What does last weeks protest in Bangkok mean and demonstrate?

I am constantly confused into what I perceive as an acceptance of the current military dictatorship in Thailand. Thai civil society is strong, activists are plentiful, and senior academics receive much praise and acclaim. However there is little protest, public discussion and dissidence from these individuals towards the junta. Yes, people speak out and occasionally protest however on a very quiet and low key scale, in comparison to the dramatic changes the military government is making to Thailand. 

Last Friday, the 22nd of May, a number of students were arrested in Bangkok for peacefully protesting at the city’s Cultural and Arts Centre in Siam Square. Although the protests were low key and low in number, the Thai authorities arrested numerous students, and during the process of arresting them, many students received low level injuries at the hands of the authorities. There is no doubt that if the authorities ignored the small gathering of protesting students, little media attention would have been drawn to the issue, thus it is obvious that the junta lead government wanted to send the message that it will not support dissidence. 

Although the activities of Friday night were relatively small the reaction on social media was significant. Images of the students protesting and their injuries flooded all forms of social media in Thailand, as well as gaining international attention. It is obvious users of social media were disgusted and appalled by the unnecessary brutality of the authorities, posting photos of injuries that were not all that significant, in comparison to previous protests. The students were also put on a heroic pedestal, with academics, fellow students, activists and journalists all offering some form of praise for their actions. In a quick survey, 42 students I follow on Facebook posted on average 6 posts related to the protests. Perhaps this was the goal of the protesting students, who would have known that social media would have taken up their plight, highlighting issues surrounding last years coup and the military dictatorship that now grips Thailand. 

Or perhaps its was ‘protesting porn’, an adrenaline rush from those who are used to drama within Thailand and have gone without for some time. It may have also been the case that Thais used social media as a way of letting their followers know their allegiances, with more posts of the protests posted demonstrating a strong anti-coup attitude. Yesterday a senior academic told me that if he does not post or repost articles related to protests, some students and fellow academics quietly accuse him of being pro-coup or a conservative. 

Initially there was talk that students in other Thai cities might start to take inspiration from the protesting students in Bangkok (there was a small protest in Khon Kaen, in Northeast Thailand), however nothing eventuated. There was lots of talk and almost a sense of excitement for what occurred in Bangkok, however there is either a hidden fear of the government or a blasé attitude that has taken grip amongst activists and students. As quickly as social media took off reporting the protests, it also disappeared from social media a little over 48 hours later. It is obvious that mass protests are not going to happen anytime soon, however those who may not be willing to jump onto the streets and protest are hungry and eager to find reasons to attack the military lead government on social media. 

If students and activists have become blasé to the military lead government, Thailand is in for a long and painful period of military dictatorship. Activity on social media and chit-chat that occurs around the corridors of universities has no intention to venture out onto the streets. Perhaps deep down many activists and students have come to accept what is happening or are tired of what democracy produces in Thailand. Or perhaps they realise that democracy won’t work within Thailand in the short-team future whilst the old establishment still has its ‘dear leader’ to protect. Democracy would mean the return of the ‘Red Shirts’ or Red Shirt affiliated individuals to power and the old conservative establishment will not accept this, thus leading to more violence. It is notable that activists and students are turning their energies to other areas of concern such as the plight of the Rohingya or human trafficking, and starting to neglect politics more and more. No other country and its citizens would accept a military coup like that of the 2014 coup, however Thailand is incredibly complexed and maybe it is fair to say, Thais are waiting, activists are waiting, academics are waiting…waiting for the inevitable.

'Becoming', the newly created English magazine from the Centre for ASEAN Studies at Chiang Mai University.

'Becoming', the newly created English magazine from the Centre for ASEAN Studies at Chiang Mai University.

It was edited by myself and contains contributions from leading scholars and students from throughout ASEAN. Articles include significant issues that are affecting ASEAN, book reviews, political discussions, and development project assessments.  

http://issuu.com/cas-cmu/docs/becoming_03_imagining_asean

Nepal in pictures.

