Farang Correspondent

Farang (ฝรั่ง, far-àng), n. 1. From 'farangi,' or foreigner; 2. A white man in Asia. Robert Baird is a Timor Leste-based journalist.

[farangcorrespondent]

Best Coast? A WAxit from Normal Life - For Now

I could see the dread setting in before I heard the news. With the sun high in the sky on Sunday, and hundreds playing, carefree, on Perth’s Cottesloe Beach, I spotted the first one. It was a Dad, about 40, shirtless, and wrangling two kids, lifted his phone speaker to his ear. His face wrinkles.

Next a woman lying near me on the grass, sun-baking, suspends a flurry of texting to do the same, and grows perceptively tenser. And then a teenager peels off from her boisterous gaggle of friends to tune in. (“Ssssh! Hey shut! I’m trying to listen! It’s about the covid thing..”)

Watching their faces, my heart sank, because it confirmed the rumours: Perth, after eight months of - sometimes haughty - normal life amid a global pandemic, was re-entering lockdown. An extremely infectious coronavirus strain had leaked out of hotel quarantine via a security guard late last week. It’s a familiar story - but now it’s Western Australia’s turn to suffer. The remedy - or perhaps the sentence - announced by the premier was a “short, sharp” five-day lockdown: non-essential travel banned, schools closed, masks mandatory outdoors. To stay at home “until we get on top of this.” My wife and I responded to the grim tidings the only sensible way: by walking to the pub for beers, fish and chips, and gelato. Because who knows when we’ll enjoy such basic liberties again?

Here’s the rub: it almost certainly will not be just five days of isolation. Adelaide got an early mark last year, but only because patient zero lied, meaning he was far less infectious than assumed. Sydney’s lockdown was more like three weeks, and ruined Christmas. And Melbourne’s hotel quarantine failures resulted in a 111-day nightmare. I hope this proves pessimistic. After all, it’s accurate - albeit self-pitying - to complain: but we only moved here last week! Wasn’t Perth supposed to be safe?? But also: the smugness with which West Australians rallied around the premier’s strict hard border closure for so many months, acting as if Covid was an “east coast” and not a national problem. And now this.. The smugness continued today in the West Australian newspaper - the flag-bearer of parochial pride - in praising Perthlings for “doing the right thing... in stark contrast to Sydneysiders during their Christmas holiday cluster.”

The paper’s parochial spin aside, it does bode well for getting out of this disaster: people seem to follow the rules. And after moving from Darwin, there does seem to be a lot of rules to follow. 

So I guess there’s nothing I can do except cool my itchy feet, and get comfortable in this studio flat for the next few days. The exploring can wait.

[farangcorrespondent]

‘Your time has not yet come’ - Age and Political agency in TL and Australia

Young people in a traditional Timor-Leste setting rebel against age and status at their peril. You see the deference on the streets every single day. But how can you say you live in a democracy when half the population is less than 17, and young people are excluded from decision-making?

In an interesting set of interviews with young Timorese (Brinke 2018), one woman, Dulcie, expressed her frustrations:

“We cannot tell [older men] they are wrong, even if he’s wrong we cannot tell him because he is older than we are”

In the piece, it’s argued that if Timorese foin sa’e are prepared to just ‘wait it out’ until those raised during Portuguese rule (<1975) and under Indonesian occupation (1975-1999) die out, they can hardly be considered citizens of Timor at all, but ‘citizens-in-waiting’.

The family unit and suku (village) structures must be respected at all costs; after all, this cohesion was key to the resistance against the Indonesians. It’s deeply embedded.

But in our more atomised lives in the west, young people have fewer qualms about contradicting or even embarrassing older people. It’s commonplace to mock the elderly for being slow, dim, or stupid. Many live their final years in isolation, quietly slipping away with no-one to even visit, no-one who cares. 

Is it at all surprising, then, that there’s pushback against youth insubordinance?

Extinction Rebellion

"We've got to let kids be kids" Scott Morrison, Australian PM, said earlier this year, after Greta Thunberg addressed the United Nations. Kids don’t engage in politics, the subtext read. His comments came as not only was he not participating in the Global Climate Summit in New York, but appeared on the sidelines of it actively undermining its message. Don’t worry, we’ve got this climate thing under control. Stop making the young people anxious.

Morrison was trying to head off a political movement he opposes, so there’s a pragmatism to it. But his means of doing it is to basically tell young people to shut up.  It’s a curious approach.

Take a read of this appraisal the political credibility of the youth:

Young Australians are “better informed, better able to judge, more confident in their judgements, more critical in their appraisals, and on more mature terms with society around them.”

