Racist Headline In The Nation

[chanchao]

Look at this:

"Maewchester City"

In case it's lost on some, 'maew' is a derogatory name for hilltribe people (who are mostly from Chinese descent) so the term is sometimes used when cursing Thaksin.

..Which is bad enough, but how would anyone think it is appropriate in a newspaper? Imagine a black person buying Liverpool and The Nation hilariously headlining that 'Niggerpool..' (The extreme bias is nothing new for this paper, however the need to put racial slurs into it is truly low.)

The Nation has truly lost the plot completely.

Edited June 22, 2007 by chanchao

[Florin]

Which is bad enough, but how would anyone think it is appropriate in a newspaper? Imagine a black person buying Liverpool and The Nation hilariously headlining that 'Niggerpool..' (The extreme bias is nothing new for this paper, however the need to put racial slurs into it is truly low.)

Niggerpool does sound pretty hilarious

And yes, nothing new in The Nation's vendetta against Thaksin...in this sense, they're on par with highly "respectable" publications like News of the World, Daily Mirror, etc.

[Khutan]

This could be interesting

Thaksin may face a "fit and proper person" test before completing the takeover.

[cmsally]

Taksin bashing has been quite popular in the press here. I have even heard direct digs at him on Thai entertainment programs.

This time they even manage to offend a section of the population still here, frankly , I don't think they care as long as they get a dig at the ex PM.

If the present "government" actually sat up and listened they would realise that the export of Thai culture and promotion of Thailand abroad is not a bad idea. Also in the eyes of the world a PM removed by a military coup never looks like a bad guy.

[samran]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Of course, in person, you would call him 'Than' or from further afield, 'ey h....'

[bendix]

yeah, that's what i thought. Isn't it just a regular nickname? It's been used in the press for ages; certainly long before he was overthrown. I'm not convinced it's meant in a derogatory way because it's also used in the Thai press.

I always assumed it was one of those nickhames that most Thais have. I know it refers to the hill-tribe people, but I don't really see a negatively racist connotation here.

[chinthee]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Of course, in person, you would call him 'Than' or from further afield, 'ey h....'

or yet m...

[Xangsamhua]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Of course, in person, you would call him 'Than' or from further afield, 'ey h....'

or yet m...

Yep. I'd say it's definitely a play on Thaksin's nickname and not a go at the Hmong or other hilltribes. The derogatory nickname given him by opponents is Hna Liam (square face).

[chinthee]

Actually, I read on the Manchester thread that the local Manchester folks have taken to call him "Frank," on radio talk shows after Frank Sinatra, because they can't pronounce any of his names.

Shinawatra - Sinatra.

[jayjayjayjay]

Look at this:

"Maewchester City"

The Nation has truly lost the plot completely.

This is the very reason I get the BKK Post and not The Nation

[chanchao]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Yes, in certain circles. Note that I'm not rabidly hung up on political correctness; I mean when there's demonstrations then things get yelled, that happens. However I hold newspapers to higher standards. Hmong people are very much a part of 'the nation, Thailand', and are already in a not very advantaged position in society. Using 'maew' as a slur for Thaksin (or anyone) is not something they need.

[steveromagnino]

Look at this:

"Maewchester City"

In case it's lost on some, 'maew' is a derogatory name for hilltribe people (who are mostly from Chinese descent) so the term is sometimes used when cursing Thaksin.

..Which is bad enough, but how would anyone think it is appropriate in a newspaper? Imagine a black person buying Liverpool and The Nation hilariously headlining that 'Niggerpool..' (The extreme bias is nothing new for this paper, however the need to put racial slurs into it is truly low.)

The Nation has truly lost the plot completely.

Not derogatory; just his nickname given to him my Thai Raht very early on if I recall correctly, same as the other slang they like to use Pah Noh (Sanoh); Mukgun (americans); Lor Lek (Apirak); Lor Yai (Apiset); Mor Leab; Mor Noi; Seea Oh (!) well ok maybe not quite the same as that last one.

not used in cursing him; in fact some of his fans use the name on shirts and stuff. I have heard a LOT worse than Nah liam describing him, but that seems to be the popular one for cursing the guy these days.

Not a bad play on words; I guess similar to at the moment, where New Zealanders are calling the city of the America's Cup ValeNZia, or the invented word based on economics called Taksinomics referring to paying yourself lots of money and giving the rest to the poor who vote for you.

The Nation just used it first. No doubt we will see similar and worse in the english papers who are usually suckers for a bad wordplay.

