Students wear masks at at Patai Udom Suksa School on Jan. 15 in Bangkok.
Update: The Education Ministry ordered all “affected” education institutions, private and public, closed through Friday in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon provinces. Students in some grades with exams this weekend may still have class.
BANGKOK — Students will be dismissed from all public schools at noon and classes canceled through Friday as air pollution continues unabated, the governor said Wednesday.
Classes at 437 public schools were canceled out of concern the heavy smog could impact student health, according to Gov. Aswin Kwanmuang. Officials said the pollution in the capital this morning exceeded acceptable levels in 39 areas, with the highest density near Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon at up to 145 micrograms per cubic meter.
State weather forecasters said the lack of wind and higher air pressure has aggravated the situation, which is likely to persist at current unhealthy levels until next Monday at the earliest.
Aswin said the forecast led to the decision to close schools temporarily because “children might be harmed” by the pollution.
Officials said canceling classes at universities will be voluntary. Thammasat University and Suan Dusit Rajabhat University canceled classes tomorrow and Friday.
Public frustration continues to grow as officials have scrambled to address the surging pollution since last month without any concrete results. Among those efforts are spraying water into the air, washing streets and halting rail construction.
On Twitter, #UltrafineParticles was the No. 2 top-trending hashtag as of noon.
The government has come in for harsh criticism for ineffectively handling the problem.
Aswin today outlined additional measures unlikely to impress the public, including deploying 50 drones to spray water and installing more pollution detectors in public areas.
He said factory operating hours would be limited, but fell short of promising stricter law enforcement in favor of voluntary measures.
“We’ll ask for cooperation,” he said. “Everyone has to help each other.”
He also said City Hall is considering ways to designate certain areas subject to controls on traffic, construction and open-air burning.
BANGKOK — The final day of His Majesty the King’s three-day coronation ceremony will be observed as a national holiday.
The interim cabinet Monday declared that May 6 will be a national holiday, effectively resuming a holiday that had been celebrated on May 5 since King Bhumibol, the monarch’s father, ascended to the throne that day in 1950.
Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said the new date, which falls on a Monday, was declared so the ceremony could proceed uninterrupted past the weekend.
The coronation ceremony is scheduled for May 4 to May 6. The king will officially be crowned May 4. A royal procession and inauguration of the king’s official name and signature will be held May 5, including the re-establishment of royal family members’ ranks.
On May 6, the king will hold an audience for the public and foreign diplomats at the Grand Palace.
In this Oct. 30, 2018, file photo Apple's new MacBook Air computers are displayed during the company's showcase of new products in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Photo: Bebeto Matthews / AP
Apple has disabled a group-chat function in FaceTime after users said a software bug could let callers activate another person’s microphone remotely.
With the bug, a FaceTime user calling another iPhone, iPad or Mac computer could hear audio — even if the receiver did not accept the call. The bug is triggered when callers add themselves to the same call to launch a group chat. That makes FaceTime think the receiver had accepted the chat.
The bug, demonstrated through videos online, comes as an embarrassment for a company that is trying to distinguish itself by stressing its commitment to users’ privacy.
“This is a big hit to their brand,” said Dave Kennedy, CEO of Ohio-based security firm TrustedSec. “There’s been a long period of time people could have used that to eavesdrop. These things definitely should be caught prior to ever being released.”
There is no longer a danger from this particular bug as Apple disabled group chats, while regular, one-on-one FaceTime remains available.
NBC News and The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the family of a 14-year-old high school student in Tucson, Arizona, tried to inform Apple about the bug more than a week before it became widely known to the public. The boy, Grant Thompson, said he discovered it by accident while calling friends to play the game “Fortnite.”
It’s hard to know if anyone exploited the bug maliciously, said Erka Koivunen, chief information security officer for Finnish company F-Secure. He said it would have been hard to use the bug to spy on someone, as the phone would ring first — and it’s easy to identify who called.
Apple said Tuesday that a fix will come in a software update later this week. Apple declined to say when it learned about the problem. The company also wouldn’t say if it has logs that could show if anyone took advantage of the bug before it became publicly known this week.
