Chiang Mai Student Nazi Dress Up Day Cause Fuhrer!

[pdogg]

Fuhrer furore! Thai student Nazi dress-up day causes outrage

Foreign parents and teachers appalled by the costumes

Thai teachers 'did not understand' the controversy

School asked to put the Holocaust on the curriculum

By Kerry Mcqueene

27th September 2011

They had been meticulously planning their costumes for quite some time.

The annual summer sports day had a long tradition of fancy dress and, eager to impress, the pupils of Sacred Heart Catholic School kept their outfits under wraps for weeks.

They wanted to surprise their parents and teachers as they made their entrance at the school in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

And surprise them they did. With a flourish and a fanfare, they revealed their costumes - to outraged gasps from the crowd.

The smiling pupils arrived at the school dressed in full Nazi regalia and carrying large Swastika flags, leaving foreign parents and teachers open-mouthed.

Leading the march into the sports ground was a girl dressed as Adolf Hitler - complete with toothbrush moustache - seemingly unaware of the offence she had caused.

She was followed by a procession of pupils dressed as SS guards - brandishing plastic machine guns.

Stunned ex-pats were appalled. Surely the pupils were aware of what the Swastika and Nazis represented?

school understood what all the fuss was about.

A teacher at the school said: 'It was all very embarrassing. Traditionally the students wear fancy dress on the summer sports day and they like to keep everything they are preparing quiet. Nobody saw any swastikas around the school before the event.

'But then on sports day when we saw these Nazi storm troopers we were appalled. We told the Thai teachers that this was not on. But they did not understand what was wrong with the display.'

Today, a delegation from the consulates of Britain, the United States, France and Germany descended on the school to protest about the controversy - and called on teachers to put modern history and the Holocaust on the curriculum.

They left the premises after the school told them no malice had been intended.

Chiang Mai is a popular retirement destination for many Europeans and Americans, some of whom lost relatives to the Nazis.

A British parent added: 'It could have been worse. They could have been marching to the 'Horst Wessel Song or Bomb Oh Bombs on England."

The school's principals did not want to comment about the incident, but a spokesman said: 'We did not know what the students had planned. No offence was intended.'

This is not the first incident of its kind in Thailand. In 2007 about 200 students from a Bangkok school dressed as Nazis for their summer sports day, Sieg Heiling as they strutted around.

Kanya Khemanan, a director of the Thewphaingarm School, was forced to apologise to the Los Angeles-based Holocaust museum Simon Wiesenthal Centre following the incident.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center said at the time: 'We are long past the time when such incidents take place in Asia that can be excused due to "alleged" ignorance of the Nazis' atrocities during World War II.'

[Patrick]

Thai visa, Chiang Mai sub forum has been in meltdown for the last 24 hours.

I suppose you can excuse the fact the students are ignorant of the background history, but it would seem a bit improbable that this fairly elaborate show did not involve some input from teachers and/or parents, if so that would be an inexcusable situation.

[deepthroat]

Style triumphs over substance. Just goes to show that the Nazi's really did have the best uniforms.

Sad but quite understandable that these kids (and perhaps even the teachers) would be entranced by the archetypal images of nazi regalia without having any real understanding of what that powerful imagery actually stood for.

Those who don't remember their history are doomed to repeat it (or drag it out in a wholly inappropriate context).

[pdogg]

Statement of the Simon Wiesenthal Center - 27-9-2011

"The Simon Wiesenthal Center is calling on Thailand’s Christian leaders to condemn a Nazi parade at the Sacred Heart Preparatory School in Chiang Mai led by students who participated in a Nazi parade replete with Seig Heil salutes, Nazi marches, gun-toting adults and even a young person dressed as Adolf Hitler.

The march started on the school grounds and continued into the streets of the adjoining neighborhood.

"The Simon Wiesenthal Center is calling on Thailand’s Christian leaders to condemn a Nazi parade at the Sacred Heart Preparatory School in Chiang Mai led by students who participated in a Nazi parade replete with Seig Heil salutes, Nazi marches, gun-toting adults and even a young person dressed as Adolf Hitler (visuals at www.wiesenthal.com).

The march started on the school grounds and continued into the streets of the adjoining neighborhood.

“The Nazis were responsible for the Holocaust, history's worst crime, and had they prevailed during World War II, their racist ideology would have eventually targeted all races the Nazis deemed ‘inferior’, including Asians,” Rabbi Cooper added.

“From the visual evidence, it is clear that this Nazi celebration could not have taken place without the knowledge and cooperation of the school administration.

“The Nazis were responsible for the Holocaust, history's worst crime, and had they prevailed during World War II, their racist ideology would have eventually targeted all races the Nazis deemed ‘inferior’, including Asians,” Rabbi Cooper added.

“From the visual evidence, it is clear that this Nazi celebration could not have taken place without the knowledge and cooperation of the school administration.

[Lefty]

Had they dressed as US Cavalry Troopers from the late 1800s, I wonder if the Native American Holocaust Center would have protested? Wait, whaddaya mean there isn't any Native American Holocaust Center?

