Acclaimed Russian Conductor Mikhail Pletnev Cancels British Concerts

[george]

Rape charge Russian conductor cancels British concerts

LONDON, August 5, 2010 (AFP) -- Acclaimed Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev on Thursday cancelled his appearance at two concerts in Britain following a rape accusation made against him in Thailand last month.

Pletnev was to conduct a concert by the Russian National Orchestra (RNO) in Edinburgh on Friday and another in August for the BBC Proms, a renowned classical music festival that runs over two months in Britain each summer.

"We can confirm that Mikhail Pletnev has withdrawn from the Edinburgh International Festival this year," said a spokesman for the Scottish festival.

The artistic director of the RNO was arrested in Thailand in July and charged with raping a teenage boy. Pletnev denies the charges.

A Thai court allowed Pletnev to travel overseas after he posted extra bail, but he is required to report back to the court every 12 days, starting from July 18.

Andrey Boreyko, a former member of the RNO Conductor Collegium -- a group of conductors led by Pletnev who shape the RNO's artistic policy -- has been named as Pletnev's replacement for both concerts.

"Mikhail Pletnev has decided not to conduct the Russian National Orchestra at the BBC Proms on 18 August," a BBC Proms spokeswoman confirmed.

"We are delighted that Andrey Boreyko will now conduct this concert," she added.

The programme for the August Proms performance, which includes Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Tchaikovsky's Suite No 3 in G major, remains unchanged.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-08-06

[animatic]

Would seem better to stay and fight the scam/charges,

than risk being locked out and then convicted

because he wasn't there to see things done properly,

and consequently lose his significant investments here.

[Thai at Heart]

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

[animatic]

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

Agreed. 100%

[Wozzit]

The Edinburgh Festival and the London Prom Concerts are two of the most prestigious music Festivals in the world. If ever there was proof that the charges here are having a major impact on his career, this is it. Like other posters, I totally agree that if he is proved innocent or the police, contrary to reports from the NGO, find they do not have enough evidence to take the case to Court, I hope he gets the best lawyers around to sue whomever he is able to sue for libel, slander, damage to reputation and loss of earnings. I repeat again, this is on the assumption he is cleared of the charges.

What must be especially galling for him is that the world's press now have this case back in their pages, with some repeating some of the initial allegations which the police later said were not true. For example, this from today's Guardian on-line newspaper in the UK:

"Police searched one of his homes, confiscating material in connection with an investigation into a paedophilia ring. Prosecutors told a court in Pattaya that the search yielded several "compromising" photographs of Pletnev with underage boys."

As we know, nothing like this was found in his homes!

Edited August 6, 2010 by Wozzit

[Sabre]

The whole thing is just another example of the appalling state of the Thai Justice system.

From the police, to the lawyers and judges, to the media, even Buddhism itself (particularly the notion of karma - i.e. prisoners must have done something to deserve their lot), all play a part in the rotten system.

I love Thailand and Thais, but there are some aspects of Thai society I find hard to reconcile with the better side of Thailand.

To those who haven't experienced Thai justice first hand these are probably just empty words. To those people, I sincerely hope you never discover the darker side of Thailand.

Too many unfortunate others will know exactly what I'm talking about.

[asiawatcher]

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

Agreed. 100%

Those who accuse him I would suggest are simply opportunists - no point suing as it will lead to no financial reward but being Farang it is also doubtful they will receive any sentence as would be handed down Thai to Thai. However, to clear his name is important and to retain his assets here from the hovering vultures is paramount. I could only wish him well.

[jayjay0]

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

Agreed

Edited August 6, 2010 by jayjay0

[Wozzit]

I have not seen any comments yet in the media regarding certain seeming similarities between the situation Mr Pletnev now faces and those of the composer of which he is one of the greatest interpreters - Tchaikovsky. I find some of these similarities uncanny. Like Tchaikovsky , Pletnev is very much a wanderer. Like Tchaikovsky, Pletnev is also a composer. Like Tchaikovsky, Pletnev is not someone who seems to enjoy life in the public gaze. Like Tchaikovsky. when he died, Pletnev is now 53.

Like Tchaikovsky, Pletnev is a gay man - both working in a profession far more homophonic than, for example, the theatre or ballet. It is now generally believed that Tchaikovsky's death, contrary to the story put about for nearly a century that he died of cholera, may have been the result of a "court of honour" of his fellow graduates from the St Petersburg Imperial School sentencing him to suicide on account of his homosexuality. Hounded to the end.

Notable too, I think, is that Tchaikovsky's last symphony, named the Pathetique (meaning "passionate" and emotional" rather than "pathetic"), was completed just weeks before he died. Hopefully Mr Pletnev may be able to find some inspiration in the dreadful situation he now finds himself in to work on a similar masterpiece.

[jayjay0]

I hear people talking about his assets. Th fact that he has them here is undeniable. However I find it hard to believe that if he lost them all and was forced to leave Thailand he would not be hurting in any way.

