Julian2 Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 NGO Investigated for Fraud in Chiangrai The move follows complaints that The Grey Man, which claims it is comprised of ex-police officers and special services veterans, faked the rescue of 21 Akha hill tribe children from the village of Baan Khun Suay in Chiang Rai province of northern Thailand last October. CHIANGRAI TIMES – Thailand’s Department of Special Investigations has begun an investigation into the alleged fake rescue last year of hill tribe children from sexual slavery by an Australian charity. At the request of the Australian Federal Police, they will also submit a letter through Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking a parallel investigation in Australia that focuses on the alleged use of false advertising to solicit funds. The move follows a meeting of representatives of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (DSI), Trafcord (the anti-trafficking co-ordination unit of Northern Thailand) and the National Committee on Trafficking, foreshadowed in The Weekend Australian. AFP officers had been summoned to the meeting on Saturday at the DSI headquarters in Bangkok to hear the complaints. The AFP did not comment, but a source at the meeting said the AFP representative had asked the DSI to make the request formal through the normal channels. The Grey Man’s Brisbane-based president, John Curtis, said yesterday he had no difficulties with any investigation by either the Thai government or the AFP. “We have no problem with any authority looking at our operation. Our major concern is for the children, and we stick with everything that we’ve done. “We’ll co-operate with any investigation, but we have no doubt that we’ll be completely exonerated. We have no problems with the AFP looking at both our accounts and the basis upon what it was raised.†The move follows complaints that The Grey Man, which claims it is comprised of ex-police officers and special services veterans, faked the rescue of 21 Akha hill tribe children from the village of Baan Khun Suay in Chiang Rai province of northern Thailand last October. http://www.chiangraitimes.com/news/5121.html The Grey Man Will Blow Critics Out Of The Water John Curtis President of the Australian charity 'The Grey Man' which has been accused of hyping the rescue of 21 Akha hill tribe children in Wawee District of Chiang Rai said he hoped to blow his critics out of the water. But in the meantime 'The Grey Man' Facebook page has been shut down and the charity faces an investigation in Thailand by the Department of Special Investigations for offences under the 'Child Protection Act' and the 'Computer Crimes' Act. Both the anti-trafficking group Trafcord and the Thai Ministry of Social Development and Human Security have completed investigations which say that the children were being looked after safely and responsibly at home and at school and that there was no attempt at trafficking them. 'The Grey Man' put up pictures of the children on his Facebook and internet home pages seeking funds to help the children whom the charity claimed had saved from certain sexual slavery and forced labour in factories in Thailand. But John Curtis claims that the community was under 'dire threats' from the authorites, prompted by a rival Thai anti-trafficking n.g.o. One girl had even been raped by a policeman before being returned to a brothel. http://www.andrew-drummond.com/view-story.php?sid=495 I know a couple of the guys involved in this organisation, they seem pretty genuine but have trodden on a few toes both here and in Cambodia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 15, 2012 Report Share Posted January 15, 2012 Reminds one of John Pilger "buying a slave" at Mochit bus station and publicly "freeing" her in the 1980s before he wrote it up for the international press. He became furious when the Bangkok Post exposed the fiddle and threatened to sue any UK papers that carried the Post's report. The Thai govmt got so pissed off at his attacks on them that they cut journalists' visas from 12 months to just 6. p.s. The Post carried photos of the "Issan slave girl" at her parents' home in Nonthaburi, in her school uniform etc etc. He doesn't look like somebody who should be named John Curtis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 15, 2012 Report Share Posted January 15, 2012 He doesn't look like somebody who should be named John Curtis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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