Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka, Japan
On the Thai economy, Prayut Wants a Convenient Scapegoat
Thailand’s embattled Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha blamed anti-government protesters for some of the country’s economic malaise on Monday, noting that in order for the economic situation to be resolved, the country — namely the protesters…
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Thailand’s Generals, As Usual, Fail to Understand Democracy
When new Royal Thai Army chief General Narongpan Jittkaewtae took his post on Oct. 1, he and military commander-in-chief General Chalermpol Srisawat made a point to discourage the press and the public to assume that…
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Remember the Thammasat Massacre as an act of organised hate
Thailand’s military rulers have long had difficulties sharing uncomfortable stories. The painful anniversary of the massacre at Thammasat University on October 6, 1976 has never been reconciled, buried in a kind of “organised forgetting.” As…
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Land Rights in Cambodia and the Long Persecution of a Buddhist Monk
During a speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council on October 2, Luon Sovath, a Buddhist monk and human rights activist was repeatedly interrupted by Cambodia’s Permanent Representative in Geneva, An Sokkhoeurn, who questioned…
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The art of political jiu-jitsu and Thailand’s student revolution
After several major protests in Bangkok, authorities have practiced a degree of restraint, despite the dismantling of a long-held social taboo of voicing public criticism of Thailand’s once-revered monarchy.…
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Obstacles and Opportunities on the Long Road to Peace in Afghanistan
The long 19-year war in Afghanistan has been costly, both in human and financial terms. Since the United Nations began tracking Afghan casualties in 2009, more than 100,000 Afghans have been killed. U.S. military casualties…
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Adapting to Hong Kong’s grim reality
Hong Kong residents are scrambling to pick up the pieces after the implementation of the draconian national security law of 30 June 2020. As China’s new Iron Curtain descended around Hong Kong, pro-democracy activists either…
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For Thai protestors, even the dying embers of a regime can be dangerous
More than 100,000 people demonstrated on the open field at Sanam Luang, in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace in Bangkok over the weekend, defying the military-backed government of Prayuth Chan-o-cha and…
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The UN at 75 years; Africa and the strained relationship
Africa’s relationship with the United Nations began in 1960, when 15 African countries gained independence and 17 became UN member states. In an effort to remove the stain of Western colonialism, the UN embarked on…
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At 75, is the United Nations still relevant or necessary?
On September 21, the United Nations will celebrate its 75th birthday. Founded in 1945 after 50 countries met in San Francisco to draw up the UN Charter, it was conceived as an international institution that…
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