategies • Relevant law amendments as well as hotline to receive corruption complaints as been opened. 20 / MAY / 2012 ­ IMPATIENT THAI RED SHIRTS WANT JUSTICE FROM PM YINGLUCK (REUTERS) 14 • This article relates to the gather of Red Shirt supporters at Rajaprasong area on the 19 of May for the second anniversary since the clashes in 2010. • According to the article, many red shirts are angry at the failure of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to bring to account those responsible for the 91 deaths during the 2010 events. Some are threatening action that could destabilise her government and start another period of political upheaval, after months of relative calm. Brunei Times 15 / May / 2012 ‐ 17 wounded in Thailand roadside bombing (APF – Also featured in the Strait Times) SEVENTEEN people including 10 women paramilitary troops and a civilian were injured in a roadside bombing in Thailand's insurgency‐plagued south, local police said yesterday. The blast targeted Thai security personnel on their way back from guard duties at an annual fair in Pattani town just after midnight. The device, which was concealed in a gas canister, was detonated when the military vehicle stopped at traffic lights, injuring 15 troops and a security volunteer. A local man travelling in a pick‐up truck was also hurt. Police said none of the victims were seriously injured. A shadowy insurgency, without clearly stated aims, has raged in Thailand's three southernmost provinces — Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala — since 2004.AFP http://www.bt.com.bn/news‐asia/2012/05/15/17‐wounded‐thailand‐ roadside‐bombing 20 / May / 2012 ‐ 40,000 Red Shirt supporters gather in central Bangkok (APF) UP TO 40,000 "Red Shirt" supporters from across Thailand converged on central Bangkok yesterday to mark the second anniversary of a deadly crackdown on street protests, city police said. A carnival of flag‐waving Red Shirts, food vendors and the occasional monk, took over the retail heart of the city, where the 2010 protests in support of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra descended into the kingdom's worst violence in decades. Police blocked traffic at the Ratchaprasong intersection, one of Bangkok's busiest junctions, as mainly rural working‐class Red Shirts arrived en masse in coaches laid on by the movement. "At 6pm (1100 GMT) there were around 40,000 people at Ratchaprasong," a Bangkok police spokesman said as the rally highlight — a live video link with Red Shirt hero Thaksin — approached. Red Shirt leaders had anticipated between 100,000 and 200,000 people would attend the rally, which began with Buddhist prayers for those killed in the 2010 unrest and will end early today. More than 90 people, mostly civilians, died in the 2010 violence, which marked the culmination of a series of rival protests since a 2006 coup that toppled Thaksin, who now lives overseas to avoid arrest in Thailand. The Red Shirts have called on the new government, led by Thaksin's sister Yingluck, to prosecute soldiers and officials responsible for causing the deaths and injuries, many to unarmed demonstrators. So far no cases have been brought in connection with the violence and Yingluck's government has raised the prospect of an amnesty for those involved, prompting an outcry from human rights groups. Red Shirt leader Thida Thavornseth stood on the stage — framed by a banner proclaiming in Thai 'Our friends must not die in vain' — and thanked the crowd for coming. "Your numbers are a testament to the fact that our movement still exists and is getting stronger and stronger," she said. The city's vast Central World shopping mall, which was set alight in the chaotic and bloody endgame to the 2010 protests, closed early as the crowd packed into the courtyard outside waiting for Thaksin's address. AFP http://www.bt.com.bn/news‐asia/2012/05/20/40‐000‐red‐shirt‐supporters‐ gather‐central‐bangkok 20 / May / 2012 ‐ Shared passions are bridging the divide in Thailand's South (AFP) A SHARED passion for football is uniting Buddhists and Muslims in Thailand's restive south, where grassroots efforts to find elusive peace are gaining ground after years of bloodshed. Unmissable in their bright orange shirts, the players of local side Pattani FC exchange banter almost as fast as their passes around the training pitch. It is a scene familiar to football clubs across the world. But Pattani play in far from ordinary circumstances. The Division Two team's hometown is in the heart of an area riven by a raging insurgency that has claimed more than 5,000 lives since 2004 in near‐daily bomb or gun attacks against both Buddhists and Muslims. Despite the violence off the pitch, for Pattani's players all that matters is scoring goals. "We are not divided, whether Muslim, Buddhist or Christian. We are all friends," said Samae Samak, a young Muslim.
Recommended publications
  • (Title of the Thesis)*
    University of Huddersfield Repository Treewai, Pichet Political Economy of Media Development and Management of the Media in Bangkok Original Citation Treewai, Pichet (2015) Political Economy of Media Development and Management of the Media in Bangkok. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/26449/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ POLITICAL ECONOMY OF MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE MEDIA IN BANGKOK PICHET TREEWAI A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Strategy, Marketing and Economics The University of Huddersfield March 2015 Abstract This study is important due to the crucial role of media in the dissemination of information, especially in emerging economies, such as Thailand.