Numerous governments sent in their military with aid supplies.  

A house in Thamel that has completely collapsed 

People live in tents in front of a collapsed Dunbar Square 

The pride and joy of Kathmandu, Dunbar Square, all but gone

Local youth sing positive songs in front of collapsed buildings 

A poorly built apartment building collapsed in Thamel

A hall within a local school, built in the 19th Century, completely collapsed 

Large cracks appear in poorly built homes

Cracks appear on a newly constructed house

Cracks and damage make some houses incredibly unsafe 

This water tower is severely damaged, making it very unsafe

Dawa's house is all but gone. Cracks and damage to his home, his pride and joy, make it incredibly dangerous to live in. Dawa saved for over 20 years to build his home. Completely damaged in less than a minute

Local villegers are fearful there will be more earthquakes

Local youth organisations attempt to educate villagers on earthquakes and how they slowly decrease in severity. There is widespread fear a larger quake will occur 

Landslides make rural roads hard to manage. We almost lost our supply bus

Landslides make it too dangerous to stay in some villages

Getting ready to visit a remote community where there is a significant amount of destruction. 6 hours later we arrive

Handing out tents and supplies to a village that suffered a lot of damage 

The military make sure the handing out of supplies does not create riots or panic

Locals are very appreciative of the rice local organisations are handing out

Nepal, Completely Confusing - Inefficient Government, Efficient Civil Society.

Chaos is endemic in Nepal, both before and after the recent disaster. Although the earthquake caused wide spread physical and physiological chaos throughout the country, chaos has its roots in both the inefficiency of the government and narcism that's endemic throughout the bureaucracy.

I and many others have so many questions for why certain things occurred in the aftermath of the earthquake. One of those pressing questions is; Why are/were people stranded in Nepal? Governments such as Australia and Canada constantly stated they had citizens stranded in Kathmandu. Six days after the earthquake the Australian government and other foreign governments sent in military aircraft to ‘rescue’ stranded Australians. Such governments constantly stated that they had citizens who were ‘stranded in Kathmandu’. However, why? Why were they stranded? Commercial flights were readily available, the airport was open, flight prices were inexpensive for those who wanted to leave Kathmandu. 5 days after the quake a friend of mine purchased a one way ticket from Kathmandu to Bangkok for $190USD. Another friend of mine purchased a ticket to Kuala Lumpur for $290 USD. At the same time the Australian government was ‘evacuating people’. Why did they need ‘evacuation’?. Yes, there were problems in Kathmandu however by no means was it devastated or dangerous. People could have booked their own flights and left the city. Is this a case of countries using disaster to strengthen their own political positions in their own countries?

Back to the issue of government - Hotel staff, taxi drivers, waiters, and individuals on the street all constantly reiterated how unprepared, corrupt and inefficient that Nepalese government was, both pre and post earthquake. They say it with a sense of sadness, the feeling of having been let down and cheated. They speak in a manner that demonstrates the almost ‘non-existent’ nature of the Nepalese government, or that the government they do have is nothing more than a corrupt guardianship or body. The Nepalese take pride in their country’s natural and historical beauty and traditions and monuments, however, there is a shared ‘embarrassment’ of their government. Last weeks earthquake has reiterated and demonstrated how inefficient and out of touch the Nepalese government is. There was absolutely no preparation or contingency planned for the inevitable earthquake, and Nepal’s already decrepit infrastructure has made recovery near impossible. Last week government ministers had a televised meeting where they sat around a boardroom table at the Hyatt Hotel in Kathmandu smiling and talking rather causally about how they can respond to the disaster. It looked staged and completely out of touch with reality. 

The Nepalese government is also getting nervous. It is obvious it is their desire to intentionally or unintentionally make ‘corruption’ part of the disaster, however with so many foreigners on the ground and with the Nepalese civil society strengthened due to the devastating earthquake, this is complicated and unchartered territory for the Nepalese government. In a similar way the Malaysian Government was embarrassed by their haphazard approach to the missing Malaysian airliner, the Nepalese government has been thrown into the spotlight, with accountability in question. 

