Yingluck Sues Thai Rath Cartoonist For Defamation

[GentlemanJim]

Ah yes, "The PM's brain is missing" sketch. Bring it on.

Mosha

Was it this one Just for you! (And if Reagan didn't file a law suit for any of this stuff bless him, then clearly Yingluck needs to grow a pair if she is going to be on the international stage. I think Merkel would rather slap someone than sue them!)

[brd199]

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.

Coupled with Standard Red Shirt playbook.

Show up with a crowd of red shirts at the Thai Rath newspaper building making demands.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/636652-red-shirts-call-for-100000-people-mass-rally-at-constitutional-court-in-bangkok/page-5#entry6363376

Deja vu with red shirts intimidating newspapers.

[Thaddeus]

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.

Yes, Deja vu.

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/101381/Thai-Journalists-Fight-an-Unexpected-Revival-of-Press-Restrictions.aspx

[GentlemanJim]

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.

Yes, Deja vu.

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/101381/Thai-Journalists-Fight-an-Unexpected-Revival-of-Press-Restrictions.aspx

Thaddeus

I hope all the red/Thaksin supporters on here read that excellent piece!

[LuckyLew]

are the prostitutes allowed to sue? I wonder if they are insulted by the cartoon?

[webfact]

Thai PM files lawsuit over 'prostitute' facebook post

BANGKOK, May 4, 2013 (AFP) - A lawyer for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has filed a defamation suit against an influential cartoonist alleging he compared the premier to a prostitute in a Facebook post, police said Friday.

Chai Rachawat, a cartoonist for a prominent daily newspaper, posted pictures of Yingluck on Tuesday accompanied by the words "... a prostitute is not an evil person, the hooker only sells body. But an evil woman sells the nation".

His post apparently took aim at the premier's appearance at a democracy forum a day earlier in Mongolia where she gave an unusually fiery speech condemning the 2006 overthrow of her brother Thaksin in an army coup.

"A lawyer authorised by the Prime Minister filed lawsuits against him for defamation," Police Colonel Pattarapol Sanitwong Na Ayudhya of Bangkok police told AFP.

The lawyer also filed two further claims -- one for libel and one under the contentious computer crime act, he added.

Combined, the charges can carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail, a second police official said requesting anonymity.

In her address to the conference in Ulan Bator on Monday, Yingluck decried "anti-democratic forces" in Thailand for toppling her brother -- who now lives in self-imposed exile but maintains a deep influence over Thai politics.

"Thailand lost track and the people spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom... Thailand lost international credibility," she said, adding her government, elected in a landslide in 2011, was also being undermined by those same unnamed forces.

Her speech caused uproar in the bitterly politically divided kingdom, with rival academics and senators demanding the premier swiftly apologise for her comments.

A lawmaker from Yingluck's Pheu Thai party condemned the cartoonist's post as "a violation of women's rights and insult on women" that defamed the premier.

"Chai Rachawat's defamatory comment calling the country's leader a whore is totally unacceptable," MP Jarupan Kuldiloke said in a statement on behalf of the party's women lawmakers.

Bangkok police said they will now probe the allegation against Chai Rachawat -- whose real name is Somchai Katunyutanan -- before deciding whether to press charges.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-05-04

[webfact]

Thai PM sues top cartoonist over harsh statement on social media
By English News



BANGKOK, May 4 – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra filed a complaint with the Dusit police, charging newspaper cartoonist Chai Rachawat with libel and defamation.

Her lawyer said a statement made by Chai Rachawat, the professional name of Somchai Katunyutanan, on a social media network was a blunt criticism, not sincere, and that it caused damage to the female leader.

The lawyer, producing copies of the cartoonist’s statement, told police that Mr Somchai’s behaviour was defamation of a state official, a libel through publicity and a breach of the Computer Act.

A group of 16 Pheu Thai Party female MPs and party members earlier demanded that Mr Somchai apologise to the prime minister for what they called an inappropriate statement on the Facebook social media website.

Mr Somchai, a political cartoonist for Thailand’s highest-circulation newspaper, Thai Rath, is known as a staunch opponent of the government and the Red Shirt activists.

Though the cartoonist’s statement did not name names, it appeared next to the photo of the Thai prime minister posing with her Mongolian counterpart, they said.

