Thai schoolgirl summoned for police interrogation

[Camelot]

Why does this young girl have to spend her money travelling all the way to Minburi police station in the Bangkok suburbs? There are plenty of police stations and courts in Loei province where the alleged offence occurred. Are the plaintiffs worried about home town justice? .Changing jurisdictions is an old lawyer's trick to get a judge appointed who is unfamiliar with the circumstances of the case.

[JAG]

As much as I used to love Thailand- this type of story just takes the shine off everything. All through the years I have closed my eyes and tried to understand that this is the Thai way. This place is starting to wear thin- arresting a school girl because she told the truth; the constant bullying of the poor or undocumented by the wealthy; using the military to handle police work; immigration inconsistencies; taking citizens off for an attitude adjustment. I know most Thai people are really fed up but have no voice. The negatives are really starting to outweigh the pluses.

One day something will happen which will cause them to find their voice. It is a cumulative effect, it may well be something very small, and in itself insignificant, that will tip them over the edge.

[Rob13]

A week of shame for the Thai judicial system.

[JAG]

Why does this young girl have to spend her money travelling all the way to Minburi police station in the Bangkok suburbs? There are plenty of police stations and courts in Loei province where the alleged offence occurred. Are the plaintiffs worried about home town justice? .Changing jurisdictions is an old lawyer's trick to get a judge appointed who is unfamiliar with the circumstances of the case.

I suppose that it may work in her favour - the locals in Loei may have some vested interest.

[aTomsLife]

yes but WHY are mining companies, or ANYONE, allowed under Thai law to BULLY, HARASS and INTIMIDATE a young, beautiful teenage schoolgirl who makes a school project video about a river near her home?

Is she not to be CONGRATULATED for being brave? for giving a GLIMMER of hope that some Thais CARE??? she, and others, are the hope of Thailand

THIS type of nastiness is the evil in Thailand that seeks to ensnare it's populace in the embrace of deference by the big and the powerful bully boy elite

Happy Christmas Thailand please wake up it is time

"a young, beautiful teenage schoolgirl"

So it is OK to BULLY, HARASS and INTIMIDATE a older ugly schoolboy who did the same ?

Yeah, I thought the same. What a stupid comment.....

So, according to the reasoning above, if LannaGuy wrote how delicious chocolate ice cream was, that would imply he didn't think the same thing about vanilla?

ThaiVisa, where logical fallacies abound.

[oldsailor35]

In decent countries (with ethical and responsible leaders), children are taught that the police are their friends!

And in civilised countries the legal system is not used as a tool of revenge and the police have no involvement in what is just a civil claim.

Thailand however, ciminalises civil action so that the powerful can remove the powerless and do so without incurring the expense of burden of proof and costs liability if unsuccessful.

There will never be true justice for anyone in Thailand who are not rich. The Death Island verdict has just proved this.

[oldsailor35]

Not just "a mining company": they are Thung Kham Ltd.

I am still none the wiser ?

[chainarong]

One hopes that social media and international medial outlets bring to the attention to the outside world and in particular the UN and the international mining community , of this young girls plight and name the company involved in the law suit , so that people will understand the low level of support the community in Thailand gets from mining companies, the Environment , Health and Mines Departments , perhaps, dare I say it a secret investigation / report into mining activities carried out over the last 2 decades, because they not only have bad policy's in Human trafficking and slave labour , they have a shocking mining record as well........................................

[chainarong]

Sometimes I find it very difficult to justify living in this country.

My conscience would not allow me to hide and cover my eyes to all the terrible things here. I had to leave. I feel bad because I would like to come back to see friends and such but the struggle is why why why? I have reverted to 'visiting' but no longer that a month or 2.

The biggest challenge is the apathy, corruption, and seemingly no hope for change.

After 34 years I left Thailand 18 months ago not wishing to support another Junta and struggle to justify a reason good enough to return, I will , only to ensure that pressure is applied so this and other kinds of bullying of the people is brought to the attention to the outside world ,even through this censored social media forum , because without that Thailand would be destroyed morally, don't give up because of the few.