[samran]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Yes, in certain circles. Note that I'm not rabidly hung up on political correctness; I mean when there's demonstrations then things get yelled, that happens. However I hold newspapers to higher standards. Hmong people are very much a part of 'the nation, Thailand', and are already in a not very advantaged position in society. Using 'maew' as a slur for Thaksin (or anyone) is not something they need.

of course, only certain circles (newpaper headlines excepted). For the past 20 years since Thaksin Shinawatra became Thaksin Shinawatra no one outside a close circle of people would even dare call him anything other than Khun, Than, Than Ratamondree or Than Nar-yok....Kraaaaaaaaap pom in a slightly sycophantic/grovelling manner.

So you are stretching the credibilty there by saying probably the most left wing paper in the region has it in for the Hmong people.

[Siripon]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Yes, in certain circles. Note that I'm not rabidly hung up on political correctness; I mean when there's demonstrations then things get yelled, that happens. However I hold newspapers to higher standards. Hmong people are very much a part of 'the nation, Thailand', and are already in a not very advantaged position in society. Using 'maew' as a slur for Thaksin (or anyone) is not something they need.

He's been called Maew as long as I can remember by every publication, high and low, it's his nickname because he's from the north. There's nothing insulting about it.

[sriracha john]

The term Maewcity was coined weeks ago... from a different source

Maew is often used in referencing Thaksin

Courtesy of 2bangkok.com:

- Poojadkuan newspaper, May 22, 2007

First mission of the Maewcity football team-- all teams join the PTV mob in Thailand. [Maew is the nickname of Thaksin]

- Matichon newspaper, September 20, 2006 - 4 armies reform group overthrows 'Thaksin' - REVOLUTION - 'Maew' broadcasts on Channel 9 raising a state of emergency to back - The military attack to cut the signal off the air [Maew is the nickname of Thaksin]

- Poojadkuan, October 30, 2006 - Pa [Prem] told Maew [nichname of Thaksin] through Or [nickname of Pojaman],

- Poojadkuan newspaper - September 14, 2006

The joke of Koizumi is more funny that Maew's. The Japanese leader made a bet on who will leave office first, Chen or Maew [Chen is the embattled Taiwanese PM, Maew is the nickname of PM Thaksin].

- Thai humor: Why Thaksin can't hear - November 29, 2005

Poojadkuan jokes: The cause makes Maew goes deaf recently is not due to jetlag, but he has listened to the Thailand Weekly program for many weeks

=================

Other references...

Bangkok Post Learning Post

Welcome to this week's Phasaa Thai Kap Khaao (Learning Thai with the News). Each week, we look at a news theme, a conversation example and then a story in Thai and English.

Vocabulary list

Pronunciation: maew

Definition: Mr Thaksin's nickname

Thai: แม้ว (แ+ม้+ว)

=====================

Much ado about naught?

Slow Friday, chanchao?

Edited June 22, 2007 by sriracha john

[Heng]

Nothing racist about it... although a few congrats to hia Maew (brother Maew) on the Thaksin HK house purchase thread were deleted. Lolz.

[Stephen Cleary]

Of course, Maew is Thaksin's actual nickname - his mother has been calling him Maew since he was a toddler!

I advise therefore that Chanchao does some research before lambasting The Nation! Ought to be seriously embarassed - this is the biggest blunder thread yet, at TV!

If you want a derogatory name for Thaksin it is:

Na See Liam (Square face)

Edited June 22, 2007 by stevesuphan

[sriracha john]

Perhaps an edit or re-titling of the thread is in order...

[cmsally]

Of course, Maew is Thaksin's actual nickname - his mother has been calling him Maew since he was a toddler!

No it's not his actual nickname. It was a name he was given by BKK people because he was from the north. They are under the impression that all people in the North belong to the Hmong tribe!

[jdinasia]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Yes, in certain circles. Note that I'm not rabidly hung up on political correctness; I mean when there's demonstrations then things get yelled, that happens. However I hold newspapers to higher standards. Hmong people are very much a part of 'the nation, Thailand', and are already in a not very advantaged position in society. Using 'maew' as a slur for Thaksin (or anyone) is not something they need.

If his nickname was Num would you be so upset? No. So let's face it .. you blew it this time

[meadish_sweetball]

I advise therefore that Chanchao does some research before lambasting The Nation! Ought to be seriously embarassed - this is the biggest blunder thread yet, at TV!

