The entire Rajprasong Intersection turned red Saturday afternoon with thousands of red-shirt people occupying the roads to commemorate two years after the killings of their peers by troops.

The red-shirt people started blocking the Rajprasong Intersection since 5 am to set up a stage facing the Rajdamri Road towards Pratunam area.

By 9 am, they started occupying the Rajdamri Road in front of the stage. By noon, the entire Rajdamri Road in front of CentralWorld shopping mall was occupied up to the Pratunam Intersection.

The two roadsides were also occupied with vendors selling foods, drinks and souvenirs, which are political symbols.

Police have been deployed to keep security around the rally site with no violent incident reported so far. (Nation)

It looked like a nightmare for the cleaners as the dogs generally went about their business on the carpets. Other than that, it was a good show. I had fun.

It all started with a story about Pacquiao on Examiner.com, which quoted the boxer as saying things like, "God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so are in love with each other." But it was this curious paragraph that delivered what many thought would be the knockout blow to Pacquiao's public image:

Pacquiao's directive for Obama calls societies to fear God and not to promote sin, inclusive of same-sex marriage and cohabitation, notwithstanding what Leviticus 20:13 has been pointing all along: “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”

The passage was in quote marks and slap bang in the middle of the story. It looked like Pacquiao had quoted a passage from the Bible to support his views and USA Today was quick to tie up its gloves and come out swinging:

Pacquiao… invoked Old Testament, and recited Leviticus 20:13, saying: "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."

Then yesterday, Dennis Romero from LA Weekly had a pop in a blog post:

Manny Pacquiao, who lives and trains in Los Angeles, is probably in deep shit in this liberal city of brotherly love.

That's because the boxing champion said that gay men "must be put to death."

Today, the author of the Examiner article, Granville Ampong, clarified what Pacquiao said, or didn't say, as the case turned out to be:

In his article, Weir (USA Today) said "Pacquiao also invoked Old Testament, and recited Leviticus 20:13… That, Pacquiao never said nor recited, nor invoked and nor did he ever refer to such context.

Global Post journo Patrick Winn summed up the fallout:

Given that Pacquiao is an elected Philippine official, as well as a lieutenant colonel in the US-allied Philippine Army, his convictions merit more scrutiny than most wayward statements spilling out of athletes' mouths.

Also deserving of scrutiny? Overeager journalists and online echo chambers.

If Ampong's writing was sloppy. Weir's and Romero's was shambolic.

Also speaking will be David Streckfuss, Nation journo Pravit Rojanaphruk and some guy called Andrew Marshall, whose appearance via Skype we may never hear the end of. We have Lisa Gardener to thank for putting the event together.

Be there or be square.

The speech itself was rather underwhelming and typical Ramos-Horta, taking potshots at the UN, the World Bank, the US and pretty much the entire international aid community. Ramos-Horta also did a good job of talking himself up and it all felt a little self-indulgent.

Here are a few quotes of note from the night:

[On the Petroleum Fund and investments] "We were advised by the Norwegians… well when the financial crisis happened in 2008, 2009. The Norwegians who claim to know everything about petroleum fund lost tens of billions of dollars, so I laugh. So now when they lecture us I say, Excuse me, tell me how much did you lose on your financial investment.' We didn't lose a cent. One of the few petroleum countries that didn't lose a cent in the financial crisis."

Talks for a while about writing a book about the tragic power of the US and then adds: "So I might do that or I might join the next government in Timor-Leste."

[On vetoing laws] "What I have done in the last five years is my own approach. I very diplomatically, rather than veto, if it's a decree law… I call the prime minister, I say, 'Listen, instead of we veto, why don't we just take it back, we don't say to anyone, no-one has to know, can you just change this?' And he appreciates that, so they improve on the law. In the case of the parliament, I have done that."

[On justice for war crimes and the lack of an international tribunal] "Does it mean we don't want justice done? Yes we want, but it will be done in due time in due course by the Indonesians, Indonesian society, as they evolve and the democracy consolidates. In Indonesia… they are beginning to talk about the '65, "66 events in Indonesia. They will do it, but in their own time when the society feels confident about it. For us we have to take care of our victims… even if we want it today, to push for an international tribunal, I guarantee it would not happen, out of the 15 members of the [UN] Security Council, , five perm, 10 non-permanent, we might get one or two non-permanent supporting a resolution, so that's the reality."

During the Q&A, Ramos-Horta had to field some pretty fierce questioning from Shawn Crispin from Asia Times Online. Crispin was clearly agitated from the start, even more so when Ramos-Horta tried to mock him. There were some cold, hard truths in there and Crispin definitely touched a nerve, but I think the tone of it all really surprised everyone. Here's the audio so you can listen for yourself:

Interesting stuff.

