That was about the time Thaksin was being boiled after his April fool election . . .

Whose idea was it for the New Mandala? Thaksin or Andrew?

If Anrew received the right anouncement for this creative gathering it should have indicated that some supporting groups were not yet confirmed. The final co-organizers are: Schweisfurth Stiftung, Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation, Bangchak Petroleum, Social Research Institute, Chula, Suan Nguen Mee Ma Co., Ltd. and Social Venture Network Asia.

So Heinrich Boell Foundation did not confirm and that makes the exchanges on German political parties meddling irrelevant (but many remarks are interesting and deserve to be included in a more consistent analysis).

The most important input from the German side we expect will be (not from any organisation but) from Wolfgang Sachs who is known for his independent thinking and critical analysis. We asked him to cast a fresh light on ’sufficiency economy’ and our intention is to go beyond ritualistic or stereotyped appraisals. We offer the discussion between a variety of stakeholders as an opportunity for open debate on fundamentals of the economy and the title of the conference is ‘Sufficiency Economy and global transformation’.

Where are the farmers? Last year in April we organised, also together with Scheisfurth Stiftung, a meeting on ‘Green Marketing’ and that has resulted in strengthening of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project that makes a direct link between rural producers and urban consumers of organic vegetables on one year subscription base.

This year the issue is more complicated and we have persons in the workshops on 20 April who speak from various perspectives including the farmers, labour in industry, and micro-finance.

We try to involve civil society, government and the business sector as equal partners.

It is true that our small-scale company is closely connected with Sulak and other organizations inspired by him but I can assure you that we work in a climate of total independence and diversity of opinioins.

So we really would appreciate participation of many commentators and critical thinkers, activists (’join our love-in’) in the public debate on Saturday 21 April 9.00 – 12.30 at Chumphot Pantip auditorium, Chulalongkorn University (in between Faculties of Political Science and Economy).

Hans and Wallapa
Suan Nguen Mee Ma

That’s a bit simplistic – Have a look at Andrew’s posts on this site since the coup and you will see a consistent theme.
How many times sufficiency has been used as a snide header, how many times has Surayud been prefaced by ‘puppet’, but one thing you will not find is much criticism of Thaksin – it seems he can do no wrong because the rural poor voted for him.

JFL got it right in his comment#1 above.

Rather than make snide comments about sufficiency valentines and the like (& to help avoid being labelled as pro Thaksin), detractors of Sufficiency Economy might be better served by clearly explaining which of the following camps they fit into:
1. they oppose Sufficiency Economy as a theory (and give reasons, not just trot out the manta Poor stay Poor)
or
2. they oppose the junta imposing Sufficiency Economy.

Having read the king’s speeches on the subject, I see nothing wrong with Sufficiency Economy principles, and consider it more good advice from the king (that will probably not be heeded).

I also see nothing wrong with the government providing educational advice on the subject of sufficiency (most of it is just common sense – moderaton, immunity, reasonableness etc)

I do, however, oppose Sufficiency Economy being mandated as the official economic policy that all Thai’s must adhere to.

As for the conference in a few days, who cares if it’s a love-in – I would only be concerned if critics were stopped from raising questions.

Yes, he was a leading light of the old “progressive Buddhism/social responsibility” circle that last year made its devil’s pact with the reactionary forces of society when a cultural panic attack set in. Sophon, like many people, seemed to lose his bearings somewhere back there. In fairness, Bangchak did exercise more than average social responsibility (not very hard to do in Thailand!)

>Seems New Mandala can’t get sufficiently sated unless >Thaksin Shinawatra is restored to Thailand’s premiership.
>Once a while New Mandala attempt to digress on other >matters . . . but its slant is clearly pro-Thaksin.

What? Was this posted in the right place? The thread has nothing to do with Thaksin, It’s a pathetic fallacy to say that if you criticize people who criticize Thaksin, you are pro-Thaksin. Though that seems to be the fad in many circles in Thailand now.

The Christian Democrats did not tell the academics what to think. However, it did provide significant financial support to strengthen a very specific community of Thai thinkers. That support was critical in ensuring that that community would have an important role in drafting the constitution.

JFL: There are many Thais who oppose the miliatry junta’s hiding behind the monarchy as they attempt to remake the country to their benefit. Are these Thais self-hating? You seem to be reading from Gen. Saprang talking points in claiming that criticism of specific efforts by the junta and their supporters are “anti-monarch” or “anti-Thai”

Once a while New Mandala attempt to digress on other matters . . . but its slant is clearly pro-Thaksin.