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“Hetero-phobic”
treatment of sexual assault cases
Dear Editor:
Some points need to be made regarding Pattaya Mail
coverage of the recent case of the police officer who shot three people,
killing two, because they allegedly took “sexual liberties” with his
16-year old daughter during the Songkran holiday.
The attitude of the reporter in the editorial “The
tragedy of sanuk” seems to at least partially, if not fully, exonerate
the crime of the officer: “The circumstances behind this tragedy make it
difficult to distinguish the victims from the perpetrators,” according
to the editorialist.
First, has it occurred to the editorialist that the
officer may be embellishing the truth or even outright lying in order to
protect himself? Two of the victims will not be able to challenge his
version of the events.
Second, the editorial doesn’t even specify the nature
or severity of the “sexual liberties” taken. The men may have barely
touched the girl but the editorial is written so as to lead us to believe
there was an attempt to rape the girl.
Third, has society become so sex-phobic that even in
Thailand, a woman or girl who claims sexual assault, or a man who claims
that he is defending a lady (his daughter or otherwise) from sexual
transgression, can use this as an excuse to get away with whatever kind of
violence?
Finally, I would like to address the hetero-phobic
nature of treatment of this case and of the treatment of sexual assault
cases in general. Why is it that people in the media and social work
groups flip out when there are “sexual liberties” taken with a woman
but the same transgressions are trivialized or ignored when men are the
victims? Some will argue that men are rarely victims of sexual assault.
Hardly. I see men groping other men all the time. I have been groped by
men in Thailand, against my will. I am not happy about it but what police
officer is going to take a complaint of sexual assault from a man
seriously? So sex assault against men remains unstudied and out of the
statistics.
I suppose some will argue that men aren’t harmed by
sexual assault. Wrong again. Men (and boys) are not given the same
“sexual assault awareness training” that girls and women are given, so
they are not aware of the harm being done to them and they are not
encouraged to fight back and express their displeasure. In other words,
sexual assault programs are female-centered and heterophobic in nature.
They assume that only women and girls have the right to protection from
sexual assault and that gays have the right to take sexual liberties with
their victims.
Sex laws must not be used merely to give special
privileges to women and gays.
Signed,
Kevin Charlebois
Can’t afford
another 19 April
Dear Sir,
‘We should have seen it coming’, writes Daniel
Dorothy in his moving Editorial on the dreadful events of 19th April, the
concluding day of a period supposedly given over to joy and ‘sanuk’.
It might be thought there was little more to say, but there is no attempt
in his piece clearly to apportion blame. I believe it is vital that this
should be done.
The tourists who lost their lives were just two in
thousands; the policeman, a bit quick on the draw, no doubt and on the
trigger too, was acting in defense of his own daughter and over-reacted,
but can he really be blamed? If not, then who?
I blame City Hall, whose wooden-headed staff some years
ago conceived the idea of moving Songkran day from its traditional date,
and fitting it in with their own, purely local ‘Pattaya Festival’. Was
this not the signal for a full week of debauchery, water throwing and
general lawlessness, repeated annually ever since? I was here for just one
such week, spent in misery and discomfort, and in subsequent years have
made sure that I am absent from the resort.
The wooden-heads in question must have known what was
happening unless they also ‘get the hell out of it’ for that week; I
assume they read Pattaya Mail and so cannot be unaware of the regular
letters that appear following the deluge. All are highly critical of the
total breakdown of normal civilized life and most giving promises never to
return. They have taken no heed; now they must.
It is pie-in-the sky to suggest that ‘water sports’
will take place in Pattaya on one day, Naklua on another, and so on; they
are everywhere and all the time: there is no escape from ruined clothes,
smarting eyes and inflamed skin. City hall is not likely to pay the bills
or the hospital fees!
Who stands to benefit from the Pattaya Festival? - not
for certain the shop keepers and other regular traders who suddenly find
themselves with new competition interference with the traditional dates of
Songkran, still adhered to almost nation wide. Do we, indeed really need a
Pattaya Festival at all?
City Hall must accept the blame, and act. Songkran for
just two days on the right dates, and if a Festival is really needed,
which I doubt, it must be at a totally different time of year. Those who
want to see the festival, events can be a renewed awareness of the true
meaning of the festival, the use of lustral water, the paying of respect
to elders (I am 77 and suffer just as much as anyone!), and it must be
made very difficult and expensive to hire a pick-up truck with a water
tank on board.
Pattaya cannot afford another ’19th April’.
Yours Faithfully,
John D. Blyth
What Americans hear
about Thailand
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you to tell you what we hear about
Thailand on our local news. I am a Thai national living with my husband in
America (soon to be a U.S.A. citizen). About all we ever hear about
Thailand are bad things, such as prostitution, corruption, drugs and so
on. There are many good things to hear about Thailand such as its
beautiful people, mountains, beaches and everyday living.
