Sunday, September 30, 2007

Burma on September 30th

Last Update: 15:00 in Bangkok (14:30 in Rangoon)

NOON (Mizzima)
Manadalay
- civilians gearing up for protests.
- Security forces have locked most of the Buddhist monasteries and restricted movement of monks, effectively barring the Buddhist clergy from marching on the streets in protest. However, though locked up inside the monasteries, monks continued their protest by chanting Metta Sutta (Buddhist words for loving kindness).

Rangoon
- People gearing up for more protests.
- Streets blockaded and traffic stopped on Pyi Road.

The Naypyidaw Option

After you have read the post, have your say about whether the Naypyidaw Option should be on the table.

The international reaction to the crackdown in Burma is looking more and more like Darfur revisited, where China dithers, blocking any meaningful action at the UN Security Council while innocents get slaughtered.

With China holding a veto at the Security Council, the UN isn't likely to threaten anything strong enough to deter Burma's junta from continuing to oppress its long-suffering people. Burma is rather isolated already.

Moreover, to the extent the West has stayed out of Burma, China's geopolitical interests have been advanced and Burma's junta has profited. Other major beneficiaries of sanctions by the West against the Burmese junta include India and Russia.

Many countries are eager to exploit Burma' rich natural resources. China, Russia, and India would be likely be delighted if the crackdown in Burma led Western countries to impose more severe sanctions against Burma, because this reduces competition for Burma's resources. These countries seek continued privileged access to Burma's resources at bargain prices.

Last week, Burma's junta decisively chose violence over civility. It's soldiers fired automatic weapons at unarmed civilians. This obviously isn't Gorbachev that Burma's peaceful protestors are up against. The junta crossed a line.

What to do about it?

For one thing, the free peoples of the world ought to start "thinking out of the box" on Burma. Certainly, we should get creative about our approach to China. What about other options?

Recently, Burma's junta built a new capital out in the jungle called Naypyidaw (also spelled Naypyitaw or Nay Pyi Taw, it means “Abode of Kings"). You can read more about the new capital here (BBC), and examine rare photos taken by a foreign traveler who visited Naypyidaw in June 2007 here. Interestingly, even China has criticized its ally for building this fortified city in the middle of nowhere. Some analysts speculate the new capital was constructed by the junta to keep itself safe from the protests of its civilian population.

However, by moving into this new, still mostly uninhabited capital, the regime may have rendered itself strategically vulnerable -- to an air strike.*

Can you imagine circumstances in which this -- call it the "Naypyidaw Option" -- should be put on the table? **

*Perhaps that's why China criticized the regime for building it.

Vigil in Bangkok




There was an organized protest at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok earlier tonight. About 150 turned out on a Saturday night for a prayer and meditation vigil, including about 50 journalists. Bangkok religious groups were well represented, as were expatriots. The protestors poured off the sidewalk and occupying a lane of the street. The police provided much needed traffic control.

This embassy is located on the street under the skytrain tracks, just two blocks from Sathorn Station. I expect the vigils will continue.



Update 10/01: The Bankok Post reports that some Burmese students began a vigil outside the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok today.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Burma on Saturday September 29 - Protests Continue

Oct 1 Update:

Some 10,000 farmers in Arakan State on Saturday joined hands in a protest against the military government in Wra Ma Village, located 30 miles north of Taungup in southern Arakan. (Narinjara)

Last update: 23:55 in Bangkok (23:25 in Rangoon)

AFTERNOON
Rangoon (Mizzima)
- "The army was fooled by protesters. The protesters would start at a place and when the security forces and soldiers came there, they would disperse and run and begin at another place," said an eyewitness.
-With more people joining in, protesters in Rangoon have swelled to more than 10,000. As security forces continue to beat and crackdown, protestors flee shouting slogans and again gather in different places. Troops stood about 50 metres from the protesters. As the clapping of the protesters reverberates the army is getting ready to open fire.
-Soldiers open fire on protestors near Sanpya cinema hall. The number of injuries and casualties remained unconfirmed.
-About 2,000 protestors march on the Merchant Street in the heart of Rangoon and are shouting slogans of "Peoples' desires must be fulfiledl". Soldiers and police are reportedly rounding up the protestors and arresting them
Kyaukpadaung, Mandalay Division
-More than 1,000 monks led about 30,000 protesters in a demonstration march in Kyaukpadaung Township, according to a monk in a local monetary. Protesters actively joined the demonstration despite security troops and army trucks in the downtown area (Irrawaddy)

Mandalay (Mizzima)
- About 5,000 people in Mandalay protested despite restrictions and heavy security.
- Security forces continue to guard all the monasteries in Mandalay and impose restrictions on movement of monks, effectively barring monks from protesting.

Sittwe, Arakan State
-About 50 monks led 5,000 protesters in Sittwe in Arakan State in western Burma in a mass demonstration according to the a local resident. (Irrawaddy)

Kyauk Padaung town, Central Burma
Monks and civilians today staged another protest in Kyauk Padaung town in central Burma.
More than 1,000 monks from Thukhahwadi, Khamarthiwun, and Gu monasteries along with over 30,000 civilians today began the march at about 3 p.m .(local time) from Saythigyi pagoda and through the town to Mingalar Saythi Thike, central point, and on Myingyan Road.


MORNING
Rangoon
The IHT presents a most sobering account of Rangoon this morning:

The streets were quiet early Saturday and monks . . . were locked behind temple gates in the two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay. Additional troops arrived overnight, consolidating the government's control of
urban areas.

Residents worried that pro-democracy protests could be weakening after soldiers and police in Myanmar took control of the streets, firing tear gas and warning shots to scatter demonstrators who ventured out. . .

The mood in Yangon was somber Saturday. Soldiers and police were stationed on almost every street corner. Shopping malls, grocery stores and public parks were closed, and only a handful of residents ventured out

"People are living in a state of fear and hate," said one onlooker, who asked not to be named. "A few days ago, everyone was friendly. Now no one wants to talk to strangers."

Hundreds of people have been arrested in the last few days, including Win Mya Mya, an outspoken member of the country's main opposition group, the National League for Democracy, who was taken overnight. . .

The arrival of additional troops in Yangon strengthened the government's hand . . . The corralling of monks — who carry high moral authority in the predominantly Buddhist nation — was also a serious blow. Authorities also shut off the country's two Internet service providers, although big companies and embassies hooked up to the Web by satellite remained online.

I think in reading such an account, we should keep in mind that we just don't know what's happening elsewhere in Burma today, so this gloomy picture -- presumably taken within a limited radius of downtown Rangoon -- may not reflect the situation in the country overall.

