Thailand holds Zoom protest for Black Lives Matter movement

By Artorn Pookasook

 

A group of Thai activists attend an online protest via Zoom to observe 8 minutes 46 seconds of silence against police brutality and to call for justice in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Bangkok, Thailand, June 7, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Some 300 Thais and foreigners in Thailand and elsewhere joined an online protest against racism on Sunday, adding their voices to global calls for justice for black American George Floyd who died in U.S. police custody in Minneapolis last month.

 

With coronavirus restrictions, protesters with 'I Can't Breathe' messages on their arms and placards gathered on the video-meeting platform Zoom to emphasize the call in Thailand as they watched the video clip of Floyd's last moments.

 

"I've lived in three continents now. I have best friends who are from the African community, who are also black Americans, and ... you see a stark contrast in how they are treated," said 28-year old Natalie Bin Narkprasert, one of the event organisers.

 

"Everyone has hopes, everyone has dreams, everyone bleeds red, you know," she said. "It's crazy that they still have this in 2020 when in 1963, that was when Martin Luther King did his freedom speech."

 

Hundreds of Thais and expats from across the country gathered online on the Zoom application on Sunday (June 7) to join the global call for justice for U.S. citizen George Floyd and an end to racism following his fatal encounter with law enforcement.

 

The group also observed 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence - the period that Floyd was filmed pinned under a white officer's knee - to know "how it feels", Natalie added.

 

Some said racist bias existed in Asia, although it might be more subtle, and that they hoped for gradual changes.

 

The death of Floyd has set off the biggest anti-racism protests seen in the United States in decades and sparked demonstrations worldwide.

 

(Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-08

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Coming from people who spend billions on whitening agents, people who try to make themselves look like farangs  and consider beautiful tanned skin ugly and repulsive. 

Edited June 7, 20206 yr by Thechook

Everybody's life matters.....

LOL some people just want their 15 minutes.  Not one of those kids understands what it is about nor would be taken seriously.  Too bad they can not organize for things that matter in this country

Thailand has a massive massive problem with institutional discrimination at all levels. Look in the mirror first.  

Around the year 2000 or a few years later, Thailand changed its law that when a Thai woman married a foreign man, she lost her right to own land. Thai women just lost rights to go to police cadets' school two years ago. The present government and royalists support that. For some government positions, Thai family names seem to come up as a requirement to having a chance for some of the better Thai jobs. I'd bet that beyond names, politics and showing your yellow are also used in many government offices when making the final hires. Foreigners are still banned from land ownership unless you invest a million baht. You can now buy it with your wife as partners. If your wife dies, you probably won't get ownership of your land alone as a foreigner. And of course, making foreigners report every 90 days for decades is not a sign of good relationships with foreigners. Discrimination is alive and well in Thailand.

that white kid on the left is so hip.

 

awesome tribal tattoos - check

sweet macbook that parents bought - check

 

go get em big guy you guys are true trailblazers by doing a zoom call to protest injustice in the world.  

 

1 hour ago, kingstonkid said:

LOL some people just want their 15 minutes.  Not one of those kids understands what it is about nor would be taken seriously.  Too bad they can not organize for things that matter in this country

And i bet these kids can't be bothered to know that the killed black guy was a robber who broke into the house of a pregnant lady, put a gun on her belly and ordered money....the superlooser.

 

About discrimination, i feel very discriminated in thailand, in a mall they check me nonstop for a mouthmask while the thai men just walk around without one.

1 hour ago, TooBigToFit said:

Thailand changed its law that when a Thai woman married a foreign man, she lost her right to own land

What.......????

 

Fact check needed here, blud.

1 hour ago, TooBigToFit said:

Around the year 2000 or a few years later, Thailand changed its law that when a Thai woman married a foreign man, she lost her right to own land.

Errr are you sure 

5 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

Errr are you sure 

Hes talkin out his back side.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The group also observed 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence - the period that Floyd was filmed pinned under a white officer's knee - to know "how it feels", Natalie added.

If they need someone to assist, I will gladly show them exactly how that feels. 

Bet they don't know the significance of right arm in the air with fist clenched...

 

How about some protest about this.

 

These movements seem to be the equivalent of 80's TV aerobics classes.

 

US internal problems have sod all to do with Thailand. They got their own homegrown sakdina. Protest that if you dare.

1 hour ago, Youlike said:

And i bet these kids can't be bothered to know that the killed black guy was a robber who broke into the house of a pregnant lady, put a gun on her belly and ordered money....the superlooser.

 

About discrimination, i feel very discriminated in thailand, in a mall they check me nonstop for a mouthmask while the thai men just walk around without one.

Even some daft old Bishop singing his praises in the US as though he was some kind of saint.

Of course he shouldn't have died as he did, but, a bit of reality should be in the mix.

I suppose if the headline was man who had been convicted for armed robbery and various drug offences dies in police custody it would cause problems because his colour was mentioned.

Edited June 8, 20206 yr by overherebc

Some troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

4 hours ago, faraday said:

Everybody's life matters.....