Meanwhile, government spokesman Tossaporn Serirak brushed aside a demand by 58 senators that the premier to apologise to the Thai people for making an antagonistic statement against the country during her speech at an international forum in Mongolia.

The prime minister did not create any misunderstanding for she spoke the truth which has been known worldwide, he said, insisting that Ms Yingluck’s speech did not tarnish Thailand’s reputation. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-05-04

[webfact]

CARTOON FURORE
PM files lawsuit against Chai
Anapat Deechuay,
Praphan Jindalertudomdee
The Nation


Female MPs from Pheu Thai Party hold a press conference yesterday condemning Thai Rath cartoonist Chai Rachawat for his Facebook post about Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Cartoonist charged on three counts; Pheu Thai women MPs say he attacked womankind as a whole

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday had her lawyers file a defamation lawsuit against Thai Rath cartoonist Chai Rachawat for comparing her to a prostitute.

Her lawyers also filed a police complaint against the cartoonist at the Dusit Police Station yesterday.

They charged Chai with three counts - insulting an official during an official event, defaming another person via publicity and violating the Computer-related Crimes Act, which prohibits posting defamatory comments against others on the Internet.

This is the first time for a Thai premier to sue someone for posting on the social media.

Chai, whose real name is Somchai Katanyutanan, posted photographs of Yingluck delivering a speech in Mongolia with the caption: "Please understand that prostitutes are not bad women. Prostitutes only sell their body, but a bad woman has been wandering around trying to sell the country."

In her speech at the 7th Ministerial Conference on the International Democracies, Yingluck denounced the 2006 coup and attacked Thailand's independent organisations.

PM's Secretary-General Suranan Vejjajiva said yesterday that the prime minister was willing to listen to criticism, but critics should be careful not to use inappropriate words.

He added that the cartoonist did not just insult Yingluck, he also insulted women in general.

"Criticism should focus on the prime minister's speech instead of attacking her sex or comparing her to prostitutes. This critic looked down upon women who are forced to work in that profession ... It is extremely inappropriate to say the prime minister is worse than those women," Suranan said.

Also yesterday, a group of female Pheu Thai MPs, led by Sunee Luangwichit and Yaowanit Piengket, held a press conference to condemn Chai Ratchawat, saying he was professionally unscrupulous and unethical.

They said Chai's comment was irresponsible and demanded that he apologise. They also threatened to call on the Thai Journalists Association and other related agencies to take action.

"Pheu Thai's women MPs regard Chai's message as a violation of women's rights. His comment accuses women of being whores who sell their bodies. Though the message does not refer to a specific person, it reflects the opinion of the author, which is insulting to the female sex. Since women and men have equal rights, this sort of comment is very inappropriate and a serious violation of professional ethics," they said in a statement.

"Calling the prime minister a bad woman who is selling her country is a distortion of the truth and causes serious damage to her as the country's leader. It is downright disrespectful," the group said.

MP Jarupan Kuldiloke said the group was not attacking the mainstream media because there was no misconduct on their part.

Yesterday, Chai posted a Facebook message saying he had received gifts and moral support from his friends and supporters, some of whom had also offered to put him up for safety. He thanked his supporters, adding that he would never change his stance.

Meanwhile, at a seminar marking the World Press Freedom Day yesterday, Chaiwat Satha-Anand, director of Thammasat University's Peace Information Centre, said it was important that people refer to others respectfully.

"[The media] should be sharp, so sharp and witty that criticism is welcomed by the target," he said, though he did not specify if he was speaking about Chai. He went on to advise groups and media from different camps to also learn to empathise with the other side.

"Now that the red shirts are protesting against Chai, I'd like to see [red-shirt TV channel] Asia Update say something in his defence too," he said.

-- The Nation 2013-05-04

[chooka]

Lighten up possum. Thailand has the reputation as being the biggest brothel in the world and every establishment needs a madame. You applied for the job. Politician worldwide are public property and are going to be the subject of cartoons, it comes with the territory. If a person can't handle this in the public arena then they are in the wrong job.

Geez look at your girlfriend Julia in Aust, she is the subject of this on a daily basis (24/7) but let's it fly and doesn't run to the courts. Take a cup of cement and Harden Up.

If this hits the international media, which I have no doubt it will you will look like a fool amongst your peers.

