More Rohingya survivors tell of Thai abuse

ugh. I haven’t been covering this story, so for background and details, I recommend checking New Mandala. In the meantime, this is a very upsetting video.

more about “More Rohingya survivors tell of Thai …“, posted with vodpod

The Buddha’s Father was cremated

I’m writing the ethnographic description chapter of my dissertation on Cambodian funerals, and was looking for images of the cremation of Suddhodana, Siddhartha Gotama’s father.

In Cambodia, the Buddha is often shown lighting the cremation fire, an image which occasionally causes some controversy, since it is understood that Buddhist monks are not to light fires, especially those for cooking (note the correlation between cremation fires and cooking fires).

And I found this lovely image from a Burmese mural of the Buddha presiding over Suddhodana’s funeral (but not explicitly lighting it.)

via Buddhist eLibrary :: – The Buddha’s Father was cremated

Link Dump N13

Lots of unrelated subjects today:

A few stories running around of late about Cambodian soldiers using traditional yantra written on cloth as protection against bullets. Lots of these are written with a slightly hidden sneer, which is unfortunate. Still, yantra are cool.

Where Elephants Weep, a rock opera written by amazing Khmer composer (and nice guy) Him Sophy (who I had an opportunity to interview about Smout once) and Catherine Filloux, begins performances soon. I wish I was around for it. Mongkol has some highlights, along with a video, on his page.

Beyond Cambodia’s borders, which are under discussion again, finally, there is nasty news coming out of Burma’s courts. Awzar Thi of Rule of Lords writes that

It has been a frantic week in Burma’s closed courts. At least 60 people have in the past few days been sentenced for their roles in last year’s mass protests, including high-profile activists, monks, a blogger and a poet.

The blogger is Nay Phone Latt, who was sentenced to over 20 years in prison for posting a cartoon critical of Burma’s generals.

That’s a lot worse than what the RNC 8 are facing here (7.5 years) in Minnesota, but the principle is the same: none of the RNC 8, nor Nay Phone Latt, are accused of doing much more than using the internet and communicating with people who are opposed to current government practices and policies in their respective families. Article in local City Pages newspaper.

Two good articles on Indigenism from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (“Stop Saying This is a Nation of Immigrants!“) and Ward Churchill (Interview on Indigenism, Anarchism, and the State). The former from Dunbar-Ortiz’ own website, the latter from Upping The Anti. Both via Indigenous Solidarity: An (Un)Settler’s Place.

A group of workers at another Starbucks here in the Twin Cities has declared their affiliation with the Industrial Workers of the World’s Starbucks Workers Union. Press conference today at 11 AM. Congratulations, Fellow Workers.

Oh yeah – remember Hok Lundy’s death? (That post has started receiving more hits on a daily basis than the post which is far and away my most popular post – strangely, about Clint Eastwood. I only recently figured out the reason for this). Hun Sen’s niece’s husband Neth Savoeun has been selected as his replacement. Keep it in the family, folks.

Ass-Headed (Buddhist) Demons

A great photo of a glazed ceramic tile from 15th century Burma, in the British Museum’s collection, along with a very nice description of these gents, and their place in the story of the Buddha’s enlightenment.

But the reason I looked into it? The hilarious title on a posting of it over at Texas Liberal, called “Ass-headed Demons. Do You Have Them In Your Life?“

Yes I do, TL, yes I do.

Link Dump for N09

Rice Production is up. Along with the promise of an international-standard mill for Cambodia, this could be good news. Let’s not get too enthusiastic yet, huh? [via PPP]. We’re talking seven million tons.

Life on Burma’s border with Thailand f**king sucks. While not a surprise, the numbers and actual assessment are pretty disheartening. Via Rule of Lords.

Over half-a-million people in eastern Burma are living in temporary dwellings, forced out of their villages as a result of fighting, insecurity and the whims of local army commanders. Around 100,000 are hiding in jungles, valleys and hills.

That is the latest assessment of the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, which brings international and local donors together in a common effort to support and work with people in some of the most militarized areas of Burma.

Alison in Cambodia has some truly fantastic pictures of the 55th National Independence Parade, with floats from all the ministries. The Ministry of Cults and Religion had two floats with real (?) monks!