Why I jot about Burma not Myanmar: Part II

Jim Fallows laments the woefully misguided political correctness of the New York Times and CNN. Both media outlets refer to Burma as Myanmar -- the name given to Burma by the Burmese junta. Fallows blogs:
. . . on the argument that Burma is a “colonial” name: If a country changes its name in the process of becoming independent, no problem. Today’s Ghana had been the Gold Coast as a British colony; when it became independent 50 years ago, it became Ghana too. New country; new name. But suppose a junta took over Mexico tomorrow and said that henceforth the world must call the country Atzlan. . . It’s not a new country; it’s just a new regime, and there would be no need to oblige them, just there is no need to dignify the brutal Burmese generals.

"Muslims, Christians and Hindus defending the monasteries"

An interesting report of effective local resistance on Thursday from the Democratic Voice of Burma:
At Min Nanda monastery, which backs on to Pazuntaung creek, troops tried to approach from both land and water but retreated when they saw the strength of local resistance.

“There were not only Buddhist people but also Muslims, Christians and Hindus defending the monasteries,” said a resident of Tharkayta township.

A similar story has been played out in other townships in Burma, as residents take action to resist government raids on monasteries.
Truly, the people of Burma are an inspiration to the whole world.

Burma Round-up for September 28: More than 100 dead protestors?

See Also: What happened in Burma? All News Summaries.


This report just in from Mizzima (9/29 11:00 in Bangkok):
>September 28, 2007 - 5:20 p.m - Troops opened fire on more than 10,000 protesters in Pazuntaung at about 4 p.m (local time).


Last Updated: 02:20 in Bangkok (01:50 in Rangoon)

Friday was by all accounts less deadly than Thursday; protests appear to have been widely suppressed. Not only did fewer protestors take to the streets, the Internet was taken down. Tragically, original estimates of Thursday's death toll -- notably the Burmese government's report that nine had died -- now appear too low by several orders of magnitude according to the British Prime Minister and other sources.

Here are some observations that strike me as significant, taken from the most recently published accounts:

  • "Myanmar’s forces appeared to have succeeded today in sealing the monks inside their monasteries" reports the NY Times.
  • ". . . sources said they had spoken to a Western witness who had seen up to 35 bodies lying in the streets" reports CNN.
  • Khin Ohmar, the head of the Thailand-based Asia-Pacific People’s Partnership on Burma said she had heard from witnesses that “more than 100 were shot down at Tam We high school in Rangoon” but the number of deaths could not be confirmed (FT).
  • At least 2 people killed in Mandalay (FT).
Scroll down for my comprehensive review of all the major events reported in Burma on September 28.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Where did this happen?

Police rough-up a group of Burmese demonstrators in Australia. The photo and report are from The Sydney Morning Herald. Money quote (via New Mandala):
A protest of about 60 Burmese pro-democracy activists were met with heavy police presence at a protest outside the Burmese embassy in Canberra this afternoon. Chanting “we want democracy” and “free Burma”, the group of mainly older Burmese-Australian men first sat in an area across a closed road from the Burmese embassy, then sat down on the closed road. About 30 federal police officers and two police dogs tried to disperse the group. One protester was thrown to the ground and taken away. Protester Thomas Soe said police had been heavy handed. “All we wanted to do was a peaceful demonstration, all we wanted to do was stand in front of the embassy,” he said. Police denied they had been heavy-handed. The protest then marched to the Chinese embassy, where protesters yelled: “Chinese government, shame on you”.
I blogged about the heavy handedness of Australia's finest last month at APEC, and something quite disturbing I saw on the streets of Melbourne gave me a view into Australia as a police state.

Thailand's leader speaks out - in support of Burma's junta

"Every civilised nation has a responsibility to stand up for people suffering under a brutal military regime like the one that has ruled Burma for too long."
That was George W Bush. Regular Jotman readers know that I seldom approve of anything Bush says, but what he says here is true -- absolutely true.

Arguably the most powerful leader in Thailand said something quite different yesterday -- as soldiers fired automatic weapons at civilians and Buddhist monks. General Sonthi, head of Thailand's National Security Council, said in a speech:
Regarding the dispersal of demonstrations, the Burmese government did not use military force. Police were deployed. That was the right approach. It has been used by every country— the military must step back to let police take charge. But the actual tactics may vary from country to country. However, I think there is no violence in the current situation. Everything is under control. The Burmese government is still in control of the situation. On the reports that Buddhist monks were assaulted, that cannot be concluded just from looking at the photos. . . As it happened in Thailand, sometimes people used violence against officials. So officials may have to defend themselves. There has been no political suppression. Burmese authorities should understand that it—getting Buddhist monks involved in the demonstrations — is a tactic used by demonstrators. . . If we get involved, that will undermine our relationship. (New Mandala)

General Sonchi led a coup last year, deposing Thailand's democratically elected prime minister. One year ago last week, standing at a street corner in Bangkok around midnight, I was witness -- camera in hand -- to General Sonthi's motorcade as it sped from the Royal Palace to Thai Military Headquarters.

Thailand's good king had just given his seal of approval to General Sonchi's coup. Now that General Sonthi has disgraced Thailand before the entire civilized world, does General Sonchi continue to serve Thailand at the King's pleasure? Surely not for much longer.

Because Sonchi has just spoken out in support of evil men who kill Buddhist monks and peaceful civilians.

In Thailand there had been much speculation that General Sonchi would soon be joining the Thai cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister. Evidently, Sonchi had bold political ambitions. These speculations will surely be put to rest.

Photo: Jotman file photo.

Update: Bangok Pundit blogs about Sonthi's speech here and here.

Burma: the Insurgency Factor

It would seem that Karen and other rebel groups have chosen to seize the moment. The Irrawaddy reports:
Burma’s Karen National Union has issued a call for all ethnic ceasefire groups to rise up against the Burmese regime in solidarity with the people of Rangoon and Mandalay.
Among the ranks of Burma's longstanding rebel groups are some the most hardy, battle-tested, and resourceful fighters in the world. Last year I spoke with a Westerner who fought in the jungles of Burma with the Karen Army. Her story blew my mind.

While on a trip to the seldom-visited northern Burmese state of Shan, I took this video of a battalion of the Myanmar army on the move against the insurgents (my story here). My own encounter testifies to the commonly-held view that the army of Myanmar is notoriously ill-equipped.




Recent reports indicate that some battalions of the Myanmar army have been transferred to urban centers such as Rangoon to suppress the peaceful protesters. More such reports have come in today (see next post).

At this juncture in the history of Burma, it would be unwise to discount the "Insurgency Factor." Especially should Myanmar army regulars -- many poorly trained, poorly equipped, devout Buddhist peasant boys -- start to defect. Zaw Tun, a participant Burma's democracy movement living in Thailand, told Bill Toddler of Pajamas Media: “In 1988 many of the soldiers where ready to switch sides. I think that is the same now. Maybe even more so. . ."

Video: Jotman file video.

What Happened in Burma on September 28th?

The focus is on major events. This post is updated as information comes in.