Edited May 3, 2013 by chooka

[Locationthailand]

"... 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."

Diddums...

Perhaps having one finger pointing out, you need to be reminded you have three pointing back. If dopey in Dubai had not incited the seizure and riot there would have been no deaths. The reds got what they deserved. Simple, so stop being a whinging bitch. As to the cartoon? Classic and good humour, not the least bit defamatory. The animator simply thinks, like many others, the PM is an oxygen bandit and a puppet doing bad things to Thailand. He is entitled to his opinion as are we on TV.

[geriatrickid]

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?

Thaksin is Thailand and Thailand is Thaksin.

Don't you get it?

[Thai at Heart]

Thai PM files lawsuit over 'prostitute' facebook post

BANGKOK, May 4, 2013 (AFP) - A lawyer for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has filed a defamation suit against an influential cartoonist alleging he compared the premier to a prostitute in a Facebook post, police said Friday.

Chai Rachawat, a cartoonist for a prominent daily newspaper, posted pictures of Yingluck on Tuesday accompanied by the words "... a prostitute is not an evil person, the hooker only sells body. But an evil woman sells the nation".

His post apparently took aim at the premier's appearance at a democracy forum a day earlier in Mongolia where she gave an unusually fiery speech condemning the 2006 overthrow of her brother Thaksin in an army coup.

"A lawyer authorised by the Prime Minister filed lawsuits against him for defamation," Police Colonel Pattarapol Sanitwong Na Ayudhya of Bangkok police told AFP.

The lawyer also filed two further claims -- one for libel and one under the contentious computer crime act, he added.

Combined, the charges can carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail, a second police official said requesting anonymity.

In her address to the conference in Ulan Bator on Monday, Yingluck decried "anti-democratic forces" in Thailand for toppling her brother -- who now lives in self-imposed exile but maintains a deep influence over Thai politics.

"Thailand lost track and the people spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom... Thailand lost international credibility," she said, adding her government, elected in a landslide in 2011, was also being undermined by those same unnamed forces.

Her speech caused uproar in the bitterly politically divided kingdom, with rival academics and senators demanding the premier swiftly apologise for her comments.

A lawmaker from Yingluck's Pheu Thai party condemned the cartoonist's post as "a violation of women's rights and insult on women" that defamed the premier.

"Chai Rachawat's defamatory comment calling the country's leader a whore is totally unacceptable," MP Jarupan Kuldiloke said in a statement on behalf of the party's women lawmakers.

Bangkok police said they will now probe the allegation against Chai Rachawat -- whose real name is Somchai Katunyutanan -- before deciding whether to press charges.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-05-04

From this, I deduce he called her evil. This should be as much fun as the court interpreting the word " and".

[OzMick]

In Oz there is a saying that if you find it difficult to laugh at yourself, there are plenty of others that will do it for you.

[waza]

What a coincidence ....

[sfbandung]

She should have just left it alone. It was a nothing post on fb, now it is global news. Silly girl.

[NongKhaiKid]

Why doesn't the government make it easy for everyone and add the name Shinawatra to the other prohibitions under the Lese Majesty law ?

[lazygourmet]

Press freedom Index 2013: Thailand ranks 136...

[brd199]

Also yesterday, a group of female Pheu Thai MPs, led by Sunee Luangwichit and Yaowanit Piengket, held a press conference to condemn Chai Ratchawat, saying he was professionally unscrupulous and unethical.

"Pheu Thai's women MPs regard Chai's message as a violation of women's rights."

Pheu Thai's women MPs will be filing a defamation lawsuit against Thaksin for calling the Prime Minister his clone.

A demeaning message to all women and a violation of women's rights.

Edited May 4, 2013 by brd199

[brd199]

Thai PM files lawsuit over 'prostitute' facebook post

BANGKOK, May 4, 2013 (AFP) - A lawyer for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has filed a defamation suit against an influential cartoonist alleging he compared the premier to a prostitute in a Facebook post, police said Friday.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-05-04

Lighten up possum. Thailand has the reputation as being the biggest brothel in the world and every establishment needs a madame. You applied for the job. Politician worldwide are public property and are going to be the subject of cartoons, it comes with the territory. If a person can't handle this in the public arena then they are in the wrong job.

