Lese Majeste Complaint Filed Against The Foreign Correspondents Club Of Thailand

[sriracha john]

Woman Seeks Police Action against FCCT

A woman has filed a complaint with the police against the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand for selling VCDs of the alleged lese majeste speech by a former PM's Office Minister and translating a red-shirt leader's alleged lese majeste speeches into English and distributing them.

57-year-old Lackana Kornsilapa, who works as translator and adviser to a private company, filed a lese majeste suit at the Lumpini police station against Jonathan Head, BBC correspondent to Asia, and the 13 board members of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, or FCCT.

She alleged the accused had conspired to sell VCDs of the alleged lese majeste speech by former PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair, given at the FCCT on August 29, 2007.

Moreover, the group also translated alleged lese majeste speeches by red-shirt leaders Veera Musikapong, and Nutthawut Saigua into English.

Lackana said she filed this complaint as a Thai national who respects and loves the Monarchy. She added that the FCCT may be attempting to smear the image of the Monarchy and damage Thailand with this action and noted a Thai newspaper may be involved.

-- Tan Network 2009-07-01

[sriracha john]

the alleged lese majeste speech by former PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair, given at the FCCT on August 29, 2007.

Multiple posts across multiple threads have been made previously on the above.

A post-by-post review of them is available here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/search.html&...Bjakrapob++lese

Edited July 1, 2009 by sriracha john

[jumnien]

Will she reveal who put her up to this? Or where she launders her yellow shirts?

[jackdanielsesq]

The BBC?! Perish the thought!!

BR>Jack

[Briggsy]

Another attempt to intimidate the press. Surprisingly it is sometimes successful. Both the BBC and CNN have admitted they chose not to report some issues or report issues differently for fear their Thai-based staff would fall foul of Thai law.

[jackdanielsesq]

It is always amazing to me why one, anyone, would even go down that road - its like trying crack or horse -

ya life is over, man. This is not Bonnie Britain, where they all take swipes at the Royals all the time. Stop.

Why jeopardize you livelihood, health and very freedom, so that some equally misguided wonk can praise you

for being first to badmouth or even being suspected of it. You want to stay off as many computer databases

as possible - once its there, its not going away. Same/same the Net.

Everything that is published here, remains public knowledge - no matter how hard one scrubs the HDD's

Besides, it shows really bad face and lack of class.

BR>Jack

[animatic]

Sounds like she might have just lost her job.

Or lost face via anyone of the charged persons.

Revenge is a woman scorned etc.

The question is the leanings of the police general who took the case and proceeded...

Likely this will be backfiring on those attempting this.

It is no longer a simple national issue, but this makes it international.

There are only so many international periodicals and TV channels

that Thailand can ban for talking about facts, before wiser heads prevail...

Edited July 1, 2009 by animatic

[samgrowth]

Go Lackana Kornsilapa go.

Go to ----.

[Netfan]

The never ending lack of common sense and foresight here never ceases to amaze. This should shoot Thailand up a few notches on the countries where free speech and journalism are stifled list.

[animatic]

Might explain Johnathan Head's new posting to Turkey...?

Edit:

Please also see this post:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Lese-Majeste...01#entry2844001

mario2008.

[Rinrada]

BBC has been banned in Burma and now Iran....maybe T/Land just trying to copy...

they do say say immitation is the niceness form of flattery...or sumit like that.

anyway ..free speech=democracy=libery ...took us some time so LOS just need a bit more leeway......

phuu cha cha ..like

[slimdog]

Might explain Johnathan Head's new posting to Turkey...?

Any chance of a source for this..

[Texpat]

It reflects the incessant, implacable urge to be right.

Everyone knows the truth but some just have to say it ... cross the line in the sand ... with their pinkie.

Look at how courageous and brave we are. ... blah blah....

These reports are childish. Anyone that matters has known the truth since at least 2006.

[jeffer]

From BBC News of the Future...

"The BBC is not permitted to broadcast from inside Thailand so our correspondent Jonathan Head reports to us now on the latest turmoil to hit Thailand from a location near the Thai-Cambodian border... Jonathan, good morning, what can you tell us?"

