INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightTwitter/ShapiraSmadarImage caption
The singer and the band CEO visited the Israeli embassy on Sunday to
apologise
One of Thailand's most popular pop bands has apologised, after a member wore a T-shirt with a Nazi swastika on
stage during a televised rehearsal.Photos of BNK48 singer Pichayapa "Namsai" Natha with the shirt went viral this weekend, causing the
Israeli embassy to express "shock and dismay".The CEO of BNK48, and the 19-year-old singer, have met the Israeli ambassador and
apologised.Many Thais say they are unaware of the history of the Nazis in World War Two.After photos of the rehearsal, Israel's deputy
ambassador to Thailand Smadar Shapira, said: "Presenting Nazi symbols by the band's singer hurt the feelings of millions around the world,
whose relatives were murdered by the Nazis."There was criticism of the band online, although some fans argued that they were also unaware of
what Nazi symbols meant.Image copyrightAlamyImage caption
BNK48 has dozens of members, and is one of Thailand's most
popular bands
BNK48 said in a statement that the "costume which included inappropriate print" had "caused dismay and
distress to people affected by the past event on the crime against humanity all over the world".It said the band would "make every effort to
ensure that an incident of this kind will never happen again".Meanwhile, Namsai apologised at a concert on Saturday, and also said in a
statement that she would work hard to be better informed.Image Copyright namsai.bnk48officialnamsai.bnk48officialThe band has agreed to take
part in an educational workshop on the Holocaust to raise awareness, Ms Shapira said on Twitter.It is not the first time Nazi-related images
have sparked an outcry in Thailand.In 2013, Chulalongkorn University students painted a mural that showed Hitler alongside superheroes such
as Batman, while in 2016 Silpakorn University students performed the Nazi salute, while one student dressed as Adolf Hitler, during a
cosplay event.There have been similar controversies in other parts of Asia, including a Taiwanese school that held a mock Nazi rally for a
Christmas parade, and an Indian MP who attended parliament dressed as Adolf Hitler as a stunt.Nazi imagery is not uncommon in India, where
Adolf Hitler is admired by some young people and his autobiographical manifesto, Mein Kampf, is popular.
