25 Pinoys in Thailand defend Thai basher, say deportation ‘too harsh’
A group of Filipinos in Thailand has appealed to the Bureau of Immigration to drop the charges against Prasertsri Kosin, the Thai national facing deportation in the Philippines for his racial slurs against Filipinos.
In a letter dated May 7, 2015 and addressed to Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison, the 25 signatories pointed out that what Kosin did was not criminal in nature and that he has a right to freely express himself under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which they said the Philippines is a state party.
“Indeed, the statements of Mr. Kosin were offensive and have obviously sparked outrage from netizens. But offensive, hateful and downright irresponsible as they are, they were not criminal,” the group said.
Kosin, a call center agent for four years in the Philippines, caught Filipino netizens' ire when he, in a series of Facebook posts, called Filipinos “pignoys,” “stupid creatures,” and “low-class slum slaves.” He has since apologized for the slurs.
The group said that if Kosin would be prosecuted, it should be based on appropriate laws, noting that deportation is as “harsh if not harsher than a criminal penalty such as a fine or community service.”
“We believe that the charges brought against Mr. Kosin, his subsequent arrest and handling before the media are disproportionate responses to the statements he made and did not have any basis in law,” said the group, composed of Filipinos working and living in Thailand.
The group said dropping the deportation proceedings against Kosin will set an example for ASEAN nations, where it said “freedom of expression is severely under attack.”
It also asked fellow Filipinos to refrain from coming up with sweeping generalizations of Thai nationals due to Kosin's behavior.
Kosin issued a public apology for his anti-Filipino rant on Facebook on Wednesday, saying it was an emotional release from years of pent-up anger against Filipino mannerisms he found offensive. He has turned himself in to the BI and volunteered for deportation. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News
In a letter dated May 7, 2015 and addressed to Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison, the 25 signatories pointed out that what Kosin did was not criminal in nature and that he has a right to freely express himself under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which they said the Philippines is a state party.
“Indeed, the statements of Mr. Kosin were offensive and have obviously sparked outrage from netizens. But offensive, hateful and downright irresponsible as they are, they were not criminal,” the group said.
Kosin, a call center agent for four years in the Philippines, caught Filipino netizens' ire when he, in a series of Facebook posts, called Filipinos “pignoys,” “stupid creatures,” and “low-class slum slaves.” He has since apologized for the slurs.
The group said that if Kosin would be prosecuted, it should be based on appropriate laws, noting that deportation is as “harsh if not harsher than a criminal penalty such as a fine or community service.”
“We believe that the charges brought against Mr. Kosin, his subsequent arrest and handling before the media are disproportionate responses to the statements he made and did not have any basis in law,” said the group, composed of Filipinos working and living in Thailand.
The group said dropping the deportation proceedings against Kosin will set an example for ASEAN nations, where it said “freedom of expression is severely under attack.”
It also asked fellow Filipinos to refrain from coming up with sweeping generalizations of Thai nationals due to Kosin's behavior.
Kosin issued a public apology for his anti-Filipino rant on Facebook on Wednesday, saying it was an emotional release from years of pent-up anger against Filipino mannerisms he found offensive. He has turned himself in to the BI and volunteered for deportation. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News
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