MAE SAI, Thailand: A sample of letters exchanged between the parents and the 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach who have been trapped deep inside a cave in northern Thailand for two weeks.
The letters were brought out Friday night by divers who made an arduous 11-hour swim back and forth to a chamber where the boys and their coach have been stranded since June 23. In the letters, the boys are called by their nicknames by their families, and that is how they are now known by the public.
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A joint letter from the parents to coach Ekapol “Ake” Chanthawong:
“To Coach Ake,
Every dad and mom would like to ask Coach Ake to look after everyone. Coach Ake, don’t blame yourself. We want you to be relieved. Every dad and mom isn’t angry with you at all. And everyone understands and encourage you. Thank you for looking after the boys. Coach Ake went inside with them then you must come out, bringing them out safely as well.”
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Ake’s reply to the parents:
“To the parents of all the kids, right now the kids are all fine, the crews are taking good care. I promise I will care for the kids as best as possible. I want to say thanks for all the support and I want to apologize to the parents.”
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Ake’s letter to his own aunt and grandmother:
“To my aunt and grandmother, I am doing well, please don’t be too worried about me. Take care of yourselves. Aunt. Please tell grandmother to make vegetable dip and pork rind. Once I’m out, I’ll go eat. Love everyone.”
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A letter to Night, 14, from his parents:
“To Night,
Dad and mom are waiting to set up your birthday party. Quickly make yourself healthy. Mom knows that you can do it. You don’t have to think too much. Dad, Mom, Sister Nam, grandparents and all relatives give you encouragement always. Dad and mom love you.
Dad Boon, Mom O“
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Night’s reply:
“Night loves Dad and mom and brother, don’t worry about me. Night loves you all.”
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A letter to Adul, 14, from his parents:
“To Adul,
Dad and mom want to see your face. Dad and mom pray for you and friends so we can see you soon. After coming out of the cave, you must say thank to every officer. We want you to trust in God. Don’t be worried. Dad and mom are waiting until you come out.”
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Adul’s reply: “Right now you don’t have to worry about us. I miss you all, I want to leave quickly.”
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An addendum to coach Ake was included: “And for coach Ake, thank you for looking after the boys and led them to stay safely during the time of living in darkness.”
Letters from trapped boys in Thai cave tug at heartstrings
Letters from trapped boys in Thai cave tug at heartstrings
- Dozens of divers have arrived at the cave on Sunday morning
- Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days
Fans bid farewell to Japan’s only pandas
TOKYO: Panda lovers in Tokyo said goodbye on Sunday to a hugely popular pair of the bears that are set to return to China, leaving Japan without the beloved animals for the first time in half a century.
Loaned out as part of China’s “panda diplomacy” program, the distinctive black-and-white animals have symbolized friendship between Beijing and Tokyo since the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1972.
Some visitors at Ueno Zoological Gardens were left teary-eyed as they watched Japan’s only two pandas Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao munch on bamboo.
The animals are expected to leave for China on Tuesday following a souring of relations between Asia’s two largest economies.
“I feel like seeing pandas can help create a connection with China too, so in that sense I really would like pandas to come back to Japan again,” said Gen Takahashi, 39, a Tokyo resident who visited the zoo with his wife and their two-year-old daughter.
“Kids love pandas as well, so if we could see them with our own eyes in Japan, I’d definitely want to go.”
The pandas’ abrupt return was announced last month after Japan’s conservative premier Sanae Takaichi hinted Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of any attack on Taiwan.
Her comment provoked the ire of Beijing, which regards the island as its own territory.
The 4,400 lucky winners of an online lottery took turns viewing the four-year-old twins at Ueno zoo while others gathered nearby, many sporting panda-themed shirts, bags and dolls to celebrate the moment.
Mayuko Sumida traveled several hours from the central Aichi region in the hope of seeing them despite not winning the lottery.
“Even though it’s so big, its movements are really funny-sometimes it even acts kind of like a person,” she said, adding that she was “totally hooked.”
“Japan’s going to be left with zero pandas. It feels kind of sad,” she said.
Their departure might not be politically motivated, but if pandas return to Japan in the future it would symbolize warming relations, said Masaki Ienaga, a professor at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University and expert in East Asian international relations.
“In the future...if there are intentions of improving bilateral ties on both sides, it’s possible that (the return of) pandas will be on the table,” he told AFP.
