Thailand Bans Film About Thai-Cambodian Border Row

[SamsonSW]

They don't care what the outside world thinks.

Most Thais don't know how to download so that they aren't at risk of being arrested and aren't that interested in politics anyway.

I suspect the "red shirt crackdown" element was more of an issue than the temple anyway.

[metisdead]

Some more off topic posts and replies have been removed.

[Halion]

Bloody typical, can not let a film be shown if it may deviate from the party line.

[rubl]

Although I don't really mind joining the USA bashing, the topic is Thai sense of National Security issues, something foreigners very obviously cannot understand :-)

[rubl]

So Ban Rajan and Suriyothai are OK, but this movie is too close to the truth and therefor clearly NOK? Makes sense, somehow, or so, or whatever.

I probably need a beer, I'm suffering from non-Thai, foreign thoughts which might explain why to some I'm an alien

[Thaddeus]

It seems that any movie or even TV show which doesn't show Thailand as a nation of smiley, happy temple thronging culture lovers is banned or cut to ribbons.

Even China has moved further on in the censorship stakes.

Maybe they thought hangover 2 was a documentary.

It was, please don't shatter my illusions.

After all, a rich Chinese bloke get out of the trunk at the end and sorts everything out, don't shatter that dream for millions of people, I beg you, there will be riots.

Ministry of Culture, a nice little hidey hole for worthless relatives.

[NeverSure]

Most Thais I know wouldn't watch it anyway. It would tear them away from their soaps.

I have never seen a people less interested in the world around them, nor have I ever seen a people so sure that their country is the center of the universe.

[SteeleJoe]

I have never seen a people less interested in the world around them, nor have I ever seen a people so sure that their country is the center of the universe.

Have you done a lot of traveling?

Edited April 24, 2013 by SteeleJoe

[Nisa]

Most Thais I know wouldn't watch it anyway. It would tear them away from their soaps.

Most people don't go see any movie but this seems more about the company you keep than this movie.

[webfact]

UPDATE:
Director of documentary vows to fight against ban
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The director of the latest banned Thai film about the Thai-Cambodian border dispute and rifts in Thai politics, says his documentary film is a collection of views by various sides on the ground and he will appeal to the censorship committee to reconsider its ban.

Nontawat Nambenjapol, director of the documentary film 'Fah Tam Phaendin Soong' (Low Sky, High Land) or 'Boundary' in English, told The Nation yesterday people on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border do not want war. Thai villagers along the border in Si Sa Ket province, whom he met and interviewed for the film, blamed Thai domestic politics for fanning ultra-nationalism.

"They do not want war. They lived there in peace for 30 to 45 years and had no problems and recognised Preah Vihear as part of Cambodia - and see the [current] problem as stemming from Thai [domestic] politics," said Nontawat, 29, whose film is 96 minutes long and was screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February.

The film includes comments by a Cambodian soldier and Cambodian villagers along the other side of the border. The director said the soldier felt that Thailand was encroaching on Cambodian land, while Cambodian villagers did not want war as both sides agreed that "if there's war, there will be losses on both sides".

The five-man censorship panel under the Culture Ministry cited risk of creating misinformation and rifts in society for banning it, considering the film as a threat to national security and bilateral relations between Thailand and Cambodia. The committee also cited the title of the film as possibly creating a negative impression of the Thai monarchy because the word 'fah' or sky, can also be used as a casual alternate reference to the monarchy and the film's title stated the sky is low.

Nontawat, a Bangkokian, said he was surprised by the ban, but vowed to fight on. "Since they are not banning my life, I can speak, write and convey my message as to how real local people think about the issue." He also denied his film had anything to do with the issue of the monarchy, saying that the title of the film was adopted from an old love song dated from the 1970s about how people who think differently should be able to coexist.

Kriengsak Silakong, director of the World Film Festival of Bangkok, said the ban would neither succeed nor stop people who want to see the film from accessing it on the Internet or through other means, and the decision is damaging to the censorship committee itself. "They cannot ban it a hundred per cent," Kriengsak told The Nation.

Manit Sriwanichpoom, co-director of another banned Thai film "Shakespeare Must Die", who is currently fighting against the ban of his film though a legal petition at the Administrative Court, said he hasn't watched the film and doesn't know Nontawat personally but is categorically against censorship.

"People should be able to use their own judgement as to whether they would agree with the information conveyed in the film or not. Cambodians also have the right to criticise Thailand. I want to see a society where critical thinking is employed. The ban by the Censorship Committee is condescending to the mental ability of Thai people," said Manit, who added that it's time to rethink the existence and role of the Censorship Committee.

Prisana Pongtadsirikul, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Culture, said that the censorship committee has unanimously concluded that the film negatively affected the monarchy institution, negatively affected good bilateral relations. "The content also causes disunity in society, contains sexrelated content and displays frontal nudity, and was not respectful of religions and so cannot be showed in the kingdom," she added.


