FOR ACADEMIC STUDY AND RESEACH
A WIDE SCOPE OF STUDIES OF THIS MAN SHALL BE DONE BY MOST UNIVERSITIES, ESP POLITICAL, WELFARE AND HISTORICAL DEPT.
MORE WRITE-UP TO BRUSHING THE TRUTH, THE WEALTH AND UGLY TACTIC TO POISONING AND MISLEADING PEOPLE'S MINDSET SHALL PUT ON RESEARCH...........
BUT ONE BIG THING IS NO TRANSPARENCY OF THIS MAN AND HIS SUCKING FAMILY....THIS IS THE BIGGEST FACT AND FACT ......
WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY OF WEALTH AND EVERY MOVE OF THIS MAN AND HIS FAMILY, THIS COUNTRY CAN NOT BE CALLED AS DEMOCRACY, AND SHOULD BE CALLED BACKWARD NATION AND TYRANY.
BASIC PEOPLE RIGHT HAVE BEEN TERRIBLY HARMED AND SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!
MORE OPENLY STUDIES AND RESEARCH ARE URGENTLY NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More debate on The King Never Smiles
January 25th, 2007 by Nicholas Farrelly · 23 Comments
Back in July, Andrew Walker posted a short review of Paul Handley’s The King Never Smiles. This book continues to attract a great deal of interest. Anybody keen to quickly come up to speed on the issues it raises could do worse than trawl through these New Mandala posts. Over the past week or more, Andrew’s review has seen a lot of traffic, and a number of fresh comments about the book have been posted.
To bring the debate back to the top of the New Mandala pile, I have copied some of the new comments to this post.
In my view, the book is one of the few must-read perspectives on Thailand published in the last year (in Thai or English). The debate around its contents and approach keeps smouldering for good reason.
Recent comments here on New Mandala include:
Paul Chen | January 9th, 2007 at 4:45 am
Did the Author who wrote The King Never Smile?
Had met the King? Did he make personel interview with King?
If, Not why? and How can this book named a King Biography??
All contents might be a full true facts!
This is not Fair to the King!!
Do you agree??
====================
Every Year Dec 5, the King Birthday, he got the chance to
speak to public only once a year.
Why the Book Author go to meet the King and have
personel interview with him.
This is Fair to him!!
=========================
anonymous | January 9th, 2007 at 10:12 am
Handley requested a personal royal interview, but was denied.
I wish that people who criticize the book actually read it. It’s a very factually correct biography, and the analysis is very interesting. I don’t agree with all the points, but if you’re interested in Thai politics and the King’s role, it’s a must read.
prem | January 14th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
If you’re really love the king ,you have to let him out of the politics. The king never protect Thai’s democracy but he protect his family and his conservative system as he did when Prem was the priminister. Thai people should learn to live with the principle of democracy ,not this beloved king .Don’t forget he can’t live forever. You have to develop yourself to live with the next King also.
Kasumo | January 23rd, 2007 at 2:42 am
Talking about being factually correct, on the first page of the book, Handley already got it wrong. King Bhumibol was born at the Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge Mass., not in Brookline. …. Need I say more…..
patiwat | January 23rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Kasumo, while technically true, that’s like saying that somebody born in Siriraj Hospital wasn’t born in Bangkok. The town of Brookline is opposite the Charles River from the city of Cambridge. Mt. Auburn Hospital itself is right next to the river.
Kasumo | January 24th, 2007 at 5:03 am
=)
Let us move on to the second page of the book concerning HRH the Princess Mother. Handley wrote that “A commoner, part Chinese, Sangwal was born to a poor parents in 1900 just across the Chaophraya River from the Grand Palace.”
Also wrong !
HRH the Princess Mother was born in Nonthaburi Province according to the book “My Mother Told Me” by Princess Galyani Vadhana, her owed daughter.
HRH the Princess Mother’s grandfather lived across the Chaophraya River from the Grand Palace as Handley understood, but her father and mother moved to Nonthaburi before she was born. This is why HRH the Princess Mother actually born in Nonthaburi not just across the Chaophraya River from the Grand Palace. In fact, many websites got this fact wrong. So, was Handley.
If I have more time, I will point out to you further on Handley’s other mistakes on page 2. There are several more. And I can tell you, since his book has around 500 pages, there are plenty of other mistakes within the book and it shows how careful and how well research the author has been with his subject.
Well should I say any more….. =)
charles st. | January 25th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
The King is very rich. Thai Baht 3,000,000,000 is also tax-free.