Geez look at your girlfriend Julia in Aust, she is the subject of this on a daily basis (24/7) but let's it fly and doesn't run to the courts. Take a cup of cement and Harden Up.

If this hits the international media, which I have no doubt it will you will look like a fool amongst your peers.

It has already hit the international media in the post just before yours.

[AleG]

Ridiculous, he didn't call her a whore, he called her evil, can't they read?

"... a prostitute is not an evil person, the hooker only sells body. But an evil woman sells the nation".

If they want to go against men demeaning women they should sue Chalerm for using "pretties" to serve him food a booze (and who knows what other services) at his office during working hours.

Edited May 4, 2013 by AleG

[brd199]

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.

Coupled with Standard Red Shirt playbook.

Show up with a crowd of red shirts at the Thai Rath newspaper building making demands.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/636652-red-shirts-call-for-100000-people-mass-rally-at-constitutional-court-in-bangkok/page-5#entry6363376

Deja vu with red shirts intimidating newspapers.

"Now that the red shirts are protesting against Chai, I'd like to see [red-shirt TV channel] Asia Update say something in his defence too," he said.

More likely is they'll say something about his home address, his phone number, and encourage their members to intimidate him and his family members.

[Thaddeus]

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.

Yes, Deja vu.

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/101381/Thai-Journalists-Fight-an-Unexpected-Revival-of-Press-Restrictions.aspx

Thaddeus

I hope all the red/Thaksin supporters on here read that excellent piece!

Don't worry, they won't. Not great lovers of factual history that doesn't suit their agenda.

[chooka]

Thai PM files lawsuit over 'prostitute' facebook post

BANGKOK, May 4, 2013 (AFP) - A lawyer for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has filed a defamation suit against an influential cartoonist alleging he compared the premier to a prostitute in a Facebook post, police said Friday.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-05-04

>Lighten up possum. Thailand has the reputation as being the biggest brothel in the world and every establishment needs a madame. You applied for the job. Politician worldwide are public property and are going to be the subject of cartoons, it comes with the territory. If a person can't handle this in the public arena then they are in the wrong job.

Geez look at your girlfriend Julia in Aust, she is the subject of this on a daily basis (24/7) but let's it fly and doesn't run to the courts. Take a cup of cement and Harden Up.

If this hits the international media, which I have no doubt it will you will look like a fool amongst your peers.

It has already hit the international media in the post just before yours.

Well I am sure there is the odd politician around the world having a silent chuckle at her. She has probably made herself look more silly than the cartoon could ever do. Sometimes Thais just do not know when it is best to leave well enough alone instead of blowing it up more than it ever was.

If the courts have any sense they will tell her, "if you had of kept your mouth shut then this wouldn't have been an issue".

[theajarn]

The Truth is never welcome in the Dictatorship of Thailand.

[gabruce]

Ridiculous, he didn't call her a whore, he called her evil, can't they read?

"... a prostitute is not an evil person, the hooker only sells body. But an evil woman sells the nation".

If they want to go against men demeaning women they should sue Chalerm for using "pretties" to serve him food a booze (and who knows what other services) at his office during working hours.

Spot on.

The english version is very clear. The thai version ... I don't know.

I don't know how anyone could interpret this to mean that all women are prostitutes, unless they have a very poor grasp of logic ... which is definitely possible.

It's like saying "all children are good" and then drawing the conclusion that all grownups must be bad! Totally without logic.

So I suppose Yingluck resents the implication that she IS NOT a prostitute?

I'm assuming that she resents the implication that she might be the evil woman wandering the world to sell the nation.

[Payboy]

<deleted> a catoonist gets sued.

Like Mickey Mouse suing Walt Disney.

[geriatrickid]

The Truth is never welcome in the Dictatorship of Thailand.

Which dictatorship? The military junta that preceded the Abhisit appointment as PM, or the military's good friend Abhisit's temporary position as PM, until he was soundly defeated in an election?

[rijb]

Win, lose or draw... Abhisit's supporters, will think twice before their next 'comparison'.

Maybe they could join Thai Visa...

[klauskunkel]

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

Being called a whore is quite mild in comparison.

Yup, she did sell the country. To me, actually. Yesterday for 5 baht. I am now looking to double my money. Any takers?

[Arkady]

This is getting nasty. Big brother in Dubai is getting impatient and jerking the puppet strings around.