Thailand Assures Smooth Passage For Olympic Torch Relay

[george]

Thailand assures smooth passage for Olympic torch relay

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government will conduct an Olympic torch relay next week, and believes there will be no violent protests over China's crackdown in Tibet as had happened in some other cities.

Maj-Gen. Sanan Kachornprasart, Deputy Prime Minister said in his capacity as chairman of the torch relay organising committee that the Olympic torch arrival is scheduled on April 18 .

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will graciously attend the ceremony in the evening.

Maj-Gen. Sanan said the Olympic torch run would start on April 19 at Chinatown and pass several important sites such as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Ministry of Defence, Chitralada Palace, Government House, and will end at the Royal Plaza.

Thailand is one of 20 countries chosen to host the torch relay. The deputy prime minister asked Thai people to observe the event.

Speaking about the anti-China protests that disrupted the torch relay in some countries, Gen. Sanan said he was confident no violent protest will erupt. He also indicated that there is no report of Thai nationals' movement to stage a protest however, he admitted that some foreigners may demonstrate.

He said agencies concerned cooperated to handle that and he believed that there won't be any turmoil.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jiuhuan, China's ambassador to Thailand, said that he was satisfied with Thailand 's readiness to organise the torch relay and he believed that the event will go smoothly and successfully.

--TNA 2008-04-11

[OlRedEyes]

Meanwhile, Zhang Jiuhuan, China's ambassador to Thailand, said that he was satisfied with Thailand 's readiness to organise the torch relay and he believed that the event will go smoothly and successfully.

--TNA 2008-04-11

With lots of controlled 'harmony'.....

[Tomkagai]

He also indicated that there is no report of Thai nationals' movement to stage a protest however, he admitted that some foreigners may demonstrate.

--TNA 2008-04-11

The torch is not even here yet and already the foreigners are being blamed.....

[TopDogger]

Are they taking it down Patpong or Soi Cowboy?

[Johpa]

Thailand assures smooth passage for Olympic torch relay

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government will conduct an Olympic torch relay next week, and believes there will be no violent protests over China's crackdown in Tibet as had happened in some other cities.

Let's see, several years ago, in order to appease their true lords in Beijing, the Bangkok government refused to issue a visa to the Dalai Lama, despite Thailand's pretentions, propped up by some western Academics, that it be a Buddhist nation. So why would there be protests about China's "crackdown in Tibet", as the TNA so politely describes the imperialist occupation of Tibet by Chinese troops. Thailand may be a nation of Buddhists, but it is not a Buddhist nation.

Chaiyo!

[Tony Clifton]

Amen to that!

[FreedomDude]

Don't use the Olympics to advance your political interests. Let the athletes compete. I've always loved watching the Olympics. When I was a kid, I remember being really disappointed when Carter decided to boycott Moscow.

[Heng]

I just hope they get my sky blue and white tracksuit back from the cleaners to me in time.

[londonthai]

agencies concerned cooperated to handle that and he believed that there won't be any turmoil.

let's not jump to conclusions - nobody expected that much protests in London or Paris and than cops were taken by surprice. Let's see as well how many will welcome the torch on the streets

[bulmercke]

Thailand loves sucking up to the Chinese. They'll be no protest here.

[plachon]

Thailand loves sucking up to the Chinese. They'll be no protest here.

I think you should be a bit more specific here and not brand all of "Thailand" under one brush.

Already, a hi-so minor royal - ML Narissa I think her name is - has protested by refusing to carry the torch on the relay, so I would be very surprised if there are not a fair number of people who want to show their disdain for china's treatment of Tibet and a host other good reasons to lawfully protest against China's human rights record and trashing of the environment regionally.

We'll see, but I wouldn't count it out..............

[Tony Clifton]

I just hope they get my sky blue and white tracksuit back from the cleaners to me in time.

You represent Argentina?

[Galong]

Thailand loves sucking up to the Chinese. They'll be no protest here.

Too true. Thailand has been colonized by the Chinese from the inside. They came a few generations ago and married into Thailand. Now, the Chinese are the only businessmen who truly have the decks loaded in their favor.

