Embattled Prachatai Director Chiranuch Wins Award

[Lite Beer]

Embattled Prachatai director Chiranuch wins international Courage in Journalism Award

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation on Sunday.

Embattled director of Prachatai.com on-line newspaper Chiranuch Premchaiporn was among three female journalists who won the 2011 Courage in Journalism Award given by the International Women's Media Foundation.

Chiranuch, who is currently on bail and fighting charges under the computer-crime act due to alleged lese majeste remarks posted on the Web board she administers, was praised for her "extraordinary dedication".

The two other awardees facing pending danger and threats and political pressure are Adela Navarro Bello of Mexico and Parisa Hafezi of Iran.

All three were praised for their "extraordinary dedication covering violence, corruption and social unrest in their countries".

"We are proud to recognise these brave women, who endure the most incredible trials to shed light on the events vital to the nations in which they live," IWMF executive director Liza Gross said in a statement. "They exemplify the crucial role of the press in society."

They will be "honoured" in Los Angeles and New York in October, the statement said.

Adela Navarro Bello, general director and columnist for Zeta news magazine in Mexico, reports on the escalating violence and corruption in the border city of Tijuana. Navarro Bello, 42, "has refused to remain silent, despite repeated warnings that she is being targeted by drug cartels", the statement said.

Parisa Hafezi, bureau chief for Reuters in Iran, "has been beaten, harassed and detained while covering public opposition to the government. Hafezi, 41, is under constant surveillance. Government officials have raided her home and office and threatened her".

Chiranuch, 43, the statement cited, "faces up to 70 years in prison for anti-government comments posted on her website. She has been repeatedly arrested, her offices have been raided and her website has been blocked multiple times by the Thai government".

"We at the IWMF are thrilled to honour these extraordinary journalists who have risked everything to tell the important stories of their time and place," said Judy Woodruff of the PBS NewsHour programme and chair of the IWMF Courage in Journalism Awards.

The Courage in Journalism Awards honour women journalists who show extraordinary strength of character and integrity while reporting under dangerous circumstances. Including this year's honourees, 72 journalists have won Courage Awards and 20 journalists have been honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Despite the sensitivity and censorship over the lese majeste related issue, Chiranuch's and Prachatai.com's struggle are now being covered and discussed more widely abroad and domestically on Thai mainstream mass media.

-- The Nation 2011-05-15

[jayboy]

It's becoming increasingly clear that the repressive nature of the Thai establishment is becoming much better understood throughout the world, particularly its attempts at censorship and restriction of freedom of political expression.This includes but is not limited to the discredited and anachronistic lese majeste laws.It's no good pointing to countries in the region with worse records like China and Burma.Thailand is judged by higher standards.

[aaacorp]

Soon the anti-red posters will wake up and certainly say that this is stupid, that one more time the whole world have a biaised opinion on thailand politics and will certainly find a way to bash TEO ....but to early now....

Edited May 15, 2011 by aaacorp

[AleG]

Soon the anti-red posters will wake up and certainly say that this is stupid, that one more time the whole world have a biaised opinion on thailand politics and will certainly find a way to bash TEO ....but to early now....

I suppose I could be called anti-red, and I agree this is stupid. The charges and harassment of Ms. Chiranuch it is. The laws and enforcement of such as related to this case are indeed idiotic and counter productive.

Is there any other strawman you may wish to present us?

[Buchholz]

Soon the anti-red posters will wake up and certainly say that this is stupid

Is Chiranuch a Red Shirt?

[janverbeem]

I think it says enough when Thailand is named in the same context with Mexico and Iran.Seems only North Korea and Birma are missing from the list,or maybe they have improved over Thailand.

[animatic]

She has been accused of LM for not quickly enough removing LM posts on her web site put there by others.

I have had the feeling for sometime there was an organized effort to shut her openminded forum down, because it was open minded, and was a detriment to a certain persons return. So a boiler room operation was directed to overwhelm her site with LM content while pointing sympathetic police at the site at perfectly timed moments of overload. This appeared to happen twice.

It also had the desired affect of allowing spin to make the government LOOK oppressive for shutting it down. And has anyone who was posting this 'SOURCE LM content' been hung out to dry, or only some little people who comment around it?

But there is a difference between watermelon police working to silence dissenting opinions, and 'the government' directing the same for completely opposite reasons.

Glad she got the award. Embattled is the perfect phrase for this.

Edited May 15, 2011 by animatic

[anterian]

If the basic laws against slander and libel exist, what is the justification for an LM law. If it is deemed improper for a Royal to take direct personal action in such an instance then surely a person can be appointed to act on their behalf? At the moment anyone with a grudge or target in mind has the right to become a self appointed defender of the Royal honour.

[animatic]

If the basic laws against slander and libel exist, what is the justification for an LM law. If it is deemed improper for a Royal to take direct personal action in such an instance then surely a person can be appointed to act on their behalf? At the moment anyone with a grudge or target in mind has the right to become a self appointed defender of the Royal honour.

I think that may be the real problem.

So what agency should be in charge.

Some of course would prefer the Thaksin Cabinet and others the Abhisit Cabinet.

