Opinion

Christopher Columbus, King Leopold II, Winston Churchill, Edward Colston, Cecil Rhodes and the list goes on. Where will the toppling and defacing of the statues of racist historical figures end?

I’ve been working in Thailand as a Catholic priest since 2012. Many times, I have been bullied and subject to discrimination just because of my black skin.

The current economic crisis resulting from the impact of COVID-19, has led Thailand, like other countries, to explore economic restructuring in order to provide more domestic work opportunities and compensate for the loss in export and tourism.

“I promote peace and non political agendas this is highly political. It’s not my place to and not my fight. If you want me to fight for a broader issue I can like racism,”

The anti-racist protests and riots in the United States across 70 cities as a result of the police killing of black man George Floyd on May 25 have got some in Thailand reflecting upon their own society.

Last Sunday I walked past an empty ‘sharing pantry’ in front of Chatuchak Park and it got me thinking. The pantry, a new concept introduced earlier this month, was empty.

The two political bloodshed that took place in the same month of May may be 18 years apart, but they share a big similarity that should bother anyone who cares about accountability in this country.

At a time when the public debates whether to rescue Thai Airways from its 200 billion baht debt or let it go bust, I have a confession to make about the airline.

Taiwan, though not a member of WHO, cannot stand alone and must be included in such fight against threats.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the deadly crackdown on Redshirt protesters that left at least 90 people dead. If there are any lessons learned it is that this historical episode is yet to be accepted as a collective memory for Thai society.