However, Gen Sonthi, who will retire from his post as Royal Thai Army commander-in-chief post on reaching the compulsory retirement age of 60 on October 1, said he would apply successful strategies developed by late Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong if he enters politics seriously, including, he said, having a political party and supporters who were members of parliament.

Bangkok Post September 14, 2007

The army commander-in-chief has his option of selecting any great leader the world has ever had to emulate, such as; Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, King Chulalongkorn or Abraham Lincoln and who does he select, one of the largest mass murders of all time Mao Zedong.

A leader that felt so strongly that collective farming was the way to go that he let 30,000,000 million of his people starve to death to prove his concept was correct. Un-Fn-ing believable, and this is the person running Thailand now.

I don’t know why I read the papers anymore; it is just such a joke day after day, the never ending saga of what’s going to come out of a leader’s mouth next.

Last week it was the new Airbus 380 Jet hitting the wall backing up because it was too big. Not because the driver did not look out for where he was going, not because he could not drive, not because he was not trained, but it was the airplanes fault for being too big and running into the wall by itself.

And “The Hit’s Keep On Coming.” I wonder if this gets reported in the Thai papers and what the Thai people think about these repeated outlandish statements by their leaders? Or if they or so used to it that it just does not matter anymore.

It appears that Chinese leaders are becoming popular with junta leaders in southeast Asia. The current edition of Irawaddy magazine states that Burma's generals are reading Deng Xiaoping's books on how to make economic reforms toward a 'free market' inside a closed society. It may be online at www.irawaddy.org but I got it from the Sept 007 print edition.

However, there's a world of difference between Mao and Deng.

Good, more positive runs on the board the the pro-coup posters.

It appears that Chinese leaders are becoming popular with junta leaders in southeast Asia. The current edition of Irawaddy magazine states that Burma's generals are reading Deng Xiaoping's books on how to make economic reforms toward a 'free market' inside a closed society. It may be online at www.irawaddy.org but I got it from the Sept 007 print edition.

However, there's a world of difference between Mao and Deng.

Personally, I think that is is unlikely that any military leader in Thailand has ever read anything written by Mao or has any real understanding of recent Chinese history. Mao was a smart man (do not take that the wrong way........he was smart). He was very skeptical of the West (in retrospect, he was right about many things). He did make a horrible and tragic mistake with his misguided food-production system. And, he is still highly respected by the majority of the Chinese people. Was he evil? I really don't think so.....any more than the Bad Bush is evil. I think he made a tragic mistake.....but not everything he did was bad. I would not put him in the same category as Stalin or Hitler (no offense, just my opinion based on my limited understanding of history).

The real issue is where Thailand is going........what goals it is setting up for itself.

JR, if I may add to your succint statement, that Mao was a product of his country's history of brutal occupation and resource looting by the europeans and the japanese.

Mao was shaped by his era.

If the OP's post is correct (and I so hope it is not) this general is an idiot. Mao's strategies are not appropriate for a nation where there is no foreign occupation or control of the economy. Thailand is self sufficient when it comes to exploitation and corruption.

If one looks at the rejected role models, one can see why this fellow picked Mao the mass murderer;

- Emulating Abe Lincoln in Thailand would require a person to have personal strength and perseverance, and act like an honourable monk.

-King Chulalongkorn left a legacy and was a proponent of intelligent modernisation. Following this example would require hard work and integrity.

- Winston Churchill was unique, and truly a great man, although a weak human at times. the last guy that said he was like Churchill, was Idi Amin and I think that might put people off.

- JFK. Well, maybe it's because JFK had actual military service in a war zone. I don't know when the last time a Thai general ever saw active service.

Please tell me the general was quoted out of context. please.............

It appears that Chinese leaders are becoming popular with junta leaders in southeast Asia. The current edition of Irawaddy magazine states that Burma's generals are reading Deng Xiaoping's books on how to make economic reforms toward a 'free market' inside a closed society. It may be online at www.irawaddy.org but I got it from the Sept 007 print edition.

However, there's a world of difference between Mao and Deng.

Personally, I think that is is unlikely that any military leader in Thailand has ever read anything written by Mao or has any real understanding of recent Chinese history. Mao was a smart man (do not take that the wrong way........he was smart). He was very skeptical of the West (in retrospect, he was right about many things). He did make a horrible and tragic mistake with his misguided food-production system. And, he is still highly respected by the majority of the Chinese people. Was he evil? I really don't think so.....any more than the Bad Bush is evil. I think he made a tragic mistake.....but not everything he did was bad. I would not put him in the same category as Stalin or Hitler (no offense, just my opinion based on my limited understanding of history).

The real issue is where Thailand is going........what goals it is setting up for itself.

Well it aint too difficult to be respected by a populous that is indoctrinated from early childhood by a monolithic system of mind control to believe that he was a great man. For us on the outside, the only reference point we have to imagine what China was like in Mao's day is to look at North Korea. I go there very very regularly, and believe me in private conversation the reality of that respect is very different. I think the official accepted party line is that Mao was only 60% right, which in reality would be that he was only 10% right.

A truly great despot who created an economic and societal catastrophe who is recognized privately in the hearts of most Chinese to have started a revolution that is now bearing fruit because it is being dismantled. Other than that, not a bad bloke and a very worrying role model. Deng Xiao Ping must go down in history as one of the bravest people the world has ever seen.

Absolutely incredible coming from an avowed anti Communist who trained in the US, fought in the Vietnam War as a young captain and later as a special forces commander against the communist insurgency in Thailand! If the quote is correct, it certainly confirms just how far of of touch many Thai leaders are with world opinion. Agree with Somtaamgaiyang, if a Chinese leader was to be a role model, Deng Xiao Ping would have been a much wiser choice.

Edited September 14, 200718 yr by roietjimmy

Was he evil? Yes, undoubtedly so

I really don't think so.....any more than the Bad Bush is evil. I think he made a tragic mistake.....but not everything he did was bad. I would not put him in the same category as Stalin or Hitler Me neither. Based on the number of people who died as a direct result of his policies, he leaves the other 2 for dead (no pun intended)

If you get a chance, have a read of Mao, The Unknown Story, written by Jung Chang.

He truly was one of the great butchers of history.

I believe what the general wishes to emulate, is how the former Chinese leaders positioned their families to benefit from every large business transacdtion that takes place.

Was he evil? Yes, undoubtedly so

I really don't think so.....any more than the Bad Bush is evil. I think he made a tragic mistake.....but not everything he did was bad. I would not put him in the same category as Stalin or Hitler Me neither. Based on the number of people who died as a direct result of his policies, he leaves the other 2 for dead (no pun intended)

If you get a chance, have a read of Mao, The Unknown Story, written by Jung Chang.

He truly was one of the great butchers of history.

To say ONE OF, is probably an understatement. In pure statistical success of killiing one's own countrymen, Mao must be the winner. Thankfully, we are able to carry out this free debate, coz if we were sitting in China right now, we'd all be in the clink.