Good morning,

Five people on a work gang, including two women, were murdered by southern terrorists. The workers were on their way to rebuild an Islamic school in Pattani province. The twenty insurgents, armed with M16 rifles according to reports, hid in an ambush and then attacked the truck carrying the workers. Five were killed and another shot and seriously wounded. There has been a trickle of violent incidents over the last few days, although I have not been reporting them. There does not seem to be any coherent response from either the government or the military forces.

A report on labour conditions in the Thai shrimp industry has drawn a somewhat defensive response from the Bangkok Post. The report alleges child labour, ‘common’ physical and sexual abuse, debt bondage and unsafe working conditions. Thais (in common with many other people, of course) resent criticism from overseas, even when everyone knows or at least suspects it is all true. American reports are complicated by the suspicion that complaints are used as protectionist measures. The Free Trade Agreement between Thailand and the USA, which can now go ahead presumably, is expected to contain quite a lot about labour conditions both because it is necessary and also to drive up Thai labour costs and make exports to America less attractive. The report itself is available here. I cannot download it myself so please feel free to send me a copy.

Meanwhile, more evidence of the declining competitiveness of Thai fruit and vegetables in the wake of increased Vietnamese efforts. The Vietnamese government has taken strides with respect to product quality and is improving the airport and logistics sector so as to provide increased future competitiveness.

My review of Sergei Lukyanenko’s Twilight Watch has now been published at Bookideas. I published a new article at Suite 101 entitled Aristocracy in the Tang Dynasty, while, via Triond, at Relijournal entitled Shamans in Southeast Asia.

Back on Monday. Please, a draw, just a goalless, tedious draw.