Last update: 23:50 in Bangkok (23:20 in Rangoon)

EVENING
Rangoon (Burma Net)
-Junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, his second in command and the commander in chief of the army, are reported to have disagreed over the response to the demonstrations.
- Maung Aye, who is apparently opposed to the bloody crackdown
, is scheduled to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi.
- Aung San Suu Kyi taken to Yemon Military Camp on the outskirts of Rangoon.
-Unusual troop movements may be underway in Rangoon.

AFTERNOON
-Internet and telephone lines said to be cut off in many parts of the country. (Ko-htike and WP)

Countryside (Mizzima)
- Burmese troops from middle Burma have started to march towards Rangoon -- the troops are from Central Command based in Taung Oo and South East Command.
- Military aircraft are taking off from the Matehtilar airbase.
- Commotion in the Light Infantry Division 33 and 99 of the Burma Army.

Rangoon
- Thousands of protestors are on the streets (Ko-htike)
- News agencies reported several hundred people gathered near Rangoon's revered Sule Pagoda, only to be dispersed by soldiers marshaled behind coils of concertina wire and rows of trucks. Otherwise, they said, the downtown area seemed mainly to be deserted as residents reeled from the violence of Thursday. (WP) Comment: Perhaps the news agencies have underestimated the number of protestors?

NOON
Rangoon
- 5000 protestors "closeted on the road" near Theingyi market "disperse." "We cannot see the other end but on this side there are three military trucks . . ." and "about 100 soldiers blocking the road," an eyewitness told Mizzima. Comment: Is the implication here that 5,000 protesters are trapped? (Update 9/29: "When the troops charged, the protesters vanished into narrow side streets, only to emerge elsewhere to renew their abuse until darkness fell and an overnight curfew took effect,"reports BurmaNet)
- Demonstrators gather at Trader Hotel to start a peaceful march. Demonstration to be led by politicians elected in the 1990 election. (Irrawaddy)

Mandalay (Mizzima)
- Rumors of the use of medicated-water to crackdown on protestors in Mandalay are making the rounds among local people.
- About 300 soldiers the 33 regiment taking up positions near the monasteries. "Monks in the monasteries said they saw some troops who looked like Chinese or Wa troops." Comment: Chinese troops?

MORNING
Rangoon
- Soldiers and security forces patrolling the city; numerous security personnel deployed in the area of Sule Pagoda. (Mizzima) Nearby, 10 fire trucks took up positions around the City Hall (Irrawaddy).
- Tharmwe Township: "Peace and Development offices are closed since yesterday. Some officials are avoiding office. Some have gone into hiding. The administrative mechanism is starting to decay and it is affecting up to the district level. We are not even daring to stay in our own house," a local resident of Tharmwe told Mizzima.

LATE LAST NIGHT
- Burma's security forces sealed off the five main monasteries in Rangoon and declared them no-go areas to prevent anti-government protests. (BBC)

* Map of Rangoon is from The Herald Tribune.

Round-up of Events in Burma on Sept. 27th

Update on Yesterday's News (20:30 Bangkok Time):
Two hours ago the Washinton Post had this to say about the death toll in yesterday's protests:
Soldiers opened fire at several places around the city Thursday, killing nine people and injuring 31 according to an account read on official Burmese television. But exile groups said they had received information overnight that the toll was considerably higher, perhaps in the dozens. Bob Davis, the Australian ambassador, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio that he believed the number dead was several times the official count.
In the story it was also reported:
The monastery raids, in which a number of monks were beaten and hauled away in trucks, resulted in a sharp reduction in the number of monks seen in the streets. Most of those seen protesting Thursday -- in video footage shipped out electronically -- were lay activists of student age.
**** Update ends here

It seems, yesterday, September 27, 2007 was an auspicious date. "Suspicious Burmese had predicted violence on this date, whose digits in the Gregorian calendar add up repeatedly to the astrologically powerful number 9: the 27th day of the 9th month in 2007." (NYT)

This is how the day ended: "Yesterday evening, Crowds defied the curfew in several parts of Rangoon. A 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew was clamped on the city on Wednesday, but as darkness fell on Thursday crowds of protesters still roamed the streets," The Irrawaddy reported.

According to The Bangkok Post nine protestors were killed by troops, including one Japanese national, 50 year-old Kenji Nagai, a reporter for Tokyo-based video and photo agency APF News. Also, witnesses report that automatic weapons were fired at protestors yesterday.

Also, "one western diplomat in Rangoon has speculated that army chief vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye may meet the detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi soon in an attempt to ease increasing tension in Burma" according to the The Irrawaddy.

Check out the photos depicting events in Burma yesterday on Ko-htike's blog (Via Sullivan).

Thursday, September 27, 2007

50,000 Protest in Rangoon, Shots Fired at Protestors, One Dead

Summary of Events in Burma (Myanmar) on September 27
I'm updating this post as information comes in. . .

Last update: 18:30 in Bangkok (18:00 in Rangoon)

Afternoon - Rangoon

- student hit by a bullet in his stomach when soldiers opened fire on protesters near Pasoden Bridge. He has been seriously injured. (Mizzima) Demonstrator shot dead near Pansoden Bridge. (Mizzima) Do these two reports concern the same person? (Jotman)

- Soldiers opening fire on protestors at Magah road near the Kyaikkasan pagoda in Thingankyun Township. (Mizzima)

-30-year old foreigner was injured in the gunfire in Sule. (Mizzima)

- Protestor march has swelled to at least 50,000 and their shouts of "We will Succeed, We will Succeed," reverberated in downtown Rangoon. (Mizzima)

- The protestors who were at Sule Pagoda were dispersed by the shoooting. Dispersed protestors said to be marching towards Tamwe Township. (Irrawaddy)

- Tens of thousands gather at Sule Pagoda. Civilians and monks offered prayers. While praying, three military trucks carrying soldiers arrived. First they fired in the air and then into the crowd. "A bullet hit a man and killed him on the spot" said a witness. (Mizzima) About 10 people were shot by troops trying to disperse the protestors. (Irrawaddy) Troops gave people only two minutes to disperse before they opened fire on protesters. (Mizzima)

- About 400 students and youths have gathered near Burma's notorious Insein prison where pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi -- who had been under house arrest -- is thought to have been moved. (Mizzima)

Noon - Rangoon

- Fire engines and insect spray carrier trucks were seen near Theingyi market in downtown Rangoon, leading to speculation that junta preparing to use insect spray instead of tear gas to crackdown on protesters. (
Mizzima)

- Thousands of protesters led by monks march down Anawrattha Street. Security forces are closing in on them. (Mizzima)

- Soldiers and security forces came out of the City Hall near Sule pagoda in downtown Rangoon and blocked the road. (Mizzima)

Morning
- Rumours have spread that the Burmese military junta is hiring thugs to dress like Buddhist monks with orders to destroy Muslim mosques, in an attempt to foment religious riots between the Muslim and Buddhist communities. (Mizzima)

Last Night
- 2 monasteries in the East of Rangoon were stormed overnight and 200 monks were arrested (BBC). Mizzima says 5 monasteries raided, including Ngwe Kya Yan in South Okklapah Township, and concurs with BBC on arrest figure of 200. Witness told Mizzima: "There were sounds of beating and screaming from the monastery."

