Thai Talk

Analysis and comments on political and current affairs
Permalink : http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/ThaiTalk

Tuesday , October 27 , 2009

Thaksin is like Suu Kyi? A terrible joke

Posted by Yoon , Reader : 980 , 22:17:38

Nobody should be surprised that many Burmese are unhappy with Cambodian PM Hun Sen’s recent comment comparing Thaksin Shinawatra to detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Hun Sen made the remark during a meeting of the 15th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Cha-am, Thailand, suggesting that the billionaire businessman who became one of Thailand’s most popular politicians before his ouster in a 2006 coup was—like Suu Kyi—a victim of political persecution. At the summit meeting, Hun Sen said that Thaksin, who is in self-imposed exile, was welcome to live in Cambodia, and he would not be extradited, if requested by Thailand. Writing in Irrawady online magazine, Saw Yan Naing quoted Win Tin, a senior member of the Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, as saying he was upset over Hun Sen’s comparison. “There is no reason to compare Thaksin and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” he said. “As a prime minister, Hun Sen must know that these two persons are different.” Debbie Stothard, the coordinator of the Alternative Asean Network on Burma, said, “It’s a terrible joke to compare Thaksin Shinawatra to Suu Kyi.” A Burmese university student at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, Kyaw Linn Oo, said Hun Sen may have meant that both Thaksin and Suu Kyi were very popular and received widespread political support. Suu Kyi has sacrificed for democracy, and she was not comparable to Thaksin, who went into exile after he was convicted of corruption following the coup. Suu Kyi has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention. While in office, Thaksin was widely criticized for his “War against Drugs,” in which thousands of people died in extra-judicial killings. Saw Yan Naing quoted Kaung Kin, a Burmese poet and a student in Bangkok, as saying Hun Sen’s remark was "a big mistake." “Daw Suu [Suu Kyi] is a freedom fighter,” he said. “Thaksin was charged with corruption. Daw Suu is nonviolent. Supporters of Thaksin are violent.” Critics in the Thai Press have not equally upset. One commentataor said: "These two men -- Hun Sen and Thaksin -- did nothing to help Suu Kyi fight the military dictators in Burma. But now that they want to use her for their political propaganda benefit, they have suddenly found it convenient to exploit her name. What a shame!"

Nobody should be surprised that many Burmese are unhappy with Cambodian PM Hun Sen’s recent comment comparing Thaksin Shinawatra to detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Hun Sen made the remark during a meeting of the 15th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Cha-am, Thailand, suggesting that the billionaire businessman who became one of Thailand’s most popular politicians before his ouster in a 2006 coup was—like Suu Kyi—a victim of political persecution.

At the summit meeting, Hun Sen said that Thaksin, who is in self-imposed exile, was welcome to live in Cambodia, and he would not be extradited, if requested by Thailand.

Writing in Irrawady online magazine, Saw Yan Naing quoted Win Tin, a senior member of the Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, as saying he was upset over Hun Sen’s comparison.

“There is no reason to compare Thaksin and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” he said.
“As a prime minister, Hun Sen must know that these two persons are different.”

Debbie Stothard, the coordinator of the Alternative Asean Network on Burma, said, “It’s a terrible joke to compare Thaksin Shinawatra to Suu Kyi.”

A Burmese university student at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, Kyaw Linn Oo, said Hun Sen may have meant that both Thaksin and Suu Kyi were very popular and received widespread political support.

Suu Kyi has sacrificed for democracy, and she was not comparable to Thaksin, who went into exile after he was convicted of corruption following the coup. Suu Kyi has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention. While in office, Thaksin was widely criticized for his “War against Drugs,” in which thousands of people died in extra-judicial killings.

Saw Yan Naing quoted Kaung Kin, a Burmese poet and a student in Bangkok, as saying Hun Sen’s remark was "a big mistake."

“Daw Suu [Suu Kyi] is a freedom fighter,” he said. “Thaksin was charged with corruption. Daw Suu is nonviolent. Supporters of Thaksin are violent.”

