http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2006/08/22/fisticuffs-at-central-world-plaza-2/ New perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:10:35 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2006/08/22/fisticuffs-at-central-world-plaza-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6223 New Mandala » From the New Mandala archives Wed, 08 Nov 2006 22:49:45 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/?p=198#comment-6223 [...] Back in June - when a coup was almost unthinkable and when the afterglow of the royal celebrations was still fresh - I wrote my very first piece for New Mandala. It was published on 20 June 2006. I was in Bangkok at the time and had been struck by the yellow shirts that had become a ubiquitous social and political statement by then. [...] [...] Back in June – when a coup was almost unthinkable and when the afterglow of the royal celebrations was still fresh – I wrote my very first piece for New Mandala. It was published on 20 June 2006. I was in Bangkok at the time and had been struck by the yellow shirts that had become a ubiquitous social and political statement by then. [...]

]]> http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2006/08/22/fisticuffs-at-central-world-plaza-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4543 New Mandala » Thai junta supremo lectures on democracy Thu, 26 Oct 2006 07:46:19 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/?p=198#comment-4543 [...] Before the whiff of Sonthi’s “democratic reform” filled the air, there was a night, 21 August 2006, when Thai television ran continuous reports on fisticuffs between opponents and supporters of then Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra . For footage of the commotion, and the scuffles of that day, check out this 8 minute video. At the time, I posted my brief reaction to events on New Mandala and concluded by writing: As the commentary in tonight’s TV coverage made clear, this has now become a fight over the “meaning” of that democracy. Everybody seems to have an opinion on its limits and its potential. I have yet to hear anybody define “democracy” as fisticuffs in a downtown shopping mall.  Let’s all hope that today’s violence does not lead to further escalation.  [...]

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