Thailand deports dissident Russian rockers to Israel

[webfact]

 

Human rights advocates warned against sending Bi-2 to Russia where they could be persecuted for opposing Ukraine war.

 

Thailand has deported members of a dissident Russian-Belarusian rock band critical of Moscow’s war in Ukraine to Israel after they were detained for performing without a permit.

 

Members of Bi-2 left “safely” for Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, they said on their Facebook page. Human rights advocates had warned the group would face severe persecution for speaking out against Russia’s war in Ukraine if they were sent back to Russia.

 

Thai authorities had detained the members of Bi-2 for working at the resort island of Phuket without a permit.

 

The fate of the band provoked an international outcry, leading Thai immigration officials to give the band the choice of being deported to another destination if they felt unsafe to return to Russia. Thailand’s National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, took charge of the case on Wednesday.

 

Full story: AL JAZEERA 2024-02-02

 

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Very good news that all band members of the Russian-Belorussian rock band Bi-2 were able to leave #Thailand, & go safely to #Israel. Appreciate that @MFAThai recognized the importance of upholding human rights principles, & didn't send them to face persecution & worse in #Russia. pic.twitter.com/JONpMmCRMX

— Phil Robertson (@Reaproy) February 1, 2024

[daveAustin]

Hopefully a few more Russians here will follow suit. 🙂

[Captain Monday]

Look at the Brain on Thailand! 🧠 

 

[ukrules]

What kind of concert was this, was it a large commercial venture of a band playing in a big pub type of deal?

 

Why were they arrested and deported?

 

Many people receive a fine for working without a permit...were they planning on doing it again or was it just a one off?

 

This whole incident is weird and the apparent heavy handed tactics by the 'authorities' are raising an eyebrow here.

[2baht]

Damned foreigners!

[sammieuk1]

FRO and don't come back 🤔

[Muhendis]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

What kind of concert was this, was it a large commercial venture of a band playing in a big pub type of deal?

 

Why were they arrested and deported?

 

Many people receive a fine for working without a permit...were they planning on doing it again or was it just a one off?

 

This whole incident is weird and the apparent heavy handed tactics by the 'authorities' are raising an eyebrow here.

I agree.

Simply looking at the logistics of getting a band and their equipment into Thailand has me wondering if there is more to this story.

'course it could be they just showed up and borrowed/rented amplifiers and guitars etc. but i would imagine they had, at the very least, a few guitars with them.

[ChipButty]

20 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

I agree.

Simply looking at the logistics of getting a band and their equipment into Thailand has me wondering if there is more to this story.

'course it could be they just showed up and borrowed/rented amplifiers and guitars etc. but i would imagine they had, at the very least, a few guitars with them.

I did see them being advertised on Facebook about doing some concert up around the Bang Tao area a few weeks back maybe they were brought over by some agent who promised them everything would be ok, It looks a big band so lots of equipment needed, I looked at their channel on YT over a million subscribers, something has gone wrong here, normally in the past these musicians just get a fine for no WP, 

[ChipButty]

Must be a few Filipino's on the island they cant all have WP 

[rudi49jr]

31 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I did see them being advertised on Facebook about doing some concert up around the Bang Tao area a few weeks back maybe they were brought over by some agent who promised them everything would be ok, It looks a big band so lots of equipment needed, I looked at their channel on YT over a million subscribers, something has gone wrong here, normally in the past these musicians just get a fine for no WP, 

Thailand is getting awfully chummy with Russia, strengthening ties and whatnot. The Thai powers that be probably don’t want to rock that boat and decided to just get rid of them. Out of sight, out of mind, or something to that effect….

[Pouatchee]

i am glad they did not get deported to russia. thailand showed some thinking through on this one. though i am not big on russians i do not believe they deserved to be sent to putin's gulags.

[Muhendis]

13 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

Thailand is getting awfully chummy with Russia, strengthening ties and whatnot. The Thai powers that be probably don’t want to rock that boat and decided to just get rid of them. Out of sight, out of mind, or something to that effect….

That does have a ring of truth to it.

It's quite possible Vladimir told his pals in the Russian embassy to have a diplomatic word with the head of Thai immigration.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

Why were they arrested and deported?

Working illegally and on overstay.

[Muhendis]

This on international news.

A slightly different slant on the same story.

 

"A popular Russian-Belarussian rock band which opposes Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has flown to Israel after facing threats of deportation in Thailand.