Updates concerning past events
Yesterday's death toll? AFP citing an official, said three people died during the brutal crackdown on demonstrators. Bangkok's 2 English dailies report 5 people were killed.

Loving Kindness Vs Brutality

Here is a moving eyewitness account from Shwedagon Pagoda in Burma where one of the monks died yesterday (Mizzima.com):

As the authorities refused to open the eastern gate of Shwedagon pagoda, the monks stood in front of the gate and recited Metta Sutta (Buddhist word for loving kindness). Then the soldiers charged the monks with batons and started beating and kicking the monks. We heard that an elderly monk died because of the beating. I saw one monk beaten severely. I guess that he is the same monk who is reported to have died. The monk must be over 80 years old. The monks were peacefully demanding opening pf the gate and the soldiers just charged into them and s arrested five people. I heard that two of the monks who were arrested were forced to take off their robes. Their robes were burnt. And the police also stamped on the Sasanah flag (religious flag). In all about 12 monks and civilians were injured. The police fired teargas from four directions. And after about three hours the people dispersed.

Jotman on Burma

To your left, under "Top jots," I added a new link to videos and interviews from my trip to the seldom-visited north of Burma.

The Madness of Burma's Junta

Some observations about Burma:
  • "Burma is today the least developed country in Asia in all rankings. In some indexes it is lower than Laos, Cambodia and Bangladesh."
  • School enrolment is about 50 percent.
  • Infant and maternal mortality is the worst in Asia.
The source for this information is Dr. Sann Aung. Elected to parliament in Burma in the 1990 elections, he now lives in exile in Thailand. Dr. Sann Aung's comments were delivered in an interview with The Nation published today in Bangkok. He also said:
In 2006, the military moved the capital. That cost it US$10 billion and that caused inflation. In March the same year, it increased military salaries ten-fold. People became poorer and poorer and then it doubled the price of petrol, and gas by five times. This exacerbated the social and political crisis.
I have posted other disturbing economic data and health estimates concerning here.

I was in northern Burma last year and I had a chance to learn something about the aspirations of Burma's kids. Check out this post.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

2 monks dead, 5 monks and 1 nun shot, others beaten in Rangoon

Summary of Events in Burma (Myanmar) on September 26
I'm updating this post as information comes in. . .
Last update: 23:30 in Bangkok (23:00 in Rangoon)

Evening
Junta has imposed a night curfew in Rangoon.(DVB)

At least 2 monks killed today in Rangoon (BBC confirmed). A Burmese person emailed the BBC to report that 5 monks had been killed in the city.

Troops deployed outside of six monasteries (BBC).

All phone lines cut in some parts of the city (BBC).

Late afternoon

Rangoon: Warning shots fired at protestors near Sule Pagoda. . . The protestors started throwing sticks and rocks, which drew no response from troops, so the protestors moved forward, leading the security forces to shoot again. Two shots were fired, but the protestors continued to advance, at which point the military fired machine gun rounds over the protestors’ heads. (DVB)

Afternoon

Rangoon: About 30,000 people assembled in the vicinity of Sule pagoda earlier today, including around 2,000 monks. Crackdowns by security forces at around 1pm dispersed the protestors, who then tried to march from Bogyoke road to Sule pagoda in small groups to reassemble, but were stopped by government forces. (DVB)

Rangoon: soldiers armed with sticks came from two military trucks and attacked a group of 15 to 20 monks at the Traders Hotel junction of Sule pagoda road. (DVB)

Rangoon, downtown; two monks and one nun were reportedly shot by military forces near Sule Pagoda on Wednesday afternoon, according to a witness. (Irrawaddy)

One person was killed and five wounded by bullets in Yangon, a hospital source said, but it was not known whether any of the victims were monks, who have been at the forefront of the demonstrations. At least two witnesses saw the bloodied body of a monk being carried away after security forces stopped one procession as the city centre seethed with tens of thousands of people rebelling against decades of military rule. (Reuters)

Three monks were reportedly shot by military and riot forces on Wednesday afternoon in Ahlone Township - a suburb of Rangoon (Irrawaddy)

Mandalay; Military troops fired warning shots and used tear gas in an effort to disperse tens of thousands of monks who marched through Burma's second largest city.. (Irrawaddy). Another report indicated that for the most part, soldiers stayed clear of the protestors in Mandalay (BBC).

Early afternoon

Rangoon, downtown; —At least two protestors were shot by security forces in downtown Rangoon near Sule Pagoda on Wednesday afternoon. One protestor reportedly died, according to people who took part in the demonstration. The source said the soldiers continued firing at the demonstrators, who numbered several thousand. (Irrawaddy)

Noon
Bahan, Rangoon; Security forces at Rangoon’s Shwedagon Pagoda struck out at demonstrators Wednesday noon, arresting about 50 protesting monks and attacking several hundred other monks and supporters. Tear gas was used to break up the demonstrations. Other protesters were gathering in another area of the Pagoda, according to eyewitnesses, who also saw a Western embassy car in the area. (Irrawaddy)

Security authorities used tear gas and force to break up a peaceful demonstration by about 50 monkson Wednesday morning at Rangoon’s Shwedagon Pagoda. The monks were beaten and bundled into waiting army trucks. The whereabouts of the arrested monks is unknown. (Irrawaddy)

Soldiers with assault rifles have sealed off sacred Buddhist monasteries such as Shwedagon Pagoda and Sule Pagoda, as well as other flashpoints of anti-government protests. (Irrawaddy)

Early morning
Rangoon; Burmese authorities have arrested several key players who have been supporting the peaceful demonstrations and offering alms to monks, according to sources in Rangoon. (Irrawaddy)

Late last night

military trucks spirited away 250 men in robes to unknown destinations. Quite a few were beaten up by soldiers. . . . More than 250 Buddhist monks belonging to four major monasteries in Myitkyina and Bhamo, the two major cities in Kachin State, Northern Burma, were detained in a midnight raid yesterday by security personnel, said residents.(KNG)

Several celebrities and political figures arrested, others went into hiding. . . (more at Irrawaddy)

The military government ordered a curfew beginning Tuesday night and several soldiers have taken up positions in Rangoon, including the area around Sule Pagoda. (
Irrawaddy)

Soldiers have taken up positions at several locations around Mandalay and authorities enforced a curfew on Tuesday night.

