Good afternoon,

Villagers and members of the Assembly of the Poor have gathered to request that a date be fixed for the annual opening of the sluice gate at the Pak Moon Dam. The Dam has been controversial since before it was even built in 1991 and local people are concerned about (among other things) the inability of fish to pass through the dam. The current compromise is for the sluice gate to be opened four months of the year, usually starting in May. The time has come to fix the date, therefore.

Amnesty International has issued a request for an end to violence against civilians by insurgents in the South. The request includes the following: “So far, 2009 has seen a sharp spike in the number and brutality of attacks by insurgents, which constitute serious human rights abuses.
The insurgents direct some of their attacks at Thai security forces, and others at civilians they deem to be cooperating or collaborating with the authorities. They also carry out indiscriminate attacks that result in deaths and injuries to civilians. Amnesty International said that these attacks on civilians are unlawful and unacceptable.
Amnesty International called on the insurgents to respect minimum standards of humanity reflected in international humanitarian law, including the prohibition against direct attacks on civilians and indiscriminate attacks, and the requirement to treat humanely those who have been captured.
The fact that civilians are being deliberately targeted on a regular basis demonstrates that insurgents in southern Thailand have failed to abide by the most basic principles of humanity.”

Violence in the south has increased significantly in 2009, coinciding with the free hand the military now have after installing the puppet compliant Abhisit government.

There is more evidence of the impact of the economic crisis, this time coming from the Bank of Thailand. Wholesale and retail trade was down 8.5% and 7% in January, firm profitability is down, entrepreneur and consumer confidence is down. Unemployment continues to rise.

My review of The Clan Corporate by Charles Stross has been published at Bookideas.

Back perhaps tomorrow and perhaps Monday – her indoors (x2) are arriving tomorrow around lunchtime so not sure if I will have time to post.