Thailand Voice

Burma watchers should be urged to study the election laws exceedingly carefully rather than automatically reacting with condemnation. The popular media have already asserted that the law is a “ mockery of democracy ”, however, only portions of the law have been released, and it is expected that Naypyidaw will continue to… Read full story >>>

Thailand Refuses Dalai Lama Photo Courtesy Reuters Even thought the Dalai Lama practices Tibetan Buddhism, a different branch of the religion from the Theravada Buddhism the Thai’s practice he is still a very revered Buddhist figure in Thailand. Even so he is now on the list if those not allowed entry to the country. His… Read full story >>>

The legal showdown between Ms Suu Kyi and her brother comes as the SPDC is preparing to hold a controversial election later this year…Ms Suu Kyi herself, whose house arrest was extended last year after a US citizen swam across Inya Lake to … Read full story >>>

The Phuping Palace (Bhuping) is a Royal Residence. Located on a mountain above the famous Chiang Mai Temple, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, the Phuping Palace is the winter residence of the Thai Royal Family. The Phuping Palace was built in 1961, with… Read full story >>>

The problem is that engagement with Burma has been tried many times before, and always without success. Nor is it the first time the regime has promised to free Suu Kyi, or that Suu Kyi has expressed her willingness to meet the generals. The patterns are all too familiar… Read full story >>>

Google Translate does more than before… Google Translate has added three more items of interest: Translations as you type: Type your text in the main box and the translation appears below. Romanization option: the ability to receive transliteration instead. Text-to-… Read full story >>>

This year’s climate change negotiations have been something of a travelling roadshow. There have been UNFCCC talks in Bonn in June and August, the first leaders meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) in L’Aquila, Italy in July, a New York summit convened by UN Secretary-General Ban… Read full story >>>

I fancy myself something of a pretty good martial artist. Back in the day when I was younger (okay, okay, MUCH younger) I used to pride myself on my ability to kick very high and with excellent form. It took a long time for me to be able to kick like that… Read full story >>>

New Mandala readers who have been following recent events in Burma will be intrigued to see that John Yettaw, the Inya Lake aquatic intruder, has been released.  Richard Lloyd Parry has a neat analysis over at The Times . Previous coverage of this incident is available here , here , here and here . … Read full story >>>

[Asian Tribune] The Downing Of ‘KP’, The Short-Lived Tiger Chief [Intelligence and regional media circles in Bangkok are looking for answers to at least a couple of questions that intrigue them. How did Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias “KP” fall into the hands of… Read full story >>>

Over at Inside Story I have a long analysis that discusses Burmese politics and, in particular, the question of how the generals have managed to stay in charge for so long.  It concludes: We remain far from the day when Burma will be… Read full story >>>

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is arriving in Myanmar today. He will be here for 24 hours. He will land in Yangon with his entourage of about thirty people at around the same time that the court will reconvene for Aung San Suu Kyi and John… Read full story >>>

Over at East Asia Forum I have a piece marking Aung San Suu Kyi’s 64th birthday and reflecting on some of the wider political context of June 2009.  It is available here .  I also noticed that The Irrawaddy has a selection of interesting Aung San Suu Kyi portraits to mark the occasion. I’m… Read full story >>>

Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle is the head of the jury at this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival. And amid speculation on whether his next film will be shot in Asia, he took part in a panel discussion at the Shanghai fest on Thursday.The headlines… Read full story >>>

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This article is not really interesting, even quite boring. Because it’s repetitive , it tells us something we already know, since a long time (game over for the real estate market, vanished the famous “foreign buyers”, vaporized the financings, in the… Read full story >>>

Bangkok Post : The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions says it will hand down its verdict in the corruption case involving the Agriculture Ministry’s project to acquire 90 million rubber saplings worth 1.44 billion baht on Aug 17 at 2pm. The case was initially filed by the … Read full story >>>

Tragedies such as last year’s cyclone and this spring’s sham trial inevitably draw the world’s eyes to Burma. We should maintain our gaze. Given that the United Nations is aware of the scale and severity of rights abuses in Burma, it is incumbent on… Read full story >>>

In Myanmar, a trait that tends to cut across both ethnic and religious lines is superstition. This weekend in Dalah (a fishing town a short river ferry ride away from downtown Yangon), the 2,300-year-old  Danok Pagoda collapsed , killing at least 6 people, and injuring many more… Read full story >>>

Thomas Bell from The Telegraph has an informative report updating us on what motivated John Yettaw to swim across Inya Lake to Aung San Suu Kyi’s compound.  If you haven’t been following the news you might not know that as a consequence she is now on trial for … Read full story >>>

Burma analyst Andrew Selth has a very useful essay on Aung San Suu Kyi’s current predicament and the John Yettawa aquatic intrusion.  He makes the point that, in Burma, “given the choice between conspiracy and cock-up, it is usually safer to opt for the cock-up”.  His insights are well … Read full story >>>

Since 8 o’clock in the morning, curious locals, NLD supporters and devotees of Aung San Suu Kyi have been gathering on Myochit Street in Insein. The road is blocked with wooden barricades and barbed wire. Two or three hundred yards down the road, Burma’s most… Read full story >>>

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These photos were taken during a peaceful gathering of concerned Burmese citizens near Insein Prison. More details on this vigil are available here . The gathering was in support of detained Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose trial on a new set of … Read full story >>>