A Crook's Charter: The suppression of journalism in Thailand under the Computer Crime Act - libel laws - fake foreign lawyers and human rights
Press Conference
2.30 pm, Thursday July 24, 2014
British journalist Andrew Drummond, formerly of the Observer and The Times and now with the London Evening Standard, has been prevented from working as a foreign correspondent in Thailand for the last three years. He is meant to cover Asia. But he has not been able to pass through Immigration, one of many examples for instance was to cover last year's hurricane in the Philippines - without asking a judge.
This is because he has become embroiled in petty Computer Crime Act cases brought to ruin his living and silence his investigations. He called the owner of an Australian brothel a pimp - Can he not do this in Thailand or for any Thai that sees the story on the internet? Apparently not according to the Thai courts. He called a man involved in lending cash at the rate of 60 per cent per month to Russians in Pattaya, a racketeer and part of a mafia gang. No, according to the Thai courts.
His story has uncovered a myriad of problems that have effectively gagged the press, where because of the legal system, the foreign media are made to feel they should not be in Thailand at all.
Andrew Drummond (London Evening Standard former/The Times/Observer)
Kanokrat Nimsamooth Booth (President of Thai and Foreign Spouse Federation)
(Translations by Danthong Breen)
Video (in Thai), 29 mins, followed by presentation
Note: This is not an FCCT-organized event.
This is not an FCCT-sponsored event. It is a paid function and responsibility for program content is solely that of the event organizer