Is this a defence of Extinction Rebellion and the right to protest?

No. It was an argument made 46 years ago in support of lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 — which Mr Morrison benefitted from when he first went to the polls.

OK Boomer

Nothing stirs the spirit quite like the underdog claiming a victory, however small, against the big dog. If the older generation has the demographic and political ascendancy, it’s more circumstantial than deserved. Which means it’s okay to laugh at Baby Boomers. And that’s why the ‘Ok Boomer’ putdown is so effective: it’s dismissing an entire ruling class by sarcastic, ad hominem putdown. So why does it upset Boomers so much? Well, no-one likes to be disrespected. And in a narcissistic way, if you’re of a certain age, you would think in that moment that the young people have no respect for you at all. Never mind the fact they kowtow to Boomers at work, follow laws drafted by Boomers, follow the rules. The Baby Boomer generation fought hard for their rights — sexual liberation, civil rights, labour rights — and god damn it the kids of today don’t know how good they’ve got it. They should listen to us. We’ve got it all figured out.

Conclusion 

Scott Morrison has a lot of time for ‘Quiet Australians’, those who go about their business and don’t make much fuss about politics — at least publicly. How nice of the leader of a liberal democracy to be so candid about the need for an apathetic polity in order to rule. Quiet is respectful. Quiet is cooperative. Quiet is convenient. In Timor-Leste, democracy is young — but village politics is ancient. Young Timorese may be deferential and polite within those power structures, but just don’t expect them to be quiet:

“A good citizen is not quiet, but respectful. A good citizen is not quiet. If something is not right he/she will say ‘no’. But still, we have to bow (hakruk) for the people who are bigger than we are.” (Caetano, interview with Brinke 2018)

[farangcorrespondent]

She’s probably the most famous grandmother in Timor right now, splashed across billboards all over Dili. A weathered face, cracked open into a near-toothless smile as she casts her vote in the ‘konsulta popular’ - Timor’s fateful vote for independence, 20 years ago this week. I don't know her name, where she comes from or even how she voted in that ballot, but her joyous face seems to represent the mood of what was then a restive Indonesian province: hope. Hope that after three centuries of colonisation, and decades of armed resistance, the people would finally decide their future: an independent, free Timor-Leste. The poster-woman for self-determination, and plenty more, could not have imagined the horrific violence that would follow the vote, as pro-Indonesian militias murdered Timorese and laid waste to what was left. 1,400 civilians are believed to have died, and a further 200,000 forcibly repatriated to West Timor into deplorable living conditions. But 20 years on, ‘konsulta popular’ is an annual celebration, and a public holiday, and is remembered as a declaration of independence, of sorts; the moment Timor drew a line in the sand and stood up to its oppressors.  It was also the day I first came to Dili. I wanted to be here for the occasion - which was also marked by the formal ratification of the (re-negotiated) maritime treaty by Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. But I ended up watching events from some distance: on TV, at a local restaurant. Which was just as well, I suppose; apart from some serious culture shock, it was also the first night I’d spent with my wife in a month.  --  We’ve moved here for the next 11 months as Aus Aid volunteers. My first assignment is to learn Tetum, the local fusion of Bahasa, Portuguese and Indigenous languages. Then my next job is to reshape a newsroom that is so close to the government it literally shares the building with them. I’ll do my best to keep you updated.

[farangcorrespondent]

It's like a jungle sometimes. #Bangkok

[farangcorrespondent]

I'd love to say I shot this myself while I was in Bangkok, but alas, I was sequestered at a hotel in the 'burbs. Oh, that, and this is brilliant. Beautifully shot by Director Justin Heaney in and around Bangkok, Pai, Mae Hong Son and the Thailand/Myanmar border, this short film captures perfectly the essence of life in this land. Full screen mandatory.

Thanks to the Lowy Interpreter/Vimeo staff picks for the link.

[farangcorrespondent]

Southeast Asia's Surging Significance, from an Apologist

It's been a while between posts for Farang Correspondent. I've been working on a number of stories for Asian Correspondent, including a new tech blog that should be launched soon. That, and with the election farce of last weekend it's an exciting time to be in Southeast Asia. I thought I ought share this with you. A journalist I read regularly, whose work always cuts through the chaff, is the Global Post's senior Southeast Asia correspondent, Patrick Winn (aka the @BKKApologist). His description of the region is characteristically spot on:

Winn is documenting a region in flux, where despots experiment with democracy (Burma/Myanmar), communists excel at capitalism (Vietnam) and cell phones are rife among peasants surviving on $2 a day (half of Indonesia). Southeast Asia's importance is unquestionable. Its jungles and sea lanes supply China with energy and raw materials. Its factories supply the West with food and cheap goods. Its modern appetites and old codes clash daily as Thailand's Buddhists pray for winning lottery numbers and Malaysia's Muslim mall rats color code their sneakers with their hijabs. And as the U.S. and China intensify a diplomatic chess game from Laos to the Philippines and everywhere in between, Southeast Asia's strategic significance is set to surge.

