New Mandala

22 responses so far ↓

• 1 Grasshopper // Apr 6, 2008 at 12:46 pm

  Hey, man, you don’t talk to Bleming. You listen to him. The man’s enlarged my mind. He’s a poet-warrior in the classic sense. I mean sometimes he’ll… uh… well, you’ll say “hello” to him, right? And he’ll just walk right by you. He won’t even notice you. And suddenly he’ll grab you, and he’ll throw you in a corner, and he’ll say, “do you know that ‘if’ is the middle word in life? If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you”… I mean I’m no, I can’t… I’m a little man, I’m a little man, he’s… he’s a great man. I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas…

• 2 Charles F. // Apr 6, 2008 at 3:26 pm

  Actually, no. He’ll stop and talk to you. He’s a friendly guy. Sometims too friendly for his own good.
  He gave one short interview, but now three journalists are saying that they interviewed him. Antonio Graceffo is NOT one of those who says he interviewed him.
  In fact, I’ve been corresponding with Graceffo, and was a little surprised when that article came out. Unlike the other journalists, Graceffo has been around the block more than a few times.
  I didn’t agree with everything Graceffo wrote, but taken as a whole, I thought it was reasonably fair.

  As far as the Casper Star Tribune article – and the responses it garnered – the guy who wrote it made a serious factual error. Tom never took any arms or munitions into Burma. He took food, medicine and web gear. That’s all.

  I wonder if all the journalist realize – or even care – that when they write these articles they’re putting Bleming in danger. Or perhaps that’s the point.

  It’s getting more than a little tiresome to read about American Viet Nam war vets as mentally ill. Sylvester Stallone is probably most responsible for that view, what with all his Rambo movies.
  I really believe that if Rambo 4 had not been made, Bleming wouldn’t be receiving all of this undue attention.
  Tom has a thick skin and can handle the slings and arrows from the McCartans of the world.
  But another way to look at it is that as long as they’re focused on Bleming, they’re leaving some other poor bastard alone.

  If anything is to be learned from all this it’s never to talk to the press. Or if you do, talk to them in the jungle, then let them file their story from the bottom of a slit trench.

• 3 Grasshopper // Apr 6, 2008 at 6:16 pm

  Charles F – Are you Thomas Bleming?

  I don’t have anything against Bleming. I’ve never met him and I have not read his book. However, I am interested in it.

  What you write at the end here “If anything is to be learned from all this it’s never to talk to the press. Or if you do, talk to them in the jungle, then let them file their story from the bottom of a slit trench.” just confirms the line that others seemingly take against Bleming for being a superficial glory hunter. This is because you are demanding a belief in the legitimacy of Bleming and then articulating it in a way that is a little bit too Tom Clancy. People who have been in trenches or situations where their will is involved with a struggle on an inseparable level, could never write of these situations in such a corny manner.

  Could it be that your words here (and perhaps the emails to journalists) and ridiculous posts by members of the Black Flag Cafe (which thankfully has nothing to do with the band) are responsible for giving Thomas Bleming more bad press than he is himself?

• 4 Ashley // Apr 6, 2008 at 7:25 pm

  Thomas Bleming’s ‘War in Karen Country’ contains many significant errors, both of fact and interpretation. Like ‘The Long Patrol’, it reproduces a set of assumptions and clichés about Karen nationalism and armed conflict in eastern Burma. These books fail to question who is fighting for what, and why. They also expose third parties to danger [e.g. ‘No 4 Guest House’ in Mae Sot, and the villages visited and named by the authors].

