This 2007 picture released by the Thai Royal Bureau shows His Majesty the King waving to the crowds during his 80th birthday celebrations at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Thailand has protested to the Australian government over the airing of a documentary critical of the Thai royal family and warned that the broadcast could affect ties between the nations.16/04/2010
AFP News agency
Thailand has protested to the Australian government over the airing of a documentary critical of the Thai royal family and warned that the broadcast could affect ties between the nations.
A senior representative from the Thai embassy met with officials from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday to express his concern at the programme aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
"The concern is that it might affect the good relations between Thailand and Australia, especially the people to people relations," Saksee Phromyothi, minister-counsellor at the Royal Thai Embassy, said.
"We consider this an issue matter of national security... because the royal family, the monarchy, in our constitution is above politics."
Thailand's ambassador designate Kriangsak Kittichaisaree has also written to ABC managing director Mark Scott to complain about the programme which could breach Thailand's lese-majeste laws which prohibit criticism of the royals.
"I regret that an organisation of the ABC's stature has lowered its own standard by airing the said documentary which is presented in a manner no different from tabloid journalism," he wrote.
The programme, which aired late Tuesday, was broadcast on the state-funded station only in Australia and cannot be viewed over the Internet outside the country.
But Thailand's diplomatic missions in Australia say they have received complaints about the programme on the monarchy -- which Kittichaisaree said was "the soul" of the nation and cherished by Thais from all walks of life.
"I presume that once you have decided to put this hyper-sensitive programme on air, a protest letter like mine, which I hope you will seriously heed, should come as no surprise," Kittichaisaree wrote to Scott.
"I strongly express both resentment and disappointment with the poor decision you have made."
The ABC could not immediately be reached for comment. But a report in the Australian newspaper said the ABC had effectively shut down its Bangkok office, sending its local staff home until further notice.
A spokesman for Australia's Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that Thai embassy officials had complained about the ABC programme and noted that the Thai monarchy was a much revered institution.
"However, the Australian government does not and cannot control content run by Australian media organisations," he told AFP.
Breaking Thailand's rules on the monarchy have seen prison sentences of up to 18 years handed down, and Australian writer Harry Nicolaides was in 2009 sentenced to three years in jail under the law over a self-published novel.
A senior representative from the Thai embassy met with officials from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday to express his concern at the programme aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
"The concern is that it might affect the good relations between Thailand and Australia, especially the people to people relations," Saksee Phromyothi, minister-counsellor at the Royal Thai Embassy, said.
"We consider this an issue matter of national security... because the royal family, the monarchy, in our constitution is above politics."
Thailand's ambassador designate Kriangsak Kittichaisaree has also written to ABC managing director Mark Scott to complain about the programme which could breach Thailand's lese-majeste laws which prohibit criticism of the royals.
"I regret that an organisation of the ABC's stature has lowered its own standard by airing the said documentary which is presented in a manner no different from tabloid journalism," he wrote.
The programme, which aired late Tuesday, was broadcast on the state-funded station only in Australia and cannot be viewed over the Internet outside the country.
But Thailand's diplomatic missions in Australia say they have received complaints about the programme on the monarchy -- which Kittichaisaree said was "the soul" of the nation and cherished by Thais from all walks of life.
"I presume that once you have decided to put this hyper-sensitive programme on air, a protest letter like mine, which I hope you will seriously heed, should come as no surprise," Kittichaisaree wrote to Scott.
"I strongly express both resentment and disappointment with the poor decision you have made."
The ABC could not immediately be reached for comment. But a report in the Australian newspaper said the ABC had effectively shut down its Bangkok office, sending its local staff home until further notice.
A spokesman for Australia's Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that Thai embassy officials had complained about the ABC programme and noted that the Thai monarchy was a much revered institution.
"However, the Australian government does not and cannot control content run by Australian media organisations," he told AFP.