As the "Pacific Century" unfolds, Winn is here to help break down Southeast Asia's conflicts, trends and absurdities.

More from me -- of this standard, I hope -- to come soon.

[farangcorrespondent]

Civil society groups ramp up pressure on Cambodian govt

Human rights activists have condemned the Cambodian government over its deadly crackdown on striking garment workers a week ago today.

Hundreds of protesters have rallied in front of Cambodian embassies from Bangkok to Berlin as part of a global week of action condemning the violence that left five dead and at least 39 injured.

On Friday, January 3, following a largely peaceful two-week strike over wages, military police moved on a protest at the Canadia Industrial Park in Phnom Penh, firing live ammunition, teargas and grenades.

The Asia Pacific forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), coordinating demonstrations in 11 cities, said that the display of solidarity for the workers around the world shows the brutality of the Cambodian government towards poor workers is unacceptable.

“We want to say that the Cambodian government should listen to their own people protesting, but since they won’t, it’s up to the rest of the world to stand up,” APWLD’s regional coordinator Kate Lappin said.

In Bangkok, more than 100 protestors marched to the Cambodian embassy around noon, carrying banners such as “protest is a basic human right.”

Pranom Somwong, who led the march, challenged the Cambodian government to produce evidence that the striking workers attacked police, which had been blamed for triggering the crackdown.

“You cannot just say ‘our position is everyone who committed the violence should be prosecuted’ if violence by the military isn’t being addressed,” she said.

In Seoul, protestors held a press conference in front of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs this morning, demanding the government come clean about its involvement in the crackdown.

Eun-ji Kang of the Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS) says Korean companies should take full responsibility for the loss of life.

“We believe the lives of the people are much higher and more valuable than the enterprises in Cambodia,” she said.

The Korean government has faced a stream of criticism over its role in the violence after its embassy in Phnom Penh admitted – then denied – it had met with the Cambodian military ahead of the crackdown.

In a post on its Facebook page, which has been deleted, the embassy took credit for convincing the Cambodian government to “understand the seriousness of this situation and act swiftly.”

Since then the embassy in Phnom Penh has denied allegations it urged the use of force on protestors, saying such claims were “ill-intentioned” and based on false information.

Korea is one of the largest investors in Cambodia, with about 60 South Korean-owned factories in the country – six in the Canadia Industrial Park where the protests occurred.

Most of the estimated 350,000 strikers have returned to work, and the workers’ push for a minimum wage rise from $80 to $160 a month remains unfulfilled.

With some of the lowest wages in Southeast Asia, Cambodian workers were promised a $160 minimum wage by the opposition party Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) coalition if the party won election. Despite losing the poll, MP Mu Sochu says the party is still determined to push for the reform.

Ms Sochua slammed the Hun Sen government’s actions, saying the deployment of military on civilian populations is unconstitutional and can only be issued by decree of the King during a state of emergency.

“The fact is [Prime Minister] Hun Sen knows about this, and this is not the first time that more-than-excessive force as used to crackdown on civilians,” she said. “This is a culture of impunity that has for too long existed in Cambodia.”

Concerns have also been raised for 23 young men arrested during the crackdown, who are being held in the notorious and remote CC3 prison, located near the Vietnam border.

They could wait up to 18 months for trial, and if convicted face 5 years’ imprisonment as well as fines up to $2,500 – or two and a half years’ worth of the current wages – according to the the Cambodian rights group LICADHO.

Further demonstrations are set to take place in Berlin, Manila and Istanbul in the coming days.

-- This post originally appeared in Asian Correspondent on January 10, 2014. Read the original article here.

[stevemccurrystudios-deactivated]

A man rests in a tree with his elephant in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

[farangcorrespondent]

Two months in, and still no sign of the elephants that once roamed Chiang Mai. Sure, I could visit one of the many nearby elephant 'sanctuaries,' but I'm still a bit uneasy about paying money for that sort of thing. Still, I will find one that treats these beautiful giants well and I promise you pictures. Before the year is out. Which reminds me, Happy New Year everyone!