Ramos-Horta really took a hit in the presidential election. Had he been more on side for the past couple of years he would probably still have had Xanana's backing, but as we know, there has been tension between Xanana and Ramos-Horta.

Was Ramos-Horta really not in it to win it? Maybe. But that isn't to say that all of this hasn't been a great blow for him. Looking back over the past two or three years, this could all have ended up very differently.

Has Ramos-Horta really lost touch with people on the ground? To an extent, I think so, yes. He is still respected, revered even, but a lot has happened in the last five years and without a real party base, Ramos-Horta has just seemed to become more and more isolated and disconnected. Remember when he threatened to resign when his travel plans were messed with? It's things like that that have stuck in my mind.

Safafri World in Bangkok

First up, I went to Safari World. Yes, you can go on safari in Bangkok, providing you have a car and don't mind paying 300 baht per person. I normally like zoos and safaris and whatnot, but I wasn't really bowled over by Safari World. There were lots of animals, like birds, zebras, hippos and deer, but it was a bit hot so most of them were chilling out in the shade. The lions and tigers, for example, were all asleep.

The bears, however, provided some entertainment as a group of them tried balancing on a log. Arriving mid-afternoon was probably a mistake, but even so, it was all over a little quickly. Having said that, I'd probably go again.

Bon Chon Chicken

Not much to say about Bon Chon Chicken in Thong Lor really, other than that they do awesome chicken for pretty good prices. Check it out.

Ice Cream Expo 2012

The Ice Cream Expo has been doing the rounds in Bangkok, stopping off at various Central malls around the city. We caught it at Central Ramintra over the weekend and had a lot of fun trying all the goodies. Was a fun way to kill a couple of hours. It's running until May 28, but word to the wise: avoid the sweetcorn ice lollies!

Russel Peters in Bangkok

Ah, the famous Indian-Canadian comedian Russel Peters stopped off in Bangkok to do a show. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was a packed house at the Queen Sirikit convention centre. I enjoyed the show and he was very funny, but there were times when it felt crass and a little cliche. Half the show was filled with Peters making fun of the audience's names. I get it — Asian names are funny sometimes — but we all knows this. It's not highly original.

All in all, though, I was glad I went, even at 2,500 baht a ticket. We don't get many high-calibre comedians passing through Bangkok, and given how successful this night was — largely down to the city's massive Thai-Indian community — hopefully there will be more.

Hong Kong Dating

Yes that's right. On Saturday, for just HK$4,800 (US$620), the native ladies of Hong Kong had a night out speed dating for two whole hours with a bunch of foreign men aged 35-48, who didn't have to pay a penny for the privilege. Clearly the Western male is a fashionable, hot commodity in Hong Kong. I was about to scoff at the idea when I saw that this company, HK Speed Dating, actually appears to be doing a roaring trade:

We have CEOs, doctors, lawyers, models, flight attendants, a multi-national client base with a great mix of individuals. Relying on the experience and insights of our consultants, we have so far successfully matched more than 3,000 people over these years.

Might Bangkok follow suit with BK Speed Dating?

h/t to kixes and mrbrown.

Timor-Leste Ten Years After Independence – An Evening with President Jose Ramos-Horta

8pm, Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Ramos-Horta is Timor-Leste's outgoing president. This will probably be a good time to ask him about what's going to come of his alliance with Fernando "Lasama" de Araujo and his Democratic Party. Is Ramos-Horta going to make moves to stop Gusmao getting the big job? It might also be worth once more bringing up the issue of punishment for human rights abuses.

Despite having lost three siblings in the conflict, Ramos-Horta, who along with Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo was awarded the Nobel Peach Prize in 1996 as world attention began to focus on the suffering in East Timor, has opposed the establishment of an international tribunal for crimes committed during the 1975-1999 occupation.

All eyes are on the Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) in Kuala Lumpur where 100,000 people are expected to take to the streets on Saturday in a push for electoral reform.

The rally is the third installment in what is known as the Bersih (or "clean") movement. The initial Bersih rally, held in 2007 ahead of general elections, saw riot police fire teargas and water cannons on crowds and the arrest of 245 activists. With general elections expected later this year, the Bersih movement has once again been gathering steam in recent months. Last July, almost 1,700 people were arrested during the second Bersih rally. (Al Jazeera)

Yellow is the colour of choice for the movement.

Bersih 3.0

Reports say crowds have already been teargassed in a number of locations.

3.02pm: Jalan Tun Perak – Police are firing tear gas canisters from Dataran Merdeka. The crowd turns around and walks towards Dataran Maybank away from the square.