[Plutojames88]

I fear for this girls life.

The company want to make an example of her under the protection of Absolute elitist powers that jail , kill , or arrest all who dare.

Any doubts of this grim dark regime being a reforming good force has long sailed.

And the recent sickening examples are gaining fast the obvious conclusions you can only make.

* Face Book Like Arrests

* Envoy attract Ultra National protests & Police investigation for LM

* Mother jailed for Facebook Post.

* Two opponents die in Prison & and bodies cremated before human rights people can examine them.

* Several missing people .

* Arrests

* Even children being summonsed .

* talk about restricting social media

* LM witch hunts

What can we do?

What hurts them is not misinformation but news bringing them punishments.

A fall in tourism

Sanctions

These are things that can be inflicted on them.

Alert journalists in home countries.

Human rights organisations .

Television , print media.

I just rang talk back radio ( they were shocked ) about this goings on

Inform Thailand tourist boards on social media .

Twitter.

Local member of Politics

Sadly the insidious rise of the elites is unbridled .

This is nothing short of child abuse.

I fear the parents will loose their home and jailed too.

Fined and disgraced.

The current forces want a strong sense of fear to prevail.

Next social media.

Thailand is becoming very very dark.

The anti western ""interfering "" misinformed propaganda taunts will increase.

If we comment about girls being prosecuted by elitist arms and laws and judicial s ....we ourself's be arrested .

Where is the justice?

I am speechless.

Lets hope a long way down the track frustrated international powers square things up.

Meantime get used to reading about these crimes.

Until the deafening silence and media gagging prevent us from knowing about the tortuous acts against humanity in the name of serving the mighty elite.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Plutojames88

[wabothai]

I hope that all thai 15-year olds go and protest in Bangkok. See what happens.

Mining company is going to bite a lot of dust or even lose all their shareholders. Wouldn't that be nice ?

[oldsailor35]

A week of shame for the Thai judicial system.

Especially on Koh Samui

[LannaGuy]

The same tactics go on in the "developed" West.... Doesn't make them ok but, it's worth noting!

ok I'll bite... please provide a link where a 15 year old schoolgirl is taken in by Police for interrogation and will get a civil/criminal law suite for making a video about pollution by an established huge company. US? France? UK? Germany? anywhere?

and as you like "noting things" IF any such nastiness occurred the government and the company would be annihilated by the free press much, much more than is allowed here and "it's worth noting" there would be demos on the streets.

wake up - smell the coffee - this is not about the "developed" West (sic) but about using the might of the elite machine against the unprotected and weak and in this case a 15 year old schoolgirl here in Thailand

recently in the US where a black boy brought a self made radio to school, he was put in hand cuffs and arrested

a boy, black is unimportant, took a box containing wires into school and the school over reacted. he was NOT sued by any big company so please stop the obfuscation this is different. back on topic please.

[evadgib]

...I thought these were museum pieces:

[pisico]

About this case of police/powerful Ammart coercion, Can we hear the opinion/input from the usual suspects? AKA the Thai apologists....

Would be interesting to hear their perception of this case.

[JAG]

I hope that all thai 15-year olds go and protest in Bangkok. See what happens.

Mining company is going to bite a lot of dust or even lose all their shareholders. Wouldn't that be nice ?

If they thought that they were threatened, they would shoot. 15,25 or 50. It is as simple as that.

[DrTuner]

In decent countries

Thailand ain't "decent", never been and there's a good chance it'll never be, unless colonized.

[Hawk]

So what about the PM's promise to help the poor?

[Shawn0001]

Wouldn't ' interview ' be a more suitable headline as ' interrogation ' has connotations of heavy handedness ?

Will reps of the mining company be interviewed or interrogated ?

They are legal terms, interviews are for the victim or witness, interrogations are for the accused.

Thus, unless she counter-sues the mining company, they are interviewed.

[Orac]

So what about the PM's promise to help the poor?

This one is probably above his pay grade.

