Walls of misunderstanding

[Lite Beer]

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Walls of misunderstanding
Budsarakham Sinlapalavan
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Accused of inciting panic through a message posted on his Facebook page, veteran journalist Sermsuk Kasitipradit insists he has not violated any laws

A former print journalist with a passion for digging up the truth, Sermsuk Kasitipradit admits to feeling disbelief and shock when he, along with three other social network users, was recently summoned by the police's Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) to explain messages he had posted on his Facebook page.

In those posts, all of them destined for his Facebook friends, the political and security editor of Thai PBS, allegedly warned of an impending coup and urged the public to hoard food and water.

In the eyes of the TCSD, such statements were likely to incite panic.

Sermsuk, however, insists that his post reflected his analysis of the current situation and made it clear that he didn't believe the rumours about revolution.

"My friends and followers understood the objective of that post. I can only think [TCSD commander] Maj-General Pisit Pao didn't read it properly, otherwise he would have understood too.

"What's more, I am confident that I did not violate the law. My sincerity can be proved by the fact that I use my real name on my Facebook page."

While no charges have yet been filed against him and the TCSD has stated that if there are no grounds to the accusation, charges will not be pursued, the newsman says the experience has left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"I always post information about current events on the social media and I believe that my Facebook page is somewhere where I should be able to talk freely with my friends," he says, adding that his 5,000 Facebook friends and more than 7,000 followers come from all walks of life and political beliefs.

"This case caused considerable worry to my family. My older sister called me from the USA and told me to take care of myself," he says.

The Thai Journalists Association, legal experts and a human rights commissioner have also questioned the police action.

Moreover, many social media users have voiced support for Sermsuk and openly opposed a police statement that simply clicking "Like" or "Share" on Facebook could be a crime.

TPBS managing director Somchai Suwanban has also issued a statement in response to the police's move to summon Sermsuk to face charges for violating the Computer Crime Act.

The statement says Sermsuk made the comment with honest intention, a right guaranteed by the Constitution. If Sermsuk's actions were in violation of any law, an investigation should be conducted in a fair manner without discrimination or hidden agenda.

Sermsuk adds that Somchai has told him to exercise caution in expressing his opinion via media channels and to be aware that his comments must not adversely affect either TPBS or his own credibility as a media professional.

"I've been using Facebook since 2010 and have regularly enlarged on information that time constraints prevent us from broadcasting on the TV news," he says.

"But from now, even though my views have not changed, I will be cautious about the wording I use in my posts. As a media person, I know there's a very thin line between what can and cannot be posted on Facebook and other social media."

The coup rumour incident is not the first time Sermsuk has found himself in hot water.

In August 2005, while working as a reporter for the Bangkok Post, he wrote about cracks appearing in the runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport and was summarily dismissed for his trouble.

He sued his former employers through the Central Labour Court and won. The Post appealed and the case is now being considered by the Supreme Court.

His sacking notwithstanding, he was rewarded for his pursuit of the truth with an honorary reward from the Thai Journalists Association in 2006.

A graduate of Ramkhamhaeng University's Faculty of Humanity, Sermsuk started his career as a proofreader for The Nation and was later promoted to reporter on the Indochina beat. He left after six years and moved to the Bangkok Post where he was assigned to report on security and related issues. He has also worked as news editor for Isara News Agency.

And while he may now be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, Sermsuk will always be remembered by his colleagues for his efforts in revealing the truth behind a shooting of a villager by a military officer in Thailand restive south.

"When I heard about what had happened from a survivor of the event I knew immediately that I needed to go South and dig up the truth," he says.

-- The Nation 2013-08-25

[ratcatcher]

Khun Sermsuk, just remember, Big Brother is watching you, so be careful.

[MikeOboe57]

These are no "Walls of Misunderstanding", these are the classical intimidation tactics of a dictatorship.

While Yingluck swaggers around the globe and talks about "Rule of Law", "Demockassee" or "Recosylayshunn" and only acidentlally resorts to mudslinging like in faraway Mongolia, the dirty work at home is done by serf characters like Pol Gen Pisit.

