Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)

(SEAPA/IFEX) – A senior editor who was sacked by the “Bangkok Post” newspaper over a flawed report about alleged cracks in the runway of Thailand’s new international airport, said his dismissal was a result of the government’s interference in the newspaper’s editorial policy, an act he says can threaten the independence of the entire Thai […]

(SEAPA/IFEX) – On 2 September 2005, veteran Thai journalist Kavi Chongkittavorn testified that media reform activist Supinaya Klangnarong, sued for criminal libel by telecom giant Shin Corp, had the public interest in mind when she said that the company had intertwining interests with the government. Kavi, an assistant group editor of “The Nation” and SEAPA […]

(SEAPA/IFEX) – The following is a joint statement by SEAPA and the Cambodian Association for Protection of Journalists (CAPJ): Supreme Court upholds libel charge against Cambodian reporter On 31 August, Cambodia’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling by the Phnom Penh Municipality Court that journalist Kay Kimsong had libelled Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in a 2001 […]

(SEAPA/IFEX) – A Singaporean filmmaker has been forced to surrender his video camera and tapes to police, reports coming out of the city-state say. Documentary producer and director Martyn See told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that he turned over the equipment and six existing tapes of “Singapore Rebel”, a documentary about Singapore opposition figure Chee Soon […]

(SEAPA/IFEX) – On 29 August 2005, Thailand’s English-language daily “Bangkok Post” dismissed Sermsuk Kasitipradit, a desk editor who was responsible for a flawed report about cracks in the runway of Thailand’s new international airport. The dismissal followed his resistance to pressure from the newspaper’s management to resign. The “Post” management called in Sermsuk, the Post’s […]

(SEAPA/IFEX) – The Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ), SEAPA’s local partner in Malaysia, has expressed concern that prominent dissident Anwar Ibrahim’s recent lawsuit award could undermine efforts to rationalise libel and defamation awards and endanger freedom of expression in the country. On 18 August 2005, the High Court awarded Anwar damages worth RM4.5 million (approx. […]

(SEAPA/IFEX) – On 24 August 2005, “Bangkok Post” news editor Chadin Thepaval resigned over the paper’s flawed report about cracks in the runway of Thailand’s new international airport. The resignation followed pressure from “Post” management that Chadin quit and take responsibility for the erroneous report that resulted in a criminal suit against the prestigious daily. […]

(SEAPA/IFEX) – On 16 August 2005, the Burmese Ministry of Information’s Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD) blocked the “Myanmar Times” from publishing a Burmese translation of an article on new publishing licence regulations in the country, according to well-informed sources in Rangoon. The banned article, scheduled for the paper’s 18 August edition, dealt with […]