Kennedy commended Apple’s quick response this week following reportsof the bug by tech blogs. He predicted the reputational dent could soon be forgotten if it doesn’t become part of a pattern.
“All bugs are obvious in retrospect,” said Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “The truth is bugs are subtle, code is complicated and sometimes things get through.”
Galperin said Apple should develop a better process for fielding reports about potential security flaws. She said the 14-year-old’s discovery of the problem “just tells us a lot about reporting security bugs depends on knowing the right person.”
Apple had introduced the 32-person video conferencing feature in October for iPhones, iPads and Macs. Regular FaceTime calls aren’t affected unless the caller turns it into a group chat.
Word of the bug came as Apple reported that profitfor the last three months of 2018 dipped slightly to $20 billion while revenue fell 5 percent from the prior year to $84 billion. Earlier this month, Apple said that demand for iPhones was waning and that its earnings for the final quarter of 2018 would be below its own forecasts — a rare downgrade from the company.
Prison guards escort Bahraini football player Hakeem AlAraibi in December from a court in Bangkok. Photo: Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press
BANGKOK — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged Thailand to stop the extradition to Bahrain of a detained football player who has refugee status in Australia, his office said Tuesday.
In a letter to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, Morrison emphasized that Hakeem al-Araibi’s case was an important matter to him personally, as well as to the Australian government and Australian people, his office said. The letter was reported earlier by The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
Al-Araibi, 25, a former Bahraini national team player, says he fled his home country due to political repression. Bahrain wants him returned to serve a 10-year prison sentence he received in absentia in 2014 for vandalizing a police station, which he denies.
Human rights groups, football governing bodies and activists have pushed for Thailand to release Al-Araibi, who plays for the semi-professional football club Pascoe Vale FC in Melbourne. They believe he risks being tortured if he is sent back to Bahrain.
Morrison noted that al-Araibi has a permanent protection visa issued by Australia, that the government only issues such visas after a careful process, and that Australia considers him a refugee.
Al-Araibi was detained upon his arrival in Bangkok in November while on a holiday, and a court ruled in December he could be held for 60 days pending the completion of an extradition request by Bahrain.
Thailand said it received an official extradition request on Monday.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Busadee Santipitaks said Tuesday that the request has been forwarded to prosecutors for deliberation.
Thailand’s attorney general is expected to decide within a week whether to proceed with the extradition case, said Chatchom Akapin, director general of the international affairs department.
Chatchom said Thailand would not extradite al-Araibi “if the sought extradition is political.”
“If it is, then the request must be denied,” he said.
Prime Minister Prayuth said the situation was complicated.
“Thai officials have to follow the law in every aspect. However, Thailand has good relations with Bahrain and FIFA,” he said, referring to football’s world governing body. “How can we find a solution? I understand everyone’s concerns.”
Human Rights Watch’s Asia director, Brad Adams, said Thailand would make a “huge mistake” if it extradites al-Araibi because “global opinion and international law are clearly opposed to this rights-violating move.”
The Asian Football Confederation on Tuesday followed FIFA and the International Olympic Committee in asking for al-Araibi’s release.
The AFC, led by Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s royal family, had faced criticism for not calling for al-Araibi’s freedom.
Al-Araibi has said he suspects he is being sought by Bahrain in part because of critical comments he made about the AFC leader.
Al-Araibi said he was blindfolded and had his legs beaten while he was held in Bahrain in 2012. He said he believed he was targeted for arrest because of his Shiite faith and because his brother was politically active. Bahrain has a Shiite majority but is ruled by a Sunni monarchy, and has a reputation for harsh repression since its failed “Arab Spring” uprising in 2011.
Bahrain’s interior minister issued a statement Tuesday asserting that the country has a legitimate claim in asking for al-Araibi’s extradition and accusing critics of its justice system of interfering in the country’s internal affairs.
“Those raising unfounded doubts about the integrity and independence of the kingdom’s judicial system are not only interfering, but also attempting to influence the course of justice,” the statement said.
It said al-Araibi was convicted of participating in a “terrorism” case involving “an arson attack, possession of inflammable bombs and causing damage to public and private property.”
Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus at lunch Tuesday with editors and reporters in Bangkok.
BANGKOK — Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus wants to see more attention paid in newspapers to combating inequality.
Speaking during a Tuesday visit to The Matichon Group, which publishes Khaosod and Khaosod English, Yunus noted there were no such dedicated sections in Thailand or most of the world and stressed why it is important.
“Inequality is a ticking time bomb. Inequality is increasing,” said Yunus, who is known for founding the world-famous Grameen Bank and pioneering the concept of microcredit as well as microfinance. He jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 together Grameen Bank for their efforts through microcredit to create economic and social development from below,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated.
The 78-year-old man warned that social systems are collapsing as equality gaps widen.
“China produced more billionaires last year than the past 10 years combined,” Yunus said, adding that there are even billionaires in his native Bangladesh now. “Ninety-eight percent of the world’s wealth today belongs to them. It’s a danger for the whole human race because we are destroying one another in 30 to 40 years,” Yunus said during the lunch meeting. “When you are in the bottom, you don’t get anything.”
The Nobel laureate asked why, after four decades of promoting micro credits, banking systems have not changed and the microcredit concept he popularized is still in the footnotes. Meanwhile, half the world’s population, about 4 billion people, lack access to credit. Yunus, who clearly enjoys talking as much as sampling Thai food, didn’t offer any answers of his own.
He’s also promoting so-called “social business” around the world as an alternative to the marketing trend of Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR programs.
His notion of social businesses differs from commercial and nonprofit organizations in that all profits go toward social objectives and seek to solve social problems.
“No personal gain is desired by its investors. A social business can address problems such as providing healthcare, housing and financial services for the poor, nutrition for malnourished children, providing safe drinking water, introducing renewable energy and much more in a business way,” according to information published by his center.
In Thailand, introducing such a concept has been a challenge, said Bordin Rassameethes, director of the Yunus Social Business Centre at Kasetsart University’s Business School, which was established in July 2016 to promote social business research.
Bordin said Thai corporations would rather engage in public relations through CSR projects. He added that some Thai cooperatives could be transformed into social businesses.
On a personal note, the septuagenarian who spends half his time traveling the world to spread his ideas, said there are two phases to life.
“There’s nothing called retirement. Phase One is to take care of family. Phase Two is to do things for the rest of the world. That’s where I am.”
Note: The last two paragraphs of this article have been removed at the instruction of Matichon Group management. Matichon Group is the parent company of Khaosod English, which was not responsible for the decision.
BANGKOK — An American fast food chain that opened in Bangkok without any of its famed “supreme” beef fare will take action after it became a laughing stock on social media.
Writing online, domestic franchise owner Chalermchai “Kueng” Mahagitsiri promised to put meat back on the menu after the firm finds a suitable source. It was a reversal for the company, which had insisted beef was excluded from its first Bangkok store after “extensive market research.”
“Taco Bell Thailand would like to thank all customers for their positive reception and inquiries for the top-hit dish,” Chalermchai wrote. “The company is currently in the process of selecting quality beef that meets our standards. I will update everyone again.”
The popular American Tex-Mex chain opened its doors Thursday at the MercuryVille shopping mall by BTS Chit Lom following much online hype.
But some of those who drove, rode the Skytrain or hoofed it to queue up for opening day were deeply disappointed to learn beef was somehow omitted from the menu. The response was swift and more searing than a chalupa left on the grill too long.
In replies to comments on its Facebook page, Taco Bell Thailand said the decision was based on market research, and urged the customers to try “unique” items for Thai menu instead.
LIVE from Taco Bell’s first store opening in Bangkok
“Taco Fail! Right up there with ‘New Coke.’ You don’t mess with a winning formula, pendejos!” user Rusty Lerner wrote.
“My Beef is you don’t serve beef!” added Sivaporn Dardarananda.
“Which part of your brain thought of selling tacos without beef?” user Nitisart Laws asked, adding that he would return to rival and precursor Sunrise Taco for his needs.
But others also asked: Why so much hate?
