Tag: politics

Cambodia’s Past Blurring into the Present

September 19, 2017

Just a few days ago, “First They Killed My Father” began streaming on Netflix. The movie, based on the book with the same name, follows the story of a girl who is forced to become a child solider while her family is sent to labor camps under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. The other famous film about this time in Cambodian history is “The Killing Fields,” that tells the true story of a journalist and his interpreter. While the genocide in Cambodia that occurred from 1975 to 1979 under the rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge may be generally known, the legacy of that time that stretches into the present is much less so.

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Ghana 60 Years on logo

Ghana at 60: a Look at the Country’s History

March 3, 2017

For the past several weeks, every morning there has been drumming coming from the school near my office. Walking through town, the beats waft through the air from various schools and classes are sometimes suspended while the children arrange themselves in rows and practice marching. Ghana’s Independence Day, marking 60 years of freedom from colonial rule, is this coming Monday.

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A motorcycle with two riders drives by with the Ghanaian National Patriotic Party flag waving from behind

Change has Come in Ghana: a New President

January 27, 2017

While much of the world spent 2016 focused on the voting of two countries (the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom and the elections in the United States), Ghana also held elections for parliament and the president.

There are a number of political parties in Ghana, but the two major parties are the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The election placed President John Mahama (NDC) against Nana Akufo-Addo (NPP), and Ghana decided it was time for a change. President Akufo-Addo was sworn into office on 14 January 2017.

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the cover of a Ghanaian passport

Difficulties of Traveling as a Ghanaian

October 28, 2016

As I shut the door and settle into the front seat of the nearly dilapidated taxi, the customary greeting tumble out of my mouth. “Good afternoon, how are you?”

“Fine and you too?” the driver responds.

“I am also fine,” I chirp back in a friendly ritual that is repeated throughout my day.

A few beats go by and then the driver asks, “What is your country?”

“The United States”

“Ahhh, America! I wish to go there.”

“By the grace of God,” I reply. This is probably the fifth time this week that I have either heard this desire or have been asked to take someone there this week. And the truth is, my citizenship opens a lot more doors than Ghanaian citizenship does.

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young thai children wearing traditional clothing carrying pictures of the thai king and queen

Death and Loss of the King in Thailand

October 25, 2016

It’s been a little more than a week since King Rama IX, Bhumibol Adulyadej died. His passing is a tremendous event in Thailand, and as such the next year has been declared a year of mourning for the Land of Smiles. Many people who haven’t spent an extended amount of time in Thailand, and even some who have, don’t understand what the King meant to the Thai people or are confused about what significance he had to them. The story of the Thai monarchy is a difficult one, however, understanding that history can provide greater context for the reasoning of the masses of Thai people donning black.

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a chart showing the different iterations of Thailand's constitutions and how democratic they were

Thailand’s Newest Constitution

September 27, 2016

Last month, the Thai people voted on a referendum for a new constitution, their 20th constitution since 1932 when King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) acquiesced to the demands of a bloodless coup. It passed with 61% of the vote, with 59% of eligible voters participating. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

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An Interim Constitution and Prime Minister for Thailand

August 29, 2014

Thailand has been experience some political turmoil over the last year. It began with protests, which lead to the government dissolving. The protests continued and new elections were held, though the election was declared void. Then, in May there was a bloodless coup d’etat, and the junta has been promising to make strides back towards democracy. Recently, they’ve created an interim constitution and appointed an interim Prime Minister.

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Living Under a Junta: Thai Coup 2014

June 10, 2014

So the dust around the sudden overthrow of the government in Thailand has settled and some things are starting to take shape and become more clear, so I’m going to take some time to lay out what I understand to have happened here in the last two and a half weeks. For some background, on May 22 at 5 p.m. local time General Payuth declared a coup, just two days after establishing martial law. This came out of the lasting conflict between anti-government protests, led by Suthep (a member of the Democrat Party)* who quit his Senate position late last year and began protesting the Puea Thai Party, lead by Yingluck Shinawatra whose brother Thaksin was ousted in the country’s last coup in 2006.

After dissolving the lower parliamentary house and calling elections in February, that were declared void by the Constitutional Court which has consistently ruled against Yingluck, she was tried, convicted and removed from office (along with 9 cabinet members) for impropriety in transferring the chairman of the National Security Council and was due to be impeached for negligence regarding the rice subsidy scheme. Which brings us to the current situation.

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