Three weeks ago the Nepalese cabinet announced all foreign search-and-rescue teams must leave the country seven days after their arrival, thus international teams were forced to leave. This was incredibly problematic and concerning as there was still a large search and rescue need in remote villages, and the Nepalese authorities were not equipped to handle the devastation responsibly. A local contact I have in Kathmandu told me this will result in 1000’s of bodies not being recovered and potentially individuals not being rescued. 

There is a complete lack of understanding by international governments and organisations in how self-serving, illegitimate and corrupt the Nepalese government and bureaucracy is. The ADB, AIIB, departments within the UN, and numerous foreign governments, including Australia, UK, U.S, Germany, Thailand, Singapore, and France, are all donating directly or indirectly to the ‘Prime Ministers Earthquake Relief Fund’, set up by the Nepalese government. Everyone that has any understanding of the Nepalese government continually tell me that the Nepalese people will not see one cent of this money, and it will primarily go to officials or those connected to officials in someway. This is going to make the rebuilding of Nepal incredibly slow and problematic, with endemic poverty growing in strength.   

The level of faith the Nepalese have in their government is significantly concerning. A close friend of mine and a local tour operator explained to me that most Nepalese would rather not go to hospital than go to a government run hospital. Another lady I met who works in a respected profession stated that there is no point sending children to school if they are going to go to government schools. Both points clearly demonstrate the complete lack of respect, faith and confidence in anything related to government. 

It is also important to single out the Nepalese people from that of the Nepalese government. Too many media reports have been painting a very incorrect picture of Nepal, as they criticise the whole country or they lump every Nepalese into the same category. This is not the case, again, with the vast majority of Nepalese highly critical of their ‘so-called’ government. The service the Nepalese civil society has provide its fellow citizens deserves much praise. And, they too are incredibly critical of Government relief efforts. Youth lead organisations, local clubs, university groups and youth associations have attracted tens of thousands of individuals who are desperate to assist with the relief process. From what I witnessed and heard, these civil society groups and organisations are well organised, strategic, increasingly well-equipped, and passionate. The majority of the time they deliberately bypass government agencies and institutions and have much more efficient results. They have elaborate plans, maps and reasonably good organisation to organisation communication platforms. In what takes government 2-3 days to plan, takes youth lead organisations a few hours to plan and undertake. I have worked within civil society in numerous Asian countries and I have never seen such passion, team-work and efficiency. The earthquake has drawn light on the disastrous government, yet highlighted the importance and strength of civil society and youth lead organisations. There is no doubt, the Nepalese absolutely love their country, a country of beautiful people and outstanding nature. 

China comes out on top in Nepal

In continuation of a previous post, titled ‘Geopolitics and the Nepal Earthquake’, as argued, geopolitics in the region is significantly changing. The last few days have seen numerous campaigns criticising the Indian media and government in how they are reporting the earthquake and the deliverance of their aid supplies. This criticism is widespread on the streets of Kathmandu and people who would have normally been fond of India have now utter disrespect and disgust in their southern neighbour. Numerous individuals have told me that China provides aid and humanitarian assistance in an effective and coordinated way, helping the people of Nepal, whilst India helps Nepal only for India’s benefit and for its government to become more popular at home. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to state India is no longer welcome in Nepal at a general population level.

It is obvious that China is more effective and controlled in its response. Indian troops seem chaotic and confused, Chinese troops seem mission focused and well coordinated. This is something India is going to have to rethink in how it responds to future disasters throughout the region. By acting in such a manner India is giving China the upper-hand in gaining significant support in Nepal and throughout the region. As previous stated, this will have vast consequences for the region as Nepal turns to China for aid and assistance. Trust for China within Nepal is rapidly increasing. This will now give China another border with India, something India has feared for a long time. It is also going to make it significantly harder for Nepal's large Tibetan population. 