[Texpat]

Bloody hero!

Courage of a lion!

Gimme a break.

[rixalex]

Will she reveal who put her up to this? Or where she launders her yellow shirts?

Any yet another incarnation bites the dust.

[animatic]

Might explain Johnathan Head's new posting to Turkey...?

Any chance of a source for this..

I was being ironic, based on this concept being bandied about in another thread or two this week.

Some just don't get ironic commentary, and some just get ignored mostly.

Edited July 1, 2009 by animatic

[Krungthepian]

Another report...

Lese majeste claim

FCCT board members face police probe

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation 2-7-09 (page B1)

For the first time in its five-decade history, the whole board of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) has been accused of committing lese majeste, a crime with a maximum jail sentence of 15 years.

Laksana Kornsilpa, 57, a translator and a critic of ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra filed a lese majeste complaint against the 13-member board at Lumpini police station on Tuesday night.

Laksana was quoted on ASTV Manager website as claiming the board’s decision to sell DVD copies of Jakrapob Penkair’s controversial speech at the club back in 2007 constituted an act of lese majeste.

She alleged that the whole board “may be acting in an organised fashion and the goal may be to undermine the credibility of the high institution of Thailand”.

ASTV Manager daily also quoted Laksana as saying some major local newspapers may also part of a movement to undermine the monarchy.

FCCT president Marwaan MacanMarkar said the board members have decided not to give separate interviews. It issued a statement saying: “The FCCT will cooperate with such an inquiry [by the police].”

The board, includes three British nationals including the BBC’s Bangkok correspondent Jonathan Head, three American nationals, including two working for Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, an Australian national and a Thai news reader for Channel 3, Karuna Buakamsri.

Social critic and lese majeste case defendant Sulak Sivaraksa, reacting to the news, told The Nation yesterday that “the problem of [abusing] lese majeste law is now utterly messy”.

“The fact that leading world intellectuals like Noam Chomsky and others have petitioned to [PM] Abhisit [Vejjajiva to reform the law] is a testimony to it. If we let it goes on like this it will get even messier. It’s time for the government to do something.”

A source within the FCCT, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was “surprised” at the latest allegation, which came after two years of the speech being made, adding that “it places Thailand in a very poor light”.

DVDs were set up largely for club members who missed interesting talks and sales are restricted solely for FCCT members. Few copies of the Jakrapob talk are understood to have been sold because a manuscript of his talk circulated in Bangkok shortly after he was charged, and the video can be downloaded free from some websites.

In the comments’ section on ASTV Manager’s website, most posters expressed support for Laksana and praised her for the move.

One said: “Put them in jail for 99 years.”

Another asked the site to post a picture of Jonathan Head so the person could attack him if he or she ran into him.

======

[baht&sold]

A 3rd party informs JH had a going away party on June 20th and also that this has ZERO to do with current or past events, rather just a standard rotation. IF true, one wishes him well.

[TheWalkingMan]

I have said it once and I'll say it again. Anyone who files a Lese Majeste complaint should be willing to go to prison (you can make bail), until the case is cleared, as this accusation is so controversial. If you believe that something so insulting, so hurtful to the kingdom, then you should be willing to sacrifice yourself. If the people are found innocent, then the accuser should do the time.

[wolf5370]

BBC has been banned in Burma and now Iran....maybe T/Land just trying to copy...

they do say say immitation is the niceness form of flattery...or sumit like that.

anyway ..free speech=democracy=libery ...took us some time so LOS just need a bit more leeway......

phuu cha cha ..like

Don't forget Zimbabwe.

In Britain we have the D Notice and Greg Dyke being saked on Government orders for airing that interview.

In the USA, land of the free, we have the Patriot Act.

If freedom of speech existed, it don't any more.

I guess this will probably go nowhere - as it was being kept to members only (the press). I think foreign press should start using translation services in their own countries from now on and stay clear of Thai companies, easy for things to be misconstrued and personal political feeling to overtake expected profesionalism and client confidentiality.

