5 Month Jail Sentence for Cambodian Opposition Leader

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9 September 2016, 16:06

Cambodia's main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party Deputy President Kem Sokha gestures in 2016 during a speech at the party headquarters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: Heng Sinith / Associated Press

PHNOM PENH — A Cambodian opposition leader was sentence to five months in jail Friday in the latest face off between the government and opposition as political tensions around challenges to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s long-standing autocratic rule show no signs of easing.

Sam Sokong, a defense lawyer for Kem Sokha, deputy leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, said they will appeal the verdict after the trial that lasted just several hours.

“The trial conducted today did not comply with procedures” he said.

Kem Sokha, who was not in court for the trial, was convicted of twice ignoring a summons to appear in court to answer questions related to a case involving his alleged mistress. He refused, saying the legal moves were part of the ruling party’s plan to cripple the opposition.

Riot police were outside the court, and nearly 1,000 opposition supporters had gathered in front of their party headquarters, with riot police watching them from about 500 meters away. There were no reports of violence.

The case was one of several hanging over leaders of the opposition in what is generally seen as an effort to disrupt their organizing efforts ahead of local elections next June. The next general election is not until the middle of 2018, but holding power at the local level is an advantage when the national polls are held.

“We urge the authorities to adhere strictly to international fair trial standards during the criminal proceedings.”

Before the verdict, Kem appeared before his supporters and accused the government of using the court system to stop him from speaking out and to prevent him from taking part in the elections.

A statement issued this week by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern “about the escalating atmosphere of intimidation of opposition politicians, their supporters, civil society, and peaceful demonstrators in Cambodia.”

It noted “a host of legal charges” faced by Kem Sokha and 29 other opposition supporters.

It said 14 of them had been given heavy prison sentences despite raise serious concerns about the fairness of the proceedings. “We urge the authorities to adhere strictly to international fair trial standards during the criminal proceedings.”

One victim of the legal moves on the opposition has been opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who did not return from a trip abroad last November when an old conviction for defamation was restored and his parliamentary immunity was stripped by the government’s legislative majority. It had been generally assumed that the conviction, carrying a two-year prison sentence, had been lifted by a 2013 pardon which allowed Sam Rainsy to return from a previous period of self-exile. He also faces a stack of separate charges that could put him away for 17 years.

Read: Hun Sen Regime Takes Opposition to Court

Activists and non-governmental organizations, which are generally critical of the government, have come in for similar kinds of legal pressures. Physical force has also been applied. Two opposition lawmakers were beaten up by a pro-government mob last year, and the murder of a prominent social critic, Kem Ley in July, allegedly by a man to whom he owed money, is widely regarded with suspicion.

The opposition has called on its followers to turn out to protest. It has strong support in the capital and street demonstrations have traditionally been an effective form of push-back. But recent efforts to take to the streets have been thwarted by a government show of force.

Hun Sen’s party was often accused of using violence or the threat of violence against opponents, but in recent years has stalked its foes mostly in the courts.

Hun Sen has been Cambodia’s leader for three decades. But in a general election in 2013, it seemed his grip on power was shaken when the Cambodia National Rescue Party mounted a strong challenge, winning 55 seats in the National Assembly and leaving Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party with 68. The opposition claimed they had been cheated, and staged a boycott of parliament. Seeking to shore up his legitimacy, Hun Sen reached a political truce with them in 2014, making some minor concessions over electoral and parliamentary procedure.

But relations between the government and the opposition deteriorated last year after the opposition tried to exploit a volatile issue by accusing neighboring Vietnam, with which Hun Sen’s government maintains good relations, of land encroachment. The move proved politically popular, and the government reacted by stepping up intimidation of the opposition party in the courts, which are seen as being under its influence.

Hun Sen’s party was often accused of using violence or the threat of violence against opponents, but in recent years has stalked its foes mostly in the courts.

Story: Sopheng Cheang

Go on a 3D Digital Dance Journey Next Week

By

Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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9 September 2016, 15:13

Akiko Kajihara performs ‘Hakanai’ in an undated photo file. Photo: Romain Etienne

BANGKOK — Meat and cyber spaces converge on stage for audiences at a dazzling dance performance combining the human body and technology next week.

At “Hakanai,” audiences sit around a performance space while an LED-powered cube of graphical projections envelope the dancer inside, blending choreography and art installation with graphics, sensors, electronic music and more.