[farangcorrespondent]

Let your troubles drift away

Fortuitously, I’ve arrived just in time for two of Thailand’s most endearing traditions, which this year happen to coincide: Loy Krathong, and the ancient Lanna festival of Yi Peng. The twin festivals draw visitors from across the globe, and for one weekend this quiet northern city is buzzing like its big sister down south, Bangkok.

Chiang Mai is the ancient capital of the Lanna Kingdom (13th-18th c. CE) — the ruins of the old walled city stand sentinel to the long lost dynasty — and the city is Yi Peng’s spiritual home.

In addition to the parades, markets and dancing, the main attraction is the launching of rice-paper lanterns (khom loy). The festival is understood to be a time for tham bun (ทำบุญ, or to ‘make merit’ in the Bhuddist tradition). Nobody explained that to me at the time, though, and my lantern had nothing more profound than “Yi Peng, 2556” scrawled on the side.

As I watched from the Nawarat Bridge on Saturday night, however, I could see how this ought to be done: poems, odes to lost family, and wishes for the year ahead adorned the thin, rice-paper walled lanterns. From there, the wicks are lit, the flimsy paper billows, and the lantern takes off into the night sky.

—

The real star of Yi Peng was Thailand’s extraordinary weather. A warm, clear night with only the slightest breath of wind meant the lanterns drifted skyward in a steady column before joining the stars above.

And there were fireworks. So, so many fireworks. For as little as 40 baht (AUD$1.40) you could buy explosives and set them off over the bridge, from the riverbanks, or (far too often) right next to my ear. Cleverer sorts attached longer-wicked bungers to the bottom of the lanterns, set to fire off at 100ft or so, producing a dazzling downpour of sparks.

From our apartment just off Nimmanhaemin Rd, the lanterns were a nightly distraction for much of the week leading up to Yi Peng as lanterns were launched from the nearby car park. That was closer to home than I was comfortable with. They were pretty, but I was sure one errant gust would bring a khom loy right into our window—in Bangkok, a lantern caught fire and narrowly missed landing on someone’s car. Not to mention the headache for the city’s air traffic controllers (flights are grounded for two hours during the night of Yi Peng but, four days later, lanterns were still being launched every night).

Fireworks have faced bans in every Australian state now, with the Northern Territory the last to hold on. Darwin’s territory day — that ‘uncivilised' shindig held every July — struck me as a little bit unhinged when I was there in 2011. One takes one's life into their own hands walking down Cavenagh St on Territory Day. It's the kind of public safety concern that lead the ACT to finally pull the plug in 2010. During Yi Peng/Loy Krathong, Chiang Mai was packed with a blend of tourists, drunk university students, children and the elderly — accidents are inevitable. I wonder if the Thai government faces the same pressure? Or only perhaps outright bans are a very Australian response to dangers, instead of a few by-laws and a little blind faith. I sure hope Yi Peng lives on. Perhaps next year I’ll send my worries into the sky out in a field instead, the way it was intended.

[farangcorrespondent]

A far farang correspondent

It’s not very well signposted, but Sydney’s International Airport is actually a time machine. How do I know this? I boarded a flight there yesterday and landed 1 day and 43 years in the future. And I’m sorry to report, Thompson et al : we’re still waiting on those jetpacks. According to the Thai solar calendar, to which the country has adhered since 1888, the year is 2056*. But in this sci-fi future, what Thailand lacks in personal flying machines, it makes up for in character and beauty. What is clear even after one day is that Chiang Mai truly is a jewel in the crown of the Thai kingdom. I have at least 12 months to explore this place — I really am a lucky farang. —

After sleeping the night behind a booking counter at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, I boarded the final leg of my journey. Almost three full days ago I left Columbus, Georgia, on an early-morning bus. After bouncing around airports, bus stops and subways like a ping pong ball with too much luggage, I am finally here in “the land of miles away smiles.” I am tired, puzzled and jumping-out-of-my-skin excited. By moving here I’ll be joining the already sizable minority of farang, or foreigners. The term is a common way of describing any westerner, but usually refers to the white man among us, namely, me. It makes me rather conspicuous; as if, as Nat Says “Miaow" puts it, I’ve turned up in fancy dress and can’t take the costume off.

So if the clothes are on for good, I might as well embrace it. In the morning, after sleeping off a monster jetlag, I will assume my post as Farang Correspondent. Thanks for reading.

— *The same is true in Ethiopia — but in reverse. Owing to a minor disagreement over the date of Jesus’ annunciation, it’s only just hit 2006. If I flew there, I could start college all over again. Now there’s a thought.