-- The Nation 2013-04-25

[Nisa]

If you want to make a film successful, Just get it banned. Banning may have worked 50 years ago, but not now.

While this is often the case I don't see this one doing too well since it is a subject few people outside Cambodia and Thailand are interested and I am guessing the movie is in Thai ... not to mention it is a documentary. If it is a good movie then this should help it to get some recognition from the industry but in terms of dollars, I don't think so at this point. However, it may become "un"-banned in the near future and then promoting as a once banned film will do good.

Bottom line it is a shame anything like this can be banned. If the government felt the material was untrue or illegal then they should use the court system to try and block it and not ban it under the guise of national security. It is a shame governments can get away with using National Security as the reason to take what normally would be an illegal action without court approval but the banning of documentary????

[wilcopops]

Now you might want to start a thread asking for definitions of democracy......... I suspect most of it would be filled with dross.

do you really think that "banning" of films is the only or even a good yardstick for democracy?

Edited April 25, 2013 by wilcopops

[kimamey]

And you wonder why they stick to soap operas.

Although we just read elsewhere they just censored one of those too. Honestly, I really wonder what these people think they hope to achieve by censoring this stuff? There will be a thousand internet links to it within days, and people will be happily downloading it, having had its notoriety raised 1000% by censoring this stuff. Aside from all of the other issues in Thailand, this type of thing really makes me sad. It is really a patrician attitude to the people, believing that they are incapable of learning or seeing anything that isn't mainstream or bland.

Very very stupid reaction

Of course all those downloads won't be paid for as would be the case if it was shown in the cinema but of course we can't mention that as it may give the impression that you can't get pirated merchandise here.

[Nisa]

Now you might want to start a thread asking for definitions of democracy......... I suspect most of it would be filled with dross.

do you really think that "banning" of films is the only or even a good yardstick for democracy?

I think the answer for many is that it is Okay to ban films as long as they see justification. An example might be what an earlier poster mentioned about holocaust denial while others might say a pro radical Islam teachings or others information that would provide people with the means to make bombs or illegal drugs while others may say certain forms of pornography (art to some people) is okay to ban.

I can't condone Thailand for banning this film even if I don't know the actual content of the film and what is objectionable. Bottom line censorship is censorship and trying to pretend it is not because you find the subject bad means you (we) are missing the point and no different than those censoring things we don't agree with.

Thailand without any rational argument is a democracy but democracy has little to do with censorship and democracy certainly isn't fair to all ... if 51% of the people decide a film shouldn't be shown that leaves 49% percent of the population disenfranchised (no different than voting for leaders). In fact judging by the way the majority vote in many democratic society's there is little doubt in my mind that a good dictator would be better for them. As for communism and democracy they are not at all opposites and now a days it seems many people confuse democracy to mean capitalism or freedom when both couldn't be further from the truth.

Although Thailand without doubt can be more restrictive in terms of censorship than my own country, I find Thailand as a whole provides considerable more freedom as an individual.

[Nisa]

And you wonder why they stick to soap operas.

Although we just read elsewhere they just censored one of those too. Honestly, I really wonder what these people think they hope to achieve by censoring this stuff? There will be a thousand internet links to it within days, and people will be happily downloading it, having had its notoriety raised 1000% by censoring this stuff. Aside from all of the other issues in Thailand, this type of thing really makes me sad. It is really a patrician attitude to the people, believing that they are incapable of learning or seeing anything that isn't mainstream or bland.

Very very stupid reaction

I agree with you but I also think censoring what is shown on TV (as is done in probably all countries) is much different than censoring a movie which you and your children can only be exposed if they pay or make an effort to see. It is also much different to censor for political purposes than for moral or educational purposes .... at least this is what my country programmed me to believe.

[TackyToo]

Hitler and the brown shirts are alive and well , in Thailand , just a change of colours, how sweet.

I was always mesmerized by the wonderful world of reincarnation. However, it makes me wonder under which name Josef Goebbels may live in today’s Thailand.

Khun Yoot Phuut?

[Thai at Heart]

And you wonder why they stick to soap operas.

Although we just read elsewhere they just censored one of those too. Honestly, I really wonder what these people think they hope to achieve by censoring this stuff? There will be a thousand internet links to it within days, and people will be happily downloading it, having had its notoriety raised 1000% by censoring this stuff. Aside from all of the other issues in Thailand, this type of thing really makes me sad. It is really a patrician attitude to the people, believing that they are incapable of learning or seeing anything that isn't mainstream or bland.

Very very stupid reaction

I agree with you but I also think censoring what is shown on TV (as is done in probably all countries) is much different than censoring a movie which you and your children can only be exposed if they pay or make an effort to see. It is also much different to censor for political purposes than for moral or educational purposes .... at least this is what my country programmed me to believe.

