To Christiane Amanpour, welcome to Yingluck's Potemkin Village

[webfact]

TELL IT AS IT IS
To Christiane Amanpour, welcome to Yingluck's Potemkin Village
Pornpimol Kanchanalak
Special to The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Maybe it was prolific American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's curse - "there's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women" - that made CNN's Christiane Amanpour decide to interview caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck two days ago.

Journalists, especially those who cover Washington, know that every once in a while they will be asked by government officials to "plant" questions at a press conference. The idea behind the "planting" has nothing to do with gardening, but with the desire of the government to make statements on issues which it wants to make, but cannot without being prompted. The "planting" is considered a "favour" that the officials return by providing those journalists with exclusive access to information that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

But as a journalist who, in her own words, "has made my living bearing witness to some of the most horrific events of the end of our [20th] century," and has also said she believes that good journalism can make the world a better place, Amanpour is too major-league to agree to such a deal. So, it was mystifying to see one of our finest investigative journalists let the caretaker prime minister of Thailand get away with prepared statements that contained more holes than Swiss cheese, without asking tough follow-up questions.

It was a cop-out to open the interview with the issue at the centre of the world's attention - the mysterious disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. At best it was a waste of time to ask what the government of Thailand was doing, when the answer has already been widely reported. Then Amanpour lobbed in a question about the failed rice subsidy programme, apparently to maintain the appearance of hard-hitting journalism. Once again, the caretaker premier gave a prepared answer: it was a policy to aid the poor farmers. Amanpour did not ask her if the policy and its implementation had really helped the poor farmers, or whether it was merely a corrupt scheme that put more money in the pockets of government cronies than those of the farmers. At least she could have asked why, with the enormous sum of taxpayers' money the scheme had swallowed, a large number of farmers had still not been paid for their rice by the government. Neither did she ask whether the farmers under the scheme were now better or worse off.

The Thai premier continued with one pre-cooked statement after another. Perhaps the most preposterous one was when Amanpour asked about the influence of the former premier Thaksin Shinawatra - Yingluck's brother - over her decisions as Thailand's leader. Of course, Yingluck's answer was to deny any such influence. Then she went further, asserting that if she were under the influence of her brother, she would not have been so successful in managing the catastrophic flooding that Thais faced from July 2011 to January 2012 that caused at least Bt24 billion in damage. Whoa! She called that a success?

Again, not a single word from Amanpour to inquire of the caretaker premier what she meant by "success", and what the influence of her brother, or lack thereof, had anything to do with her self-proclaimed success with flood management.

Throughout the "interview" (which offended the sensibilities of any viewer who believed in the journalistic integrity of Amanpour), Yingluck portrayed Thailand under her leadership as a shining example of democracy, with her as its ultimate defender, willing to die on the democratic "battlefield". If Thailand is such, we have no choice but to give in to the delusion that we are living in one big happy Potemkin Village.

Back in 1787, Grigory Potemkin, the favourite lover of Russian Queen Catherine the Great, assembled a few mobile villages along the banks of the river Dnieper, to impress the queen, and more so the foreign ambassadors travelling with her. In the fake villages, Potemkin's men would dress up as happy peasants. Fireworks would light up the sky over the villages at night, signifying renewed prosperity after the area was devastated by wars. When Catherine's barge passed, the fake village would be disassembled and re-erected downstream where she made her next stop.

During World War II, a Nazi German concentration camp that served as a way-station to Auschwitz was given the name "Paradise Ghetto". It was another Potemkin village, deceptive and deadly.

Most recently, Sochi, the venue of the 2014 Winter Olympic in Russia, was termed Putin's Potemkin. With almost US$50 billion plunged by Putin into this gloomy city on the Black Sea, Sochi appeared splendid, but people soon discovered that the shining façade hid a grimmer reality.

Likewise our caretaker premier painted a picture of herself as the smiling champion of the poor. She blamed the protesters for wrecking Thai tourism and the economy. She talked about equality in our society. She asked for understanding for the red shirts who talked about dividing up the country along colour-coded lines.

Glaringly absent from her remarks was the other side of the coin, which prompted millions of people to take to the streets. Absent was an admission that it was her government's declaration of a state of emergency that had raised the level of caution among foreign visitors. The inability of her government to track down the culprits behind the almost daily bombing and shooting of unarmed protesters raises a legitimate question about her ability to continue governing. A country cannot be truly democratic when its leader accepts only the judicial rulings she likes, and rejects those she doesn't. The double standards, and the multiple standards that she and her government promote to protect her and their interests, deal a black eye to the democracy of which she proudly presents herself the ultimate guardian. The Cabinet meetings that show the world a deceptively glittering room, with her at the head of the table, hide the fact that these meetings have to move from place to place, never being held at Government House where they should be. The magnificent bouquets of red roses presented to her at every stop give a false sense she enjoys security and admiration, all of which she gladly embraces.

Yingluck has made her home a Potemkin village. She offered Amanpour the golden key to enter her village. And, for whatever reasons, in this superb journalist went.


