Thai Junta Seeks to Creative Control How Movie Makers Portray Thung Luam Cave Rescue

 

BANGKOK – Thailand’s Junta government is now seeking control on how movie makers will portray the ordeal of the young soccer players and their heroic rescue from a flooded cave that drew worldwide interest and the attention of foreign filmmakers.

Culture Minister Vira Rojpochanarat said he will propose at next week’s cabinet meeting that a special committee be established to oversee the production of films, documentaries and videos related to the experiences of the 12 boys and their coach who were trapped in a cave for almost three weeks before being rescued.

The rescue, carried out successfully against high odds, was a rare moment of uplifting news from Thailand, which has been mired in political conflict and heavy-handed military rule for more than a decade. Even as the world watched the cave saga, a boat sinking off a southern resort island claimed almost 50 Chinese tourists, an event that normally would have registered as a high-profile debacle.

The cave rescue also allowed the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has been criticized for political manoeuvring to stay in power after elections planned for next year, to share in some glory.

By By Kaweewit Kaewjinda
The Associated Press

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