  Unfortunately, there are few credible, historically-informed, first-hand accounts of life in the war-zones of Burma. What is required is a good ethnography of the armed Karen nationalist movement. The closet thing so far is ‘True Love and Bartholomew’ [an excellent read]. The Free Burma Rangers’ regular field reports also provide much accurate and useful information. Additional useful sources include:
  • Desmond Ball, Burma’s Military Secrets: Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) from the Second World War to Civil War and Cyber Warfare (White Lotus 1998)
  • Burma Ethnic Research Group, Forgotten Victims of a Hidden War: internally displaced Karen in Burma (Chiang Mai April 1998)
  • Burma Issues, After the 1997 Offensives: the Burma Army’s relocation program Kamoethway area, Tenasserim Division (Bangkok 2003)
  • Mary Callahan, Political Authority in Burma’s Ethnic Minority States: devolution, occupation and coexistence (East-West Center Washington, ‘Policy Studies’ No.21 2007)
  • Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, Displacement and Dispossession: forced migration and land rights in Burma (Geneva 2007)
  • Jonathan Falla, True Love and Bartholomew: rebels on the Burmese border (Cambridge UP 1991)
  • Mikael Gravers (ed.), Exploring Ethnic Diversity in Burma (NIAS Press 2007)
  • Alan Smith, Burma/Myanmar: struggle for democracy and ethnic rights, in Kymlicka & He (eds), Multiculturalism in Asia (Oxford UP 2005)
  • Martin Smith, Burma: insurgency and the politics of ethnicity (Zed Books; second edition 1999)
  • Martin Smith, Burma: the Karen conflict, in Joseph Rudolph Jr. (ed.), Encyclopaedia of Modern Ethnic Conflicts (Greenwood Press, London and Connecticut 2003)
  • Martin Smith, State of Strife: the dynamics of ethnic conflict in Burma (East-West Center Washington, ‘Policy Studies’ No.36 2007)
  • Ashley South, Burma: the changing nature of displacement crises (Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford University, Working Paper No.39 February 2007)
  • Ashley South, Karen Nationalist Communities: the ‘problem’ of diversity, in ‘Contemporary Southeast Asia’ (Vol.29, No.1 April 2007)
  • Ashley South, Ethnic Politics in Burma: States of Conflict (Routledge 2008 – in press)
  • David Taw, Choosing to Engage: strategic considerations for the Karen National Union, in ‘Choosing to Engage: armed groups and peace processes’ (Conciliation Resources/ Accord Vol.16 2005)
  • Thailand-Burma Border Consortium, Internal Displacement in Eastern Burma: 2007 survey (Bangkok October 2007)

• 5 Charles F. // Apr 7, 2008 at 3:54 am

  This is in reply to grasshopper

  No, I’m not Thomas Bleming. I’m Charles Foster, a long time friend of Blemings.

  In regards to my mention of slit trenches, I’m a firm believer in direct action. Some people have the notion that they can attack people with impunity, that they can say whatever they please, no matter how untrue or hurtful, and get away with it just because they’re journalists.
  I would bring your attention to CBS News and what they did to General William Westmoreland.

  I defend Bleming because it’s the right thing to do. And because he’s my friend.
  My late father once told me that if you live to be one hundred, you can count your real friends on the fingers of one hand – and still have fingers left over. I find that to be true. Bleming is my friend.

  I firmly believe that there are forces working behind the scenes to marginalize Bleming because he stepped on some important toes while in Mae Sot. He went directly to the KNLA and sidestepped the KNU, apparently some sort of protocol violation in their eyes.
  And he gave interviews. I wouldn’t have done that, and I told him not to. But Tom is his own man and does as he pleases.

  There are things going on that I’m not at liberty to discuss. There are people I’m corresponding with that don’t want their hands shown. There is information that I can’t share.
  You have to take it on faith ( yeah, I know), the same faith that’s being shown to these ridiculous news reports.

  I can tell you this much; after the flurry of reports, Bleming was informally interviewed by a Thai police colonel. At the end of the interview, Bleming was offered an extended visa.

  I know, and so do a lot of other people, that certain members of the KNU are having business dealings with the SPDC. This is no secret.
  These guys are lining their pockets with money obtained through the smuggling of timber, gems and narcotics.
  Coupled with this, you have “tame” journalists who write touchy-feely articles about the plight of the Karen refugees, citing their need for aid and assistance.
  Then a guy like Bleming comes along and advocates military action on a scale not seen in that area in many years. That made people sit up and take notice.
  I wouldn’t have done it that way, but he’s there and I’m not.

  I may at times go a bit overboard in my defense of Tom Bleming. If so, it’s because journalists are writing about some stranger, and putting Tom Blemings name on it. They’re cherry picking what they want their audience to read.
  Case in point is the stinger missiles. When I read that I had to laugh, because I knew immediately that it was made up. Bleming has as much access to stinger missiles as he does to nuclear weapons. And the reporter – if he did his homework – has to know it as well. It was so ridiculous that I thought it must be some sort of inside joke.