And they take full advantage of the Thai justice system where even the simplest cases drag on for a century before an initial verdict is visible on the horizon.

They left Khun Sermsuk nicely hanging high and dry. Whatever he writes in the future he will constantly feel the "Sword of Damokles" dangling above his neck. The most efficient censorship is induced self-censorship.

[ChrisY1]

The silencing of the media is easy here in Thailand.....threats and persecution from the authorities persist.....archaic xenophobic laws and backward thinking people......

[worgeordie]

The new mantra, keep quiet and do as you are told.,

We are the Government and know whats best for you.

regards Worgeordie

[bigbamboo]

A journalist with a passion for digging up the truth..... in Thailand?

He's clearly in the wrong job.

Well, in the wrong country to be exact.

[timewilltell]

The disgrace of the police speeds ever onwards, spurred by the negligence of the corrupt politicians. Traitors to Thailand the lot of them. We need a thousand Kn Sermsak's to take the country forward to success.

[theblether]

It's a Rule Of Man country, until that ends it will be chaotic. Just about every Rule Of Man country is chaotic in it's own way, with issues like personal freedom crushed based upon the whim of the powers that be.

There was a story circulating that the real reason why Google was banned from China was that a member of the inner circle, reckoned to be the fifth most powerful person in China at the time, Googled his own name and found articles criticizing him. His reaction was to ban Google. If true that would have been a diabolical misuse of power.

What wasn't doubted though was that Google was hosting sites connected to Falon Gong, Tibet campaigners and more. All banned in China. Free speech has no space in a Rule Of Man country........which brings us right back to the OP.

[robblok]

Instead on causing trouble in the country with amnestybill aimed at one person and trying to get the country in debt higher as ever before. Destroying the rice trade and such why can't this red government do the right thing and make sure there is more journalistic freedom and make sure that journalist that write about corruption and other stuff are protected. The government might even try to get the police force to be more honest instead of being crooks and kidnapping tourists.

These are things that would not cause any problems between red and yellow and would be for the greater good. But the red dictatorship here in Thailand has only one goal to enrich the man in Dubai and themselves.

I wish there was a Thai government that started to do good things for the people, so much can be done here that would not cause a rift and make them popular. Too bad it would not give them a quick buck and of course if journalists have freedom and protection corruption would be exposed and that is the last thing the most corrupt government ever (in Thailand) wants.

I can only hope that with all those video phones and social media more and more resentment will arise about the corruption until it explodes and a new movement comes that is neither red nor yellow but anti corruption and pro freedom.

[ppmacready]

Looking forward to how the establishment deals with the inevitable Thai Spring.

[siampolee]

it would seem as if this government has availed itself of the services of ex Stasi members and thus is striving to rebuild a metaphorical Berlin Wall. Such offices as may be ascribed to that rebuilt hypothetical wall being staffed with the Stasi trained oppressors of the truth along with cyber world guards and a para military ministry of governmentspeak.

The whole aim is plain to see, it is to contain and actually destroy that endangered species '' the truth '' that may emerge from the general public and those who have access to information that is considered detrimental to a dictatorship and the controlling faction that manipulates the P.T.P

Sermsuk Kasitpradit is indeed a brave man whose continued harassment by the Thai authorities may well backfire on those persecutors, the world is a small place nowadays and Thailand's reputation is somewhat tattered to say the least..

The relentless oppression of true facts and the total disregard for democracy by this current government as directed by its puppet master will indeed strip Thailand of those tattered threads of reputation leaving the nation as naked as the day we are born.

If my memory is correct the word Thailand is supposed to be the epitome of ''The Land Of the Free.''

'Twould seem as if something is a trifle amiss vis a vis that particular translation would it not?

Sermsuk Kasitipradit Serm

S

Edited August 25, 2013 by siampolee

[Nooky2]

The OP said that the TCSD warned him of creating panic. I haven't seen Thais panic over much. They are in their own little world. I doubt they noticed.

