Angelina Jolie visits Thailand refugee camps, calls for global action

[webfact]

Jolie visits Thailand refugee camps, calls for global action
By Coconuts Bangkok

Photo: UNHCR

Bangkok: -- Hollywood star Angelina Jolie visited a Myanmar refugee camp in Mae Hong Son province Friday to call awareness to the world’s refugee problems.

On World Refugee Day, Jolie took a trip up north to discuss the lives of Myanmar refugees in Ban Mai Nai Soi camp as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

"Preventing armed conflict should be a collective responsibility of the international community," Jolie said. "This staggering surge in refugee numbers shows that the world is failing to meet that responsibility.

This is an unjust and unsustainable situation. The only answer is to devote greater efforts and resources to addressing conflict worldwide – there are no humanitarian solutions to political problems." [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/06/23/jolie-visits-thailand-refugee-camps-calls-global-action

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2014-06-23

[Nickymaster]

AJ looks scary.

[Morch]

AJ looks scary.

Looks like she's thinking of adopting the older women's leg wear.

Jokes aside, I think she does a wee bit more than other film stars to help less privileged people.

[UbonRatch]

"armed conflict", she said ...???

<DELETED>ing loony film star, knows nothing apart from self-promotion. Idiot.

[Morch]

"armed conflict", she said ...???

<DELETED>ing loony film star, knows nothing apart from self-promotion. Idiot.

I do believe she was making a general statement, it being World Refugee Day and all...

But even in relation to the specific location:

Ban Mai Nai Soi shelters 11,890 refugees of the Karen ethnic group fleeing fighting in Myanmar.

[marko kok prong]

Geez,to think Brad Pitt gave up Jennifer Aniston for that,are his eye's painted on?

[Chris Lawrence]

Don't you just luv em; JT took off in her Private Plane to an undisclosed destination? Was JT flying the plane?

She does a lot more than others do, and she works on a mirco level by adopting some childern. Not much said about trafficing, but then again needs to get out of the country?

If people have time, go to one of your local services in Thailand and spend some time there as a volunteer. You may make someones life better for the day, and may change your life. Just a thought. All of us need to do more selfless acts, me included.

[The stuttering parrot]

Some should tell Angelina that when you visit a country your supposed to take a T shirt home!

Only joking.

This woman has used in fame to bring forward the plight of the displaced and the underprivileged .

I have nothing but admiration for her!

And to say she looks scary is a low blow considering losing both breasts to cancer and even then didn't hide it but inspired millions of women to have regular check ups!

[Thailand]

See if you can improve on some of the crass comments that some on the ChiangMai forum came up with, I see a few attempts have been made already.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/736529-just-a-little-gossip/

[Katipo]

I bet she is doing more than most Thaivisa members. Although I am sure there are some good souls here too.

Her visit means the issue made it into the media, and that can only be a good thing.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Don't you just luv em; JT took off in her Private Plane to an undisclosed destination? Was JT flying the plane?

She does a lot more than others do, and she works on a mirco level by adopting some childern. Not much said about trafficing, but then again needs to get out of the country?

If people have time, go to one of your local services in Thailand and spend some time there as a volunteer. You may make someones life better for the day, and may change your life. Just a thought. All of us need to do more selfless acts, me included.

Can someone explain to me the difference between child trafficking and adopting some foreign children and dragging them to the USA?

[Thailand]

Don't you just luv em; JT took off in her Private Plane to an undisclosed destination? Was JT flying the plane?

She does a lot more than others do, and she works on a mirco level by adopting some childern. Not much said about trafficing, but then again needs to get out of the country?

If people have time, go to one of your local services in Thailand and spend some time there as a volunteer. You may make someones life better for the day, and may change your life. Just a thought. All of us need to do more selfless acts, me included.

Can someone explain to me the difference between child trafficking and adopting some foreign children and dragging them to the USA?

Quality of life for the children perhaps? Did you really have to ask?

[chotthee]

No respect.

She didn't drop in to visit the host country leader first.

No respect.

I wonder what would Gen Prayuth say?

[bigbamboo]

Some should tell Angelina that when you visit a country your supposed to take a T shirt home!

Only joking.

This woman has used in fame to bring forward the plight of the displaced and the underprivileged .

I have nothing but admiration for her!

And to say she looks scary is a low blow considering losing both breasts to cancer and even then didn't hide it but inspired millions of women to have regular check ups!

That's 'Dame' Angelina now.

And a real star.

