Testimony
has begun in a criminal defamation lawsuit the Thai navy has filed against a
small news website over a report it posted alleging naval forces accepted money
to abet or turn a blind eye to the trafficking of refugees from Burma.
The
Australian editor of the Phuketwan website, Alan Morison, and his Thai
colleague Chutima Sidasathian could face up to seven years in prison if found
guilty of defamation and violating the Computer Crime Act by publishing the
article online.
The
paragraph said to defame the navy, which was taken directly from a Pulitzer
Prize-winning article by Reuters, stated:
“The
Thai naval forces usually earn about 2000 baht per Rohingya for spotting a boat
or turning a blind eye,” said the smuggler, who works in the southern Thai region
of Phang Nga and deals directly with the navy and police.
Reuters
has not faced defamation charges over the original article.
The
case has drawn criticism from human rights and press freedom groups around the
world.
Foreign
governments and rights groups have long accused Thai authorities of collusion
in the trafficking industry, but police, military and government officials have
denied the allegations.
The
United Nations Human Rights Office for South East Asia (OHCHR) repeated its
calls Tuesday for the charges against the two journalists to be dropped.
“OHCHR
urges the Thai authorities to drop the charges against the two journalists. Freedom
of the press, including freedom for journalists to operate without fear of
reprisals, is essential in promoting transparency and accountability on issues
of public interest,” the
statement said.
Speaking
to Asian Correspondent before the trial, Morison said he felt the
pair had been “ambushed” by Thai authorities, and accused the navy of “picking
on the little guy”.
“I
was deeply disappointed with the misguided action of the Royal Thai Navy to
take action against us,” he said.
Additional
reporting from Associated Press
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