UN rights boss urges Thailand to drop defamation charges
GENEVA

(Reuters) - The top U.N. human rights official urged Thailand on Thursday to drop criminal charges against two journalists accused of defamation for citing a Reuters investigation into the role of Thai naval security forces in smuggling Rohingya asylum seekers.

A Reuters investigation, based on interviews with people smugglers and more than two dozen survivors of boat voyages, revealed in July how some Thai naval security forces work systematically with smugglers to profit from the surge in Rohingya fleeing Myanmar to escape religious persecution.

Thailand's navy denied the Reuters report, which was published in July. Select portions of Reuters' report were later cited by Phuketwan, a small English-language newspaper based in Phuket.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay voiced concern on Thursday that two Phuket-based journalists, editor Alan Morison and reporter Chutima Sidasathian, have been charged with defamation and breaching the Computer Crimes Act for quoting the Reuters article. [read more...]

Full story: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/26/thailand-rohingya-un-rights-idUSL6N0K51A120131226

-- REUTERS 2013-12-27

"The truth shall set you free"

Except in Thailand where it can get you sued, gaoled and worse.

definitively this country has a problem with foreign journalist...

definitively this country has a problem with foreign journalist...

or even repeating uncomfortable truths.

... b/c the truth makes them "lose face", that is to be unforgiven (on any side of the fence).

"We stand by our story," Reuters spokeswoman Barb Burg said of the news agency's original report. "It was fair and balanced, and we have not been accused of criminal libel."

GOOD about time the UN came out and said something, when Reuters decide to stand by a story they are usually pretty sure of its position, Rueters is The world leading news and reporting media, they carry a huge weight of prestige and support behind them and it looks like they are finally deciding to use it. Amnesty international released a statement back in June this year http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA39/003/2013/en/a5774924-fd1c-4f25-bec8-25f4f42dfd1a/asa390032013en.html the international and openly public pressure should be racked up even further imo

I get the impression the world is slowly but surely and i hope finally getting to the end of its patience with Thailands constant muzzling and manipulating on its antics and corruption. The bigger the spotlight shone on it the better, shame these traffickers and corrupt people and show them for what they are and any dept involved ... just another trafficking mafia hiding behind the name of the navy this time....

Human traffickers are one of the biggest scumbags on the face of the earth worse than drug smugglers, amazingly you have two Buddhist countries doing the most un Bhuddist things ..... just goes to show you even that is a convenient front to hide behind here

More of this supporting free press journalism please.

definitively this country has a problem with foreign journalist...

No, it just has a problem with the truth whatever the nationality of the person saying it

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The truth always hurts, truth being a rare thing in Thailand!

It is what it is, however, in this country, it is what they say it is . Never let the truth get in the way of how Thailand wishes to present itself both internally and internationally. Reality is not something they can so often defend and when the reality makes them look bad they simple stonewall the truth. Reuters has a reputation for credibility far in excess of anything that has or will ever come out of this dysfunctional culture.

The truth always hurts, truth being a rare thing in Thailand!

What is also an inconvenient truth is most people wont give a crap about something like this yet get all hot n passionate about a stupid colour in an election...or the exchange rate etc bottom line is people dont care enough about the important things and cry far too much about the little things...

When a thread like this attracts more posts and outrage than what a ladyboy does to a piece of cloth called a flag then youll know people are becoming enlightened....... it is a dream i have

I feel really sorry for these guys. You'd think citing / quoting an international news agency like Reuters would be safe ground. I hope they're shown some leniency.

Thailand is a muzzled, fascist like state. People are not free at all. They are controlled, news content free folks roaming around in a state of unconsciousness. All thanks to their elite privileged class that keeps them in their place.

Why doesn't the Navy take on Reuters who wrote and published the bit they don't like originally?

I am sure the TAT will love the coverage

Navy doesn't have the b_lls to take on Reuters because ...it is the truth...so they try to bully the little guy....It's not going to work this time

Why doesn't the Navy take on Reuters who wrote and published the bit they don't like originally?

