Swedish National On Hunger Strike In Bangkok

[sirchai]

Swedish Behnam "Benny" Moafi

Swedish , yeah , right ..

About one and a half year ago a "Swedish" man, who looked all but Swedish, wanted to sell us a second hand car.

When I insisted, he admitted to be an Egyptian, but having lived in Sweden for a while.

The car turned out to be at least fourth hand and the "Swedish" passport he showed us could have been forged.

To cut a long story short, we did not buy the car.

How can you be so illiberal? His passport could have been forged? Why should a Swedish man be better than an Egyptian? Your post is just insane...........................

[KhunAussie52]

I do not confess to be an educated or articulate man.So i will keep to the facts.

Thailand is a signatory to the convention for the disabled.

As a disabled person,i am entitled to permanent accommodation in this country.Based on that convention.

All attempts to register my concerns with the Human Rights commission in Thailand have fallen on deaf ears.

I approached a local politician to ask for help.His reply,and i quote."That if i was seen, to be helping a farang,i would lose my seat in Parliament.

My desire is to have a home,not a rental house.i have been moving constantly over the last 3 years.When my house was either sold.Or thrown out on the street as the Thai owners could no longer afford the monthly repayments to the bank.It was bought to my attention that in the city i lived, 6 "farang in three months had been evicted from their rental homes,by Thai banks.I might add that i Have no desire to live in an apartment.I am single and have no desire to marry.

Benny deserves the highest praise.And i wish him all the best in his pursuit of justice.

The fact, that Thailand now has a seat on the Human rights council, is a joke.

It is a big mistake to assume that Thailand will protect the rights of a farang. The politician was being unusually honest and stating the facts of Thai society. The quicker you learn that the better off you will be.

Farangs are considered guests and guests, like fish, smell after 3 days and are subject to being thrown out.

I have come to expect this type of comment in this forum......i am not just fighting for my rights.But those of all disabled people in Thailand........I do not need you to determine that i would be better off lying down and having my human dignity and rights trodden on.I have the courage,will and desire to fight for these rights.And it is not a mistake.......It is a basic human right

[WEBLEDINK]

Another protest in front of the GOVERNMENT HOUSE?????? Watch out for the snipers......

[JohnLeech]

so what was he doing in phuket in 1995 that led tp him being deported and blacklisted as a danger to thailnads national security.

seems trouble follows him around................

I wondered that myself, as this was simply summarised as "events", after which he was deported and blacklisted but still returned to Thailand illegally two years later. Unfortunately little things like that always make me wonder about the impartiality of Fair Trials Intenational and similar groups.

(I have to add, though, that I couldn't help being amused by the mention of "an advanced society like the USA" in the first page!)

[JohnLeech]

I do not confess to be an educated or articulate man.So i will keep to the facts.

Thailand is a signatory to the convention for the disabled.

As a disabled person,i am entitled to permanent accommodation in this country.Based on that convention.

All attempts to register my concerns with the Human Rights commission in Thailand have fallen on deaf ears.

I approached a local politician to ask for help.His reply,and i quote."That if i was seen, to be helping a farang,i would lose my seat in Parliament.

My desire is to have a home,not a rental house.i have been moving constantly over the last 3 years.When my house was either sold.Or thrown out on the street as the Thai owners could no longer afford the monthly repayments to the bank.It was bought to my attention that in the city i lived, 6 "farang in three months had been evicted from their rental homes,by Thai banks.I might add that i Have no desire to live in an apartment.I am single and have no desire to marry.

Benny deserves the highest praise.And i wish him all the best in his pursuit of justice.

The fact, that Thailand now has a seat on the Human rights council, is a joke.

It is a big mistake to assume that Thailand will protect the rights of a farang. The politician was being unusually honest and stating the facts of Thai society. The quicker you learn that the better off you will be.

Farangs are considered guests and guests, like fish, smell after 3 days and are subject to being thrown out.

I have come to expect this type of comment in this forum......i am not just fighting for my rights.But those of all disabled people in Thailand........I do not need you to determine that i would be better off lying down and having my human dignity and rights trodden on.I have the courage,will and desire to fight for these rights.And it is not a mistake.......It is a basic human right

Nothing to do with the politician or Thailand (and not much to do with this thread!). Your premise is flawed - you are entitled, without discrimination, to exactly the same as those who are not disabled - that does not include the right to owning your own home in Thailand as a foreigner!

Try reading the convention:

Disabled persons, whatever the origin, nature and seriousness of their handicaps and disabilities, have the same fundamental rights as their fellow-citizens ........ without any exception whatsoever and without distinction or discrimination ...

Disabled persons have the same civil and political rights as other human beings ...

No disabled person shall be subjected, as far as his or her residence is concerned, to differential treatment other than that required by his or her condition or by the improvement which he or she may derive therefrom.

