Showing 1 - 10 of 15
Safety last
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 15/07/2018
» The government can't prevent boys from being naughty any more than it can prevent squalls in an open sea. However, the government could have prevented two of the most deadly events to have captivated local and global attention recently.
Islamic State, keep out
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 27/11/2016
» The most intriguing story of the week was the suggestion that Thai Muslims had been caught out in supporting the Islamic State (IS). It was intriguing because while the neighbours have often been involved directly in international terrorism, and still are, no Thai ever has been linked to the post-9/11 groups championed by Osama bin Laden, his progeny or their many copycats.
The big issue: Fighting war, talking peace
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 04/09/2016
» Separatists in the deep South tried to have it both ways last week, thankfully failing (mostly) on one score but arguably pushing ahead on the second, long-range part of the strategy.
The big issue: Unravelling another bomb plot
Oped, Alan Dawson, Published on 21/08/2016
» The top commanders of the security forces and their multiple junta supervisors marked the first anniversary of the Erawan Shrine killings with a re-enactment of the investigation of that 2015 atrocity, using the Mother's Day attacks in the South as the example.
The big issue: Month of calamity
Alan Dawson, Published on 10/07/2016
» At dinner time on Friday, July 1, seven nice young, educated men of good families walked into the upscale Holey Artisan Bakery (official motto - The Only True Artisan Bakery Shop Between Mumbai and Singapore) in the tony Gulshan area of Dhaka, to kill a bunch of people.
The big issue: Sacred space
Alan Dawson, Published on 24/01/2016
» Muang district of Pattani is one of Thailand’s loveliest provincial capitals, and of course one of its least visited, what with the inconvenient war and all.
The big issue: Looking away
Alan Dawson, Published on 17/01/2016
» At 1.30am on Oct 11, more than 100 masked soldiers, police and militia raided a house in Kolo Tanyong village near Pattani province’s northern coast.
The big issue: The man in the yellow T-shirt
Alan Dawson, Published on 23/08/2015
» Police and the public know pretty much everything about the life of the man in the yellow T-shirt. Everything, that is, for the 20 minutes of that vile life between 6.38pm and 6.58pm last Monday.
The big issue: The goats of August
Alan Dawson, Published on 26/07/2015
» Army officers approached Sama-ae Thanam in his Yala prison cell last month, according to the former Pulo terrorist. He quickly agreed to their proposal to support government-sponsored peace moves in exchange for breathing the free air of the deep South — not because they were extra persuasive, but rather because he had been thinking over his support of violence for a long time.
The big issue: Man with a history
Alan Dawson, Published on 07/06/2015
» Whoever writes the script for the movie of his life — which, by the way, someone definitely should do — will have to tone it down a bit or many viewers won’t believe that just one man has done what three-star Gen Manas Kongpan has done.