Suthep voted Asia's Person of the Year 2013

[tomyummer]

well choke my chickens, suthep has become mr popularity, alongside yinluck miss nobel winner, all within the space of a week, truly is amazing thailand

Isn't it time Thaksin got something?

Mad Magazine's 'Man of the Year' I believe. First 7-time recipient since 2006. Similar to that other classy icon, Lance Armstrong.

[jackrich]

Defiantly an upstanding chap a worthy of his award.

As part of the Sor Por Kor 4-01 (สปก.4-01) land reform scheme, Suthep gave title deeds to 592 plots of land in Khao Sam Liam, Kamala and Nakkerd hills of Phuket province to 489 farmers. It was later found that members of 11 wealthy families in Phuket were among the recipients. Suthep addressed a huge crowd in his Surat Thani constituency a month before a no-confidence debate and called on his supporters to march on Bangkok in the hundreds of thousands to defend his reputation.^[3] The scandal led Prime MinisterChuan Leekpai of the Democrat Party to dissolve the House of Representatives in July 1995 in order to avoid the no-confidence debate.^[4] In subsequent elections, Thai Nation Party won a majority, leading to the downfall of Chuan Leekpai's Democrat Party-led government.

Wikileaks diplomatic cables from the US embassy revealed that many members of his own party have long complained of his corrupt and unethical behavior.^[5][6][7]

And now he's the anti-corruption hero ...

Liar liar, pants on fire.

[dundee48]

Hitler was also voted man of the year. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

That would be relevant if Suthep was also voted `man of the year` instead of `Asia`s Person of the Year`

[dundee48]

Asian Society said 116,000 votes but the truth is SIX MILLION votes (verified by Suthep's independent experts).

Asian Society said 116,000 votes but the truth is 212 votes(verified bt RTP and other unbiased agensies).

[Zao]

Amusing as this all is, it is also sad Malala wasn't granted the recognition she clearly deserved, robbed by a social media campaign. If you have ever seen her interviewed, it is pretty clear who is more deserving of the award, up there with previous winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

Exactly. Robbed by a social media campaign. Disgraceful. Everyone who joined in this charade should be ashamed, regardless of political affiliation.

You can bet not one is even thinking twice about it.

This is just one milestone of many in Asia Society's long-standing decline. It's a shame. At its founding in '56, AS was a jewel in John III's fabulous philanthropy - the only of the Rockefeller brothers to shun politics and business, and focus his life on service. Along with AS, he gave us New York's Lincoln Center, the United Negro College Fund, the first academic program for Non-Profit Management (at Yale). So many other contributions not widely recognized.

Today, the only thing notable about AS is its New York gallery and collection of Rockefeller Asian art.

AS has been trying to re-invent itself and find a purpose for years. Its most recent gaffe: the selection in June 2013 of its new CEO - Josie Sheeran, a Bush fundraiser and political appointee, and former 20 year fanatic of the Unification Church, the South Korean cult.

Quote of Sun Myung Moon: "I will conquer and subjugate the world. I am your brain." Sound familiar?

Sheeran was a political appointee forced onto one of the UN agencies by Bush - that would be the Bush without a passport - after raising lots of Church money for Bush, in exchange for friendly coverage as a journalist and a failed stint as a Bush Trade Rep. She got her start in in "journalism" with a Unification-owned paper in Washington.

Compare Sheeran, who achieved all of a BA from Colorado's notoriously flaky Boulder campus, to her predecessor at AS: the talented and internationally respected Dr. Vishakla Desai, one of the world's leading experts in Asian art. She is known to have left AS two years ago in disgust.

The Asia Society of today is a sham. Indeed, this "Asia Person of the Year Award" is all of...3 years old. A PR ploy. In two of those years, AS readily admits the results were gamed: the first in favor of Imran Khan. Would a serious organization conduct an award in this way? We have only to look to serious organizations for the answer: the Booker Man Price, for example, the Nobel, or countless others.

This year's social media sham affects far more than Ms. Yousafzai. She has had more recognition and awards than she probably even wants, and handles them all with amazing grace. Other potential recipients, and the values they fight for, who genuinely need international recognition, have lost out.

We have lost out.

These might include nominated names such as Film Director Jia Zhangke, who depicted the reality of China today in the controversial Touch of Sin. No surprise, the AS nominee list included a variety of freaks, and left out a world of serious activists: Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned Chinese human rights activist and eminent scholar, as but one example.

