By Sanitsuda Ekachai
Bangkok Post
The PAD has chosen to speak the language which mainstream society understands. Nationalism and royal nationalism whip up the audience like magic.
Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor (Outlook), Bangkok Post.
Ultra-nationalism fans anger and hatred while strengthening the false sense of self -everything Buddhism frowns upon.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) boasts of many people well-versed in Buddhism. Yet they have chosen to whip up ultra-nationalism through the Preah Vihear controversy to oust Thaksin Shinawatra's crony government. Why? Because it works like magic.
That does not speak well of the PAD, given its claim to be fighting for democracy. Nor of our society.
We must ask why our society routinely turns a deaf ear to the cries of injustice from the weak and the poor but never fails to dance to the tune of racist nationalism. The answer may also shed light on why we have failed miserably to redress inequality and to make democracy work.
Whether you agree with the PAD or not on the Preah Vihear issue, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is wrong to lambast street protests as undemocratic and illegal.
Admit it. Our parliamentary democracy has been reduced to a ballot box game governed by money politics. The bureaucracy has become an autocracy. The judicial process is too long and costly. The laws are written to serve the powers-that-be. Political decentralisation is in fact local mafia rule. The mainstream media favour state and business interests. What choice do people have but to take their causes to the streets?
How we respond to these causes, however, reflects what makes us tick and mirrors who we are. The rural poor's plight caused by misguided development that destroys the environment and the local way of life certainly does not make Bangkokians tick.
Remember when the city joggers complained against the rural folk who took to Bangkok streets for crowding their park and spoiling their morning exercises? Remember how they complained about the protesters' smell?
The result of the poor's protests are mostly empty promises. The authorities continue to drag their feet. The polluting businesses continue to destroy people's health and environment. They can get away with murder because there is a total lack of public moral outrage to pressure for change.
Knowing that justice and human rights talk will get their anti-Thaksin protest nowhere, the PAD has chosen to speak the language which mainstream society understands - nationalism and royal nationalism - accusing Mr Thaksin of undermining the monarchy and national sovereignty to strengthen his political and transnational business empires.
Grounded or not, the accusations effectively play on the deeply programmed messages in our heads. Brainwashed by our education system, we believe that we are the greatest race in the region, that we used to own much of the Southeast Asian peninsula, that our neighbouring countries are our enemies, and that our history is a series of efforts to save our land. It is why territorial issues never fail to trigger our killer instinct.
We need a different kind of history. Understanding the myriad factors that contribute to the rise and fall of ancient civilisations can help undo the nationalist trap. If we realise that geographical changes, new technologies, and the trading of products made by different peoples in the land were the growth engine of a civilisation, not a particular race, change is possible.
Had the Thai and Cambodian governments seen Preah Vihear in this context, they would have realised that a transboundary World Heritage site is a win-win solution to promote Southeast Asia's ancient civilisation and a sense of borderless humanity. Sadly, the World Heritage site is seen only as a symbol of face and a ticket to tourism money.
If we leave our ultra-nationalist history intact, Preah Vihear will remain a thorn in Thai-Cambodian relations. Politicians, both in Thailand and Cambodia, will readily play the nationalist card to get rid of political rivals, suppress dissent, divert public attention from their violations of human rights, and their failure to make justice and democracy a reality.
That is a high price to pay for being trapped in the frenzy of nationalism. We are paying a dear price now in the deep South. Restoring peace will remain difficult unless we tackle the false belief of superiority in our heads.
Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor (Outlook), Bangkok Post.
Ultra-nationalism fans anger and hatred while strengthening the false sense of self -everything Buddhism frowns upon.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) boasts of many people well-versed in Buddhism. Yet they have chosen to whip up ultra-nationalism through the Preah Vihear controversy to oust Thaksin Shinawatra's crony government. Why? Because it works like magic.
That does not speak well of the PAD, given its claim to be fighting for democracy. Nor of our society.
We must ask why our society routinely turns a deaf ear to the cries of injustice from the weak and the poor but never fails to dance to the tune of racist nationalism. The answer may also shed light on why we have failed miserably to redress inequality and to make democracy work.
Whether you agree with the PAD or not on the Preah Vihear issue, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is wrong to lambast street protests as undemocratic and illegal.
Admit it. Our parliamentary democracy has been reduced to a ballot box game governed by money politics. The bureaucracy has become an autocracy. The judicial process is too long and costly. The laws are written to serve the powers-that-be. Political decentralisation is in fact local mafia rule. The mainstream media favour state and business interests. What choice do people have but to take their causes to the streets?
How we respond to these causes, however, reflects what makes us tick and mirrors who we are. The rural poor's plight caused by misguided development that destroys the environment and the local way of life certainly does not make Bangkokians tick.