Performed by Akiko Kajihara, the performance is staged by Adrien M & Claire B, a French theatre company known for digital art performances that explore the relationship between humans and dreams.

Hakanai is a Japanese term meaning a union of two elements: one alluding to the human and another to the dream. The word here is meant to capture something ephemeral, transitory and intangible.

The digital performance debuted in 2013 in France. The one-woman solo performance has traveled around the world.

Tickets are 1,000 baht and available online. Groups of four or more pay 500 baht per ticket, and students pay 400 baht.

“Hakanai” starts at 7:30pm on Sept. 13, 14 and 15 at the Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts. Those going are advised to pick up their tickets 30 minutes before the show.

The theatrical studio is located on the sixth floor of the Maha Chakri Sirindhorn building at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Arts, can be reached by a few-minute walk from BTS Siam or MRT Samyan.

Akiko Kajihara performing in “Hakanai” in an undated photo file. Photo: Romain Etienne

Tireless Springsteen Bests Concert Record – Again

By

Associated Press

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9 September 2016, 12:33

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Wednesday during The River Tour at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, United States. Photo: Elizabeth Robertson / Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA, United States — Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band just don’t want to leave the stage.

Wednesday night’s concert at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia lasted nearly four hours, four minutes, breaking the previous record for the group’s longest U.S. show set last week.

Philadelphia Daily News sports statistician and Springsteen fan Bob Vetrone Jr. clocked the show at four hours, three minutes, 46 seconds.

The band played four hours Aug. 30 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The Boss’ longest show in the world was four hours, six minutes in Helsinki, Finland, in 2012.

Springsteen’s 75-show U.S. and European The River Tour wraps up with a show in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sept. 14.

Foxborough officials voted last week to extend its concert curfew by 15 minutes, to 11:30 p.m., for Springsteen.

Kill a Sound With Reggae Appreciation Society

By

Mongkorn Timkul, Correspondent

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9 September 2016, 12:29

DJ K9 of the Reggae Appreciation Society. Photo: Mew / Courtesy

Ras (noun)
Someone who wears dreadlocks (may also practice Rastology)
– Jamaican Patois and Slang Dictionary

From Jamaica, the religion and music inspired by it. From Thailand and New Zealand, DJs K9 (Thanyapong Pirintarangkoon) and Be Woken (Ben Wickham) and the Bangkok Reggae Appreciation Society, or BKRAS.

Reggae in Thailand? Though its roots are in 1960s Jamaica, the music has found its way into the hearts of people around the world including Thailand, where a vibrant scene which has spawned homegrown artists, DJs and festivals.

It could be bands like T-Bone and their side project Gapi Dub Kitchen that helped the scene’s growth, or perhaps it’s as Zudrangma label boss DJ Maft Sai says, reggae’s local appeal can be explained by the similar basslines it shares with mor lam.

Bringing some of the best reggae to Bangkok for the past two years has been BKRAS, who’ve earned street cred for their self-titled monthly events and are throwing down an anniversary party on Saturday.

Though their streetwear look and cropped hair doesn’t fit the rasta cliche, have a look inside their record collection and it’s a whole different story.

As for their musc, forget about the Bob Marley cover band stuff you heard at the beach bar, because the duo play a more raw, edgier, bass-heavy sound like Dancehall, Dub or digital reggae.

For authenticity to the sound, the crew plays the latest tracks on vinyl. That means deep basslines and skanking beats with an added analog warmth. More so, with vinyl, most tracks tend to be very rare, so punters will be amazed by tunes they’ve never heard before. Some may say it’s one-upmanship, but in reggae culture, it’s a style of DJing that is hard to come by.

DJ Be Woken. Photo: Jacqueline Khoury / Courtesy

“Vinyl and reggae music go hand-in-hand,” K9 says. “When I heard reggae vinyl being played on a big sound system, I knew there was no other sound else like it.”

Reggae disciples and curious alike can check out BKRAS’ anniversary party Saturday at Studio Lam, which will feature guest DJs and performers from France, Phuket and Japan.

“The gig is a two-year anniversary to celebrate and to thank the people from around the world that have helped us build a sound: venue owners, local and travelling selectas and MCs,” Be Woken explains. “And most importantly, the community of people that have supported us along the way.”

It’s all going at Studio Lam where the crew will host Dubwise from Phuket, U-Key and Minami from Japan, and French reggae vocalist S’kaya. S’kaya will MC and perform tracks from his latest album, “Paris Ghetto Zoo.”