  Today I put a reporter into contact with Bleming. It may take a while for something to happen, due to where Bleming presently is. But if things click, perhaps a more balanced article will emerge. I trust the reporter to get it right, as he’s ex-military and knows his way around that culture. And he has no personal axe to grind, having no ties to the KNU. That’s the best I can do.

  Charles Foster
  Triumph_Chopper_72@yahoo.com

• 6 Tara // Apr 7, 2008 at 6:37 am

  Antonio Graffeco didn’t make any claims that he interviewed Bleming in his article, the only implication was that he was familiar with him. Regardless, misrepresentation in the media seems to be par for the course for public figures of any size – if it weren’t there certainly wouldn’t be such huge PR industry and professionals devoted to doctoring public images.

  Chasing these stories around and making inflammatory comments about journos, as Grasshopper points out, probably does far more to attract negative attention than the stories ever did in the first place.

• 7 Stephen // Apr 7, 2008 at 12:33 pm

  Ashley, I do think that it would be appropriate to add the many Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) reports (available here) to your list. As based directly on the first-hand accounts of Karen villagers themselves (who are of course living in the war zones of Burma), and with extensive use of direct quotes from local villagers, these reports are probably the most extensive “first hand” accounts of the situation; and thus avoid the credibility problems of most external reports.

• 8 Johpa // Apr 20, 2008 at 10:48 am

  According to my highly placed sources within the KNU, Mr. Bleming has been contacted directly by Thu Thu Lay. The KNU leader expressed his appreciation of Mr. Bleming’s support of the Karen movement in Burma, but the leadership of the KNU has asked Mr. Bleming to, how shall we say, clarify and makes corrections to some of his assertions regarding his position relative to the “Republic of Kawthoolei”.

  I have been waiting for over a month now to see the requested public correction made here at New Mandala.

  Ashley, I would also add to your list Milena Kaneva’s prize winning documentary Total Denial.

  And Grasshopper, we seem to share certain cinematic tastes.

• 9 J. Slade // Apr 27, 2008 at 4:49 pm

  Johpa you sound like some one who at least has a clue as to what he is talking about. Please send my warmest reguards to MR. Thu Thu lay and tell him the FBR founder speaks very highly of him. I would like to meet Mr. Thu Thu Lay on my next trip to Burma. Also please tell him it is my intention to help in the best way possible, but I need him to tell me and maybe the rest of the world what the best way is.
  I have read Thomas Bleming’s book, I know and understand the KNU’s issues with the errors made in it. I also know Mr. Bleming and feel that he means well with all of his heart and soul. Purhaps he needs some history lessons and a better understanding of the situation. Maybe you should explain to him what would be safe to print or say and what may not be. Eventhough that might not get him to obey at least he knows what bounderies he is crossing when he does cross them. I know he is a man who thinks we should point the KNLA at the enemy and say GO! GO! GO! Often even I wonder why there has been such a long stale mate. I have heard of a tentative peace in certain regions with the SPDC and yet there are villages still being attacked and innocent blood being shed. How can this be? This is not peace.

  When I was a young boy my father kept chickens. We fed them and kept them safe from other predators. We took their eggs and they pecked at us for it. Then every once and a while we would butcher a few as the others looked on. These chickens were free to roam for the most part and could have left at any time but, the food was good, they had shelter, and we would never kill them all at once.
  When I hear the words “tentative peace” I imagine thats what the chickens thought they had with us. I can not imagine the Karen, Shan, or any other people being happy to be the chickens, could you?

  My point is this: The SPDC will continue to kill innocent people until they are defeated. It is that simple. There should be no “tentative peace”. There is only PEACE not a little peace or occassional peace or modified peace. I do not mean to offend anyone, I am simply stating my opinion. Jack

  P.S. Mr. Charles Foster you seem like a good friend to have. God Bless you and stay strong.

