Trial opens for journalists charged with defaming Thai navy

[webfact]

Trial opens for journalists charged with defaming Thai navy
THANYARAT DOKSONE, Associated Press

PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — Testimony started Tuesday in a criminal defamation lawsuit the Thai navy has filed against a small news website over a report it posted alleging naval forces accepted money to abet or turn a blind eye to the seaborne trafficking of refugees from Myanmar.

Denying the allegation, the navy also charges the two journalists from the Phuketwan website with violating Thailand's Computer Crime Act by publishing the article online. If found guilty, Australian editor Alan Morison and his Thai colleague Chutima Sidasathien could each face up to seven years in prison and fines totaling 300,000 baht ($8,815).

The case has drawn criticism from human rights and press freedom groups around the world.

The New York-based literary and rights advocacy group PEN American Center recently urged the government of Thailand to "refocus its energies on curbing collusion in human rights abuses by members of its own navy, rather than frivolous attempts to camouflage them by shackling the press."

The Phuketwan case comes to trial in the wake of the discovery in May this year of dozens of bodies buried at several jungle camps on the Thai-Malaysian border where traffickers held migrants as prisoners. Most of the migrants are ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar who face persecution and poor economic opportunities at home. In many cases, the migrants pay to be smuggled by ship, but are then detained by traffickers in Thailand, who hold them for ransom from their families, or sell them.

Human rights activists and foreign governments have long accused Thai authorities of collusion in the trafficking industry but police, military and government officials have denied the allegations.

The recent publicity about the camps caused a major Thai government crackdown on trafficking, and the several dozen people were arrested, including a Thai army general and local officials. Many police were transferred from their posts.

The U.S. State Department downgraded Thailand in its 2014 Trafficking in Persons report, designating it as a country that has not made sufficient progress in tackling human trafficking or made significant efforts to do so. The U.S. report recommended that Thailand stop bringing criminal defamation cases against researchers or journalists who report on human trafficking.

The contested report by the online news website was excerpted from an extensive story published by the international news agency Reuters in July 2013. The Reuters story was one of a series about persecution of the Rohingya that won the agency the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. Reuters was not sued.

Phuketwan said last month that most of the legal costs of the case are being met by the London-based Media Legal Defense Initiative. But the navy's action threatens to sink the website, according to a note it recently posted.

"Our reporting on vital matters about Phuket and Thailand will come to an end next week and may never resume," it said. "Phuketwan's future is uncertain because of a highly controversial criminal defamation action."

Morison, 67, a native of Melbourne, Australia, told The Associated Press the two journalists have "been waiting a long time for this to happen purely because we refused to acknowledge that we've done anything wrong."

"More than once we've been asked to apologize and we've resisted that at every opportunity," he said.

The Royal Thai Navy has ignored calls for the charges to be dismissed.

"This is a criminal lawsuit and the charges for the Computer Crime Act cannot be dropped. The matter is being handled by the committee set up by the Royal Thai Navy," navy spokesman Rear Admiral Karn Dee-ubol told The Associated Press, adding that he was unable to comment further.

Thai courts rarely rule against the military, which is in an even stronger position than usual since staging a coup in May last year that deposed an elected civilian government.

The court is expected to set a date for the verdict after three days of hearing witnesses from both sides this week.

"The trial of these two journalists, who just did their job as news providers with a great deal of professionalism, poses a great danger to all those independent voices in Thailand who want to use their freedom of expression and information," Benjamin Ismail, head of the Asia-Pacific desk of Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, said in a statement last week.

"We urge Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha and his military government to end their policy of harassing the media. They need to understand that the media do not threaten national security or political stability but, on the contrary, help to improve society."
___

Associated Press Writer Grant Peck contributed to this report from Bangkok.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-14

[Always18]

Thai solution - shoot the messenger................

[Scott]

A post soliciting donations has been removed. This is against forum rules.

[Lupatria]

That pushes a Pulitzer price for a Thai journalist a galaxy further away.

[kannot]

What a bunch of pansies the Navy must be, love to see them in a war.....................ohhhhhhhhhhh pls sir he shot a bullet at me waaaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaaa waaaaaa

Edited July 14, 2015 by kannot

[Jim walker]

Another Thailand trial for the world to watch and to learn all about true democracy and the proper way to have freedom of speech in a Junta run Thailand. By a Thai navy who are even frightened at words never mind bullets Booooooooooooooo!

[spidermike007]

These guys seem awful thin skinned. Charging these journalists does not seem like a particularly manly thing to do. Would I get charged if I called them the wimps they appear to be? They make themselves appear very guilty with this childish and churlish act.

[Seelow]

When is the guilty verdict due?

[fxe1200]

Too late now. Either the Navy should clean up their Augean stables, or just stay silent. This Trial will either be a slap into the face of the Navy, or a slap into the face of the Thai Justice. And as the reason is only an excerpt of a Reuters article, it looks like they try to kill all chicken, to scare off the wolf.

[Prbkk]

...and these are the people who want a seat on the UN Security Council? Dreamin'

[diehard60]

well I know the out come already and i think most of you out there know too. they will definitely find them guilty and will get the max sentence.

[oneday]

Mr. Prayut could put a stop to this farce if he choose to; it's totally up to him. Let's see how he wants to play this out. If they are convicted and sent to jail then he tacitly approves of this whole farce and we will know where he stands on these undemocratic and draconian laws.

If they are acquitted or just given a fine and let go then he instructed them to do this so they could appease the international community and save some face at the same time.