Sorry, but your "rights" exclude positive discrimination just as much as they do negative discrimination - you can't pick and choose which bits you like and which you don't just because you are disabled/black/moslem/gay or in any other group which feels discriminated against. "The same" means "the same" , for better or worse.

Edited July 14, 2010 by JohnLeech

[wolf5370]

so what was he doing in phuket in 1995 that led tp him being deported and blacklisted as a danger to thailnads national security.

seems trouble follows him around................

I wondered that myself, as this was simply summarised as "events", after which he was deported and blacklisted but still returned to Thailand illegally two years later. Unfortunately little things like that always make me wonder about the impartiality of Fair Trials Intenational and similar groups.

(I have to add, though, that I couldn't help being amused by the mention of "an advanced society like the USA" in the first page!)

I fail to see why this is relevent. He was not arrested and imprisoned for breaking the conditions of his deportation, but as an armed robber; if he had been, then I could understand your comment, but as he wasn't, then the fact is irrelevent.

------

I wonder, if he does receive fair justice and it is found that he was innocent, what kind of compensation system exists here. As he has been here for more than a decade, could he apply for citizenship.

I suggest that he needs media coverage to stand any chance of readdress. It would not be difficult, if they surcome to the international media pressure, for the gov to blame the earlier (10 years ago) judiciary of incompetence (or political intervention) and simply expunge the record - unless there was some ugly compensation case to follow.

Edited July 14, 2010 by wolf5370

[sirchai]

Another protest in front of the GOVERNMENT HOUSE?????? Watch out for the snipers......

Seven posts on one page from Khun Aussie is amazing:(...

[sukhumvitlegend]

what 'Justice' could he be looking for. Give it up <br>

[asiawatcher]

The only justice in Thailand is what you pay for. All else is a crap shoot. Just don't test the system. And Benny - if you want to be a lawyer here - you have just prejudiced every case you handle.

Odds would be they will never let you win a case cos 1) you are a farang and 2) Thais for Thais. Good luck anyway - the top guy is articulate and decent despite what the moronic demonstrators and brown shirt mafia think so if you get a hearing just with him, then more power to you but the pencil neck public servants between you and him will most likely negate any chance of that. Persistence - never give up for what is right but the clock of old man time is ticking - believe in kara and move on buddy. Life is way too short.:jap:

Edited July 15, 2010 by asiawatcher

[mark2552]

So he was sentenced to 22 years and only served 10 ... He should be very careful , as it could go the opposite was for him and he ends up serving the rest of his sentence ..

[mark2552]

Now, now,now! What is so unusal about extortion, black mail, and other crimes in this country. Of course perhaps the only unusal part is being a farrang in this

country and perhaps harsher punishments because of that fact.

I don't recall reading about harsh penalities for Thais which commit alledged similar crimes; except they are probabl taken to a nice

5 or 6 star hotel for a steak and lobster dinner as an appropriate reduction of time spent in the gray bar hotel.

[KhunAussie52]

I do not confess to be an educated or articulate man.So i will keep to the facts.

Thailand is a signatory to the convention for the disabled.

As a disabled person,i am entitled to permanent accommodation in this country.Based on that convention.

All attempts to register my concerns with the Human Rights commission in Thailand have fallen on deaf ears.

I approached a local politician to ask for help.His reply,and i quote."That if i was seen, to be helping a farang,i would lose my seat in Parliament.

My desire is to have a home,not a rental house.i have been moving constantly over the last 3 years.When my house was either sold.Or thrown out on the street as the Thai owners could no longer afford the monthly repayments to the bank.It was bought to my attention that in the city i lived, 6 "farang in three months had been evicted from their rental homes,by Thai banks.I might add that i Have no desire to live in an apartment.I am single and have no desire to marry.

Benny deserves the highest praise.And i wish him all the best in his pursuit of justice.

The fact, that Thailand now has a seat on the Human rights council, is a joke.

It is a big mistake to assume that Thailand will protect the rights of a farang. The politician was being unusually honest and stating the facts of Thai society. The quicker you learn that the better off you will be.

Farangs are considered guests and guests, like fish, smell after 3 days and are subject to being thrown out.

I have come to expect this type of comment in this forum......i am not just fighting for my rights.But those of all disabled people in Thailand........I do not need you to determine that i would be better off lying down and having my human dignity and rights trodden on.I have the courage,will and desire to fight for these rights.And it is not a mistake.......It is a basic human right

Nothing to do with the politician or Thailand (and not much to do with this thread!). Your premise is flawed - you are entitled, without discrimination, to exactly the same as those who are not disabled - that does not include the right to owning your own home in Thailand as a foreigner!

