Date and Time: June 24th, 2016 13:00 – 17:30
Place: Tonan-tei, the 2nd floor of Inamori Foundation Memorial Building,
Kyoto University

Program:
13:00 – 14:30
Title: Repression and Self-Censorship under Thailand’s Military Dictatorship
Speaker: Dr. David Streckfuss, Director, Council on International Educational Exchange Program at Khon Kaen University
Abstract:
There has been debate recently in the literature on censorship (and self-censorship) on whether the traditional emphasis on the dichotomy of “free speech vs. repression” and it concomitant focus on the apparatus of institutional censorship can adequately describe the mechanism of silencing within modern societies. The proponents of New Censorship Theory argue that in modern liberal societies the formal mechanisms of censorship have all but disappeared. Drawing on Foucault and Bourdieu, New Censorship Theory extends “censorship” beyond the offices of the censor in their age-old battle with authors to the discourses between a constituted authority and what can and cannot be expressed, “to encompass a growing share of practices and structures that shape the form and content of communication”—whether that be in the workplace, canonical debates (whether religious, literary, or otherwise), or discourses on aesthetics. But what if the formal mechanisms of censorship have not all disappeared? How can New Censorship Theory help us better understand how censorship and self-censorship operate under a military dictatorship? We approach the issue by borrowing the concept of “positionality” and use it to define various positions that critics of the regime take. Through this exercise, we understand better how both traditional forms of censorship operate, how these then relate to the types of structural censorship that New Censorship Theory hints at, and how and why different actors choose different levels of self-censorship in Thailand.

David Streckfuss is an independent scholar living in Thailand and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of Truth on Trial in Thailand: Defamation, Treason, and lèse-majesté (Routledge, 2011). His next book will be Lèse-Majesté: Sovereignty, Legitimation, and Monarchy in a Democratic World. He occasionally writes for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Nikkei Asian Review, The Bangkok Post, and sometimes Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia.

14:30 – 16:00
Title: Monarchised Military Domination over Thailand since 2014 and the Path to the Future
Speaker: Dr. Paul Chambers, Director, Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs, Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University
Abstract:
Since 1957, a resurrected nexus between military and monarch has exerted enormous power across Thailand. Especially from 1980 until 2014, an asymmetrical alliance between the monarchy and military, with the latter as junior partner, held sway. The symbols, rituals and processes within this relationship might be referred to as “monarchized military.” This relationship furthermore involves dynamic transactions between the monarch and military leadership for the purpose of sustaining order in the kingdom. The resulting equilibrium both protects and extends the reciprocal interests of each actor as well as its post-1988 intermediary, the Privy Council. Since the 2014 military coup, the ruling junta has sought to boost its role as “surrogate strongman” for the sovereign either alongside or in place of Privy Council Chair Prem Tinsulanonda. In what ways has the junta sought to maintain power over the country? How is it seeking to enshrine its clout into law for the longer term? What challenges does it face? Has Thailand reached a point in its history where the military could become the leading institution? This talk addresses these questions.

Paul Chambers currently serves as Director of Research, Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs (ISEAA), Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand and as Research Affiliate at both the German Institute of Global Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg, Germany, as well as the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) in Frankfurt, Germany. His research interests focus on civil-military relations in Southeast Asia; international politics of Southeast Asia; dictatorship and democratization in Southeast Asia; and the Political Economy of Less Developed Nations in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Chambers has written four books (three books on the security sector in Southeast Asia) as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters about the military, democratization, and international politics of Southeast Asia. His articles have appeared in Asian Survey, Critical Asian Studies and the Journal of Contemporary Asia, among others. He has focused his research upon Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

16:00 – 17:30
Title: It’s the End of the Throne (as we Know it): A Scenario of King Vajiralongkorn’s Reign
Speaker: Dr. Serhat Ünaldi, Senior manager, Federation of German Industries, Department of International Markets
Abstract:
Apparently, it’s been decided. After years of speculation whether Thailand’s Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn will succeed his father King Bhumibol on the throne, all signs point towards the inevitable: Rama X will be King Vajiralongkorn. But how might his reign look like? In his talk, Serhat Ünaldi tries to discern future trends for Thailand’s monarchy based on past and current observations. He explains the longevity of the present reign as stemming from Bhumibol’s role as a charismatic leader. Thais from all walks of life drew on his royal charisma as a source of legitimacy to pursue their personal aims, in effect “working towards the monarchy”. Bhumibol was rarely forced to intervene himself, because it was precisely the freedom people enjoyed in “working towards him” that made him useful and guaranteed his mass support. Vajiralongkorn, on the other hand, seems to be more interventionist. Thais who claim proximity to him can reap the benefits only until they fall from grace. If they lose his favour, they suffer social and economic exclusion or even death. Clearly, the way kingship works in the country is bound to change. Whether Vajiralongkorn’s reign will mean the end of the Thai throne, or simply a change in the style of royal leadership, is the major question the talk will explore.

Serhat Ünaldi is the author of the book “Working Towards the Monarchy: The Politics of Space in Downtown Bangkok”, recently published by University of Hawaii Press. Duncan McCargo called it “one of the most important books on Bangkok” while Thongchai Winichakul commented that it makes “the facade of majesty crumble”. The work draws parallels between Bhumibol’s role as a charismatic king and Hitler’s leadership style. Serhat received his doctorate in Southeast Asian Studies from Humboldt-University and studied International Relations and Area Studies in Leeds, Berlin and Bangkok. He has published numerous articles and academic papers about the Thai monarchy, often focussing on the intersection between economic interests, political power, and urban space.

Moderator: Pavin Chachavalpongpun, CSEAS, Kyoto University