[BuaBS]

yes but WHY are mining companies, or ANYONE, allowed under Thai law to BULLY, HARASS and INTIMIDATE a young, beautiful teenage schoolgirl who makes a school project video about a river near her home?

Is she not to be CONGRATULATED for being brave? for giving a GLIMMER of hope that some Thais CARE??? she, and others, are the hope of Thailand

THIS type of nastiness is the evil in Thailand that seeks to ensnare it's populace in the embrace of deference by the big and the powerful bully boy elite

Happy Christmas Thailand please wake up it is time

"a young, beautiful teenage schoolgirl"

So it is OK to BULLY, HARASS and INTIMIDATE a older ugly schoolboy who did the same ?

Yeah, I thought the same. What a stupid comment.....

So, according to the reasoning above, if LannaGuy wrote how delicious chocolate ice cream was, that would imply he didn't think the same thing about vanilla?

ThaiVisa, where logical fallacies abound.

Why emphiseze "young, beautiful teenage..." ? It puts her aside of other people .

A teenager is always young.

[duckmandon]

The truth hurts!

[bobmac10]

As George Trevelyan wrote, "Primitive societies, if they are ever to move on towards knowledge,wealth and ordered freedom, are obliged to travel in the first instance not along the path of democratic equality but along the path of aristocracy, kingship and priesthood"

If ever this saying was true, one only needs to look at Thailnd today.

A brief flirtation with democracy, quickly snuffed out and a return to the aristocracy etc etc

My feeling is dark days ahead for Thailand maybe for a generation or two.

[slipperylobster]

Young people are definitely getting the message...

be silent, conform....or else.

[LannaGuy]

Why emphiseze "young, beautiful teenage..." ? It puts her aside of other people .

A teenager is always young.

1/ she's young at 15 good to emphasize that in this case

2/ I have never seen her and I never intimated she LOOKED beautiful I said she WAS beautiful

what puts her 'aside of other people' is she is being vilified and attacked by the bully boys - support her not nitpick

[springheeled jack]

if pollution in the river is a source of contamination then I would assume that there are more people affected by it and they should come forward and affirm the fact .

[bangon04]

As much as I used to love Thailand- this type of story just takes the shine off everything. All through the years I have closed my eyes and tried to understand that this is the Thai way. This place is starting to wear thin- arresting a school girl because she told the truth; the constant bullying of the poor or undocumented by the wealthy; using the military to handle police work; immigration inconsistencies; taking citizens off for an attitude adjustment. I know most Thai people are really fed up but have no voice. The negatives are really starting to outweigh the pluses.

One day something will happen which will cause them to find their voice. It is a cumulative effect, it may well be something very small, and in itself insignificant, that will tip them over the edge.

and then there will be a coup?

[Orac]

if pollution in the river is a source of contamination then I would assume that there are more people affected by it and they should come forward and affirm the fact .

There are many people who have been effected by this mine over the years and this is not the first time they have tried to silence criticism- there was an Australian lady a few years back who also was accused of defamation which happenned during a private meeting after she was hired by investors to check them out.

There is a pretty i depth piece here which goes into some detail about this operation - also reveals the 7.8 % stake held by the CPB.

http://geographical.co.uk/people/development/item/1178-gold-diggers

Edited December 25, 2015 by Orac

[farmerjo]

Geez it's christmas and here is 4 pages of BS.

When there is a verdict,make a comment instead of going off half baked as PC correct foreigners who have nothing to do with how the country is run or their rules.

There's plenty of nanny states to return to if you don't like it.

[roamer]

How about the name of the company? They don't have problem with giving the name of the child, SO how about the name of the company???

Then people can make informed choices as to which companies they chose to do business with and those they do not.

Also If there is proof of any pollution and it is attributed to the company, then stating facts should not be a crime.

There is a very big difference between mud slinging to hurt a person/company/business rival, and telling the truth about them.

The STUPID thing is that a person with some kind of intelligence would realize that this is not a good look for the company nor for the country that allows this.

The Company was the brainchild of Captain Edward T. Miles of Australia who felt he could develop equipment to mechanize the offshore mining industry, after observing the labor intensive methods of the Chinese at Phuket in 1905.