Critics in the Thai Press have not equally upset. One commentataor said: "These two men -- Hun Sen and Thaksin -- did nothing to help Suu Kyi fight the military dictators in Burma. But now that they want to use her for their political propaganda benefit, they have suddenly found it convenient to exploit her name. What a shame!"

Post comment | send mail to friend

Read comment

comment 19
anthonyford date : 31/10/2009 time : 14.16
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anthonyford
The Truth is Freedom

C18- You imagined wrong: But We have some common ground, weboth agree “there is no such thing as an easy win in politics. “

C16, - I write, "a royal pardon IF granted " , that is a BIG IF.

comment 18
Plaadip date : 28/10/2009 time : 23.50

C16, I also think that "Thaksin is politically finised" Why? Because I think the oppostion against him is strong enough. If the oppostion against him is weak, of course, he will come back to power, that's why his opponets are still opposiing him to prevent him from coming back to power. :) I hope that you would understand this easy logic. There is no such an easy win in politics. That exists only in your imagination, I imagine.

comment 17
janus date : 28/10/2009 time : 18.59
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/mi58

Comment 16

Who gives the royal pardon?

comment 16
anthonyford date : 28/10/2009 time : 17.39
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anthonyford
The Truth is Freedom

Plaadip C12.
Thaksin Political career is finished. Here is the reasons:
1.He has that many legal charges against him, so many that he will spend the next 2 decades defending himself.

The justice system is not on his side look how they treated all his puppet PMs after he left.

2.In order to overcome the Thai justice system he needs a royal pardon or a coup with the new power brokers being his supporters.

A royal pardon if granted would most likely result in another Justice breach being raised and his back to fighting the justice system.

A coup in favour of Thaksin is most unlikely because the people with the power to create a coup are anti Taksin.

3.The 3rd and final option for a Thaksin revival is a coup through people power; however, Thaksin does not have the numbers and his supporters do not possess the temperament or the skills to create such havoc.

This only leaves the option of divine intervention unless you can enlighten me with a scenario that could have him politically brought back to life?

Thaksin political objective is noble, that is the return of true democratic Governance in Thailand. Put another face behind this objective and only then the power brokers of Thailand may consider releasing their grip. This situation is very similar to what is happening in Burma with the Aung San Suu Kyi and the power brokers of that country.

comment 15
HA_HA date : 28/10/2009 time : 10.12

Good morning everybody here comes HA_HA

c3, mr. ND. what ? what? what? i don't understand.

c4, mr. Icecream... you & HA_HA probably passing each other on your way out and HA_HA's way in. 'cause HA_HA had never support Thaksin when he was in power. Quite annoy with his arrogant and every-day big ideas actually. It was after the Coup and read how people came out to protest for him, how he was attacked with lies, and double standard of justice that HA_HA comes to stand on his side. If he was still in power, HA_HA would support every digging of his corruptions and wrong doings.

c5, Mr. Alien ... At least the US has true democracy. If you don't like your president. Just wait for another 3.5 years. Also you have many really efficient, really creative people. US always come up with innovations that can turn her around in just short time. If I remember correctly, the country had read bad deficit during President Bush senior but could just turnaround during P. Clinton. Thailand has no such people. Innovation is the great asset for the US, me think.

c6, mr. lurker ..and you to me same same….555

c8, mr. Messien... i didn't say to forget PM Thaksin corruption. Just want to hear other thing from k. sutthichai. And talk about the village life… you’re giving bad example if you want to discredit Thaksin na. Because Thaksin is the one who makes real improvement for their wellbeing. He is the one who teach them to catch fish not handout fish…. And I really mean fish … because in the old days … most popular method to help the poor was handling out canned fish and mama.

That’s why the poor love him. Because Thaksin wouldn't let them survive on what... less than 300 baht a day and without medical.

c13 ..oh uncle Ian .. so ND said I’m popular. ok thanks … so you too grow on people uncle Ian.

c14, mr. Dalmesian… I really have no time. You see, every decent person at my age has to work to earn a living.