“I don’t understand the complaint over beef. Quit bitching about it and go try the food for what it is,” user Chandler Johnson commented. “The tacos tasted identical to the American counter parts and to be honest I had no clue it wasn’t beef (looks like it’s seasoned chicken). I’ll definitely be back again.”
Images posted by True ID from a televised BNK48 rehearsal on Friday.
BANGKOK — Debate continues over whether personal ignorance or a bad education was to blame for a pop singer taking the stage in a Nazi flag.
Nineteen-year-old Pichayapa “Namsai” Natha became the latest of many Thais to court fury for embracing a symbol that causes hurt worldwide, only to say afterward they had no idea what it meant. And blaming a lack of world history education is a defense her fans and even many of her detractors find valid, considering the poor reputation of education in Thailand.
No, an education official said Monday, don’t blame her education. Nitsuda Apinuntaporn of the Basic Education Commission said there’s no need to improve the curriculum in response to the public outcry, which included denunciations from the German and Israeli embassies.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to adjust the curriculum, because the content in history lessons are facts that can’t be changed,” she said. “Students learn about it, but they might not be able to remember.”
Nitsuda also said people should not blame the young singer solely for what happened, adding that a manager should have screened their outfits in advance.
Today, Pichayapa and other BNK48 members attended the Holocaust Remembrance Day hosted by the Israel Embassy in Bangkok. There, Shlomo emphasized the importance of education to prevent such events from repeating.
Pichayapa Natha, third from left, and other BNK48 members with Israeli Ambassador Meir Shlomo and his wife Bracha Shlomo, at center, at the Tuesday event marking the Holocaust Remembrance Day in Bangkok. Photo: Embassy of Israel in Thailand
“Did mankind really learn the lesson? The only real antidote to this hate is education, education and education,” he said.
Two history teachers blamed the lack of awareness however on the overall failure of schools to impart the importance and context of such symbolism.
While world history subjects including World War II must be taught, even at the elementary school level, no specifics are laid out and the content is left up to the teachers.
“The curriculum covers all important subjects, but I think it’s not deep enough,” said Chulalak Rakpong, who teaches history to sixth grade students in Uttaradit province. “Teachers also don’t emphasize the importance, causes and effects of these events.”
“The issue occurred because students don’t understand the origin of these symbols, about where they actually came from,” she added.
Silpakorn University student in Bangkok dresses recently as Adolf Hitler. Photo: Washirawit Santipiboon / Facebook
While BNK48’s Pichayapa could be the most high-profile figure to land in hot water for adopting Nazi imagery, she was far from the first. In 2016, Silpakorn University students cosplayed as Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. Chulalongkorn University graduates in 2013 performed Nazi salutes for photos in front of a mural of “superheroes” which also included Hitler. Some parents at a Chiang Mai school were baffled and offended when students dressed as SS officers in a full-blown Nazi parade.
Pakin Nimmannorrawong, who teaches high-school history at the Kamnoetvidya Science Academy, said the ministry’s requirements about what students should learn come in broad terms and allow teachers to design courses how they think best.
“I think the current curriculum is already good for teachers in terms of its flexibility,” he said. “It already specifies what should be covered in class. How these subjects will be taught and how deep they will go into details is up to each teacher to design their courses.”
World history for high school students in particular includes “Historical timeline and eras,” “Ancient world civilizations,” “Key events in world history,” and “Collaborations and conflicts of humankind.”
In these broad subject areas, some mandatory modern events include Colonialism, World War I, World War II, the Cold War and Middle East conflict.
Although he likes that the ministry allows room for teachers to be creative, Pakin believes it could better guide them in educating the youth about history, which is a complex and sensitive subject to many nations.
A Nazi-themed parade at Sacred Heart School in Chiang Mai, 2011. Photo: Simon Wiesenthal Center
“World War II is not only important in terms of the event itself, but also the after-effects of the war and ideology,” he said. “They can include these keywords into the requirements … such as talking about how the Holocaust occurred in several places and other effects caused by warring ideologies.”
However, teachers themselves must also realize that teaching students only about timelines and events won’t help them address the complexity and sensitivity that drove the recent uproar, he said.