Links for today

The condemnations keep rolling in, regarding the murder of Khim Sambo and his son. They should, and there should be more than just words. The murderers – and more importantly, the man or men who ordered them to do it, and paid for it to be done – need to be found, exposed, tried, and convicted. Justly. If not, DAS’ prescription needs to be followed. Enough.

Speaking of enough, we just had a parliamentarian, Ngor Srun, a member of the power elite’s extended family network, suffered a brutal acid attack. Acid attacks are common in Cambodia, since the weapon of choice is cheap, and the effects devastating. See the Shake book here on a fictional acid attack – extremely moving.

Burma’s getting hit by another round of catastrophe – floods in the still-ravaged lowlands. Good thing Than Shwe’s holed up in the North, huh?

And, Steven Shaviro has posted his discussion of Deleuze and Guattari’s Third (Conjuctive) Synthesis over at his blog, The Pinocchio Theory. (I linked to his discussion of the first two, here). I’ve always had a difficult time understanding Deleuze’s emphasis on the aesthetic. I get it better now. Thanks, Steven.

Details Are Sketchy also has a note on the report of the supposed weakening of the Garment Sector in Cambodia.

Weekend Links

Because I need to start tomorrow morning with no distractions – here’s the stuff that’s been occupying cramped headspace this weekend:

* DAS has done the best job of commenting on the latest round of press killings in Cambodia. I’m not sure why these don’t get more press than they do – perhaps no press killings get much press? Perhaps it’s because the Cambodian press is not more respected? Perhaps it’s just third-world racism? Or perhaps it’s just because there’s no way you could ever give sufficient attention to this sort of murder – the kind where they not only shoot the target, but then murder the man’s son as he comes to give aid to his dying father. Khem (Khim) Sambo and his son Khat Sarinpheata were cremated today.
* Not sure yet what to think about the recent set of news reports on the slowdown (or feared slowdown) in Cambodia garment factories. These stories have a cycle, tied to the renewal of quotas and trade agreements, but there’s always a lot of genuine fear and worry. This one’s pretty heartrending.
* Some jackass thought it would be a good idea to use the final line of a Khmer proverb for the title of his dissertation. Nicholas Farrelly over at New Mandala quoted it. Nice of him. But isn’t using the last line kind of like titling your dissertation “There once was a man from Nantucket”? (I know, that’s the first line – but you really expect me to put the last line in a blog post?
* Also over at New Mandala – a good post (actually, a couple) on the supposed exceptionalism regarding takes on the Burmese Junta. Nope, they probably aren’t any more thuggish or ignorant than other regimes. Maybe just worse at PR? (see also, Charles Tilly, Warmaking and Statemaking as Organized Crime)
* And yet another example of the end of civilization. Oprah reaction shots.

Weekend links with little comment

Because I need to start tomorrow morning with no distractions – here’s the stuff that’s been occupying cramped headspace this weekend:

• DAS has done the best job of commenting on the latest round of press killings in Cambodia. I’m not sure why these don’t get more press than they do – perhaps no press killings get much press? Perhaps it’s because the Cambodian press is not more respected? Perhaps it’s just third-world racism? Or perhaps it’s just because there’s no way you could ever give sufficient attention to this sort of murder – the kind where they not only shoot the target, but then murder the man’s son as he comes to give aid to his dying father. Khem (Khim) Sambo and his son Khat Sarinpheata were cremated today.
• Not sure yet what to think about the recent set of news reports on the slowdown (or feared slowdown) in Cambodia garment factories. These stories have a cycle, tied to the renewal of quotas and trade agreements, but there’s always a lot of genuine fear and worry. This one’s pretty heartrending.
• Some jackass thought it would be a good idea to use the final line of a Khmer proverb for the title of his dissertation. Nicholas Farrelly over at New Mandala quoted it. Nice of him. But isn’t using the last line kind of like titling your dissertation “There once was a man from Nantucket”? (I know, that’s the first line – but you really expect me to put the last line in a blog post?
• Also over at New Mandala – a good post (actually, a couple) on the supposed exceptionalism regarding takes on the Burmese Junta. Nope, they probably aren’t any more thuggish or ignorant than other regimes. Maybe just worse at PR? (see also, Charles Tilly, Warmaking and Statemaking as Organized Crime)
• And yet another example of the end of civilization. Oprah reaction shots.

