Hi folks. I hope nobody minds me being serious for a moment here but this needs to be addressed.
In the early hours of Tuesday Sakchai Makao was dragged from his home in Shetland and transported to the Scottish mainland and then on to Durham Prison where he is currently being held. Sakchai commited a crime in 2002 and was found guilty. He served his time and was released in 2004, since when he has proved to be a model citizen. Sakchai was born in Thailand but has lived in the Shetlands since he was 14. He is now 23. He only speaks English. He has no family nor any other connections in Thailand. There's a damn good chance that on his arrival he will be immediately conscripted into the Thai army! At present he works for the Shetland Isles council, who were his employers before he commited his crime! That says something! He is a keen athlete and has won medals representing Shetland & Scotland. This boy deserves a break!
This is all clearly an attempt for the UK Government to appear to be in control. Most of us know they are not. I cannot, for the life of me, see what good can be achieved by his deportation.
Here's a link to the BBC news story - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/5055418.stm
Here's another link to an online petition set up by his fellow Islanders - http://www.shetlink.com/module ... ;file=viewtopic&t=850
I know a lot of you folks are fair-minded decent people and I fervently hope some of you will read the story and make the effort to join the petition. There has to be some justice in this world.
BTW - I'm sorry for all the exclamation marks and will refrain from their use in future.
In the early hours of Tuesday Sakchai Makao was dragged from his home in Shetland and transported to the Scottish mainland and then on to Durham Prison where he is currently being held. Sakchai commited a crime in 2002 and was found guilty. He served his time and was released in 2004, since when he has proved to be a model citizen. Sakchai was born in Thailand but has lived in the Shetlands since he was 14. He is now 23. He only speaks English. He has no family nor any other connections in Thailand. There's a damn good chance that on his arrival he will be immediately conscripted into the Thai army! At present he works for the Shetland Isles council, who were his employers before he commited his crime! That says something! He is a keen athlete and has won medals representing Shetland & Scotland. This boy deserves a break!
This is all clearly an attempt for the UK Government to appear to be in control. Most of us know they are not. I cannot, for the life of me, see what good can be achieved by his deportation.
Here's a link to the BBC news story - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/5055418.stm
Here's another link to an online petition set up by his fellow Islanders - http://www.shetlink.com/module ... ;file=viewtopic&t=850
I know a lot of you folks are fair-minded decent people and I fervently hope some of you will read the story and make the effort to join the petition. There has to be some justice in this world.
BTW - I'm sorry for all the exclamation marks and will refrain from their use in future.