New Mandala

[A New Mandala reader has provided the following translation of “State within the state” by Jakrapob Penkair, Thai Red News Weekly Magazine, Year 1, Volume 16, 21 September 2009. The source for the translation is here.  Translator notes are added in square brackets. ]
State within the state
This concept does not appear in progressive political science literature or research. It [...]

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[Dr. Paul Chambers is currently the Senior Research Fellow at the Politics Institute, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.  His research interests are civil-military relations, democratization, and Southeast Asian politics. His articles have appeared in the Journal of East Asian Studies, Contemporary Southeast Asia, and the Asian Journal of Political Science, among others.]
The Thai armed forces have [...]

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Taken earlier this month in Chiang Mai.

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Some New Mandala readers may have missed the analysis of post-petition scenarios for Thailand by Reuters correspondent Martin Petty.  It is well worth a look.  Later today we will be posting an illustrated report on the Thaksin Shinawatra clemency petition by Bangkok-based photo-journalist Nick Nostitz.  It will also be worth digesting.

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With the renewed Red Shirt protests on the streets of Bangkok, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban has denied that a coup is on the cards.  If somebody had the time and patience it might be instructive to do a really deep trawl of the archives to see if coup “denials” have any relationship to the [...]

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[This is the text of the talk given by Nick Nostitz last night at the launch of Red vs. Yellow held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.]
Making a book is the most exciting and at the same time terrifying experience – you live for your subject matter for a very long time, and it [...]

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A stunning first-hand account from the streets of Bangkok. Incredible photos that shock, move, entertain and inform.  A superb contribution to the documentation and analysis of Thailand’s recent political history. And this is just the first volume!
Published by White Lotus Press
UPDATE: Book launch details are here.

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Sondhi Limthongkul cannot remain on the defensive. The military wanted him dead. But miraculously he has survived the assassination attempt. He has spoken out on TV and hinted at the identities of those who masterminded the plot…We will have to see whether Abhisit has the guts to take on the top security personnel and replace [...]

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Consider the past week: An ambitious general. An unsavoury, opportunistic political clique. An official mob recruited by the Interior Ministry. A billionaire concession-hunter. Coup rumours. Media controls. Fear-mongering. Intrigue. The desperate grey politics of survival.
- Extracted from Chang Noi, “Red and yellow and shades of grey”, The Nation, 4 May 2009.

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Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker have sent through a paper they presented at the Siam Society in December 2008.  It deals with the same general set of magical themes as the article by Charles Keyes discussed in this recent New Mandala post.  The text of the Pasuk and Baker presentation, plus a fascinating series of [...]

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