Below is a meme that is being posted around Facebook and stuck on walls around Kathmandu. 

Kathmandu - disturbing yet confusing.

As I walk into boarding gate C3 at Bangkok Airport for my Thai Airways flight to Kathmandu, things are very different compared to my previous flights to Nepal. The gate is almost entirely full of humanitarian and relief workers. Some in full rescue uniform, such as a large contingency of Philippine search and rescue officers, and a few members from Norwegian Church Aid. Passengers carry tents, sleeping backs, bottles of water, medical equipment, and food. Nepalese passengers sit anxiously waiting to board, come carrying blankets and bags of personal hygiene products. The mood clearly demonstrates I am not going into a ‘trekker and hippy paradise', which was Nepal before last Saturday’s earthquake, but that of a disaster, a place in dire need, still in recovery mode.  

The flight is quiet. Upon approach into Nepalese airspace the captain announces we will be circling for an unknown period of time due to over capacity at Nepal’s only international airport, the single runway, Tribhuvan Airport. One hour later we land and one is instantly reminded of the peril of landing at Kathmandu Airport, with a Turkish Airlines A330-300, the one that chaotically slid off the runway in March, closing the airport and significantly affecting the whole country, parked to the side. Cargo and military aircraft are in abundance, including the Indian, Chinese, Algerian, Nigerian, Singaporean, Malaysian, and Pakistani Airforces’, and large Russian made UN registered  aircraft that look as if they should have been retired in the 1980’s. The decrepit airport is a hive of activity, clearly demonstrating something large scale is occurring. Singaporean and Algerian troops who are resting in the shade on the side of the runway take photos of our taxiing aircraft, and UN and WFP staff assess large crates of recently delivered aid. In fact there is so much aid sitting in crates on the tarmac that it would take days to clear and deliver to those in need. Makes one think of the problematic nature of large International Organisations handing over an enormous amount of foreign aid to an ill-equipped country like Nepal, and the unfortunate custom restraints the government is placing on aid. Aid organisations around the world continue to donate food and materials, when it is readily available in Nepal, clogging up the airport and potentially wasting generous donations. Aid organisations need to rethink how they are dealing with the situation, and start to think longterm. There is so much need in Nepal but the country does not need the likes of tinned fish, mayonnaise, Coke, and gum (the list goes on) - all sitting on the tarmac, donated by organisations and governments. 

The view from the window of the taxi is both disturbing and confusing. Confusing in the sense that Kathmandu is by no means a complete disaster zone. The vast majority of buildings and houses, although poorly built, are still visibly ok. I think of the ABC news headline ‘Kathmandu - complete devastation’ and the CNN headline, ‘Kathmandu, utter destruction’ and wonder if the journalists were linking ‘pre-quake Kathmandu’, a city of mess, chaos, and underdevelopment, to Kathmandu now. Had they travelled to Kathmandu pre-earthquake, would they have chosen a similar headline? Or are they just using exaggeration to prove a point? A good Nepalese friend of mine states “…see Mat, Kathmandu is nothing like your foreign media portrayed it to be, right”. He is right. One CNN reporter commented on how there is now rubbish clogging the city streets, however to anyone who knows Kathmandu, this is a normality. One has to know Kathmandu before the earthquake to understand the extent of the damage. It has not been physically all consuming and Kathmandu does not lie in complete devastation. The devastation is with the loss of life, the hinderance to the economy and within the hearts and minds of the people. The earthquake has drawn attention to the state of poverty Nepal is in and to what extent Nepal needs assistance. 

