(TJA/IFEX) – The following is a 3 May 2003 joint news release by TJA and the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA): May 3, 2003 Bangkok Thai Media Urge Public Support in Defending Press Freedom Thai media today urge all of society to recognize the importance of press freedom by staging a public vigil on the […]
(TJA/IFEX) – The following is a 3 May 2003 joint news release by TJA and the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA):
May 3, 2003
Bangkok
Thai Media Urge Public Support in Defending Press Freedom
Thai media today urge all of society to recognize the importance of press freedom by staging a public vigil on the government’s existing legal and policy obstacles to their rights to search for truth, free expression and access to information.
In a joint statement marking UNESCO-designated 2003 World Press Freedom Day, the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) and the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association (TBJA) outlined four indicators of the obstacles.
“While the overall physical intimidation of journalists has become less prominent, some individuals in the government still exploit ‘ambiguity’ in the existing draconian law and business clout to intimidate the media,” the statement said.
“The government is insensitive to the media and public calls for the abolition of the 1941 Printing Act for invalid causes. On the contrary, they are inclined to favor the continuation of this law to maintain their political stature,” it said.
“The government is insincere in pushing for an amendment to the 1997 Official Information Act to cut down on red tape in the procedures to acquire government records,” it said.
Both TJA and TBJA also blamed a standstill in the broadcast media reform process on the government’s reluctance to free up the broadcast media regime and its unwillingness to promote community radio stations.
The two organizations, which represent some 2,000 members of print and broadcast media nation-wide, also backed UNESCO calls for the global recognition of investigation as a tool to bring violators of press freedom to justice, and for social support to safeguard press freedom.
They also hope all sectors of society, in particular the government sector, will recognize the importance of the media profession as a driving force of social, economic and political changes.
“This will manifest itself in public support to ensure the media can perform their duty free of all forms of intimidation, and in their close scrutiny of media ethics to promote social responsibility,” the statement said.
The World Press Freedom Day celebration comes on the heels of the release of Freedom House’s press freedom rating, in which Thailand’s press freedom ranking was downgraded.
The celebration here rolls up two days of events, including a public seminar to raise public awareness of freedom of expression and press freedom as basic principles of human rights. Media professionals, academics and rights advocates will also brainstorm joint strategies to ensure that individual rights to communications and press freedom guarantees in the constitution are upheld.
