Thailand’s harsh criminal defamation laws have already claimed my life twice.
After working as a journalist and advocate for more than ten years, I think the only way to abolish Thailand’s SLAPP ( Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation ) is to repeal the criminal defamation laws.
A legitimate program that needs to be made as simple as possible will only become more complicated by anti-Slapp regulations. I’m of the opinion that other governments have better answers, but I think Thailand needs to abolish the criminal defamation rules if it wants to embrace true freedom of speech.
Civil slander is plenty. It makes it possible for those who believe they have been unfairly treated to pursue legal assistance. However, when someone is accused of slander, they are immediately made to become” scammers,” with the sole intention of improving Thailand.
Ten years ago, a coworker and I were sued by the powerful Royal Thai Navy, and I was officially declared a” criminal.” Rather of fleeing to another country, we stayed. We fought in judge, and won the case.
Our publication of a Pulitzer Prize-winning article from a Reuters set on human trafficking was over after the Phuketwan test. The army decided to pursue the little folks over Reuters, which has ten thousand times more visitors than Phuketwan.
Due to our success, the rules made it impossible to file a lawsuit for both computer crimes and criminal defamation. But in the 10 times since that event, many journalists, activists and human rights supporters have been sued in Thailand and have been turned into” thieves” without being found guilty.
Three years ago, I was sued by an elected local formal, and I once more became a fugitive. I found a corruption scandal while serving as a volunteer community advocate in Nakhon Ratchasima ( Korat ). I discovered that others had been squandering millions of ringgit to help poor producers.
In numerous Twitter posts, I made the village residents aware of what had happened and informed them of their freedom. I expected the institution involved to be pleased, but rather, the banks covered up the fraud of its own money.
The elected local official claimed that he was suing because some of my articles were “personal and political” rather than the incident. I was charged with three counts before the prosecution, and some weeks after.
The elected regional national then brought legal action against me six more days after my conviction was overturned. Authorities once more handed these allegations to the prosecution without conducting thorough inquiries because it was” their duty.”
Because the costs were presented in four situations, which would have required four trials, my lawyers submitted a surrender to the prosecution this time.
A top statewide official chose to drop one charge instead of the six that the prosecution wanted to drop. But five charges were dropped, but I am also a” criminal”. The trial’s scheduled time has not yet been determined, which is likely to be in 2026.
Every action I have taken as a blogger and activist over the years has been aimed at improving Thailand and making it a better place for everyone. I’m still here, labeled a crime without any supporting facts and subject to numerous hardships until the awaited trial is over.
Ironically, the cost relates to a tag. A judge will likely decide whether a tag can be slanderous for the first time ever. I think we all know the truth.
But I face yet another legal battle for doing the correct item in an under-educated planting area and for trying to improve the lives of the people. By repealing the fugitive defamation laws as soon as possible, I had work to improve freedom of expression and lessen SLAPP situations as a member of Thailand’s state.
That needs to occur for the good of the country, its popularity and its members.
*Text of a statement to be delivered by Chutima Sidasathian to mark the conclusion of a three-day local event cosponsored by the UN on November 12. SLAPP is the subject of a global plan.
Chutima Sidasathian won local awards for uncovering Thailand’s brutal “pushbacks” in 2008-2009 and won regional awards for investigative reporting and human rights. In the years that followed, she came to be regarded as Thailand’s first officer in reporting human prostitution. Eventually, she co-produced the video” Ghost Fleet,” which exposed slavery on Thai ships.