Another victim of disseminating lese majeste

This is not the first time that I have blogged about the law of disseminating lese majeste content in Thailand.

Another journalist has fallen foul of the law which prevents any criticism of the monarchy

Prachati.com web editor is now out on bail after she was accused of the said crime.She was arrested for allowing comments on the website which the police deemed as offensive to the monarchy.

Source-Global voices online which reports that

More than 20 pages on Prachatai have been blocked by authorities in the last five months. The arrested editor has been summoned by the police for eight times already to answer questions about the content of the website

.

BBC reporter under pressure in Thailand

The BBC has come under fire in Thailand over allegations that one of its correspondents has insulted the monarchy (Via Newswatch India)

There have been two separate complaints.The first concerning comments made at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand questioning the role of the monarchy in the military.The second that BBC correspondent Jonathan Head

over a two-year period had “intended to criticize the monarchy several times” and that “his writings have damaged and insulted the reputation of the monarchy”,

The corporation has described the charges as being "totally unfounded" and the reporter himself denied that any of his reporting has criticised the monarchy.

And the committee to protect journalists has called upon the Thai authorities to dismiss these charges against BBC correspondent Jonathan Head

"King Bhumibol Adulyadej said himself during a nationally televised address in 2005 that the monarchy is not above criticism. Those prosecuting Head should accept that guidance and throw out this and all future lese majeste cases

The crime of insulting the monarchy carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in Thailand

Freedoms in Thailand

Thailand is at the forefront of the coverage coming out of Burma at the moment but the country itself is hardly a beacon for press freedom and democracy at the moment.

Last years military coup which ousted the regime of Thaksin Shinawatra was a step backwards for freedom in the media and martial law remains in place in 25 provinces.

The result of this has seen a strengthening of the public broadcasting sector to the detriment of the once burgeoning independent stations.

The result of this has been a stifling of alternative political debate and a degree of self censorship.There have also been proposals for censorship of the internet surrounding national security concerns.Media forums have been particularly hard hit.

You tube was initially banned after the coup and returned only in March after an agreement with the military government to allow censorship.

Interview with ex Pm shuts radio stations

News from Thailand where three radio stations have been closed down for carrying an interview with deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.The same man who is currently in the process of buying Premier League club Man City.


This from Reporters sans Frontiere

This was the first time Thaksin has
given an interview
to Thai radio stations since his ouster in a military
coup on 19 September 2006.
He spoke with Confidante from London, where he is
living in exile. In the
interview, which was also broadcast by Saturday
Voice Against Dictatorship and
Taxi Driver Community Radio, Thaksin urged
his voters to hold on, and said it
would not be in the country’s interest
for the presidential election to be
postponed.
Shortly after the
interview was broadcast, Confidante received a
visit by a delegation from
the military government, which confiscated the
recording of the interview
and closed the station down. Legal proceedings were
initiated today against
Confidante and Taxi Driver Community Radio while the
server of Saturday
Voice Against Dictatorship, which is only available on the
Internet, was
blocked.