It’s a real pity for poor Thai people. The rich keeps telling us to follow the Sufficient Economic Policy. Between the line is that the rich doesn’t want poor people to have more economic power.
“Let the people be poor and uneducated, they will be very obedient and easy to be controlled.” That’s the unspoken opinion from the blue blood and the anti-Taksin groups.
Tags: Thailand
23 RESPONSES SO FAR ↓
1patiwat // Jan 26, 2007 at 8:23 am
Nonthaburi is a very large province and covers both the east and west banks of the Chao Phraya River. Some districts (Pakkred) are on the east bank – some districts (Bang Bua Thong, Bang Kruai) are on the west bank.
Given the lack of well-known 19th century landmarks on the upper east bank of the Chao Phraya river, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Princess Mother was born both in Nonthaburi province and opposite the Grand Palace.
Quality comment or not? 0 0
2patiwat // Jan 26, 2007 at 8:38 am
Actually, HMK makes much more than 3,000,000,000 baht a year tax-free.
By law (specifically, the Royal Assets Structuring Act of 1936 – พระราชบัญญัติ จัดระเบียบทรัพย์สิน ฝ่ายพระมหากษัตริย), all income of the Crown Property Bureau is exempt from taxes.
There are no current public estimates of his wealth available, but foreign estimates from around 1999 put his wealth at up to 320,000,000,000 baht. A risk free 5% government bond on that would already earn over 15 billion baht a year. CPB-owned equities in the stock market earn on average much more than that.
Quality comment or not? 0 0
321Jan // Jan 26, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Besides small errors – which may be judged by more knowledgable people than me – the main points of the book remain valid:
a.) The first and most important interest of the king and his network is the protection of the institution.
b.) The king has a certain affinity to military dictators and has no real trust in democracy.
c.) His dhammaraja-image is mostly constructed and while he might be a person of high morality he is not the source of everything good that happens in Thailand.
The good thing is that in the eyes of the international community this biography will remain while everything biographical under the Lèse majesté will be considered as hagiographic.
Quality comment or not? 0 0
4Srithanonchai // Jan 26, 2007 at 3:05 pm
So why did they have to sacrifice the Siam Inter-Continental Hotel for Paragon. Or wasn’t that an act of the CPB? Just curious.
Quality comment or not? 0 0
5d. silang // Jan 28, 2007 at 1:37 am
I can understand why Thais would react vehemently to what Handley has written. There is no doubt that Thais love their king dearly. But setting emotions and some bitchiness in Handley’s writing aside, the book contains truth about the obvious machinations by palace insiders to portray the virtue of the monarchy, despite its being anachronistic, not for the benefit of the king itself but those with vested interests, notably certain Thai elites. Although this is unfair to some, but I observed that Thais failed to see the half-truths being peddled around especially when it comes with the monarchy. Or even if they know they refuse to act for fear of reprisals, political or socially. Perhaps it is about time Thais start questioning all these truths for one day (which might not be too far) the dam will just burst and overwhelms everyone.
Quality comment or not? 0 0
6Ananth // Jan 31, 2007 at 4:08 am
Thai monarchy should be studied in Thailand’s unique context and without prejudice. Thai monarchy after 1932 has been placed in a very special position. Even a famed civilian leader of the 1932 coup, Pridi Phanomyong, once was the regency for the Rama VIII. He did not harm the monarchy though he once worked with ‘miltary men’ to topple the absolute monarchy! (that may be why military can not stay away from Thai politics.)
And Rama IX is just an aspect for this special development, he and his 200 year – old family should be seen exclusively.
Quality comment or not? 0 0
7June // Feb 1, 2007 at 5:14 am
1.There are an uncountable number of king in the past, present king, royal family, relatives and high society people in Thailand who have special rights more than general people.
2.These group of people are out of constitutional law.
3.Military and people relate to king project or business gain high benefit.
4.Thai student books has been writen to brush people brain to respect these group of people.
So, they keep power, while Thai people still close eyes and stay in the old world.
http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/01/25/more-debate-on-the-king-never-smiles/
Friday, December 9, 2011
More debate on The King Never Smiles---------A LOT OF TALKS ON A TYRANT, MONEY-MINDED, PUT ALL WEALTH AROUND HIS FAMILY , SMASHING DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH....IS HE AND HIS FAMILY BE REGARDED AS MACHINERY THAT PLAYING ROLES OF "POISONING" THE PEOPLE'S MINDSET...........????? NEED MORE ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC RESEARCH....BUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH MUST BE UPHOLD FIRST....