In 1906, he founded the “Tongkah Harbour Tin Dredging Company N.L”, incorporated it in Hobart Tasmania and, upon due arrangements with the local Governor, began offshore tin mining in Phuket Bay in 1907, utilizing the world’s first sea-going bucket dredge.

Following 1907, the Company put seven more dredges into mining operations in the Phuket area. The British firm, the “London Tin Group” (managed by Anglo Oriental), eventually gained control and transferred the Company’s domicile to Malaysia and renamed it “Tongkah Harbour Tin Dredging Ltd” which was later officially named “Tongkah Harbour Tin Dredging Berhad”. The London Tin Group was subsequently taken over by the Malaysian Mining Corporation (MMC).

1980: Shareholding was restructured to become predominantly Thai in response to the Thai government’s policy of encouraging domestic investment in the mining industry. On being registered in Thailand, the Company was renamed “Tongkah Harbour Ltd.”

1990: With the collapse of the tin market in the mid 80’s, the Company diversified into gold and base metal exploration in 1990, and property development in Bangkok where it undertook the construction of “Tongkah Tower”, now known as the “True Tower”.

1991: The Company’s subsidiary, Tungkum Limited (TKL), was founded and granted a concession in Loei province for the exploration and mining of gold and related minerals. 1993: The Company went public and started trading of shares in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). The Company was again renamed as “Tongkah Harbour Public Company Limited”.

1995: Pursuant to successful exploration, TKL submitted mining plans and six gold mining license applications to the Department of Mineral Resources, which approved the plans in late 1996.

Post 1997: The Company emerged from the financial crisis of 1997 with no foreign exchange exposure and no debts, and in a strong cash position. However, the SET ruled that the Company’s earnings from tin operations (considered by the SET to be the Company’s core business) were disproportionately lower than its other revenue and, accordingly, suspended (but later reinstated) from trading on the SET.

2003: The Ministry of Industry granted Tungkum Limited the gold mining license whereupon the Company could initiate the mine development process. 2004: The Company added to its land bank in Phuket by acquiring land which joined together two parcels already held. With this acquisition, the Company now holds some 39,745 sq m of continuous beach front property in a prime location for future development.

2005: The Company accumulated 83.7 % of Sea Minerals Limited (SML) which has subsequently filed mining leases over 50,000 rai (8,000 hectares) to mine an off-shore deposit in the Andaman Sea where evaluations based on some 1200 drill holes indicate resources of over 50,000 tons of tin in the area.

2006: A loan for USD 25 million was approved by Deutsche Bank. Part of the loan was utilized to refinance the local consortium banks. The remaining loans will be utilized for the further plant expansion and proving of reserves. During the final quarter of the year, TKL commenced production of gold.

2007: The Company controls 99.99% of SML which has proven reserves of some 60,000 tons of tin ore (72% Sn) at a cut off grade of 0.10kg/cubic meter

2008: A loan of USD 35 million was approved by Deutsche Bank. Part of the loan was utilized to repay the earlier loan while the balance is being used to finance current and planned expansions. Current gold production stands at 3000-4000 plus ounces every month.

2009: Currently, the Company is focused on flotation plant construction at its Loei gold mining operation and commissioning the facility for full operation and production. Meanwhile, exploration for more ore in the concession area is ongoing with recent drilling at Target T-1 indicating increases in sulfide ore resources. THL will also be pursuing licensing for its offshore tin ore resources in the Andaman Sea, and will be monitoring development prospects for its landbank holdings in Bangkok and Phuket. The company will also continue to monitor and following upon, any exploration and development prospects in Thailand and neighboring countries.

As you can see this company has an Australian connection and a connection with Deutsche Bank

I imagine Tongkah Harbour and DB are both on board with this action as they are probably fed up with the natives trying to defend their land and environment against their commercial interests.

Follow the money trail. If this guy at Deutsche Bank gets enough emails I'm sure he will realise that this was not the best move.

Michael Golden

Deputy Global Head of Communications, CSR & Public Affairs

[email protected]