Picture courtesy of Bangkokpost 

 

An Australian journalist based in Hat Yai is set to stand trial in Thailand on 22 December after being indicted for allegedly defaming the Malaysian government. The charge stems from a complaint filed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) concerning four critical articles posted by Murray Hunter on his Substack blog. His indictment has drawn attention across the region, with legal advocates noting the potential implications for cross-border actions against journalists.

 

Mr Hunter was arrested on 29 September at Suvarnabhumi Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong. He spent one night in custody before being released on 20,000 baht bail, with his passport confiscated and he is required to remain in Bangkok while legal proceedings continue. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) described the complaint as a “transnational SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) case”, alleging it aims to silence criticism rather than secure a genuine legal remedy.

 

The MCMC’s original complaint dates back to April 2024, when it accused Mr Hunter of “slanderous postings” that claimed the commission acted beyond its jurisdiction for personal interests and was influenced by the Pakatan Harapan government. The posts also alleged that the commission and police were attempting to intimidate the public, accusations the MCMC “categorically rejected”. Mr Hunter said the High Court in Malaysia later issued a civil defamation finding against him without his knowledge.

 

Thai authorities upgraded the matter to criminal defamation, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 baht. Rights groups have expressed longstanding concerns about Thailand’s involvement in a regional “swap mart” mechanism, whereby neighbouring governments cooperate to pursue dissidents and critics across borders. This case is believed to be the first time Thailand has applied its defamation laws to a journalist on behalf of a foreign government.

 

Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights & Labor Advocates, criticised Malaysia’s pursuit of the case and Thailand’s cooperation. He warned that Thailand’s media-freedom reputation could suffer, urging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene with prosecutors. His comments reflect broader concerns among rights advocates about growing transnational repression in Southeast Asia.

 

The Bangkok Post reported that the Thai government has promoted its updated anti-corruption law, the Organic Act on Anti-Corruption (No.2), BE 2568 (2025), as offering greater protection to individuals targeted by SLAPP actions. The legislation is intended to strengthen safeguards for whistleblowers and encourage public participation in exposing corruption. How these protections will apply to cases with international dimensions remains to be seen as Mr Hunter’s trial approaches.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Murray Hunter faces trial in Thailand on 22 December after being indicted for allegedly defaming the Malaysian government.

• Rights groups say the case highlights concerns about cross-border repression and Thailand’s role in regional cooperation targeting critics.

• Thailand’s updated anti-corruption law includes expanded SLAPP protections, though their impact on this case is uncertain.

 

Original Story

 

Australian-arrested-in-Thailand-claims-cross-border-repression

 

 

  Adapted  by  Asean  Now from Bangkokpost 2025-11-19

 

 

 

 

Skimming through his articles they seem fairly tame. He's just calling out a shady corporation, nothing new in SEA. 
 

Not really sure why some foreigners insist on doing this political stance thing when their own country is a dumpster fire.

6 minutes ago, chawbdurian said:

Not really sure why some foreigners insist on doing this political stance thing when their own country is a dumpster fire.

You see a lot of that disrespectful behaviour on this forum. 

 

Lots of Thai bashers here. 

 

It's a bloody joke, they leave their sh.it hole country behind, reside in Thailand and complain about this and that. 

 

Juveniles, these guys never grow up 

 

Malaysia worried about their good name 

 

What about that " fund " .....I forget the name !

25 minutes ago, Jim Blue said:

Malaysia worried about their good name 

 

What about that " fund " .....I forget the name !

1MDB

 

1MDB: Malaysia's global corruption scandal

So where's the wunnerful Oz guvamint when it's needed?

Seems S.E.A. in general is scared of the truth being published

10 minutes ago, JoePai said:

Seems S.E.A. in general is scared of the truth being published

Is that part of the USA as that's the modus operandi there now?

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Thai authorities upgraded the matter to criminal defamation

How can Thailand upgrade Malaysian charges, is this even legally possible?

Let's say I have a charge for shoplifting in Malaysia, and Thai authorities arrest me to be tried because of some cross-border agreement, except now Thailand changed my charge to burglary...