[chainarong]

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Some should tell Angelina that when you visit a country your supposed to take a T shirt home!

Only joking.

This woman has used in fame to bring forward the plight of the displaced and the underprivileged .

I have nothing but admiration for her!

And to say she looks scary is a low blow considering losing both breasts to cancer and even then didn't hide it but inspired millions of women to have regular check ups!

George Cloony is much the same do a lot of good work.

[ChrisY1]

"armed conflict", she said ...???

<DELETED>ing loony film star, knows nothing apart from self-promotion. Idiot.

But....at least she's doing something worthwhile....instead of sitting back and whining!

[KED]

Don't you just luv em; JT took off in her Private Plane to an undisclosed destination? Was JT flying the plane?

She does a lot more than others do, and she works on a mirco level by adopting some childern. Not much said about trafficing, but then again needs to get out of the country?

If people have time, go to one of your local services in Thailand and spend some time there as a volunteer. You may make someones life better for the day, and may change your life. Just a thought. All of us need to do more selfless acts, me included.

Can someone explain to me the difference between child trafficking and adopting some foreign children and dragging them to the USA?

Child trafficking often involves either forced prostitution or child-labor - I don't think the adoptees were in the same environment.

[capcc76]

Don't you just luv em; JT took off in her Private Plane to an undisclosed destination? Was JT flying the plane?

She does a lot more than others do, and she works on a mirco level by adopting some childern. Not much said about trafficing, but then again needs to get out of the country?

If people have time, go to one of your local services in Thailand and spend some time there as a volunteer. You may make someones life better for the day, and may change your life. Just a thought. All of us need to do more selfless acts, me included.

Can someone explain to me the difference between child trafficking and adopting some foreign children and dragging them to the USA?

What kind of personal dysfunction would one have to have to make a statement like that?

[Hawkman]

Don't you just luv em; JT took off in her Private Plane to an undisclosed destination? Was JT flying the plane?

She does a lot more than others do, and she works on a mirco level by adopting some childern. Not much said about trafficing, but then again needs to get out of the country?

If people have time, go to one of your local services in Thailand and spend some time there as a volunteer. You may make someones life better for the day, and may change your life. Just a thought. All of us need to do more selfless acts, me included.

Can someone explain to me the difference between child trafficking and adopting some foreign children and dragging them to the USA?

Can't believe someone could ask such a question. It's like asking the difference between consensual s*x and forced r*pe.

[sumtingwong]

Thailand does not want them. She should be happy Thailand lets them squat on their land illegally. Maybe she should give them a ride to Bangladesh where they are from and talk Bangladesh into taking them back.

[saakura]

Thailand does not want them. She should be happy Thailand lets them squat on their land illegally. Maybe she should give them a ride to Bangladesh where they are from and talk Bangladesh into taking them back.

You are mixing up ethnic Karens of Burma with the muslim Rohingya who migrated from Bangladesh

[Scott]

A troll post has been removed. I note a few other posts which are borderline. Please stay on topic.

[schondie]

I used to live up in Mae Hong Son and during her last visit to the refugee camp. She wouldn't eat food prepared in the camp (take outs from a restaurant in town - mine ), brought her personal photographer to capture those magic do-gooding moments and her retinue manhandled the refugee camp newspaper reporter and photographer when they tried to get a shot and a few words for their newspaper.

Her hosts, the UNHCR, were no better as they demanded other NGOs give up their best translators to them for free. Prima donnas the whole lot of them. After seeing how the whole lot operate and assume the western liberal way is the best way for everyone, all I can say is that they are modern day colonialists.

[northernjohn]

Some should tell Angelina that when you visit a country your supposed to take a T shirt home!

Only joking.

This woman has used in fame to bring forward the plight of the displaced and the underprivileged .

I have nothing but admiration for her!

And to say she looks scary is a low blow considering losing both breasts to cancer and even then didn't hide it but inspired millions of women to have regular check ups!

Also a fake Rolex.

I general don't agree with you but having been in one of the Burmese refugee camps in Mai Sot I totally agree with you.

I did a workshop there and it was a real heart warming experience when they gave me a guide and he spoke pretty good English. He showed me around a little bit of it the poverty was sad to see. How ever having been in Burma it was nice to see the people looking happy. When I was in Burma they were all depressed. This was a few years ago.

I heard a lot of talking in what I took to be a house and asked my guide about it. He told me it was a school. He talked about learning every thing he could and hopefully getting relocated to the states.

