Thailand urged to better understand history at Chulalongkorn

[webfact]

Thailand urged to better understand history at Chulalongkorn
By Isaiah Somanas


ABOVE: Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center lights candles in remembrance of Holocaust victims at an event held at Chulalongkorn University on Jan. 27.

BANGKOK: -- Thailand needs to increase its understanding of history to more successfully engage the world today and build peace in Southeast Asia, according to a recent discussion of the Holocaust and genocide held at Chulalongkorn University.

Students, teachers and dignitaries gathered on the occasion of International Holocaust Memorial Day on Jan. 27 to discuss legacies of genocide as much in Southeast Asia as in Europe, and why it matters today in Thailand just as much as elsewhere

Israeli Ambassador Simon Roded, appearing along with his counterpart from the Czech Republic, artists and academics, said the event was intended "to teach lessons of the Holocaust and prevent future genocide" on the day which marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

Organized by the Israeli embassy and Chulalongkorn’s Rotary Peace Center, the university setting for the event had special significance, as noted by Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2015/02/03/thailand-urged-better-understand-history-chulalongkorn


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-02-03

[Gordy Gambino]

My tilak she has never heard of WW2 or Hitler.

But she knows today she get 10,000baht from atm cos I told her its there for her

She also knows there is 25.897656789 baht to $A.

[Blueyonder]

How can Thailand better understand the history of other countries when its own history is air brushed?

[Morakot]

Best to steamfast the backdrop before the show.

Yes, good conference!

[zaphod reborn]

Replace 1/2 the Thai culture curriculum with world history courses and replace 1/2 of the teachers who use multiple-choice rote-learning tests with real teachers and the problem will be solved.

[Johnnie99]

I was always taught to appreciate my actual, current place in history before learning the relevance of world history to myself.

Just an idea, but could they at Chulalongkorn learn to appreciate their actual (not imagined) place in history, and their own actual (not imagined) importance to the world?

Only an idea. It might be useful.

[NCC1701A]

is Hitler Chicken in BKK still open? last I heard KFC was going after them.

just yesterday i was in a night market and a twenty something Thai man was wearing a huge Nazi swastika on his tee shirt.

not the cute little Buddhism symbol, the full on Nazi version.

not uncommon to see i know... i wanted to get a photo but thought better of it.

the kid looked clueless.

i think the outside world should leave Thailand alone. it is sort of like a huge experiment.

[NickJ]

Ask them about Pol Pot......or better yet...a geography quiz.......or where the King was born......or what 5% of 100 is. Without pocket calculators most commerce in this country would halt.

[Pib]

No need to know historical events occurring outside of Thailand. No need.

[BillyBobThai]

With so many clueless, narcissistic youths of today, I wonder what the society of tomorrow will look like.

[Lupatria]

If you were taught Thailand is the center of the universe and you never got your butt up to look over the fence surrounding your home, why would you care about what is light years away?

[janpoo]

First, they have no idea when you tell them about WW2. Second, they not give a shit.

[Assurancetourix]

No need to know historical events occurring outside of Thailand. No need.

And also no need to know historical events occurring inside Thailand ;

Can u explain me why in the new books for children at school about history of Thailand there is no mention about the three Thaksin government ? ( two for the brother and one for the sister ) ;

And so many stupids things like Thailand was never overrunned by another country...

Are these ligns - in the history books for children at school ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_Kingdom

"In 1765, a combined 40,000-strong force of Burmese armies invaded the territories of Ayutthaya from the north and west.Major outlying towns quickly capitulated. The only notable example of successful resistance to these forces was found at the village of Bang_Rajan After a 14 months' siege, the city of Ayutthaya capitulated and was burned in April 1767. Ayutthaya's art treasures, the libraries containing its literature, and the archives housing its historic records were almost totally destroyed ^. and the Burmese brought the Ayutthaya Kingdom to ruin."

Or that : Battle of Koh_Chang - which is on the Victory Monument a thai victory !!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ko_Chang

[pmh2009]

This what happens when real true history is not taught at the high schools... Till Maw 6 or 12th grade for the westerners no world history is taught!... So well... how would anyone know Hitler wasn't a superhero!!!!!

[nong38]

I was always taught to appreciate my actual, current place in history before learning the relevance of world history to myself.

Just an idea, but could they at Chulalongkorn learn to appreciate their actual (not imagined) place in history, and their own actual (not imagined) importance to the world?

Only an idea. It might be useful.

Only ideas thought of in Thailand are useful, you now have 30 seconds to think of one.

[nong38]

It is always interesting to look back over time and debate about did happen and what might have happened if.....How important events turn on a seemingly insignificant think, often a stroke of luck, how that was interpreted. How one side sees it and how another side sees it, why they took that stance, history is riddled with interesting situations, I pray for the day when Thailand can bring this into their history lessons and can teach the students how and why things happened, how they could easily have turned out in a very different way and perhaps given them a different world that they know today.

Just imagine for moment if Japan had caught the aircraft carriers at Pearl, won the batlle of Midway and gone to the west coast of the USA? Would Thailand today be under Imperial Japanese control and what would life be like today down at BIG C?

[h90]

Ask them about Pol Pot......or better yet...a geography quiz.......or where the King was born......or what 5% of 100 is. Without pocket calculators most commerce in this country would halt.

What is 5% of 100 is unfair! That is really too hard.

But yes Pol Pot was exactly the same as Hitler minus technology and supported by Thailand (and USA) there should be some reflection about this.....

[Tokay]

The gentlemen who recommended such nonsense should be summoned by the Junta and sent to a re-education camp immediately.