If you want a derogatory name for Thaksin it is:

Na See Liam (Square face)

It's usually just naa[F] liam[L] หน้าเหลี่ยม (no สี)่ but I agree about the rest.

It's great to defend the hill tribes against discrimination, but this is really not the place, it's just a pun on a common nickname for Thaksin, which is used by pretty much all Thai publications without anyone intending it to be derogatory.

Along the same lines, the Thai dailies invent nicknames for pretty much everyone and everything - one of the reasons why it's difficult to decode their headlines).

[jbowman1993]

Perhaps we could have a mod edit out the "n" word, which ACTUALLY IS offensive to a hel_l of a lot of people.

[enyaw]

Actually, I read on the Manchester thread that the local Manchester folks have taken to call him "Frank," on radio talk shows after Frank Sinatra, because they can't pronounce any of his names.

Shinawatra - Sinatra.

Narrgh, it's because he resembles Frank Sidebottom

[Johpa]

Look at this:

"Maewchester City"

In case it's lost on some, 'maew' is a derogatory name for hilltribe people (who are mostly from Chinese descent) so the term is sometimes used when cursing Thaksin.

The Mong have had a long relationship with the Han but are not of Chinese descent as is Thaksin.

[meom]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Yes, in certain circles. Note that I'm not rabidly hung up on political correctness; I mean when there's demonstrations then things get yelled, that happens. However I hold newspapers to higher standards. Hmong people are very much a part of 'the nation, Thailand', and are already in a not very advantaged position in society. Using 'maew' as a slur for Thaksin (or anyone) is not something they need.

So you are stretching the credibilty there by saying probably the most left wing paper in the region has it in for the Hmong people.

How many Hmong people can actually read English?

[jdinasia]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Yes, in certain circles. Note that I'm not rabidly hung up on political correctness; I mean when there's demonstrations then things get yelled, that happens. However I hold newspapers to higher standards. Hmong people are very much a part of 'the nation, Thailand', and are already in a not very advantaged position in society. Using 'maew' as a slur for Thaksin (or anyone) is not something they need.

So you are stretching the credibilty there by saying probably the most left wing paper in the region has it in for the Hmong people.

How many Hmong people can actually read English?

Most of them in the USA I think the questions would be how many 1) saw the Nation today ... and 2) thought it was anything other than Thaksin's nickname they were making fun of

[chinthee]

um...maew is Thaksin's nickname as far as I knew.

Yes, in certain circles. Note that I'm not rabidly hung up on political correctness; I mean when there's demonstrations then things get yelled, that happens. However I hold newspapers to higher standards. Hmong people are very much a part of 'the nation, Thailand', and are already in a not very advantaged position in society. Using 'maew' as a slur for Thaksin (or anyone) is not something they need.

So you are stretching the credibilty there by saying probably the most left wing paper in the region has it in for the Hmong people.

How many Hmong people can actually read English?

Most of them in the USA I think the questions would be how many 1) saw the Nation today ... and 2) thought it was anything other than Thaksin's nickname they were making fun of

Yes, well, that's another issue. Most in the USA don't know or care what Thailand is. And, rightly so, in terms of global world issues. our world is a small pimple on the buttocks of the earth, er., so to speak.

[jdinasia]

So you are stretching the credibilty there by saying probably the most left wing paper in the region has it in for the Hmong people.

How many Hmong people can actually read English?

Most of them in the USA I think the questions would be how many 1) saw the Nation today ... and 2) thought it was anything other than Thaksin's nickname they were making fun of

Yes, well, that's another issue. Most in the USA don't know or care what Thailand is. And, rightly so, in terms of global world issues. our world is a small pimple on the buttocks of the earth, er., so to speak.

I was referring to the Hmong in the USA being able to read English .... right now they are protesting there .. about the Hmong that is accused of plotting a coup in Laos (he's an american citizen)

[meadish_sweetball]

I think jdinasia means there is a sizable group of Hmong in the US. Then again most of them are Hmong descended from Laos and not Thailand - they were trained by the CIA to fight the Pathet Lao communists and many were given amnesty in the US after the revolution.

[Torv]

There's a fair share of "racism" amongst Thai people, but the thing is, no one has really given much thought into it.

If you don't think about it, and just say it, I suppose it can lessen the controversies around it.

This is how Thailand has always been and I don't see anything changing.

Instead of westerners making jokes about the poverty of the third world countries, Thai people make fun of people based on how they look. Both pretty shallow, but if you say it enough times by a lot of people, it becomes "ok".

Edited June 22, 2007 by Torv