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“Death Railway” in Thailand proposed as new World Heritage
A historic railway in western Thailand constructed by
Allied Prisoners of Wars (POWs) during World War II could become a new
“World Heritage” site.
A former Japanese military interpreter, who was involved in interrogations
of World War II prisoners during the construction of the railway linking
Thailand with Myanmar, arrived in Thailand on February 15, to urge the Thai
government to have the ruins of the railway designated as a World Heritage
site.
“I want to make the railway an antiwar symbol in order to remind the
Japanese of the need to reflect on their past conduct,” the 87-year-old
former Japanese military interpreter, Takashi Nagase, was quoted by a news
report of Kyodo News Agency as saying. Takashi is now an English teacher in
Kurashiki, Japan’s Okayama Prefecture.
On February. 20, Nagase visited the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to
lobby for the site’s registration by the UN Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Nagase witnessed Japanese troops torture POWs in Kanchanaburi in the last
years of World War II.
Shortly after the war, he was deployed by the Allied Forces on a mission to
search for bodies of Allied soldiers who perished while building the
railroad and confirmed the remains of more than 13,000 POWs.
The notorious railway is known as the “Death Railway” as about 16,000 Allied
POWs, including British, Dutch and Australian nationals, as well as 80,000
to 100,000 Asians perished while they were forced to build it.
The 415-kilometer railway linking Thailand and Myanmar was completed in
October 1943 after about 18 months of construction work with a labor force
of some 400,000. But most of it was abandoned due partly to high maintenance
costs after the war and currently the railway operates along a portion of
only about 130 kilometers in Thailand.
To atone for his wartime activities, Nagase has visited Thailand more than
120 times since 1964. In 1976, he organized a meeting of reconciliation
between the former Japanese army members and POWs and together with them
Nagase crossed over the “Death Railroad” bridge on the River Kwai in western
Thailand. He has also engaged in philanthropic work for local Thai people.
“A lot of tourists visit the railway, but I hope there will be more and more
people who come to the site to mourn the war dead,” he said.
His campaign is also aimed at issuing a warning to Japanese society, which
he perceives as “increasingly heading toward war” again.
Nagase said he has been concerned about attempts by some Japanese to
whitewash wartime atrocities. The man, who believes the World Heritage
designation of the railway is his last mission in his lifetime, said that
since he first unveiled the idea last summer he has received no objections.
“When I introduced my plan at an annual memorial service to commemorate POWs
at the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Yokohama last August, representatives of
Britain and other Allied countries all welcomed the idea,” Nagase said.
He organizes a memorial service every year for Commonwealth soldiers who
died in detention in Japan during World War II. The British government
honored him in 2002 for his role in making efforts to reconcile Japan with
its former British POWs.
Some former Japanese soldiers told him that even though they cannot openly
campaign for the World Heritage status because they abused the POWs and
Asian workers, they would be glad if the railway which they built is
recognized by UNESCO, according to Nagase.
“Many infamous war-related sites, including the A-bomb Dome in Hiroshima,
have been registered as World Heritage sites; so why not this railway?”
Nagase said.
“Former POWs would not tolerate lobbying for UNESCO designation by ordinary
Japanese, but some of them acknowledge my postwar activities. That is why I
can be proactive,” he said.
Nagase said he could ask museums related to the railway in Kanchanaburi to
collect signatures from visitors who support the idea of the World Heritage
registration.
The railway was the subject of the famous 1957 film “The Bridge on the River
Kwai.” (TNA)
Flying via the Gulf
Discover the area while there
Levent Bergkotte
The Gulf region is one of the world’s main aviation hubs and is gaining
importance as the countries are developing and more and more people are
attracted, for both business and tourism. Many expats living in Thailand and
travelling to Europe opt for one of the Gulf carriers for their journey.
 The
Dubai Creek divides Deira, the old part of the city where the Gold Souk is
located, from the more modern Bur Dubai.
Airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways are key
players in the world aviation scene and are among the fastest growing
airlines in the world. They distinguish themselves by having excellent
service in all flight classes, clearly trying to stay ahead of their
competitors, and at the same time generally offer lower fares to Europe than
airlines which fly non-stop.