“Part of the problem comes from us teaching only details of these events, telling them to only remember the details.” he said. “They can’t see the impact and problems of these ideologies and concepts, such as how fascists came into existence and the social context behind it.”
“When you don’t explain these events by their nature, causes and effects, and only force students to memorize them word by word, of course they won’t be able to remember it afterward,” he added.
BANGKOK — Enter the Year of the Pig doing more than eating dumplings and wearing a qipao.
Chinese New Year, aka the Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 5, but several venues in Bangkok have already begun hosting festive events from traditional performances and art exhibitions to food stalls and Chi-Chi stick booths.
Here are some things to check out around town:
Chinatown
Yaowarat Road will be closed for two days next week for the community’s biggest celebration of the year. Wander through Chinatown to see performers swap masks dramatically in Bian Lian (“face-changing”) shows, plus Chinese opera, lion dances, a Chinese cook-off and much more.
The events run noon to midnight on Feb. 5 and Feb. 6.
Lhong 1919
Pay your respects to Tsai Shen Yeh, dubbed the “God of Wealth,” at riverside lifestyle compoundLhong 1919. Grab a chair and watch a Chinese opera performance on Feb. 4. The next day, for Chinese New Year, witness a large spectacle including lion and dragon parades, Chinese lanterns and traditional Chinese performances.
Lhong 1919 is located on Chiang Mai Alley on the Thonburi side of the river in the Khlong San area. It can be reached by motorbike or taxi from BTS Saphan Taksin or BTS Krung Thonburi.
River City Bangkok
The four-story mall overlooking the Chao Phraya River has plenty to offer for art enthusiasts.
Walk to the second floor for an innovative exhibition brought to Bangkok by Taiwan’s National Palace Museum. Up the River During Qingming highlights digital presentations of ancient art pieces from royal households of various dynasties. The exhibition runs now through Feb. 12.
Admissionis 350 baht for adults and 200 baht for children. Those who dress in traditional Chinese outfits will receive a discounted entry fee.
The same floor has another exhibition by a photojournalist who has shot in Asia for more than three decades. For years, Yvan Cohen has fixed his lens on documenting Bangkok’s Chinatown to capture its rich culture and history. His works are on display at theChinatown Photo Exhibitionwhich opens Feb. 1 and runs through March 31. Admission is free. Cohen willhold a talk on Feb. 2.
A photograph taken by Yvan Cohen
River City Bangkok is located on Soi Charoen Krung 24. From beneath BTS Saphan Taksin, hop on a free shuttle boat from the Sathorn Pier. The boat runs hourly from 10am through 8pm.
Bangkok Screening Room
A scene from ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.’
The alternative cinema will screen two Chinese New Year specials. On Feb. 2, Reminisce with the turn-of-the-century, martial-arts action flick “Kung Fu Hustle” by prolific Hong Kong director-actor Stephen Chow.
The next day, the cinema will show Ang Lee’s masterpiece “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” The film that combined drama with innovative martial arts wire work won many Academy Awards – best foreign language film, best art direction, best original score and best cinematography.
The Bangkok Screening Room is located on the second floor of the Woof Pack Building on Sala Daeng Soi 1. It can be reached by foot or motorbike from BTS Sala Daeng or MRT Lumphini.
SF World Cinema, Central World
The cinema chain giant joins hands with the Documentary Club to host a screening of 1987 Oscar winner “The Last Emperor.” The British-Italian epic biography about Puyi will show daily from Thursday through Feb. 6. Tickets can be reserved and purchased online.
SF World Cinema is located on the seventh floor of CentralWorld shopping mall. It can be reached from BTS Chit Lom.
Central Embassy and Central Chidlom
Chinese New Year Festival comes to conjoined-twin malls downtown, where a parade of dragons and lions will march through while a 55-meter-long paper dragon installation pops up beside plentiful market stalls. Expect several booths selling Chinese food and dessert while a few others will feature lucky draw, “ang pao” red envelopes and Chi-Chi sticks.
