<p>The rampant confusion over the putative secessionist movement calling for an independent state of Lanna in the north of Thailand is no more than you can expect in a country besotted with acronyms.</p>

<p>Well it’s a full house here at the Impact Arena for the live televised debate between Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Suthep Thaugsuban, head of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee.&nbsp; There’s a few minutes to go before that starts so I’ll turn to Khun Somchai here.&nbsp; Khun Somchai, explain to the viewers, what is the background to this debate?</p>

<p>On February 18, the world that watches the BBC saw a grenade thrown at police at Phan Fa bridge which a police officer unsuccessfully (but ‘heretically’, according to a PDRC tweet and I hope that’s just a blooper and he meant ‘heroically’) tried to kick away.</p> <p></p>

<p>Violence again has struck a PDRC protest site, though it appears that for the first time in many months of protest, no external attack was involved. </p>

<p>The big issue for the ‘we’re never going away no matter how many deadlines we miss’ PDRC protesters is clearly corruption.&nbsp; This to them is the number one problem facing the nation. &nbsp;It is also the number one failing of the Thaksin clan of cronies and clones, and the reason why the kingdom must be rid them.</p> <p>Now it may come as a horrible shock to anyone who has followed Thai politics for the last 20 years, but Thaksin has not been convicted on a criminal charge of corruption.&nbsp;</p>

<p>OMG.&nbsp; I have only just realized.&nbsp; The insurrection on the streets, the slowly sinking economy, the political polarization that allows no dialogue … it’s all my fault.</p> <p>At first I thought that Suthep and his fellow demagogues were just doing the normal rabble-rousing, picking on the Cambodians as the bogeyman du jour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It’s been a deadly winter for British comedians.&nbsp; John Fortune died on New Year’s Eve, alas, and this week comes news of the death of Roger Lloyd-Pack.&nbsp; So nostalgia has us flipping through some of the best clips and lo and behold, there’s the clue to Thailand’s political problems.</p>

<p>In July 1945 a remarkable election took place in the United Kingdom.&nbsp; The war in Europe was just finished and the war against Japan was coming to an end.&nbsp; The national government, a mix of ministers from different parties, which had governed the country during most of the war, was no longer justified and it was time for politics as usual.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So how are we going to shut down the whole of Bangkok?</p> <p>It’s easy.&nbsp; Like Khun Suthep said, everyone will come out onto the streets and no one will be able to go anywhere, especially the Thaksin clique and corrupt politicians.</p> <p></p>

<ol> <li>Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Rwanda and South Korea all became members of the UN Security Council on New Year’s Day.</li> <li>At his public inauguration, President Obama put his left hand on bibles once owned by President Lincoln and Martin Luther King.</li> <li>A cleaning woman was badly injured while cleaning an empty commuter train in the middle of the night in Sweden in January when she accidentally started it.<br /> </li></ol>

<p>With nothing better to do than wonder what to do with all the leftovers, find drawer space for yet more unwanted gifts and pale at the prospect of another year of all this, you will no doubt want the distraction of these 36 questions about what happened last year.&nbsp; Googling not allowed, asking the significant other for guidance not allowed, kicking the cat out of frustration not allowed.&nbsp; Answers next week.</p> <p></p>

<p>The judicial process in Thailand is especially tricky to figure out.</p> <p>Just this week the international media showed pictures of former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva climbing the many steps of the Criminal Court to be formally charged with murder.&nbsp; Commentators noted that even if prosecution of a PM for a crime of this severity is a first for Thailand, it is very much a selectively political case and few believe there is any serious chance of his future appearances being in leg irons.</p> <p></p>