New Mandala

This image of the Buddha is the result of a recent Japanese donation to a temple just north of central Myitkyina, Kachin State, Burma.  The Buddha that owns these feet is a spectacular and unexpected sight.  If you are ever in the neighbourhood, it is well worth a look.

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There is news today that the former Thai foreign minister and long-time Nakorn Sri Thammarat Democrat party heavy, Surin Pitsuwan, has influential backing for a bid to take the position of United Nations Secretary General.�
The other Thai candidate for the position, Surakiart Sathirathai - who has, it must be noted, been lobbying for years - is still in the [...]

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Given current speculation about possible contenders for the next Thai Prime Ministership, a brief profile of ex-commander-in-chief and now Privy Council member Surayud Chulanont in Time Magazine’s Asian Heroes series makes fascinating reading, particularly for his reflections on the role of the military in politics. The profile, written in 2003, concludes:
There are periodic calls for the man who [...]

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I am leaving today for a trip to England. If I run into Thaksin in McDonalds or Tesco I will try to get a quotable quote for NewMandala. I will be blogging a bit less regularly over the next three weeks. I will be stopping over in Singapore on the way and Hong Kong on [...]

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The BBC, the Telegraph and the Bangkok Post, among others, are carrying “crack-down” stories that highlight potential restrictions on Tesco and other foreign retailers in Thailand.  Before the coup, I wrote about the uncertain position of large international retailers, particularly those seeking to open dozens of new stores in the far-flung corners of the Kingdom.  The mega-store conglomerates were already under some [...]

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For those with an interest in landuse change in the uplands of southeast Asia (rather than political change in the lowlands) the latest issue of Mountain Research and Development features numerous articles on Landuse Transition in Montane Mainland Southeast Asia. It has a particularly strong focus on Yunnan and Laos. Looks to be a very [...]

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David Glenn, a journalist at The Chronicle of Higher Education, has sent me the link to the transcript of an interview conducted with Duncan McCargo, one of the best known writers on the now defunct Thaksin government.  As I noted in an earlier post, last year I reviewed McCargo’s co-authored book on the former Prime Minister.  The [...]

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A former British Ambassador to Thailand, Derek Tonkin, has written to The Times expressing his support for the coup and the ruling military junta.  His letter has been picked up by The Nation.  For context, some of Tonkin’s other comments in the immediate aftermath of the coup are available from BBC Radio 4.
In his letter, Tonkin writes that Thaksin’s:
…wealth has [...]

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Startling news from today’s Nation:
Political change not a coup : Lt Gen Winai
One of the generals behind the coup described their seizure of power last week as a “political change rather than a coup.” Secretary of the military council, Lt Gen Winai Phattiyakul, told BBC radio in an interview that the military had tried [...]

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A very useful summary of current developments in Burma, from a health perspective, is available at a regularly updated blog called “HIV Information for Myanmar”.  It is a clearing house for information and reports on this crucial issue and there is new material posted almost every day.�
The blog’s consistent efforts to get information on HIV and AIDS [...]

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