Misleading online articles on the detention of Bi-2 band members in Thailand

The Foreign Ministry has noticed the misleading articles circulating online on the detention of musicians from the Bi-2 band in the Kingdom of Thailand. This information flow can be described as a situation where all these groundless publications form one single flow of fake news. This is why the authors of these planted stories have lost themselves in their own lies, misleading their audience in the process. There is not a single sensational article that holds water, while the allegations regarding Russian diplomats are outright lies.

The facts are clear. Law enforcement agencies in Phuket detained members of this musical band for violating the Kingdom’s migration laws and illegally performing as part of a tour. Thailand is known for prioritising compliance with its laws by foreigners, as Russia’s Ambassador to Thailand Evgeny Tomikhin has said many times when talking about the need to strictly abide by these laws: “Over the past twelve to eighteen months, after the restrictions were lifted, the Thai authorities and the tourist police, as well as other law enforcement agencies have stepped up their controls for ensuring compliance with the rules of stay in the country by foreigners. <…> There are laws governing how work permits are issued. All performers who come here must obtain a work visa and authorisation from the ministry of culture.” It seems that searching yet again for the mythical Kremlin hand is easier than recognising that someone has simply broken the law.

It is telling that these articles contain contradictory fakes. alternating between accusing Russian diplomats of being behind the arrest and saying that these same diplomats failed to act.

As for the truth, members of the Consular Department in the Russian Embassy and its Consulate General acted strictly in keeping with their mandate. When Thailand notified them about the detention of Russian nationals on January 31, the consular workers were quickly dispatched to the Detention Centre operated by the Immigration Bureau of the Kingdom of Thailand in Bangkok. They worked with the centre’s administration to arrange a meeting with the detainees. However, members of the Bi-2 band refused to talk to Russian consular workers, and Russian foreign missions have not received any requests on their behalf. However, the musicians recognised that they welcomed assistance from the US Department of State, US senators, as well as German, Polish, Lithuanian diplomats and other persons.

Russian journalists were not allowed to attend a news conference organised with the participation of the Israeli foreign ministry, which demonstrates that those who arranged this spectacle fear that they could be debunked. We can understand that the Israeli diplomats are eager to show their ability to free musicians, if not hostages.