Phuketwan not guilty on all counts in Thai Navy defamation trial
The Phuket News


Alan Morison, 67, and Chutima Sidasathian, 34, speak to the media before entering the court earlier this year. Photo: The Phuket News / file

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Provnicial Court this morning (Sept 1) ruled Phuketwan journalists Alan Morison, 67, and Chutima Sidasathian, 34, not guilty of all charges filed against them for defamation and under the Computer Crime Act.

The two faced charges of defamation, which is a criminal charge in Thailand, and with offences under the Computer Crimes Act.

If found guilty they could have faced up to two years in prison for defamation and five years for breaching the Computer Crimes Act, as well as a B100,000 fine.

The charges were formally brought to trial after a complaint filed by the Royal Thai Navy. The complaint related to an article published by on the Phuketwan website in July last year.

The article quoted an investigation by the Reuters news agency, which alleged that some members of the military were involved in trafficking Muslim Rohingya refugees who had fled Myanmar.

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

Phil Robertson, Deputy Director, Asia Division, of the New York-based international rights organisation Human Rights Watch, said before the proceedings today, "This case should have never been brought to trial in the first place, and the fact that it was shows this Thai government's total lack of concern for media freedom.

"There were plenty of opportunities for the Thai Navy and its supporters to pursue an alternative course – like demanding space from Phuketwan to print opposing views and rebuttals – but instead they criminalized the matter and demanded an absolute apology from these journalists, treating them as if they were a bunch of Navy conscripts. This whole episode shows a fundamental lack of understanding among Thai government and military officials about what a free press is really about and the role it plays in democratic society.

"Thailand needs to revoke both its criminal defamation statute and the Computer Crimes Act to end this assault on media freedom. How many more journalists and NGO activists need to be marched off to court before Bangkok admits that the Computer Crimes Act has little to do with real crime and everything to do about stifling people who express views the government doesn't like?"

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuketwan-not-guilty-on-all-counts-in-thai-navy-defamation-trial-53895.php

-- Phuket News 2015-09-01

Break out the bubbly.

Allan and Chutima, glad you persevered. Well done both of you.

The case should not even have been entertained. I hope Phuketwan sues for expenses. Perhaps even sues for defamation.

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

Well done - a fantastic result for the pair.

Good news for those reporting AND reading the news.

And of course for the defendants too.

Yeah!

Loss of face for the navy today.

Likely the navy will appeal the result and then if they lose the second court, they'll appeal to the supreme court.

Good, I hope there are no appeals against the ruling.

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

The charges were laid during the previous government...

Well done!!! very good news amidst a sea of smoke and mirrors in Thailand

CONGRATULATIONS go celebrate a victory for decency, honour and integrity

SHAME on you Thai Navy and SHAME on this government for supporting such a vindictive prosecution

Good for them!

This is a bright spot on an otherwise dreary landscape for press freedom in Thailand.

Good, I hope there are no appeals against the ruling.

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

The charges were laid during the previous government...

The article states that "The complaint related to an article published by on the Phuketwan website in July last year." - if that is the case, then the charges were laid under the current government.

Good, I hope there are no appeals against the ruling.

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

The charges were laid during the previous government...

the SAME Navy that supported and supports the unelected Junta who could have stopped it. Stop making cheap political points this is GREAT NEWS

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

The charges were started under the auspices of a previous government not the current one.

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

The charges were started under the auspices of a previous government not the current one.

So the article stating that "The complaint related to an article published by on the Phuketwan website in July last year" is wrong?

Great news, and kind of surprising to me personally. I can't help but wonder if the results would have been different if Thailand were not currently getting so much heat for the human trafficking issue.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/690370-australian-journalist-alan-morison-accused-of-defaming-thailands-navy/

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

The charges were started under the auspices of a previous government not the current one.

So the article stating that "The complaint related to an article published by on the Phuketwan website in July last year" is wrong?

Yes!