I hope the Olympics are a HUGE failure and a major loss of both face and money for the Chinese. I, personally, won't even watch it on TV.

[Heng]

I just hope they get my sky blue and white tracksuit back from the cleaners to me in time.

You represent Argentina?

Nah, just like pushing Tibetans and protesters around. In the genes maybe.

[Heng]

Thailand loves sucking up to the Chinese. They'll be no protest here.

Too true. Thailand has been colonized by the Chinese from the inside. They came a few generations ago and married into Thailand. Now, the Chinese are the only businessmen who truly have the decks loaded in their favor.

I hope the Olympics are a HUGE failure and a major loss of both face and money for the Chinese. I, personally, won't even watch it on TV.

And if that didn't happen, the indigenous folks would still be playing tokraw and rolling/mashing up balls of sticky rice. Many Thai-Indians/Thai Sikhs are holding plenty of cards as well.

It's all relative, a "huge" financial loss at the Olympics would be like losing a few coins from kitchen change jar. Not like in many other countries nowadays where they'd have to finance the games on their nearly maxed out credit cards. Hey, no one told you to keep buying up the junk they churn out.

[thaibebop]

He also indicated that there is no report of Thai nationals' movement to stage a protest however, he admitted that some foreigners may demonstrate.

--TNA 2008-04-11

The torch is not even here yet and already the foreigners are being blamed.....

Most of the protests in Asia are made up of Tibetans.......not Thai and thus foreigners.

[Scott]

I usually follow the olympics--although I am not a big sports fan. This year, however, I find that following the torch has been a bigger event than I think the actual games will be!

[RusticCharm]

Don't use the Olympics to advance your political interests. Let the athletes compete. I've always loved watching the Olympics. When I was a kid, I remember being really disappointed when Carter decided to boycott Moscow.

Yeah right!

I remember in the seventies as I watched on in awe as steroid-ridden Russian and eastern European 'athletes' scoped up all the medals. Brilliant!

[Johpa]

Thailand has been colonized by the Chinese from the inside. They came a few generations ago and married into Thailand. Now, the Chinese are the only businessmen who truly have the decks loaded in their favor.

I hope the Olympics are a HUGE failure and a major loss of both face and money for the Chinese. I, personally, won't even watch it on TV.

And if that didn't happen, the indigenous folks would still be playing tokraw and rolling/mashing up balls of sticky rice.

Alas, there are so many other otherwise well educated people of Chinese ethnicity who believe such racist nonsense as well as the totally improbable nonsense that Tibet is somehow part of China. If nothing else the anti-Olympic protests will force at least some Chinese folks to questions some of the more ridiculous myths that have been instilled into their collective consciousness before they learn that always hard lesson of life encapsulated in the old proverb that pride goes before a fall. Too bad all those wacko Chines evangelicals don't take the sin of pride of heart.

[thaibebop]

Thailand loves sucking up to the Chinese. They'll be no protest here.

Too true. Thailand has been colonized by the Chinese from the inside. They came a few generations ago and married into Thailand. Now, the Chinese are the only businessmen who truly have the decks loaded in their favor.

I hope the Olympics are a HUGE failure and a major loss of both face and money for the Chinese. I, personally, won't even watch it on TV.

Generations ago? So, those people have pasted on have they not? Their descendents are now Thai are they not? My mother-in-law speaks only Thai, has a Thai name and a Thai past port, and gives her loyalty to Thailand and the King. Be careful how you generalize people, people are not so simple as demographics would have them.

[Heng]

Thailand has been colonized by the Chinese from the inside. They came a few generations ago and married into Thailand. Now, the Chinese are the only businessmen who truly have the decks loaded in their favor.

I hope the Olympics are a HUGE failure and a major loss of both face and money for the Chinese. I, personally, won't even watch it on TV.

And if that didn't happen, the indigenous folks would still be playing tokraw and rolling/mashing up balls of sticky rice.

Alas, there are so many other otherwise well educated people of Chinese ethnicity who believe such racist nonsense as well as the totally improbable nonsense that Tibet is somehow part of China. If nothing else the anti-Olympic protests will force at least some Chinese folks to questions some of the more ridiculous myths that have been instilled into their collective consciousness before they learn that always hard lesson of life encapsulated in the old proverb that pride goes before a fall. Too bad all those wacko Chines evangelicals don't take the sin of pride of heart.

