Southeast Asia Research Centre presents a research­in­progress seminar on L’état, ce n’est plus moi: Popular Sovereignty and Citizenship over a Century of Thai Political Development Dr Federico Ferrara Assistant Professor, Department of Asian and International Studies 12 October 2011 (Wednesday) 4:30 – 6:00 pm FY­302, 3/F, Fong Yun Wah Building, City University of Hong Kong The military coup d’état that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the night of September 19, 2006 seems destined to be remembered as a watershed in the modern history of Thailand. Not only did the coup set in motion a series of events that plunged the country into a situation of deep political instability and prolonged civil strife. Thaksin’s removal, and the efforts made since then to stamp out his influence, have wrecked the legitimacy of a political system that has long elevated institutions presumed to speak for, or act in the interest of, the monarchy above the constitution. Dr. Federico Ferrara looks at the political crisis that has gripped Thailand for the last five years as the expression of a “cleavage” — the fight over popular sovereignty and equal citizenship — that has variously defined political struggles since the days of the absolute monarchy, examining the historical process by which “royalist” and “populist” positions, as well as the prevailing alignments on both sides of the fight, have developed over the past century. The conflict’s explosive re‐emergence in the wake of the 2006 coup is explained in a way that accounts for the multiplicity of interests and motivations animating the major players and constituencies involved. About the speaker: Federico Ferrara (PhD, Harvard University) works as Assistant Professor in the Department of
Asian and International Studies at the City University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on Thai
history and politics, and more generally issues of democratization, electoral politics, and domestic political conflict. *** All are Welcome *** Language: English Enquiries: please contact Josephine Yim at 34426106 or email <[email protected]>