Remember when the city joggers complained against the rural folk who took to Bangkok streets for crowding their park and spoiling their morning exercises? Remember how they complained about the protesters' smell?
The result of the poor's protests are mostly empty promises. The authorities continue to drag their feet. The polluting businesses continue to destroy people's health and environment. They can get away with murder because there is a total lack of public moral outrage to pressure for change.
Knowing that justice and human rights talk will get their anti-Thaksin protest nowhere, the PAD has chosen to speak the language which mainstream society understands - nationalism and royal nationalism - accusing Mr Thaksin of undermining the monarchy and national sovereignty to strengthen his political and transnational business empires.
Grounded or not, the accusations effectively play on the deeply programmed messages in our heads. Brainwashed by our education system, we believe that we are the greatest race in the region, that we used to own much of the Southeast Asian peninsula, that our neighbouring countries are our enemies, and that our history is a series of efforts to save our land. It is why territorial issues never fail to trigger our killer instinct.
We need a different kind of history. Understanding the myriad factors that contribute to the rise and fall of ancient civilisations can help undo the nationalist trap. If we realise that geographical changes, new technologies, and the trading of products made by different peoples in the land were the growth engine of a civilisation, not a particular race, change is possible.
Had the Thai and Cambodian governments seen Preah Vihear in this context, they would have realised that a transboundary World Heritage site is a win-win solution to promote Southeast Asia's ancient civilisation and a sense of borderless humanity. Sadly, the World Heritage site is seen only as a symbol of face and a ticket to tourism money.
If we leave our ultra-nationalist history intact, Preah Vihear will remain a thorn in Thai-Cambodian relations. Politicians, both in Thailand and Cambodia, will readily play the nationalist card to get rid of political rivals, suppress dissent, divert public attention from their violations of human rights, and their failure to make justice and democracy a reality.
That is a high price to pay for being trapped in the frenzy of nationalism. We are paying a dear price now in the deep South. Restoring peace will remain difficult unless we tackle the false belief of superiority in our heads.
12 comments:
All you land-grabbing Siem thieves need to RELEARN that you are just a bunch of immoral land thieves who occupy Khmer territory. You Siems are shameless pathetic people who really need to go claim your ancestral land in Nan Chao. The GLORY of Southeast Asia always belongs to the Khmer PEOPLE. So don't be asking us Khmer People to be sharing our Khmer-built temple with you land-grabbing thieves like you despicable Siems. If you have any ounce of dignity as human beings, you would already be moving back to your ancestral land of Nan Chao long ago. The land of you Siems belongs to the Khmer people. Go read history and learn how many Khmer provinces you Siems bastards had detached from mother Cambodia through the ages? Give back all Khmer territory, you Siem thieves!!!
Dumb Cambodian 8;55am.
Sanitsuda Ekachai, Thai journalist is not an ultranationalist who advocates only hate. Do you know how to read?
" We must ask why our society routinely turns a deaf ear to the cries of injustice from the weak and the poor but never fails to dance to the tune of racist nationalism. The answer may also shed light on why we have failed miserably to redress inequality and to make democracy work."
The above paragraph by Mr Ekachai is also the case in Cambodia.
Regarding Preah Vihear Temple, Cambodia and Thailand must respect the Court 's rule. Cambodian Government must fully implement the ruling of the Court as well. Why the Government only inscribe only the Temple structure? How about the staircase and pond? Are they not part of the temple?
Kong Moeung
SANITSUDA EKACHAI,First of all siamese/thailand never had a glorious history like us khmer beside creating a country within the khmer empire(thieft)khmer call you all crocodile.Secondly your country that never had any war for centuries still have poor people and never had a true democracy(too dump to learn from other modern countries around the world).Your dump leader never respect the people choices which they had chosen by voicing through election,your leader always rolled tank to the capital to overthrow the elected government,but they were to weak and too coward to put out the violent in the south due to the lack of morality,training,determination and being too coward in your thai military system.We khmer,we just woke up from the worst nightmare,we are almost ahead of your in term of democracy and right behind you in term of economy and education and will lead you by far in education once our 1 million khmers who live and study in the third industialized country return to help rebuild our nation plus those who are graduating from university locally.
And finally,you all may want to consider backing up on the preah vihear temple and the surrounding area because our khmer patience is running out and if we can't take your stupidity anymore we may make your country sink deeper than it is now.Ask yourself,do you know how to fight the war?? are you ready to wage the war against the khmer??and do you all thai used to the life during war??.For us khmer,we are ready for war every minutes,we had tasted all kind of life,we had fight all kind of war,bomb and gun fire used to be considered by us khmer as our music at bed time,trenches were our motel and hut were our mansion.One more war would be nothing to us,the only difference is we would fight harder to defend our nation against our longtime enemies.FROM THE STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF UCSD.
