When Bangkok burned…

On May 9th, Only four days after my last exam, I flew to Bangkok to begin my UNESCAP internship. I stayed with my Dad and Grandfather. During my first week in Bangkok I closely monitored the situation, following the international news coverage and the English version of the Bangkok Post and The Nation. As the situation worsened, all UN staff (including us – their army of interns) were ordered to leave the office early, in order to avoid getting stuck in traffic after sunset. The situation in the downtown area of Ratchaprasong got increasingly worse everyday and by the minute new rumours circulated about an imminent military crack down on the Red Shirts.

The following weekend, I received word that we were no longer allowed to go into the office. On Wednesday 19th May, the day of the crack down arrived. I was in a coffee shop on Khao San Road, glued to my laptop and refreshing the news websites by the minute to follow the operation in almost real-time. As the operation proceeded, arsonists lit several buildings on fire and it seemed as though the conflicts had spread beyond the red zone.

The government announced a curfew, so everybody had to be home by 8 p.m. It was after this announcement that we decided to make our way home. At no point in time, had I felt in immediate danger or threatened. However, when I saw the normally bustling and tourist-packed Khao San Road almost deserted, with all street vendors packing up and people stocking up on food and water supplies, I got nervous.

We reached home safe and sound and after constantly reading the news for most of the day, I went to bed with hope for better news the next morning.

In total, almost 90 people lost their lives. Downtown Bangkok was burning and the country has been left in a state of shock as the most violent clashes in recent Thai history took place.

As the situation currently stands, Prime Minister Abhisit is trying to progress his road map for reconciliation. Hopefully the Thai government will be wise enough to close the wide rift in Thailand, as some of the fragmented Red Shirt demands for more social equality are valid and cannot be left unaddressed.

The people of Bangkok, while still mourning the tragic events, have resumed their daily lives and are moving on. Personally I have to say, my experience through this entire ordeal was the power and influence of the media – as at some point I was not sure what I was supposed to believe anymore.

- First hand account by Fabian Suwanprateep (LKYSPP MPP 2009/10, SIPA MIA 2010/11)

A Pakistani Muslim’s Perspective

Facebook is the third most accessed website from Pakistan. It has become a part of life for people not just in Pakistan, but across the globe. Perhaps Maybe just too important a part, as because I have seen people planning things just only so that they can update their status on facebook. It is an easy and convenient way of staying in touch for with other people and or expressing their views and opinions, from something as mundane as weather to more hard-hitting topics such as politics and history.

While I have always held the belief that people take Facebook way too seriously, I am compelled to write this article about Facebook. The Lahore High Court of Pakistan ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to block access to Facebook on the following stance:

“‘Facebook’, has deliberately or recklessly been responsible for immense hurt and discomfort caused to the majority of Muslim population of Pakistan by deliberately or recklessly not taking any effective measures for preventing, stopping or blocking the very blasphemous contest of ‘Everybody draw Mohammad day’ to which it has complete and autonomous authority and has already built-in mechanism for blocking such very blasphemous misbehavior or misconduct”.

This ban affects 2.3 million Facebook users in Pakistan. This move was coupled with the banning of eight hundred websites, including YouTube. In addition, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan has also been directed to lodge an official protest with the U.S. State Department. Apart from the official government stance, the general Muslim sentiment on this issue is that Facebook is a social networking website and its should restrict itself to just that, instead of becoming a forum for hurting the sentiments of a particular religious group.

I am a Pakistani Muslim. I was raised to be an individual who believes that Allah and the Prophet Muhammad should be given the same level of love and respect as we give our parents. To us, the Prophet is just as near, just as real and just as important as any close family member. I was also taught the basic tenets of Democracy and Freedom, the right to express through speech or writing whatever it was that I needed to say. I was taught to accord the same right to others. The most important thing, however was to ensure that whatever I said or did should not, in any way, under any circumstances, hurt another individual. This is where I was taught to draw the line.

There are people, I know, who say that it is harmless fun and that Muslims should not be offended. But yet, when you grow up thinking that one is to love and honor someone, one cannot tolerate insolence towards them. So yes, when i I hear that there are people who are drawing caricatures or cartoons of the Prophet, I find it just as distasteful as saying something against someone’s family member. This is an act that can only evoke negative reactions. Muslims, therefore, feel outraged.

Having said that, I disagree with the High Court’s orders of banning Facebook in Pakistan for two reasons. One, and this I have said many times, we as Muslims need to be stronger and better as a nation. Islam is a religion of peace and all we exhibit is hatred and violence. It is in instances such as this that we need to act maturely and sensibly, instead, we make a spectacle out of ourselves by being overly emotional and sentimental. Those who are mocking our Prophet are doing it because of how we conduct ourselves. Muslims are what is wrong with Islam. Without understanding the principles of Islam, we preach and judge others and when we are criticized, we become violent in our defense. We are a weak nation and if the world sees us this way, it is because that is how we portray ourselves.