Yet others the Privy Council Bureau, and others the Sangha, or the DSI and only the DSI. Others might think anyone BUT the DSI .

Edited May 15, 2011 by animatic

[metisdead]

Posts with reference to HM the King have been removed. Speculation, comments and discussion of either a political or personal nature are not allowed when discussing HM The King or the Royal family.

[rreddin]

She has been accused of LM for not quickly enough removing LM posts on her web site put there by others.

I have had the feeling for sometime there was an organized effort to shut her openminded forum down, because it was open minded, and was a detriment to a certain persons return. So a boiler room operation was directed to overwhelm her site with LM content while pointing sympathetic police at the site at perfectly timed moments of overload. This appeared to happen twice.

It also had the desired affect of allowing spin to make the government LOOK oppressive for shutting it down. And has anyone who was posting this 'SOURCE LM content' been hung out to dry, or only some little people who comment around it?

But there is a difference between watermelon police working to silence dissenting opinions, and 'the government' directing the same for completely opposite reasons.

Glad she got the award. Embattled is the perfect phrase for this.

"It also had the desired affect of allowing spin to make the government LOOK oppressive for shutting it down. And has anyone who was posting this 'SOURCE LM content' been hung out to dry, or only some little people who comment around it?", but only if your "feeling" is correct.

Until some compelling and verifyable evidence is found, we shall never know if it was "watermelon police working to silence dissenting opinions" or "'the government' directing the same for completely opposite reasons". Either way, it does not show the LOS on the best light.

I, too, am glad she got the award.

[jesse89]

She has been accused of LM for not quickly enough removing LM posts on her web site put there by others.

I have had the feeling for sometime there was an organized effort to shut her openminded forum down, because it was open minded, and was a detriment to a certain persons return. So a boiler room operation was directed to overwhelm her site with LM content while pointing sympathetic police at the site at perfectly timed moments of overload. This appeared to happen twice.

It also had the desired affect of allowing spin to make the government LOOK oppressive for shutting it down. And has anyone who was posting this 'SOURCE LM content' been hung out to dry, or only some little people who comment around it?

But there is a difference between watermelon police working to silence dissenting opinions, and 'the government' directing the same for completely opposite reasons.

Glad she got the award. Embattled is the perfect phrase for this.

I believe that you are correct in saying that there was an organized effort to shut the observant Prachatai Forum down, however, Chiranuch Premchaiporn herself has stated that the threats that she received were from the military and from the state post the 2006 coup.

http://asiapacific.a...-prachatai-com/

Perhaps there is another agenda behind attempting to silence Prachatai, a news forum that has been rather critical of the 2006 coup and the questionable establishment of the Democrat led government?

Edited May 15, 2011 by jesse89

[tigermonkey]

She has been accused of LM for not quickly enough removing LM posts on her web site put there by others.

I have had the feeling for sometime there was an organized effort to shut her openminded forum down, because it was open minded, and was a detriment to a certain persons return. So a boiler room operation was directed to overwhelm her site with LM content while pointing sympathetic police at the site at perfectly timed moments of overload. This appeared to happen twice.

It also had the desired affect of allowing spin to make the government LOOK oppressive for shutting it down. And has anyone who was posting this 'SOURCE LM content' been hung out to dry, or only some little people who comment around it?

But there is a difference between watermelon police working to silence dissenting opinions, and 'the government' directing the same for completely opposite reasons.

Glad she got the award. Embattled is the perfect phrase for this.

You really go too far with your conspiracy theories driven by your Taksinphobia. According to you, every problem in Thailand is the result of of a Taksin conspiracy, If Taksin were truly so omnipresent, he would not now be in self-imposed exile. There are other forces at work in Thailand, and blaming Taksin for everything only directs attention away from the true source of the problem -- in this case the LM legislation.

Taksin is not behind every bush, under every rock and in every tree -- how do you sleep at night thinking that Taksin might be under your pillow ?. Taksin is a spent force. Open your eyes and move on.

[jayboy]

Interesting article in the other paper this morning by former Bangkok senator,Jon Ungphakorn covering lese majeste and the related subject of the military's self regarding exploitation of these laws.He points out the amazingly progressive steps taken by King Chulalongkorn in the late nineteenth century to end anachronistic feudal practices, a trend followed by his successors including the present sovereign.But it has always been the military that has ramped up and encouraged penalties for LM so that it can be seen as protecting the supreme institution - whereas of course it is primarily working for its own political and business interests.Khun Jon argues that the current meddling and interference by the military invoking the same old dishonest excuses, is designed to influence the result of the forthcoming election.The tragedy is that this selfishness and greed is likely to have precisely the opposite effect of what is the purported intent.

[jayboy]

The disgraceful abuse of lese majeste laws is highlighted in The Nation, emphasizing the need for root and branch reform.This issue is going mainstream no matter what the military cheerleaders in the country would like.The young people of Thailand take a different view.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/100-young-writers-join-forces-calling-for-change-i-30155861.html

[Emptyset]

Thanks Jayboy. It's nice to see more & more people coming out against LM. Prachatai (http://www.prachatai.com/english/) has details of an NHRC conference on LM, with testimonies from those affected. David Streckfuss suggests there may be as many as 200 in jail for it.