 

Like America, free speech is being crushed everywhere!

20 minutes ago, Brettoj said:

Like America, free speech is being crushed everywhere!

And Britain and Gernamy and ............................................................ so many.

Foreign journalist in SE Asia is not a profession I would want. Especially if honest, that is the kiss of death.

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

stand trial in Thailand on 22 December after being indicted for allegedly defaming the Malaysian government

Why should the Thai government pay to prosecute the alleged defamer when he is not accused of defaming Thailand?

Thailand and Malaysia maintain formal extradition arrangements that facilitate the transfer of individuals accused or convicted of crimes between the two neighboring countries. The extradition relationship between these nations traces back to a treaty signed in 1911 that was later applied to Malaysian territories through a 1992 order. 

Require Malaysia to request extradition for Hunter and deport him to Malaysia. End of alleged problem without further time and costs. 

 

2 hours ago, Brettoj said:

Like America, free speech is being crushed everywhere!

 

I think this is due to the internet. Before online forums it was hard to express one's opinion in public. The best you could do was a soapbox on a street corner or a letter to the editor. The Powers-in-Charge were not too concerned, however, since the internet arrived and people can voice their opinion to millions then that has become a big problem for the people that want to maintain control.

Theres a good podcast interview with him about this.

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Why should the Thai government pay to prosecute the alleged defamer when he is not accused of defaming Thailand?

Thailand and Malaysia maintain formal extradition arrangements that facilitate the transfer of individuals accused or convicted of crimes between the two neighboring countries. The extradition relationship between these nations traces back to a treaty signed in 1911 that was later applied to Malaysian territories through a 1992 order. 

Require Malaysia to request extradition for Hunter and deport him to Malaysia. End of alleged problem without further time and costs. 

 

I suspect a good little earner is on the way.

10 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

This case is believed to be the first time Thailand has applied its defamation laws to a journalist on behalf of a foreign government.

 

China won't be far behind. This gives cover for them, now. 

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) has denounced the arrest and extraordinary way of using the Thai criminal law on behalf of a foreign government. It calls for the charges to be dropped immediately. Unfortunately, most of these FCCT statements are ignored. by the Thai governments.

2 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) has denounced the arrest and extraordinary way of using the Thai criminal law on behalf of a foreign government. It calls for the charges to be dropped immediately. Unfortunately, most of these FCCT statements are ignored. by the Thai governments.

 

Now they can be charged with defamation, too.

1 minute ago, John Drake said:

 

Now they can be charged with defamation, too.

I don't think they repeated the so-called 'libel' - so probably not.

UPDATE
FCC Thailand Condemns Indictment of Australian Writer

 

Picture courtesy of FCC Thailand

 

The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) issued a statement on 19 Novembr, criticising the Thai authorities’ indictment of an Australian journalist and blogger, Murray Hu ter. The move has raised concerns among press freedom advocates about the legal pressures facing foreign media operating in Thailand.

 

FCCT Statement on the indictment, released on November 19, 2025

 

“The professional membership of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand is greatly concerned over the indictment of Murray Hunter, an Australian writer and blogger, by the Thai authorities. Mr Hunter was detained in September at Suvarnabhumi airport as he was about to leave the country. He has been charged with criminal defamation, after a complaint was filed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission over articles published by Mr. Hunter on his Substack blog.

 

His prosecution highlights the ease with which Thailand’s criminal defamation can be misused. The way the law operates is a serious threat to freedom of expression.

 

The MCMC has filed a civil defamation case against Mr. Hunter in Malaysia, but only filed a criminal case here in Thailand, where it is very unlikely that his blogs on the MCMC, written in English, would have been widely read. As a result, he has had his passport confiscated and been required to post bail while the case is pending. His trial is dues to start on 21 December.

 

Those convicted of violating the criminal defamation law face up to two years in jail, and they must go through trials sometimes lasting years, during which time they must cover all their legal costs and cannot leave the country. The bar for taking criminal defamation cases to trial is very low. Even if the published content over which the complaint has been filed can be shown to be accurate and fair, that is not sufficient to ensure an acquittal. It is rare for a Thai judge to dismiss a defamation complaint and Thai courts are tied up with thousands of ongoing trials for often frivolous charges.

