Goodwill Ambassador Praya slammed over silence on abduction of Thai activist

By The Nation

 

Prays Lundberg

 

Thai actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Praya Lundberg has come under fire for her silence on the abduction of a Thai dissident in Cambodia and many are accusing her of failing in her duty to speak up.

 

Netizens have posted on her Instagram and asked her to do something to help Wanchalearm Satsaksit, 37, a political activist who was kidnapped in Phnom Penh on Thursday (June 4).

 

She said personally she was sorry about what had happened but clarified that  speaking up for the activist was beyond the purview of her humanitarian work at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. She referred to the situation as highly sensitive and complicated.

 

Netizens have widely reacted with disappointment to her statement and some have even asked her to resign.

 

Bow Nuttaa Mahattana, a political activist, posted on her Facebook page urging Praya to do her job with honesty.

 

She wrote that political rights, the right to live and freedom of expression are among the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "We can’t separate or discriminate when it comes to protecting basic human rights, for these are the minimum entitlement for each and every human being. I urge and encourage you to carry on the mission,” said Bow Nuttaa.

 

Suchart Sawasdsri, national artist in literature, posted on his Facebook page, seeking her resignation from the UNHCR. Her attitude towards Wanchalem’s abduction is not consistent with her role at the international organisation, he noted. Suchart said the UNHCR is directly responsible for abduction and murder issues.

 

Praya was named as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2017. She is the first Goodwill Ambassador from Southeast Asia.

 

Source:  https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389204

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-08

 

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Why go into exile next door?  At least put some mileage between you and your foe, like the west.  

12 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Why go into exile next door?  At least put some mileage between you and your foe, like the west.  

Especially as ''next door'' is as equally right wing authoritarian as home.

33 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Why go into exile next door?  At least put some mileage between you and your foe, like the west.  

They often get their passports revoked..so they can go no further.The other trick is to let them go and then revoke the passport thus preventing re-entry.

 

Thailand,Myanmar.Cambodia and Laos are like peas in a pod in this regard.

"highly sensitive and complicated" is code for: the same thing will likely happen to me if I speak up. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

many are accusing her of failing in her duty to speak up.

Look at it like this. Maybe she has a personal life as well, and was busy with that. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Goodwill Ambassador Praya slammed over silence on abduction of Thai activist

she is very likely frightened to open her mouth

I've seen enough of Thais in power positions. If they aren't ignorant, they are corrupt. I would never support appointing a Thai to any important position outside of Thailand for an NGO or UN, etc. When Thais have freedom of speech, understand and respect human rights, and do discuss all things openly in schools, on TV and everywhere else,  I wouldn't have a problem. Praya may be ignorant or not, but it's a fact that if she speaks the truth, the wrong words, she could be jailed for 15 years in Thailand. How can you trust anyone from a country where they literally can't speak the truth on many issues. That's Thailand.

She won't / can't do anything about this. 

 

I am pretty sure we can guess which establishment ordered this to take place. 

 

The fact that Thailand openly opposes some of the basic UN human rights (e.g - freedom of speech) tells you that her position is generally trivial.  

Edited June 8, 20206 yr by BobbyL

What a joke. Resign!

If she can't speak up through fear of the consequences she should resign.

 

She will of course do neither since both courses would wreck her career and put her in the dog house.

 

Why would she do either when for her and many like her abduction and murder is not a burning issue.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

She said personally she was sorry about what had happened but clarified that  speaking up for the activist was beyond the purview of her humanitarian work at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. She referred to the situation as highly sensitive and complicated.

If it is too difficult for her, she should resign, and make way for somebody who is able to address "sensitive", "complicated" matters.   Mind you, if that were true, most of the UN would have to resign.  She is in good company among the feckless.   Go gett'em Nuttaa!   

57 minutes ago, smedly said:

she is very likely frightened to open her mouth

Like 100% of the politicians....I'm sure they all have a good idea of what happened, some would know for sure and one or two may well have been involved....

