Enjoy Thai Prawns

[Oliver]

It may be worth remembering this when you're in a restaurant in Pattaya.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-devel ... evelations (http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/11/us-blacklist-thailand-prawn-trade-slavery-revelations)

[Up2U]

I knew there was a reason I didn't like prawns.

[arsenal]

This is a shocking though not surprising film. However in the interests of balance (not always there with The Guardian). Meeting the fishing boys down at Bang Saray is always a pleasure and they give every impression of being happy. Most of them are Cambodian and speak very good English. They certainly don't come across as slaves. Secondly the vast majority of shellfish in South East Asia is now farmed and it is the advances in the technology needed to farm this food that has lead to the low prices.

[Oliver]

Good to hear that the Cambodians on the beach appear happy. I recall much the same being said of the singing and dancing slaves of the Good Ol' South.
Perhaps you should tell the US Ambassador before the final decision is made?

[arsenal]

Oliver. Climb down off of your high horse and go and talk to them. And they're not on the beach, they;re on a boat. If you're so appalled by this then perhaps you should vote with your feet and go somewhere else for your holidays. But then that would involve a sacrifice on your part, wouldn't it?

[Butterball_Bruce]

Bucknaway is always singin and dancin. Perhaps he knows something that we don't??

[Patanawet]

Well, I never thought that I'd ever agree with Oliver and I even have him on ignore. But he is right to point this evil practice out.
How about the junta sorting out some of the problems in the deep south now?

Secondly the vast majority of shellfish in South East Asia is now farmed and it is the advances in the technology needed to farm this food that has lead to the low prices.
If I understood the film correctly, the slave ships are providing the unsaleable fish food for the farms.
C.P. Foods have issued an unbelievable whitewash statement but if you choose to believe their version -- continue to eat your cheap prawns guilt free.

[arsenal]

Pantanawet. The recent UN report on slavery came to the conclusion that there have never been more slaves in the world than there are at this moment in time. Nothing (if investigated properly) is going to be entirely guilt free.

[LoveThailand]

I shall never eat prawns again in Thailand. No to modern day slavery!
Feels good to finally compensate for my regular support to the prostitution industry.

You just need to get over things Oliver - shit happens.

[Oliver]

Yes it does. That was one of the themes of the Nuremberg Trials, wasn't it?

Of course, "shit" tends to happen more frequently to the poor and under-privileged rather than the rich and powerful...is there something to learn from this? Still, I'm sure "all will be well and all manner of thing be well" if we keep our eyes firmly focussed on having a good time and ignore what's happening outside our bars and bedrooms.

Yes it does. That was one of the themes of the Nuremberg Trials, wasn't it?As I recall the over-arching theme of the Nuremberg Trials was "I was only obeying orders". If you can point us to your reference material for "shit happens" as one of the themes it will be most useful.
Of course, "shit" tends to happen more frequently to the poor and under-privileged rather than the rich and powerful.Do you have any evidence for this assertion? Or is it just part of the Politics Of Envy?
Still, I'm sure "all will be well and all manner of thing be well" if we keep our eyes firmly focussed on having a good time and ignore what's happening outside our bars and bedrooms.I'm not sure that running around screaming "The sky is falling, the sky is falling" is much of a policy. As our dear friend Prayuth says "Don't worry, be happy". Now that IS a policy - and what's more it's official policy.

[lego]

Of course, "shit" tends to happen more frequently to the poor and under-privileged rather than the rich and powerful...is there something to learn from this?
Sure, there is something to learn from this, how about this: Better hurry to get rich and powerful, don't waste your time moaning on a message board. :ymdevil:

[Up2U]

Thailand's military government votes "yes" on forced labor:

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/ ... e-slavery/ (http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/12/3447958/thailand-military-regime-slavery/)

[corky]

Why is the American Government getting so upset about this? Seventy Three percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States and slavery is rampant throughout the Bible. http://www.evilbible.com/Slavery.htm

It would be undemocratic of the Americans to go against the wishes of the majority who, through their faith, endorse slavery. This is another case of hypocritical Thailand-Bashing from the yanks. Perhaps it would be best if they put their own house in order http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2656285/Accountant-imprisoned-three-women-sex-slaves-drug-filled-house-horrors-months.html before making themselves look two-faced on the world stage.

When I first read the title of this thread I thought there was a pollution problem in the prawn farms, like the Americans have in the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately itтАЩs only a bunch of liberal do-gooders making waves тАж so I can enjoy my dinner tonight.

[Up2U]

Your comments and implication that American Christians condone slavery as some sort of justification and dismissal for Thailand's vote(the only country voting "no") is bizarre, as is some incident in Florida about sex slaves. By the way, I read your link using a vpn as the junta has blocked the daily mail here, but you will probably dismiss that too. This is the message that concerns most people, whether it is modern day slavery or suppression of rights

[corky]

Either the word of God is infallible or it is not тАУ you canтАЩt tweak the Bible to suit the current thinking of mere mortals. If you are suggesting that the Bible is wrong then 73% of Americans must be following a flawed policy. Why should Thailand follow the commands of flawed thinking or hypocrisy? If 73% of Americans are Christians then it is undemocratic for the American Government to overturn the word of God тАж and God says slavery is OK by him.