• 10 Bell // Apr 28, 2008 at 11:28 pm

  Thank you J. Slade.
  For those who’ve been involved the dispaced people in Burma for some time, we can get quite passionate when someone seems to be threatening their support. I’m sure Bleming does mean well, he’s just misinformed. His commander friend has been mixed up in this “limited peace” affair for some time.
  http://www.irrawaddymedia.com/article.php?art_id=6687
  Ner Dah, we hope you turn away from this SPDC trap and stand selflessly in the defense of your people–like a true Karen leader.
  Mr. Bleming, while you’re here, I hope you get the chance to meet the folks of FBR, CIDKP and other bigger organizations to get a clearer undertanding of how best to help. Thank you, sir, that you care.

• 11 Charles F. // Apr 29, 2008 at 3:23 pm

  I have read in a different article that a peace deal had been brokered by Col. Ner Dah and Dr. Timothy.
  I understand that Dr. Timothy is now in hiding, in fear for his life, and that Col. Ner Dah is trying to get in front of this.

  When Bleming was in Burma, he pointedly asked the colonel about it, and Ner Dah denied having anything to do with the defections, or anything to do with the peace council.
  But as Bell stated, Ner Dah has yet to make an official statement.

  I’m really glad that Jack Slade was able to hook up with Bleming and go into Burma for himself. The nay sayers were coming out of the proverbial woodwork to slam Bleming.
  Slade has gone a long way towards refuting the slanders leveled at Bleming.

  There seems to be a certain amount of competition between the various NGO groups working to assist the Karens. There’s a limited amount of money to go around, and all of them want a piece of it.

  I whole-heartedly agree with Jack Slade that there shouldn’t be any sort of tentative peace. Either win, or throw in your cards and accept the fate the SPDC has in store for you. I’ve said it before – as long as the guerrillas stay in the field, they can never be defeated. The only way they’ll lose is to quit.

  The U.S. Govt is giving assistance to the Shan State Army (SSA), in the way of supplies and Special Forces personnel. This is no secret, as it has been widely reported.
  Yet for reasons that have never been divulged, the U.S. Govt. won’t assist the KNLA in the same manner.

  If the U.S. would assist and coordinate the various factions opposing the SPDC, it wouldn’t take long before the generals were swinging from lamp posts. But as long as the various groups are squabbling with each other, they’re unable to mount a united front.
  I believe that part of this lies in the fact that they don’t trust the KNU, and additionally they’re afraid that Burma will Balkanize. The position of the U.S. Govt. is that Burma remain whole, and not break up into small independent tribal areas, eternally at war with each other.
  Anyway, that’s my take on the situation.

  Perhaps we’ll soon meet, Mr. Slade.

• 12 jack slade // May 3, 2008 at 8:18 pm

  Charles F. I agree with you. The various groups should unite against the SPDC. The SPDC has put a lot of time and effort into this B.S. story about the Col. and his brother breaking off into thier own little group. I was there when Bleming asked Ner Dah about this, Ner Dah’s brother was there as well, they said it is all smoke and mirrors meant to do exactly what it is doing….. causing some internal problems among the KNLA and the supporters. The colonel and his brother joked and laughed at being called general’s. They thought it was silly that anyone would think they would just promote themselves and run off to start thier own group.

  I think if the KNLA would promote themselves as a counter drug and anti-human trafficking group as well as freedom fighters they would get more US support. The US has an interest in controlling the drugs coming out of the Shan state so they focus their attentions there. They are worried about the child soldiers being kiddnapped from that area as well as the selling of young girls into prostitution. I think if the KNLA proved to the US and Thai governements that it is actively seeking out the location of drug related crops and processing areas and providing good intel to these goverments they would give them a little more attention. Photos and video of these areas would be a good start. Sneek and peek. Start sending intel to the right people and you ouwld be amazed at how many ears perk up and pocket books open.

  Think on that for a bit and dream of the possibilities. Good night to all, dream wonderful dreams…. even you,SPDC because you will not have many more.

• 13 Nicholas Farrelly // May 27, 2008 at 7:50 pm

  New Mandala readers keen to read Thomas Bleming’s take on the post-cyclone situation in Burma will find this opinion piece worth a look.

