PM responds to journalists’ concerns: ‘Cabinet will discuss controversial media bill today’ 
By Wasamon Audjarint
The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says he will discuss the controversial media reform draft bill in the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. 

 

The premier responded to 30 media organisations which asked him to suspend the bill following their concerns the law could lead to state authority overshadowing media affairs.

 

“I’ll look at these concerns and will discuss this with the Cabinet today,” Prayut said after receiving a letter proposed by Thai Journalists Association president Pramed Lekpetch.

 

The media's move came a day after the National Reform Steering Assembly endorsed the draft bill. 

 

While the controversial licensing requirement and its penalties were removed following high concern from the media, the proposed media professional council featuring two ministerial permanent secretaries remained in the draft.

 

The bill draft will be forwarded to the Cabinet for further consideration.

 

The PM said: "The government’s only hope is to improve this country. The media should also help us with this. 

 

“The media are speakers to the government’s good deeds because the government doesn’t do anything bad … Please don’t think that the government overshadows everything. But the media need to be capable to self-regulate also.”

 

In a letter directly handed to Prayut, the media groups expressed concern about the so-called media professional council, fearing it would allow the state to take part in the industry despite the press having the role of monitoring authorities’ use of power.

 

They also said the bill draft defined media workers too broadly - that it would cover not only professional workers but also general media users. This would result in the groups being regulated by mechanisms proposed in the draft, they said.

 

The media groups also said the constitution should be followed by in relation to the matter. In the charter, they said, it was stipulated that people’s freedom of expression was guaranteed while any legislation must be issued on a necessity basis and must go through a hearing involving related parties.

 

“We support media self-regulation where laws may be issued to recognise the status of the media,” the groups said. “But the laws must not aim to punish the media and be pushed without receiving holistic opinions from related party.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30313996

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-02

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"The government’s only hope is to improve this country. The media should also help us with this. 

The government offers hope by not menacing its people.  The media's only obligation is to report the truth. 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“The media are speakers to the government’s good deeds because the government doesn’t do anything bad …

Yeah, coups are not bad.  Deposing elected governments is a new trend.  Even Trump will find this guy a bit simple. 

Edited May 2, 20179 yr by yellowboat

What he is attempting to do is control the media

 

Twisted thinking in a free society

 

Do I hear a(nother) flip flop coming ?

Perhaps the orange beast and Prayut will exchange ideas in November. The orange one has stated that the US Constitution is evil and he plans to revise it. Or is any story casting the modern Hitler in a bad light "fake news"?

I see no problem in a "press pool" of journalists elected by their piers.

The current situation is a total zoo, 

yes they would have to organize and get questions they want asked passed on to there representatives at the news conference.

Look back at past news conferences, a total zoo, everyone asking questions at the same time. 

All members should be "real reporters" not some guy with a voice recorder and a camera.

Registered news organizations with trained, professional reporters is what is needed.

Quote from Prime Minister " because the government doesn’t do anything bad " What a crock of bull dunn.. Arrest Red Bull man would be a good start to that statement. Pigs fly too?

Only a day after one member of the Govts NRC said any journalist who criticised the military should be executed by firing squad.