Yes, including Burmese scapegoats, Thai activists, young tourists on Kho Tao, Chinese tourists going for a boat ride, road users and all the other victims of injustice indifferance and intolerance.

4 hours ago, Thechook said:

Coming from people who spend billions on whitening agents

I was walking through those eateries next to the Gourmet Market in Siam Paragon yesterday. Jesus. I thought I was in the studios of Channel 3 amidst all their drama superstars. All the skin bleaching and plastic surgery, like perfect porcelain dolls.

 

My experience thus far in Thailand has revealed to me a strict correlation between skin tone and social standing. Those of us with Issan wives known they'd almost certainly never get good jobs at big companies. Just look at who's walking around in suits and behind the desks. Then look at who's doing the cleaning.

 

Anyway, good on these guys for at least some show of support. Perhaps it will raise awareness of their own situation.

3 hours ago, TooBigToFit said:

Around the year 2000 or a few years later, Thailand changed its law that when a Thai woman married a foreign man, she lost her right to own land. Thai women just lost rights to go to police cadets' school two years ago. The present government and royalists support that. For some government positions, Thai family names seem to come up as a requirement to having a chance for some of the better Thai jobs. I'd bet that beyond names, politics and showing your yellow are also used in many government offices when making the final hires. Foreigners are still banned from land ownership unless you invest a million baht. You can now buy it with your wife as partners. If your wife dies, you probably won't get ownership of your land alone as a foreigner. And of course, making foreigners report every 90 days for decades is not a sign of good relationships with foreigners. Discrimination is alive and well in Thailand.

Quote

Around the year 2000 or a few years later, Thailand changed its law that when a Thai woman married a foreign man, she lost her right to own land

I think that this is easily understood judging by some replies.

It used to be that a Thai woman lost the right to buy land when she married a foreigner.

It was around 2000 that the law was repealed and since then a Thai woman married to a foreigner can buy land.

Not saying I disagree with protest all police brutality should be protested

but everyone seems to forget out of the 4 cops charged 2 were White, 1 Asian and 1 Black.
So was it really a racist attack?

Quote

adding their voices to global calls for justice for black American George Floyd who died in U.S. police custody in Minneapolis last month.

Why are they calling for justice?

Did they not read that the cop is being prosecuted?

What more justice do they expect?

I agree that the cop did appear to use excessive force, but is it racist just because the cop is white and the arrested person is black?

Would there have been all this uproar if they had both been white? Probably not! Maybe white lives don't matter.

1 hour ago, johng said:

How about some protest about this.

 

risky in these days

Anyone else seen those black african dolls sold by street vendors ? With big red lips.. hilarious. Gave me a shock the first time i saw it.

3 hours ago, Youlike said:

And i bet these kids can't be bothered to know that the killed black guy was a robber who broke into the house of a pregnant lady, put a gun on her belly and ordered money....the superlooser.

 

About discrimination, i feel very discriminated in thailand, in a mall they check me nonstop for a mouthmask while the thai men just walk around without one.

a) doesn't matter and is trrelevant

b) poor you! Meeeee, meeee, meeee...look at meeeee....I have a problem!

Yes, Thailand has a problem with systemic rascism!

But...we all want the youth of Thailand to wake up, be politically engeaged...and now we want to dictate, what their engagement is about?

Especially those of us, who come up with BS about George Floyd and Black Lives Matter, because they themselves have an agenda of bogorty, hatred and racism?!

Neat!

More Thai hypocrisy

7 minutes ago, Saint Nick said:

a) doesn't matter and is trrelevant

b) poor you! Meeeee, meeee, meeee...look at meeeee....I have a problem!

Yes Thailand is a racist Country ! White farang who have lived in it long enough will know!

6 hours ago, faraday said:

Everybody's life matters.....

Exactly. We're ALL human beings.

I almost spilled my coffee over this.

 

An "anti-racism" campaign by "activists" in a country where racism is almost institutionalized against Burmese, Lao, Cambodians, "farang", blacks, etc. etc.

 

How about if instead of staging "anti-racism" protests against an incident that happened in a country some 14 flight hours away, these "activists" would first turn their attention to the human rights abuses and racism that prevails in their own country?

 

I am talking about government critics and human rights advocates being abducted and murdered at seemingly increasing frequency. 

I am talking about workers from neighboring countries being treated like slaves.

I am talking about random arrests on trumped up charges and "attitude adjustment" procedures.

I am talking about judicial double standards that differentiate between the wealthy and poor.

I am talking about text book illustrations that bluntly call people with darker skin "ugly".

I am talking about "farang" being charged ten times the entrance fees to many facilities just because they are NOT Thai.

I am talking about human trafficking in which locals - often enough military or police - are involved.

I am taking about the contempt Bangkokians have for their darker skinned fellow Thais from Isan.

I am talking about Sino-Thais only marrying among each other because they don't want to "taint their family blood".

I am talking about "defamation" being a criminal offence and not a civil matter.

And so on and so on.

 

But no, these "activists" take issue with something that happened in the United States? NOW is the time to finally spill my coffee.    

Edited June 8, 20206 yr by Misterwhisper