Hej
För ett tag sedan uppmanade ju Juntaledaren General Prayuth den Thailändska befolkningen att se på det Syd Koreanska militära K-drama “Descendants of the Sun" som glorifierar och framställer militären som hjältar, nu verkar som om juntan tar rygg på Syd Korea och själva finansierar egna propaganda filmer på samma tema och med samma budskap.
Weepy propaganda play preaches to the choir
Submitted by editor3 on Sat, 26/03/2016 - 11:57
Asaree Thaitrakulpanich
A military-sponsored major production doesn’t even bother to conceal its political propaganda in the form of a weepy stage play. The show seems to be a response to the popular current of pondering the question, “What is the Military For?” from an article published by Nidhi Eoseewong.
Remember when Prayut told us all to watch the military K-drama “Descendants of the Sun”? Well, since he’s head of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), he’d want to watch “The Last Blanket,” too.
“The Last Blanket” (ผ้าห่มผืนสุดท้าย), a stage play running from 17 March to 3 April at the Rachadalai Theatre, is funded by ISOC, which has also sponsored other mass-media art projects, such as Latitude No. 6, a film released last year that pushed vague messages of unity and love regarding the Deep South conflict.
However, “The Last Blanket” seems to be a response to the popular current of pondering the question, “What is the Military For?” from an article published by Nidhi Eoseewong. In it, Nidhi condemns the military as a modern construction that guzzles up funds, takes power in times of political vacuums, and wages war instead of protecting sovereignty. In the age of political and regional integration (ASEAN, EU), Nidhi finds no use for the military. Of course, that’s not true—the military makes a great subject for military-funded movies and plays.
“The Last Blanket,” with the tagline “When was the last time you sang the national anthem at the top of your lungs?” tells in flashbacks the story of three Thai soldiers stationed in the Deep South who are killed in action. Private Top, an initially reluctant, lazy soldier who is assigned by his sergeant to return the bodies of three soldiers to their families, as well as write a report on the fallen men.
Private Top unravels the story of Colonel Tome, an estranged father whose relationship with his rebellious daughter is on the rocks, Dr. Tor, a doctor-turned-medical officer who joined the military to impress his childhood love, and brothers Second Lieutenants Pong and Pae, whose mother has moved to the super dangerous South to be with her sons.
In all three story threads, the enlisted (not drafted) soldiers all volunteer to go to the Deep South, and any semblance to reality is already ridiculously, completely one. Is self-sacrifice for a faceless bomb and a tri-colour flag justified? Of course it is, you scum-of-the-land. How dare you ask that? Now go and take a selfie at the photo spot in the lobby while holding one of these placards.
Med vänlig hälsning isan lover