Thailand’s law reform agency urged the Thai junta not to restrict media freedom and freedom of expression in the new constitution.
Law Reform Commission of Thailand (LRCT), an independent state agency which promotes legal reforms, on Tuesday submitted a letter to Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the junta leader and prime minister, the National Reform Council (NRC), and National Legislative Assembly (NLA), on press freedom and freedom of expression.
In the statement, the LRCT suggested that the new constitution which is now being drafted under the junta must guarantee media freedom and freedom of expression.
Moreover, the state agency which controls public frequencies, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Technology (NBTC), should be regularly inspected by the Office of the Auditor General of Thailand every three months with its findings opened to the public, added LRCT.
The new constitution of Thailand must be formulated to be in line with the democratic principles to allow people to participate and criticise the government through information from the media, added the law reform agency.
The LRCT also mentioned that the regulations on ‘hate speech’ in the new constitution to laid out criminal offences against hate speeches must be written in manners that respect the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
In addition, Article 48 of the 2007 Constitution which prohibits politicians to hold shares in media outlets must be maintained.
Last week, the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand (NBCT), issued a statement urging Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta’s leader and prime minister, to understand the roles of the media and warned that the PM should not express anger over news reports if he does not want to be seen as a dictator.
The statement was issued after Gen Prayut expressed anger and threatened to summon Thapanee Ietsrichaion, a journalist from Channel 3, who reported about the plight of Thai workers who were deceived into slave labour on Thai fishing boats in Indonesia’s waters.