Related to today's news:

Citizen's photos of protests from the past week and an incredible map showing "locations of peaceful protests in Burma." (New Mandala)

It is reported that troops of the Kachin militia group, the Rebellion Resistance Force (RRF) from Northern Burma have been airlifted in military aircrafts to Naypyitaw, the new capital of the country since early this month, said local sources. (KNG)

International: Russia, India, and China are calling the Burmese situation "an internal matter." (BBC) Burma's closest neighbour -- also one of the world's great Buddhist nations -- Thailand, was extremely slow to issue any kind of statement. Today Thailand said that it was "concerned." (TJS and BP blog Thai-Burmese relations)

- Above map of Burma and Rangoon from BBC website.

Update 9/27:
Mizzima is another website that has timeline for 9/26. It's based on reports they received from Burma.

Why my jots refer to "Burma" instead of "Myanmar"

Fallows explains why Burma is the preferred name.

Burma: How many monks? How many soldiers?

The Irrawaddy reports, "The Alliance of All Burma Buddhist Monks said that more than 300,000 monks had turned out in nationwide protests on Monday—conflicting with a claim by the regime that only 2 percent of Burma’s 400,000 monks were taking part in the demonstrations."

I read where the number of soldiers in Burma's army is estimated to total 400,000. So Burma has as many monks as soldiers.

Burma Military's Tactics

Asia Sentinal reports:

Thailand-based analyst Aung Naing Oo, said Tuesday, “I think they are clearly trying to separate the monks and the people. This is one of the military's first clear tactics, and it's a very important one. From the military's standpoint, it's crucial to separate the people from the monks.


”The second step will be for them to send plain clothes agents around the monasteries to intimidate and divide the monks. This is a very important strategy, but I don't know how successful it will be. They cannot separate the people and the monks very easily.”


This brings to mind something the Burmese woman I spoke to in Bangkok had said, that the military would be targeting the protest movements leaders, separating them from the followers.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Aung San Suu Kyi Moved to Prison

It's almost midnight in Bangkok. Here's a wrap up of events that took place today -- Tuesday September 25 -- in Burma:

  • Troops and riot police took up positions outside at least six big activist monasteries in Yangon on Wednesday as Myanmar's junta tried to prevent monks leading new protest marches against military rule, witnesses said. (Reuters/NYT)
  • Detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was moved to the notorious Insein prison from her Rangoon lakeside home at University Avenue. (Reuters)
  • in Taunggok, a coastal city 250 miles (400) to the northwest, about 40,000 monks and civilians took to the streets, witnesses said. (Reuters)
  • Myanmar's junta deployed hundreds of soldiers and riot police in its biggest city Tuesday, after Buddhist monks defied warnings of a crackdown and led 100,000 people in another day of mass protests. (AFP)
  • Ethnic Karen rebels on the Thai border told Reuters troops of the 22nd Division had been redeployed to Yangon. (Reuters)
  • (Protesters) were led in Yangon by 10,000 monks chanting "democracy, democracy" and, in a gesture of defiance, some waved the bright red "fighting peacock" flag, emblem of the student unions that spearheaded the 1988 uprising. The streets were lined with people clapping and cheering as the column of monks stretched several blocks on their march from the Shwedagon Pagoda, the Southeast Asian nation's holiest shrine and symbolic heart of the campaign, to the Sule Pagoda. (Reuters)

Reaction of Burmese Living in Bangkok to Events at Home

I held today's Herald Tribune in my hand as I walked through a Bangkok market. When I stopped at a store, a young woman, named Aun, approached me. "May I look at your newspaper please?" She had noticed the front page color photo depicting the march of Burmese monks through Rangoon during yesterday's protests -- the largest in 20 years against the junta.

Aun introduced me to her sister and a friend. The three girls were from Burma. They said there were 200 other Burmese working in this particular Bangkok market. The economic hardships of Burmese life had driven them across the border. They work without documentation; they hold no passport even. Most of the money they earn gets sent to their families back in Burma; some more is paid to get them over the border -- they don't go home very often.

But their excitement about the protests in Burma was palatable. "I want to go to university. I want to own a business, like people in Thailand. There are no opportunities in Burma. Yes, I want democracy!"

Aun said the marches had begun not as a movement for democracy, but as a protest over economic hardships. She was in touch with Burmese friends who were keeping up to date on what the Burmese news websites were reporting.

They were excited. They were also terribly apprehensive about what the generals would do next.

I asked Aun if she thought the soldiers would fire their guns at the monks.

"If they are told to, yes. Just as I will sell something I don't want to sell, if my boss tells me to sell it. I would have no choice, neither would they," said Aun. "But they don't want to. They will go way down if they do that -- not up. Wrong direction." As she said this she lowered her hand toward the tile floor of the market. That would be very bad karma.

"If you were in Burma now, what would you do?" I asked Aun.

She pointed to the photo: "I would be out there with the monks on the street."

OLC Laptop - New Marketing Plan

Recall those green laptops designed for kids in developing countries (the one-laptop-per-child scheme)? Well, a few months ago I blogged that the Lead Users or "Problem Pioneers" for this innovative product are invariably not those for whom the laptop was invented to help: poor children. Today OLC announced a marketing plan for the laptop that seems to capitalize on this realization:
The marketing program, to be announced today, is called “Give 1 Get 1,” in which Americans and Canadians can buy two laptops for $399.

One of the machines will be given to a child in a developing nation, and the other one will be shipped to the purchaser by Christmas. The donated computer is a tax-deductible charitable contribution. The program will run for two weeks, with orders accepted from Nov. 12 to Nov. 26.
So Jotman will get his green laptop and -- in theory -- so will a poor child. But I don't expect the child will be using the laptop for long -- assuming he or she actually ever sees it. Most likely, that laptop is going straight onto the black market (as I blogged here).

The original OLC distribution scheme smacked of headstrong idealism. As I explained in the post, it was at odds with the economic reality of life in the developing world. But at least OLC has now come up with a plan that is sure to give this very promising and exciting technology a chance to see the light of day.

And it just got much easier to agree with computer research pioneer Alan Kay, who said of OLC: "I’m an optimist that this will eventually work out." My italics.

Further Comment:
But one paragraph from the Times article on OLC has me scratching my head. It makes me wonder if the OLC isn't just way too out of touch to make a go of it:
Staff members of the laptop project were concerned that American children might try the pared-down machines and find them lacking compared to their Apple, HP, or Dell laptops. Then, in this era of immediate global communications, they might post their criticisms on Web sites and blogs read around the world, damaging the reputation of the XO Laptop, the project staff worried.

So the laptop project sponsored focus-group research with American children, ages 7 to 11, at the end of August.
The hypothesis is ridiculous. To think they bothered to focus-group-it! If people who think like this are running OLC, it's a wonder they even got this far.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Monk Protests in Rangoon and Elsewhere in Burma (Myanmar)

The website Narinjara.com has fantastic photos of protests from around Burma, and comprehensive coverage from the Burmese state of Arakan (Rakhine). Narinjara is really worth taking a look at.

