Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
A Visit to the Malaysian Communist Party tunnels in Betong, Thailand
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Murray Hunter : An important part of Malaysia’s history. In the mountains approximately 18 kms north-West of the border tourism town of Betong is where the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) 12th battalion were domiciled, after withdrawing from Malaysia during the 1970s.
The CPM was dissolved, with the Malaysian Communist Party (MCP) formed on 5th December 1983, through the merger of two CPM splinter groups, the CPM revolutionary faction, and the CPM Marxist Leninist faction. The Communist Party of Malaya head Chin Peng was denounced as a counter revolutionary by the new party.
The tunnels at Piyamit 1, in Tambon Tano Mae Ro were built in 1976 by a group of 40-50 cadres over three months, by hand. The tunnels stretch approximately over one kilometre, with originally 9 entrances with cavities up to 20 metres wide in some places. The complex could accommodate up to 200 people.
No description available.
This was one of three guerrilla bases, the other two being at Khao Nam Kang, Sadao in Songkhla, where the 8th battalion was domiciled and Sukhrin District in Narathiwat, where the 10th battalion was domiciled.
No description available.
The prime purpose of the tunnels was to act as an air raid shelter and a food, weapon, and ammunition storage. The guerrilla group lived in the jungle and walked through dense forests with supplies to carry out their insurgency missions into Malaysia. When looking around the area of the tunnels, its extremely hard to comprehend how difficult these hit and run missions would have been. The museum on site provides some insights.
The MCP didn’t have the strength to lay siege to towns and cities according Maoist tactics. Conditions in Malaysia were very different were MCP cadres were primarily Chinese, and the villages primarily Malays. The MCP relied upon support of the Chinese and Orang Asli. The aim of the MCP was to build a People’s Democratic United Front to bring down the ‘reactionary Kuala Lumpur regime.’ The party was opposed to bureaucratic capitalism, now known as GLCs, feudalism, and imperialism. The MCP wanted to create a People’s Republic of Malaysia, abolishing all reactionary laws, upholding freedom of religion, nationalising foreign companies, seizing lands occupied by big businesses, and redistribute those lands to landless peasants. The MCP also wanted the equality of all nationalities, and oppose what they saw as neo-colonialism.
No description available.
Thai military authorities estimated the MCP had a force of approximately 800 guerrillas before their surrender to the Royal Thai Army in 1987. Of the 800 guerrillas who surrendered, 250 were women. There are a number of peace villages within the area, with the land a donation from King Rama IX of Thailand, who also granted those who stayed Thai citizenship.
Today the complex is a prime tourist attraction in Betong, near the hot springs. Pre-Covid, the attraction received around 200,000 tourists, mainly from Malaysia and Singapore.
The attraction is very quickly becoming busy once again.