Edited July 1, 2009 by wolf5370

[samgrowth]

Just because Lackana Kornsilap have done something right, according to the law of the country, out of love of HM, does that make her a bad person?

Or should Thai people turn a blind eye, or too afraid to speak out, just because the alleged guilty party is a Farang organization?

The majority of the Thailand are simply afraid of Franag, and threat them as King.

[jonclark]

out of love of HM, does that make her a bad person?

Prove this was done out of love of HM!! and not for a different reason.

If I read the OP correctly and excuse the paraphrasing, the charges are being laid against the FCCT for selling DVDs, as the DVDs' contain content which 'insult' the monarchy namely the infamous speech given by Jakrapob.

If the content of the DVD is therefore the source of the charge, is it not therefore reasonable to conclude that website which provide the content of the speech i.e. youtube etc (and there are many others). should be charged under the same law.

If so, why single out the FCCT for individual treatment? Web availablity provides far wider distribution and anyone with half a brain can access it. Unlike the DVDs at the FCCT which were sold to members only?

[LongborgP]

out of love of HM, does that make her a bad person?

Prove this was done out of love of HM!! and not for a different reason.

If I read the OP correctly and excuse the paraphrasing, the charges are being laid against the FCCT for selling DVDs, as the DVDs' contain content which 'insult' the monarchy namely the infamous speech given by Jakrapob.

If the content of the DVD is therefore the source of the charge, is it not therefore reasonable to conclude that website which provide the content of the speech i.e. youtube etc (and there are many others). should be charged under the same law.

If so, why single out the FCCT for individual treatment? Web availablity provides far wider distribution and anyone with half a brain can access it. Unlike the DVDs at the FCCT which were sold to members only?

As far as the source for providing the content of the speech, isn't that the FCCT itself? Don't they record their meetings themselves? The youtube etc. only display submitted videos, they don't provide the content and that would have been the FCCT-produced video.

If the FCCT produced and sold the video of a speech by Jakrapob and Jakrapob's case is determined to be that of lese majeste, then it follows that FCCT would be guilty of distributing it. This case will depend upon the outcome of Jakrapob's case.

[AleG]

out of love of HM, does that make her a bad person?

Prove this was done out of love of HM!! and not for a different reason.

Correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't the King himself expressed his desire to revoke the lese mageste laws?

[Mario2008]

We allow the discussion of the case, but keep the monarchy out of the discussion. We are not going to discuss what His Majesty said or not. I hope that is clear

[samran]

Might explain Johnathan Head's new posting to Turkey...?

Any chance of a source for this..

I was being ironic, based on this concept being bandied about in another thread or two this week.

Some just don't get ironic commentary, and some just get ignored mostly.

yeah, but he is going to Turkey. Heard it from him first hand (though he wouldn't know/remember me from a bar of soap).

Edited July 2, 2009 by samran

[Scott]

It seems this charge is easier to catch than the swine flu. If your in the same room or near anyone, if you nod your head, you too can get charged.

I fully understand the right of any gov't to protect it's institutions. I just don't know if the heads of the police are the best ones to decide if a crime has been committed in this case.

[webfact]

Might explain Johnathan Head's new posting to Turkey...?

Any chance of a source for this..

I was being ironic, based on this concept being bandied about in another thread or two this week.

Some just don't get ironic commentary, and some just get ignored mostly.

yeah, but he is going to Turkey. Heard it from him first hand (though he wouldn't know/remember me from a bar of soap).

Do they have balconies in Turkey as well?

[grantbkk]

BBC has been banned in Burma and now Iran....maybe T/Land just trying to copy...

they do say say immitation is the niceness form of flattery...or sumit like that.

anyway ..free speech=democracy=libery ...took us some time so LOS just need a bit more leeway......

phuu cha cha ..like

"Amazing Thailand - Burma With Electricity" The new tag line from the Tourist Authority of Thailand

We can expect the same mobile telephone video from Thailand on the BBC that we saw in Iran recently and earlier in Burma.

Edited July 2, 2009 by grantbkk