Breaking Thailand's rules on the monarchy have seen prison sentences of up to 18 years handed down, and Australian writer Harry Nicolaides was in 2009 sentenced to three years in jail under the law over a self-published novel.
35 comments:
I hope this stuid, murderer king die soon. He the GREEDYist King on earth.
the king does not work but how in the world he got billions of dollars in the bank ? where did he get the money from ? he got to be a corrupted king to have that much of money without working .
This guy doesn't look too good. I think he is trying to out live Sihanouk. Maybe both will die at the same time.
Just keep your bad mouth to your self,No need to express your negative opinion out in public place like this...It doesn't help any one here!Only making a monkey fools out of your self.
5:22 am
I agreed with you...as a buddhist country one should not speak no ill to other of other people or countries as well as our...one have to believe in Karma deed...either one pay in this life or next or many more life after that...one can't know...the only one can know for sure is that if you smile at a mirror...the pereson in the mirror will smile back at you...thus, whether deed or words will have the same reflection...
It´s strange and unbelievable seeing top THAI governemnt officials seating and crawling on the floor like Dogs, and listening to the king seating on the ROYAL CHAIR and giving them advise....
This is a pathetic rules of Les Majesty. No person should bow to no man, unless he is your father or mother.
It's your choice.
Hint the term: "All men are created equal"
Thank ABC for airing this. It's always a pleasure to expose how the rules of Les Majesty govern or for a better term "put a lid on it's people."
(5:22)
what, you don't enjoy other freedom of speech.
Negative or not, everyone in KI Media is entitle to their opinion.
What are you going to do, put him (5:22) in jail for 18 years?
Monarchy's are a piece of crap and people like you who worship it are no different.
The difference between Bhumibol and Sihanouk is that:
Bhumibol has $36 billion
Not outspoken
Not a playboy
never smile
home-based policy
create laws for his own reverence
not well-known internationally
The longest reigning monarch
Sihanouk has $360,000
well-spoken
a real playboy
always smile
engaged in world-wide politics
well-loved by those who truely love Cambodia
well-known in the world
The oldest surviving monarch in the world.
I have about $20,000 left in my account for my retirement.
What does that make me ?
7:41am, You seem to forget that your Sihanouk is a womanizer who once produce 4 0r 5 offsprings with his own aunt ,the daughter of king monivong.And most weird of all he was and still is a communist sympathizer.
I heard this guy is 3rd or 4th cousin of Sihanouk.
to 9:21am
Marrying close relatives is not something new. In fact, Chulalongkorn (Rama V) married his step sisters and in all had 92 consorts and produced 77 children. King Sihanouk is not as wild as Rama V of Siam for your information.
There is no secret that Sihanouk aligned himself with communism. He felt China is a winner, not the US. There is no doubt that the 21st century belongs to China.
Amongst contempary Cambodian leaders, none is more nationalistic than King Sihanouk. He made mistakes in the past, but he is not a traitor or gives Cambodian land to the enemy!
I can't believe there are still some brainless khmer assholes who still love the ShittyHanouk. This old shitty ex-king of yours almost destroyed your country.
Thai and Cambodian royals are somewhat related, including Laotian as well.
Thai Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda(85, half Khmer), only daughter of Rama VI, is first cousin with King Bhumibol and third cousin with King Sihanouk.
King Bhumibol's ancestor Rama I was a commoner of Khmer descent who killed King Taksin (who is part Te-Chieu Chinese) became the first reigning king of the Chakri dynasty.
King Sihanouk is part Thai through his paternal Grand-mother, Queen consort Preah Angk Mechas Norodom Phanga-ngam. He also has Chinese blood.
Thai people always regard Khmer people as barbarian and not intelligent. In his memoir, King Sihanouk claimed that through his Thai blood, he was able to outsmart the Thais and win back Preah Vihear Temple in 1962.
to 9:44 am
Yes, I am Khmer and I do love King Sihanouk! I certainly don't worship your stupid Thai monkey King Pullmyballs. And surely your poor Thai peasants will uproot your stupid royalty soon.