EMBASSY STATEMENT ON U.S. CITIZEN JOE GORDON
Tag Archives: The King Never Smiles
แถลงการณ์ สถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาประจำประเทศไทย 19 สิงหาคม 2554
20
ส.ค.
แถลงการณ์ สถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาประจำประเทศไทย 19 สิงหาคม 2554 :
สหรัฐอเมริการู้สึกผิดหวังต่อการตัดสินใจของอัยการไทย ที่ดำเนินการฟ้องนาย “โจ กอร์ดอน” พลเมืองสหรัฐอเมริกา ในข้อหาหมิ่นพระบรมเดชานุภาพ ทางการสหรัฐได้พูดคุยแลกเปลี่ยนความคิดเห็นกับเจ้าหน้าที่ทางการของไทยอย่างครอบคลุม เกี่ยวกับคดีของนายกอร์ดอน โดยย้ำถึงโอกาสและความเป็นไปได้ของเขาในการใช้สิทธิในฐานะพลเมืองอเมริกัน”
“เราขอเรียกร้องให้ทางการไทยให้ความมั่นใจว่า เสรีภาพในการแสดงความเห็นเป็นสิ่งที่ควรได้รับการเคารพ และนายกอร์ดอน ในฐานะพลเมืองสหรัฐฯจะได้รับการปฏิบัติที่เป็นธรรม”
EMBASSY STATEMENT ON U.S. CITIZEN JOE GORDON
The United States is disappointed by the prosecutor’s decision to file lese majeste charges against U.S. citizen Joe Gordon. We have discussed Mr. Gordon’s case extensively with Thai authorities, stressing at every possible opportunity his rights as an American citizen. We urge the Thai authorities to ensure freedom of expression is respected and that Mr. Gordon, a U.S. citizen, receives fair treatment.
ที่มา Embassy Statement on U.S. Citizen Joe Gordon
ก่อนหน้านี้ เมื่อวันที่ 17 ส.ค. 2554 ศาลชั้นต้นรับฟ้องคดีที่พนักงานอัยการ สำนักงานอัยการพิเศษฝ่ายคดีพิเศษ1 สำนักงานอัยการสูงสุด เป็นโจทก์ฟ้องนายโจ กอร์ดอน (หรือนายเลอพงษ์ ขอสงวนนามสกุล) เป็นจำเลย ชาวไทย-อเมริกัน ซึ่งถูกจับข้อหาหมิ่น (มาตรา112) คำฟ้องระบุเป็นผู้แปล The King Never Smiles อันเป็นหนังสือต้องห้าม โพสต์ข้อความไม่เหมาะสม ในความผิดตามประมวลกฎหมายอาญา มาตรา 112, 116 พ.ร.บ.ว่าด้วยการกระทำความผิดเกี่ยวกับคอมพิวเตอร์ พ.ศ.2551 มาตรา 3, 14 และคำสั่งคณะปฏิรูปการปกครองแผ่นดิน ฉบับที่ 41 ลงวันที่ 21 ตุลาคม 2519 ข้อ 1
ทั้งนี้ จำเลยเป็นบุคคลสองสัญชาติ ไทย – อเมริกัน ถูกเจ้าหน้าที่ดีเอสไอบุกจับกุมตัวที่บ้านพักจังหวัดนครราชสีมา เมื่อวันที่ 24 พ.ค.ที่ผ่านมาพร้อมยึดคอมพิวเตอร์แล็ปท็อปส่วนตัว และถูกคุมขังอยู่ในเรือนจำพิเศษกรุงเทพฯ…
ที่มา หนังสือพิมพ์มติชน :: สถานทูตสหรัฐฯแถลงผิดหวังอัยการไทยฟ้อง”โจ กอร์ดอน” ข้อหา”หมิ่นสถาบัน”
แถลงการณ์ทางการทูตที่แทรกแซงกระบวนการยุติธรรมของประเทศคู่สัมพันธ์นั้นมีความละเอียดอ่อน โดยเฉพาะหากเป็นเรื่องเกี่ยวกับการล่วงละเมิดประมุขของประเทศนั้น ซึ่งในประเทศไทยก็คือ องค์พระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว
ผมกำลังรอท่าทีของกระทรวงการต่างประเทศ โดย ดร. สุรพงษ์ โตวิจักษณ์ชัยกุล รัฐมนตรีว่าการ ฯ อยู่ครับ
http://annforever.wordpress.com/tag/the-king-never-smiles/
แถลงการณ์ สถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาประจำประเทศไทย 19 สิงหาคม 2554
20
ส.ค.
