“Land of the coronavirus” – this is how a newspaper in Thailand referred to the Philippines.
As the number of coronavirus in the Philippines fast-rising, with a total of 143,749 cases, 72,348 are active cases as of August 12, the country now has the most number of cases in all Southeast Asia. The rising number is somehow credited to the increased number of testing. But does this mean that you can poke fun of the sufferings of the people?
In a local newspaper in Thailand, they have called the Philippines, “The land of the coronavirus” which offended the Consul General in Bangkok Simon Roque and prompted him to send an open letter to the editor of Thai Rath.
The Philippine Embassy has written the editor in chief of Thai Rath concerning the newspaper's headline yesterday.For the Filipino community's information.
Posted by Philippine Embassy in Thailand on Monday, August 10, 2020
Roque called the Aug.9 article of the newspaper “inappropriate, insensitive and unhelpful”.
The article was entitled “Imported, Filipino teachers. Land of COVID-19,” an article which was published after 165 English teachers arrived in Bangkok from the Philippines. The title of the article particularly pokes fun of the rising number of COVID-19 in the Philippines.
Roque wants to “assure Thai Rath, its readers, and all of our Thai friends that the Filipino teachers and other Filipinos returning to the Kingdom are following and will strictly follow all the health protocols and quarantine conditions promulgated by the Royal Thai Government.”
Furthermore, Roque urged Khun Saravut, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “to find [the] space in your newspaper” as well as publish the letter written by Roque to “promote unity and harmony” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The English teachers who recently arrived in Thailand is set to teach private schools in Bangkok.
Source: coconut manila