Chinese New Year Festival starts at 7pm on Friday and runs through Feb. 11 at Central Embassy and Central Chidlom. Admission is free. Central Embassy can be reached from BTS Phloen Chit and Central Chidlom from BTS Chit Lom.
Iconsiam
The 54 billion-baht megamall that opened in November will host a four-day celebration called Eternal Prosperity Chinese New Year. The festival will see a giant 108-meter LED lion, performance by acrobatic troupe China’s Hunan Acrobatic Art Theatre, Chinese opera show and much more.
Learn how to replicate Chinese characters and make Chinese toys at workshops held at a Chinese market held on the mall’s M floor.
Eternal Prosperity Chinese New Year runs Feb. 2 through Feb. 5 atIconsiam. How to get there: Ride free shuttle buses from BTS Krung Thon Buri (every 10 minutes from 8am to midnight) or from BTS Wongwian Yai (every 30 minutes from 9:30am to 10pm). Free shuttle boats depart from Sathorn Pier (take BTS Saphan Taksin’s Exit 2), the CAT Tower Pier, the Si Phraya Pier and Ratchawong Pier.
BANGKOK — A century-old home in the city’s old quarter was given a new lease on life when its owner recently opened it to the public as a cafe.
Sitting in an alley a few hundred meters from the Giant Swing, the 106-year-old “Gingerbread House” opened its doors earlier this month for visitors to peek into every corner of the historic house and sip cups of coffee.
Despite being a weekday, a recent visit saw the 140sqm complex packed with people. Under the shade of a majestic, 80-year-old mango tree, they walked in, ordered at the bar, then looked for a seat to enjoy a rare, breezy afternoon.
The home’s origins trace back to 1913 when Khun Prasert Tabien, a nobleman in the reign of King Rama VI, built the wooden two-story residence.
A comparison of the Gingerbread House in 1913 and in 2019.
It gained the name Gingerbread House for the Victorian-era architectural style it resembles after passing on to the third generation of Sith Techakampuch and Petchara Techakampuch.
It’s characterized by detailed, carved wooden latticework, high ceilings and turret roofs. Other venues with similar styles can be seen at Bangkok’s Vimanmek Mansion, Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall and the Golden Teak Museum.
Now the home-turned-cafe belongs to the fourth generation, the married couple of Wirat Cunaratana-Angkul and Thanachporn Cunaratana-Angkul. Renovation started in 2017, with “95 percent” kept original. Only the front porch was eliminated to make way for the cafe’s entrance.
Both floors of the home are furnished with antiques accumulated over the generations, including, to mention but a few, rusty clothes irons, porcelain bowls, vintage dressers and light switches.
The first proprietor – Prasert Tabien – left his personal sigil at several spots around the house. Look for round, carved wooden pieces combining two Thai consonants and a vowel overlapping each other. They form his nickname, “Khan.”
Prasert Tabien’s emblem
Wirat said he refused to paint over the wooden tiles where scratches and faded colors are visible. He prefers to keep them the way they have been.
“Making it new is easy, but making it old is difficult,” he said.
Wirat Cunaratana-Angkul
The cafe, managed by Wirat’s nephew Keerathi Cunaratana-Angkul, serves a variety of dishes.
Drinks range from a signature iced coffee, an iced mint macchiato, mint lime soda and Japanese yuzu soda. Many come for the Thai desserts, highlights of which include black jelly served with Thai tea ice cream and bua loi rice balls topped with pandan-flavored ice cream and foi thong.
Big profits are not the primary mission for the cafe though, Wirat said. He said he already got “the highest profit” on its first day, when the cafe opened and all his living phoo yai relatives visited.
“All of them smiled, reminiscing on their childhoods. One of them told me, ‘I was born in this room,’ and another said ‘I used to sleep in that room.’” Wirat said, pointing to two upstairs rooms.
Wirat said he hopes his house-turned-cafe will help inspire other old home owners to keep their properties and raise their value instead of demolishing them.
“Don’t underestimate old stuff,” Wirat said. “First, do not sell them. Second, preserve them. People yearn for authentic vintage things and antiques, and I think no matter where they are, people are willing to travel to see them.”