<a href="http://conscioussounds.bandcamp.com/album/four-the-hard-way" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FOUR THE HARD WAY by INA VARIOUS DIGI STYLE</a>Door is 200 baht and the music is scheduled to start at 9pm and go till about 2am.

Come for the music, the DJs, records and bass bins all set to go. There’s even a food truck by Caribbean Cuisine for a taste of the land where this music comes from. Be sure to buy me some jerk chicken or roti if you see me there.

Until then, Dub be good to you.

Here’s some more local reggae to check out:

TOP: DJ K9 of the Reggae Appreciation Society. Photo: Mew / Courtesy

North Korea Conducts its Biggest-Ever Nuke Test

By

Associated Press

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9 September 2016, 12:02

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un salutes at a parade in October of last year in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photo: Wong Maye-E / Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Friday conducted its fifth nuclear test, producing its biggest-ever explosive yield, South Korean officials said, with the South’s president calling the atomic detonation an act of “fanatic recklessness.”

The North’s test, which comes eight months after its previous such detonation, defies both tough international sanctions and long-standing diplomatic pressure to curb its nuclear ambitions. It will raise serious worries in many world capitals that Pyongyang has moved another step closer to its goal of a nuclear-armed missile that could one day strike the U.S. mainland.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye strongly condemned the test, saying in a statement that it showed the “fanatic recklessness of the Kim Jong Un government as it clings to nuclear development.” Kim is the North Korean leader.

Park’s office said she spoke with U.S. President Barack Obama about the test Friday morning, during a regional summit inLaos. Park said South Korea will employ all available measures to put more pressure on North Korea, which has previously conducted nuclear tests every three to four years.

The explosion put the region on edge.

Chinese state media reported that the nation’s environmental protection agency started nuclear radiation monitoring. Japanese planes began to collect air samples from national air space to analyze possible radioactive materials. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said Japan’s capital city is also testing water samples and monitoring radiation levels in the air.

South Korean and international monitors detected unusual seismic activity Friday morning near the North’s northeastern nuclear test site. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that “artificial seismic waves” from a quake measuring 5.0 were detected near the Punggye-ri test site.

The South’s Defense Ministry said it believed the North conducted a nuclear test, while European and U.S. monitoring services also detected similar seismic activity, with the U.S. Geological Survey calling it an “explosion” on its website.

A South Korean Defense Ministry official, who refused to be named because of office rules, said that Seoul detected an estimated explosive yield of 10 kilotons and assessed that it was from a nuclear test. After the North’s fourth test, in January, South Korean lawmaker Lee Cheol Woo said Seoul’s National Intelligence Service told him that an estimated explosive yield of six kilotons was detected.

The 5.0 magnitude earthquake Friday is the largest of the four past quakes associated with North Korean nuclear tests, according to South Korea’s weather agency. Artificial seismic waves measuring 3.9 were reported after North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006; 4.8 was reported from its fourth test this January.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen a robust increase in the number and kinds of missiles tested this year. Not only has the range of the weapons successfully tested jumped significantly, but the country is working to perfect new platforms for launching them — submarines and mobile launchers.

The longer ranges and mobile launchers give the North greater ability to threaten the tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed throughout Asia.

The seismic activity comes on the 68th anniversary of the founding of North Korea’s government and just days after world leaders gathered in China for the G-20 economic summit.

Any test will lead to a strong push for new, tougher sanctions at the United Nations and further worsen already abysmal relations between Pyongyang and its neighbors. North Korea is already one of the most heavily sanctioned places on earth, and many question whether the penalties work.

China, the North’s economic lifeline and only major ally, has previously offered cover to Pyongyang, though Beijing has expressed growing frustration with what outsiders call provocations.

Pyongyang likely wanted to show the world that strong international sanctions following its fourth nuclear test and long-range rocket launch earlier this year haven’t discouraged its efforts to advance its nuclear weapons and missiles programs, according to Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Dongguk University.

“It seems that the North has decided to play an ‘end game’ where they push things to see how far they can go. It’s already being heavily sanctioned and there will be little room for any new sanctions that will meaningfully hurt them more,'” Koh said.

North Korea is thought to have a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs and has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range missile to eventually carry smaller versions of those bombs.

After several failures, it put its first satellite into space with a long-range rocket launched in December 2012, and has since launched another such successful launch. Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology.

It’s unclear whether North Korea has achieved the technology needed to manufacture a miniaturized nuclear warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the United States. Some analysts believe that the country has the ability to arm shorter range missile with warheads.