Read This – “Let Us Not Praise Coups”

In addition to Andrew Walker’s inventory of some of the surprising accomplishments of the Thai state in achieving its Millenium Development Goals, this post by wonderful journalist Awzar Thi (a pseudonym), over at his blog, Rule of Lords is today’s must-read.

Responding to Paul Collier’s half-baked, militarist suggestion that what countries in crisis (specifically, Zimbabwe) should hope for are military coups, Awzar Thi runs down the actual history of coups, and shows how awful they are for those over which they rule, no matter the high hopes of the populace (and international imperialists), nor the horrendous state of affairs prior to the coup. He concludes

Let us not praise coups, and let us certainly not wish them upon people who are already acutely suffering their iniquities. They are not a way out of trouble but a way into more of it. No better advertisement of this exists than Burma today.

Please, go read it.

Internet Links for Today – Sakhorn, Burma, HTS, and Hitchens

Tim Sakhorn, the Khmer Buddhist Monk who had been detained, defrocked, and illegally transported across the Vietnamese-Cambodian border and then imprisoned for his activism on behalf of the cause of Khmer Krom (ethnic Khmer in Southern Vietnam) has apparently been released from prison as of June 28th, but as Human Rights Watch notes, no one seems to no where he is. This causes some concern.

“While his release from prison is welcome, as a peaceful activist and human rights defender, Tim Sakhorn should never have been imprisoned in the first place,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Sakhorn should now be able to go where he wants, when he wants, but it is not clear that he is able to do so.” [hrw]

There’s a new passle of stories coming out of Burma, including stories (printed in FEER, even) that claim the entire country has become one big prison. Let’s hope that’s an overstatement, though recent actions by the government don’t inspire confidence. Time magazine chooses an optimistic view of the situation, arguing that the government’s actions have inspired “incremental” rises in opposition to the junta. The Wall Street Journal claims that the cyclone has resulted in an increase of Nat worship. [this would seem to be normal in times of crisis, at least in Cambodia, though we don't call them 'nats' there, and they might be configured differently. I wouldn't jump to the understanding that the Nats were unworshipped previously - they were worshipped - or that a significant long-term change has resulted in the religious sphere as a result of the cyclone]. Danny Fisher and New Mandala continue to aggregate and promote stories of wider interest.

In better news, iluvamaninauniform, the blog of pro-war, pro-Minerva and pro-HTS ‘anthropologist’ McFate, has disappeared, possible as the result of a sudden attack of conscience and humanity inspired by a confrontation between one of McFate’s sock puppets and OpenAnthropology blogger Maximilian Forte on SavageMinds. Good Riddance.

I hesitate to call this last bit ‘good news.’ Although I have often dreamed of doing terrible things to Christopher Hitchens ever since he jumped on the pro-war, American Imperialist, “Islamo-fascist”, pro-torture bandwagon, I would never have wanted to actually torture him. In an article months ago in Salon.com, Hitchens attempted to argue that waterboarding didn’t actually constitute torture. Incensed readers suggested he try it himself. In what was possibly a stunning move of first-hand experiential journalism, a poorly-conceived publicity stunt, an attempt to recover his public soul by enduring a public catharsis, or some odd combination of all three, he did just that. And, in an article in Vanity Fair, complete with photos, and now a video, you can read and watch Hitchens get himself tortured by hooded veterans of U.S. Special Forces. Oh yes, Hitchens changed his mind, “Believe Me, It’s Torture,” he says. Indeed, the thing he seems most upset about is the constant description of waterboarding as simulated drowning. No, he insists, it is drowning.

On watching the video, I was struck by all the (important, necessary, and non-negotiable) safety words, warning signals, and the care and consideration given to Hitchens by his torturers. They were, indeed, very careful with him. And still, Hitchens insists that his extremely brief encounter with waterboarding was torture. He’s right. Now imagine what it’s like without the safety word, the paramedics, and dead man’s bar, or the caring torturers. Let’s hope Hitch has seen the light on other problems as well.