Burma Digest has photos and the site links to a video by Ko Htike showing that "Many tens of Thousands of people led by Monks and celebrity artists peacefully demonstrating against military regime, on 24.09.2007, in central Rangoon, near Sule Pagoda."

Burma Digest has other coverage of the protests in Burma:
- Photos of monks vowing to excommunicate junta leaders (9/22)
- Monks marching in the rain (9/22)

Beaten Burmese Monk Speaks Out

A monk who was beat up by Burmese soldiers told a Democratic Voice of Burma reporter:
“They restrained me and hit me in the face and also on my head which started to bleed. They also kicked me with their boots. I had cuts on my head and my ears and several of my teeth were knocked out of place,” U Warathami said.

He said he was later taken to the office of the chief of Sittwe police with two other monks where he was tied up with a belt and beaten repeatedly until he became unconscious.
An article in today's Irrawaddy states "Armed riot police backed by fire engines prevented a large crowd of monks and demonstrators from again approaching the Rangoon home of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday."

Sunday, September 23, 2007

High in the sky freeway meets the "Mega Brige"

Completion of Bangkok's "Industrial Ring Road"
"Such an engineering solution cannot be seen anywhere else in the world" says Gobridges.com. In the south of Bangkok a series of freeways now float high in the sky-- a vortex of elevated loops connect with suspension bridges high over the Chao Phraya River. The view from the ground is quite stunning, and the drive above exhilarating. Today I shot some videos while traveling over this monster, the so-called "Industrial Ring Road."


The project, funded mainly by Japan and China, commenced in 2001 and was completed only a few months ago -- on time. Some early design plans are posted here, and some details about the project's conception and the innovations in engineering that made it possible can be found here. The actual "Mega Bridge" lit up around 7:00 pm last night. I watched as a freighter passed under it.

Will Myanmar Military Units Defy Commanders and Side with Monks?

The Irrawaddy reports, "The lower ranks of military units must defy the senior leaders who are clinging to power during the current unrest, urged former commander, Brig-Gen Kyaw Zaw." The left-leaning 81 year old Kyaw Zaw is described as "one of the founders of the Tatmadaw (Burmese armed forces) and one of only two surviving members of the legendary Thirty Comrades, who formed the Burma Independence Army to fight British colonial rule in the 1940s."

According to this report, on Thursday "The Federation of All Burma Young Monks Unions issued . . . the first official call by protesting monks for the public to take part in their demonstration marches which have spread across the country during the past week. Previously, the monks asked the public not to join their protests."

I can't see how the regime can defeat the monks if they manage to maintain their solidarity. Foot soldiers are recruited from poor devote Buddhist families. I would think that harming a monk would be unthinkable to these good men.

Last year I was in Norther Myanmar. I spoke with a Western woman who had fought against the Burmese military (Tatmadaw) in the jungle and witnessed a battalion of Tadmadaw troops on-the-march.

Photo: Jotman file photo.

Aung San Suu Kyi Greets Thousands of Protesting Monks

This is a huge. The Irrawaddy reports today:
Detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, dressed in yellow, came out of her home, where she is under house arrest, to pay respect to protesting monks who marched in front of her home on Rangoon’s University Avenue on Saturday afternoon, witnesses said.
Earlier, New Mandala's Nicolas Farley reported:
Tuesday, 18 September, is the day the “The Alliance of All Burmese Buddhist Monks” has specified for commencing the ”patam nikkujjana kamma“ (refusal of alms) from members of the country’s military government. There are also new reports of large protests at monasteries throughout Burma. From north to south, from Kachin state to the Mon territories, the Sangha appears to be restless.
Here are some info sources on the mass street protests by monks in Burma:

Monk Protest in Burma (Myanmar)

The monks are protesting in Myanmar. Burma's monks are the only group in the country outside of the military regime with a nationwide organization. Burma is one of the most intensely religious countries in the world, and the monks are a revered presence.

Last year, on a trip to Burma's Shan State, I took this photo of some monks in a truck. They were returning to their monastery having just collected their daily alms.


Most Burmese monks subsist solely by the generosity of the people -- an in Burma today, the generosity of a poor people for their monks knows no bounds. Burma was one of the first countries outside India to embrace Buddhism; some consider Burma the country where Buddhism has survived to the present day in its purest form.

What strikes just about every visitor to Burma is the fervent devotion of the man on the street. I am still struck by what I was told by one man, named Khin, on my visit -- you can read what Khin told me here (or read the whole story of my truly haunting journey into Shan State here).

My own interest in Burma developed a few years ago when I started practicing a non-sectarian form of meditation taught by a Burmese-trained teacher.

Insurgency in Thailand's Southern Provinces - a traveler's view

In August, a New Mandala reader made a trip to Thailand's insurgency-afflicted deep south. His eyewitness account is worth taking a look at. This traveler concluded:
Both insurgents and the military seem to be everywhere and yet the outside observer can’t tell the villager from the terrorist or the trained soldier from the volunteer militia. It was the confusion and uncertainty of it all - rather than the actual fear of violence that unsettled me the most.
The traveler also has taken a (warning: distressful) video showing military units responding to a roadside killing on the road between Narathiwat and Pattani.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Exxon Mobil plans 2nd Major Petrochemical Complex in Singapore

Who is minding them?
Six months ago, Shell began building a new chemical cracker in Sinapore. This month ExxonMobil announced that it's significantly ramping up it's investment -- it will build a second major Petrochemical complex at Jurong Island (Business Times/Singapore). These investments total $10 billion, and by 2009/10 will have brought Singapore's ethylene capacity up to four million tonnes (tpa) per annum. By this time, the petrochemical industry in Singapore will have reached critical mass; Singapore will have joined Japan as Asia's second petrochemical hub.

There may be plans in the works for more oil refineries. "One of Singapore's pluses has also been the petrochemical industry's close integration with the refineries. This suggests that there may be a need for another refinery down the road to help fuel the crackers" write the editors of The Business Times.

Earlier in the summer, a fatal accident shut down one of Exxon's present refineries on Jurong Island. At the time, there was speculation that world oil market could be effected, were this shutdown a long one (here). Given the worldwide shortage of refining capacity, any decision to build more oil refineries would further enhance the economic and strategic importance of the city-state.

It's no secret that ExxonMobil does not have an exemplary environmental track record. Jotman remains concerned that the Singapore government still does not permit environmental organizations to operate in the city-state. Singapore's citizens would be well served if the government welcomed not only new industrial plants, but independent environmental groups.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Is Bush about to bomb Iran?

