Important Developments!

[Squeeze]

I apologise to the moderator for keeping on this topic, but there have been more developments in the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) case !!

1) The Israeli embassy has been raising hel_l with the FCCT -- aparently the board held an emergency meeting.

2) The FCCT has banned the DVD tape of the meeting with Barry Rubin. Normally, you can buy it for 600B. Not this time -- there is stuff on that DVD that they don't want us to see.

3) The Israeli embassy has approached other foreign embassies in BKK asking for the names of people that were heckling the speaker last tues. The reason remains a mystery. Perhaps they are compiling a black list.

4) Three guests at last week's meeting reported being followed by a Mosaad agent after the meeting.

The plot thickens!!

[ozzydom]

I apologise to the moderator for keeping on this topic, but there have been more developments in the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) case !!

1) The Israeli embassy has been raising hel_l with the FCCT -- aparently the board held an emergency meeting.

2) The FCCT has banned the DVD tape of the meeting with Barry Rubin. Normally, you can buy it for 600B. Not this time -- there is stuff on that DVD that they don't want us to see.

3) The Israeli embassy has approached other foreign embassies in BKK asking for the names of people that were heckling the speaker last tues. The reason remains a mystery. Perhaps they are compiling a black list.

4) Three guests at last week's meeting reported being followed by a Mosaad agent after the meeting.

The plot thickens!!

Mosad must be wearing ID badges now,I thought they were SECRET,! sure they were,nt KGB or CIA or MI5 .

[Squeeze]

haha -- good point. the story was some of the attendees from the event followed into the elevator by a strange guy asking lots of funny questions. he then left the elevator and discreetly took a photo with his phone and left. could be nothing at all -- who knows.

[bkkmadness]

Sounds like a highly trained Mossad agent.

[jumnien]

If there were so many foreign journalists present, why hasn't this accurately been reported in the press. Whilst 99 drunken journos heckle and shout, can't 1 write a story?

[Squeeze]

If there were so many foreign journalists present, why hasn't this accurately been reported in the press. Whilst 99 drunken journos heckle and shout, can't 1 write a story?

i would assume next sunday's bkk post would have something (last sunday there was an article). i wouldnt be surprised if the sunday features section has some more stuff. this is unprecidented the FCCT banning the DVD recording and blacklisting members.

[seonai]

Did you witness this event Squeeze?

[lazeeboy]

If there were so many foreign journalists present, why hasn't this accurately been reported in the press. Whilst 99 drunken journos heckle and shout, can't 1 write a story?

i would assume next sunday's bkk post would have something (last sunday there was an article). i wouldnt be surprised if the sunday features section has some more stuff. this is unprecidented the FCCT banning the DVD recording and blacklisting members.

be in the sunday section or the bangkok post under jokes.......................

[Squeeze]

If there were so many foreign journalists present, why hasn't this accurately been reported in the press. Whilst 99 drunken journos heckle and shout, can't 1 write a story?

i would assume next sunday's bkk post would have something (last sunday there was an article). i wouldnt be surprised if the sunday features section has some more stuff. this is unprecidented the FCCT banning the DVD recording and blacklisting members.

be in the sunday section or the bangkok post under jokes.......................

cheers to that -- what we know is:

1) the israeli embassy requested a police presence at future events

2) the FCCT is compiling a blacklist of people that criticised the Israeli speaker; under pressure from the Israeli embassy

3) the DVD recording of the event has been BANNED by the FCCT (so much for freedom of speech)

4) the FCCT board is meeting on Friday on this issue

5) a group of reporters, business leaders and FCCT members are organising and awaiting to result of this -- who knows??

[Squeeze]

If there were so many foreign journalists present, why hasn't this accurately been reported in the press. Whilst 99 drunken journos heckle and shout, can't 1 write a story?

i would assume next sunday's bkk post would have something (last sunday there was an article). i wouldnt be surprised if the sunday features section has some more stuff. this is unprecidented the FCCT banning the DVD recording and blacklisting members.

be in the sunday section or the bangkok post under jokes.......................

cheers to that -- what we know is:

1) the israeli embassy requested a police presence at future events

2) the FCCT is compiling a blacklist of people that criticised the Israeli speaker; under pressure from the Israeli embassy

3) the DVD recording of the event has been BANNED by the FCCT (so much for freedom of speech)

4) the FCCT board is meeting on Friday on this issue

5) a group of reporters, business leaders and FCCT members are organising and awaiting to result of this -- who knows??

by the way -- as usual, The Nation seems to be ahead of the game on this one. i would keep an eye out to see if any of these rumours pan out.