3.24pm: Masjid Jamek – In front of the LRT Bersih the crowd refuses to budge and shout “Bersih” despite tear gas being fired at them.

3.29pm: Bar Council – After orders to disperse are issued, water cannon and tear gas are fired at the crowd outside the Bar Council building at Lebuh Pasar Besar.

@fahmi_fadzil Tweets:

Got teargassed at Hang Lekiu. Lost contact w 8 friends. Unnecessary police action. Abt 5-6 shots. Ran. Couldn't breathe.

@mulberrytweets Tweeted this pic:

#bersih streets after gas

@iMleesh Tweets:

Everyone was suffering from effects of tear gas. Someone handed me water to wash my face. My neck was burning from something.

Everyone was helping one another, handing out salt. I never knew the salt would help that much! Instant relief in my mouth.

Prolific Irish journo Simon Roughneen is in KL:

The rally organizers, known as Bersih (Malay for ‘clean’) 3.0, are a coalition of nongovernmental organizations and rights groups who say they want Malaysia’s electoral laws amended. Opposition MPs allege that tens of thousands of irregularities persist on the electoral register, while Bersih’s calls for the election commission to resign will have acquired added momentum by allegations Friday that the EC head and deputy head failed to disclose past membership of the governing party . The rally is being held ahead of anticipated snap polls later this year.

Simon is also Tweeting from the streets:

Tear-gassed - again - in KL.

Khao Chae

So what is Khao Chae? I'd never heard of it before and upon seeing the dish for the first time, I could only really describe as rice in iced water and loads of little bits on the side. Kitty puts it slightly more eloquently:

There are three parts to khao chae: rice, jasmine-scented water (hence the floating flowers) and crushed ice. The rice is parboiled (boiled with its husk in tact) to keep its shape so it doesn't get mushy when immersed in water, making it chewier than regular cooked rice.

The side dishes are the real star in this meal. Recipes vary but the essentials remain the same. Most of the sides tend to be sweet, except for one: young green peppers stuffed with minced pork, which are then drizzled in egg and fried.

Another must-have khao chae component is deep-fried kapi (shrimp paste) balls, which are rolled in ground coconut, battered and then deep-fried to perfection. This also goes well with kra-chai, or fresh Chinese ginger, which is usually served along with other fresh vegetables such as cucumber, spring onions and strips of raw mango.

Shredded sweetened pork or beef and Chinese radish (chai pow) are also important. In most khao chae sets, the radish is caramelized to shine. In older recipes, however, it usually would only be lightly stir-fried with palm sugar and eggs.

How's that for a complicated dish?! It's actually so complicated that restaurants only make it for about six weeks a year.

I was a bit disappointed with myself for not really being able to make the connection between the rice in iced water and the other bits. They just didn't seem like a natural pairing, so while I ate the side dishes, I neglected that poor, cold, lonely bowl. I guess I'm not as cultured as I like to make out. My girlfriend, however, loved it, so what do I know?

We ate at Lai Ros on Sukhumvit Soi 49, opposite Samitvej Hospital, but you can also get this dish at these places:

Suan Thip
Chaengwattana Road, Pak Kret 3 Road, Nonthaburi. Open daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. +66 (0)2 583 3748

Baan Prachachuen
37 Prachachuen Soi 33. Open daily, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. +66 (0)2 585 1323

Here are some of my pics, taken from a recent trip to Hua Hin.

Kite

Beach

Hua Hin. Nobody here.

Rooftops

Thai police use public humiliation to stamp out groping during Songkran

Anyone caught having a quick feel on Khao San Road this year was ordered to stand on a table, head hung low in shame, wearing a sign that said something like, "I like touching women's breasts." Effective deterrent or abuse of power? Take a look.

Transvestite fined for topless dance

A 19-year-old transvestite has been arrested and fined for putting on a lewd show during the Songkran celebrations in Ayutthaya.

Did Thai Democrat MP show porno image in Parliament?

As Thai Democrat Party MP Pirapan Salirathavibhaga got up to make his case to Thailand’s assembled lawmakers a pornographic image flashed up on the presentation screen.

In addition, an unidentified MP was caught by an unnamed photographer looking at an erotic photo on his cell phone during the House meeting today.

What is porn sensation Sunny Leone doing in Thailand?

After wooing the Indians on India's biggest reality show Bigg Boss and going to the extent of attaining Indian citizenship, Canadian import Sunny Leone is set for her big Bollywood debut in Pooja Bhatt and Dino Morea's Jism 2.

And quite interestingly, the porn star has just flown to Thailand- which is known as world's biggest porn hub.

Russian topless DJ's Bangkok debut next week.