[Jimslim]

I assume History isn't high up the agenda in that school .

The teachers must be right fuckwits

[bumblebee]

Myself and another FM, cannot remember who, probably on here, came up with the Hitler test in Sally's one evening. We asked a few of the girls had they ever heard of Hitler. The question was met with blank looks. Then we asked them had they ever heard of David Beckham. Needless to say their faces lit up with recognition. Nuff said as they say in Blighty.

[EyeMahk]

Myself and another FM, cannot remember who, probably on here, came up with the Hitler test in Sally's one evening. We asked a few of the girls had they ever heard of Hitler. The question was met with blank looks.

Ask half the people in England who Pol Pot was, and they probably wouldn't know.

[bumblebee]

Ask half the people in England who Pol Pot was, and they probably wouldn't know.

Maybe more than half, and not just in England sadly. We did mention Pol Pot to some also and the name did not register, guess they either use a different name or our pronunciation was not so great.

[deepthroat]

Who the fuck is Darren Beckham?

Of course I remember Pol Pot. I smoked a lot of it back in the day but not enough to have damaged my chromosomes. That's the stuff that came wrapped in twine on the little sticks, right? We used to call them Thai Sticks.

[Kahuna]

Thai Sticks? You mean bamboo? They wrap meat and stuff on them now...

BTW: I'm Darren Peckham...

[Luung]

Ask half the people in England who Pol Pot was, and they probably wouldn't know.

What??????????.. We're not fucking American!

[Luung]

Of course I remember Pol Pot. I smoked a lot of it back in the day but not enough to have damaged my chromosomes. That's the stuff that came wrapped in twine on the little sticks, right? We used to call them Thai Sticks.

Just out of interest, that was always the Burmese way of harvesting the crop, it's an incredibly widespead missconcetion that they were Thai, we always called them Thai sticks in England too.

They were fucking good though wernt they!!!!

BTW, I'd love to stuff the little babe in the brown uniform with the little moustache!! :devil:

On a serious note, as a Chiang Mai resident who actually knows this school I find this incredibly upsetting

[deepthroat]

Curious here Lung - do you also think it's just plain ignorance and lack of information that led to this? I cannot believe there was any malice, it just seems purely down to the fact that their only knowledge of Nazi's comes from "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" and other recent Hollywood fare that portrays them as bad guys but doesn't really explain the true evil they personify.

[SiamSam]

Really good point DT! This angle never occurred to me.

[pdogg]

it just seems purely down to the fact that their only knowledge of Nazi's comes from "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" and other recent Hollywood fare

Quentin T's Hitler is more of a buffoon than Colonel Klink.

[bumblebee]

BTW, I'd love to stuff the little babe in the brown uniform with the little moustache!! :devil:

I was waiting to see which of us would the first to comment on her. :rolleyes:

[Luung]

Curious here Lung - do you also think it's just plain ignorance and lack of information that led to this? I cannot believe there was any malice, it just seems purely down to the fact that their only knowledge of Nazi's comes from "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" and other recent Hollywood fare that portrays them as bad guys but doesn't really explain the true evil they personify.

Yes, I've got no doubt that it's just plain ignorance Deepthroat & I think that one fact we've got to look at is that in the East the Swastika is a very auspicious ancient Buddhist & Hindo symbol denoting good luck & well being, so you can see where there can definitely be a big, but all be it innocent misconception, right there... And yeah, the uniforms were pretty groovy, (Mel Brooks could see that too); they most definitely made our lot look pretty drab, so maybe look at it in the same way as British or American kids innocently dressing up as Roman centurions or something like that?

I think in hindsight that maybe I might have been a bit harsh on EyeMahk too (Sorry EyeMahk), because looking back to when I was in school back in the seventies most kids were far more interested in the Vietnam conflict because the Yanks were perceived as cool & there were 'for the time' exciting movies & connections to drugs & rock n' roll too, so the dourer Brits in & WW2 were in the main part forgotten about by the first generation who's dads predominantly didn't go to war... So style over substance, for sure, even with our lot way back in the UK then.

Both my father & my grandfather were in WW2 & I remember that being upsetting for me at the time.

I just worry about the future as I watch an ever more superficial world expanding where substance is all but pushed aside & kids would rather (as you say) get there knowledge from Hollywood or gossip columns & fashion pages, rather than the classroom!

Anyway, I'm in fucking Pattaya on sabbatical right now & this is all getting rather deep!

I'll see what people are saying when I get back to CMX.

[pdogg]

BTW, I'd love to stuff the little babe in the brown uniform with the little moustache!! :devil:

Is the turn-on the babe, the uniform, or the mustache?

[Lefty]

I think the ignorance is highly amusing but is it not part of history, ok its in quite poor taste but really who gives a fuck,they are a bunch of half witted Thais thinking they are doing some sort of re enactment.

I would have loved to have seen the expression on the faces of all the do gooders and bleeding heart, long haired fuck wits who inhabit Chiang Mai,bet they didnt say a dicky bird ,just wrote furiously on whatever little forum they get on,probably the same forum they castigate Ladyboys and anyone else who dont agree with their left wing liberal nonsense.