  Best wishes to all,

  Nich

• 14 Jack Slade // May 28, 2008 at 9:40 pm

  Yeah Tom’s very handy with that little 35mm camera. Hell he even caught me in his sights a few times. I hope the KNLA uses this time wisely and finds it’s strengths in thier enemy’s weaknesses. The navy is out of commission, the air corps/force is down, and troops are heading home to look after mom and pop. Of course the KNLA’s troops have families too. I am sure they are trying to find & feed thier loved ones as well. I am praying for the entire country right now. Slade

• 15 Jack Slade // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:23 pm

  Well Thomas Bleming has done it again. He has an article coming out in the July issue of “Arena Magazine’s” UK edition. I hope it generates some positive conversation about the KNLA and Burma.
  I am sure Tom is promoting his book “War in Karen Country” in this article. If it increases the sales of his book I hope the money goes to the KNLA in quick order.

  Meanwhile, My Friends are still taking in Las Vegas USA and Quebec Canada and else where.

  http://www.chaiyacmm.org
  Chaiya Meditation Monastery
  2816 S. Torry Pines Drive
  Las Vegas NV 89146
  702-461-8655

  Quebec- Birmanie
  C.P. 161,
  St-Paul de Joliette,
  Qc, Canada, J0K 3E0
  quebecbirmanie@gmail.com

  and of course http://www.freeburmarangers.com
  http://www.partersworld.org
  http://www.storminternationalcorp.com

• 16 Jack Slade // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:43 pm

  The Chaiya Monestary has moved to a new address:

  7080 Virtue Court
  Las Vegas, NV 89113

  Please send donations to all of these aid groups or at least the one you agree with the most. If you want to make a donation to Storm you have to email them from the special operations page or via the contact us section.

• 17 A glossy feature on Thomas Bleming // Jun 14, 2008 at 1:12 am

  [...] And then there is an eight-page feature on Thomas Bleming.  New Mandala readers who have yet to hear of his escapades along the Thailand-Burma border will, to get up to speed, find these previous posts helpful (30 January 2007, 5 February 2008, 2 March 2008, 6 April 2008. [...]

• 18 Achille // Jun 17, 2008 at 7:40 am

  Mr. Slade and Mr. Foster, you both seem to know the man well. I’ve been in the area before, and I’m very interested in knowing more about the situation. I’d greatly appreciate if you could perhaps contact me at nosunshinepatriot@gmail.com.

  Thanks!!!

• 19 Rambo and the real war in Burma // Jun 20, 2008 at 9:58 pm

  [...] course, in recent months the fictional John Rambo has been replaced, both here and in more general reporting, by the Thomas Blemings, Jake Slades, David Everetts and Derek Meltons of the world.  For better [...]

• 20 dan knudson // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:32 am

  This Triumph Chopper is a spin doctor for the Bleming camp so one wouldn’t expect too much impartiality….you have downgraded the journalists while employing some of their most deplorable tactics.

• 21 Achille // Jul 25, 2008 at 2:57 am

  I disagree. I think Mr. Foster is just trying to be a good friend to a man he’s known for a long time. I’ll agree that Bleming is in over his head, but I think Mr. Foster’s intentions are good.

• 22 Thomas Bleming // Jul 26, 2008 at 8:04 am

  Sure seems strange, hardy no one gave a damn in the press about what’s going on over in the rebel controlled area of eastern Burma, then my book “War in Karen Country” came out and like rats in a cellar, all the criticism against me for my publishing a story (using my own money), about the plight of the Karen people.
  None of those who write the trash in your on-line thread would do anything to help these embattled people and I can see from reading the various “opinions” of your readership that their sympathies lie with the Burmese SPDC and their drug running allies the DKB.
  I also have taken note that I am the target of ridicule from other elements who have NEVER been to S.E. Asia, let alone to Burma (I having made numerous trips in and out of there in the past two years), and inspite of all the news about the Burmese repression, murder and torture of their own citizens, including the recent cyclone they seem to divert their hate in my direction.
  I have moved on to other projects and can assure your readership that I will continue to be active on the world stage, although I have as I stated earlier, passed on all future possibilites, with regards to assisting the Karen to others.
  Lastly, let me say that I am proud to have done what little I did for the Karen struggle. Although, when I left the Republic of Kawthoolei (April 18th 2008), I knew that perhaps it would be quite a while until I would return.
  I am sincerely gratefull to those of you who have supported my mission and I want those of you to know that I will try to always live up to your expectations.

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