แถลงการณ์ สถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาประจำประเทศไทย 19 สิงหาคม 2554 :
สหรัฐอเมริการู้สึกผิดหวังต่อการตัดสินใจของอัยการไทย ที่ดำเนินการฟ้องนาย “โจ กอร์ดอน” พลเมืองสหรัฐอเมริกา ในข้อหาหมิ่นพระบรมเดชานุภาพ ทางการสหรัฐได้พูดคุยแลกเปลี่ยนความคิดเห็นกับเจ้าหน้าที่ทางการของไทยอย่างครอบคลุม เกี่ยวกับคดีของนายกอร์ดอน โดยย้ำถึงโอกาสและความเป็นไปได้ของเขาในการใช้สิทธิในฐานะพลเมืองอเมริกัน”
“เราขอเรียกร้องให้ทางการไทยให้ความมั่นใจว่า เสรีภาพในการแสดงความเห็นเป็นสิ่งที่ควรได้รับการเคารพ และนายกอร์ดอน ในฐานะพลเมืองสหรัฐฯจะได้รับการปฏิบัติที่เป็นธรรม”
EMBASSY STATEMENT ON U.S. CITIZEN JOE GORDON
The United States is disappointed by the prosecutor’s decision to file lese majeste charges against U.S. citizen Joe Gordon. We have discussed Mr. Gordon’s case extensively with Thai authorities, stressing at every possible opportunity his rights as an American citizen. We urge the Thai authorities to ensure freedom of expression is respected and that Mr. Gordon, a U.S. citizen, receives fair treatment.
ที่มา Embassy Statement on U.S. Citizen Joe Gordon
ก่อนหน้านี้ เมื่อวันที่ 17 ส.ค. 2554 ศาลชั้นต้นรับฟ้องคดีที่พนักงานอัยการ สำนักงานอัยการพิเศษฝ่ายคดีพิเศษ1 สำนักงานอัยการสูงสุด เป็นโจทก์ฟ้องนายโจ กอร์ดอน (หรือนายเลอพงษ์ ขอสงวนนามสกุล) เป็นจำเลย ชาวไทย-อเมริกัน ซึ่งถูกจับข้อหาหมิ่น (มาตรา112) คำฟ้องระบุเป็นผู้แปล The King Never Smiles อันเป็นหนังสือต้องห้าม โพสต์ข้อความไม่เหมาะสม ในความผิดตามประมวลกฎหมายอาญา มาตรา 112, 116 พ.ร.บ.ว่าด้วยการกระทำความผิดเกี่ยวกับคอมพิวเตอร์ พ.ศ.2551 มาตรา 3, 14 และคำสั่งคณะปฏิรูปการปกครองแผ่นดิน ฉบับที่ 41 ลงวันที่ 21 ตุลาคม 2519 ข้อ 1
ทั้งนี้ จำเลยเป็นบุคคลสองสัญชาติ ไทย – อเมริกัน ถูกเจ้าหน้าที่ดีเอสไอบุกจับกุมตัวที่บ้านพักจังหวัดนครราชสีมา เมื่อวันที่ 24 พ.ค.ที่ผ่านมาพร้อมยึดคอมพิวเตอร์แล็ปท็อปส่วนตัว และถูกคุมขังอยู่ในเรือนจำพิเศษกรุงเทพฯ…
ที่มา หนังสือพิมพ์มติชน :: สถานทูตสหรัฐฯแถลงผิดหวังอัยการไทยฟ้อง”โจ กอร์ดอน” ข้อหา”หมิ่นสถาบัน”
แถลงการณ์ทางการทูตที่แทรกแซงกระบวนการยุติธรรมของประเทศคู่สัมพันธ์นั้นมีความละเอียดอ่อน โดยเฉพาะหากเป็นเรื่องเกี่ยวกับการล่วงละเมิดประมุขของประเทศนั้น ซึ่งในประเทศไทยก็คือ องค์พระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว
ผมกำลังรอท่าทีของกระทรวงการต่างประเทศ โดย ดร. สุรพงษ์ โตวิจักษณ์ชัยกุล รัฐมนตรีว่าการ ฯ อยู่ครับ
http://annforever.wordpress.com/tag/the-king-never-smiles/
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Gordon------------SHEMES OF UNITED STATE OF AMERICA AND HUMAN RIGHT, DEMOCRACY, FREE SPEECH....
