The Thailand girl band BNK48 got into the news and fast became the subject of a major political issue because there was a swastika on a T-shirt. This is an emblem of the Nazis and photos of the singer wearing the shirt went viral. The Israeli embassy was shocked at this. The result was an apology tendered by the CEO of BNK48, and the singer in question. She is a 19-year-old and she and the CEO apologized to the Israeli ambassador.

The BBC reports this could be because of ignorance of the young generation who constitute the girl band BNK48. They might not be aware of the history of the Nazis in WWII and the way they killed people.

Israel's deputy ambassador to Thailand said their presentation has “hurt the feelings of millions around the world."

There have been controversies in the past

The offensive display on stage by a member of the girl band BNK48 drew online criticism but a section of fans argued that many of them did not know what the symbol meant. The band has accepted that the print on the dress had hurt the sentiments of people. They also said that they would try to ensure avoiding such incidents in future. The girl in question expressed her apologies at a concert and said she would strive to improve her knowledge base. The same will apply to others in the band in order to raise awareness about the Holocaust.

Nazi-related images have led to controversies in the past not only in Thailand but also in other Asian countries.

A school in Taiwan conducted a mock Nazi rally for a Christmas parade, while an Indian parliamentarian went to parliament dressed as Adolf Hitler. The youth of today needs to be educated on global issues like WWII that wreaked havoc in every corner of the world. It seems they need to move out of their comfort zones of smartphones, laptops and social media and understand how the world developed over the years and sacrifices that people made.

Symbols of the Nazi regime

According to ABC AU, incidents involving insensitive use such symbols are not new to Thailand probably because of lack of awareness about the holocaust.

People look at swastikas and images of Hitler as items for decorative purposes and use them in various aspects of life from bars, restaurants, and motels to clothing. The problem faced by the girl band BNK48 is similar to that faced by a South Korean boy band BTS. One of its members wore a T-shirt that depicted the explosion of an atomic bomb and the band had to apologize.
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