Thai Government Slams Angelina Jolie for Refugee Comments

The Thai government is displeased with recent comments made by actress Angelina Jolie. Jolie, an ambassador for the United Nations, visited a refugee camp on the Thai-Myanmar border last week and urged the Thai government to respect the rights of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethinc group from Myanmar whom the Thai army is accused to abusing.

Thailand’s military is accused of detaining and beating hundreds of Rohingya refugees before leaving them out at sea in ill-equipped boats and inadequate supplies of food and water.

Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt toured the northern Ban Mai Nai Soi camp, which holds 18,000 refugees from Myanmar. She said she hopes Thailand would be “just as generous to the Rohingya refugees who are now arriving on their shores.”

The secretary of the Thai foreign ministry Virasakdi Futrakul says Jolie should not have commented on the situation of the Rohingya because the UNHCR (the UN refugee agency) “have no mandate on this issue.” He added that Jolie should not have been allowed to tour the camp.

“Angelina was not focused on the Rohingya, but was visiting Myanmar refugee camps. It was a coincidence that the Rohingya was a hot news issue at the time, therefore we must warn UNHCR that they should not comment on this issue because they have no mandate on this issue,” Futrakul said. “The Thai government will issue a reprimand letter to UNHCR asking why it allowed Angelina Jolie to visit the refugee camps.”

UNHCR spokeswoman Kitty McKinsey says both Jolie and Pitt were given camp passes by the Ministry of Interior and their visit was arranged with the foreign ministry.

Jolie has not commented on the reports.

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