I am also here тАУ in Thailand and the Mail online is not blocked by my server.

[Oliver]

http://www.theguardian.com/global-devel ... r-protocol (http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/13/thailand-votes-against-forced-labour-protocol)

Even more shame for Thailand. Not content with trampling on human rights, it opposes a measure that even the Gulf States- and we know how migrant workers are treated there- were too ashamed to oppose.

[Up2U]

Either the word of God is infallible or it is not тАУ you canтАЩt tweak the Bible to suit the current thinking of mere mortals. If you are suggesting that the Bible is wrong then 73% of Americans must be following a flawed policy. Why should Thailand follow the commands of flawed thinking or hypocrisy? If 73% of Americans are Christians then it is undemocratic for the American Government to overturn the word of God тАж and God says slavery is OK by him.

I am also here тАУ in Thailand and the Mail online is not blocked by my server.

Speaking as a baptized Christian I am not getting in a discussion on the relevancy of Old Testament, Christianity in the Dark Ages, etc. . I was taught slavery was a moral sin. If you want to play the master/slave game be my guest.

I can confirm your link is blocked by both CAT and TOT, you should feel blessed you will be enlightened by having access to the daily mail. Others here must live in a world of darkness.

[Oliver]

You are correct.
The anti-slave trade movement in the British Commonwealth was a Christian one and it was based on Christian values.
The "Biblical" or evangelical forms of the religion popular in the US (and parts of homophobic Africa) are Old Testament, not New Testament based. The angry, jealous God portrayed in the violent, land-grabbing myths and legends that constitute much of the Old Testament have been shown by archaeologists to be non historical and the laws as represented in Leviticus, for example, are products of a barbarous age.

The angry, jealous God portrayed in the violent, land-grabbing myths and legends that constitute much of the Old Testament have been shown by archaeologists to be non historical and the laws as represented in Leviticus, for example, are products of a barbarous age.Or to put it another way, over time God has changed His mind which means that he's at loggerheads with His Son who, we are told in Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

However we all know that God is a bloodythirsty recidivist. After all He didn't waver from his demand for blood, blood and more blood to wash away the sins of mankind in both the Old and the New Testaments. It's just that in the New Testament we finally got to human sacrifice (something that had never happened in that naughty barbarous Old Testament age) so that Christians such as good old Up2u are "washed in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14) - JC Himself being the "Lamb" in question a.k.a The Lamb of God (John 1:29)

Now to track down The Prawn of God. He may be Thai apparently.

[Up2U]

Oh my God, tomorrow is Sunday and I have listened to the sermon already.

[Up2U]

Thailand's military government votes "yes" on forced labor:

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/ ... e-slavery/ (http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/12/3447958/thailand-military-regime-slavery/)

They just reversed their vote:

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2014/06 ... consensus/ (http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2014/06/14/thailand-reverses-ilo-convention-no-vote-joins-international-labor-rights-consensus/)

[Oliver]

Apparently, public pressure ( and The Guardian) can have an effect. Even on the buffoons who control Thailand.

Apparently, public pressure ( and The Guardian) can have an effect. Even on the buffoons who control Thailand.I do wish people would have the courage of their convictions. All this flip-flopping is so bad for morale.

[LoveThailand]

Yes, the media (e.g. The Guardian) the chattering classes read are to blame.

[blazer]

Went to the market today. Want to buy some prawns. One of my favorite treats.

Had lots of choices, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, didn't even see any from Thailand this time.

Picked out some nice jumbo Indonesian prawns.

[corky]

Had lots of choices, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, ...

and of course, the Human Rights record of those countries is unblemished ?????

[Up2U]

More information from the Guardian Thailand prawn expose:


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/j ... permarkets (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/24/slavery-thailand-baroness-warsi-prawns-supermarkets)

[bkkguy]

once again the west has just got this so wrong - from The Nation today:

Fishery invites supply-chain inspection (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Fishery-invites-supply-chain-inspection-30237027.html)


The Thai fishery industry yesterday invited non-governmental organisations and private firms, as well as international government agencies, to inspect their plants and supply chains, insisting that the industry has strongly opposed forced labour.
...
The coalition emphasised that the US decision to downgrade Thailand was unfair. The Thai industry wants the truth to be told - that there is no slavery involved in the shrimp supply chain.
...
Sanguansak Akaravarinechai, president of the Thai Fishmeal Producers Association, said materials going into fishmeal production came from fish-processing plants as well as from local catches. Although 80 per cent of workers in the fishmeal industry are aliens, they are legally registered and treated by employers as well as Thai workers.


doesn't that make you feel all warm and tender inside? they had their hands on their hearts as they said this, so I don't understand why the western press keep pushing such lies about Thailand!

bkkguy