In January, North Korea claimed to have conducted a hydrogen bomb test, but many foreign governments and experts were skeptical about the claim. After that test, some analysts said the country likely needed only a couple more test explosions before acquiring a miniaturized warhead that could be mounted on a long-range missile.

North Korea’s persistent pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons has long been one of the most intractable foreign policy problems for U.S. administrations.

On Tuesday, North Korea fired three medium-range Rodong missiles that traveled about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and landed near Japan. And last month, a missile from a North Korean submarine flew about 500 kilometers (310 miles), the longest distance achieved by the North for such a weapon. This worried many South Koreans because submarine-based missiles are harder to detect before launch than land-based weapons.

Diplomacy has so far failed to stop North Korea’s progress. Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program in exchange for aid were last held in late 2008 and fell apart in early 2009, when North Korea was led by Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il, who died in late 2011.

North Korea blames the United States and South Korea for its nuclear program, saying long-running “hostility” from Seoul and Washington to its government makes the development crucial for the small country’s survival.

Among Pyongyang’s regular demands are for Washington to withdraw its troops from the region and to sign a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War. It also wants recognition as a nuclear weapons state.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice. Washington stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea as a buttress against any North Korean aggression. Tens of thousands more are in nearby Japan.

Story: Foster Klung, Hyung-Jin Kim

Three Foreign Tourists Assaulted in One Night in Pattaya

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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9 September 2016, 11:56

Police officers question a waitress at a bar where two foreign tourists were assaulted Thursday night in Pattaya.

PATTAYA — Three foreign tourists were physically assaulted in two separate incidents on Thursday night in the resort town of Pattaya.

In the same night, a motorcycle taxi allegedly robbed his Russian passenger, and police said a Japanese and a Swedish tourists were attacked by two Thai men previously linked to assault of a foreigner.

According to police, the victim in the first incident was a 28-year-old Russian woman who said she hired a motorcycle taxi from Walking Street to her hotel who ended up taking her to a secluded area and robbing her.

Police said they’re looking for the perpetrator.

Police also said they arrested two Thai men for physical assaults. According to a police report, Pattana Muengsang and Patipan Tuekwamsue first punched the Japanese tourist in a bar in Soi LK Metro, and when the Swedish tourist intervened, they attacked him too.

The motive behind the attack was not immediately clear.

Police said they later arrested Pattana, 24, and Patipan, 28, who appeared to be heavily intoxicated. They denied the allegations.

Pattaya police station chief Apichai Klobpetch was unavailable for comment.

Previous news reports identified Pattana and Patipan as the same men who attacked a 36-year-old British tourist in April 2015. They were charged with physical assault for the incident.

Hun Sen Regime Takes Opposition to Court

By

Associated Press

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9 September 2016, 10:58

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, left takes photos during 19th ASEAN-China summit, a parallel summit in the ongoing 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits and other related summits on Wednesday at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos. Photo: Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia’s government and its opposition faced off in court and on the streets Friday as political tensions around challenges to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s long-standing autocratic rule show no signs of easing.

The latest flash point is a case in the Phnom Penh Municipal Court against Kem Sokha, deputy leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, who could be sentenced to six months in prison if found guilty of ignoring a summons. He has said he won’t attend the session that started Friday morning as hundreds of riot police gathered in front of the court and in front of the opposition headquarters.

The case is one of several hanging over leaders of the opposition in what is generally seen as an effort to disrupt their organizing efforts ahead of local elections next June. The next general election is not until the middle of 2018, but holding power at the local level is an advantage when the national polls are held.

A statement issued this week by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern “about the escalating atmosphere of intimidation of opposition politicians, their supporters, civil society, and peaceful demonstrators in Cambodia.”

It noted “a host of legal charges” faced by Kem Sokha and 29 other opposition supporters.

It said 14 of them had been given heavy prison sentences despite raise serious concerns about the fairness of the proceedings. “We urge the authorities to adhere strictly to international fair trial standards during the criminal proceedings.”

One victim of the legal assault on the opposition has been charismatic opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who did not return from a trip abroad last November when an old conviction for defamation was restored and his parliamentary immunity was stripped by the government’s legislative majority. It had been generally assumed that the conviction, carrying a two-year prison sentence, had been lifted by a 2013 pardon which allowed Sam Rainsy to return from a previous period of self-exile. He also faces a stack of separate charges that could put him away for 17 years.