Gingerbread House opens 11am to 8pm every day except Monday. It is located on Soi Lang Bot Phram near the Giant Swing in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district.
Bua loi rice balls served with coconut milk, foi thong and pandan ice-cream.Keerathi Cunaratana-Angkul, at left, and his uncle Wirat Cunaratana-Angkul
A file photo of Hakeem AlAraibi. Image: Associated Press
BANGKOK — Bahrain filed an extradition request Tuesday for the return of a footballer with refugee status who has languished in jail for almost two months after being detained while on vacation.
The formal request from Bahrain to return Hakeem AlAraibi, who has been held in Thailand since Nov. 27, alarmed the refugee and human rights activists, whose calls for his release have been joined in recent days by FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.
“Al Araibi was arrested in Thailand and proceedings to extradite him to Bahrain are in process, so that he can serve his sentence,” Bahrain’s Interior Minister Gen. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulah Al Khalifa said in an online statement posted Monday. “Those raising unfounded doubts about the integrity and independence of the Kingdom’s judicial system are not only interfering, but also attempting to influence the course of justice.”
Evan Jones, spokesman for the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network said concerns about AlAraibi’s fate and ability to receive justice are valid.
“Bahrain’s case is politically motivated and is based off entirely fabricated information. In our eyes, as a refugee from Bahrain, the extradition request should not even be accepted by the Thai government,” Jones said.
Immigration chief Surachate Hakparn could not be reached for comment.
Yahya Alhadid, president of the Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights said that Hakeem was at risk of death if extradited.
“Bahraini courts issued harsh sentences today, including death sentences against political detainees and life sentences against opposition leaders. This is a serious indicator of what is waiting for Hakeem if extradited back to Bahrain,” Alhadid said. “We also call on Thailand not to respond to the extradition request and to keep their international obligations not to send anyone to a state or country where they might face torture.”
Hakeem AlAraibi was detained Nov. 27 at the airport before being move to Bangkok Remand Prison in Dec. 11, where the law allows him to be held without charge until Feb. 9. Under Thai law, Bahrain had to file its request for AlAraibi by then, or request that his custody be extended another 30 days.
AlAraibi fled Bahrain in 2014 to Australia after he was sentenced to a decade in prison for allegedly vandalizing a police station, a crime that allegedly occurred while AlAraibi was playing a televised football match. Supporters of AlAraibi say he was tortured by Bahraini authorities in 2012 for his brother’s political activism and criticism of the royal family.
AlAraibi, 25, was granted refugee status by Australia in November 2017 and plays for the Pascoe Vale Football Club. Both the International Olympic Committee and FIFA have requested Thailand to return AlAraibi to Australia.
Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch said that if extradited, Thailand could face “very serious, negative consequences.”
“There is a rapid global movement demanding for him to be free. There could be serious consequences from FIFA and world football. Thailand could face a boycott or sanctions related to World Cup 2022. Thailand needs to be thinking very clearly,” Robertson said.
His case has drawn fresh interest after a young Saudi woman fleeing her family barricaded herself in a transit lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport rather than be deported back to them. Under intense scrutiny, Thai authorities relented and allowed Rahaf AlQunun to enter the country under UN protection. She was granted refugee status and resettled in Canada.
Rahaf Alqunun shakes hand with immigration chief Surachate Hakparn, at right, Jan. 7 at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Photo: Immigration Bureau
Robertson said AlAraibi has an even stronger case that AlQunun, as he was already an established refugee in Australia.
“It’s not easy to get refugee status in Australia. He went through the entire process, an interview, a background check. For Thailand to simply disregard that shows contempt for international human rights standards.”
The Bahrain Embassy in Thailand tweeted on Jan. 12 a video where a Bahraini man flips through a notebook with diplomatic photos set to piano music.
“This is where our journey started. From this place, loyal men embark with a message for the entire world. … Our journey continues towards peace, coexistence and mutual respect,” the voiceover says.
Nitsuda also said people should not blame the young singer solely for what happened, adding that a manager should have screened their outfits in advance.
