2015 Holocaust Memorial Day in Thailand
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1/28/2015
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2015 Holocaust Memorial Day in Thailand
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Seventy years after the end of World War II or 10 years since the UN passed its groundbreaking “Holocaust Remembrance” resolution and the creation of the United Nations Outreach Program, over 700 university students and general public were honoring 11 million victims who were killed during the Holocaust.
Why is the Holocaust relevant to ASEAN?
Holocaust was not just a crime against Jews and other victims, Roma/Sinti (Gypsies), homosexuals, the handicapped, communists, socialists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Holocaust was an assault on humanity. The victims were hated because they were different. It has been almost 70 years since the end of the Holocaust and the world is still plagued by prejudice.
The understanding of the Holocaust can highlight the warning signs and predisposing factors for human violence and genocide. “Courage to Remember” exhibition and “Holocaust messages to ASEAN” panel discussion held yesterday aimed to change apathetic bystanders to active thinkers. “Thinkers, who cannot be easily fooled by any ill-mannered propaganda in whose name violation of fundamental human rights.” said H.E. Dr. Vítězslav Grepl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Thailand.
Asst. Prof. M.R. Kalaya Tingsabadh, Ph.D, Vice President of Chulalongkorn University, M.L. Panadda Diskul, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, H.E. Dr. Vítězslav Grepl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Mark Kent, British Ambassador to Thailand, Mr. Shunichi Murata, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNESCAP, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los Angeles and H.E. Mr. Simon Roded, Ambassador of Israel lit candles for the 6 million Jews and for the 5 million non-Jews who perished in a planned system of human destruction.
“Holocaust messages to ASEAN” panelist, Mr. Somtow Sucharitkul, internationally acclaimed musical composer and author stressed “As long as we think that the past is something that was done by others to others, we will never really understand the present. The past is a mirror into which we dare not look, yet only by looking can we see who we really are.” Professor Emeritus Dr. Surichai Wun’gaeo, Director, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los AngelesMr. Mr. Chy Terith, Executive Officer of the Documentation Center of Cambodia also valuably transcribed their lessons learnt from the Holocaust to ASEAN countries.
Later in the late afternoon, “The Power of Good”, an Emmy award Czech documenting story of Nicholas Winton, who organized the rescue of 669 Jewish children from the Nazis and kept it a secret for nearly 50 years carries a strong message that even in the most desperate moments, when all hope has gone; it is still possible to do some good.
Another compelling example is Mr. Chiune Sugihara, a brave Japanese diplomat who issued visas for more than 6,000 Jews in Lithuania. An estimated 80,000 people are alive today because of this one man. Everyone was honored through Mrs. Sugihara presence.
“We hope that after today’s event, we must actively stand guard - we must keep the truth alive, guard against prejudice in all its forms and above all, preventing such horrible crimes from ever occurring again, by protecting the defenseless, by teaching tolerance, by opposing bigotry and racism, and by taking action when words will not suffice.” H.E. Mr. Simon Roded, Ambassador of Israel concluded at the end of the 2015 UN International Holocaust Memorial Day.
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