Activists and non-governmental organizations, which are generally critical of the government, have come in for similar kinds of legal pressures. Physical force has also been applied. Two opposition lawmakers were beaten up by a pro-government mob last year, and the murder of a prominent social critic, Kem Ley in July, allegedly by a man to whom he owed money, is widely regarded with suspicion.

Kem Sokha has been holed up in his party’s headquarters for several months to avoid arrest, protected by a crowd of supporters. Opposition spokesman Yim Sovann said he will not appear at Friday’s trial because the charges against him are politically motivated and the lifting of his parliamentary immunity was illegal.

The opposition has called on its followers to turn out to protest. It has strong support in the capital and street demonstrations have traditionally been an effective form of push-back. But recent efforts to take to the streets have been thwarted by a government show of force.

Hun Sen has been Cambodia’s leader for three decades. But in a general election in 2013, it seemed his grip on power was shaken when the Cambodia National Rescue Party mounted a strong challenge, winning 55 seats in the National Assembly and leaving Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party with 68. The opposition claimed they had been cheated, and staged a boycott of parliament. Seeking to shore up his legitimacy, Hun Sen reached a political truce with them in 2014, making some minor concessions over electoral and parliamentary procedure.

But relations between the government and the opposition deteriorated last year after the opposition tried to exploit a volatile issue by accusing neighboring Vietnam, with which Hun Sen’s government maintains good relations, of land encroachment. The move proved politically popular, and the government reacted by stepping up intimidation of the opposition party in the courts, which are seen as being under its influence.

Hun Sen’s party was often accused of using violence or the threat of violence against opponents, but in recent years has stalked its foes mostly in the courts. The case against Kem Sokha, involving allegations of illicit love affairs, is an elaborate one.

It began with recordings of intimate phone calls posted anonymously on the internet, and has resulted in a series of charges and counter-charges that included an alleged paramour of Kem Sokha being charged with prostitution.

Story: Sopheng Cheang

Car Drives into EmQuartier’s Hi-So Food Court

By

Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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9 September 2016, 10:53

BANGKOK — A woman said she was having a dinner last night in the food court of an upscale shopping mall when she heard the sound of breaking glass and saw a Honda drive in.

At around 9:30pm Thursday, a car smashed into EmQuartier’s basement level food zone from the car park.

No one was injured, according to Pol. Lt. Col. Somsak Mongkolkunakorn of Thonglor police.

According to Somsak, the 30-year-old driver told police the throttle was out of control. The driver has agreed to pay compensation for the damage, Somsak said. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

Murdered Expat Film Noir Makes Stage Debut

By

Kaewta Ketbungkan, Staff Reporter

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9 September 2016, 10:00

A still from “Dans Le Noir” press premiere on September 6, 2016 at Thong Lor Art Space. Photo: Nutpajee Praparat / Courtesy

BANGKOK — In 1986, a Thai-American student’s body was found east of Bangkok in a case that would spawn tawdry headlines about her love life and wrongful convictions of innocent men.

A true crime story taking inspiration from Sherry Ann Duncan’s murder takes the stage Friday in a film-noir stage play at Thong Lor Art Space that and film noir, a prolific dramatist stages a detective performance launching Friday.

“Dans Le Noir” is the story of three strangers who get wrapped in the mysterious murder of a German expat in Bangkok. One, a young waiter, becomes the prime suspect after discovering the dead body. Another is the detective who was the German’s former lover. Rounding out the cast is an actress who has to take the role of the murdered expat in a film dramatization.

“Dans Le Noir” brings cinema onto the stage. Visual artist Chulayarnnon Siriphol is in charge of a motion picture which provides narration of the past in parallel with the present story told by the actors’ performances.

After 30 years in the world of theatre and 50 productions under his name, director Damkerng Thitapiyasak was inspired by the mystic nature of film noir and the infamous murder case of 1980s that leads to the imprisonment of scapegoats in his latest detective piece. Starring in his work are Pramote Sangsorn, Kwankaew Kongnisai AKA Lukkaew The Voice and Wisarut Himmarut.

“Dans le Noir” is part of the “First Scene With…” project, which hosts talks by artists, writers, directors, musicians and celebrities from various fields after each show, allowing the audience to broaden their artistic and cultural horizons. The talk schedule can be found online.

The ticket price is 590 baht. A 100 baht discount promotion is offered to those who pay in advance, while students can purchase tickets at 440 baht through advanced payment. Reservations can be made via the Thong Lor Art Space Facebook page, through Line ID @thonglorartspace, or by calling 095-924-4555.

