Barkar Nash – Page 1015

Lawyer files complaint over activist’s now-dissolved association

On: June 10, 2023

A lawyer has asked police to investigate political activist Srisuwan Janya for allegedly falsifying documents and making false statements in the setting up of his now-dissolved association.

Rachapon Sirisakorn yesterday submitted documents to Pol Maj Gen Narin Fuengsri, investigation chief at the Nang Loeng police station in Bangkok, to support his claims.

The move came after the Department of Provincial Administration issued an order to dissolve the Association to Protect the Thai Constitution for failing to meet membership requirements.

Mr Srisuwan, 55, who served as the association’s secretary-general, said he would appeal the order and vowed to continue to monitor the performance of politicians.

Mr Rachapon expressed doubt over whether the association had any members at all, saying that based on his observation, Mr Srisuwan carried out almost all activities alone.

He questioned whether the activist had used other people’s names in the registration of the association.

A person guilty of making false statements to officials or using false signatures when applying to register an association faces a six-month jail term and/or a fine of up to 10,000 baht, he said.

The offence of falsifying documents carries a jail term of up to three years and/or a fine of up to 60,000 baht, he said.

Mr Rachapon then urged others to file complaints against Mr Srisuwan if they have any evidence of his alleged wrongdoing.

Mr Srisuwan has filed hundreds of complaints with state agencies regarding the actions of politicians. He was especially busy in the run-up to the last election, watching for possible violations of an Election Commission rule against making unrealistic campaign promises.

The lawyer insisted he was not hired by anyone seeking to get even with Mr Srisuwan nor did he have a personal grudge against the activist. He said he simply believed the activist’s actions were not lawful.

If he did not file a police complaint, the department would certainly have filed a complaint, he said.

Firm donates B100m land to Koh Lipe islanders after dispute

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

A private company has donated one rai of land worth around 100 million baht to the local Chao Lay community on Koh Lipe in Satun.

The donation was made as authorities and owners weigh up a dispute between the private sector and Chao Lay communities on the island.

Langu district chief Peerapat Ngencharoen, who is also acting chief of Muang district office, yesterday said that land owned by Narongsak Pattamapaneewong was formerly the subject of a dispute with the Chao Lay people in Usen community, and Mr Narongsak won a Supreme Court case on the matter years ago.

But Mr Narongsak recently decided to donate Nor Sor 3 land with a church as a community title deed to the community in Muang district’s tambon Koh Sarai, which is home to 12 households, on the condition the land cannot be sold.

Mr Narongsak decided to donate the land as he used to earn a living from it until he grew wealthy, Mr Peerapat said.

Authorities explained his intention to the community leader and two village heads.

If everyone accepts the idea, it may be the first Chao Lay plot to be issued.

Apart from the land, Mr Peerapat said the authorities are preparing to check if public infrastructure systems such as water and electricity provisions are still ready and functional for local use.

Authorities will review ministerial regulations, and also the issuing of building permits and hotel licences for travel and tourism business operators there.

Prayut commends Lisa Blackpink for promo role

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has praised K-pop singer Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban, a member of the K-Pop group Blackpink, for promoting Thailand and helping to increase the value of the country’s economy.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri yesterday said the premier admired Lisa for expressing her pride at having been born Thai, by wearing traditional Thai clothes and talking about Thainess in her various shows and public activities.

Lisa recently posted pictures of herself and her friends wearing a Thai-style short-sleeve blouse and an indigo-dyed, mud-fermented cotton sarong with Naga patterning in Ayutthaya after finishing a concert there.

Her photos have sparked a trend among her fans of paying close attention to Thai traditional clothes and sharing tourist sites and cultures all over the world. When Lisa pays a visit, local economies get a boost, noted the spokesman.

Lisa’s style of expression serves as a form of soft power that helps spur the economy, he said.

The government has stressed the importance of promoting Thailand in new ways with the state, private and civil society sectors working together to achieve sustainable goals, Mr Anucha said.

“The cotton sarong with Naga patterning that Lisa wore is an iconic pattern in the northeastern region and is a well-known handicraft product from Udon Thani.

Lisa serves as a role model for the young generation and is helping to share Thai culture by wearing traditional clothes,” he said.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand also invited tourists who have an interest in following in her footsteps to travel to the three ancient temples she visited — Wat Na Phra Men, Wat Mahathat and Wat Maenangpleum — in Ayutthaya, he said.

Pita against vote on separatist state

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Student activists could face police probe

Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat yesterday opposed calls for the separation of the deep South from Thailand, saying the party stands by the principle that Thailand is an inseparable kingdom.

Mr Pita, the MFP’s prime minister candidate, said the same administrative system must apply to the whole country including the three southernmost provinces. The deep South also should try to reduce violence and conflicts in the region.

His remarks came after a group of student activists on Wednesday promoted separation of the deep South at a seminar titled “Self-determination” at the political science faculty of Prince of Songkla University Pattani campus.

Each participant was given a ballot asking whether people in the southern border provinces should have the right to vote for a “Pattani State”, or the separation of the three provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and four districts of Thepa, Na Thawi, Chana and Saba Yoi in Songkhla from Thailand. The seminar introduced “Pelajar Bangsa” or “national student movement”.

The seminar activity prompted security authorities to launch a probe into the individuals concerned out of fear the call could lead to disunity. The prime minister also instructed the National Security Council (NSC) to take action.

Mr Pita said he was initially informed that MFP list MP-designate Romdon Panjor and other party members did not take part. A working panel of the eight prospective coalition partners on peace in the deep South met on Friday at the MFP’s headquarters to discuss the issue.

Mr Romdon said the alliance calls for a greater decentralisation of power and public participation, not secessionism which is against the constitution. However, he said there should be a forum for an exchange of views and that gathering input from student groups is part of the panel’s working process.

Mr Romdon said the panel initially agreed that the role of security forces should be reduced while that of civilians, especially MPs, should be increased.

Assoc Prof Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security expert, said the seminar openly discussed “a referendum on separation” and featured a senior politician from one of the coalition parties.

Political activist Srisuwan Janya also lodged a complaint with the Metropolitan Police Bureau against the student activists, accusing them of violating the charter.

Senior police face B176m bribery charge

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

A police station chief and a deputy provincial commander in Phichit will be charged for their alleged involvement in a bribery case involving 176 million baht.

The money was left in a bank account owned by a Myanmar national who died years ago, said deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.

The pair were found to have helped a Chinese national gain access to the bank account which had for a long time been frozen. It was connected with a drug smuggling ring, said Pol Gen Surachate.

The matter came to light after a bank officer alerted Thong Lor police about an attempt by the Chinese national to request a new bank passbook for the account. He claimed to be the owner of the account owner and said his old passbook was lost, he said.

That led about seven people arrested, including a well-known gynaecologist, on charges of theft and using a fake stamp, he said.

As investigators dug deeper, they found the Chinese national was assisted by the Phichit police station chief and the deputy provincial police chief in removing the account from a list of assets frozen by the police, said Pol Gen Surachate, citing a statement given by the Chinese suspect.

The Chinese man also told officers the two police officials demanded a bribe in exchange for helping him, said Pol Gen Surachate, adding further details could not be revealed at this point.

“The investigation will be wrapped up next week and charges pressed against the two police,” he said.

As for the Samut Prakan police commander found to have ordered a team under his supervision to seize more than 900 bank accounts owned by criminal suspects in various cases, the commander has been transferred to an inactive post at the Royal Thai Police Sports Club while he faces a formal probe, he said.

“The investigators handling this case are gathering evidence to probe the alleged embezzlement and they need a week or two to wrap up the investigation,” he said.

The Samut Prakan police commander had a history of red warnings issued by the Provincial Police Region 1 commissioner over his alleged involvement in similar embezzlement cases, said Pol Gen Surachate.

Highway 12 to economic heaven

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Chamnan: A boost to domestic tourism

The completion of Highway 12 — a 793-km transport corridor linking Tak in the North with Mukdahan in the Northeast — will provide immense business opportunities as the emerging economic driver in the region, according to local transport and tourism industry leaders.

Businesses are upbeat and more confident of growth after the government recently announced the completion of the final phase of Highway 12, a 115.6-km section between Kalasin and Mukdahan in the Northeast, according to government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expects the road upgrade to not only ease the transport of goods and people but also bring economic benefits to residents of Kalasin and Mukdahan, said Mr Anucha.

As the road also forms a part of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC), the transport and tourism sectors foresee a boom in logistics, as well as trade and tourism in the region.

Trade and transport route

Chanin Songmek, president of Tak’s chamber of commerce, said Highway 12 holds immense significance as part of the EWEC, a route which links four mainland Southeast Asian countries, from Myanmar in the West to Vietnam in the East.

“It will boost cross-border cargo transport from Tak to Mukdahan and Laos and Vietnam and ease the shipping of goods along the north-south route through Myanmar,” he said.

Highway 12 begins at the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tak’s Mae Sot district and ends at Mukdahan’s Khamcha-i district, where it connects to Laos at the province’s Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. It links the two border provinces via Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen and Kalasin.

Mr Chanin predicts quicker transport time and lower freight damage due to fewer road accidents after the section of Highway 12 from Tak’s Muang district to the border was upgraded from two lanes to four lanes.

The value of cross-border trade in Tak rose to 140-billion-baht last year, he said.

“A special economic zone (SEZ) in Mae Sot is under development. The complete Highway 12 will boost its potential and make the SEZ even more attractive as an investment destination,” he said.

Now that a number of special economic development zones have opened in Mae Sot, the Treasury Department and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand are inviting companies to invest in the border economic area, which is also a duty-free zone, he said.

The highway will also strengthen efforts to attract entrepreneurial investment. Since the highway was completed the value of exports has increased markedly, he said.

Mr Chanin said Thailand is already a gateway to the region and the road network is the foundation of development. Highway 12 will offer business opportunities for hoteliers, food shops and fuel stations.

“It will inject vitality into the economy along the entire route, not to mention huge increases in revenue from import-export tariffs,” he said.

Mr Chanin said the complete highway is expected to boost regional tourism and especially tourism in Tak’s five border districts following an overhaul of immigration services.

Mr Chanin also expects the highway will encourage mobility in the region and see more talent gravitate towards Thailand’s industrial sector.

A report from the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council said the highway will also benefit the SEZ in Mukdahan. There are 868 new businesses in the province’s SEZ with a value of 1.6 billion baht.

The Finance Ministry said the East-West Economic Corridor will boost transborder trade by at least 50%.

Road-boosted economy

In the tourism sector, not only will Highway 12 promote tourism in Thailand and neighbouring countries, but it will also be an opportunity to generate income for the provinces that the road passes through.

Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said Highway 12 will promote the convenience of travelling between provinces and boost the domestic tourism industry in the process.

“Like the Malaysian Expressway that connects Thailand’s Sadao border to Singapore or the expressway that links northern and southern Vietnam, cities through which these roads pass receive great economic benefits. Highway 12 will result in the same thing,” Mr Chamnan said.

“Thailand should not be the only passageway. We should build rest areas that have full facilities like toilets and restaurants every 50-100 kilometres along the highway to take tourists and create marketplaces for local people.

“Meanwhile, the government should create tourism campaigns or build landmarks to invite tourists to travel,” he said.

Chaiyapruek Thongkham, chairman of the domestic tourism association, said the upgrade of Kalasin-Mukdahan section has improved mobility and reduced logistic costs.

“It took two days to move goods from Mae Sot to Mukdahan. The road upgrade cuts transport time by half,” he said.

However, he said the route is mainly used for logistics and freight and does not attract visitors. Tourists opt for other routes that take them to Chiang Rai, Nong Khai or Udon Thani where they can visit Laos.

“The government should make road travel more convenient. Or even better, it should consider building a rail system linking with Laos,” he said.

Regional connectivity

According to Sarawut Songsiwilai, director-general of the Department of Highways, Highway 12 is part of a cooperation initiated several decades ago to connect Asean countries.

“Each country reviewed their existing transport networks to determine where they could create the link. It could be north-south or east-west directions. When we looked at our own, we saw Highway 12,” he said.

Highway 12, the main route for transport from Tak’s Mae Sot district to Mukdahan, originally had two lanes. On Jan 10, 1995, the cabinet agreed to upgrade the entire route to four lanes, and six lanes in some sections.

It was not until late 2007 that the route was officially called Highway 12, he said.

However, Mr Sarawut said the upgrade of a section of Highway 12, which is 81km long in Nam Nao national park in Phetchabun, is still under review. The department is still studying an alternative route as recommended by the National Environment Board, he said.

According to Mr Sarawut, the road upgrade cost about 28 billion baht and is expected to generate an Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) of no less than 12% — as fixed by the Office of the National Economics and Social Development Council.

Smugglers caught with 48 macaques

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Monkeys in mesh bags, one of them dead, were being transported from Satun to Chachoengsao

A total of 48 macaques, one of which had died, are found inside a car that was stopped for a search in Chumphon province early Saturday. Two men were arrested. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)

Two members of a wildlife smuggling gang were arrested in Muang district of Chumphon on Saturday as they attempted to transport 48 macaques in a car from the South to the East.

The discovery was made after police and wildlife officials stopped a suspicious car for a search between kilometre markers 3 and 4 on Highway 4 in tambon Khun Krathing. Inside they found 48 macaques in mesh net bags. One of the animals was dead.

Two men — Natthaphon Phor-ong, 37, and Charnwat Tadaen, 39, both from Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaeo — were arrested, said Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).

During questioning, the pair admitted to having been hired to smuggle the macaques from the southern border province of Satun to Chachoengsao in the East for 25,000 baht a trip. They claimed they had done the job twice before being caught.

They were charged with illegal possession of protected wild animals and held in police custody for legal action. The rescued animals were sent to a wildlife breeding station in Phangnga province to be cared for.

Two smuggling suspects point at macaques inside their car after their arrest in Chumphon. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)

32kg of Australia-bound heroin seized at Bangkok Port

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Drugs with street value of B200 million hidden inside packs of pain-relief patches

Phanthong Loykulnanta, deputy director-general of the Customs Department, displays a small plastic bag of heroin found inside a pack of commercial pain-relief patches at a briefing on Saturday. (Photo: Customs Department)

Authorities have seized about 32 kilogrammes of heroin, stuffed inside boxes of pain-relief patches at the Bangkok Port. The drugs were destined for Melbourne, Australia.

Customs officials found the suspicious shipment at the port on Friday evening. The goods, declared as pain-relief patches, were destined for Melbourne. An X-ray showed the suspicious goods turned out to be heroin, which was in small plastic sachets inside the packages containing the patches.

The heroin could fetch about 200 million baht if smuggled to Australia, said Phanthong Loykulnanta, deputy director-general of the Customs Department, during a media briefing on Saturday.

The department, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau intend to jointly extend the investigation to find those involved, he added.

Packs of pain-relief patches containing heroin seized at the Bangkok Port on Friday are shown during a media briefing on Saturday. (Photo: Customs Department)

Petitioner Srisuwan accused of falsifying documents

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Lawyer questions whether signatures used to set up now-dissolved association were real

Lawyer Rachapon Sirisakorn shows a document in front of the Nang Loeng police station in Bangkok on Saturday asking police to investigate petitioner Srisuwan Janya for falsifying the documents used in setting up the association he claimed to head. (Photo: lawyer Rachapon Sirisakorn Facebook)

A lawyer has asked police to investigate serial petitioner and political activist Srisuwan Janya for allegedly falsifying documents and making false statements when setting up an association that has been ordered dissolved.

Rachapon Sirisakorn on Saturday submitted documents to Pol Maj Gen Narin Fuengsri, investigation chief at the Nang Loeng police station in Bangkok to support his claims.

The move came after the Department of Provincial Administration issued an order to dissolve the Association to Protect the Thai Constitution on the grounds that it did not meet membership requirements.

Mr Srisuwan, 55, who served as the association’s secretary-general, said he would appeal the order and vowed to continue checking the performance of political parties and politicians.

Mr Rachapon expressed doubt about whether the association had any members as he had observed that Mr Srisuwan carried out almost all of his activities alone. He wondered whether the activist had used other people’s names to apply for the registration of the association.

If a person makes false statements to officials or uses false signatures when applying to register an association, they could face a jail term of up to six months and/or a fine of up to 10,000 baht, he said.

For falsifying documents, the offence carries a jail term of up to 3 years and/or a fine of up to 60,000 baht.

Mr Rachapon urged others to file complaints against Mr Srisuwan if they had any evidence about his alleged wrongdoings.

The lawyer insisted he had neither been hired by someone seeking to get even with Mr Srisuwan, nor did he have a personal grudge. He simply believed that the activist’s actions in his case were not lawful.

If he did not file a police complaint, the department, which was a damaged party, would certainly file a complaint, said Mr Rachapon.

Prolific career

Mr Srisuwan has filed hundreds of complaints with state agencies, mostly in connection with the actions of politicians. He was especially busy in the run-up to the election, watching for possible violations of an Election Commission (EC) rule against making unrealistic campaign promises.

The Pheu Thai Party took exception to one complaint he filed, and has asked police to charge him with spreading false information after he criticised the party’s campaign promise to increase the minimum wage to 600 baht by 2027.

Mr Srisuwan this week reported, alone, to the Thung Song Hong police station to answer the complaint filed by the party. It was one of the rare occasions when he did not invite reporters and photographers along.

Some people resort to more drastic measures to express their disagreements.

Last month, Mr Srisuwan was punched in the mouth after giving a statement to the EC to support his campaign against Pheu Thai’s 10,000-baht digital wallet scheme.

The attack occurred when an older man walked towards him while he was speaking to reporters at the EC office and suddenly punched him in the month. “I’ve tolerated your conduct for too long,” he shouted before leaving. The attacker was later identified as as Thotsaphon Thananonsophonkul, 67, a retired university lecturer.

It was not the first time the activist has been physically attacked by someone accusing him of showing a bias against critics of the government, something he has denied.

Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, leader of the Seri Ruam Thai (Thai Liberal) Party, on Saturday advised political parties not to resort to physical attacks on Mr Srisuwan as doing so is against the law.

“It’s better for us to adhere to the law because our country is governed by the law,” said the former national police chief. “The issue must be left to arbitrators, like the court.”

Activists navigate defamation minefield

By: Barkar Nash

On: June 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Activist Puttanee Kangkun faces a maximum of 42 years in prison after being sued for defamation and libel by the poultry company Thammakaset. (Lauren DeCicca/The New York Times)

Sutharee Wannasiri knew the poultry company had violated labour laws. She went on Twitter in 2017 to share a video containing an interview with an employee who said he had to work day and night with no day off.

The poultry company hit back, suing Sutharee for defamation and libel. Although a court found her not guilty in 2020, the company wasn’t done.

While the case was still pending, her colleague at their human rights organisation spoke up for Sutharee on Twitter and Facebook. She, too, ended up being sued for defamation and libel. Now the colleague, Puttanee Kangkun, is facing a maximum of 42 years in prison as she awaits a ruling.

The cases exemplify what often happens in Thailand when companies and government officials are unhappy with public criticism. A criminal defamation charge follows in which critics are accused of spreading falsehoods, and defendants find themselves mired in lengthy legal battles and facing the threat of a prison sentence.

Powerful figures who know they can use the courts to intimidate, harass and punish critics have taken advantage of what the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights has called “judicial harassment” in Thailand.

Although the poultry company, Thammakaset, has been found guilty of labour abuses, it has continued to take its critics to court: first, people who talked about the labour abuses, and later, those who complained about the measures the company was taking to silence those people.

Since 2016, Thammakaset has filed 39 lawsuits, mostly criminal defamation cases, against 23 individuals: migrant workers, human rights defenders and journalists. It has lost all except one, which was later overturned on appeal.

Three are still pending.

In addition to Puttanee, Thammakaset is also suing Angkhana Neelapaijit, 67, a former National Human Rights Commissioner, and Thanaporn Saleephol, 29, a press officer for the European Union in Thailand.

All three women took to social media to criticise the lawsuits filed by Thammakaset. All three are accused of defamation and libel; they are being tried together. (Story continues below)

Puttanee Kangkun shows a post on Twitter that caused Thammakaset to accuse her of defamation. (Lauren DeCicca/The New York Times)

Thailand stands out

Many countries in Southeast Asia have criminal defamation laws, but Thailand stands out. Citizens “are just much more aggressive” in using the law to “drag people into judicial processes that are slow and expensive”, according to Phil Robertson, the deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch.

In addition to the criminal defamation law, there is the Computer Crimes Act, which makes it a crime to upload “false” information that can “cause damage to the public”. As well, the lese-majeste law, intended to protect the monarchy from criticism, allows ordinary citizens to file complaints for violations.

A UK-based rights watchdog, Article 19, cited statistics provided by Thai judicial authorities showing that public prosecutors and private parties have filed more than 25,000 criminal defamation cases since 2015.

“The business and political elites see this as very effective because the courts are risk-averse; they accept almost any case that is, on its face, nonsensical,” Robertson said.

Faced with calls to address the rampant misuse of the courts, the government amended its Criminal Procedure Code in 2018 to make it easier to dismiss cases against defendants who can argue they are acting in the public interest. But lawyers say little has changed.

Sor Rattanamanee Polkla, the lawyer representing Puttanee, Angkhana and Thanaporn, said she filed a petition to get the cases thrown out under this provision, but the court denied her request.

Thammakaset’s complaint against the three women centres on the 2017 video shared by Sutharee, which was made by Fortify Rights. Puttanee works for the organisation; Sutharee and Thanaporn both used to.

In their Twitter and Facebook posts, Puttanee, Angkhana and Thanaporn expressed solidarity with the activists who were persecuted by Thammakaset. Their posts linked to a Fortify Rights news release and a joint statement with other human rights organisations that ultimately linked to the video.

Thammakaset has cited the video, which includes an interview with a worker describing working long hours and having his passport withheld, in its complaint.

In 2016, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare concluded that Thammakaset had failed to pay minimum and overtime wages or to provide adequate leave to workers. In 2019, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court order for the company to pay 1.7 million baht to a group of 14 employees who had filed the labour complaint.

During a hearing for the three women in March of this year, Chanchai Pheamphon, the owner of Thammakaset, told the judge that he had already “paid his dues” to the workers, yet the online criticism continued to hurt his business and his reputation.

He said his children had asked him whether the family’s money had come “from human trafficking, from selling slaves.”

“How should a father feel when his children asks him this?” Chanchai said, his voice rising. “I have to use my rights to fight. But using my rights is seen as threatening, using the law to silence them.”

Chanchai told the court that no one wanted to do business with him anymore. But in March, two rights groups published an investigation showing that after Thammakaset cancelled its poultry farm certifications in 2016, a new poultry company called Srabua was established by a man who shared the same address as Chanchai.

Chanchai denied any knowledge of Srabua.

Asked by a New York Times reporter if he planned to file more lawsuits against critics of the company, Chanchai said, “You’re a reporter for a big news agency. If someone says you’re a drug dealer, will you fight back?” (Story continues below)

Puttanee Kangkun, Angkhana Neelapaijit and Thanaporn Saleephol, who are all being sued for defamation by Thammakaset, with their lawyers outside the South Bangkok Criminal Court on May 24. (Lauren DeCicca/The New York Times)

Costly process

Decriminalising defamation cases could have saved Thai taxpayers $3.45 million between 2016 are 2018, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. Defendants in civil suits can also expect to pay large sums of money out of pocket.

During the March hearing, Puttanee, 52, brought a backpack stuffed with clothes to court. Commuting from her home to the court takes two hours each way, so each time she attends a hearing, she books a hotel at her company’s expense.

She said she expects the case to last four years if Thammakaset decides to bring its argument all the way to the Supreme Court. Nonetheless, Puttanee counts herself lucky: She is in a community that has rallied around her, and her lawyer works pro bono.

“But I still treat this as intimidation,” she said.

During the hearing, Chanchai detailed how Puttanee’s Twitter posts had defamed his company. His account took five hours; Puttanee nodded off during his testimony.

Angkhana, the former human rights commissioner, is well known in Thailand because of her husband, Somchai Neelapaijit, a human rights lawyer who vanished in 2004 and whose fate remains unknown.

She said the current lawsuit has taken a toll on her mental health.

“It is repeated trauma when somebody attacks you when you didn’t do anything wrong,” said Angkhana. “This is the real aim of the company — to make you feel powerless.”

Thanaporn said there was irony in becoming a victim of the very process she was denouncing, simply by sharing support for her fellow activists online.

“The fact that I can be sued for this speaks for itself,” she said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times

Barkar Nash (Page 1,015)