    [Show full text]
  • The Owners of the Map: Motorcycle Taxi Drivers, Mobility, and Politics in Bangkok
    The Owners of the Map: motorcycle taxi drivers, mobility, and politics in Bangkok The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Sopranzetti, Claudio. 2013. The Owners of the Map: motorcycle taxi drivers, mobility, and politics in Bangkok. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11169780 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA The Owners of the Map Motorcycle Taxi Drivers, Mobility, and Politics in Bangkok. A dissertation presented by Claudio Sopranzetti The Department of Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Social Anthropology Harvard University Cambridge, MA September 2013 © 2013 – Claudio Sopranzetti All rights reserved. Professor Michael Herzfeld Claudio Sopranzetti The Owners of the Map: Motorcycle Taxi Drivers, Mobility, and Politics in Bangkok. Abstract This dissertation offers an ethnography of motorcycle taxi drivers: Bangkok’s most important and informal network of everyday mobility. Drawing on over eight years of experience in the region, six months of archival research, and 24 months of fieldwork, I analyze how the drivers, mostly male rural migrants, negotiate their presence in the city through spatial expertise, bodily practices, and social relations. Their physical mobility through traffic, I argue, shapes their ability to find unexplored routes in the social, economic, and political landscapes of the city and to create paths for action where other urban dwellers see a traffic jam or a political gridlock.
    [Show full text]
  • Thialand's Emergency State: Struggles and Transformations
    10a Michael.indd 285 4/25/11 6:17:23 PM 10a Michael.indd 286 4/25/11 6:17:24 PM Southeast Asian Affairs 2011 THAILAND’S EMERGENCY STATE Struggles and Transformations Michael K. Connors Thailand’s political landscape in 2010 was dominated by the ravine-like political division over the rules that define the acceptable exercise of power. Just as yellow- shirted protestors of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) had staged a four- month “civic uprising” in 2008 against what they claimed was an illegitimate proxy government of the self-exiled Thaksin Shinawatra, so in 2010 red-shirt protestors from the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship — Red All Over the Land (UDD)1 — rebelled against a government they claimed was a puppet of the bureau-aristocratic establishment, what they called the amaat. They occupied major intersections in Bangkok from mid-March to 19 May and called for the army to abandon the government. In 2010, a river of blood ran through the political division. Fatal clashes between red shirts and the Royal Thai Military left over ninety people dead and thousands injured. Previous episodes of mass protest and repression — such as those in 1973, 1976, and 1992 — have come to define new political eras. It remains uncertain as to whether the same may be said of the April-May killings, or if those events are part of a series, as yet unfinished, of increasingly unpredictable political struggle. The clashes highlighted the deadly trajectory of a contradictory politics that has emerged since the 2006 coup d’état that deposed Thaksin Shinawatra from office.2 These politics are characterized by antagonistic and hybrid political forces that, in practice, undermine their declared democratic objectives.
    [Show full text]
  • US Proxies in Southeast Asia Include Fake Communists
    US Proxies in Southeast Asia Include Fake Communists By Joseph Thomas Region: Asia Global Research, October 05, 2017 Theme: History, US NATO War Agenda New Eastern Outlook 4 October 2017 A quick geopolitical audit of Washington’s political and military proxies around the globe reveals a tangled web that, at first glance, appears contradictory and incoherent. Fascists in Kiev who hold extreme views regarding race and religion enjoy equal standing in Washington with Wahhabi militants across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Two groups who would otherwise find themselves ideologically opposed, instead find themselves working toward a common cause, one on behalf of Washington. And Washington itself, which would appear at first glance diametrically opposed to both fascism and Wahhabism, instead counts both among its closest and most reliable facilitators and functionaries around the globe. And while the rank and file of Americans, Ukrainians and Wahhabi militants may genuinely believe in otherwise contradictory and incompatible ideologies, cursory research reveals that the leadership of all three groups are motivated by money and the influence it buys far more than their alleged, respective ideologies. In Southeast Asia, Wahhabi-inspired militants also serve Washington’s interests across the region. They are joined byneo-liberal academics and journalists who eagerly serve Washington, London, Brussels and the Western clubs and networks these neo-liberals seek memberships within. But there is also another curious and perhaps ironic member of this otherwise contradictory alliance, supposed “Communists” and “socialists.” Thailand’s “Communists”and the Capitalists They Love The most transparent example of this is found in Thailand in the form of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD).