Thailand is basically known as a place to acquire cheap
sex, where every thing goes for the right price (according to the U.S.A.
news networks). But it doesn’t stop there. Los Angles is also known as
another place to acquire cheap sex from Thai prostitutes. According to the
media most of them are illegal immigrants who come from Thailand. As I am
Thai, (I believe) it is time for the Thai government to be aware of its
world wide reputation. Why is the Thai government always so quick to turn
a blind eye to this problem or just flat out deny any knowledge or
existence of any problems? If Thailand is ever going to have any reform it
has to start with the government.
It is time for the government to start to set a good
example. I’m not suggesting that we make a lot of new laws; I’m merely
suggesting that we start to enforce the laws we have in place.
In closing I would like to say that Thailand is my
country, and I am also very proud of my country, and proud to be Thai even
though I live in America. I am just simply concerned about the future of
my country. Thank you.
Wannaporn
Mental hysteria
Dear Sir,
Much is regularly made of the fact that attempts are
being made to woo more tourists to Pattaya, yet little seems to be
attempted in trying to redress the bad press that Pattaya gets. A report
in the Mail highlights Pattaya’s apathy in curbing excess in some
quarters.
The 19th was indeed truly a wonderful day when no-one
could really venture out and not expect to get wet. Few people, I am sure,
have little sympathy for the farang who was ‘bottled’ in Soi 8 but he
will no doubt take back to the UK his story that for merely partaking in
an established ritual he was viciously assaulted by a local.
If anyone knows then please tell me where the sense
lies in holding a week-long shopping and parade festival for people with
nothing better to do than to stand by the roadside soaking everyone. Are
the City ‘Fathers’ actually so dim they could not foresee that
allotting 19th April for the ‘wetting’ instead of the earlier dates in
other cities was a recipe for all the mentally challenged, Thai as well as
farang, to start the mental hysteria early and end it late?
Tig
Songkran and
Buddhism
Editor,
I agree with most of the issues raised in the editorial
article, “The Tragedy of Sanuk” that appeared in the Mail in issue 17
by Daniel M. Dorothy. The concept of Songkran representing paying respect
to elders is also acknowledged. However, as I understand it the idea of
the gift of life (or life as a gift) and any focus on a deity seems to
conflict with what I understood to be the point of Buddhism. I have asked
my wife (a Thai from Korat) and she supported my understanding. Is the
basis of Songkran Hindu? As I understood it Buddhist teaching concentrates
on breaking the cycle of life, not enjoying it and being thankful?
Any clarification would be appreciated. I thought I had
found a sensible philosophy not another interpretation of the same old
misconceptions.
Peter Ash
York, England
Editor replies: Firstly, Songkran is not a religious holiday; it is the
celebration of the Thai New Year. Secondly, you are correct in your
understanding of the point of “pure” Buddhism teaching, in part being
that life is suffering and that through eliminating desire, building good
karma and by making merit, one can eventually break the cycle of life, end
the suffering and reach Nirvana. However, Thai religious beliefs mix in
Hinduism, Brahmanism and Animism (i.e., nearly every structure in Thailand
has a spirit house, which is definitely not Buddhist teaching; many Thais
wear Buddhist amulets for protection and good luck, yet no-where in
Buddhist canon is this practice ever mentioned). The Thai calendar has
many strictly Buddhist holidays, i.e., Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day,
and many non-Buddhist holidays, i.e., Songkran and Loy Krathong. The
traditions at non-Buddhist holidays tend sometimes to mix in influences
from other religious beliefs.
Raging Elephants
Dear Sir,
Having visited Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens on at least
two occasions within the last year, I think we really must endeavour to
keep things in perspective. There is no doubting that this incident was a
real tragedy but let us not forget that in more than thirty years of
animal entertainment this is the first time a fatality has occurred.
It has saddened me to read some negative reporting on
this matter - especially from the Western media, implying that the
elephants are poorly treated and that it was a disaster just waiting to
happen. In my view this could not be further from the truth and I am sure
the vast majority of tourists who have visited Nong Nooch would support
this opinion. Elephants are essentially placid creatures but everyone is
aware of their potential to wreak havoc if provoked. I have been led to
believe that it was not just the extreme heat that may have lead to this
enormously regretful incident. Apparently, a man was seen offering the
elephant a banana and then repeatedly withdrawing it at the last moment
and if this is the case, is it any wonder that the elephant lost its cool
in the heat, having been repeatedly provoked?
There are no easy solutions to tragedies of this nature
and my heart goes out to the innocent victims. I must just add, however,
that I have had a truly wonderful time at Nong Nooch and I would not
hesitate to return there.
Yours Most Sincerely,
Frank Weston
Copyright 2000 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Updated by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek, assisted
by Boonsiri Suansuk.
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