You'd think our Thai friends might have at least thought to write in Ladda Duckworth, the first woman of Thai descent to have risen to prominence in a foreign government - and that while missing both legs.

Frankly, I am disgusted by the applause this maneuver has received on this Forum. But my disgust goes to Asia Society: it deserves its decline.

[tilac2]

Amazing that the "unpopular" yet democratic way in correcting Thailand's dictatorial path is fraught with a litmus test of candid and 3rd party truths. For instance, the 2006 return to democracy was lauded as a great success by America according to leaked American embassy documents from Thailand. Of course they have to say "on the record" they didn't agree. Here we have Suthep as man of the year 8 years later yet again returning democracy to Thailand post TS. When I say democracy I don't just mean one characteristic called elections. I mean the 7 other characteristics that are conveniently forgotten by the TS family regime. Your PM next Oak if the regime continues! Just shows that democratic people are not voted in. Shinawatra “brand names” are!

You might want to check your translation software there. "next Oak"? Is that the mighty oak which grew from a little acorn?

In the meantime, TV members might get some amusement/shock out of this Suthep propaganda video. Complete with stirring music and statements about 6 million people who came to support Suthep.

Oh my goodness. It's like the 1930s all over again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQVjUsKSKUE&feature=youtu.be

[Zao]

On the bright side...it seems Thailand's "One Tablet One Child" programme was a success after all

[englishoak]

Asian Society said 116,000 votes but the truth is SIX MILLION votes (verified by Suthep's independent experts).

Are you talking again about Suthep's independent expert ace crackerjack anthropologists or whatever who from helicopters calculated the number of anti-democracy feudalists per square meal in the streets of Bangkok?

You know, the same kind of experts at calculus who reckon how many M&Ms can fit into Wembley Stadium.

SIX MILLION.

Check out what the respected Asia Society says about this social website engineered online poll and who Suthep's bogus vote surge defeated for the legitimate award.

http://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/how-thailands-suthep-thaugsuban-ran-away-our-person-year-poll

Thai politician Suthep Thaugsuban dominated our year-end reader poll for Asia's Person of the Year 2013 — in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion. Thaugsuban attracted 88 percent of the vote, nearly 116,000 votes in total. Malala Yousafzai, the female education rights activist from Pakistan, was runner-up for the second consecutive year. She earned close to 12,000 votes, 9 percent of the total, a figure that would have made her the winner in 2012.

This year, Yousafzai looked destined to be the clear victor the week after our poll launched on December 20, with Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke running a distant second. And Thaugsuban? Shortly before the new year, he was sitting dead last, with 0 votes.

That changed dramatically once 2014 began. During the first two days of the year, our poll page received more than 172,000 pageviews. Nearly 165,000 of those visits originated in Thailand. Most of the traffic came from Facebook and a handful of Thai message boards. At one point, Thaugsuban had around 97 percent of the total vote. In recent days, Yousafzai voters made a bit of a late push to eat into Thaugsuban's lead ever so slightly.

Well there you go they spam voted for it and basically hijacked it ... I think that about says it all, what a bunch of corrupt cheating manipulating sobs, just the same as all the rest... pffft change ? my ass.

[Tywais]

Flame removed.

[Beetlejuice]

People's Democratic Reform Committee secretary general Suthep Thaugsuban has been voted Asia's Person of the Year 2013 on the Asia Society website.

One individual who does not believe this is Suthep Thugsuban himself, otherwise if he did; Thugsuban would be all in favour of going the democratic route and standing as a candidate in a general election.

It is blatantly obvious the PDR do not have enough faith in their leaders and their popularity to archive power by election, which proves this Asia Society, whoever they are and their results of this vote is a load of old tosh.

[Tokay]

Yea, but... Yingluck is getting nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. So that THAT Suthep!

[IBoldnewguy]

This is not going to please the frothers and followers of Thaksin, but it does make a lot of sense. Suthep has selflessly put his life on the line in an attempt to bring the essence of democracy to Thai politics. You may not support all of his methods, but by crikey the man has a pair of stones.

Good to see serious observers recognize his sacrifice.

Time to give up the Budweisers

[SamMunich]

True or not, now nobody can say any more that the Dems can't win elections <wg>...

Sam

[Lite Beer]

Suthep takes 'Asia's Person of the Year 2013' poll by storm
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has been voted "Asia's Person of the Year 2013" in an online poll conducted by the Asia Society.