Steve Clemons of Salon makes the case that Bush has decided -- for now -- against bombing Iran. Apparently back in January, the Joint Chiefs made a convincing case against bombing Iran on strategic military grounds. Yet, Clemons concludes his optimistic article by saying that the prospect of a US attack on Iran has not gone away:

What we should worry about, however, is the continued effort by the neocons to shore up their sagging influence. . . And through Op-Eds and the serious political media, the "bomb Iran now" crowd believes they must undermine those in and out of government proposing alternatives to bombing and keep the president and his people saturated with pro-war mantras.

We should also worry about the kind of scenario David Wurmser floated, meaning an engineered provocation. An "accidental war" would escalate quickly and "end run," as Wurmser put it, the president's diplomatic, intelligence and military decision-making apparatus. It would most likely be triggered by one or both of the two people who would see their political fortunes rise through a new conflict -- Cheney and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

A lot can happen, and it's the height of irresponsibility that the US Congress has not even attempted to put some legislative checks on the renegade US president's war powers.

Update: Here are the US targets in Iran (Telegraph via Sullivan).

Where Australia is not Pedestrian Friendly

I arrived at my Sydney hotel to overhear the front desk staff discussing the near fatal injury of a hotel guest. The guest had been run over by a city bus. Actually, I was not surprised to hear this. I had already walked the streets of downtown Sydney, and concluded that whoever approved the design of Sydney's bus lanes must hate pedestrians. Watch this pedestrian stand back as a Sydney bus clips the sidewalk. This reflex is an all-too-familiar sight in Sydney:



Anti-Walking Politics
This article presents one expert's observations about Sydney, but it applies to other towns I have visited in the Australian state of New South Wales:
At present, Sydney's roads, footpaths and traffic light configurations all conspired to favour the car, Professor Gehl said. They were a product of traffic engineering that was refined in the 1960s and '70s but never reviewed.
Why are Sydney's streets so unfriendly to people who choose to walk? Road improvements in Sydney have to be approved by the Roads and Traffic Authority. The city council can't do anything about the roads without this state agency's approval.

Here's the political calculation behind RTA decisions: to the majority of voters living in the state of NSW, vehicle access to the city is the top priority, whereas making the city livable is not so critical. That's the political equation that dictates RTA decisions effecting the metropolis, rendering the city inhospitable to pedestrian traffic. Effectively, downtown Sydney is hostage to out of town motorists.

The Brighter Side of Australia
At my travel blog Jotazine.com, I write that Sydney could learn a lot from a less famous Australian metropolis that is stealing the hearts of Australians and foreigner visitors.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

US Foundations have become far too risk averse

Yesterday, the Financial Times reported that the average pay for head of a US Non-profit Foundation now exceeds $300,000. What's going on here? Who needs that kind of a salary to lead charity work? Here's what I suspect is going on. Basically, US foundations don't want the burden of having someone motivated solely by altruism at the helm. No, that would be perceived by foundation boards as far too risky. That's the conclusion we should draw from this report: High salaries speak mainly to the fact that today, US foundations are extremely risk-averse.

Case in point: Today blogger Fonzi reported that the National Endowment for Democracy -- a Washington DC based non-profit organization -- just awarded it's "2007 Democracy Award to Spotlight Press Freedom" to Thai journalist Kavi Chongkittavorn. The trouble here, in Fonzi's view, is that this journalist came out in support of last year's military coup. Does that sound like someone deserving of a prestigious democracy award for 2007? Hmm. . . I wonder what Kavi might have done to merit the award?

Well, a quick glance at Kavi's background is most revealing:
A tireless campaigner for press freedom throughout Southeast Asia and, indeed, throughout the world, Kavi Chongkittavorn is the assistant group editor of Nation Media Group, publisher of The Nation, Krungthep Turakij and Kom Chat Luek in Thailand. . . He was a bureau chief in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 1988-1990 and Hanoi, Vietnam from 1990-1992. He also served as special assistant to the secretary general at the Jakarta-based Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from 1993-1994 before returning to journalism.

In 1993, Kavi was a Reuters Fellow at Oxford, and in 2001, a Nieman Fellow at Harvard. He was named the Human Rights Journalist of 1998 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights by Amnesty International, Thailand. From 1999-2003, he was the president of Thai Journalists Association. Since 1999, he has chaired the Bangkok-based regional free media advocacy group, Southeast Asian Press Alliance. Kavi also serves as Jury President for the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, UNESCO, which consists of fourteen professional journalists and editors from all over the world. . . .
Kavi has an outstanding resume, an exemplary resume. And to today's over-paid, risk averse foundation chiefs, this kind of resume is a gold mine: Kavi has received prestigious fellowships from Oxford and Harvard. He's done a stint at various multinational organizations (ASEAN, UNESCO, etc). What does it matter what a journalist has actually written lately, if they have a resume like that? Just as surely as many of today's highly paid foundations heads will support the more fashionable cause over the more controversial one, they will select a great resume over courageous reporting. That way is safer.

Or so it seemed to America's National Endowment for Democracy. At first glance, Kavi's resume makes him look like a safe choice. But this US foundation was incredibly lazy; they obviously didn't do much reading (strangely, as his work needed no translation). It looks as though the NED didn't really care who got its award this year.

Now, NED looks ridiculous.

Because absolutely, you don't want to be seen as handing out your "democracy awards" to people who don't speak out against military coups.
And you certainly don't want to bestow such honors to the assistant editor of a publication -- in this instance, The Nation -- that has become a shameless apologist for a military coup, a once proud newspaper that is today little more than a propaganda arm of the Thai junta.

I have nothing against Kavi Chongkittavorn. I presume he is sincere in his convictions, and he is evidently a very accomplished professional in the field. To Kavi I send my congratulations. I wrote this not to harp on one Thai journalist, but to ask how a major US non-profit could have made such an egregious mistake.

We live in a time when the head of a major charity can earn half a million US dollars a year -- or more. We also live in a time when hundreds of brave journalists risk imprisonment and even their lives to report facts: a number die every month in prisons and by soldiers' fire. More often than not, these journalists' resumes are not particularly impressive. Yet, this does not matter. Not where words or pictures are inspiring and true.

Gratuitous Iran Bashing

As we all know, Iraq had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11. Neither -- by every account I have ever read -- did Iran.

So why not allow Iran's leader to pay his respects at Ground Zero and lay a wreath there, at the former site of the World Trade Center? Why not? Because Iran sponsors terrorism, the US Administration says.

I don't think Iran's Prime Minister intended gesture is especially political -- he's not doing anything other than what most foreign heads of state have done throughout the past six years -- when they pay a visit to New York City. Foreign heads of state typically lay wreaths at Ground Zero. And let us not forget: Iran did offer the US useful assistance in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. In gratitude, Bush declared Iran a member of the Axis of Evil.

I think the US government's posturing here is disgraceful and very political. You don't treat the Iranian Prime Minister this way. It's rude. It's the kind of gratuitous insult that could really set back US relations with Iran. And I can't help but think that's the whole point.