Try reading the convention:

Disabled persons, whatever the origin, nature and seriousness of their handicaps and disabilities, have the same fundamental rights as their fellow-citizens ........ without any exception whatsoever and without distinction or discrimination ...

Disabled persons have the same civil and political rights as other human beings ...

No disabled person shall be subjected, as far as his or her residence is concerned, to differential treatment other than that required by his or her condition or by the improvement which he or she may derive therefrom.

Sorry, but your "rights" exclude positive discrimination just as much as they do negative discrimination - you can't pick and choose which bits you like and which you don't just because you are disabled/black/moslem/gay or in any other group which feels discriminated against. "The same" means "the same" , for better or worse.

2.The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to guarantee that the rights enunciated in the present Covenant will be exercised without discrimination of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Pursuant to article 11 (1) of the Covenant, States parties "recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions". The human right to adequate housing, which is thus derived from the right to an adequate standard of living, is of central importance for the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights.

The right to adequate housing applies to everyone. The phrase "himself and his family" does not refer to any limitation in the right to housing to individuals, female-headed households, or other groups. Furthermore, individuals, as well as families, are entitled to adequate housing regardless of age, economic status, group or other affiliation or status, and enjoyment of this right must not be subject to any form of discrimination. (paragraph 6)

The right to housing should be interpreted in a broad and inclusive sense as the right to live in "security, peace and dignity" rather than a narrow or restrictive sense. The right to housing is inextricably linked to other fundamental human rights and should been seen as referring to not only housing by adequate housing (paragraph 7). The right to adequate housing must be viewed in conjunction with other human rights included in the two International Covenants and other international instruments (paragraph 9).

While the definition of "adequacy" with regard to housing is influenced by social, economic, cultural, climatic, ecological, and other factors, certain aspects of the right are applicable in any context. These are:

Legal security of tenure. Security of tenure means that all people in any living arrangement possess a degree of security against forced eviction, harassment, or other threats. States are obliged to confer this security legally.

When the bank notified me that i would be evicted (in writing).....I was harassed by staff and the previous owners to get out.This was forced eviction......i was thrown out on the street!!!!!

And to add to that......water to my house was disconnected,a month before i left!!!

[julemanden]

<br>Maybe he's shooting for a book or movie deal.<br>

<br><br>He's Swedish, not American <img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif" alt="" class="bbc_emoticon">

[yeeowww]

Whenever reading TVF threads there are always the same people posting negative comments, If you dont have anything useful to say why bother reply?

I'm guessing it's because they don't have a life and the mentality of a high schooler. It's these ignorant posts that validate why I live in a rural Thai community and don't generally have much of anything to do with the majority of the expats here.

Ben, you're fighting for the right thing and with a level head. Keep it up and all the best in your future endeavors.

[mochafan]

Go home Benny.

Please go home now as you can.

SOE can arrest you again, and this time, there may be no trial.

...and if he goes home...like he said "10 years for nothing". Thais need to learn they just can't f*** with foreigners and think they can get away with it. They think they can brush people off forever. WRONG!

I admire the guy for having the guts to stand up for himself. He's had a lot of time to think about this...maybe he has some legal tricks up his sleeve to give the authorities a run for their money.

[bpwchiangsean]

<BR>Go home Benny.<BR>Please go home now as you can.<BR>SOE can arrest you again, and this time, there may be no trial.<BR>

<BR><BR><BR>if this man has the guts and the faith to go on we as a people should support he you go BENNY

[JohnLeech]

When the bank notified me that i would be evicted (in writing).....I was harassed by staff and the previous owners to get out.This was forced eviction......i was thrown out on the street!!!!!

And to add to that......water to my house was disconnected,a month before i left!!!

So what? You were treated just as anyone else would be treated, which is what equaity is all about.

You do have "a degree of security against forced eviction" if you follow the same rules as anyone else here and register any lease (up to 30 years) at the Land Office.

Start a separate thread on this subject if you want to, as it has nothing to do with this subject and no-one else appears interested (and neither am I).

[geronimo]

No guilty man would make that kind of effort! I do so hope he gets what he wants.

[KhunAussie52]

When the bank notified me that i would be evicted (in writing).....I was harassed by staff and the previous owners to get out.This was forced eviction......i was thrown out on the street!!!!!

And to add to that......water to my house was disconnected,a month before i left!!!

So what? You were treated just as anyone else would be treated, which is what equaity is all about.

You do have "a degree of security against forced eviction" if you follow the same rules as anyone else here and register any lease (up to 30 years) at the Land Office.

Start a separate thread on this subject if you want to, as it has nothing to do with this subject and no-one else appears interested (and neither am I).

If i want your opinion,ill pull the Chain,take a hike

I was renting a house not leasing it...........

most houses for rent in thailand are also for sale,this does not offer permanent accommodation,to which is a basic human right for the disabled.

