L
LequteMan
Guest
The UN human rights office has urged the government of Thailand to drop the criminal defamation charges against two journalists who wrote about the alleged involvement of the Thai Navy with human trafficking.
“Criminal prosecution for defamation has a chilling effect on Freedom of the Press.
“International standards are clear that imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty for defamation,’’ spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ravina Shamdasani said.
Alan Morison, an editor and Chutima Sidasathian, a reporter, who write for Phuketwan, a small English-language newspaper based on one of the Thai islands, had alleged the involvement of Thai naval security forces in smuggling Muslims asylum-seekers fleeing Myanmar.
Morison and his colleague, Sidasathian, had also been charged for breaching the Computer Crimes Act for publishing the July 17 online article.
Shamdasani stressed on the essential role the media played in imparting information and promoting transparency and accountability on the important issue.
“The criminal charges against Morison and Sidasathian can have serious implications on Phuketwan’s future operations, possibly compromising its ability to report on issues related to Rohingya asylum-seekers to the public,” she noted.
If convicted, they face up to two years’ imprisonment on the criminal defamation charges and five years in prison for breaching the Computer Crimes Act, as well as fines equivalent to 3,125 dollars.
The Computer Crimes Act, which came into force in Thailand in 2007, seeks to bar the spread of material believed to threaten national security or create panic.
“Criminal prosecution for defamation has a chilling effect on Freedom of the Press.
“International standards are clear that imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty for defamation,’’ spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ravina Shamdasani said.
Alan Morison, an editor and Chutima Sidasathian, a reporter, who write for Phuketwan, a small English-language newspaper based on one of the Thai islands, had alleged the involvement of Thai naval security forces in smuggling Muslims asylum-seekers fleeing Myanmar.
Morison and his colleague, Sidasathian, had also been charged for breaching the Computer Crimes Act for publishing the July 17 online article.
Shamdasani stressed on the essential role the media played in imparting information and promoting transparency and accountability on the important issue.
“The criminal charges against Morison and Sidasathian can have serious implications on Phuketwan’s future operations, possibly compromising its ability to report on issues related to Rohingya asylum-seekers to the public,” she noted.
If convicted, they face up to two years’ imprisonment on the criminal defamation charges and five years in prison for breaching the Computer Crimes Act, as well as fines equivalent to 3,125 dollars.
The Computer Crimes Act, which came into force in Thailand in 2007, seeks to bar the spread of material believed to threaten national security or create panic.