    [Show full text]
  • (Title of the Thesis)*
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Huddersfield Repository University of Huddersfield Repository Treewai, Pichet Political Economy of Media Development and Management of the Media in Bangkok Original Citation Treewai, Pichet (2015) Political Economy of Media Development and Management of the Media in Bangkok. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/26449/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ POLITICAL ECONOMY OF MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE MEDIA IN BANGKOK PICHET TREEWAI A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Strategy, Marketing and Economics The University of Huddersfield March 2015 Abstract This study is important due to the crucial role of media in the dissemination of information, especially in emerging economies, such as Thailand.
    [Show full text]
  • Les Chemises Rouges De Thaïlande
    LES CHEMISES ROUGES DE THAÏLANDE L’auteur Eugénie Mérieau est doctorante à l’Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO), diplômée de cette même institution en siamois ainsi que titulaire d’un Master de l’Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), mention « Affaires internationales-Conflits et sécurité ». Graphiques : Mikael Brodu, d’après Eugénie Mérieau Couverture et mise en page : Mikael Brodu ISBN 978-616-7571-16-4 © IRASEC, juillet 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or means, without prior permission of the author or the publisher. The opinions expressed in these papers are solely those of the author(s). Les Chemises rouges de Thaïlande Eugénie Mérieau Carnet de l’Irasec / Occasional Paper n° 23 L’Institut de recherche sur l’Asie du Sud-Est contemporaine (USR 3142 – UMIFRE 22 CNRS MAEE) s’intéresse depuis 2001 aux évolutions politiques, sociales et environ- nementales en cours dans les onze pays de la région (Brunei, Birmanie, Cambodge, Indonésie, Laos, Malaisie, Philippines, Singapour, Thaïlande, Timor-Leste and Viêt Nam). Basé à Bangkok, l’Institut fait appel à des chercheurs de tous horizons disciplinaires et académiques qu’il associe au gré des problématiques. Il privilégie autant que possible les démarches transversales. The Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (USR 3142 – UMIFRE 22 CNRS-MAEE) has since 2001 focused its activities on the political, economic, social and environmental evolutions of the eleven countries of the region (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam). Based in Bangkok, the Institute promotes a variety of approaches by calling on experts and specialists from all academic fields and teaming them up as required.
    [Show full text]
  • Descent Into Chaos RIGHTS Thailand’S 2010 Red Shirt Protests and the Government Crackdown WATCH
    Thailand HUMAN Descent into Chaos RIGHTS Thailand’s 2010 Red Shirt Protests and the Government Crackdown WATCH Descent into Chaos Thailand’s 2010 Red Shirt Protests and the Government Crackdown Copyright © 2011 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-764-7 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org May 2011 1-56432-764-7 Descent into Chaos Thailand’s 2010 Red Shirt Protests and the Government Crackdown I. Summary and Key Recommendations....................................................................................... 1 II. Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 28 III. Background .......................................................................................................................... 29 The People’s Alliance for Democracy and Anti-Thaksin Movement ......................................
    [Show full text]
  • 05 Dressel.Indd 296 7/13/09 11:41:50 AM Thailand’S Elusive Quest for a Workable Constitution, 1997–2007 297
    Thailand’s Elusive Quest for a Workable Constitution, 1997– 2007 Author Dressel, Bjoern Published 2009 Journal Title Contemporary Southeast Asia Copyright Statement © 2009 Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/28587 Link to published version http://www.iseas.edu.sg/ Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Contemporary Southeast Asia Vol. 31, No. 2 (2009), pp. 296–325 DOI: 10.1355/cs31-2e © 2009 ISEAS ISSN 0219-797X print / ISSN 1793-284X electronic Thailand’s Elusive Quest for a Workable Constitution, 1997–2007 BJÖRN DRESSEL The “People’s Constitution” drafted in 1997 was seen as a watershed event in Thai constitutional history due to the breadth and depth of its reforms. Yet just ten years later, in August 2007, a new Constitution was promul- gated, the 18th since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. The latest version followed the ouster in September 2006 of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a military coup. This article examines the main differences between the 1997 and 2007 versions of the Constitution and how these changes relate to the current unrest in Thailand. The analysis suggests that Thailand’s current instability is best understood in terms of how social struggles over access to power played out in constitutional choices. Though Thailand’s urban elites and middle class had driven the drafting of the earlier Constitution, when the populist leadership it produced threatened their interests they were quick to support the traditional military and royal networks in ousting the elected government and replace the People’s Constitution with one that is deliberately less democratic.
    [Show full text]
  • The London School of Economics and Political Science
    The London School of Economics and Political Science The Rise of the Octobrists: Power and Conflict among Former Left Wing Student Activists in Contemporary Thai Politics Kanokrat Lertchoosakul A thesis submitted to the Department of Government, the London School of Economics and Political Science for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, UK September 2012 1 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 97,959 words 2 Abstract Since the early 1990s, the prominent role of ‘Octobrists’ – former left wing student activists from the 1970s – has become increasingly evident in parliamentary and extra-parliamentary politics. Some Octobrists have played leading or supporting roles in key moments of political transition, such as the 1992 urban middle-class movement for democracy, various social movements throughout the mid-1990s, the political reform process of the late 1990s, and the rise of the Thais Love Thais (Thai Rak Thai) government under Thaksin Shinawatra in 2001.