Bi-2 confirmed on their official Facebook page on Thursday they have left the country over fears they could be deported to Russia, where they have fallen out of favour with the regime after criticism of Mr Putin and his war in Ukraine.

“All musicians of the Bi-2 group have safely left Thailand and are heading to Tel Aviv,” read the post on Facebook. No further details were provided."

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bi2-russian-band-thailand-deportation-israel-b2488561.html

[Nordic summer]

I feel sorry for the Israelis being unfortunate enough to hear their music. Air raid sirens will sound like the sweetest lullaby afterwards.

[mfd101]

They'll feel at home in Israel. Some 4% of Israelis are Jews of Russian origin and it used to be said (perhaps still is, for ought I know) that the internal language of Mossad was Russian.

[ChipButty]

There will be another bunch of Russians in the news again shortly this time for kidnapping, 

[wombat]

give them to the jews they aint wanted here....thats funny

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, Muhendis said:

This on international news.

A slightly different slant on the same story.

 

"A popular Russian-Belarussian rock band which opposes Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has flown to Israel after facing threats of deportation in Thailand.

Bi-2 confirmed on their official Facebook page on Thursday they have left the country over fears they could be deported to Russia, where they have fallen out of favour with the regime after criticism of Mr Putin and his war in Ukraine.

“All musicians of the Bi-2 group have safely left Thailand and are heading to Tel Aviv,” read the post on Facebook. No further details were provided."

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bi2-russian-band-thailand-deportation-israel-b2488561.html

This looks far more plausible. I thought that when deported you had to be returned to your home nation. I'd guess they agreed to leave the country which was enough for the Immigration Dept (with appropriate donation to charity).

[Lacessit]

IMO the Thai authorities are doing what they excel at, fence-sitting.

Who knows how much Russian oil they are quietly buying.

[cracker1]

I think this is a good decision for those working without a Work Permit. The band has been treated well.

[Jimbo 12345]

Russian band in Thailand lol,  they must have gone down well in Thailand,  1st.... only Russians  like Russian music,  2nd..... Russians never go in bars,  all cheap Charlies , Russian men with their Russian partners,  and finally take the rest of your Russian comrades back to where you belong,  it certainly isn't Thailand.   Farewell amigos  5555555

[Cabradelmar]

Anyone who did not hold an Israeli passport, and was deported to Israel was handed a gift.

[Jingthing]

24 minutes ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

Russian band in Thailand lol,  they must have gone down well in Thailand,  1st.... only Russians  like Russian music,  2nd..... Russians never go in bars,  all cheap Charlies , Russian men with their Russian partners,  and finally take the rest of your Russian comrades back to where you belong,  it certainly isn't Thailand.   Farewell amigos  5555555

Total bull.

There are a lot of anti Putin Russians in Thailand now so there is a market for anti Putin bands. 

[Jingthing]

It's great news that they weren't deported back to long prison sentences to Putin's Russia but this still smells fishy.

If it was an Irish band with no political message with the same alleged permit violation would they have been deported?

I doubt it.

[bamnutsak]

17 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's great news that they weren't deported back to long prison sentences to Putin's Russia

 

Agreed. It could have been a lot worse, as in the Uighur re-patriations from Thailand in 2015.

 

 

[n00dle]

56 minutes ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

Russian band in Thailand lol,  they must have gone down well in Thailand,  1st.... only Russians  like Russian music,  2nd..... Russians never go in bars,  all cheap Charlies , Russian men with their Russian partners,  and finally take the rest of your Russian comrades back to where you belong,  it certainly isn't Thailand.   Farewell amigos  5555555

my. you are a special fellow, aren't you?

[brianburi]

Could have been a lot worse........

Given a few bottles of water and pushed out to sea again,,,,,,

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

Russian band in Thailand lol,  they must have gone down well in Thailand,  1st.... only Russians  like Russian music,  2nd..... Russians never go in bars,  all cheap Charlies , Russian men with their Russian partners,  and finally take the rest of your Russian comrades back to where you belong,  it certainly isn't Thailand.   Farewell amigos  5555555

Should be Farewell Comrades  

[ChipButty]

5 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Thailand is getting awfully chummy with Russia, strengthening ties and whatnot. The Thai powers that be probably don’t want to rock that boat and decided to just get rid of them. Out of sight, out of mind, or something to that effect….

Russian Honorary Consulate in Phuket Thailand, Last year comrade Lavrov paid a visit