Journo group urges fight against media bill

The Thai Journalists Association (TJA) is rallying opposition to the controversial media bill which it fears will bring the media under the state’s control as the bill heads for the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) next month.

The plea, announced yesterday by TJA president Pramed Lekpetch, looks set to stoke further conflict with the government over the measure, given the regime’s record of curbing free speech.

However, authorities have remained calm, saying several more steps are needed before the bill can be passed into law.

In the TJA’s open statement, the media organisation maintains its stance against the bill’s proposal for a 15-member national media council which would include two representatives from state agencies.

Concerned about possible state interference which will affect media freedom and the public’s right to know, Mr Pramed said he suspected the law might aim to “gag the media”, with the result journalists would be unable to dig for facts and monitor irregularities in state projects.

“If you publish stories that are not appealing to the state, will your media licence still be renewed?” he asked, referring to the bill’s requirement for journalists to renew their licences annually.

Reporting news without a licence is subject to a fine of 60,000 baht and/or a three-year jail term, he added.

Such a prison sentence is “equal to that of unpremeditated killing”, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam said the NRSA’s debate of the bill will not be final as it has to be examined by the government too.