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Gordon
NOVEMBER 13, 2011
Prachatai has another article by Lisa Gardner on the continuing lese majeste torture of U.S. citizen Joe Gordon, accused of translating works and posting links to Paul Handley’s widely available The King Never Smiles that almost anyone in Thailand who wants to has seen.
Joe is was arrested in Thailand and accused of such “crimes” allegedly committed while he was living in the United States.
The report states that Joe is: “A political prisoner, no question; and a U.S. citizen, no less. A used car salesman from Boulder, Colorado. By international standards, the charges are conspicuously political as they are innocuous.”
Gardner refers to someone who goes by the apparently lightly worn moniker of “human rights advocate.” This person claims that his organization “can’t take up his case without knowing if he’s as pure as the driven snow…”.
That line and similar ones have been mouthed by several allegedly human rights advocates in Thailand, not least by the ever quiet Benjamin Zawacki at Amnesty International. As a major human rights organization, AI embarrasses itself and it supporters by its public silence on lese majeste. It has done nothing for the hundreds of victims of lese majeste repression and torture in Thailand.
Given that Joe has been forced through incarceration and multiple refusals bail – this is the torture in lese majeste repression – to plead guilty, he must now rely “solely on a royal pardon to ensure his release.
A correspondent to Prachatai states that he wrote to the U.S. Embassy and Ambassador Kristie Kenney on Joe’s case and received the following reply:
“Thank you for your letter to Ambassador Kenney of 3 October regarding Mr. Joe W. Gordon. While overseas, all private foreign nationals are subject to the laws of the country where they are located. Many of these laws are vastly different from U.S. laws. As you know, the Thai Department of Special Investigations accused Mr. Gordon, a private U.S. citizen, of lèse-majesté, specifically violating Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code and Section 14(3)(5) of the Thai Computer Crimes Act.
Since Mr Gordon’s arrest in May, Ambassador Kenney and other Embassy officials have raised Mr. Gordon’s situation with the Thai government officials many times, urging fair treatment and respect for his rights to freedom of expression. Embassy officials visit Mr. Gordon in jail regularly and attended his court hearings, most recently on October 10. We remain committed to providing Mr. Gordon all possible assistance allowed a private citizen under international convention.
Sincerely,
Chief of American Citizen Services Unit”
The essential element of this is that the embassy and ambassador are doing nothing for Joe. They are meant to visit all U.S. citizens in prison, showing up in their air-conditioned cars and neatly pressed clothes to provide faux sympathy for a citizen in leg irons and prison garb accused of a crime in the United States. Big deal that they claim to take the case up with Thai government officials several times, “urging fair treatment and respect for his rights to freedom of expression.”
That is, frankly, diplomatic speak for doing nothing. Where is the expression of a U.S. citizen’s right to free speech in the United States? All this lot are doing is following previous ambassadorial advice: keeping a quiet public front, urging a guilty plea from the defendant (whether they are guilty or not), and then hoping for a pardon. Despite the fact that its own Human Rights report complains of a generalized pressure to sign confessions, U.S. diplomats play the palace’s game with them and do nothing to confront a dangerous abuse of basic civil rights.
Now here’s a thought or perhaps a wild dream. U.S. President Barack Obama is about to visit the Southeast Asia region. In that visit he will, according to the State Department, amongst other things, “stand up for democratic values.” The State Department has commented, just in the past few days, on human rights abuses in Vietnam, Burma, Uganda, Syria and Afghanistan, just to name a few. Secretary of State Clinton, who is about to visit Thailand, has recently made several statements on human rights and democracy, praising the U.S. ambassador in Syria as one of our diplomats of courage, who “was mobbed, assaulted, and threatened, just for meeting with peaceful protestors, he put his personal safety on the line to let the Syrian people know that America stands with them.”
What about letting an American citizen know that America stands with him? Why not have Obama raise Joe’s case and the human rights abuse that is lese majeste? What about having Clinton do the same. What about having Ambassador Kenney be a diplomat of courage and visit Joe and other lese majeste victims? Maybe Clinton can specifically mention lese majste in a public way. Maybe the State Department can even list the victims of lese majeste repression as political prisoners in its annual human rights report, where its most recent 2011 report continues to state the ludicrously erroneous (and palpably stupid) single line: “There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.”
