Charges against Hall and defamation laws should be scrapped: rights group

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Charges against Hall and defamation laws should be scrapped: rights group
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THAI authorities should drop charges against a prominent migrant worker-rights activist Andy Hall - as the charges violate his right to free expression and undermine research into labour rights abuses by companies in Thailand, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Monday.

Following a final preliminary hearing Monday, a Bangkok criminal court will decide whether to indict Hall, an adviser to the Migrant Worker Rights Network, on charges of criminal defamation and violations of the Computer Crimes Act brought by the Natural Fruit Company and government prosecutors.

"This prosecution is all about gagging Andy Hall to deter serious reporting about alleged abuses against migrant workers, and about intimidating others who might look closely at Thailand's corporate supply chains," said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW. "The government should recognise that freedom to investigate corporate abuses is critical to ensuring compliance and accountability under Thai law and international human rights standards."

Natural Fruit sued Hall in February 2013 in response to an investigative report by the organisation FinnWatch, which included information about alleged labour rights violations at the company's factory in Prachuap Kiri Khan province.

If convicted, Hall faces up to seven years in prison. Natural Fruit has also filed two civil defamation lawsuits against Hall seeking damages of over Bt300 million (US$8.7 million). The company, whose workforce in the Prachuap Kiri Khan factory consists mostly of migrant workers from Burma, claims Hall defamed and damaged the company by "broadcasting false statements to public media". State prosecutors joined the case, in which Hall was also charged under the Computer Crimes Act.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Charges-against-Hall-and-defamation-laws-should-be-30264819.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-20

[clockman]

The truth always hurts!

[LannaGuy]

a disgrace but what to expect with these archaic laws

[trogers]

And who would defend the rights of those who have been defamed?

[Just1Voice]

These ignorant people simply can NOT stand it when their B.S. is put under the light for all the world to see. And even if Hall is 100% correct in what he says, this jerk company can still sue because what Hall said "damaged their reputation" and made the "look bad". How ignorant of a law is THAT??

If I'm Hall, I get the hell out of this country, then tell them -

"Kiss my butt, cause I'm not giving you a stang, or spending a day in your b.s. jails! And I'm STILL gonna write about your B.S., but from the safety of a civilized, or even semi-civilized country!"

[englishoak]

If they do jail Hall they had better be expecting one heck of a backlash, same with the Phuket reporter case..

Human rights groups around the globe, the UN, the international media corps, all are not small in influence, think very carefully Teflon Thailand your fast running out of international friends and respect.

[bangkokfrog]

Surely in any real court Andy Hall has a stronger defamation case against Natural Fruit than they have against him. How about showing them up by suing Natural Fruit and the Thai government for defamation in Europe?

[tomacht8]

There are organizations who prefer to work in the dark.

They hate it, when the truth comes out.

Hats off to all the courageous journalists who try to inform the public about the dark and often criminal practices.

This interferes the illegal transactions.

Unfortunately, this often law-breaking organizations have a lot of money and know how to buy judgments, witnesses and expert opinions.

Everything stands and falls then with the objectivity of courts.

But in times of globalization, internet and the available information channels, the suppressing of the truth is becoming increasingly more difficult for the criminal profiteers.

Thailand is currently experiencing for example that many international NPOs watch there fishing and shrimp farming. The World's largest food company, Nestle is observed with regard to their drink water productions in third world countries. The USA with their GM-seeds, the textile industry with their working conditions and cotton production. The agriculture with its pesticides, etc.

Hopefully the judges make a decision for the benefit of mankind.

Edited July 20, 2015 by tomacht8

[MaiChai]

Thailand needs to make a distinction between civil and criminal cases. People should not go to prison for liable; financial penalties should be sufficient.

[Kannikapor88]

One of the reasons why this country is moving backwards with the speed of lightning ....

[bamnutsak]

Ultimately Natural Fruit and the Royal Thai Navy will drop these suits. The goal isn't really a conviction, or to recover damages - after all none of these defendants have very deep pockets - it's more about scaring others who might think about exposing the tawdry underbelly of Thailand. And the Defamation laws will never, ever be changed here.

Edited July 21, 2015 by bamnutsak

[sammygood]

would be time to scrape also that law that gets you in jail for multiples of 15

[Thai at Heart]

Thailand needs to make a distinction between civil and criminal cases. People should not go to prison for liable; financial penalties should be sufficient.

The Thai legal system needs to do a lot of things. No one wants to reform it because they like it just the way it is.

Carte blanche to do what u like and sue anyone who uncovers it.

[happy Joe]

I for one am glad that the Thai authorities show the exit door to this activist. If he wants to give lessons him to do in his country, not here, that's incorrect.

Besides these nebulae ngo do not act for the common good. This is a business.

Finally what would be think if foreign preachers come haranguing us in our countries to tell us what we need to do ?