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Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin to Thai king: Pardon me?
Thailand’s billionaire former PM Thaksin Shinawatra has appealed to the country’s king for a pardon just days after being jailed upon his highly anticipated return to the country.
The background: In the early 2000s, Thaksin struck a populist chord to win a slew of elections, and was PM until he was ousted in a 2006 military coup that drove him into exile. Last week, he returned home for the first time since then, only to be jailed on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
The timing: It’s fishy for sure. Thaksin’s return came just as the Pheu Thai Party he founded did a once-unthinkable thing: after recent elections, the party agreed to lead a coalition that includes pro-military parties that were once Thaksin’s bitter enemies. The decision effectively shut out the progressive Move Forward Party, which actually won the elections on a groundswell of youth support.
The speculation: Did Pheu Thai do a deal with the military junta in which it buried the hatchet in exchange for Thaksin’s return and pardon? Keep a close eye on what happens in the next few days. The king has a decision to make, and millions of Move Forward supporters may yet show their anger on the streets. If he’s denied the pardon, he will need to wait two years, presumably in jail, before asking again.
A man is seen with face paint reading "cancel lèse-majesté law" during a protest in Bangkok, Thailand.
Thai opposition on 112: Political pragmatism or cop-out?
On Monday, an alliance of Thai opposition forces led by the progressive Move Forward Party signed a pact outlining their goals as a future coalition government. These include rewriting the constitution to clip the military's political power, breaking up business monopolies, and legalizing same-sex marriage.
But there was one glaring omission: reforming Thailand’s draconian lèse-majesté laws, which can put you behind bars for up to 15 years if you diss the monarchy.
Ditching its signature campaign promise is a bold move by the MFP to woo Bhumjaithai, a pro-weed, royalist party that holds the key to forming a government without army support. But it’ll also feel like a slap in the face to young voters, who overwhelmingly backed the MFP precisely because it wants to water down the royal defamation laws, known colloquially as “112.” After all, it was Gen Z protesters who in 2020-2021 took to the streets and risked their lives to get the king out of Thai politics.
Meanwhile, the generals are probably thinking: Isn't there anything we can offer the stoners to keep them on our side?A mock 10 baht banknote bearing an illustration of a yellow duck instead of the Thai king or his predecessor is pictured in Bangkok on Nov. 25, 2020.
Hard Numbers: Thai royal canard, Biden’s deficit plan, Japan’s gender pay gap, golden Odin, Greek walkout
2: Prepare to read the next sentence twice. A man in Thailand is facing two years in jail for selling calendars of … rubber ducks. The squeaky fowl has long been a symbol of the country’s pro-democracy movement, and since these birds were dressed in royal regalia, authorities say they insulted the monarchy. The country’s defamation laws have been used to convict 200 people since 2020.
2 trillion: With a partisan battle over the debt ceiling looming, President Joe Biden on Thursday is set to unveil a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit by $2 trillion over the next 10 years. Don’t expect Republicans to jump for joy though – the plan is expected to call for tax increases for the wealthy and corporations but won’t satisfy the GOP’s demands for spending cuts.
75: PM Fumio Kishida vowed yesterday to “work even harder” to tackle the massive gender pay gap in Japan, where women earn 75% of what men do for full-time work. The Land of the Rising Sun has ranked abysmally on the World Economic Forum’s gender parity report despite efforts by successive governments to tackle the issue.
1,500: Historians shouldn’t be too Thor about this. Scientists have uncovered the oldest-known reference to the Norse god Odin on a gold disc dating back 1,500 years. The ornamental pendant is part of a trove of gold found in Denmark in 2020, and its inscription, “He’s Odin’s man,” likely refers to an unknown lord or king.
60,000: At least 60,000 Greeks joined anti-government protests Wednesday, a week after a deadly train crash — blamed on years of underinvestment in infrastructure — killed 57 people. Most protesters were in Athens, where they marched to parliament chanting "murderers” in the biggest challenge to date to PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis.Will these world leaders keep their resolutions?
Let's be honest, who knows if 2021 will really be a better year than 2020.
On the one hand, you might say, "how could next year possibly be worse than this one?" On the other, 2020 has taught us that things can always — always — get worse.
But either way, YOU can always be a better YOU, and world leaders are, in principle, no different. Here's a look at the pledges that several world leaders are already making for the new year.
Emmanuel Macron, French President
I shall mingle with the common people. "Folks" I think you call them, yes? Angela Merkel's autumn exit will make me Europe's numéro un, but unless I persuade la France that I comprehend their problèmes, I may not be President de la Republique after the 2022 election.
Maja Vajiralongkorn, King of Thailand
I too shall try to win more public affection, particularly among these young people who are now always protesting to limit my powers. I don't understand how these kids can't relate to me. I'm a filthy-rich sugar daddy, hip fashion icon, and recent victim of online revenge porn. Basically the ultimate Instagram star!
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
Resolutions? Hmm, no, no I can't think of anything I'd really do differently. Been here for 20 years now — what is expression, "if not broken, don't fix," yes?
Ayatollah Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran
As far as we are concerned, the new year starts in March. Until then the only thing that requires resolution is the nuclear deal — we'll be waiting for your call, Joe.
Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister
I will not, under any circumstances, visit Scotland. One knows when and where one is persona non grata, and their parliamentary elections in May are all the more likely to pave the way toward another independence referendum — especially if I show my post-Brexit face on Scottish lands.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
I will not mess with farmers again in 2021 if I can avoid it. Wow — just wow — was that a mistake. The Muslims have proven to be a far easier target.
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
No matter how tempted I may be to kiss and hug him as though I were a Southern European, I will maintain my composure when my good old friend Joe Biden comes to visit next, this time as President. I WILL maintain it!
Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Give me a break! I'm quite preoccupied right now with a civil war, my neighbors want to stop filling my new dam, and my own ethnic brothers say I betrayed them. I'll try to take it easy in 2021, and maybe win another Nobel if I can make peace with Tigray.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey
I will make a friend. Doesn't matter who. I just need one. Putin? Not sure. Biden? Perhaps. The Saudi Crown Prince? Probably not. Maybe I should just adopt a cat.
Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil
Well, in 2020 we hit a 12-year high in rainforest destruction. And hear me now: we are not a country of sissies, we can burn even MORE in 2021!
Bibi Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
I will not — WILL NOT — let my right-wing former so-called "friends" secure my defeat in parliamentary elections this coming March. Should I collude with a rabbi to reveal (sexual) secrets about my political foes? Perhaps try a little fear-mongering about Arab voters to boost turnout? Ha, those were my old tricks and shticks — just wait till you see what I have in store in 2021…
Xi Jinping, President of China
I am not going to let up an inch in my quest to put China at the center of the global stage. Let us see how Mr. Biden deals with that…
Donald Trump, President of the US
This is a disgrace — there is no way in hell I am going to be the last person on any list in 2021, that I can tell you.
You, dear reader
What's your New Year's resolution? Let us know here.