-- The Nation 2014-03-13

[keemapoot]

Honestly, does anyone even watch CNN anymore? It's an all-but-defunct has been news network. It's the butt of endless jokes on both sides of the political spectrum in the US. Amanpour is just "phoning in" her appearances now, collecting huge paychecks like everyone else, until this once great proud news organization makes the inevitable plunge into bankruptcy.

[Snig27]

Ha, it's funny watching the endless squirming on Suthep and Dem's Thai far right when the world beyond their shores doesn't quite get their twisted version of reality.

[RogueExpat]

One really does wonder why a respected journalist only covers one side of the story.

No wonder no-one trusts CNN anymore.

Hopefully her readership will diminish for such poor reporting.

Shame on you Ms Amanpour.

[davejonesbkk]

The Nation and other Thai media need to realise that the rest of the world really doesnt give a cr** about Thailand and knows very little about the Thai rice scheme etc. The only time the western media is interested is when there's violence and they can get some good pictures of riots and protests, its already been said before that they have trouble condensing the reports into short 1 minute segments. The general public in the UK, US and so on really couldnt care less and there is no reason for them to. Even when things were pretty bad here during Songkran in 2010 most of my friends back home didnt know much about what was going on or why...

[Yunla]

Amanpour's interviews are all about Amanpour, and I find her utterly unwatchable, her ego dwarfs everybody else in the room. Also the questions she puts are totally couched in her rigid beliefs on "the way things are" which she totally believes are the only correct viewpoint. This is only my own personal and humble opinion.

Edited March 13, 2014 by Yunla

[pepsis]

Humorous to see the holder of an English-language Masters degree has abandoned using English in interviews; no doubt due to her abysmal showings in the past. Unfortunately for her, the non-answers still permeate despite the new use of a translator.

Edited March 13, 2014 by pepsis

[Prbkk]

It was a fair and balanced report on CNN. It is no surprise that some posters will find that objectionable

[Mosha]

Did YS's aides call back and ask "Do you think she's pretty?"

[beenhere2long]

It was a fair and balanced report on CNN. It is no surprise that some posters will find that objectionable

.....what are you on?

[keemapoot]

It was a fair and balanced report on CNN. It is no surprise that some posters will find that objectionable

.....what are you on?

He only drinks Red Fanta.

[Jay Sata]

CNN is a joke these days and no longer do you see it screened in hotels and airports across the world.

As for Yingluck....how can you have a Masters in English and not be able to speak the language?

Edited March 13, 2014 by Jay Sata

[kimamey]

The Nation and other Thai media need to realise that the rest of the world really doesnt give a cr** about Thailand and knows very little about the Thai rice scheme etc. The only time the western media is interested is when there's violence and they can get some good pictures of riots and protests, its already been said before that they have trouble condensing the reports into short 1 minute segments. The general public in the UK, US and so on really couldnt care less and there is no reason for them to. Even when things were pretty bad here during Songkran in 2010 most of my friends back home didnt know much about what was going on or why...

Isn't that the point of journalism to tell people about things they don't know. Whether those people were interested beforehand isn't the reason. They can decide if they are interested in the story and many will be but not all.

[Mentors]

The Yellow Propaganda machine dont works on CNN. Good!

[lomatopo]

Journalists, especially those who cover Washington, know that every once in a while they will be asked by government officials to "plant" questions at a press conference.

Not that Ms. Kanchanalak is a journalist - she is probably more recognized as having been convicted on illegal campaign contribution charges in the U.S., and thus is an "in-house" expert on corruption - I doubt she sees the irony in her quasi-review/editorial?

"In June 2000, Kanchanalak pled guilty to felony conspiracy and misdemeanor campaign financing charges".

(FYI, various Thai government entities are blocking more and more web-sites which detail Ms. Kanchanalak's "activities" in the U.S.)

[JoeThePoster]

I think watching Amanpour on CNN is a bit more insightful than reading farfetched analogies from Pornpimol Kanchanalak.

[geriatrickid]

CNN is a joke these days and no longer do you see it screened in hotels and airports across the world.

As for Yingluck....how can you have a Masters in English and not be able to speak the language?

CNN Airport was not screened at airports around the world. It was intended for the US market. The programming is specific for airports because it will not feature airline advertisements and specifically excludes graphic material that might offend pax (e.g. violence & sex). Airports that offer television monitors in public areas tend to use a national broadcaster (e.g. BBC in the UK, Bell Media in Canada). There are now many local news channels such that the airport lounges tend to carry those station, particularly as they will feature local/regional news and weather.

It's quite amusing to read the attacks on Amanpour. Had PM Yingluck not done so well, or if Amanpour had asked intentionally embarrassing questions in accordance with the Yingluck haters' desires, she would be the subject of praise and not derision. It seems that every time the PM is treated in a fair manner by a foreign journalist, we are treated to attacks on the journalist. Amanpour had nothing to gain from the interview producing either a negative or positive reaction.

