Yingluck Sues Thai Rath Cartoonist For Defamation

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POLITICS
Yingluck sues Thai Rath cartoonist for defamation
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's lawyers on Friday seek legal action against Thai Rath cartoonist Chai Rachawat for comparing the premier to a prostitute.

The lawyers filed the complaint against the cartoonist at Dusit police station on Friday afternoon.

Chai, whose real name is Somchai Katanyutanan, posted photos of Yingluck in Mongolia and at a Thai parliamentary meeting and posted the message:

"Please understand that prostitutes are not bad women. Prostitutes only sell their bodies, but a bad woman has been wandering around trying to sell the country."

During her speech at the 7th Ministerial Conference on the International Democracies, Yingluck denounced the 2006 coup and attacked Thailand's independent organisations. She also talked about the suffering her family, the government of her brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, as well as slain red shirts had to endure following the coup and political violence in the country.

PM's Secretary General Suranan Vejjajiva said that while Yingluck was ready to listen to criticism, critics should be careful not to use inappropriate wording.

Suranan said the cartoonist not only insulted the prime minister but through his action was also looking down on women.

Pheu Thai Party female MPs led by Sunee Luangwichit and Yaowanit Piengket held a press conference condemning his action as professionally unscrupulous and unethical.

They called Chai's comment irresponsible and they called for an apology. They would also petition the Thai Journalists Association as well as related agencies to take action.

"Pheu Thai Party Women MPs regard Chai's message as a violation of women’s rights and a insult to women. On one hand, it accuses women of being whores who sell their bodies. Although the message does not refer to a specific person, it reflects the opinion of the author and this is insulting to the female gender. As women and men have equal rights, this kind of comment is very inappropriate and is a serious violation of his professional ethics," they said in the statement.


-- The Nation 2013-05-04

[JetsetBkk]

"Please understand that prostitutes are not bad women. Prostitutes only sell their bodies, but a bad woman has been wandering around trying to sell the country."

[gl555]

Poor fella. I did that once here and just got 24 hour account suspension.

[soi41]

"as men and women have equal rights, this kind of comment is very inappropiate"

So if he had mentioned male prostitutes and Chalerm, everything would have been politically correct??

[virtualtraveller]

No prostitution exists in Thailand. Never has. Sue away, the opposition will love the negative publicity it generates. Peua Thai MPs calling him professionally unscrupulous and unethical. Lovely bit of humour there!

[Zpete]

Small minded people, they give, but unable to take..........

[seminomadic]

Get a helmet, girlie.

If you feel so compelled to stanch criticism, do so at a press conference by either the merit of your argument or your wit.

You're a whining spoiled girl telling daddy to stop the neighborhood kids from picking on you. Weak.

[Pimay1]

Déjà vu all over again. Another Shinawatra suit against the media. Wonder how many million Baht they are requesting?

Edited May 3, 2013 by Pimay1

[pedro01]

"On one hand, it accuses women of being whores who sell their bodies"

Does it?

[LuckyLew]

Whores to not sell their bodies ... they just rent them by the hour ... or so I have heard

[thaicbr]

Whores to not sell their bodies ... they just rent them by the hour ... or so I have heard

CHEAP SKATE.. at least pay for 3 hours

[waza]

storm in a b cup

[JetsetBkk]

Whores to not sell their bodies ... they just rent them by the hour ... or so I have heard

No. It's free. The money is to make them leave afterwards.

[patongphil]

<deleted> a catoonist gets sued.

[Robby nz]

The Mrs tells me she is getting heaps again on facebook for this latest bit of silliness.

Still they must use every way possible to keep the rice mountain and its consequenses out of the news.

[GentlemanJim]

Phew

It's a good job they never started spitting image in Thailand!

Those were the days

and who could forget

[Thai at Heart]

Phew

It's a good job they never started spitting image in Thailand!