Nothing racist about it as we haven't driven the indigenous people's out, nor have we slaughtered them en masse. Our method of colonialization is both humane as it is absolute (I do concede that Tibet isn't our traditional method... it's more like the western method a.k.a. the really old Mongol method). We don't force them to become one of us, we simply become one of them... at the same time maintaining our key attributes. No mess and relatively light resistance. Regcognizing that if left to their own development, it would have been at a slower rate is just a fact.

I suppose you believe that Native Americans and Oz aboriginees would have had their own industrial revolution if left to their own rate of development?

[Johpa]

Thailand has been colonized by the Chinese from the inside. They came a few generations ago and married into Thailand. Now, the Chinese are the only businessmen who truly have the decks loaded in their favor.

I hope the Olympics are a HUGE failure and a major loss of both face and money for the Chinese. I, personally, won't even watch it on TV.

And if that didn't happen, the indigenous folks would still be playing tokraw and rolling/mashing up balls of sticky rice.

Alas, there are so many other otherwise well educated people of Chinese ethnicity who believe such racist nonsense as well as the totally improbable nonsense that Tibet is somehow part of China. If nothing else the anti-Olympic protests will force at least some Chinese folks to questions some of the more ridiculous myths that have been instilled into their collective consciousness before they learn that always hard lesson of life encapsulated in the old proverb that pride goes before a fall. Too bad all those wacko Chines evangelicals don't take the sin of pride of heart.

Nothing racist about it as we haven't driven the indigenous people's out, nor have we slaughtered them en masse. Our method of colonialization is both humane as it is absolute (I do concede that Tibet isn't our traditional method... it's more like the western method a.k.a. the really old Mongol method). We don't force them to become one of us, we simply become one of them... at the same time maintaining our key attributes. No mess and relatively light resistance. Regcognizing that if left to their own development, it would have been at a slower rate is just a fact.

I suppose you believe that Native Americans and Oz aboriginees would have had their own industrial revolution if left to their own rate of development?

I rest my case. Forum rules and decorum prevent any further response.

Edited April 14, 2008 by Johpa

[Heng]

That's what I figured. I rest my case as well.

[Cavannagh]

They never should have been given the games in the first place. I don't think that hosting the Olympics will make China more 'open'.

Want a recipe for shit? Take communism and a dollop of the worst aspects of a free-market economy. Nothing truly good will ever come from that country....but I honestly hope I'm wrong.

[Payboy]

Are they taking it down Patpong or Soi Cowboy?

no, 'cos i think they're trying to prevent the flame from being blown....

[Tony Clifton]

Clever.

[toret]

Nothing racist about it as we haven't driven the indigenous people's out, nor have we slaughtered them en masse.

How do you define "en masse"?

And how about the han-chinese takeover of tibetan economy, which is de facto financial apartheid?

Tibet belong to China as much as China belongs to Japan.

[Heng]

Nothing racist about it as we haven't driven the indigenous people's out, nor have we slaughtered them en masse.

How do you define "en masse"?

And how about the han-chinese takeover of tibetan economy, which is de facto financial apartheid?

Tibet belong to China as much as China belongs to Japan.

Talking about the takeover of Thailand, not Tibet. As mentioned above, the takeover of Tibet followed the old western philosophy, or the really old Mongol philosophy, or the really really old... etc. philosophy, take your pick. China did belong to Japan, as Japan did belong to China. That's how these things go.

[Jingthing]

Somewhat related topic, in the event of a war between the USA and China, how do you think Thailand would react?

They seem to be taking the Swiss neutral pose for most everything, and sensible for a smaller, poorer country.

Edited April 16, 2008 by Jingthing

[Heng]

How would a powerless vassal state react? It'd be business as usual. Although all of the foodstuffs normally bound for China would probably have to be transported via land instead of sea... but really that's all just theoretical "Axis and Allies / Risk" talk. The only war that China and the US will ever have is the economic one that is just about over.

Edited April 16, 2008 by Heng