Get ready to experience, for the first time in Bangkok with the show that has become a big hit in Europe will be imported to Thailand for your view. Sexy Topless DJ Kristina Gulevich and the sexy singer Natalia Philippova from Russia will be performing at Fallabella.

All in all, things seemed to go smoothly with only a few scraps and scrapes along the way. My initial pick for president was Ruak, although after the first round I changed my tune a little and began pondering Lu Olo winning it and then FRETILIN going on to form a coalition government after the July 7 parliamentary elections.

I'm now not sure what to think. Ruak dominated Lu Olo everywhere except Lautem, Manufahi and Baucau. This is a great result for Ruak and Gusmao. Media coverage of the second round was pretty light, even more so than the first round. I haven't seen a great deal of analysis from anyone yet. Al JAzeera ran a short profile of Ruak and The Age has a story theorising that Ruak will take a harder line on oil and gas. Ruak will definitely be a different kind of president to Ramos-Horta, who seemed to lose his grounding and connection with the people later on in his term at the top.

Fundasaun Mahein ran a blog post yesterday:

The second round of the presidential election was on the whole peaceful, with only a few minor incidences, and this shows that the people of Timor-Leste are resolute in their desire for non-violent actions and have sent a clear message to those who seek to provoke violence.

Having successfully overcome the first two of our three main challenges this year, FM hopes that this success will be translated into a successful parliamentary election, which would cement Timor-Leste’s position in the world as a stable and democratic country, and thus breaking away from its post-conflict nation status. We hope that Timor-Leste could become a model for the successful transition of post-conflict nations.

Alex Tilman had a few words to say:

Well, Timor-Leste now has a new president, or rather president elect. Mr Taur Matan Ruak beat Dr Lu Olo comfortably in the second round, picking up most of the votes which went to Fernando Lasama and outgoing President Ramos-Horta. Dr Lu Olo picked up another 50,000 votes but was over 100,000 votes behind. TMR won overwhelmingly in every district except for Viqueque and Baucau, both FRETILIN strongholds.

And he posed this interesting question:

Now that Taur Matan Ruak has won the election, does that mean that the F-FDTL will soon be rounding up all the 17 or 18 year-olds and above to do their military service?

Michael Leach ran down an analysis of the vote. Some highlights:

TMR’s vote increase of 35% came largely (about 31%) from the two neutral and largest eliminated candidates, Ramos-Horta and Lasama, with 4% from the others.

Implications?

It is clear this result greatly enhances the CNRT’s potential bargaining position after July, much as it did in 2007, though importantly, not nearly to the same extent (with some 40% of the electorate signalling a potential opposition rather than 30%).

However, there are two possible caveats:

First, presidential and parliamentary elections are not perfectly comparable. For example, support for TMR in the second round does not automatically mean the same voters would support a coalition with TMR’s major backer, CNRT (though it is of course more likely). This is perhaps especially so given TMR’s broad appeal to all parties, including some members of Fretilin itself. In addition, any who voted for TMR to support the principle of presidential independence, rather than party affiliation, could also fall into that camp.

Second, with the addition of Lobato’s vote, it is probable that the Fretilin vote has increased a few points to the low 30s, and may once again emerge the largest party. If TMR in fact attracted some Fretilin supporters (and this is possible, though unproven), it could even go a few % higher. It is not precisely clear what has happened to the CNRT vote, but if it aligns with the TMR round 1 vote, it is broadly in the same area as 2007. If the new combination of JRH and Lasama were to make major inroads into that vote, the coalition calculus could of course change. This would especially be the case if they emerged in front – though this is presumably less likely now that TMR has won, with the new president likely to enhance the appeal of the CNRT (the sole major party that formally backed him).

The sole potential positive for Fretilin in this analysis is that CNRT, the (mooted) JRH/PD association, the PSD and others will now be competing over a somewhat smaller pool of votes. The negative for Fretilin is that the pool remains a clear majority. However, in Timor-Leste's proportional system, being the largest party does carry some weight, but only where the unity of other smaller parties (and their capacity to form a workable majority) cannot be guaranteed. As was evident in 2007, simply holding a pluraility is insufficient in itself.

In his first declaration as president elect, Ruak thanked pretty much everyone you can imagine and ended with these words:

I would like to reaffirm, the motto I pronounced in the beginning of that long process:

Together for a prosperous, strong and secure Timor-Leste.

After all, this objective can only be attained if the citizens also participated and became engaged, only if they cooperate and became active in the development of our country. Democracy will not advance and become solid without a responsible citizenry.

Pretty standard stuff really.

And that's about it. All to play for as we look forward to the parliamentary election and nothing is certain. Game on.