Let’s not play down the effect of the earthquake though. The city is not in a complete state of devastation however destruction and pain is obvious. Tents fill up city parks, donated from numerous charities and countries, and people walk around with a sense of sadness and fear. Everywhere there are fences that have completely collapsed, randomly and indiscriminately houses have cracked and collapsed, and roads are significantly damaged. World heritage sites around Kathmandu are in complete ruin. Dunbar square is all but gone, well past a point of repair, the 19th Century Dharahara tower fully collapsed, killing over 50 people, and temples and stupa’s are now piles of rubble. 

In Thamel, the old tourist area of Kathmandu, where roads are narrow and buildings are poorly constructed, the streets are littered with rubble, with many buildings cracked or now leaning to one side. Occasionally a large building has crashed to the ground, obviously killing all those inside, and creating a scene where locals and foreigners alike stand and stare into the sadness. The normally busy area is quiet, with the vast majority of tourist businesses closed, as people are either too scared to reenter their premises or they have returned to their villages. It is clear this will be the second state of the ‘earthquake effect’, a loss of business and tourism. 

To state Kathmandu is ‘completely devastated and destroyed’ is dangerous as it sends mixed messages to aid organisations and foreign governments. Regional areas are completely devastated and they will need all the help they can get. However ‘complete devastation’ like that seen in Haiti after their earthquake, is not what Nepal, especially Kathmandu, should be compared to. Basic supplies are not really needed, as the country is now overflowing with basic medical supplies, food and tents. Actual financial assistance would be of much more use, so people can purchase the actual supplies they need, including paying for repairs and engineering fees. Today I purchased numerous tents for a friend's village, easily finding them for sale here in Kathmandu. What is needed is long term support. Support in rebuilding, strengthening and redesigning infrastructure. Assistance in strengthening and supporting the tourism industry (which is all but devastated). Providing practical assistance to remote areas and villages. Assisting the government to actually become that of a government. And again financial support to locals who will find it incredibly hard to sustain an income during the rebuilding process. Nepal needs help, but in a very different way to what is being suggested in the foreign press and by international organisations. It is a chaotic mess that will now need long term assistance, not emergency relief aid.

Geopolitics and the Nepal earthquake.

Last Saturday’s earthquake centred just outside of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, has caused devastation, grief and chaos to the already poverty stricken country. Hundreds of aftershocks continue to plague Nepal, creating large tent cities all throughout Kathmandu and Nepal’s regional areas. With little or no governmental regulation and control over the movement and pricing of goods, prices are starting to rapidly fluctuate. Yesterday there was a large scale protest in front of Nepal’s parliament asking for the resignation of Nepal’s Home Affairs Minister. The Maoist political parties are now gaining support, as they criticise the government for not being appropriately self-sufficient and having to rely on foreign assistance. An abundance of foreign aid donors, including militaries, NGO’s and governments are struggling to get appropriate supplies into Kathmandu airport as the single runway airport is clogged with passengers, unnecessary aid and humanitarian aircraft. Nepal is a mess, and it is only going to get worse for the beautiful landlocked country. 

Although Nepal’s geographical location is a blessing, bringing in millions of foreign tourists, and being a sense of pride and joy for the Nepalese, its geographical position also creates numerous complications for Nepal, making the recovery and rebuilding process potentially complicated and dangerous. Poverty within Nepal has been conveniently facilitated due to Nepal’s geographical location, a buffer state between two rival superpowers, India and China. 

Traditionally Nepal and her people have had more in common and more links with its southern neighbour, India. Religiously, culturally, economically and customarily Nepal resembles that of India. However in more recent years China has stated to make a significant impact within the small country. Chinese investment has been gradually increasing, ties between politicians in Nepal and China have been growing closer, and more and more Chinese products are filling Nepal’s shops. Previously it was India who was welcomed in Nepal, however now Chinese investment and infrastructure is welcomed above that of Indian investment and infrastructure, due to Chinese efficiency and lack of red-tape.