There should be a Lese-majeste law in Cambodia as well...people like (9:44am) should get 15 years in jail! lol
Shameful to the King of Thailand! ABC does the right thing. Thai King can shut up Thai people's mouth in Thailand but he cannot shut up people'mouth out of his country. If he does good thing, for sure, he will not get criticism but words of appreciation. So why he is scare of criticism???
Sorry for the King of Thailand he is no better than human being. We all was born equally, this is the reality, and he may see Nepal as the example of GOD's King who put himself too high and finally he get down to hell.
9:41am,If you said everything is not unusual .
Will you screw your own aunt? OR is it ok with you to let your uncle screw your daughter?.Prince CHIVORN MONOREAK who is Sihanouk's uncle screwed Sihanouk's daughter.This happened only in animal's world if you should know.In the meantime,Sihanouk's mother was very confuse whether to call Sihanouk as son or brother-in-law.
I love porn
and thailand or siem called themselves and their country democratic? give me a break. their monarch sounds like he is the worst dictator the world ever known, really! siem people can't even criticize their monarch. and the world think khmer way is bad, wait until they learned about the truth or reality of the real siem way, worst than cambodia's, you know! take their les majeste law, for example. never seen anything like that on earth! siem's democracy is hypercrite, only for show in their often biased media toward cambodia! i told you, nothing last forever. time is the real king. god bless cambodia.
to 11:29am
Love is in the eyes of the beholder! Since the time of the Pharoes to now...it's nothing new...You would screw your mother if she looks attractive to you...anything is possible in this Manimal world. lol :)
Preah Moha Ksatreyani Kossomak Nearyrath was never confused about anything. She was a good Queen with highest respect. She does not deserve insults from anyone.
As a disturbed individual, I suggest you seek psychiatric help asap!
The Thai gov't is making a fool of themselves and don't realize it.
How do justify enforcing a law you instituted domestically in an international arena. The only way you can enforce it is to go to war.
These Thais are taking themselves too serious about this king, don't you think?
FYI - the world does not revolve around this guy. Out side of Thailand he is a nobody, okay? So chill out.
Stop barking at the whole world. It is good that you respect your king, but don't make the world feel the same way you do.
Enough already.
Out side of Thailand, there is such a thing called freedom of speech.
Even leaders of some of the most powerful countrie in the world get redicule, or made fun of. Why would this king is so untouchable.
Gee, For F..sake leave King Sihanouk alone.. He's getting real old now, have some respects for him atleast. Don't blame him entirely on what had happened during that cold war period. You should consider what was happening with the world politics at the time. It was a big messed up Cambodia because of this free world's idea and the fucking communist's world. We were friends with both. It was their war but they fucked us up. When Sihanouk came to throne he did a lot for Cambodia and for the people. If only we had trust worthy people to king otherwise Cambodia would not have gone through that genocide era. Lon Nol, Pol Pot, Khieu Samphon, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Hu Nim, Preap In all traitors to Cambodia....
Fucking serve Phumipol right.. His ancestors adopted Khmer Buddhism and Khmer culture to practice for the Thai people. Yet the Thai did a lot of bad karma in recent times to the Khmer people and they still do, like what's happening with the Preah Vihear temple. Devadas and the prtectors of the temple is actually bringing Thailand down..!!!!!!!
