Last year I moved to Bangkok and took up a job at a news magazine two weeks before the government was overthrown in a coup d’etat.
Needless to say, despite the inconvenience of having troops surround my office building, the declaration of martial law and a few deadly explosions in the city centre, the military takeover was kind of a kick.
Now the people are getting ready to elect the ousted PM’s replacement, possibly to result in mass demonstrations in Bangkok and more political fuckery. Add the fact that the country’s beloved king is ailing and his successor is widely detested and you’ve got a tough situation on the horizon.
People of Thailand, I wish you the best. Khaaw hai chohk dee gap thook sing thee ja thahm khaang naa!
Thailand holds first post-coup election
The Associated Press
December 22, 2007 at 10:58 PM EST
BANGKOK — Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, deposed, exiled and allegedly corrupt, was poised for a comeback-by-proxy as his loyalists looked likely to win Thailand’s national election Sunday.
Mr. Thaksin, ousted from power by a bloodless military coup 15 months ago, may also come back in person early next year, sparking fears of political turbulence and sharp polarization which has already plagued Thailand for two years.
The election, which is supposed to restore democracy after the coup, comes after almost two years of intense political instability that began with popular demonstrations demanding that Mr. Thaksin step down because of alleged corruption and abuse of power. The protest culminated in the coup.
The Election Commission has been barraged by more than 700 complaints of election fraud, mostly related to vote-buying. The night before elections is popularly called the “night of the howling dogs,” as canvassers knock on doors to distribute last-minute cash for votes in rural areas.
Latest news can be found at The Nation…
There will be a lunar eclipse tonight (Tuesday August 28) but unfortunately most in Vietnam won’t get a chance to see it. According to Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper:
Hanoi Education University astronomy instructor Nguyen Anh Vinh said the eclipse would begin at 2.53.39pm.
The eclipse will begin in full around 4.52pm.
The eclipse’s maximum point will occur at 5.37.22pm and the phenomenon will end at 6.22.24pm, according to Vinh.
Portions of mainland Vietnam will not be able to see the eclipse at all while some areas will be able to view the last half of the eclipse after the 5.37pm pinnacle.
Soldiers on the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa Islands will be able to see most of the eclipse’s strongest parts around and after 4.52pm. Residents on Con Dao and select groups of lucky coastal viewers may be able to catch glimpses of this part of the eclipse as well.
But visibility will be very limited due to the early occurrence of the eclipse as the bright afternoon sky will most likely drown out the phenomenon in most areas.
I just looked at my clock and it’s 4:37pm on Tuesday afternoon. Outside, it’s gray and cloudy, terrible viewing conditions. 
Enjoy the eclipse!
Two men in central Vietnam Saturday pulled a gun on a computer technician in an incident that was likely related to a dispute over a USB flash drive.
At 1.20 pm, two men walked into the second floor of a computer repair shop in Danang city and one of them pointed a gun at Do Phu Thinh, 26.
The assailant shouted “Motherfu—thought I couldn’t do anything to you!”
Thinh’s girlfriend and sister were present and screamed just before shop owner and retired police officer Tran Van Tu sneak-attacked the gunman from behind. Tu pushed Thinh and himself into a nearby room and locked it from inside.
The other man wielded a sharp knife and banged on the door.
They only left after Thinh called the police from inside the room.
“I heard the gun cocking and knew it was an authentic one”, Thinh said after the quarrel.
He also said that some days earlier, a woman had asked him to repair a 1GB Sony USB but Thinh discovered it was only 128 MB and told the customer.
On Friday the woman’s husband, son and daughter came to claim that Thinh had swapped their USB, he said.
According to Thinh, the next day, two other men came and threateningly told Thinh to return the “true” USB, several hours before the gun incident occurred that afternoon.
Reported by Vu Phuong Thao – Thanh Nien – Translated by A.N.O.N
By the way, the Vietnamese for “motherfucker” is dich me [deek-may]. Just in case anyone was wondering.
It’s funny, I’ve been in and out of this country for close to three years and this was the first gun story I ever read. Then again, there was that story about the samurai sword wielding policeman who stabbed a parking attendant. Oddly enough, that also took place in Da Nang.
Filed under: Uncategorized
My friend Kate told me her friend saw someone decapitated in a traffic accident near the airport.
Ugh.
Filed under: Brangelina, US, celebs, expat, ho chi minh city (saigon), vietnam
A message to ‘Brangelina’:
Whilst in Vietnam, please refrain from riding your fancy-boy Nouvo scooter without a helmet. Sure, no one else is, but that doesn’t mean you have to be wreckless and stupid. Not to mention, wise or not, you are role models. Do to the Viets a favour and slap on a rice-cooker.