[Scott]

What I don't quite understand is why these people would heckle the speaker. A lot of journalists I know have much more fun when they let speakers just go on and on, putting their foot further in their mouths. Then, they can write an interesting, albiet controversial piece, and watch the speaker(s) claim they have been misquoted, misunderstood etc. etc.

On the other hand, I hope these folks don't get into serious trouble.

[Payboy]

What I don't quite understand is why these people would heckle the speaker.

maybe he was speaking too long and risked delaying the after-event drink binge...

[Doza]

The country in question has always been eager to play the victim and use force and leverage to get what they want. I hope the journos, business leaders and members mentioned form a strong group and stand these paranoid intimidators down.

[cmsally]

Mosad must be wearing ID badges now,I thought they were SECRET,! sure they were,nt KGB or CIA or MI5

Secret service agents have a habit of not looking secret. A friend of a friend never told anyone what her job was but then everyone called her Moneypenny - it took about 2 seconds for everyone to add 2 & 2, whether they knew the nickname or not.

[highdiver]

The country in question has always been eager to play the victim and use force and leverage to get what they want. I hope the journos, business leaders and members mentioned form a strong group and stand these paranoid intimidators down.

Thank you. We are all refreshed and challanged by your unique point of view.

[dolvetius]

I was at the FCCT attending the lecture given by Prof. Rubin on that evening, and I simply got amazed at what I witnessed!

Just to summarize it, it normally started with Prof. Rubin giving a brief overview on his view over conflicts in the Middle East and in Asia related to islamism. This presentation lasted only 15 minutes, after which Prof. Rubin explained that he had deliberately made his speech short in order to let people from the audience ask him questions. Then, the Q&A started, with 2 individuals with obviously strong anti-Israel mindsets who immediately confronted the speaker with critics over Israel's handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict (which was not the topic of the lecture).

But let me clarify a few points.

2) The FCCT has banned the DVD tape of the meeting with Barry Rubin. Normally, you can buy it for 600B. Not this time -- there is stuff on that DVD that they don't want us to see.

I see at least 2 reasons for this:

1. Since the lecture was hijacked by 2 individuals as soon as the Q&A session started, there would be very little "useful" contents in it.

2. It would bring sucha bad image to the FCCT

If there were so many foreign journalists present, why hasn't this accurately been reported in the press. Whilst 99 drunken journos heckle and shout, can't 1 write a story?

I was wondering myself too... Could it be that the FCCT would have encouraged the journalists that were present at that time to remain silent on that incident, because mentioning it would only tarnish the FCCT's image?

What I don't quite understand is why these people would heckle the speaker.

maybe he was speaking too long and risked delaying the after-event drink binge...

Well, keep in mind that there were only 2 participants who heckled the speaker. Besides them, there were other persons who were willing to ask Prof. Rubin some more "objective" questions related to the topic. Unfortunately, they never had the opportunity to express themselves...

[zaphren]

Unbelievable! I wish I had been there...

[orchis]

There was a well-balanced riposte in the Bangkok Post letter's section from FCCT which gives a better view of the situation and refutes a lot of the allegations of OP.

[dkstoney]

By "well-balanced" do you mean the usual whitewash of Israeli atrocities?

[orchis]

The letter doesnt address politics, it just addresses what happened during the meeting.

I couldn't care less who blows up who in the middle east.

[SiamFalcon]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=34...19060&hl=en

This is the link to a video filmed by Phyakrut News Agency - it shows how rogue journalists nastily drove the Israelis off stage and out onto the streets. At one point in the video you can hear FCCT staff requesting the reporter not to film the chaos.

[Jet Gorgon]

Nice link, Siamfalcon. Looks like the moderator there needs restraints.

I always loved the FCC, but only been in Tokyo and HK. Always good for a laugh and the latest goss on the latest news. And cheap drinks.

[Jimjim]

Fascinating video.