Do you know who is Dr Andrew Walker? Does he represent Austrarian's position on the issue? Go to his website and understand his political position before you make a judgement.

I quite like Andrew Walker and ..Nicholas(?)'s site : the New Mandala. Somsak, have u been visiting that site often? Keen to see yr comments there. I once read Andrew Walker's article on sustainable/self-sufficiency economy in Thailand and I suspect u migh not like it. I, however, find his writing quite interesting.

Khun Somsak,

Your main point, that foreigners are using a privileged position to push their own agenda, is a reasonable one. I certainly think the huge outpouring of support for Harry Nicolaides was out of proportion to the issue.

However, isn't the ten-year sentence for Suwicha exactly the sort of cause that you yourself should support? Especially when compared to the case of Harry Nicolaides? Why aren't you advocating for more mercy for Suwicha? Instead, you focus on Andrew Walker for saying the obvious, that Suwicha has been sentenced to an unjustly long and punitive prison term.

How often in Thai history have Thai citizens sought the freedom of their own political prisoners? How often have clemency movements been launched at the grass-roots level? Before we accept Khun Somsak's criticism of Andrew, can we look at the way Thai citizens help the unjustly imprisoned?

Yes, if it's a call for clemency, (that is the way pardon is given, anyway), it would be more acceptable by Thai society than the provocative approach by the foreigners who bend backward to depict the current political situaion as a "class struggle"

I am not sure whether the sentence is too harsh or not. I don't think this is something I am suppoused to judge. If Thai people think it's too harsh, they will revise the law in one way or another. If they think that such a penalty is necessary to protect their revered institution, the law will go on. This is my basic stance on the issue, because I believe that outsiders should not touch upon the certain things related to the core values in their host countries.

Besides, Thai "elite" in their definition" is considerably responsive to the demand of the grass root people, in particular, when facing crisis. I think this is a secret of comperative success of Thailand in the region. They will find out the best possible ballance on this issue, too, without a louzy interference from outsiders.

Hobby, how many times should I say? It's not my business, but Thais should decide whether the sentence is too harsh or not.

But if somebody come and ask me to sigh for his pardon, I would do it for him (if my signiture has any meaning), because as you said, he is a breadwinner, and he showed his remorse by having pleaded his guilt in the court. This is the way parden is given to him. Why don't you encourage your Thai friends to do that, if you really feel sorry for him?(I doubt it) I'm almost sure that his sentence will be shorten in this way.

Somsak: There may be some sort of cultural misunderstanding here.
Just so you know:- I could not sleep at night if someone was jailed for 1 night (let alone 10 years) for posting satirical images of me on the internet, and I would be doing everything I could to get him out of that situation.

What's happening to Thai PBS? There have been a freezen frame for more than 30 minutes. I think it's time to send the spoiled kids back to the place which originally they belonged to. Kindergaten.