For example, the cheapest airfare for a return trip from Bangkok to London,
leaving on 1 June of this year and coming back on 1 July, is 30,000 baht
including taxes for Emirates via Dubai, against 42,000 baht for a direct
flight with British Airways. The higher price of the British flag carrier is
justified by the non-stop, and therefore faster connection. But if you’re
not in a hurry, you can save money with the first option and if you wish,
can take advantage of the stop en-route to do some sightseeing as well.
All four mentioned airlines also offer interesting stopover packages for
travellers flying through their hubs in the area. These programmes offer an
easy and entertaining way to discover the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or
Bahrain. Undoubtedly, Dubai, one of the Emirates, is the most popular
destination in the Gulf. This desert city, along the warm waters of the
Arabian Gulf, is known for its extravagance. To name but a few, Dubai offers
the only seven-star hotel in the world, numerous, large shopping malls, a
recently opened indoor skiing complex in the middle of the desert, and the
world’s largest artificial island in the form of a palm tree just off the
coast. The ultramodern is combined with the traditional, with the famous
Gold Souk in Deira, the old part of the city along the Dubai Creek.
For the stopover programme, Emirates offers a complete package including
transfers from the airport, transit visas if necessary and a range of two to
five-star hotels.
To get around in one of these places, taxis and buses are plentiful and well
organised.
Another way of discovering the UAE, Qatar, or Bahrain is by renting a car,
which is easy and affordable. Petrol is cheap in the UAE, one gallon of
unleaded petrol costs 6.50 dirhams, which equals to about 15 baht per litre.
Dubai is also known as a shopper’s paradise, mainly because all purchases
are tax free, both at the airport and in town. Dubai International Airport
is one of the top airports in the world. With a bit of luck, you might even
win a luxury sports car or motorcycle by entering a sweepstakes competition
and buying a limited issue lottery ticket.
The United Arab Emirates is the most developed and open-minded country in
the region and offers an interesting mix of Western standards with Arabic
culture, but Qatar and Bahrain are very much worth a visit too. So, next
time you fly to Europe, why not combine your trip with a few days in one of
the Gulf countries.
New road to Mae Hong Son to boost tourism, trade, Myanmar links
Thailand’s northern economy - tourism, border trade and
investment - will all benefit from a new direct highway linking the northern
city of Chiang Mai with neighboring Mae Hong Son province.
The new inter-province route, named Mae Hong Son-Samerng-Chiang Mai, will be
the kingdom’s first road to include a mountain tunnel, according to Mae Hong
Son Governor Direk Konklib.
A feasibility study is being conducted on the new inter-provincial roadway
project, according to the governor, who said the new road was approved in
principle by the cabinet when it met in Chiang Mai earlier this week.
“Traveling by bus or car between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son now can take up
to 7 or 8 hours on the winding roads,” Governor Direk said.
“If the Mae Hong Son-Samerng-Chiang Mai route is built,” he said, “it will
greatly boost the local economy and tourism in the north, as well as
investment and border trade with Myanmar.
“Mae Hong Son is only 280 km from Pyinmana,” Governor Direk told
journalists, referring to the new Myanmar capital.
“The new road link will improve Mae Hong Son as a more livable province in
the North with many attractive tourist sites,” the governor added. (TNA)
THAI seizes Greater Mekong opportunity
Thai Airways International has moved to ink an alliance
with the national carriers of Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar to tap the
potential of the Greater Mekong sub-region.
THAI wants to establish an accord to allow the four national carriers to
cooperate on a number of levels, including joint operation through
codesharing.
The Thai national carrier is particularly keen to form the alliance so it
can tap the traffic of the thousands of Laotians and Cambodians living
overseas who return to their motherland for visits or business.
THAI acting President, Somchainuk Engtrakul, and the airline’s Executive
Vice-President for Commercial, Vasing Kittikul, met with a senior Laotian
transport official in Thailand earlier last week to draw up terms of the
agreement. Vasing said similar discussions were planned with authorities
from Cambodia and Myanmar.
Aviation officials said THAI had taken steps to form the alliance because it
feared Vietnam might attempt to sign a cooperation deal with Indochina
countries and Myanmar. (TTG Asia)
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