Disappearing people in SE Asia is simple and most local nations would comply with requests for deeds, such as this, to be carried out

29 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Like 100% of the politicians....I'm sure they all have a good idea of what happened, some would know for sure and one or two may well have been involved....

Disappearing people in SE Asia is simple and most local nations would comply with requests for deeds, such as this, to be carried out

Big Joke after a shooting incident did a runner to India - says it all really 

 

Get on the wrong side of these powerful people and your options are limited 

 

free speech and human rights are alive and well in Thailand - not

6 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

They often get their passports revoked..so they can go no further.The other trick is to let them go and then revoke the passport thus preventing re-entry.

 

Thailand,Myanmar.Cambodia and Laos are like peas in a pod in this regard.

A Thai citizen doesn't need a Thai passport to enter Thailand. 

Have they checked the bottom of the Mekong yet?That is where this guy will be with a lump of cement tied around his neck. When it comes to coruption not much difference between Cambodia and Thailand

10 minutes ago, ubon farang said:

Have they checked the bottom of the Mekong yet?That is where this guy will be with a lump of cement tied around his neck. When it comes to coruption not much difference between Cambodia and Thailand

The last activists found in the Mekong a year or two ago were 'disappeared' from Laos and were disemboweled with the concrete blocks inside their stomachs. Traditionally, neighbouring countries have provided safe haven for Thai dissidents, especially Laos, but no longer the case. This is the 9th or 10th disappearance in the last few years.   

Edited June 8, 20206 yr by KhaoNiaw

Catch 22. Darned if she does and darned if she doesn't. 

Well, one thing's for sure, Cambodia's not a "safe third country" for these guys (cf. asylum law).

1 hour ago, Artisi said:

A Thai citizen doesn't need a Thai passport to enter Thailand. 

The guy who vanished wasn't in a hurry to come back to Thailand...

8 hours ago, webfact said:

She referred to the situation as highly sensitive and complicated.

Yeah you got that bit right, but as far as taking on the establishment and looking for an answer that goes beyond the  "purview of her humanitarian work" which is just smile, look pretty and turn up at some fancy dinner dates.

5 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Look at it like this. Maybe she has a personal life as well, and was busy with that. 

Monday Hair, Tuesday nails, Wednesday coffee with friends.

Human rights, I don't have time for that!

Also I'd like to stay alive.

9 hours ago, torturedsole said:

Why go into exile next door?  At least put some mileage between you and your foe, like the west.  

 

Putting the mileage between Russia and the UK didn't work for some!

This is what she had to say about the Junta government in 2017

 

 

39 minutes ago, Oziex1 said:

Monday Hair, Tuesday nails, Wednesday coffee with friends.

Human rights, I don't have time for that!

Also I'd like to stay alive.

 

Have the UN asked you to be any kind of "Goodwill Ambassador" then?

 

No, thought not.

Just now, DirtyHarry55 said:

This is what she had to say about the Junta government in 2017

 

 

 

So?

 

Do you understand the role of a UN GW Ambassador?

2 hours ago, nausea said:

Well, one thing's for sure, Cambodia's not a "safe third country" for these guys (cf. asylum law).

 

Strange that, considering who the eternal buddy of Cambodia's de facto dictator is. 

 

Guess "eternal" only lasts as long as the gravy train keeps running.

5 hours ago, BobbyL said:

She won't / can't do anything about this. 

 

I am pretty sure we can guess which establishment ordered this to take place. 

 

The fact that Thailand openly opposes some of the basic UN human rights (e.g - freedom of speech) tells you that her position is generally trivial.  

 

Have a look which countries are on the UN HR committees. The whole UN is generally trivial!

Either her UNHCR job doesn't involve concern over enforced disappearing of refugees, or she doesn't give a damn or -most likely- she is too scared to say anything.

 

But if the people, especially those with a fancy title that has to do with human rights and well being, don't speak up this cr*p that has been going on for many decades will never end. Then they can continua to drag bodies out of the Mekong or oil barrels. Country of fear? 

 

She should speak up or resign. Her position isn't just nice photo ops with unfortunate kids and prime ministers. 

Edited June 8, 20206 yr by Donutz