I hope this stays in the news everyday until it finishes.

[stevenl]

Another Thailand trial for the world to watch and to learn all about true democracy and the proper way to have freedom of speech in a Junta run Thailand. By a Thai navy who are even frightened at words never mind bullets Booooooooooooooo!

You do know this started already before the junta?

[Oziex1]

These people are not with it are they, trying to hide in the age of the internet. There's a world outside your borders and you fragile egos.

Freedom of the press will expose you for what you are, Hollow Men.

[toooa]

Actions speak louder than words... we don't really even have to say it... because it's so clear, the caliber of the people running this "show". Do the people forcing this lawsuit have any idea how they look to the rest of the world? And they want people to respect them? . Amateurs

[Benmart]

A weak leadership resorts to legal action as a means silencing a free press.

[user82374298374]

The outcome of this trial is predictable. It would proceed the same way, coup or no coup.

Welcome to Asia!

[snowgard]

I don't know but I think a lot of People (especialy in the english speaking world) don't understand the law for "Freedom of Speaking"!!!

This don't give you the right to write bullshit and UNTRUE articles about another. If the article is TRUE, everything must be proovable. So the journalist can give all names from the involved navy staff to the court.

But if him can't him has a problem because him wrote bullshit about the navy.

So easy is it!!!

[Guest]

This trial is a lot about of freedom of speech and therefore freedom to think. Free press is generally the one who makes the waves, when the freedom of having one's own opinion is suppressed.

We are now witnessing a trial, which will, in it's own way determine where this country is headed. How much freedom to speak we'll have and how much reports of possible mall use of power we'll be able to see in the future. A test case in a way.

The PW editor, Alan Morrison, was given a travel permit to Australia, while this process was ongoing. That was a change for him to get out and not to face the trial. A way to save everybody's face value. However he did came back to Thailand.

Today, there was a chance of mistrial, presented by the prosecutor. Technicality of the Computer act which could save everybody's face once again. The question is, will the PW editors take this handout, or are they going to go through the whole show by admitting that they were the ones publishing the 'controversial' paragraph?

From the information I get, the next two days are dedicated for the defence. After that, the verdict of the trial is expected to be announced within one month.

[DM07]

...and these are the people who want a seat on the UN Security Council? Dreamin'

"Look! We sent someone to dance for you! Look over here! Don't look over there, were we kill freedom of speech and all things that would be democratic! Look over here! Oooooooooh la la...dancing and music! Don't pay attention to the Army- guy behind the curtain...."

[Wadan]

sad state of affairs.

[soalbundy]

This will help Thailand get off tier 3.....not.

[Kambreezh]

I don't know but I think a lot of People (especialy in the english speaking world) don't understand the law for "Freedom of Speaking"!!!

This don't give you the right to write bullshit and UNTRUE articles about another. If the article is TRUE, everything must be proovable. So the journalist can give all names from the involved navy staff to the court.

But if him can't him has a problem because him wrote bullshit about the navy.

So easy is it!!!

Based on what was mentioned, PW merely quoted from a Reuters article. If the Navy feels that it is lies, they should charge Reuters directly, for the actual article. Just my 5 cents.

[Colabamumbai]

Remember, We've got submarines now.

[Gillyflower]

Jim Walker

'another Thailand trial for the world to watch'.....What world? In the country where I live...I have never heard mention of this story, nor anything about the murder of the young English couple and certainly nothing about the trial. I seem to remember something about the Aus surrogate business. It hit the news for a few minutes. But most of these things only interest people who live in Thailand or the countries of the foreigner concerned. I only know because of this forum. Most people in most countries aren't at all interested in what goes on in the rest of the world.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Gillyflower

[Eric Loh]

I don't know but I think a lot of People (especialy in the english speaking world) don't understand the law for "Freedom of Speaking"!!!

This don't give you the right to write bullshit and UNTRUE articles about another. If the article is TRUE, everything must be proovable. So the journalist can give all names from the involved navy staff to the court.

But if him can't him has a problem because him wrote bullshit about the navy.

So easy is it!!!

Based on what was mentioned, PW merely quoted from a Reuters article. If the Navy feels that it is lies, they should charge Reuters directly, for the actual article. Just my 5 cents.

The junta did initially pursuit to go after Reuters but was dropped. Now the paragraph in Phuketwan was a direct word-to-word extract of the Reuters report and yet they are pursuing them and not Reuters. I think the case will be dropped just on this technicality.

[mojorison]

Wow... sticks and stones. This is far more shameful than anything someone could write in a paper. Absolute joke.

[timendres]

Too late now. Either the Navy should clean up their Augean stables, or just stay silent. This Trial will either be a slap into the face of the Navy, or a slap into the face of the Thai Justice. And as the reason is only an excerpt of a Reuters article, it looks like they try to kill all chicken, to scare off the wolf.

Agreed. The smart thing to do is find a way to make it look "respectable" to drop the case.

[TEFLKrabi]

Another Thailand trial for the world to watch and to learn all about true democracy and the proper way to have freedom of speech in a Junta run Thailand. By a Thai navy who are even frightened at words never mind bullets Booooooooooooooo!

You do know this started already before the junta?

Ooh yippee.....do I get to pick a colour now and re-focus the whole thread......?

[timewilltell]

One has to ask whether the republication of a snippet from a Reuters report or the bringing of this farcical court case is of more damage to the name of the Navy. I know what I think.