I am sure the TAT will love the coverage

I imagine the Thai Navy might be scared Reuters would fight back.

Reuters should hire the two journalists and make them foreign correspondents.

The criminal charges against Mr. Morison and Ms. Sidasathian could have serious implications on Phuketwan's future operations, possibly compromising its ability to report on issues related to Rohingya asylum seekers to the public," it said.

Of course, this is exactly what the Navy wants; no reporting on their side business. The military really runs this country; directly or through fear of a coup. It has a sweet position in Thailand due to favorable propoganda and lese majeste, media censorship, massive self censorship and little or nothing taught about democarcy or anything else in the schools to get the populous questioning their rule. Thais really think the cycle of sham democarcy, military rule and more sham democarcy is normal.

Thailand is a muzzled, fascist like state. People are not free at all. They are controlled, news content free folks roaming around in a state of unconsciousness. All thanks to their elite privileged class that keeps them in their place.

Of both colours.

Its sad. I love the people in this country, but this state of affairs in the state, is not a joke. Its the main thing. Its the main problem. It will have to change and stories like this are going to help.

The clock is ticking for the head kickers here.

Thanks for publishing this on TV

Yellow

Is the colour of the wealthy elite, red the colour of The poor country population, er am I wrong???

UN urges Thailand to drop charges against website

BANGKOK, December 27, 2013 (AFP) - The United Nations has urged Thailand to drop defamation charges against two Australian and Thai journalists for a report alleging military involvement in people smuggling, warning of a "chilling effect" on press freedom.

The case relates to an article published by the independent news website Phuketwan in July, quoting an investigation by the Reuters news agency, which said some members of the military were involved in trafficking Muslim Rohingya asylum seekers from Myanmar.

If convicted of the charges, which were filed by the Royal Thai Navy, Australian editor Alan Morison and his Thai colleague Chutima Sidasathian could face up to two years' imprisonment for defamation and five years for breaching the Computer Crimes Act, the UN said.

"Criminal prosecution for defamation has a chilling effect on freedom of the press, and international standards are clear that imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty for defamation," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement released in Geneva on Thursday.

"We urge the government of Thailand to drop the charges against Mr. Morison and Ms Sidasathian and to ensure the freedom of the press in the country."

The Rohingya, considered by the United Nations to be one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, have long made the perilous journey from Myanmar by boat.

But that exodus accelerated after Buddhist-Muslim clashes in 2012 in western Rakhine State, with thousands of Rohingya -- including women and children -- since fleeing the former junta-ruled country.

Rights groups have raised concerns about alleged cases of boats being pushed back out to sea after entering Thai waters.

They have also criticised the detention of hundreds of Rohingya in overcrowded facilities while Thailand waits for a "third country" to offer to take them.

Phuketwan, a small but well respected English-language news website based on the island of Phuket, has said the lawsuit will not stop its acclaimed coverage of the plight of the Rohingya.

Reuters has not received any criminal complaint about the original article quoted by Phuketwan, a spokeswoman said last week.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-12-27

Face loss or lose face what ever that means.....<deleted> is wrong with this thai's

And Thais have a problem with the International image of Thailand...

Yellow

Is the colour of the wealthy elite, red the colour of The poor country population, er am I wrong???

Yes, you are wrong.

...it is this present Government and Prime Minister who have repeatedly appealed to the U.N. Human Rights Organizations to get them off the 'watch list'....

Reuters reports the news while many papers here similar to Fox News in the US report opinion.

I will go with Reuters on this one.

I suppose it goes without saying that the Royal Thai Navy has conducted a full and thorough investigation into this matter

and released all subsequent findings to the PM in her role as Defense minister prior to launching these legal proceedings.

Or maybe not.

Bet the Thai Navy is annoyed the Burmese junta took off their military uniforms, saves the tatmadaw's bacon in that article. And why perhaps were the poor souls on boats in the first place? Just simple ethnic clashes I s'pose. That's the chilling effect of big money free trade.

Thailand needs a new PR machine, old one just keeps rehashing Korean-style covers of the Surapol Sombatcharoen classics.