Check the date on this thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/690370-australian-journalist-alan-morison-accused-of-defaming-thailands-navy/http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/690370-australian-journalist-alan-morison-accused-of-defaming-thailands-navy/http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/690370-australian-journalist-alan-morison-accused-of-defaming-thailands-navy/

You beauty !!!!!!!!!!!

1st September 2015 will go down in history.

So the article stating that "The complaint related to an article published by on the Phuketwan website in July last year" is wrong?

Yes!

Check the date on this thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/690370-australian-journalist-alan-morison-accused-of-defaming-thailands-navy/http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/690370-australian-journalist-alan-morison-accused-of-defaming-thailands-navy/http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/690370-australian-journalist-alan-morison-accused-of-defaming-thailands-navy/

Why does that not surprise me. I should know better than to believe one single source! Thanks for clearing that up.

The charges were laid during the previous government...

The article states that "The complaint related to an article published by on the Phuketwan website in July last year." - if that is the case, then the charges were laid under the current government.

So it appears that isn't the case. Doesn't change my opinion of the current government, however, it's just one less out of a thousand reasons to criticise them.

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

Worse. People could vote the other ones out ..

Good, I hope there are no appeals against the ruling.

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

The charges were laid during the previous government...

the SAME Navy that supported and supports the unelected Junta who could have stopped it. Stop making cheap political points this is GREAT NEWS

And we all know, the Lanna Lady did nothing either.

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refdaily?pass=52fc6fbd5&id=5359f1138

Great result for them and a good result for us 'aliens'

Great news ! so happy for them.

Good, I hope there are no appeals against the ruling.

Great news!

While this looks surprisingly like justice, the fact that the charges were laid in the first place proves this government is as bad as all others before it.

The charges were laid during the previous government...

the SAME Navy that supported and supports the unelected Junta who could have stopped it. Stop making cheap political points this is GREAT NEWS

And we all know, the Lanna Lady did nothing either.

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refdaily?pass=52fc6fbd5&id=5359f1138

agreed but two wrongs don't make a right and she probably knew of the plotters and the oncoming coup and could not 'take on' the Navy at that time as they were right-wing and pro-Junta

enough politics GREAT NEWS!

Do we have a name, for the Navy guy that decided to bring this frivolous and vindictive lawsuit? Other than ruining the defendant's life, they have made the supervisor of the armed forces look like a 2-bit thug. The verdict should also make it compulsory for people smuggling charges to be brought against the Navy.

Loss of face for the navy today.

Likely the navy will appeal the result and then if they lose the second court, they'll appeal to the supreme court.

Yes, wait until they exhaust all appeals and then sue the bejeezus out of them. That should be worth at least a couple of cheap Chinese submarines.

What a fantastic Tuesday!

Finally some good news that shows there is still hope in this otherwise dreary landscape of preposterous lawsuits brought on by individuals and state agencies on the flimsiest of reasons.

Now let's look forward whether justice also can prevail in the case of the Koh Tao murders and that the two Burmese scapegoats can be set free at last.

This is a very good result although not all that surprising given that Thailand has been in the international spotlight for various reasons of late. For Thailand, its police and justice systems have become a bit of a farce. If this verdict had gone the other way the international criticism would have been immense. The trial was always about power and the face that goes with it. At least someone in the right position worked out that some loss of face for the Navy was better than having the international media spotlight Thailand in a less than favourable light.

Well done!!! very good news amidst a sea of smoke and mirrors in Thailand

CONGRATULATIONS go celebrate a victory for decency, honour and integrity

SHAME on you Thai Navy and SHAME on this government for supporting such a vindictive prosecution

And shame on the last government too, for supporting the charges which were laid during their administration; and also using these laws to suppress free speech they didn't like.

Not one government has seen anything wrong with these laws, or sought to amend them. Wonder how convenient that is.

At least someone in the right position worked out that some loss of face for the Navy was better than having the international media spotlight Thailand in a less than favourable light.

Or the court simply judged the case on its own merits. It does happen, more often than probably some people here want to recognize.