BBC to fight for correspondent Jonathan Head's freedom in Thailand

[rooster59]

BBC to fight for correspondent Jonathan Head's freedom in Thailand

Lindsay Murdoch

 

Jonathan Head faces up to five years in jail if convicted. Photo: Screenshot/BBC

 

Bangkok: The BBC says it will fight allegations against one of its most experienced foreign correspondents in a defamation case in a Thai court that carries a possible five-year prison sentence.

 

Rights groups say charges brought against Jonathan Head, the BBC's Bangkok-based South-east Asia correspondent, expose how Thailand's computer crime and defamation laws scupper investigative journalism and are a threat to freedom of speech.

 

Head pleaded not guilty in a court on the resort island of Phuket on Thursday to charges brought against him by a Thai lawyer over two September 2015 reports into how foreign retirees were allegedly scammed out of their properties.

 

"The BBC stands by its journalism and we will fight the allegations made against our correspondent by these proceedings," a BBC spokesperson said.

 

Full story: http://www.smh.com.au/world/bbc-to-fight-for-correspondent-jonathan-heads-freedom-in-thailand-20170223-gukbxd.html

 

The Sydney Morning Herald: 2017-02-26

[craigt3365]

Let's hope they prevail against this ridiculous law here in Thailand.

[Lingba]

so he is simply speaking about what exists and gets thrown in jail?

[AGareth2]

in the Australian news but can't find it on the BBC

[chainarong]

What happens will be anybody's guess , however the BBC has been on the nose in Thailand since they along with an ex Scotland Yard detective made them and by them I mean the RTP and the government look silly, with egg all over their faces, over the arrest of a young Sydney guy in a British backpacker girls murder and it was proven that the Thai owner of the hostel did the job , they immediately threw the BBC out and it was band for two years, so as I said , where this case will end up is anybody's guess............................................

[Ricardo]

Long overdue for the BBC to support their reporter, in this particular instance, but perhaps it might be wise for JH to relocate to another country/area while it all plays out ?

[AGareth2]

he doesn't have a passport^

[bangkok101]

the problem is for JH, BBC, or any criminal defendant is no presumption of innocence, zero rights as a defendant. The trial process is completed tilted in favor of the police and prosecutor. Don't forget the corruption, deceit and total ineptness of the system.Doomed from the get-go.

 

Good luck, kick some ass in the court room and expose them for what they really are Mr. Head!

[sweatalot]

The BBC is well known and influential all over the world. Hope this action will make the ridiculous and anti human law in Thailand public everywhere. May be by remarkably effecting tourism in Thailand they can help make a change to justice and less abuse of the law and so make Thailand a better and worthy  place.

[fruitman]

The BBC will get help from all their friends in other countries and it will be all over the newspapers for many months in row.

 

Thailand will not look good and many tourists will book their holidays elsewhere.

 

If that's what they want......

[lemonjelly]

1 hour ago, Ricardo said:

Long overdue for the BBC to support their reporter, in this particular instance, but perhaps it might be wise for JH to relocate to another country/area while it all plays out ?

They've seized his passport 

[01322521959]

How ridiculous. He reported honestly and was certainly not biased in his reporting.
I hope the BBC fight this to the end and in so doing drag this country kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
All about not losing face here. S#@ all about who's correct.
Makes my blood boil.

Sent from my i-mobile_i-STYLE_219 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[yellowboat]

This is just one of many reasons NOT to invest in Thailand. 

 

He will have a plaque on the wall at the Hong Kong FCC soon enough.  FCCT in a decade or longer with way things are going.

 

[darksidedog]

"He added the powerful can "engage in the game of legal blood sport by dragging people through the Thai court system".

And that is just about all these laws, criminal defamation, and computer crimes act, are good for.

Too many reporters, Andy Hall, Andrew Drummond and currenly Jonathan Head, to name but a few, who have been honestly investigating and reporting on criminal activity, found themselves in the absurd position of facing jail.

All for simply reporting the truth.

It seems apparent that the Thai authorities are quite happy for people who tell of crime here to be dragged through the courts, face prison and ultimately have to leave.

It doesn't even seem to matter that in the current case, the lawyer has admitted notarising a signature, which was forged, not in the presence of the alleged signatory.

But, he doesn't like people to find out about his dishonesty, so sues the reporter, and the law lets him do it.

Ludicrous.

Mr. PM, forget about dodgy name brand goods and a few prostitutes for a moment please. This issue needs attention far more.

 

Edited February 26, 2017 by darksidedog

[Eligius]

19 minutes ago, 01322521959 said:

How ridiculous. He reported honestly and was certainly not biased in his reporting.
I hope the BBC fight this to the end and in so doing drag this country kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
All about not losing face here. S#@ all about who's correct.
Makes my blood boil.

Sent from my i-mobile_i-STYLE_219 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

Yes, all about 'not losing face'. Yet the irony is that they constantly, perpetually, uninterruptedly lose face due to their idiocy, inhumanity and crimes - yet are so brain-deprived that they cannot even see that their face has totally disappeared long ago, along with their (non-existent) brains!

[tgeezer]

It is dispiriting to be forced to believe that the whole country is 'bent' from top to bottom. I don't believe that it is, they are just tolerant of other's faults. It isn't UK and coming here we don't bring the UK with us. Perhaps we must put it down to naivety that a chap trusts a woman with so much money and when she betrays him, so many in the establishment are more than happy to take a share. I got the impression that she didn't profit from it in the end, she went to jail and I doubt that anyone is fighting her case. The money is gone what is the point?
It reminds me of a hooker negotiating with a taxi to take a mark to a hotel, she can't get a good price because the taxi driver wants his share of the rip-off. If he thought it worthwhile he might wait outside and take more, intervention by the law wouldn't help because that riskes ending up with a three way split.
No point going to the law tomorrow, where is the law going to find the money to pay back?