Those were the days

and who could forget

They had an attempt a few years ago. The producers were last seen under a pile of envelopes containing defamation suits.

[rubl]

To boldly go where others have gone before and failed.

I'm talking about our PM of course. Mind you as the PM made an official speech why did she have to mention her poor brother and the damage done to her family? Can the Thai nation sue her for forgetting her duty to the WHOLE Thai Nation?

[OzMick]

Somchai's statement makes a distinction between prostitutes and a bad woman wandering around trying to sell the country. Placing this statement beneath photos of Yingluk leads to the conclusion he is referring to her. Strangely, the PM's supporters jump to all sorts of unwarranted conclusions as to whom he is insulting, and how.

[jbrain]

What is wrong with describing the definition of a prostitute?

I don't see anywhere he said Yingluck is one.

About the second part of his statement, he might be right and deserve an award for it.

Edited May 3, 2013 by jbrain

[bigbamboo]

Phew

It's a good job they never started spitting image in Thailand!

Those were the days

and who could forget

Oh yes indeed!

Edited May 4, 2013 by Scott

[bigbamboo]

What is wrong with describing the definition of a prositute?

I don't see anywhere he said Yingluck is one.

About the second part of his statement, he might be right and deserve an award for it.

Exactly.

Looks like a case of someone not reading the thing through and jumping to conclusions.... a bit like on here!

[Thai at Heart]

Oooooh. Selling the country. That accusation normally reduces normally calm Thai people into apoplexy.

Being called a whore is quite mild in comparison.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[Sunderland]

Phew

It's a good job they never started spitting image in Thailand!

Those were the days

and who could forget

Politicians in Thailand are never seen enough to make it possible to make replica dummies out of the dummies.

Edited May 4, 2013 by Scott

[lemoncake]

Déjà vu all over again. Another Shinawatra suit against the media. Wonder how many million Baht they are requesting?

you should know by now this family does not deal with millions, only billions

millions are only for judges and in the box

[rubl]

""Please understand that prostitutes are not bad women. Prostitutes only sell their bodies, but a bad woman has been wandering around trying to sell the country.""

I don't know what was written in Thai, but in English it looks more a case for the prostitutes as they are thought to be like PM Yingluck whereas it's clear from the text that the prostitutes are NOT bad women

[WhizBang]

Standard Thaksin playbook: Sue anyone who critizes or disagrees with you. Hit them with a massive lawsuit to intimidate them and shut them up.

Deja vu.

[muttley]

""Please understand that prostitutes are not bad women. Prostitutes only sell their bodies, but a bad woman has been wandering around trying to sell the country.""

I don't know what was written in Thai, but in English it looks more a case for the prostitutes as they are thought to be like PM Yingluck whereas it's clear from the text that the prostitutes are NOT bad women

In your use of the English, you are implying PM Yingluck is a bad women - at least the cartoonist didn't mention the name Yingluck in this context - probably because he is aware of the defamation law, unlike yourself it seems.

[rubl]

""Please understand that prostitutes are not bad women. Prostitutes only sell their bodies, but a bad woman has been wandering around trying to sell the country.""

I don't know what was written in Thai, but in English it looks more a case for the prostitutes as they are thought to be like PM Yingluck whereas it's clear from the text that the prostitutes are NOT bad women

In your use of the English, you are implying PM Yingluck is a bad women - at least the cartoonist didn't mention the name Yingluck in this context - probably because he is aware of the defamation law, unlike yourself it seems.

Terribly sorry and all that. Excuses all over. Please understand I'm a Dutchman, a Dutch uncle even. I'm blunt by birth, nature, education. I lack a certain level of respect for official figures, even when not mocking them. To English that must be difficult to understand at times

BTW I might imply, but certainly I didn't say, now did I?

[Skywalker69]

Déjà vu all over again. Another Shinawatra suit against the media. Wonder how many million Baht they are requesting?

The "copy" goes in the "original´s" footstep.