9 replies to this topic

[mauRICE]

How prophetic Hedda's words have turned out to be. See Hedda's thread Thais and military drag http://www.baht-stop...?showtopic=2783)

What is absolutely shocking is that the perpetrators in this gross display of 'calculated ignorance' and insensitivity were students and educationalists in an urban, well-resourced Thai school - what hope is there for the uneducated rural poor?

Click on link for pics and the original article:

http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/nl/con...&ct=4494183

October 1, 2007

WIESENTHAL CENTER DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST THAI SCHOOL FOR NAZI CELEBRATION

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading Jewish human rights organization, is urging Thai officials to condemn the TEFL Thewphaingarm School in Bangkok, Thailand, for a Nazi celebration involving scores of its students dressed up with swastikas, marching "storm troopers" and a concert whose leader gave the "zeig heil" salute. The photos clearly show that this was not a cultural celebration of an ancient Asian symbol, but a mocking of the millions of victims of Nazism.

In an October 1 protest to school director, Dr. Nahathai Thewphaingarm, Wiesenthal Center associate dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, wrote: "I am sure you agree that such an activity has no place in any educational institute. This incident cannot be dismissed as merely the actions of a few uninformed students. Much research and planning went into this 'concert.' Asked Rabbi Cooper: "Whose initiative was this Nazi celebration and why? We urge you to launch an immediate investigation to clarify what role, if any, your school had in this ugly display, and if confirmed, take the necessary steps against those who approved, planned or participated in this outrage," he continued.

In addition, the Center has contacted founder and CEO of TEFL International, Bruce Veldhuisen, to urge TEFL, a major clearinghouse for teachers and students interested in English as a second language, to launch its own investigation of this ugly incident. "We are long past the time when such incidents take place in Asia that can be excused due to 'alleged' ignorance of the Nazis' atrocities during World War II," Cooper concluded.

Rabbi Cooper travels extensively in Asia, including Japan, China, India, Singapore, and Indonesia.

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[mauRICE]

Can you imagine, being hauled away while sipping your G&T at Le Cafe Royale one evening because you are old, gay, crippled, Jew or all four?

More pics from http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/nl/con...&ct=4494183

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[TheYenta]

It's bizarre, to say the least. I doubt if any of the Thai children had a clue what the Nazi thing was about, other than a chance to dress up in various uniforms, something the Thai seem to have in their genes. The adults who organized this outrage, however, need to be called to task to explain just what they thought this whole thing was all about. I don't think there's been a single word of this in the Thai press.

[Kirkland]

I knew that the Thai schools were pretty deficient in teaching history, but this is ridiculous. I know that the Thais like to ignore the fact that they were allied with Japan in WWII, but is it possible that the people running this school really don't have a clue what Nazi Germany was all about ?

[mauRICE]

but is it possible that the people running this school really don't have a clue what Nazi Germany was all about ?

I desperately want to believe that this was ignorance on the part of the Thai organisers but the detail that went into the display of the Nazi theme - the insignias, eagle and swastika emblems of the Third Reich, the perfect execution of the "Hail Hitler" salute - suggests to me that this was a thoroughly researched, well-planned large scale event. Google "Nazi" and a gazillion websites listing the atrocities of Nazi Germany spring up. How could they not have known?

This is not some backwater school in Nakorn Nowhere; Thewphaingarm is an established private school with a sizeable endowment fund. The farang teachers there get paid upwards of 50,000Bt, well above the national average. My second thought was that this was the malicious effort of some disgruntled farang teacher taking the piss at the Thais but I heard that the farang teachers at the school tried to intervene at the planning stage but was told to mind their own business by the Thai organisers. Apparently one farang teacher resigned in protest.

[Up2u]

I hope it was ignorance on their part. Perhaps they were mocking a la the Broadway show "The Producers".

[mauRICE]

So, they found a scapegoat. Pin all the blame for this massive fiasco on one teacher, then make him disappear quietly. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Has any of this been reported in the Thai press?

Thewphaingarm School is owned by a highly educated brother and sister team. Both purportedly have PhDs related to education. The sister, the older of the two, is rumoured to be the former PM's mia noi. She handed over the day-to-day running of the school to her younger brother when she joined Tai Rak Tai. He was pointed out to me at a luncheon in Bangkok once - nice to look at, as I recall. I'll try to find a picture.

Thai school apologizes to Jewish organization for Nazi celebration

http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=7925302

The Associated Press
Wednesday, October 17, 2007

BANGKOK, Thailand: A Thai school has apologized to an international Jewish human rights organization for its sponsorship of a celebration that involved a Nazi-themed parade, according to an announcement received Wednesday.

The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a press release that a group of students at Thewphaingarm School in Bangkok chose to dress as Nazis on sports day, an annual event held in September that divides students into teams.

Photos from the event showed about 200 students — between the ages of 6 and 18 — dressed in red outfits with swastikas on their baseball caps behind a large sign with "NAZI" in shoulder-high letters.

Some students at the school — which also offers an English-language curriculum — wore elaborately stylized stormtrooper uniforms, carried fake rifles or performed the "sieg heil" salute.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center wrote a letter to the school earlier this month, protesting that such activity mocks the memory of victims of Nazi aggression and has no place in an educational institution.

"We are long past the time when such incidents take place in Asia that can be excused due to 'alleged' ignorance of the Nazis' atrocities during World War II," the letter said.

According to the center, school director Kanya Khemanan responded with an apology, saying that the Nazi celebration happened mainly due to a lack of oversight.

The teacher responsible has been removed from his position and the school has since held lectures and discussions on the Holocaust, the center said, citing Kanya's letter.

Calls to the Thewphaingarm School went unanswered Wednesday.

Nazi regalia and symbols surface from time to time in Thailand and other parts of Asia, often treated as chic design elements for otherwise unrelated products and services.

In 1988, a Nazi-themed bar in a trendy Bangkok mall drew protests from foreigners because of its glamorization of the Third Reich. In 1998, a Thai company used Hitler's likeness to sell potato chips.

Hong Kong and Japan have witnessed a growth in the casual wearing of SS uniforms, as well as increased interest in "white power" music, popular with neo-Nazis.

South Korea several years ago experienced a surge of public fascination with Nazi imagery, and earlier this year, a pro-Hitler group in Taiwan with approximately 1,000 members attempted to gain official status from the government.

Western reaction to the Asian phenomenon has been one of sharp criticism and utter astonishment. Western diplomats, especially Germans and Israelis, have complained heavily, pointing out that Asians suffered during World War II under occupation by Japan, Nazi Germany's ally.

[mauRICE]

The teacher responsible has been removed from his position and the school has since held lectures and discussions on the Holocaust, the center said, citing Kanya's letter.

This is somewhat suspect. The Wiesenthal Center filed the complaint on Oct 1 and the school's apology was published on Oct 16. I believe that Thai schools have been closed for the better part of this month so one wonders when these lectures and discussions on the Holocaust were held.

[Snowy]

Due to an oversight, surely.

I think oversight in this context means lack of supervision and control by the School head/director rather than an unintentional failure to notice what was happening !

[mauRICE]

Oops, they did it again.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/501209...causes-outrage/

http://www.baht-stop.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11889

(RIP, Snowy.)