The play is in Thai with English surtitles and runs at 8pm on Friday and Saturday while the Sunday show is at 4pm. Performed until Oct. 9, it will be hosted at the Thong Lor Art Space, which is a five-minute walk from BTS Thong Lo Station’s Exit 3.

Flight Attendant Kowtows on Floor to Irate Passenger

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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8 September 2016, 17:52

BANGKOK — Flight attendants are trained to handle all kind of emergency situations, but being forced to grovel at the feet of disgruntled passengers is probably not on the list.

That’s what a Thai AirAsia hostess had to do after an Aug. 26 flight to appease a woman who believed the attendant had insulted her autistic daughter. Online accounts of the Sept. 2 incident said she was forced to prostrate herself by airline management; the company said it was a voluntary act of contrition.

Following outrage on social media, where many expressed sympathy to the flight attendant, and a meeting in Bangkok called by airline CEO Tony Fernandes, the company admitted that the kowtowing happened but insisted the staff member did so voluntarily.

“The situation on the day of the incident could only be described as highly sensitive and emotional for all involved,” Tassapon Bijleveld, an executive of AirAsia’s Thailand office, said in a statement Thursday. “But we maintain that our executives never obligated our staff to perform an act of prostration.”

Fernandes, who was in Bangkok for an unrelated media event, said online he’s met with Thai AirAsia employees to talk about the issue.

“Good session with Thai staff,” Fernandes wrote on Facebook earlier Thursday. “An investigation will be done and action taken that. I met cabin crew and was good. Tomorrow I go to Hat Yai to meet her parents . My fault. I’m the leader. We need better procedures on both sides. And we will get better.”

It began when someone started a thread on the popular Pantip forum Tuesday asking if rumors were true that an AirAsia employee had been forced to graab, or prostrate themselves. Soon people identifying themselves as friends or associates of the flight attendant, identified as chief purser Awatsara, flooded the thread with comments.

They allege that a passenger named Jumpoon Chavasiri felt Awatasara slighted her autistic daughter by asking if she needed any special attention. Tension between Awatasara and Jumpoon reportedly grew throughout the Phuket to Bangkok flight, commentators said, partly because the attendant didn’t serve Jumpoon.

After the flight landed, Jumpoon filed complaints to AirAsia’s office in Bangkok, which she later wrote about publicly on Facebook.

“Mr. Tassapon, no matter where you extend AirAsia operations to, you won’t have any success as long as you still have a staff member with a rotten heart named Awatsara from flight FD3006,” Jumpoon wrote in one post.

Both Awatsara and Jumpoon appeared to have deactivated their Facebook accounts by Thursday.

Voluntary Humility or Forced Humiliation?
But it was happened next that some found alarming. Someone claiming to be Awatsara’s colleague wrote that airline managers summoned the purser to a meeting with Jumpoon and her daughter where she was ordered her to graab, or kowtow, three times in apology.

Graab is a display of the utmost humility in Thai culture, especially if done in front of someone’s feet.

The allegations drew outrage from many online who feel that the air hostess was unfairly punished and humiliated, sparking a hashtag called #AirGraab.

“Whether the air [hostess] made a small or big offense, she was not supposed to be forced to graab. If you’re upset at her, you should file a formal complaint. This is 2016 already, not an era when slaves were kept. Have you watched too much period drama?” tweeted Teddy_B08.

Another user, Didixxii, tweeted, “Let me say right here that I would tell my kids, relatives and anyone I know not to apply for a job here. Forcing its employee to graab? If she did something wrong, just punish her. If she did something wrong big time, just fire her.”

But in an interview with the media on Wednesday, CEO Tassapon said the online crowd got it wrong: Awatsara only performed graab once, not thrice, and no one forced her to do so.

“Our crew member graab in apology to the passenger once, and they also took a photo together, because everything ended well. They understood each other,” Tassapon said Wednesday. “I want this matter to be over. I don’t want people to keep escalating this, because everything is already over.”

In a follow-up statement released Thursday, Tassapon said the company would adjust its policies to have the Customer Relations Department handle all passenger complaints in the future to avoid a similar incident. He also apologized to Awatsara and her family for what happened.

“We affirm that we highly value the feelings of our employees and are disheartened by what has happened to the staff member in question … and both Mr. Tony [Fernandes] and I will today be meeting with the staff member and the staff member’s family to extend our genuine apologies,” Tassapon said.

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