While we doubt such acts of diplomatic “courage” will be seen, it would be a welcome change to see the United States act in a way that at least appeared to be something other than a supporter of the royalist status quo in Thailand.
http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/hillary-clinton-barack-obama-and-joe-gordon/
NOVEMBER 13, 2011
Prachatai has another article by Lisa Gardner on the continuing lese majeste torture of U.S. citizen Joe Gordon, accused of translating works and posting links to Paul Handley’s widely available The King Never Smiles that almost anyone in Thailand who wants to has seen.
Joe is was arrested in Thailand and accused of such “crimes” allegedly committed while he was living in the United States.
The report states that Joe is: “A political prisoner, no question; and a U.S. citizen, no less. A used car salesman from Boulder, Colorado. By international standards, the charges are conspicuously political as they are innocuous.”
Gardner refers to someone who goes by the apparently lightly worn moniker of “human rights advocate.” This person claims that his organization “can’t take up his case without knowing if he’s as pure as the driven snow…”.
That line and similar ones have been mouthed by several allegedly human rights advocates in Thailand, not least by the ever quiet Benjamin Zawacki at Amnesty International. As a major human rights organization, AI embarrasses itself and it supporters by its public silence on lese majeste. It has done nothing for the hundreds of victims of lese majeste repression and torture in Thailand.
Given that Joe has been forced through incarceration and multiple refusals bail – this is the torture in lese majeste repression – to plead guilty, he must now rely “solely on a royal pardon to ensure his release.
A correspondent to Prachatai states that he wrote to the U.S. Embassy and Ambassador Kristie Kenney on Joe’s case and received the following reply:
“Thank you for your letter to Ambassador Kenney of 3 October regarding Mr. Joe W. Gordon. While overseas, all private foreign nationals are subject to the laws of the country where they are located. Many of these laws are vastly different from U.S. laws. As you know, the Thai Department of Special Investigations accused Mr. Gordon, a private U.S. citizen, of lèse-majesté, specifically violating Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code and Section 14(3)(5) of the Thai Computer Crimes Act.
Since Mr Gordon’s arrest in May, Ambassador Kenney and other Embassy officials have raised Mr. Gordon’s situation with the Thai government officials many times, urging fair treatment and respect for his rights to freedom of expression. Embassy officials visit Mr. Gordon in jail regularly and attended his court hearings, most recently on October 10. We remain committed to providing Mr. Gordon all possible assistance allowed a private citizen under international convention.
Sincerely,
Chief of American Citizen Services Unit”
The essential element of this is that the embassy and ambassador are doing nothing for Joe. They are meant to visit all U.S. citizens in prison, showing up in their air-conditioned cars and neatly pressed clothes to provide faux sympathy for a citizen in leg irons and prison garb accused of a crime in the United States. Big deal that they claim to take the case up with Thai government officials several times, “urging fair treatment and respect for his rights to freedom of expression.”
That is, frankly, diplomatic speak for doing nothing. Where is the expression of a U.S. citizen’s right to free speech in the United States? All this lot are doing is following previous ambassadorial advice: keeping a quiet public front, urging a guilty plea from the defendant (whether they are guilty or not), and then hoping for a pardon. Despite the fact that its own Human Rights report complains of a generalized pressure to sign confessions, U.S. diplomats play the palace’s game with them and do nothing to confront a dangerous abuse of basic civil rights.
Now here’s a thought or perhaps a wild dream. U.S. President Barack Obama is about to visit the Southeast Asia region. In that visit he will, according to the State Department, amongst other things, “stand up for democratic values.” The State Department has commented, just in the past few days, on human rights abuses in Vietnam, Burma, Uganda, Syria and Afghanistan, just to name a few. Secretary of State Clinton, who is about to visit Thailand, has recently made several statements on human rights and democracy, praising the U.S. ambassador in Syria as one of our diplomats of courage, who “was mobbed, assaulted, and threatened, just for meeting with peaceful protestors, he put his personal safety on the line to let the Syrian people know that America stands with them.”
What about letting an American citizen know that America stands with him? Why not have Obama raise Joe’s case and the human rights abuse that is lese majeste? What about having Clinton do the same. What about having Ambassador Kenney be a diplomat of courage and visit Joe and other lese majeste victims? Maybe Clinton can specifically mention lese majste in a public way. Maybe the State Department can even list the victims of lese majeste repression as political prisoners in its annual human rights report, where its most recent 2011 report continues to state the ludicrously erroneous (and palpably stupid) single line: “There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.”
While we doubt such acts of diplomatic “courage” will be seen, it would be a welcome change to see the United States act in a way that at least appeared to be something other than a supporter of the royalist status quo in Thailand.
http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/hillary-clinton-barack-obama-and-joe-gordon/
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