Back in business? The return of the Shinawatras (Thailand’s election part 3)

Much as anticipated, the Thai general election on July 3 was won by the latest regeneration of the Thai Rak Thai party that was founded by controversial billionaire Thakin Shinawatra in 1998 and banned in 2007. What was more surprising was that with 265 of the 500 seats in the legislative assembly Pheu Thai (For [...]

Resolving the impasse? Or spiraling towards civil war (Thailand’s election part 2)

A briefer blog this week as we await the Thai general election on Sunday July 3rd. Reading various news stories, blogs and twitter feeds the Internet is awash with rumors of potential deals between the Thai establishment and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the one hand, and threats of a security crisis that could [...]

A very Thai farce

Karl Marx once famously quipped in his commentary on the 1851 coup d’etat in France by Napoleon’s cousin, Louis Napoleon, that “that all great world-historic facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice… the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce”. This adage seems about to be realized in Thailand. With the country [...]

Burma and India: the new geopolitical reality

In a recent interview Aung Sang Suu Kyi remarked that she was disappointed with the Indian government’s policy towards Burma. The recently freed Nobel Peace Prize winner said, ” I am saddened with India. I would like to have thought that India would be standing behind us…That it would have followed in the tradition of [...]

Waiting for Godot: Democratization in Southeast Asia

In Samuel Beckett’s famous absurdist play the two principal characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly in vain for the arrival of Godot. Observing politics in Southeast Asia one can often feel like Beckett’s two characters when it comes to waiting for democratic reforms and political liberalization. Frequently there are false dawns, and multiple setbacks but [...]

Cambodia to shun bilateral dialogue with Thailand

Foreign Ministry’s letter to Thai Embassy says JBC mechanism cannot resolve border dispute. Cambodia has indefinitely postponed a boundary panel meeting with Thailand scheduled for later this month, shattering Thai hopes of settling the border conflict bilaterally. Blog this! Bookmark on Delicious Recommend on Facebook Tip on Hyves Share on Linkedin Share on technorati Tweet [...]

keep looking »