 

The charges against Murray Hunter should be dropped, and he should be released immediately.”

 

Key Takeaways

 

• The FCC Thailand criticised the indictment of an Australian journalist in Hat Yai.

• The case involves alleged defamation related to reporting on a neighbouring government.

• The outcome may impact press freedom and reporting practices for foreign correspondents in Thailand.

 

 

 Adapted  by  Asean  Now from Khaosod 2025-11-19

 

14 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

“The professional membership of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand is greatly concerned over the indictment of Murray Hunter, an Australian writer and blogger, by the Thai authorities. Mr Hunter was detained in September at Suvarnabhumi airport as he was about to leave the country. He has been charged with criminal defamation, after a complaint was filed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission over articles published by Mr. Hunter on his Substack blog.

 

 

And the Chinese ambassador is now licking his lips.

On 11/19/2025 at 9:28 AM, FlorC said:

And Britain and Gernamy and ............................................................ so many.

UK tried ,most cases overturned on apeal

Maybe not overturned here, that only applies to fatcats. Malaysia mentions 'slander'. If one were to accept that path, it's 'libel'. Q: Does Malaysia have defamation laws? If not, that's a clear reason Malaysia wanted him arrested here.

 

Fortunately, nobody can really censor the Internet: VPN.

On 11/19/2025 at 4:31 AM, chawbdurian said:

Skimming through his articles they seem fairly tame. He's just calling out a shady corporation, nothing new in SEA. 
 

Not really sure why some foreigners insist on doing this political stance thing when their own country is a dumpster fire.

 

So only native-born reporters can comment on home-grown affairs? Australians on Australia, Malaysians on Malaysia? That's a quaint but rather parochial media you appear to like.

32 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Maybe not overturned here, that only applies to fatcats. Malaysia mentions 'slander'. If one were to accept that path, it's 'libel'. Q: Does Malaysia have defamation laws? If not, that's a clear reason Malaysia wanted him arrested here.

 

Fortunately, nobody can really censor the Internet: VPN.

 

Thus the myth of a VPN keeping you safe, secure and unknown online persists.

Off topic post and reply removed

8 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

So only native-born reporters can comment on home-grown affairs? Australians on Australia, Malaysians on Malaysia? That's a quaint but rather parochial media you appear to like.

Don't strawman me, people can comment on whatever they want.
 

My point is that he's meaningless risking his freedom over virtually nothing. The government is manipulating and silencing the media? Shocker! It's just stupid. What's even more asinine is that he's posting all this under his real name instead of anonymously. Either he's an old fool or desperate for clout. 
 

And I went through his substack; you don't see him complaining about Australia, how they're selling out their own people to Indians and Chinese. It's all just complaining about SEA. 

Ludicrous that Thailand will prosecute somebody for a crime not committed in Thailand.

 

At most, legally, they could deport him to Malaysia to face the alleged charges.

 

What Thailand is doing (in this case) seems totally beyond legality, and I suspect the Ozzie gov't will see that and disappear this guy in the very near future, back home to Oz.

7 hours ago, chawbdurian said:

Don't strawman me, people can comment on whatever they want.
 

My point is that he's meaningless risking his freedom over virtually nothing. The government is manipulating and silencing the media? Shocker! It's just stupid. What's even more asinine is that he's posting all this under his real name instead of anonymously. Either he's an old fool or desperate for clout. 
 

And I went through his substack; you don't see him complaining about Australia, how they're selling out their own people to Indians and Chinese. It's all just complaining about SEA. 

 

You should have stopped after the first paragraph as you appear to agree that some people are free to comment and otherwise do anything they can to highlight graft, regardless of who and where. It's what motivates them.

 

Since it appears there's a vacancy regarding drawing attention to Australian governmental malfeasance, maybe you are motivated enough to try and fill it? Apparently there's a "dumpster fire" going on down there.