Sincerely,
Moi
Hollywood movie stars Brad Pitt (C) and his partner Angelina Jolie ride on a motorcycle on a busy street in downtown Ho Chi Minh city, 23 November 2006. The two are on a discrete stay in the Vietnamese Southern economic hub after a surprise visit to Cambodia where Angelina Jolie pledged to set up a new conservation project. Jolie and Pitt flew to Southeast Asian countries for the filming of “A Mighty Heart” in Mumbai, India. AFP PHOTO
OTTAWA – Anyone watching question period in the House of Commons today would be forgiven for thinking they’d tuned into fashion television.Prime Minister Stephen Harper and interim Liberal leader Bill Graham traded barbs over the recent Asia Pacific Summit and the best place to wear a silk gown.
It started by Graham kidding the prime minister about the blue gown he wore for a photo op in Vietnam, telling Harper he “looked spectacular.”
The prime minister shot back that wearing local garb is a tradition at the APEC summit and that unlike Graham, he was wears his “silk on the outside.”
Not to be outdone, Graham said he’s certain he has just as many embarassing pictures of himself as the ones of Harper in Hanoi.
The prime minister assured the Opposition leader that he’ll use his influence with the media to keep Graham’s pictures from being published.
Filed under: APEC, Hanoi, News and politics, US, bush, capitalism/socialism, empires, expat, vietnam
What you’ve all been waiting for… United States President George W Bush in a silk ao dai.
Picture pops! Re-jiggered and in proportion.
Howdy to Ao Dai
“The colourful, elongated tunics of Vietnam’s traditional dress, the
Ao Dai, are worn with much grace by Vietnamese women and men – and
extreme unease by the US president George Bush. Donning the costume
over his suit for the obligatory “family photograph” alongside 20
other leaders of Asian and Pacific nations, Mr Bush grimaced
repeatedly and shifted from foot to foot, a portrait of embarrassment
in turquoise blue brocade with yellow trim. It was obvious he couldn’t
wait to get it off and sure enough, moments after the official
photographs were taken, he strode away, ripped it off and folded it
up, according to reports. His fellow leaders showed more restraint and
waited until they were out of sight.”
Filed under: APEC, Canada, Hanoi, News and politics, US, bush, capitalism/socialism, empires, expat, ho chi minh city (saigon), media, politics, vietnam
Hello friends, I know it’s been a while. I haven’t posted anything in ages due to the fact I’ve been levelled by a flu.Our new Swiss intern at the magazine brought me a nice, long-lasting European flu strain that had me in bed for days. The worst part was the headache — like a jackerhammer in my head for hours. Ahhh, and shivering with cold in 35 degree heat. Nice!
No worries though; today I am on the mend and I plan to get him back somehow.
The sicktime has also given me a chance to catch up on my reading — I finished re-reading Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance and started Static by Amy & David Goodman. Static is good, so far, and A Fine Balance is one of my all-time favourites.
While browsing HuffPo today, I noticed this article from the New York Times:
Unlike Clinton, Bush Sees Hanoi in Bit of a Hurry
Hanoi, Sunday, Nov. 19 — President Bush likes speed golf and speed tourism — this is the man who did the treasures of Red Square in less than 20 minutes — but here in the lake-studded capital of a nation desperately eager to connect with America, he set a record.
On Saturday, Mr. Bush emerged from his hotel for only one nonofficial event, a 15-minute visit to the Joint P.O.W./M.I.A. Accounting Command, which searches for the remains of the 1,800 Americans still listed as missing in the Vietnam War.
There were almost no Vietnamese present, just a series of tables displaying photographs of the group’s painstaking work, and helmets, shoes and replicas of bones recovered by the 425 members of the command. He asked a few questions and then sped off in his motorcade. …
Waiting for One More Star
The Hadong Silk shop in this city’s Old Quarter is the first port of call for well-heeled visitors on the hunt for the tailor-made silkwares for which Vietnam has become famous. This weekend, with heads of state from 21 countries in town for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, a parade of dignitaries streamed in for fittings of made-to-order shirts, dresses and suits.
Laureen Harper, the wife of Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, showed up on Friday, made a few purchases and signed the guestbook for Dang Thi Thu Thuy, the petite, exquisitely dressed owner. Ditto for Australia’s first lady, Janette Howard.
But Mrs. Thuy was searching for more. “We really hope that Mrs. Bush will come into our store,” she says. “We are waiting for her, but she hasn’t come.”
The walls of Hadong Silk are lined with giant framed photos of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who came to the shop during Mr. Clinton’s visit in 2000. There is a photo of Mrs. Clinton towering over three saleswomen, another of her standing next to Mrs. Thuy, both clad in silk suits, and one upstairs of her, surrounded by Secret Service agents, perusing silk blouses.
Vu Thi Thu Huong, a saleswoman, said the shop was so excited after Mrs. Clinton left, having bought 10 raw silk shirts for her husband, that the distinctive square collar on their men’s silk shirts was renamed the “Bill Clinton Collar.”
So, will there be a “George Bush Collar”?
Mrs. Thuy shrugged. “I’m not sure,” she said. She gestured to her camera, and said, “If she comes we will take her picture, too.”