Yes, from my writing it seems that I like to pick K. Sutthichai. That’s me. I like to challenge the authority. I like to play devil’s advocate. I like to stand on the side of an underdog. And it may be because I am quite disappointed by K. Sutthichai.
When I grow up I always admired him. I was fascinated by him ever since I learnt he owned and wrote for Thailand 2nd biggest English Newspaper without studying aboard. I used to tell friends I wanted to be a journalist ..not just ordinaray journalist ..but one like Sutthichai.

ok ..bye eveybody have to go slaving.

comment 14
Dalmasian date : 28/10/2009 time : 09.48
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/dalmasian

HA_HA (c1 and c2),

since you are so smart, I suggest you create your own blogs and let others offer their comments for a change.

Picking on Khun Yoon is not going to earn you any medal of honor. Jusr remember, common courtesy dictates that when you are an invited guest to a banquet DO NOT SHIT on the host's rooftop! You will regret your action.

-- Dalmasian

comment 13
Ian date : 28/10/2009 time : 09.44
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

ND asks, why is HA_HA so popular? Could it be that in a few brief sentences she can convey more solid content than Yoon, Krajog, Stal etc do in an entire article? Could it be that she represents the voice of the ordinary Thai who just want to see things better?
I don't know if she is young or old, I do know that if we judged her by wisdom she is far older than Yoon.

comment 12
Plaadip date : 28/10/2009 time : 09.25

C10, Thaksin is gone, to where? I really don't understand this type of argument. The political strugle is going on, right now. Why can't you see it? Maybe some guys just don't want to see the facts which don't go with their previous writing.

comment 11
Plaadip date : 28/10/2009 time : 09.20

Hahaha Lurker is still childishly obsessed with the obsession of Yoon with Thkasin. How come a Journalist not be obsessive with such a newsmaker like Thaksin? Give him a break.

This is an article of Aung Zaw's article on the Hun Sen's remark. (Maybe peacefulness has already posted it.)

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/158231/the-upside-down-world-of-hun-sen-and-thaksin

comment 10
anthonyford date : 28/10/2009 time : 09.16
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anthonyford
The Truth is Freedom

Thaksin is gone, but as a generalisation: when Thais hate, destroying what they hate is never enough. It seems the author of this article has not finished with Mr T yet.

Rationally accessing the accomplishments of Aung San Suu Kyi, it is difficult to see why she is bestowed so much honor. Through her “democratic extremism” and “democratic terrorism” she has destroyed any hope of a Humane Burma returning again for decades. She is the Arafat of Burma. She has demonstrated time and time again with her extremist uncompromising line that she is an obstruction to peace and democratic progress in that country and just as stubborn as the generals.

comment 9
massein date : 28/10/2009 time : 08.29
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/massein

There is a old saying in the USA " One rotten Apple can spoil the whole barrel"

comment 8
massein date : 28/10/2009 time : 08.26
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/massein

Ha Ha you are right,lets forget about all the past corruption after all villege Thais can earn 3000฿ per month if they are lucky. and money is not important, they can get their food from the forest,as the hunter gather's have done for 1000's of years. Wait! can't do that, the forest is gone. It has been chop down by some PuYai and the wood is been sold by some policeman at the substation. well there is some forest, oh know it is fence off private property of some puyai. HaHa crimes against the ppl by government has to stop somewhere! Lets just say its started with your hero, but it won't stop there ! Many more criminals that have abused and rob the thai ppl of there heritage and treasure will get their reward here on earth, they won't have to wait for the next life.

comment 7
stalingrad date : 28/10/2009 time : 07.31
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/stalingrad

I have seen a lot of criticism about people being too obsessed with Thaksin and his corruption. But this is not obsession at all, given the monumental size of it and the devious way in which it was carried out—by rigging policy such that he or his cronies would benefit, as shown in the EXIM bank loan to Burma. You’ve got to remember that he was a PM and prime ministers are supposed to set an example of high integrity, incorruptibility, mastery of public issues, and fairness. People look up to PMs and if massive corruption is tolerated or excused by the state and the justice system, they would replicate it and you’d get millions of cases of such corruption and the society would eventually come crashing down like the Roman Empire.