    [Show full text]
  • Thailand's Sub-Community
    Civil Society in Thailand: Strengthened by Municipality with Partisan Politics A Ph.D. Dissertation Submitted to the University of Tsukuba In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Chalermpon KONGJIT April 2017 Abstract Civil societies are voluntary groups of non-market and non-state sectors that support their own associational life and public interests. However, according to rules of law and instruments, the legitimate state and the political-institutional actions directly and indirectly influence the development of civil society organizations. Therefore, the state still holds the legitimate sovereignty to foster, regulate, and readjust the nature of civil society. This study highlights the importance of how civil society and its roles can be structured and molded by the state. In Thailand, according to the provision of the 1997 constitution, there is a new particular pattern of local groups of residents that have been structured by the state in the city areas. Central and local governments have provided administrative guidance and financial support as incentives to encourage and support those groups’ establishments and activities. The municipality as a local government has used political instruments such as rules and regulations in order to structure the group formation and management style. Apart from that, both even though those groups provide public interests, it is imperative for them to be able to provide the collaborative mechanisms between the local government and local residents. Thus, it is possible to say that those groups are promoted as political partisan groups through the state-designated local group of residents. Therefore, this study explores the new patterns of development of a local group of residents based on a geographically delimited condition that has been influenced by the state and to grasp its roles as a civil society organization.
    [Show full text]
  • Framing the Colours of Thainess: the Emergence of Yellow and Red Thai Identities
    FRAMING THE COLOURS OF THAINESS: THE EMERGENCE OF YELLOW AND RED THAI IDENTITIES A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science in the University of Canterbury by Suthida Pattanasrivichian University of Canterbury 2016 i To my parents, Jim, Na Yai, and Pa O Thank you very much! ii Abstract This thesis explores the movement of the Yellow and Red Shirts in their early periods. Sondhi Limthongkul created the Muang Thai Rai Supda group. This was the initial group of the Yellow Shirts, while the Red Shirts was originally started as the several anti-coup groups. In a successful social movement the leaders need to ensure long lasting support, thus a large number of participants are vital to enlarge and strengthen the movements. To achieve this, framing becomes a significant tool for the leader to select and highlight effective issues and events, and frame them to resonate with their followers and bystanders. In Thai social movements, frames have been employed into many movements, particularly nationalist frames. Four nationalist symbols the king, nation, religion, and democracy/modernization metaframes have become sources of mobilizing frames which stem from these metaframes. To understand social movements in Thailand, the cases of Sondhi Limthongkul and the anti-coup groups were selected for investigation through social movement and framing theories, including the Thai metaframes concept. The questions asked by this research focus on how the metaframes and mobilizing frames of Sondhi Limthongkul and the anti-coup groups were applied, focused on, and adjusted in their early movements.
    [Show full text]
  • Opposing Democracy in the Digital Age: the Yellow Shirts in Thailand Aim Sinpeng Normalizing Corruption: Failures of Accountability in Ukraine Erik S
    Opposing Democracy in the Digital Age weiser center for emerging democracies Series Editor Dan Slater is Professor of Political Science, Ronald and Eileen Weiser Professor of Emerging Democracies, and Director of the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies (WCED) at the University of Michigan. [email protected] The Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies (WCED) Series publishes cutting-edge re- search in the pivotal field of authoritarianism and democratization studies. We live in a his- torical moment when democracies seem increasingly fragile and authoritarian regimes seem stubbornly resilient across the globe, and these topics continue to be a central part of re- search in the social sciences. The WCED Series strives to collect a balance of titles on emerg- ing democracies and enduring dictatorships, as one cannot understand the conditions under which democracies live and thrive without comprehending how they die and remain unborn. The WCED Series is interested in the full range of research being conducted on authoritarian- ism and democratization, primarily in political science but at times from history, sociology, and anthropology as well. The series encompasses a global geographic reach. We invite works that are primarily qualitative as well as quantitative in approach and are interested in edited volumes as well as solo-authored manuscripts. The series highlights the leading role of the University of Michigan Press, Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies, and International Institute as premier sites for the research and produc- tion of knowledge on the conditions that make democracies emerge and dictatorships endure. Opposing Democracy in the Digital Age: The Yellow Shirts in Thailand Aim Sinpeng Normalizing Corruption: Failures of Accountability in Ukraine Erik S.
    [Show full text]