Fears for Thailand's south

26 October 2004

The Thaksin government has continued to take the hardest possible line with alleged bandits, drug runners, separatists and militants in the predominantly Muslim southern Thailand.

We should all be appalled that at least 80 people died an shocking death suffocated in army trucks taking 1,300 protesters to an internment camp, also known as military barracks. The lack of basic respect for human life is alarming.

The first image that came to my mind was of the Germans hoarding the Jewish people onto cattle cart trains in the second world war. In Thailand's heat a long delay and a five hour road trip in overcrowded trucks must have been hell.

The Thai Prime Minster's viewpoint was startling. Referring to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is now under way, he said: "This is typical. It's about bodies made weak from fasting. Nobody hurt them." Surely that is then all the more reason for more humane treatment. After all these people had committed no offence; they had participated in a demonstration, no more, no less.

Press and TV reporters were barred from the area and did not witness the loading of detainees into the trucks. Prisoners were earlier seen lying in rows on the ground, stripped of their shirts, with their hands tied behind their backs. These pictures are carried in Bangkok's media.

The latest trouble started when a crowd estimated at up to 2,000 took to the streets in Narathiwat Province. Their demand was the release from police detention of six men arrested on suspicion of selling weapons to Muslim fighters.

Most of Thailand's Muslims, who make up about 10 percent of its largely Buddhist population of 63 million, live in the southern region, which for years has felt neglected by the central government.

The region was in earlier centuries the Pattani Sultanate, a center of Muslim culture. It was annexed by Thailand in 1902, but there have been only periodic efforts to integrate it into the cultural and economic mainstream of the country. Bangkok and the rest of Thailand feel very remote from this troubled area however anger and revenge add to the potential for further unrest.

The threat to Thailand is that this anger will be brought to the nation's capital. The situation is southern Thailand requires extraordinary sensitivity else it will escalate.

Arsenal pay the penalty at Manchester United

24 October 2004

I am not a great fan of either Manchester United or Arsenal. Arsenal have always been a team with a chip on their shoulder; that has changed over the last year but they can feel more than a little aggrieved over events at Old Trafford today.

Mike Reilly, today's referee, has given Man U eight penalties in his last eight matches refereed at Old Trafford.

Rooney dived; there was minimal if any contact as Campbell was withdrawing his leg. Poor decision.

Van Nistelroy should not have been on the pitch after a truly shocking premeditated challenge on Ashley Cole in the first half. The linesman was feet away and saw nothing. I refuse to call these hopeless officials referee's assistants until they step up and behave like a true aide to the match official. The FA should have a look at the TV pictures of that tackle. Even Andy Gray winced in the commentary box.

Rio Ferdinand's challenge on Lundberg looked like a red card; he was the last defender and he was beaten for pace. But no card or penalty. The sort of decision that can often go against the home team.

So Arsenal are no longer invincible; beaten after a 49 match unbeaten run.

And to be honest Arsenal offered very little and made few opportunities. Roy Carroll made perhaps one save. Rio Ferdinand looked a class defender (other than one bad mistake in the first half).

What was really depressing was watching the crowd, who pay some gbp40 a ticket, hurling foul abuse at the Arsenal players. I guess it happens everywhere in England but it is ugly to watch.

Ethiopia: Twenty Years on

24 October 2004

I am sitting alone at home watching Michael Buerk's epic documentary on BBC World. He returns to Ethiopia to see what has happened in the twenty years since his reports highlighted the devastating famine there. Reports that led to Band Aid, Live Aid and Sport Aid.

I cannot help the tears in my eyes while I watch this. It is a strange day already. My family has gone home to London and Hong Kong. I am sad. And now I am angry; I feel helpless. Writing this down may help a little.

In Ethiopia 6 million people a years are still kept alive by food relief.

Beijing notes

22 October 2004

There are many fine sights in Beijing and in so many ways it is now a first class city. But there are a number of things that are very hard to see in Beijing; largely due to officialdom

Try finding a petrol station in the city. There are none. The law requires petrol stations to be outside the city.

