"Operation Mekong," a Hong Kong-Chinese production based on the Mekong Massacre, could be banned in Thailand if it features content that portrays the country in bad light, according to Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
"I have ordered authorities to check the content of Operation Mekong. If it is damaging, it will be banned," The Bangkok Post quoted Chan-o-cha as saying. The action-thriller is helmed by "To the Fore" director Dante Lam and is slated to hit theaters in Hong Kong on Friday.
"Operation Mekong" is a true story that follows the tragic events of the Mekong Massacre, when 13 Chinese sailors were brutally murdered by a notorious drug kingpin in the Golden Triangle, one of Asia's biggest drug trafficking regions. The incident took place on the Mekong River in the morning of Oct. 5, 2011.
All 13 victims of the massacre were on board by two Chinese cargo ships when they were attacked and killed by a Myanmar drug-trafficking ring. They were found blindfolded, handcuffed and dumped in the river by Thai river police in the northernmost province of Chiang Rai.
The attack is deemed as the deadliest one on Chinese nationals overseas in modern times. After a joint investigation conducted by authorities from China, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, a notorious drug lord Naw Khan and his gang were found responsible for the attack, which they carried out in collusion with Thai soldiers, according to China Film Insider.
Khan, 44, initially blamed Thai soldiers for the massacre, but later pleaded guilty to the charges before changing his plea again at the appeal hearing. He was sentenced to death for his crimes along with three accomplices, including a Thai national, and were executed by lethal injection in China in 2013.
"Operation Mekong's" cast includes Eddie Peng, Zhang Hanyu and Jonathan Wu (Chen Baoquo). Watch the film's trailer below: