All media invited to a gathering against press harassment

[dr dave soul monsta]

Four major Thai media associations have jointly called for editors and publishers to join a gathering against the government's attempt to gag press on April 5 and to discuss to find a common strategies to counter press harassment.

The gathering, so-called "Media Solidarity Event," will start with editors' discussion on media intimidation at 10am and followed by the gathering of media members to show unity against media harassment. The protest will take place at Thai Journalists Association on Sam Sen Road.

The four associations are Thai Journalists Association, Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, Press Council of Thailand and Economic Reporters Association

The gathering is set after a series of media attack, in the week leading up to the national election on April 2. On March 30, 2006, more than 2,000 demonstrators sealed off the head office of Nation Group, the publisher of Kom Chad Luek newspaper, and threatened to resort to violence.

The protestors besieged the newspaper's office to vent their anger towards an article deemed lese majeste to His Majesty the King and published on the 24 March 2006 edition. The protesters demanded the halt in newspaper publishing, among others.

On March 30, supporters of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attacked a Nation Channel Editor Prachuab Wangjai at Chiang Mai University while he was covering the campaign of Democrat Party, the opposition party. Prachuab was punched in the head and then abused as he and his team were getting ready to leave the rally which was ended abruptly when Thai Rak Thai Party's protestors got out of control. Thaksin supporters had recognised him from Nation Channel TV.

On March 31, around 300 motorcyclists surrounded the Manager Media Group's office in Bangkok demanding the owner Sondhi Limthongkul and Kom Chad Luek newspaper be taken to court on lese majeste charges. There was a skirmish as some motorcyclists threw bottles and rocks into the building. Manager identified one of the mob leaders as Narongsak Manee, a supporter of Thai Rak Thai Party's spokesman Sita Divari. (Thai Rak Thai Party belongs to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.)

The associations viewed that the recent incidents were the acts to harass and threaten the media's rights and freedom to perform their duties. Therefore, the event is formed to show our unified stance against such unacceptable acts.

On April 1, the four association and media scholars agreed unanimously that media harassment has intensified under the leadership of Thaksin. They also agreed that the media must remain united and work together to combat against any anti-free media plans.

At the meeting, they jointly issued a 10-point joint communique containing measures aiming to bolster free press and freedom of expression.

1. Declare the media's right to report.

2. Send an open letter to the public to explain threats to the media.

3. Form a team of media representatives and experts to inform the public of any future threats to media freedom.

4. Report regularly on threats to the media to foreign journalists worldwide.

5. Hold a meeting among print and broadcast media editors to ask for cooperation in the fight against such threats.

6. Use the TJA's Issara News Centre to report unbiased news to the public.

7. Produce stickers and shirts campaigning for media freedom.

8. Hold a seminar to expose threats to the media in the past five years, which have become more severe during the Thaksin administration.

9. Reveal irregularities behind some groups or movements which attempt intimidate the media.

10. Ask organisations such as the Law Society of Thailand for help when in trouble.

Should you require additional information, please contact Khun Thiemjai, TJA manager, at reporter@inet.co.th.

TJA Directors for Foreign Affairs