Motorcycle permits stopped being issued some six years ago. Motor cycles are rare; and Beijing has jumped straight from push bikes to the motor car.

The one child policy means that you will see few if any pregnant women. While this rule is less rigorously enforced in the country it is still a requirement in the cities and families still want sons rather than daughters. The imbalance will be a significant social issue for China's next generation.

Where are all the dogs? There are not even strays to be seen. Dog ownership in Beijing is accompanied by a significant tax. One advantage - the streets are cleaner.

Sadly last years SARS out break has not stopped the Chinese art of expectoration. And at this time of year as winter and cold set in it become increasingly common. Spitting is still a fact of street life. Mainly practised by men it involves a decent inhale of phlegm and snot and then expelling the contents of your mouth towards the ground. Indeed it is so common that it is time to think about introducing a number of new Olympic sports before 2008. The High and Long Spits (The spittal equivalent of the High and Long Jumps); the Triple Spit or the Hop, Skip and Spit; my personal favourite - Synchronised Spitting; The Dressage Spit as part of a Three Day spit event; Target Spit - sort of like archery; and finally, Spitball (best not to think about that one). Mark Spitz did win a record number of gold medals in the pool. Now we have events that he would surely come out of retirement for.

Seriously, this needs a significant public awareness and health campaign. Beijing will then be a first class city.  

Underfed or underpaid

19 October 2004

My apartment building has a restaurant on the second floor. Not many people seem to know this as it is almost always empty. The bright lights and an ambience reminiscent of a hospital lobby do not help.

However they do a good room service business for those (most) of us who cannot be bothered to cook. The weekly specials are advertised in the elevator.

Last week's specials are pictured here.

This week they are advertising "Vegetarian in Hot Pot". Quite right to; boil the greenies in the pot !!!

China's world cup woes

16 October 2004

It would be a bad day if China fails to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. But they may be about to fall at the first hurdle. On November 17 China play Hong Kong and Kuwait play Malaysia. China and Kuwait both have 12 points; Kuwait has a better goal difference, by two. Malaysia have been beaten in every match that they have played. Only the winning team in this group moves into the next round.

There are already calls from China for Hong Kong to throw the match for the good of the motherland.

Chinese interest in the world cup is critical to the growth of the sport in China and of course is a wonderful marketing money-spinner.

What is clear is that middle eastern football continues to advance and is leaving Asia behind.

Air Farce One

16 October 2004

There has been much hue and cry about the Thai Prime Minister's new baby airbus; nicknamed the 'stealth jet' and 'air force one' the A319 was arrived in Thailand in August and made its first government flight this week to Phuket.

Meanwhile Thai Airways was awarded airline of the year at the 15th TTG Travel Awards in Bangkok on Tuesday. I guess the government is as unconvinced by this award as I am.

I really do not mind an elected government using a private plane for travel. The PM is expected to use his jet to fly to the APEC meeting in Chile; although that is an awfully long way to go on a baby airbus. What has made Air Force One such a long running secrecy is the lack of debate in government and the apparent secrecy in which the purchase was made. 

Afghan Democracy - a success story

14 October 2004

The media seem to have been able to find little at fault with the recent elections in Afghanistan. Indeed the only problem appears to have been that the election organisers need to find a more reliable source of indelible ink.

The real story, little reported, is that the men and women of Afghanistan are proud voters. They enjoyed the privilege of choosing their own leader.

The media gleefully predicted that the remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida would disrupt the elections. That never happened. The election may not have been perfect, but international monitors pronounced it fair. So democracy has come to Afghanistan.  Maybe the west has actually made real tangible progress.

And just maybe that sets out a path for other countries in the middle east. Strangely - in all the presidential debates there has been much antagonism over Iraq. There has been little said and little praise for this huge and welcome leap forward in Afghanistan.