8:40pm, i agree with your view point. people have to understand that in any disaster, especially man-made ones, there has to be many factors that led up to it, so, to blame or point finger at king sihanouk alone is like being ignorant of what's going on at the time. if we look beyond the 1970s, we all can't deny that the king did a lot for cambodia all the way up until he was coupped out of power. i give some credit to the king then. later on, it seemed that nobody was cooperating with each other in the name of unity to save cambodia from the raging war of the 1970s that led up to stupid KR victory, and we all knew the result of that time. close to 2 million people paid with their lives and cambodia was destroyed however repairable now. anyway, people should wake up! it's hard enough to get everyone to cooperate in the name of one. i guess, maybe it's just a fact of life, accept what it is and move on! one has to have some patient, and agree to disagree, but just don't kill each other over it, that's all! perhaps, the way i see it, like in history, there was a great leader like king jayavarman 7th, is what it takes to save the country from going out of wack. where is that great ruler of cambodia? has he/she been born yet? cambodia is calling you to come lead our people out of chaos once and for all. where is that great leader, the enlightened one, the brilliant one, cambodia needs you to come forward and make cambodia the land of responsible development, sustainable development, etc... please take cambodia to make it your paradise on earth, to serve its people people, and to be an enjoyable, desirable place on earth for all to enjoy. oh great one, cambodia and khmer people need you to educagte, to guide, to help in reforms and so forth. may the churning of the sea of milk create the great ruler for cambodia as our people need his or her guidance in order to live peaceful and harmoniously in our beloved khmer land, cambodia. amen.
1:51PM
You're a beast.It's unbelievable that you can screw even your own mother if she look good to you .Go straight to hell asshole.You are so fucking strange
Thai King is American and has been helping by USA since the day he was born. USA never let the Khmer King better than the Thai King who is American. But Khmer King has charisma and most everyone in the world love the Khmer King. Khmer King acts as a simple guy not acting like God King like the Thai King.
Yeah your traitor king Sihanouk was well known throughout the world to have called on North vietnamese troop to invade cAMBODIA and slaughtered his own people in the 70s.And to be used by the chinese to support the khmer rouge until their victory.
Hey you need to be told what to do PEOPLE and you know who you are, I am glad to know that you are still continue to kisses conquerors and murderers (kings)’ feet. I guess you might as well do something useful while you are kneeling down on the ground. Unlike the rest of us, you are still living in the first century where the conquerors and murderers (kings) would cut off your brainless head for expressing your opinion. Ops, what opinions? You conquerors and murderers (kings)’ worshipers don’t have any opinion, you were trained to kisses feet and be good servants. As people would say, you cannot teach an old dog new trick. Go back and serve your lazy bumps conquerors and murderers (kings), you hear.
9.19 you are a piece of shit... If there was no kings from the very start the world would not be the way we are today. It was how each country in the world govern their country, is through monarchy and progressed to today's politics.... For some they adopted the communist's idea and others- democratic.. Do you call yourself Khmer???? Have you forgotten your background have you??? The monarchy represents one the most important culture of Cambodia, the language, religion and traditions. Because monarchy survived that's why the world believed we have culture and civilization.. So let me ask you when you tell people about your back ground what do you tell them???? Do you tell what represents our Khmer culture??????
We are in 2010, time is changed, if you don't want to be criticized, stop to be public figure, remove yourself from King seat, no one will give you a free lunch :(
10:05AM,
You're a scum who love to kiss your king's ass.
You're stupid fake Khmer.... You didnt answer my questions... !!! There are a lot monarchy in the world in this recent time, England, Japan, Denmark and so on... their people don't forget their past like you fuck wit. And it's not just about monarchy it's about how we run our country in this modern world. Why is it a lot of country still pay respect to the queen of England.. Take Australia for example... why? You are good at criticizing your monarch but you never consider the main political event in the world.. Why do you see only the wrong in one person when we talk about the world politics.. Everybody is involved in this century...!!! let me ask you a question... how many friends do you have???? out of those friends how many are loyal to you...? may be or two??? so my point is the same case with Cambodia.... There were a lot countries during the cold war who only care about their own benefits. We're Khmer we opened our heart to them... We are honest people...!!! Another thing is... How Do You See Cambodia today???? I tell you..... Khmer don't get enough education, justice,human rights and health care... Who is your ideal leader so that Khmer younger generations call learn from how to prosper our society and the interests of the people....?
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