Committee to Protect Journalists - Thailand tag:cpj.org,2008-09-16://1 2013-04-26T15:53:42Z Movable Type 4.38 CPJ welcomes reversal of Thai documentary ban tag:cpj.org,2013://1.21611 2013-04-26T15:49:53Z 2013-04-26T15:53:42Z Committee to Protect Journalists Bangkok, April 26, 2013--The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the decision by Thailand's Ministry of Culture to reverse its earlier imposed ban on the locally produced documentary Fah Tam Pan Din Soon (Boundary).

"The ministry's reversal of its censorship order against director Nontawat Numbchapol's documentary is a step in the right direction," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's senior Southeast Asia representative. "We would encourage government authorities to reconsider their banning of various other politically-oriented films, books and websites currently censored."

]]> Censors ban political documentary in Thailand tag:cpj.org,2013://1.21600 2013-04-25T16:48:59Z 2013-04-25T16:55:32Z Bangkok, April 25, 2013--Thailand's Ministry of Culture has banned the locally produced documentary Fah Tam Pan Din Soon (Boundary) on grounds that it could "mislead and disrupt public order," according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the censorship order and calls on ministry officials to reverse the... Committee to Protect Journalists Bangkok, April 25, 2013--Thailand's Ministry of Culture has banned the locally produced documentary Fah Tam Pan Din Soon (Boundary) on grounds that it could "mislead and disrupt public order," according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the censorship order and calls on ministry officials to reverse the arbitrary decision.

]]> Attacks on the Press: Internet Opening Is Shrinking tag:beta.cpj.org,2013://1.20520 2013-02-14T05:05:48Z 2013-03-13T21:57:27Z Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam had vibrant blogospheres--until the crackdowns. By Shawn W. Crispin... Committee to Protect Journalists Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam had vibrant blogospheres--until the crackdowns. By Shawn W. Crispin

(AP/Apichart Weerawong)

]]> Attacks on the Press: Killed in 2012: A Worldwide Roundup tag:beta.cpj.org,2013://1.20487 2013-02-14T05:04:35Z 2013-03-13T21:41:13Z Committee to Protect Journalists Thai editor Somyot sentenced to 11 years in prison tag:cpj.org,2013://1.20941 2013-01-24T19:46:57Z 2013-01-24T19:51:07Z New York, January 24, 2013--A Thai court sentenced news editor and political activist Somyot Prueksakakasemsuk to 11 years in prison on Wednesday for two articles the court ruled had insulted the Thai monarch, a criminal offense under the country's strict lѐse majesté law. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, January 24, 2013--A Thai court sentenced news editor and political activist Somyot Prueksakakasemsuk to 11 years in prison on Wednesday for two articles the court ruled had insulted the Thai monarch, a criminal offense under the country's strict lѐse majesté law. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the harsh sentencing and calls for the journalist's immediate and unconditional release.

]]> Obama should address media rights in Southeast Asia tag:cpj.org,2012://1.20659 2012-11-14T16:12:07Z 2012-11-14T16:34:09Z Dear President Obama: We are pleased that you will begin your second term as U.S. president with a trip to Southeast Asia. As you visit Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand from November 17 through 20 while attending the 21st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and related meetings in Phnom Penh, we hope that your commitment to human rights and the fundamental right to free expression remains an important aspect of your agenda. Committee to Protect Journalists Conviction in Thailand undermines Internet freedom tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19932 2012-05-30T16:18:44Z 2012-05-30T17:09:58Z Bangkok, May 30, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today's conviction of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster and director of the Prachatai news and commentary website, for violating Thailand's 2007 Computer Crimes Act.... Committee to Protect Journalists Chiranuch has been handed a suspended jail sentence after being found guilty of insulting the monarchy. (Reuters/Kerek Wongsa)

Bangkok, May 30, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today's conviction of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster and director of the Prachatai news and commentary website, for violating Thailand's 2007 Computer Crimes Act.

]]> Thai webmaster conviction chills press freedom online tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19931 2012-05-30T14:33:13Z 2012-05-30T17:05:46Z San Francisco, May 30, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today's conviction of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of the Prachatai discussion board, under Thailand's Computer Crimes Act. The court's decision, which affirms that website operators can be criminally liable for the content of user comments, chills online press freedom in the... Committee to Protect Journalists San Francisco, May 30, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today's conviction of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of the Prachatai discussion board, under Thailand's Computer Crimes Act. The court's decision, which affirms that website operators can be criminally liable for the content of user comments, chills online press freedom in the country, and leaves Thai news sites vulnerable to unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions.

