New Thai Charter: CDC urged to safeguard media freedom

[webfact]

NEW CHARTER
CDC urged to safeguard media freedom
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Media representatives yesterday urged the Constitution Drafting Commission to ensure media freedom and independence and the public's right to Internet access.

Thai Journalists Association president Chavarong Limpattamapanee said the charter draft should have provisions that ensured media freedom and prevented politicians and the state interfering in the media.

"The move to place the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission under the government's supervision is a threat to media freedom," he said. "We actually want self-checking rather than an agency controlling us.

"We have accepted self-control as part of media reform, with strong measures to regulate and check ourselves."

Chavarong was speaking at a public hearing held by the CDC committee to heed public opinion for charter content.

Poomjit Sirawongprasert, of the Thai Webmaster Association, said the Internet was regarded as a symbol of freedom in the new age.

Poomjit noted that the European Union in 2011 said the Internet was a human right because the access to information it offered was a major force. Knowledge was empowering.

People should have equal access to the Internet, she said.

"The government fears negative consequences from content on the Internet, but that is like preventing people from using electricity for fear of fire,'' she said.

She said Thailand' e-commerce sector was worth Bt2 trillion annually and this amount would rise as long as the public was not blocked from online media.

Maitree Jongkraijug, a representative of a natural resources and environment group, said the new charter must address the management of natural resources by giving people the right to manage, preserve and rehabilitate resources, thereby benefiting from them directly and indirectly in a fair manner.

"Before anyone gets to exploit land, forests, water, sea and mountains, they must go through a public participation process,'' he said.

Kraiyot Pattarawat, an educational specialist, said a study of 60 high-functioning countries in education showed they have clear laws stipulating education reform and development.

Boonyuen Siritham, chairman of the Consumer Protection Confederation, said the charter should stipulate the creation of an independent consumer protection agency not under state control.

The agency would check the government's enforcement of consumer protection laws and report consumer-protection negligence, Boonyuen added.

Suthinee Metheeprapa, a representative of a women's right group, said the charter should require that at least one-third of each party's party-list MP candidates must be women.

Women should have the same chance as men to become senators, she said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/CDC-urged-to-safeguard-media-freedom-30273348.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-20

[arrowsdawdle]

In view of the post above about NY Times leaving LOS, safeguarding media freedom is smoked balderdash on poppycock crow.

[Lupatria]

How can one "safeguard" something that does not exist?

[smutcakes]

Media freedom is being crushed. On the main other paper webpage you used to be able to comment on topics. Now nearly any topic which even has the potential to be critical of the army or Govt has the comment section closed where as it used to only be topics which were liklely to draw comments on the Royal Family.

Couple this with arrests of ex Chiefs of police on sedition charges for pointing out that the army should sort out their own corruption first before trying to reform the police and things are getting worrying...

Then we have the NACC saying people must provide evidence before they can investigate, knowing full well people are scared stiff to report anything on the army for fear of arrest, being charged with LM and all the horrible things that seem to happen to those in police custody....

[NongKhaiKid]

Isn't the media free already, free to say whatever pleases the junta ?

The truth, oh why bother with minor issues and as we know ' white lies ' are permissible, in the national interest of course.

[Srikcir]

"Safe guarding media freedom is a Western concept and inappropriate to Thai democracy."

What Meechai might say.

The fact is that no Thai constitution can protect any right or liberty. It can't even protect itself from being abolished - see Article 68 in the 2007 Constitution, "Right To Protect the Constitution." So long as the Thai military believes it has the right to deprive the Thai people of their sovereignty, any Thai Constitution will have an expiration date.

[phoenixdoglover]

"Safe guarding media freedom is a Western concept and inappropriate to Thai democracy."

What Meechai might say.

The fact is that no Thai constitution can protect any right or liberty. It can't even protect itself from being abolished - see Article 68 in the 2007 Constitution, "Right To Protect the Constitution." So long as the Thai military believes it has the right to deprive the Thai people of their sovereignty, any Thai Constitution will have an expiration date.

Agree.

The Thai military is handled with special negligence in the most recent draft Charter. They are placed above the law by the curious omission of accountability. As a result, they may abrogate governments and personal freedoms without official consequence.

Of course, this will not change.

I fear for the day when Thailand may experience the unofficial consequences of their broken system of government.