Arrest warrant issued for human rights activist

By THE NATION

 

Photo credit from facebook Andy Hall

 

BANGKOK SOUTH Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for rights activist Andy Hall on Tuesday, after he failed to show up for a court session.

 

The arrest warrant is to ensure he attends court to hear an Appeals Court verdict on multiple appeals against a September 20, 2016, criminal conviction.

 

Hall was sentenced then to four years’ imprisonment (reduced by one year and suspended for two years) and ordered to pay a fine of Bt200,000 (reduced to Bt150,000) after being convicted on criminal defamation and Computer Crimes Act charges. The conviction is related to a complaint filed by a Thai pineapple company, Natural Fruit Company, in 2013.

 

The lawsuit is related to Hall’s interviews with workers for a Finnwatch report, published in 2013. The interviewees alleged labour abuse which, when published by Finnwatch, resulted in Natural Fruit’s legal action.

 

Finnwatch is a non-governmental organisation focused on global corporate responsibility.

 

Should Hall fail to appear at Bangkok South Criminal Court again on May 31, the Appeals Court verdict may be read in absentia.

 

“We remain hopeful the Appeals Court will acquit Andy of all these charges. The charges against him stem from his legitimate work as a human rights defender and migrant worker rights activist. He is not a criminal,” said Sonja Vartiala, executive director of Finnwatch.

 

Hall is no longer resident in Thailand. He said he was not formally summonsed to attend the Court session on Tuesday.

 

Hall left Thailand shortly after his conviction claiming unbearable judicial harassment when additional criminal charges were filed against him by a chicken farm, Thammakaset Company Ltd, in November 2016. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30343854

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-4-24

 

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please continue here:

 

Thai court issues arrest warrant for human rights activist Andy Hall

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1035244-thai-court-issues-arrest-warrant-for-human-rights-activist-andy-hall/

Good luck to them serving it. I very much doubt Andy is going to come back.

Sadly that represents a win for the firms he was exposing. One can only hope another champion of the downtrodden will appear to take his place.

Far too many piss takers here, who use defamation laws to protect themselves from their illegal behaviour, while the Government does close to nothing to stop it.

I really hope Andy goes to press about this and starts making a noise about this as the more people see and hear about the reality of Thailand and its corruption and injustice the better.....

 

 

30 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

BANGKOK SOUTH Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for rights activist Andy Hall on Tuesday, after he failed to show up for a court session.

Own goal after own goal.

 

Andy Hall has exposed the horrific treatment of migrant workers and the abuses they suffer and those concerned want to hush it up.

 

Yet every move they make just brings the abuse back into the spotlight.

 

More please...

Edited April 24, 20188 yr by Bluespunk

1 hour ago, mark131v said:

I really hope Andy goes to press about this and starts making a noise about this as the more people see and hear about the reality of Thailand and its corruption and injustice the better.....

 

 

I suspect others affected, like Andrew Drummond and Jonathan Head of the BBC are already typing away. Mr. Hall will undoubtedly have some things to say on the matter, away from the threat of incarceration for speaking the truth, so I think you will get your wish.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

convicted on criminal defamation and Computer Crimes Act charges

Ah Yes! Those wondrous Acts, found in this form, only in Thailand, that allow you to steal, lie, cheat and generally commit whatever crime you like, but still be able to imprison those who expose what you are up to. Given the widely known nefarious nature it is normally used for, little surprising a Government with at least some intelligence hasn't repealed them.

Sanctions - hit them where it hurts.

 

Wait till the UK tell Thailand exactly what they can do with an extradition order ! (obviously that will take 20 years to get organised)

Andy was in a position to make a difference and that is exactly what he did

 

 

Thailand  overestimates how much the west is willing to put up with, they are on a watch list probably a notch above Cambodia and Myanmar which is a serious slight on a country that claims to be "hubs" in the region, they are a hub of nothing - have done nothing and when you dig really deep are probably the most corrupt in the region............they are just experts at hiding it.

 

Has Thailand got its own brand car ?

Has Thailand got its own brand mobile phone ?

Has Thailand got its own brand anything ?

NO...................why ?

 

Because of corruption, Thailand has not been allowed to develop like other countries in the region, money that should have been going to infrastructure education and development has been going straight into pockets as those in control enrich themselves, elected governments or otherwise .... makes no difference - the whole lot of them are thieving from the people 

 

it is time that the west stood up to the sweat shops and abuse that we all know goes on - India - China_ Thailand and many more.....................   

please continue here:

 

Thai court issues arrest warrant for human rights activist Andy Hall

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1035244-thai-court-issues-arrest-warrant-for-human-rights-activist-andy-hall/