]]> Attacks on the Press in 2011: Regulating the Internet tag:cpj.org,2012://1.17646 2012-02-22T04:36:01Z 2012-02-19T23:33:44Z Legislation for Internet security can quickly turn into a weapon against the free press. Cybercrime laws are intended to extend existing penal codes to the online world, but they can easily be broadened to criminalize standard journalistic practices. By Danny O'Brien... Committee to Protect Journalists Thai website editor Chiranuch Premchaiporn faces criminal charges. (AFP/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul)

Legislation for Internet security can quickly turn into a weapon against the free press. Cybercrime laws are intended to extend existing penal codes to the online world, but they can easily be broadened to criminalize standard journalistic practices. By Danny O'Brien

]]> Attacks on the Press in 2011: Thailand tag:cpj.org,2012://1.17583 2012-02-21T05:23:00Z 2012-02-16T11:02:08Z Journalists faced significant restrictions, particularly online, despite democratic elections and a change in government. Outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva cracked down on partisan media, shutting radio stations and detaining Somyot Preuksakasemsuk, editor of a newsmagazine aligned with the anti-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship. New premier Yingluck Shinawatra... Committee to Protect Journalists Journalists faced significant restrictions, particularly online, despite democratic elections and a change in government. Outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva cracked down on partisan media, shutting radio stations and detaining Somyot Preuksakasemsuk, editor of a newsmagazine aligned with the anti-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship. New premier Yingluck Shinawatra wielded the country's strict lèse majesté laws by censoring websites and Facebook pages, and harassing Internet users who posted online material critical of the monarchy. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, editor of the news website Prachatai, faced a possible 50 years in prison under the draconian 2007 Computer Crimes Act for anonymous anti-royal remarks that were posted to one of her site's comment sections. The case was pending in late year. A reporter was killed in September while covering bombings in the country's insurgency-plagued southern region, a fatality that continued the country's recent spate of media deaths. The government opened a new inquiry into the fatal shooting of Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto during 2010 protests in Bangkok, but authorities left unresolved the case of a second international journalist killed in the 2010 unrest, Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi.

]]> Newspaper reporter shot, killed in Thailand tag:cpj.org,2012://1.18332 2012-01-12T19:56:09Z 2012-01-13T17:27:48Z New York, January 12, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for a thorough investigation into today's killing of a newspaper reporter in the Thai city of Phuket.... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, January 12, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for a thorough investigation into today's killing of a newspaper reporter in the Thai city of Phuket.

]]> Thailand tries to censor site devoted to flood news tag:cpj.org,2011://1.18039 2011-10-25T18:22:41Z 2011-10-25T19:07:31Z Bangkok, October 25, 2011 - The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government has tried to censor the citizen-journalist website Thaiflood, which has provided crucial news and information about massive flooding that has inundated one-third of the country's provinces. At least... Committee to Protect Journalists Floodwaters have reached Bangkok. (AP/Sakchai Lalit)

Bangkok, October 25, 2011 - The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government has tried to censor the citizen-journalist website Thaiflood, which has provided crucial news and information about massive flooding that has inundated one-third of the country's provinces. At least 350 people have been killed and millions dislocated by the natural disaster.  

]]> Thai journalist dies from bomb blast injuries tag:cpj.org,2011://1.17926 2011-09-26T19:09:59Z 2011-09-26T19:12:36Z Committee to Protect Journalists New York, September 26, 2011--The Thai government must bring to justice the perpetrators of the September 16 bomb attacks that killed a journalist and five other people in the country's insurgency-plagued southern region, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. 

]]> Editor faces anti-royal charges in Thailand tag:cpj.org,2011://1.17657 2011-07-28T18:12:47Z 2011-07-28T18:20:22Z Bangkok, July 28, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned by the anti-royal charges filed against Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a political activist and former editor-in-chief of the Voice of Taksin and Red Power partisan newsmagazines.... Committee to Protect Journalists Voice of Taksin and Red Power partisan newsmagazines.

]]> Media targeted in Thai political transition tag:cpj.org,2011://1.17566 2011-07-07T17:38:25Z 2011-07-07T17:40:33Z Bangkok, July 7, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the raid and seizure of broadcasting equipment by police at six community radio stations in Thailand's northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province. The raids were staged two days after caretaker Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government lost to the opposition Peua Thai party... Committee to Protect Journalists PAD protesters take to the streets in Bangkok on Friday on the final day of campaigning for Sunday's election. (AP/David Longstreath)

Bangkok, July 7, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the raid and seizure of broadcasting equipment by police at six community radio stations in Thailand's northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province. The raids were staged two days after caretaker Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government lost to the opposition Peua Thai party in general elections held on July 3. 

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