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Public seminar on ‘Democracy and Freedom of Expression’ in Ubon Ratchathani

By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Thu, Jun 21, 2012 10:30AM UTC 0 Comment

By Saksith Saiyasombut There were a few events and discussion panels on freedom of speech and how the lèse majesté laws is heavily contributing to the continuous deterioration of that in Thailand in recent years. There was the panel discussion with Sulak, Pravit, Marshall and Anderson hosted by Siam Voices contributor Lisa Gardner, then the FCCT (where...

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Panel discussion on lèse majesté with Sulak, Pravit, Anderson and Marshall

By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Wed, Jun 06, 2012 5:45PM UTC 3 Comments

Here, a protester wears a mask with a sticker against the Thai Criminal Code 112, which prohibits people from defaming the monarchy, at a police station in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2011, hundreds of prominent writers, filmmakers, lawyers and journalists have signed petitions calling for reform of the constitution's Article 112, which mandates up to 15 years in jail for "whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the regent." Pic: AP

By Saksith Saiyasombut A highly anticipated and interesting panel discussion on Thailand’s draconian lèse majesté law will take place on Thursday with a very illustrious panel hosted by Siam Voices contributor Lisa Gardner, featuring academic Benedict Anderson, Thai columnist Pravit Rojanaphruk, social critic Sulak Sivaraksa and former Reuters correspondent Andrew MacGregor Marshall, who became (in)famous for...

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Political science and order in politics

By Ahsan Butt Tue, May 29, 2012 4:56AM UTC 0 Comment

Via Monkey Cage, check out Paul Staniland’s latest paper (PDF) on wartime political orders (full disclosure: Paul is a friend and on my dissertation committee). The basic point of the paper is that during civil conflicts, “bargains, deals, and tacit understandings between states and insurgents are common.” That is, states and insurgents are not actually...

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Analysis: Is Thailand’s military compromising for the sake of reconciliation?

By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Fri, May 18, 2012 10:00AM UTC 0 Comment

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinatwatra (center) and army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha (right). (Picture via Flickr, licensed under CC)

By Saksith Saiyasombut The East Asia Forum recently published a column on the current political role of Thailand’s military written by John Blaxland, Senior Fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University with 30 years of service experience with the Australian Military and also a graduate of the Royal Thai Army Command and Staff...

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Payap University presentation today on Thailand’s red shirts, the ‘urbanized villagers’

By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Wed, May 16, 2012 9:30AM UTC 0 Comment

Members of the 'Red Shirt Villages' attend a meeting near Khon Kaen, Thailand on July 2, 2011 (Photo by Saksith Saiyasombut/IHA)

By Saksith Saiyasombut Today at Payap University in Chiang Mai a good friend and a fellow student of mine will give a presentation about his ethnographic research on the red shirts. Here’s the blurb and their Facebook event page: The Red Shirt Movement: Urbanized Villagers, Class War and Thaksin, the Democratic Gladiator Wednesday, 16 May 2012, 5pm...

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