A poor Nepal has suited everyone; India, because a poor Nepal gives India more dominance over economics, goods and politics; and China, because a poor neighbour next to Tibet is better than a strong and prosperous state that has a voice. The decades old insurgency the Nepalese state has had with the Maoist Rebels, can be seen as a India/China proxy war. With China supporting the Maoists and India supporting anti-communist nationalistic political parties, closely aligned to Indian political parties such as the BJP. Arguably Nepal, even if it wanted to, would not be ‘allowed’ to become prosperous, due to large Indian cooperations instantly purchasing small Nepalese businesses as soon as they have market share. Deliberately pushing up prices to maximise profit. India has also deliberately assisted Nepal with its large Tibetan population, deliberately annoying China. As China gains strength in Nepal it has been urging the Nepalese government to have stricter controls over Tibetan populations, restricting their movements, and allowing Chinese agencies to spy on their activities. 

Over the course of the last few decades India has seen Nepal as a ‘poor and underprivileged sibling’, making mockery and degrading comments in relation to Nepal and the Nepalese. It is seen as a country that desperately needs India, too uneducated and improvised to do anything on its own. China speaks up Nepal, telling Nepal of her potential, and what the small country could become. 

Both India and China desire dominance in Nepal due to its strategic location. Who ever ‘wins’ majority control of Nepal will have a regional upper hand and it will benefit them economically, militarily and strategically. Small, fragile and picturesque Nepal is the victim of the rise of the two aggressively expanding, economic superpowers. This ‘competition’ is also seen within Sri Lanka where India and China battle for dominance. 

As a result of last weeks earthquake the ‘India/China’ battle has been intensified, also now bringing in the players, such as Pakistan, Thailand and the United States. The Nepalese government has had significant problems dealing with such a complicated variety of states in the humanitarian relief mission. Due to Chinese pressure the Nepalese government even dismissed a request by Taiwan to send in humanitarian relief and search and rescue teams. 

India was the first country to offer assistance, with the Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi promising to “…wipe the tears from Nepal”. Indian media institutions constantly reported how much Nepal needed India and how India was everything to Nepal. Numerous institutions even explained that Nepal has no ability to make appropriate decisions, thus Indian officials are needed there to manage the relief program. The Nepalese government welcomed Indian aid, and the Indian government was very quick in letting the world know what India was doing. Prime Minister Modi continually stated all that India was doing and how good a global citizen India was. It was his attempt to reach out to the Nepalese people and the government demonstrating India’s dedication to the strategic country. 

However soon after India’s initial announcement the Chinese government announced that it will send in an enormous amount of supplies and professionals to assist in the humanitarian relief mission. The Chinese President stated, “The Chinese side is willing to offer all necessary disaster assistance to the Nepalese side”. Chinese media institutions clearly attempted to demonstrate the professionalism of the Chinese officials whilst intentionally drawing light on the chaotic methods the Indian government may use. China also made it aware that it was working with the Pakistanis in Nepal, and Pakistan sent over a large humanitarian assistance team. 

Both the Indian and Chinese governments used and are using the earthquake to demonstrate their ability to deliver co-ordinated humanitarian relief missions and their ‘passion’ for the Nepalese people, whilst demonstrating to domestic audiences how good a global citizen they are. Thailand has also used this occasion for the ‘legitimacy lacking military lead government’ to gain credibility in the eyes of its population. Emphasising over and over again how much aid it is sending to Nepal, what its troops will be doing, and how important Nepal is to Thailand. Numerous pictures show the Prime Minister in strategically set up photos with the military, just before they were deployed to Nepal. 

When the recovery stage turns into the rebuilding stage, both India and China will battle over who can supply more to the badly damaged and impoverished nation. Most likely, through its economic might, China will come out on top. There seems to be a ‘turning tide’ in attitudes within Nepal towards China, evident before the earthquake. This will mean China could soon have another ‘unofficial’ border with India. How this will affect day to day life in Nepal is unknown, however it could potentially assist Nepal in becoming more prosperous and assist in the much needed rebuilding process. The recent tragedy could also significantly change Nepal, create more tensions in the China/India relationship, thus creating more domestic disturbances.