I don't know of any farangs that live here by choice and have all there disposable cash going into investments in Thailand. He has many more outside of Thailand. I am sure there are some but I believe most of them have no intention of dying in Thailand it is just a stop over for them on there way to the next stop over.

[SamritT]

If the child sex offender have nothing to hide, why is he on a run? Sound like a plot in one of Ford movie, the fugitive or something like that.

[TAWP]

If the child sex offender have nothing to hide, why is he on a run? Sound like a plot in one of Ford movie, the fugitive or something like that.

He is not on the run and you are out of line.

[tominbkk]

<br />If the child sex offender have nothing to hide, why is he on a run? Sound like a plot in one of Ford movie, the fugitive or something like that.

He is not on the run, and you are doing a horrible job at flaming. Everybody knows that you are not Thai or a woman, but some bored Cowboy dwelling farang, with nothing much to do except to try and rile things up.

[Wozzit]

If the child sex offender have nothing to hide, why is he on a run? Sound like a plot in one of Ford movie, the fugitive or something like that.

Get your facts straight! It has been alleged that he is a child sex offender. Nothing has been proved.

[Jingthing]

I think we can mostly agree that sometimes there are issues with how Thai laws are enforced and prosecuted, of course that's true of any country. But it could be worse. At least there are laws on the books here protecting children from abuse. Consider the barbaric laws of Iran, for example --

A person convicted of homosexuality in Iran can be lashed, hanged or stoned to death. The law includes a variety of penalties for different acts: 99 lashes if two unrelated males sleep "unnecessarily" under the same blanket – even without any sexual contact. A boy raped by an adult man would also be lashed if the court decided that he had "enjoyed" the experience.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/08/iran-mohammad-mostafaei-rights-lawyer

Edited August 9, 2010 by Jingthing

[Thai at Heart]

I think we can mostly agree that sometimes there are issues with how Thai laws are enforced and prosecuted, of course that's true of any country. But it could be worse. At least there are laws on the books here protecting children from abuse. Consider the barbaric laws of Iran, for example --

A person convicted of homosexuality in Iran can be lashed, hanged or stoned to death. The law includes a variety of penalties for different acts: 99 lashes if two unrelated males sleep "unnecessarily" under the same blanket – even without any sexual contact. A boy raped by an adult man would also be lashed if the court decided that he had "enjoyed" the experience.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/08/iran-mohammad-mostafaei-rights-lawyer

And just imagine how much it would hurt, if they never even bothered to prove you committed the offence.

[tartempion]

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

And you think the accusers would posses sizable assets ???

[Thai at Heart]

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

And you think the accusers would posses sizable assets ???

If you have lost your reputation, getting a libel/slander conviction can only help to clear your name. If a schmuk made up something about me, and ruined my life, I would go after them forever, money irrespective.

Throw in the fact that libel is a criminal offence in Thailand, it could go along way to preventing this type of nonsense (if he is not guilty) happening again. If it is a setup, it would also make police think twice about cutting a deal with suspects in return for information to reduce a sentence.

If all you need to ruin someone is the tittle tattle of someone under arrest, this type of evidence needs to be handled in a far more sensible way than running into someone's house with TV cameras in tow like TJ Hooker.

[Wozzit]

I read in the Pattaya Daily News that the Thai internet cafe owner, the one allegedly running the pedophile ring, making films with the boys under his control, and renting them out, has been granted bail! I find this to be yet another extraordinary twist in an extraordinary case. How much was the bail, and who posted it, I wonder? And is it usual in cases of this type that a alleged mastermind of such a 'ring' is permitted bail?

In relation to Mr. Pletnev’s ongoing “child sex” case in Thailand, Pattaya Daily News can confirm that a former Thai associate of the famed musician, Mr. Traiphop Bunphasong, has now been granted bail by the Thai courts.

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/08/03/bbc-edinburgh-festival-carefully-monitor-pletnev-case/

[jayjay0]

I read in the Pattaya Daily News that the Thai internet cafe owner, the one allegedly running the pedophile ring, making films with the boys under his control, and renting them out, has been granted bail! I find this to be yet another extraordinary twist in an extraordinary case. How much was the bail, and who posted it, I wonder? And is it usual in cases of this type that a alleged mastermind of such a 'ring' is permitted bail?

In relation to Mr. Pletnev's ongoing "child sex" case in Thailand, Pattaya Daily News can confirm that a former Thai associate of the famed musician, Mr. Traiphop Bunphasong, has now been granted bail by the Thai courts.

http://www.pattayada...r-pletnev-case/

Christ they just led a ring leader in the red shirt uprising out on bail. Wasn't Thaksin out on bail? Yes I know the red shirt was a peace loving man.

[TAWP]

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

And you think the accusers would posses sizable assets ???

The rep. for the NGO might have...

[Wozzit]

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

And you think the accusers would posses sizable assets ???

The rep. for the NGO might have...

Since the NGO is headed by a very important lady in Thai society, I wonder if she becomes liable?