The living conditions there are not pretty. The worst part was the government had stopped supplying them with 80% of their daily nutritional needs and cut it to 50%.

If it wasn't for the various NGO's they would be in real sad shape.

[englishoak]

I used to live up in Mae Hong Son and during her last visit to the refugee camp. She wouldn't eat food prepared in the camp (take outs from a restaurant in town - mine ), brought her personal photographer to capture those magic do-gooding moments and her retinue manhandled the refugee camp newspaper reporter and photographer when they tried to get a shot and a few words for their newspaper.

Her hosts, the UNHCR, were no better as they demanded other NGOs give up their best translators to them for free. Prima donnas the whole lot of them. After seeing how the whole lot operate and assume the western liberal way is the best way for everyone, all I can say is that they are modern day colonialists.

Interesting point of view, I suppose your ground level involved and do so much to help then yes ?

You do realise what stars and personalities do for a cause right ? AJ uses it to help others and not for her own fanclub either, nothing but admiration for the woman.

Or are you just spouting complaints of others using their influence and popularity to highlight largely ignored plights of people.

You seem to resent that one visit by someone like this gets the story in a hundred Media outlets, how on earth is that a bad thing ?

Put it this way, visits and interest and help by high profile people like this is exactly what helps public awareness. Someones revered mother was doing similar a few decades ago in the same region. Would you like to comment on that ?

[northernjohn]

I used to live up in Mae Hong Son and during her last visit to the refugee camp. She wouldn't eat food prepared in the camp (take outs from a restaurant in town - mine ), brought her personal photographer to capture those magic do-gooding moments and her retinue manhandled the refugee camp newspaper reporter and photographer when they tried to get a shot and a few words for their newspaper.

Her hosts, the UNHCR, were no better as they demanded other NGOs give up their best translators to them for free. Prima donnas the whole lot of them. After seeing how the whole lot operate and assume the western liberal way is the best way for everyone, all I can say is that they are modern day colonialists.

Interesting point of view, I suppose your ground level involved and do so much to help then yes ?

You do realise what stars and personalities do for a cause right ? AJ uses it to help others and not for her own fanclub either, nothing but admiration for the woman.

Or are you just spouting complaints of others using their influence and popularity to highlight largely ignored plights of people.

You seem to resent that one visit by someone like this gets the story in a hundred Media outlets, how on earth is that a bad thing ?

Put it this way, visits and interest and help by high profile people like this is exactly what helps public awareness. Someones revered mother was doing similar a few decades ago in the same region. Would you like to comment on that ?

She probably didn't like his cooking.

As you say makes no difference what he whines about . she is drawing the worlds attention to a part of the defenseless people Thailand is taking in and need a lot more help with.

I wonder if he even tried to get the message out to the world in even one news paper. I suspect not.

Most whiners don't do any thing them selves other than point fingers at every one else.

[Jim walker]

I am sure there must be many members on TV who give generously to many good causes and work tirelessly volunteering for their favourite charities, but they never get the same acknowledgement or publicity as some Hollywood actor who just pops in for a minute or two.

[Fookhaht]

Don't you just luv em; JT took off in her Private Plane to an undisclosed destination? Was JT flying the plane?

She does a lot more than others do, and she works on a mirco level by adopting some childern. Not much said about trafficing, but then again needs to get out of the country?

If people have time, go to one of your local services in Thailand and spend some time there as a volunteer. You may make someones life better for the day, and may change your life. Just a thought. All of us need to do more selfless acts, me included.

Can someone explain to me the difference between child trafficking and adopting some foreign children and dragging them to the USA?

A wind-up post at best.

Don't feed the trolls.

[Torrens54]

....and of course, her visit has NOTHING whatsoever, to do with the fact that her new flick/ movie, has just opened here in Thailand!

[pisico]

Don't you just luv em; JT took off in her Private Plane to an undisclosed destination? Was JT flying the plane?

She does a lot more than others do, and she works on a mirco level by adopting some childern. Not much said about trafficing, but then again needs to get out of the country?

If people have time, go to one of your local services in Thailand and spend some time there as a volunteer. You may make someones life better for the day, and may change your life. Just a thought. All of us need to do more selfless acts, me included.

Volunteer? In Thailand? Have you tried it? It's risky business. I nearly was arrested during the last flood in BKK for volunteering.

You need more than good will and intentions. You need a work permit.

Almost impossible to get if an NGO is not backing you and talks to the right people in government who understand the NGO's "needs": wink-wink-nudge-nudge..