Secondly, I believe that everyone does have the right to say or do whatever it is that they will. Mankind has come very far in pursuit of the rights to think, express and speak freely, and no court should disallow it. Also, I believe that people can only mature in their thoughts and behaviors when they are confronted with issues such as these. These should be taken as an exercise towards more evolved and cultured thinking. But freedom of thought, expression and speech comes with a responsibility as well, to be sensitive to others’ beliefs. I believe most of the time when we say something about someone, it is more a reflection on us, than on them. It is often more about how we see things often, rather than what they truly are. So really, if someone has the time and inclination to make some cartoons or caricatures, that’s fine by me. It is their time, their energy, their creativity being used on something that will really get them nothing.

I know people will disagree with me, and they can because it is their right, just as it is my right to say what I want to say. Voicing opinions can be very tricky, not only because we need to maintain the delicate balance between constructive criticism and mockery. So there it is, my opinion. I know that I am being judgmental, which is what these cartoons and caricatures are all about. We judge and we are judged. There is a high road to be taken here, but i guess we are too busy making judgments to consider it.

- by Batool Fatima (MPP 09/11)

Past and present memories of College Green

In May, the President of Singapore S R Nathan officiated the  opening of College Green alongside the NUS President Tan Chorh Chuan, Professor Wang Gungwu, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) Dean Kishore Mahbubani and many illustrious former residents, current students and staff of the LKYSPP.

Formerly known as Dunearn Road Hostels (DRH), College Green (CG) today houses overseas students of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy hailing from over 40 countries. Reminiscing on his hostel days, President Nathan was pleased to return to visit DRH as it brought back many memories. “Students came from different races, faiths, with different ideas and idiosyncrasies, but we still made friends,” said President Nathan. Similarly, he hoped that the new residents of College continue that experience and develops a sense of camaraderie¹. During the event, LKYSPPeak spoke to past and present residents about their most memorable moments living in College Green.

President S R Nathan met with with fomer DRH resident, Dr Lim Kuang Hui.

During the event, Donald Wyatt, Sheares Hall Non-Resident Fellow and 1959 President of the Student Union mentioned, “I enjoyed a long association with Dunearn Road Hostels. It held many dear memories for me, particularly the birth of my first daughter whose birth certificate was registered with the old Dunearn Road Hostel address”.

“I grew up in DRH while my Dad was the chief at the cook house. I was still very young when I saw the infamous ragging session. During one rag session, a group of 10 to 20 students were locked up together and abandoned in a cupboard for long hours often till 1 AM, leaving them totally exhausted.” remarked Betty Goh, from the Sheares Hall Alumni Office and former Dunearn Road Hostel resident while looking at the old hostels photos on display at the event.

Two MPP seniors (09/11) were also invited to share about their favourite moments living in College Greenn. Ambar Widiastuti, remarked “I love the times spent having dinner and studying together before the exams. I love the times celebrating multiple birthday on different nights. Living in CG makes me feel loved”. Reuben Hinz from the US said, “By living with each other we learn so much more about the nuances and subtleties of other cultures than we ever could in a classroom setting. We also have a chance to celebrate cultural events together and develop bonds that will last long after we have forgotten much of what we learned during our classes”.

- by Bernard “Berno” Oh MPP 09/11

¹ http://newshub.nus.edu.sg/headlines/0410/green_13Apr10.php

“Share the knowledge, share the love” – Farewell to the Seniors

A year ago, they were just like us. Juniors, that is. Relieved that the year had passed, half wondering how it went by so fast. A year later, both juniors and seniors find themselves in the exact same place again asking – what lies ahead?

Somehow, the seniors (although we’re no longer seniors) feel that this year’s batch of juniors have it so much better than we did at the beginning. For one, there’s College Green and the endless memories living together creates. Secondly, there’s the school’s constant improvement or, at the very least, attempts to improve upon the past. Hopefully, the PAE won’t be as anxiety-filled an experience for them as it was for us. Lastly, there’s us, of course. Without the seniors, what would the juniors have to look forward to?

Modesty aside and truth be told, the MPP juniors and seniors are much more than any football rivalry or cultish clique. Ours is a symbiotic relationship, believe it or not. Each one needing the other to keep sane, to laugh, and to remain grounded when the stress levels climb. What would life in the LKY School be like without group work at the icebox or midnight foosball games at the Multi-Purpose Hall? For whom would we keep stacks of our old readings and our cheat sheets if not to ‘share the knowledge and share the love’? Yes, without each other, we are just students individually earning our Masters degrees.

Together, we are a community of scholars. Indeed, you juniors (or should we now call you seniors) have it so much better than we did at the beginning. You had tea with Lee and coffee with Kofi. For us, the super seniors, we leave the school knowing that the MPP program is in good hands. Your farewell dinner and political fashion show blew us away! Imagine what more great ideas you will come up with!

To the new seniors: thank you and make this coming school year a blast!

- by Zak Yuson (MPP 08/10)