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[NCC1701A]

lets hope that international readers of Mr Head's troubles in Thailand take away the underlining issue.

 

Don't buy property in Thailand.

Thailand is very corrupt.

 

 

 

[NCC1701A]

5 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

It is dispiriting to be forced to believe that the whole country is 'bent' from top to bottom. I don't believe that it is, they are just tolerant of other's faults. It isn't UK and coming here we don't bring the UK with us. Perhaps we must put it down to naivety that a chap trusts a woman with so much money and when she betrays him, so many in the establishment are more than happy to take a share. I got the impression that she didn't profit from it in the end, she went to jail and I doubt that anyone is fighting her case. The money is gone what is the point?
It reminds me of a hooker negotiating with a taxi to take a mark to a hotel, she can't get a good price because the taxi driver wants his share of the rip-off. If he thought it worthwhile he might wait outside and take more, intervention by the law wouldn't help because that riskes ending up with a three way split.
No point going to the law tomorrow, where is the law going to find the money to pay back?


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

wondering if you read the story.

everyone was in on it.

the woman, the attorney, land office, real estate agents. everyone. 

it was all a giant scam.

 

And remember, Farang's can't own property in Thailand, no matter how many times a day you meet someone who says you can.

[LandOfWiles]

1 hour ago, AGareth2 said:

in the Australian news but can't find it on the BBC

It wouldn't be appropriate for the BBC to cover this as it concerns them and is still ongoing. 

[DaveE13]

1 minute ago, LandOfWiles said:

It wouldn't be appropriate for the BBC to cover this as it concerns them and is still ongoing. 

Because its an on going case. They won't comment on it 

[Dibbler]

In the end it will be money that speaks loudest, and a deal will be done and he'll have his passport and be offered a one way ticket out of Thailand

[evadgib]

2 hours ago, chainarong said:

What happens will be anybody's guess , however the BBC has been on the nose in Thailand since they along with an ex Scotland Yard detective made them and by them I mean the RTP and the government look silly, with egg all over their faces, over the arrest of a young Sydney guy in a British backpacker girls murder and it was proven that the Thai owner of the hostel did the job , they immediately threw the BBC out and it was band for two years, so as I said , where this case will end up is anybody's guess............................................

The only people looking stupid over their handing of that case were the RTP and authorities.

[manhood]

Thailand's computer crime and defamation laws can get anybody easy into big trouble as i is missused by the authoroties ever day!

So I would love BBC is fighting for their correspondent and make this case public and on the screen every day with constant updates and stories to show how rotten down this country is now meanwile !!!!

 

Thailand could be a lovely country with another education from the parentes to the children, the teachers ro their pupils and another government !!!!!!!!!! This corrupt and guys acting here are as horrible as the government in north korea or any other similar countries...tooo bad!!!!!!!!

[evadgib]

24 minutes ago, LandOfWiles said:

It wouldn't be appropriate for the BBC to cover this as it concerns them and is still ongoing. 

There's nothing stopping then announcing one of theirs has been nicked and is contesting the charges with their support.

 

Drummond will no doubt fill in the gaps.

[humqdpf]

6 hours ago, Ricardo said:

Long overdue for the BBC to support their reporter, in this particular instance, but perhaps it might be wise for JH to relocate to another country/area while it all plays out ?

I know that JH is a great reporter but it is going to be difficult for him to relocate to another jurisdiction, presumably one without extradition agreement with Thailand, without his passport. The court has already taken his passport and no doubt all airports and exit points from the Kingdom are notified just in case the British issue him with an emergency pass.

[evadgib]

32 minutes ago, Dibbler said:

In the end it will be money that speaks loudest, and a deal will be done and he'll have his passport and be offered a one way ticket out of Thailand

Licence payers money?

 

That's accountable and accessible via a FoI request; something the beeb themselves are fond of when dropping others in the sh1t :)

Edited February 26, 2017 by evadgib

[gdgbb]

2 hours ago, Lingba said:

so he is simply speaking about what exists and gets thrown in jail?

No,  He hasn't been thrown in jail.

[LandOfWiles]

8 minutes ago, evadgib said:

There's nothing stopping then announcing one of theirs has been nicked and is contesting the charges with their support.

 

Drummond will no doubt fill in the gaps.

Andrew Drummond already has and those involved in the case also chipped in on his Facebook page. The BBC don't have much to gain from announcing this but could risk being accused of bias or trying to influence the case. It has been covered by the Guardian and Yahoo and probably many other media outlets, so it will not go unnoticed. On the contrary, as others have rightly noted, this case will be huge own goal for Thailand. 

Edited February 26, 2017 by LandOfWiles

[Sunderland]

Highlighting corruption in Thailand doesn't make a single bit of difference to those involved in it, nor seemingly to the population of the country who reside in it and probably suffer the non-development of their country as a result. Its worse than ever, and yet the masses chomp on their daily meals and barely bat an eyelid. Until that changes, don't expect the local population to even notice this as news.

Edited February 26, 2017 by Sunderland
Correction.

[geriatrickid]

1 hour ago, lemonjelly said:

They've seized his passport 

The British Embassy  will issue a new one  quickly should the need arise. he could have easily been spirited out of the country if he so choose. He has decided to fight this case and he has the support of journalists in the free world.

 

It is interesting to note that the President of the USA's press secretary blocked the BBC  from attending an informal press conference yesterday (along with the New York Times,  CNN and other media  reps who the US admin dislikes). As such, I do not believe that the US government will speak out on behalf of  journalist rights. With the USA MIA, Thailand may be emboldened to do as it pleases.

 

Now is the time to see if the UK  has any principles and if the EU will act in the defense  of one of its supposed pillars of freedom.