I think this is a really crass attempt to associate Iran with 9/11, and -- by extension -- terrorism. Paint Iran as the enemy. The US, with the help of the media, is gearing up the public for a crap shot of a war with Iran -- a war intended to salvage Bush's sorry legacy. War with Iran will be a vanity war for America's leaders.

What caused the crash of the 1-2-3 Go plane in Phuket?

It's beginning to look like the Phuket airport, not the pilot or airline, may in fact be responsible for the crash of the jetliner. Wind shear -- a sudden change in the direction or speed of the wind in an aircraft's path -- seems to be implicated. Singapore's Straights Times reports the following:
  • 3 out of 6 solar-powered wind shear alert systems were out of power at the time of the crash (source: Vutichai Singhamanee, director of flight standard bureau of the Transport Ministry's Aviation Authority Department).
  • The son of the pilot (now dead) said Phuket authorities told him his father wanted to go back to Bangkok, but the control tower had said he should land.
  • Orient Thai Airlines, owner of One-Two-Go, defended the Indonesian pilot as one of his best, "very experienced, patient and decisive."
  • The pilot of the previous flight, which landed 4 minutes ahead, had warned of wind shear. When the One-Two-Go pilot was told of this by air traffic control, he had said that he wanted to land. (Source: Kumtorn Sirikorn, VP of air traffic control body Aeronautical Radio of Thailand via AP)
On one hand, it seems to me that a good and experienced pilot would not have chosen to land at Phuket under such circumstances. On the other hand, why would the air traffic control guy make a false claim that could easily be contradicted by the flight data recorder? In either case, if half the alert systems were not working during stormy weather, air traffic control has a lot more explaining to do.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Plane Crash in Phuket, Thailand

Early indications are that terrorism does not appear to be the cause of the crash of One-to-Go flight carrying 123 passengers -- about half of whom were foreign nationals. The plane had departed from Bangkok and crashed as it came into Phuket. There are survivors. Phuket airport has been closed. Bangkok Pundit is live-blogging information about this airplane crash as it comes in from Thai and foreign media sources. Matt is blogging the scene in Phuket.

Update: more on Thai air safety at Jotazine.com.

Edward's response to Bush was to the point, memorable

Notice how Edwards has repositioned his campaign strategy. Now he's running against both Bush and the feckless and intransigent US Congress. Smart move, very smart move John.

Jotman's new look

As you may have noticed, recently I have made some changes to Jotman.com. I've also changed the look and feel of my new travel blog, Jotazine.com.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Campaign Finance Reform in Thailand Vs USA

Blogger Fonzi compares a new campaign finance law in Thailand which introduces a $1,000,000 cap on individual contributions to a political party -- as reported by The Nation, with the US law. In the US individual campaign donations are capped at $2,300 but as for donations to a political party, there is no upper limit (chart). Fonzi writes:
In Thailand, on the other hand, the notion that politicians should have to solicit contributions from the "little people" is bizarre, because usually politicians are giving money, gifts and services to the voter in exchange for the vote. Then, the politician recoups his campaign investment by stealing as much from the state as possible in concessions and other forms of corruption.
Alarming to me is the extent to which Fonzi's description of Thailand describes the situation in the US in 2007. In the US, the $2,300 ceiling on contributions still effectively favors rich donors because this figure amounts to around 5% of the average American's yearly salary -- relatively few Americans will donate so much to a political party. In the US, a few wheeler-dealers have "rich lists." They sponsor parties for donors who can afford $1000-a-plate dinners. Having these hosts on your side can make or break your campaign; they have become powerful if largely unknown figures. Some US reformers have suggested that individual campaign contributions ought to be capped at $100.

Was this new Thai law aimed at Thaksin?


In the US, there is no limit to how much of your own personal fortune you can spend on your campaign. I wonder if this new Thai law -- which places a ceiling of one million dollars on donations to a single party -- is basically an attempt to prevent deposed PM Thaksin from financing his political resurrection, the next incarnation of his disbanded Thai Rak Thai party.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Thailand military chief's inspiration? Chairman Mao

Council for National Security chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin on 9/12/2007:
I will bring into use the successful strategy of the late leader of the Chinese Communist Party Mao Zedong who established strong support from both sympathisers and the militant [military?].*
* Source is The Nation (via Bangkok Pundit)

Thursday, September 13, 2007

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s . . .

The first time I spotted George on a Melbourne street, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. The guy was flying along, faster than any bus, car, or cyclist. In that instant, as he whized past me, a flash of understanding: I saw that carbon-neutral transit urban transportation had finally come of age.

Over the past five years, an Australian named George has perfected a highly efficient form of city transportation. He has done it with the help of Sally and Rex – brother and sister -- two of a special breed of collie.

Essentially, George’s invention is a modern urban Australian version of the Canadian dogsled. Powered by Rex and Sally, George moves about greater Melbourne on rollerblades.



Some facts about this innovation in carbon-neutral transportation:

History: George tells me others have attempted something similar using a skateboard, but he’s the first person to get about town using dog-powered in-line-skates. George has been dog-skating for five years.

Range: It is not uncommon for George to travel 50km in a day by way of dogs-skates; he follows a route that would take 45 minutes by public transit.

Navigation System: No need for GPS. George says Sally and Rex were quick to learn right from left. He also says they are adept at steering him clear of cars and other obstacles.

Australians! Know where you stand!

In America, the Bush Administration has followed a two track policy. On one hand you scare the public about terrorism, and on the other, you make it easier for big business to get the better of employees and consumers.

Australia's federal government has adopted a similar dual-track policy. In any big Australian city, one set of federal government posters instill fear of terrorism -- part of a massive advertising campaign urging citizens to spy on their neighbors (see here). The other ubiquitous set of posters promote something called "Work Choices." Naturally, with a name like that, you just know it's got to be some kind scheme that makes workers less secure. (I once saw a poster that had been slightly improved. Under the phrase "know where you stand" a street artist had scribbled what seemed the likely answer. A strong believer in "truth in advertising" I doctored the above photo to the same effect).

In an interview with The Age, Harvard labour economist Richard Freeman said of Australia's Work Choices initiative: "It's an amazing law, something I think the US government would never in a million years try -- the micromanagement, the detailed regulatory provisions -- it just pours out, 700 pages of things stipulating how you can behave." Yes, this aspect of the "workplace relations system," has perplexed me. Because under the scheme, at the same time worker rights have been reduced, government interference in private businesses has actually increased!

Freeman also said that creating jobs in a modern economy is not done by lowering wages for the most vulnerable workers. Rather, he said, "You need to improve the quality of skills, ability of firms, and workers who are key assets, to work together to make better products." I couldn't agree more.

Update: Sharing my passion for truth-in-advertising, I see where a street artist has further improved upon the Australian government’s advertising slogan (above, right).