Many want to deflect the issue by saying why hound Thaksin and not go after other corruptors. The answer is you start with the biggest fish first, to deter others, then you go after the smaller. Besides, the justice system is already operating at full-capacity. As for the current fiscal stimulus money, nobody said it shouldn’t be monitored with a fine tooth comb. It is--as the Pubic Health Ministry scandal shows. The Democrats are thus very careful about spending the money transparently, and civil society should x ray every project. The NGV project is a good example; it has been changed significantly and even now it has not been passed.

All this is a very healthy political development: to change the Thais’ disgustingly long standing attitude of “so what? as long as the corruptor produces results”. By maintaining that attitude you are an accomplice to the theft of hard earned tax money—your own money. Why give it to leaders who maintain luxury condos abroad and numbered Swiss bank accounts, and who secretly gloat over the stupidity of their plundered supporters? Thais need to understand that there are leaders or potential leaders out there who are both competent and honest, and their job as citizens is to find one, like what citizens of the western progressive countries have already done successfully. Thais also need to help build a system where corruption cannot be successful, and the Thaksin prosecution is part of this building.

comment 6
lurker date : 27/10/2009 time : 23.54
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/lurker

Ha ha has to be one of my favorite bloggers.

So much wiser and intelligent than her elders and has the capacity to see through Suthichai Yoon's unhealthy obsession with Thaksin and his lack of journalist ethics when it comes to covering the Democrat Party and its scandals.

HaHa is right.

How come the The Nation don't dare to hold the government accountable for the 800 billion baht stimulus?

Too busy chasing the Thaksin ghost all over the world instead of doing any real journalism.

Haha keep up the good work. You got a good mind to see through the hypocrisy.

comment 5
Alien date : 27/10/2009 time : 23.45
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/alien

Ha Ha, i see you're pretty upset about the debt that Thailand has run up. Yours seems more manageble than what they're doing her in the U. S. They are talking about grandchildren and great grandchildren having to pay it off now. They used to say that the children would have to pay it off. We're way beyond that now.

comment 4
iceberg date : 27/10/2009 time : 23.08
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/ranchhand

Ms. Ha_Ha, if someone didn’t point it out, the comparison would have made it good to those who don’t know better. I was a fan of former PM Taksin once, you knowwwwwwww?

Corrupted officials should not be forgotten. We need to make the public aware of them constantly. However, I am slightly agree with you that the author should have expanded his scope of fact finding to include all those corrupt officials, both, currently in or currently out of the office already.

comment 3
notdisappointed date : 27/10/2009 time : 22.52

55, you really grow on people. How do you do that?

comment 2
HA_HA date : 27/10/2009 time : 22.47

i noticed all your blogs are about THAKSIN this, THAKSIN that, all about THAKSIN.

Don't you have anything more interesting? how about the biggest debt in Thai history? how are we going to repay this? how about the train strike? how the country going to improve the train system? how about opinion about privatization?

Come on, i want to hear something from you.

comment 1
HA_HA date : 27/10/2009 time : 22.39

OK OK, khun sutthichai. Hunsen made a bad comparisn. Just one slip that both Thaksin and Su Yii cases are political ...ok ok. everybody already gets the message in your other blog.

Instead of being obsesseed about finding fault with Thaksin and Hunsen. Do you think you and the media should put more energy in investigating the corruption of the new 800,000 million baht budget.

Would it be better to put more energy there instead of whining about Thaksin past corruption since Thaksin corruption has already been in processed?

Please stay with the present and the future.

Comment

"If you are not member, please register to comment.
It take only a few steps."

member sign in | member register

name :
email :
website :
comment :

		back top

<<	October 2009					>>
s	m	t	w	t	f	s
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31