[Baerboxer]

Ask them about Pol Pot......or better yet...a geography quiz.......or where the King was born......or what 5% of 100 is. Without pocket calculators most commerce in this country would halt.

What is 5% of 100 is unfair! That is really too hard.

But yes Pol Pot was exactly the same as Hitler minus technology and supported by Thailand (and USA) there should be some reflection about this.....

Pol Pot was more like Stalin or Mao the Hitler. He wanted social revolution and was prepared to massacre his own people to achieve it. Hitler was possessed with a hated for certain groups but Jews in particular, and set about their extermination. A tad different don't you think?

It's good that this lecture took place. I saw several young people recently all wearing t-shirts with the Nazi flag design. They wouldn't have a clue if you asked them.

[bangon04]

Were they selling souvenir Swastika T-shirts in the foyer at Chula while the lecture was going on?

[Stargeezr]

I am not sure about Thailand and their history, but when I visited people in the

southern USA, there were some who wondered how I could live in Canada with

the weather being so cold, and did I live in an Igloo? I even had some who thought that

Canada was actually just another big state in the north. I know this has to do with Geography,

but Thailand is not the only country with educational troubles, and funny teachings.

I also believe that History is in the past, and even if it is learned factually in school, there

are still many who will repeat their history anyway, no matter if they are

completely educated or not.

Nong38, I seen a show where it was supposed that the US actually knew about the Japanese

aircraft and ships earlier, but needed a good reason to get involved with the war.

Just my musings of course, as I am certainly not a great historian, and more of a geezer

with a faulty memory.

[Shaunduhpostman]

Better late than never, but unfortunately it seems most people have to live through history or have some tangible connection to historical events such as a family member or good friend or living in a place where certain things have happened before they can understand them. It always used to confound me how meaningless the Cambodian holocaust, just down the road was and still is, a non-event to most Thais. Now I hardly expect any such sense of compunction for their own let alone the neighbors. I am not begrudging anyone, just saying how it is as I have gathered it. The Thais are the ones who will suffer the most for their own inabillity to care about anyone even themselves. Maybe after there is much suffering such compassion could develop here, but I find it is in pretty short supply.

[Donnie Brasco]

I think that the library at Chula might benefit from a few David Irving volumes and of course Dr Norman Filfelstein's seminal, "The Holocaust Industry". Arther Koestler's "The Thirteenth Tribe" and Gilad Atzmon and Schlomo Sand's work might ad some scholarly fuel to the fire.

We might also look into Pat Buchanan's revisionist The Unecessary War. Might as well go right across the scholarship spectrum.

It's Academia after all. Why not allow for the free exchange of ideas and the latest information from science and the historical record.

A little Chomsky wouldn't hurt either.

He speaks so well, don't you think ?

[Jingthing]

Good and worthy effort as reported in the OP.

Educating Thais about these issues is worthwhile especially considering the political turmoil here in recent years.

[englishoak]

If they havnt bothered up until now since WW2 what on earth makes anyone think it'll be addressed now ? How do you teach kids that have been taught the only thing that is of importance happens within Thailand, and thats selective, censored and adapted changed to suit anyway....

If theres an issue about Chula lack of historical teaching ability that about says everything you need to know about any decent education or accuracy on history being available or taught anywhere in Thailand.

in fact you should be asking yourself why you value your childs education less than your own if you leave them to the Thai education system.

Look after your own children's education in this regard at least and make sure they get a real and proper history education including all about Thailand's real history both good and bad, and the world shattering events of the past like WW2 and lessons learned if you value them.

They wont get it in school wherever they go thats for sure but they are part of the global world no matter what Thailand thinks, and will look very dumb anywhere else if they dont even know who Hitler or Mao were. Kids deserve a heck of a lot better education in history and most other subjects than Thailand is prepared to give them.

[Jingthing]

Is there value for the future of Thailand for the world not to perceive them as a hub of Nazi chic fashion?

I'm asking, not answering.

Thailand has a lot of PR issues abroad that are arguably much deeper, such as the sex tourism reputation.

[theslime]

Thai,s seem much like a lot of people, they dont care for history, change it to suit themselves and are blind to others suffering. Sound familar to anyone.

[Thai at Heart]

What does Chulalongkorn have to do with the holocaust.

Beyond that, the odds that the actions of history will give a complete solution to any modern problem are slim.

So study chulalongkorn and study lots of other people did to get a complete solution.no single person has a monopoly on successful outcomes.

[NeverSure]

It is always interesting to look back over time and debate about did happen and what might have happened if.....How important events turn on a seemingly insignificant think, often a stroke of luck, how that was interpreted. How one side sees it and how another side sees it, why they took that stance, history is riddled with interesting situations, I pray for the day when Thailand can bring this into their history lessons and can teach the students how and why things happened, how they could easily have turned out in a very different way and perhaps given them a different world that they know today.

Just imagine for moment if Japan had caught the aircraft carriers at Pearl, won the batlle of Midway and gone to the west coast of the USA? Would Thailand today be under Imperial Japanese control and what would life be like today down at BIG C?

"Just imagine for moment if Japan had caught the aircraft carriers at Pearl, won the battle of Midway and gone to the west coast of the USA? Would Thailand today be under Imperial Japanese control and what would life be like today down at BIG C?"

It wasn't going to happen anyway. Japan couldn't have invaded the mainland US because there would have been "a gun behind every blade of grass."

Japan got nuked. End of.

[Somtamnication]

I think you guys are all wrong. Thai students have heard of Hitler.

This is a school in Chiang Mai couple of years ago. Look for John Lennon and Mr. Bean!!