Suthep received 115,916 votes, or 88.2 per cent of the total vote - well ahead of runner-up Malala Yousafzai, Pakistan's young female education rights activist, who received 11,684 votes, or 8.9 per cent.

Suthep, secretary-general of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), dominated Asia Society's year-end reader poll for Asia’s Person of the Year 2013 "in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion", said the US-based educational organisation.

Asia Society reported on its website that Yousafzai, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize last year, looked destined to be the clear victor the week, after the poll was launched on December 20, with Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke running a distant second.

Shortly before the New Year, Suthep was "sitting dead last, with 0 votes" - among 11 candidates in the online survey.

"That changed dramatically once 2014 began. During the first two days of the year, its poll page received more than 172,000 page views, with nearly 165,000 of those visits originating from Thailand. Most of the traffic came from Facebook and a handful of Thai message boards," Asia Society said in its article "How Thailand’s Suthep Thaugsuban Ran Away With Our Person of the Year Poll". At one point, Suthep had around 97 per cent of the total vote, but in recent days, Yousafzai voters made a late push - eating slightly into Suthep's lead, the article said.

It said the scenario was very similar to the grassroots social media effort Pakistani supporters of Imran Khan used to make him the overwhelming winner in Asia Society's 2012 poll. However, Suthep received around 10 times the number of votes that Khan did, according to Asia Society.

"As it did in 2012, the unusually large number of votes did raise some red flags for us. Are these votes real? Did we get hacked?" the society said.

"But with the amount of visitors that flooded our site from Thailand (close to 300,000 page views, the poll is easily the most popular piece of content on Asia Society’s website ... ever), the number of blog comments (more than 400), Facebook likes (54,000), and write-in votes, all point to these votes being the acts of many, many actual people — very passionate people," said Asia Society.

Among other candidates are South Korea's first-woman president Park Geun-Hye, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

-- The Nation 2014-01-12

[arthurboy]

',,,all point to these votes being the acts of many, many actual people — very passionate people," said Asia Society.'

All in all, a well orchestrated and organised farce.

[sustento]

[Yunla]

I would have voted for Malala Yousafzai personally, but congratulations to Mr Suthep.

I've just finished stocking up on syringes and IV meds so I don't have to go into hospital during the next few days (or weeks!), while the best person in Asia shuts down the entire capital and brings normal life to a stop for lots of seriously ill or terminally ill people like myself.

Skol, cheers, chin chin, etc. ^^

[Thailand]

Online balloting is very easy to manipulate. Asia's Person of the Year. Really? In all of Asia...

I am not buying it, renting it, nor leasing it. If I owned it, I would not gift it to my worst enemy....

Sour grapes.

You only sing when you're winning

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You actually believe what you say don't you?

But then I guess I am on your ignore list? If not I should be! (-:

I don't have an ignore list. I like to read what people post whether I like it or otherwise.

As for this award I doubt even the delirious Suthep himself will popping the champers

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Fair enough.

It's still a scandal that the young lady looses out this looney, hopefully, if they wish to retain any credibility they will retract the award when they find where the hack came from.

Just my thoughts but a couple of universities student bodies come to mind, any other guesses?

[keemapoot]

I think perhaps many people have the wrong impression of what this may mean. Time Magazine picks a "person of the year" yearly, and each person is not picked because they are the most worthy of praise, but rather on their impact on the world that year.

Arguably, in a slow news year in Asia, Suthep has had the most impact in Asia perhaps as this could impact the future direction of an important Asian country & economy. Perhaps it is more in this Time model that the Asia Society wishes to be seen. I'm not sure if AS exercised any editorial final decision of the pick, or whether it was simply the one with the most votes wins. Time Magazine accepts input from many sources and then exercises final editorial decision over whom is picked.

Despite the magazine's frequent statements to the contrary, the designation is often regarded as an honor, and spoken of as an award or prize, simply based on many previous selections of admirable people.^[3] However Time magazine points out controversial figures such as Adolf Hitler (1938), Joseph Stalin (1939 and 1942), Nikita Khrushchev (1957) and Ayatollah Khomeini (1979) have also been granted the title for their impacts.^[4]

Edited January 12, 2014 by keemapoot

[chooka]

So the guy didn't get a single vote prior to 2014, then at one of his rallies in front of 6 million adoring fans a plea is made to go online and vote for him and he only get 116,000 votes from his 6 million worshippers.