I am not interested in what you have to say!!!!!!

Edited August 14, 2010 by sbk
flame removed-mind your manners

[Hawk]

Not that it matters very much but the name is not Swedish and he was not born in Sweden either. I have known quite a few Iranians who fled Iran and came to Sweden. Every single one I have met are from better off families and well behaved and polite.

I find it hard to believe that he should have done all that he is charged for, if he is totally innocent I don't know

I actually met Benny years ago and he was of Iranian descent, somebody didn't like him so they told the police that he was the man behind a few crimes in Bangkok. And yes he studied like a man possessed but they still didn't give him his retrial as they should have.

He was indeed not guilty of the crimes laid against him.

[Chonburiram]

Another persistent Persian: Karimi Nasseri .

[TAWP]

As one op said go home but not to Sweden because he is of Arab of origin so go back to Irak

Atleast you make it abundanly clear that racist people in most cases lack education and general knowledge about the world they live in.

[TAWP]

Thailand is a signatory to the convention for the disabled.

As a disabled person,i am entitled to permanent accommodation in this country.Based on that convention.

No, you don't nor shall you have it.

What is this Disneyland-mentality?

'Give me, give me, give me!'

I'm sorry that you are disabled, be it from infliction, age or accident, but to claim that a nation - of whom you are not even a citizen of? - has to provide permanent accomodation to a person because they are disabled is pure nonsense. Imagine the bus loads of disabled people arriving at the airport, screaming for free hotel accomodation based on a non-existent condition in a convention...

[ukrules]

Whenever reading TVF threads there are always the same people posting negative comments, If you dont have anything useful to say why bother reply?

What a useful and positive comment.

[harrry]

Go home Benny.

Please go home now as you can.

SOE can arrest you again, and this time, there may be no trial.

So you are indicating a person has no legal rights here Rucharee?

[KhunAussie52]

Thailand is a signatory to the convention for the disabled.

As a disabled person,i am entitled to permanent accommodation in this country.Based on that convention.

No, you don't nor shall you have it.

What is this Disneyland-mentality?

'Give me, give me, give me!'

I'm sorry that you are disabled, be it from infliction, age or accident, but to claim that a nation - of whom you are not even a citizen of? - has to provide permanent accomodation to a person because they are disabled is pure nonsense. Imagine the bus loads of disabled people arriving at the airport, screaming for free hotel accomodation based on a non-existent condition in a convention...

The same tired and well worn, negative comments from a minority in this forum.I suggest you read the convention,before making any further comments.It is not just about me.All disabled,are mentioned in the Disability rights convention.

Please explain "Disney Land mentality"?

To ascertain that this is about me,me,me.Is wrong and uncalled for.

I feel you are patronizing me.I do not want anyone to feel sorry for me.I can stand on my own two feet.Express my point of view in relation to these matters,as is my right.

"Imagine the bus loads of disabled people arriving at the airport, screaming for free hotel accomodation based on a non-existent condition in a convention."

A little empathy would not go astray in your thinking.Somewhere around 100 countries have signed the convention,on the rights of the disabled.So what would compel bus loads of people arriving in Thailand to seek permanent accommodation here.Pure nonsense!!!

Ido not need to here,that you are sorry for me.I fight my own battles,and i will continue to express the view that Thailand needs to accept its responsibilities and not pay lip service to the convention.

[TAWP]

Your assertion that Thailand has to supply accomodation to you, an alien, has no basis in reality.

Period.

[KhunAussie52]

Your assertion that Thailand has to supply accomodation to you, an alien, has no basis in reality.

Period.

Then you have not read the convention for the disabled.Ignorance is no defense...........!!!!!!:jap:

secondly,supply of accommodation is not what i have asked for.

Many disabled people live on the streets in Thailand,or are you unaware of that?????

Edited July 24, 2010 by KhunAussie52

[zzaa09]

People are always so quick to jump on the "silly farang" bandwagon. Just because he is a foreigner this does not mean he forfeits his right to the truth. Imagine spending 9 year in a prison for a crime that you never commited? My hat goes off to this man.

Or....just because he is a foreigner doesn't mean he isn't guilty as well.

[TAWP]

Your assertion that Thailand has to supply accomodation to you, an alien, has no basis in reality.

Period.

Then you have not read the convention for the disabled.Ignorance is no defense...........!!!!!!:jap:

secondly,supply of accommodation is not what i have asked for.

Many disabled people live on the streets in Thailand,or are you unaware of that?????

'to supply accomodation' does not mean 'a supply of accomodation'(sic).

I am beginning to see why you think the convention might say whatever you believe it to say...

Added: Again, the convention talks about the right of disabled individuals to have the same access to sociaty as others, i.e. talks about guaranteeing equal rights - *not* additional rights.

Edited July 24, 2010 by TAWP