Angelina Jolie Angers Thai Government

(Bangkok, Thailand) To remind readers, the Thai government has a significant problem with Muslim refugees from Burma (Myanmar) which they have been treating quite harshly according to reports (see here).

Called Rohingya, the Muslim ethnic group of refugees have reportedly been detained, beaten and set adrift at sea with little food and water.

Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie and her man-servant, Brad Pitt, visited one of the nine refugee camps stringing the Thai-Myanmar border as goodwill ambassadors for the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). Commenting on the situation, Jolie said that the Thai government should respect the rights of the Rohingya.

According to Virasakdi Futrakul of the Thai Foreign Ministry, Jolie's statements regarding the Rohingya were inappropriate.

"The Thai government will issue a reprimand letter to UNHCR asking why it allowed Angelina Jolie to visit the refugee camps," Virasakdi told reporters.

The Thai government has taken the position that the Rohingya are economic migrants who won't be offered refuge. Instead, the Rohingya will be arrested and put in prison.

Obviously, the government in Thailand is very sensitive about what people say. Recently, they put a guy in prison for three years for writing a book that allegedly insulted the king. Prior to sentencing, a grand total of seven copies of the book had been sold. It would be ironic if it now sells in the thousands.

Heh.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.