Mrs. Bush visited the Temple of Literature, a monument to the legacy of Confucius, and the Museum of Ethnology, which focuses on Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. With the spouses of other leaders, she saw water puppets. It is unclear whether she bought any silk.
Just more proof Bush doesn’t care about Vietnamese shopkeepers. At least though, the women folk got a chance to see the water puppet show. No matter what anyone says, that’s some good entertainment!
Scott, have any delegates stopped by Ipa-Nima? If so, who , and what did they buy?? Inquiring minds need to know.
Filed under: Dead Prez, Neil Young, lyrics, music, playlist, progressive, the coup
Masters Of War
Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks.
You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly.
One progressive’s playlist, music to inflame and inspire:
- The Coup. All albums, especially Party Music and Steal This Double Album. Boots Reilly and Pam tha Funkstress serve up fantastic beats and conscious, radical lyrics. This album isn’t for novices — they bring it real and don’t hold back.
- Michael Franti & Spearhead. My favourite album is Stay Human. This funky, jazzy combo delivers solid rythms amid insightful and positive lyrics. Franti is this generation’s Bob Marley, both in musical styles, love of marijuana, and political conviction. Great and underrated artist.
- Ani Difranco. Mid-career albums are the best. Ani may have a reputation of appealing to young angry lesbians, but believe, she’s more than that. She’s also a first-rate guitar player, singer and composer, and as collaborated widely with icons like Utah Philips.
- Pearl Jam. It’s all good. Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder in particular are innovators in rock and always have a message. Not afraid to speak out, Vedder was one of the earliest mainstream musicians to take on Bush. They do a great cover of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” (lyrics above).
- Immortal Technique. Revolutionary Vol.2. This rapper spent significant time in jail after he shot another man at a party. Instead of driving him deeper into a life of crime, Immortal Technique came out of prison with a catalogue of entertaining songs questioning the way things are and those in charge.
- Dead Prez. All albums. Not for the faint of heart, these guys are educated and angry. The songs take on issues like government wrong-doing, vegetarianism, the people’s movement, violence, and police brutality.
- Protest icons like Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Utah Philips, Neil Young.
Have I missed any?
Cover art for The Coup’s “Party Music” album, created prior to 9/11 and subsequently pulled before release.
Filed under: APEC, Death Penalty, Hanoi, News and politics, US, army, bush, empires, expat, free press, freedom, ho chi minh city (saigon), politics, vietnam
US citizens on trial in Vietnam
Vietnamese prosecutors have accused the group of terrorism
Three US citizens and four Vietnamese have gone on trial in Vietnam charged with terrorism. They are accused of attempting to set up illegal transmitters to make anti-communist radio broadcasts inside the country.
Correspondents says the case may complicate ties with the US ahead of President George W Bush’s visit next week and a Congressional vote on trade. The trial in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to last no more than a day.
All of the seven defendants are of Vietnamese origin, but three – Nguyen Thuong Cuc, also known as Cuc Foshee, Huynh Bich Lien and Le Van Binh – also have US citizenship.
Local press reports have linked them to a California-based anti-communist organisation called the Government of Free Vietnam. They are alleged to have brought transmitters and other equipment into Vietnam from neighbouring Cambodia.
They were hoping to take over local radio stations and broadcast anti-government radio messages, according to the BBC correspondent in Hanoi, Bill Hayton.
The case is being heard exactly a week before President Bush arrives in Vietnam to attend the annual Asia-Pacific summit (Apec). It may also complicate scheduled votes in the US Congress intended to permanently normalise trade relations between America and Vietnam, our correspondent says.
Senator Mel Martinez from Florida, the home state of one of the accused, has threatened to block the bill because of the case. That would be an embarrassment to both governments, which have heralded the bill as symbolising their new partnership.
If found guilty of terrorism, the accused could face sentences ranging from 12 years in jail to the death penalty. The Vietnamese government is currently trying to extradite a man it calls the leader of the plot, Nguyen Huu Chanh, from South Korea.
An earlier attempt failed. Mr Chanh was one of the founders of the Government of Free Vietnam.
———————-
Government of Free Viet Nam website (probably not accessible from within Viet Nam, but get the scoop here: Wiki article)
The Government of Free Vietnam is an anti-communist paramilitary and political organization that was established on April 30, 1995, by its founder Nguyen Hoang Dan. Its headquarters are in Garden Grove, California. The organization’s goal is to remove the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, either politically or militarily.
The Government of Free Vietnam claims 6,000 members and 100,000 supporters who were trained in secret camp locations along the Vietnamese/Cambodian border. They also claim 75 chapters in Asia, Australia, and Europe. Although the GFVN prides itself on its widespread support, many argue that the GFVN never received a true mandate to represent the Vietnamese diaspora.
They have a base of operations in KC-702, a secret base along the border between Vietnam and Cambodia.