[Thai at Heart]

Say nothing that can create panic.

Meanwhile kittirat claims we aren't in recession despite that being patently untrue.

Nothing to see here people. Just park your brains in front of the tv....

[MobileContent]

If a newspaper editor would come up with this kind of post in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam by posting coup rumors on Facebook he would at least be fired and may be could get 6 months in prison.

May be he is just waiting for a coup, so that he and his yellow friends.

Editors that work for the Nation or Bangkok Post are most of the time as much rubbish as the paper, they are working for and the shit always gets back to them.

[wwest5829]

The new mantra, keep quiet and do as you are told.,

We are the Government and know whats best for you.

regards Worgeordie

Why do you say "a new mantra"? My reading of history reflects that the powerful will always protect what they have. I find nothing in Thai history that contradicts this idea. Note that this comment is reflective of the globe, not just Thailand.

[robblok]

If a newspaper editor would come up with this kind of post in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam by posting coup rumors on Facebook he would at least be fired and may be could get 6 months in prison.

May be he is just waiting for a coup, so that he and his yellow friends.

Editors that work for the Nation or Bangkok Post are most of the time as much rubbish as the paper, they are working for and the shit always gets back to them.

Have you actually read the reports on this case.

He posted the coup rumor and commented on it that he thought it was unlikely.

So all he did was post a rumor and say it was unlikely so in fact he did nothing wrong.

[whybother]

If a newspaper editor would come up with this kind of post in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam by posting coup rumors on Facebook he would at least be fired and may be could get 6 months in prison.

May be he is just waiting for a coup, so that he and his yellow friends.

Editors that work for the Nation or Bangkok Post are most of the time as much rubbish as the paper, they are working for and the shit always gets back to them.

When was the last coup in Malaysia, Singapore or Vietnam. They're a bit different to Thailand where a coup is a touch more frequent.

[belg]

but this is a real live banana republic with more or same coups as many african nations

[1Ping1]

While I myself love what the communication and sharing of the information provides..... It crosses borders and countrys............ I cancelled my own account roughly a yr ago............ I not like the sad fact that anyone can see also gives up the figment of freedom of speech. Very sad but true.

Yea, I'm from the US, yea, Snowden is now making all my sad dreams come true.

This dude from Thailand did nothing wrong, yet. It's just a sliver of ice on the tip of the iceberg in the more global picture.

Information great, censorship communistic. At least I hope so......

[hellodolly]

Instead on causing trouble in the country with amnestybill aimed at one person and trying to get the country in debt higher as ever before. Destroying the rice trade and such why can't this red government do the right thing and make sure there is more journalistic freedom and make sure that journalist that write about corruption and other stuff are protected. The government might even try to get the police force to be more honest instead of being crooks and kidnapping tourists.

These are things that would not cause any problems between red and yellow and would be for the greater good. But the red dictatorship here in Thailand has only one goal to enrich the man in Dubai and themselves.

I wish there was a Thai government that started to do good things for the people, so much can be done here that would not cause a rift and make them popular. Too bad it would not give them a quick buck and of course if journalists have freedom and protection corruption would be exposed and that is the last thing the most corrupt government ever (in Thailand) wants.

I can only hope that with all those video phones and social media more and more resentment will arise about the corruption until it explodes and a new movement comes that is neither red nor yellow but anti corruption and pro freedom.

Great post but I do disagree with

"These are things that would not cause any problems between red and yellow and would be for the greater good"

I don't really think the red shirts are interested in the greater good. As for the yellow shirts I don't think they are that big a deal any more. If for what ever reason a group disagrees with the present administration they get called a yellow shirt.

[A1Str8]

These people know that such posts and comments are going to cause them trouble anyway, so why they insist on doing it remains a mystery.

[Slip]

These people know that such posts and comments are going to cause them trouble anyway, so why they insist on doing it remains a mystery.

Possibly because they object to being gagged by 'the powers that be'? Your post gets the 'dumbest of the day' award. Well done.