I think this is crap organised by the lunatic himself the same as the bluesky T.V propaganda video.

[Tatsujin]

This is in the same class (farce) as Yingluck being nominated for the Nobel.

Other countries should take note, the Thai's sure are good at brainwashing large groups of people.

[AloisAmrein]

Well done Khun Suthep. A well deserved recognition by a much respected organisation. May you have much success in your mission over the next few days/weeks. Message to the Thaksin lovers 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'.

Khun Suthep should change his name: Khun Mussolini would be more correct.

[Bluespunk]

Yea, but... Yingluck is getting nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. So that THAT Suthep!

No she's not. That was a spoof piece.

[binjalin]

I heard that the Pope will name Suthep a saint very soon for his charitable work in distriuting chanots

[ginjag]

Well done Khun Suthep. A well deserved recognition by a much respected organisation. May you have much success in your mission over the next few days/weeks. Message to the Thaksin lovers 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'.

Khun Suthep should change his name: Khun Mussolini would be more correct.

No matter what some of you posters think of him, I find no comparison ---re Mussolini Hitler Some of you do not know your history or are crazy enough to type tripe. Suthep maybe whatever you think Good or bad for Thailand but you lot are way OTT with this liking to .

I have mixed feelings about the man, people are warned for small flamed remarks, and some of you are really taking the FLAME bit to other levels.

You may get a shock IF he ever got control here, and got access to some of your remarks, one thing is to disagree, another is to accuse someone of being like the 2 mentioned.

My comment I think on page 1 ? if he gets his task done and he is no good then choose again, that will be then 2 regimes rid of.

[jomtienjinx2013]

Here's the Asia Society's account of what happened in the polling.

As of December 31st Suthep had almost zero votes from the time the polling opened December 20th.

Then in the past closing daze [sic] the poll had 165,000 hits from Thailand (not 6 million).

The runnerup, teenager Malala Yousafzai, who has recovered from a shot to the head by the Taliban, had "close to" 12,000 votes which Asia Society says would be enough to win in any normal voting year. (Suthep got almost 116,000 votes which I believe Asia society says is an unprecedentedly large number of votes beyond the typical number of the annual poll's number of reader-voters.)

The sudden surge of voting this year in the final daze of the open online polling shows what Suthep's still anonymous feudal council and its mob supporters will do to voting and elections polling here in Thailand.

http://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/how-thailands-suthep-thaugsuban-ran-away-our-person-year-poll

I see nothing in the above which surprises me. Indeed it is very normal in he marketing world to canvass for votes for the organisation you are sponsoring or support. As a Managing Director of a large Conference Venue in London every year I would commence a campaign to elicit the votes of my clients for the many annual award events. This has now been somewhat curtailed in the UK recently by the Bribery Act. However Clients are impressed when an organisation can demonstrate pedigree with the different award certificates and statuettes. Sometimes it worked, sometime is didn't. In this case it has obviously worked because so many of those on this forum who have eaten at the table of Khun Thaksin are annoyed to different degrees by Khun Sutheps award.

[Maha Sarakham Marty]

Asia's Person of the Year trumps Yingluck's Thailand Woman of the Year.

[Maha Sarakham Marty]

Yea, but... Yingluck is getting nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. So that THAT Suthep!

Hahaha... Yes, sorry I forget about her pending victory as a Nobel Prize winner.

LOL

[Maha Sarakham Marty]

Khun Suthep should change his name: Khun Mussolini would be more correct.

No matter what some of you posters think of him, I find no comparison ---re Mussolini Hitler Some of you do not know your history or are crazy enough to type tripe. Suthep maybe whatever you think Good or bad for Thailand but you lot are way OTT with this liking to .

That's precisely why moderators have several times directed forum members to cease making the asinine comparisons...yet some trolls still persist in posting them.

[ginjag]

Khun Suthep should change his name: Khun Mussolini would be more correct.

No matter what some of you posters think of him, I find no comparison ---re Mussolini Hitler Some of you do not know your history or are crazy enough to type tripe. Suthep maybe whatever you think Good or bad for Thailand but you lot are way OTT with this liking to .

That's precisely why moderators have several times directed forum members to cease making the asinine comparisons...yet some trolls still persist in posting them.

The mods have a busy job dealing with all. I can understand that.

Compare a person with a similar OK but if anyone can compare this man Suthep on the same level as Hitler and Mussolini are in need of serious help.

Many past and a few present can compete, but not Suthep.