You stupid thief Thai-Sim, You stole Cambodian land lots already. Now you want us to recollect all the painful memory? Let give Khmer Surin Back. We have lost 21 provinces to you. You are just a Chinese slave, thief, and betrayer to your Chinese master. You came with nothing. You fought with Cambodia and you stole our land. We acknowledged that we were so weak at that time; that's we lost most our land to you. But now, stop barking for whatever that is not belonging to you. Preah Vihear was built by Khmer King. She belongs to Khemr forever.
You want to bet, have you ever seen any scripts on the Preah Vihear Stone describes something in your language?
Go to hell and take your karma with you too.
Die, you Thief Thai-Siam.
To 9:27AM
In defense of 8:55AM, What AH Sanitsuda Ekachai, The Thaicong journalist is saying that Cambodia and Thailand must share the Khmer Phrea Vihear temple and created a borderless humanity!
The fucken Thaicong are fucken dirt cheap and they know that they are more prosperous and more advance economically than Cambodia and what is the fucken point for the Thaicong leaders to keep on demanding Khmer Phrea Vihear temple which is the property of Cambodia! Don't they have enough already or do they want more?
It is a fact the fucken Thaicong had been practicing ultra-nationalism more than Cambodian people and they even ban Khmer language from Thailand for 50 years! It is not just the Khmer people who are the victim of the Thaicong racist nationalism but also the Muslim in Southern Thailand too!
The Thaicong don't even share anything with Cambodian and yet they are asking Cambodian to share Khmer Phrea Vihear temple with them!
The fucken Thaicong need to practice what they preach!
Remember, No Cambodia,Thailand,Vietnam and so on......Don't exist.The kingdom of Cambodia is the motherland of all.
Do you understand?????????
"Dumb Cambodian 8;55am. Sanitsuda Ekachai, Thai journalist is not an ultranationalist who advocates only hate. Do you know how to read?
9:27 AM"
Fuck you Ah Siem Kapick 9:27 AM, I can always read, you stupid mather f*cker Siem retarded piece of shit. Ah Sanitsuda Ekachai shithead is just a typical Siem thief that still wants more of the Cambodian territory. I suggest you and Ah Siem Sanitsuda to return to Nan Chao if you piece of dirt still more culture and heritage of your own, you lowly piece of Siem slaves. Preah Vihear is by the Khmer, of the Khmer and for the Khmer, you get that you stupid f*cking Siem thief!!! Ah Sanitsuda is the biggest Siem thief in the Bangkok article. Here are his written words, you stupid retarded Siem:
...we believe that we are the greatest race in the region, that we used to own much of the Southeast Asian peninsula, that our neighbouring countries are our enemies, and that our history is a series of efforts to save our land. It is why territorial issues never fail to trigger our killer instinct. Had the Thai and Cambodian governments seen Preah Vihear [as] a transboundary World Heritage site[,] [it will be] a win-win solution to promote Southeast Asia's ancient civilisation and a sense of borderless humanity."
There you f*cking retarded Siems! Stop claiming more of the remaining Khmer territory, you f*cking bastards Siem thieves!!! Khmer civilization is never of you Siems slaves, you mather f*cker. Khmer territory is never meant to be ruled and conquered by the Siem thieves like you, you stupid azzhole! Khmer civilization and Preah Vihear are of the Khmer alone, you stupid Sanitsuda Ekachai! If you want your ancestral lowly culture, just go back to Nan Chao. It is a fact that you Siem slaves are just the occupiers of Khmer territory, so this means that you f*cking invading Siems are not entitled to any of the Khmer culture, civilization, or temples. This prove once again that you f*cking retarded Siems can't reasons and are still criminals against the the Khmer territory and people.
I am khmer. But I think Sanitsuda Ekachai made some valid point.
The fucken Thaicong took everything from the Khmer and now they dare to ask Cambodian to share Khmer Prea Vihear temple with them. Hey! The Thaicong can go to hell!
Well, you guys are seeking unity among the Khmer. You guys are trying to show the world that we, Khmer, are united. But whenever I read the comment on this blog, I only see you label each others as dumb ass, mother fuckers, Siam, youn..something like that...so when we can find a unity if we just criticise each other this way..
Well Khun Sanitsuda Ekachai is a FEMALE Thai journalist .... Please don't give such an insult to her though.
BTW, she just pointed out that PAD has use nationalist sentiment to remove Ai Samak ... which is a dangerous double edge sword ....
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