Anyone thin skinned enough to let this sillyness bother them really needs to take a chill pill.

Like Lung says I would give that one in the brown uniform something to seig heil about,but she would have to keep on her cap and tash :diablo:

So, liberals don't like ladyboys, but good right wing conservatives do? Golly gee, I don't know how it is in merry ole England, but in the USA, the folks who support LGBT rights and tolerance and equal rights for sexual minorities are the left wing liberals. The Republicans fuck wit cunts, who are usually the fucking right fucking wing fucking conservative fuck wit cunts, consider them to be barbarians, morally bankrupt souls locked into the bondage of immorality, and all doomed for the fiery pit of hell.

[Patrick]

I think the ignorance is highly amusing but is it not part of history, ok its in quite poor taste but really who gives a fuck,they are a bunch of half witted Thais thinking they are doing some sort of re enactment.

I would have loved to have seen the expression on the faces of all the do gooders and bleeding heart, long haired fuck wits who inhabit Chiang Mai,bet they didnt say a dicky bird ,just wrote furiously on whatever little forum they get on,probably the same forum they castigate Ladyboys and anyone else who dont agree with their left wing liberal nonsense.

Anyone thin skinned enough to let this sillyness bother them really needs to take a chill pill.

Like Lung says I would give that one in the brown uniform something to seig heil about,but she would have to keep on her cap and tash :diablo:

You're right hound, here's the link:

My link

Not sure if it's the same Thaivisa folk that think LB's are the devil's work, but many of them do.

[Lefty]

I am talking about them twats on Thai Visa lefty you fucking plum.

Since you disagree with them that automatically makes them left wing liberals you fucking bellend?

[SiamSam]

WHAT!!!!!???? You're calling someone else a "bellend"?! You mean that was not reserved just for me? Boo Hoo Lefty. You really know how to bust up a guy's heart.

[Luung]

Ok, here’s what I’ve gathered so far, it wasn’t quite as innocent as I at first thought, The Sacred Heart private Christian school & the teachers were made aware of the offensive nature, and were fully aware of the meaning of the Nazi emblems to the people of the west.

The emblems on the Nazi uniforms weren’t used in the Buddhist sense, but in their Nazi incarnation.

I still don’t figure it’s a slight against the allies, but more likely some ultra conservative, Yellow Shirts, probably teachers & parents (owing to the sheer cost of all this stuff), using their sports day to have a go against the new red government?.. But at the same time, they obviously couldn’t care less what we think!

A hell of a lot of Farang teachers have walked out. & apparently a hell of a lot of the kids have been leaving too... Serves them bloody well right!

So, ignorance on the kids part, but the teachers certainly thought it was appropriate even when told it certainly was not.

We’re told to be respectful of the Thai way, showing empathy and understanding for all things Thai…..Where is Their empathy and understanding?... Maybe it makes them feel that they have some power over us?

Anyway, here are some lovely quotes that I’ve lifted from Thai Visa.com... Or as I like to say, “Thai moaners.com”... I like the last one the best!

‘So would it be OK for me and my mates to hold a 'Tsunami' party at a local swimming pool in Thailand. After all the tsunami had 'Nothing to do with me'…..did it’.

‘Maybe teachers could advise them to reenact the invasion of Chiang Mai by the Burmese instead’.

‘But of course Thailand was a formal ally of Japan and declared war on both the UK and USA (though the latter declaration was never formally delivered), and the UK in turn declared war on Thailand. Thailand saw an opportunity to grab territory from France in Laos & Cambodia and the UK in the Shan states/Karen areas of Burma plus the northern provinces of Malaya. This was a highly opportunistic act designed to regain territories either ceded to the colonial powers to cling on to independence or were regarded as being part of a Greater Siam sphere. Whilst formally annexed during WW2 by Thailand all these areas were subsequently returned in 1946.

So parading around in Nazi uniform at least historically is not totally inappropriate but is probably a reminder of a piece of history that is often glossed over in present day Thai history lessons’.

‘ Why not have a parade depicting Jap’s beheading Thais, raping Thai women and forcing them into brothels as comfort women. That would really give me something to laugh about’.

‘This school also printed circa 3000 shirts with the school name of secred heart, rather than sacred’.

‘I can think of at least one school here in CM where the biggest problem is trying to stop the boys dressing up as girls’.

[Lefty]

oh dear whats the matter have someone upset your sensibilitys, grow up you fucking tool and understand in this world everyone can have an opinion ,yes even fuck wit liberals like you.

I wont even continue this because I cant be fucked arguing with fools who cant even read the original post properly.

In fact Lofty why not go kiss some ass on Thai Visa while your online

Hound my lovely sweetypie, I haven't spent more than an hour of my life on ThaiVisa.com and probably never will. Thanks for the offer to come help you out with the ass kissing though. Now get off your lappy and come back to bed and spoon with me for a while, you buffet of manliness. :give_rose: