<br><br>---------- Forwarded message ----------<br><span class="gmail_quote">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Thongchai Winichakul</b> <<a href="mailto:twinicha@wisc.edu">twinicha@wisc.edu</a>><br>Date: Mar 9, 2009 12:18 PM<br>
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<div><font size="2">Dear all,</font></div>
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<div><font size="2">Hope you don't mind my "intervention" here.</font></div>
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<div><font size="2">I was disappointed that the PM. Abhisit, FM Kasit, Govt Spokeman, and so on responded to the call for "reform" of the lese majeste law to prevent the abuses by attacking me. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">Instead of discussing the issues what are the problems and what need to reform, they try to create a ghost of the "Republic" movement, then paint the critics of the LM law as part of the ghost movement. </font><font size="2">The smear tactic is a very old, dirty, politics, like the communist ghost. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">The number of communists increased after years of sweeping problems under the rugs by creating a "communist" ghost and suppressing people who were alleged "communists". The anti-communist policy created more communists. You can replace the word "communist" in the above sentence with the word "republican" everywhere.</font></div>
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<div><font size="2">Instead of listening to those world class scholars, they listen to the fake scholars on ASTV who in fact are propagansits, not scholars. Aj Jermsak argues that the Red has no leafders with credentials. I wonder the Yellow leaders has any credential worth listening more than those world class scholars. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">I wonder if PM, FM ever heard of those world class scholars. I bet that they don't know. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">Many Thais often say that the problem in Thai society is because Thais don't have good education. But when great scholars speak, the same people said those scholars don't understand a thing about Thailand, the ASTV understands best. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">Let me tell all of you here that those scholars know Thailand much more than the propagandists want people to believe. They know how to get info and evaluate info in order to make good judgments. They read PM and FM responses and all of them keep communicating via email group. They know too that the govt is trying to distort the issue by the same old politics. </font><font size="2">Some of them express disappointment that instead of listening to their well intended suggestion/warning, the govt dismisses them for "hidden agenda". Instead of changing the course about the LM law, the govt continues the same old course that does not benefit anybody at all, not good to the monarchy either. The abuses of the LM law will backfire in a big way to the country and the monarchy. They already warn us. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">As for myself, I cannot dismiss my past. But the propaganda that I am obsessed with the 6 Oct massacre and remain vengeful is ridiculous. They know my psychology so well without ever talking to me and with no evidence. It is merely a dirty lie to destroy the opponent's credibility. It is undeniable that I owe a lot to my past. But I am who I am today because my debt to those lost friends are turned into energy and wisdom, not vengeance which had gone long time ago. I believe that I have put efforts into understanding Thai society and culture, human beings and life, as much as anybody can do. I also have pretty good sensitivity to dehumanization, climate of fear, and intolerance that I can "smell" it quickly when it happens. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">To turn the 6 Oct past into my liability is an irresponsible, disrespectful and very careless accusation. It is a foolish propaganda. Unfortunately there are many people who are foolish enough to believe it. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">In all of these propaganda, the real issue of what needs to be done to the LM law are not discussed as much as it desrves to be.</font></div>
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<div><font size="2">If it becomes too late, don't blame it on anybody else, but the timid, thoughtless, short-sighed, visionless, shallow and narrow-minded ultra royalists like the ASTV and everybody who believes its propaganda. </font></div>
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<div><font size="2">I agree that the problem with Thai society is the lack of good education. Even among the educated ones, many cannot make distinction between propaganda and knowledge. Many blindly believe in propaganda, but don't see the value ot true wisdom.</font></div>
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<div><font size="2">Wake up ... before it is too late.</font></div>
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<div><font size="2">Thongchai Winichakul</font></div>
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