Censorship falls broadly into 2 categories as far as I can tell, gratuitous sex and violence andsecondly political. The ratings that are put on movies fall into the first category, to either protect young minds and these days very little faces an outright ban, although there have been a couple of movies in the last few years that are apparently shocking.

Political censorhip on TV, having grown up in the UK probably only manifested itself in banning reporting from Northern Ireland if I think back. This was a terrible time, and Maggie presumably wanted to starve them IRA of any publicity. In this day and age it would be much harder to achieve. However, every media agency be it the BBC or a blogger carries some inherent bias and this is a far more insidious problem when people aren't given choices to see differing views of the unadulterated truth. This is I think what we see in Thailand, where so many media agencies tow a pro-Thai line with very little balance provided the other way.

This can I suppose be categorised as propaganda and can manipulate an entire understanding of events within a nation. Very insidious and in extreme form, say North Korea, simply used to perpetuate domination of a people by dictators and despots. The problem is, that even when it iss used subtely as in Thailand's case, when enough of the people realise they have been lied to it can bring cataclysmic results. The culture ministry doesn't have any where enough thumbs to put in dykes to stem the flow of information, and in the end simply provide notoriety and make the establishment appear fearful of information.

[TackyToo]

I suppose you don’t want brainwashed and indoctrinated people getting the wrong idea by watching a film it could all land in complete confusion for them.

could all land in complete confusion. Are you sure about your choice of words? Complete confusion seems to be the standard mindset for the masses here.

[silent]

This is a true democracy, don't pretend our beloved west is any different. It's just in Thailand they are less intelligent at lying.

Examples to back up your claim please.

How bout vietnam, Iraq Lee, Harvey Oswald just to name a few of a never ending list

[Thaddeus]

"People should be able to use their own judgement as to whether they would agree with the information conveyed in the film or not. Cambodians also have the right to criticise Thailand. I want to see a society where critical thinking is employed. The ban by the Censorship Committee is condescending to the mental ability of Thai people," said Manit, who added that it's time to rethink the existence and role of the Censorship Committee.

-- The Nation 2013-04-25

Well said.

[Thai at Heart]

"People should be able to use their own judgement as to whether they would agree with the information conveyed in the film or not. Cambodians also have the right to criticise Thailand. I want to see a society where critical thinking is employed. The ban by the Censorship Committee is condescending to the mental ability of Thai people," said Manit, who added that it's time to rethink the existence and role of the Censorship Committee.

-- The Nation 2013-04-25

Well said.

At least the Nation printed it. I await the editorial from the Nation stating why banning this movie is so vital to protect the poor little people's minds to save Thailand from imploding with free thought.

[dighambara]

so make good publicity and ban it the sooner it will be seen @ 4shared , and many more "free sharing sites"

remember that movie about a certain prophet that was banned ,, got the most downloads in the banned country than anywhere in the world

HMMM...??? I thought it was a dog's birthday party theat was most watched by Thais...

[SteeleJoe]

This is a true democracy, don't pretend our beloved west is any different. It's just in Thailand they are less intelligent at lying.

Examples to back up your claim please.

How bout vietnam, Iraq Lee, Harvey Oswald just to name a few of a never ending list

I'm not familiar with any of those films. Can you provide any details?

But seriously -- is that your idea of a joke? A parody of some fevered leftish conspiracy freak? Or are you honestly trying to suggest that movies (or books) about any of those topics are banned in the west - despite the existence of THOUSANDS of them?

[Mudcrab]

If you want to make a film successful, Just get it banned. Banning may have worked 50 years ago, but not now.

When Maggie Thatcher was PM in Britain she banned a book called " Spycatcher " which was the memoirs of a retired MI5 agent and it was the best thing that ever happened for the author as everyone wanted to read it. Incidentally I found a complete anti-climax

It was an anti climax...but boy didn't it show the complete and utter incompetence of the Public Servant System. No wonder it was banned.

[webfact]

RELATED

Thai censors drop ban on border row film

BANGKOK, April 25, 2013 (AFP) - Thai censors will allow a documentary about a border row with Cambodia to be screened, a culture ministry official said Thursday, in a U-turn after banning the film as a threat to national security.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635240-thai-censors-drop-ban-on-border-row-film/

[Unkomoncents]

It's amazing how perfectly Thais' heads fit in their <deleted>.

[djlest]

This is a true democracy, don't pretend our beloved west is any different. It's just in Thailand they are less intelligent at lying.

Yeah...ahm...care to share with me, what kind of documentary or movie you know about, that was banned like this in "our beloved west"? And...no...movies denying the Holocaust don't count!

Never mentioned any documentary was Banned in the West, So no idea what your ranting on about mate. I think putting words in peoples mouth is best done in bars or court houses, it don't work on forums pal.