Edited March 13, 2014 by geriatrickid

[noitom]

Amanpour is filled with herself. She's not the only one. The integrity of journalism today is held for ransom by the corrupt politicians who are being interviewed. The best interviewer See is Charlie Rose. His interview yesterday with Masayoshi Son was terrific. He asked tough questions and Son was great. Where he couldn't answer, he said so.

[promatrix]

As for Yingluck....how can you have a Masters in English and not be able to speak the language?

The language overcomes her!

[geriatrickid]

CNN is a joke these days and no longer do you see it screened in hotels and airports across the world.

As for Yingluck....how can you have a Masters in English and not be able to speak the language?

The PM does not have a Masters Degree in English. She has an MPA in management information systems. If you have ever attended grad school you will know that many foreign students have some awful language skills. In my graduate classes in the science faculty, we had a Russian doctoral student who led one of our tutorials for biostats. The man was incomprehensible and had the personality of a dishrag. Two of the doctoral researchers in my lab were Chinese nationals who could barely string an English language sentence and yet these guys were also TAs. MIS doesn't require advanced English language skills. Much of the class work is number driven, which has its own "language". MPAs and MBAs are two types of masters diplomas that do not usually require a thesis and defense. One writes a research paper. That's why, the folks in the real sciences crack jokes about the diplomas. These are "finishing" diplomas intended to provide additional knowledge in business management for those with a different underlying education such as engineers. It also provides an opportunity for those with a business education/background to develop a broader knowledge of certain specialties (in the 2nd year).

[jayboy]

Journalists, especially those who cover Washington, know that every once in a while they will be asked by government officials to "plant" questions at a press conference.

Not that Ms. Kanchanalak is a journalist - she is probably more recognized as having been convicted on illegal campaign contribution charges in the U.S., and thus is an "in-house" expert on corruption - I doubt she sees the irony in her quasi-review/editorial?

"In June 2000, Kanchanalak pled guilty to felony conspiracy and misdemeanor campaign financing charges".

(FYI, various Thai government entities are blocking more and more web-sites which detail Ms. Kanchanalak's "activities" in the U.S.)

This disgraceful excuse for a journalist is as you say a bigot with a criminal past.Leaving her shady activities in the US to one side, her articles in The Nation are a sustained barrage of flatulent and hateful garbage.

Typical that she repeats the lie of "millions taking to the streets" but still like the rest of her reactionary coterie is terrified by the thought of the Thai people speaking at a general election.

http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/192/1037/594125/

Edited March 13, 2014 by jayboy

[ginjag]

It was a fair and balanced report on CNN. It is no surprise that some posters will find that objectionable

MOST

[puanddavid]

Humorous to see the holder of an English-language Masters degree has abandoned using English in interviews; no doubt due to her abysmal showings in the past. Unfortunately for her, the non-answers still permeate despite the new use of a translator.

What a great interview, thank you for posting it. As I've said before, it's standard protocol for head's of state to give interviews in their native language only. If this is all you have to pick on, her giving interviews in her native language, you really are reaching. I thought Christiane Amanpour asked a lot of poignant and tough questions; the rice scheme, possibility of a coup, her brother's influence, secession. What more do you want? You people are nuts!

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

It was a fair and balanced report on CNN. It is no surprise that some posters will find that objectionable

Ahh....... I get it ,,,,,,,,,,, that's your joke of the day........ (giggle)

[SOTIRIOS]

....rice money 'at work'......???

[BLUENILE]

It was a fair and balanced report on CNN. It is no surprise that some posters will find that objectionable

Well, we all know that she is lying to CNN;

Yingluck answered that she is the one making decisions in her own capacity and leading Thailand by herself free of Thaksin, that NACC has not started an investigation on her, as well that no "serious incidents" and no violence had occurred over these 4 months political protests.

[AleG]

Ha, it's funny watching the endless squirming on Suthep and Dem's Thai far right when the world beyond their shores doesn't quite get their twisted version of reality.

Reality has no versions, please explain how in your interpretation of reality the Rice Scheme and the management of the 2011 floods, to pick two examples from the interview, were succesful.

[Bakseeda]

Ha, it's funny watching the endless squirming on Suthep and Dem's Thai far right when the world beyond their shores doesn't quite get their twisted version of reality.

Did you ever hear this quote.. very suitable here.. It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you an idiot, than to open it and provide the evidence. .. I think some countries ship their idiots to Thailand..

[smileydude]

I try to watch Yingluck's interviews in hope of seeing some signs of intelligence and the silver lining in the cloud (by absconding) but every time after about a minute into the interviews I just cringe and all hope fades due to the painfully halting english and scripted content that obviously shows she has no idea what she's talking about.

I lose a few IQ points every time I listen.

Edited March 13, 2014 by smileydude

[animatic]

It was a fair and balanced report on CNN. It is no surprise that some posters will find that objectionable

You really don't see the abject irony of using the words "Fair and Balanced"

in regards to an American news source do you?

Two words ' Faux News '. Sad.

Edited March 13, 2014 by animatic