9 March 2004
INDEPENDENT MEDIA UNDER INCREASED POLITICAL PRESSURE
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and other press-freedom groups have expressed concern over recent incidents of political interference in Thailand's independent media.
In a letter to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, IFJ cited the case of former "Bangkok Post" editor Veera Prateepchaikul, who was "promoted" to another position in the newspaper's parent organisation on 20 February. This occurred, reported ARTICLE 19, after the newspaper headlined a comment by King Bhumibol that Thaksin was arrogant.
In another case, said IFJ, Jamjit Ravikul was removed from his post as news editor of iTV, which is 50 percent owned by the Prime Minister's family. The network had recently broadcast a story critical of Thaksin's approach to the bird flu crisis in Thailand. IFJ further asserted that the editor of "Siamrath Weekly News" magazine resigned after 30,000 copies of the magazine were recalled by the magazine's owner, a senator. The recalled edition had also criticised the government's handling of the bird flu issue.
The Thai Journalists Association (TJA) sees such incidents as a clear warning to the Thai press to tone down its critical reporting. ARTICLE 19 noted that political pressure on Thai media, while nothing new, has increased of late. Such pressure, it said, "represents unacceptable interference in media freedom which violates the right to freedom of expression and information, guaranteed by both the Thai Constitution and international treaties."
ARTICLE 19 encouraged the Thai media and public to resist such interference.
For more information, visit:
-ARTICLE 19: http://www.article19.org
-IFJ: http://www.ifj.org
-TJA: http://www.tja.or.th
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