The Thai authorities have given a green light to the bill to establish a national media council, saying that it will improve media ethics and freedom. However, some say that the bill will result in the contrary.
According to Post-today news, on Monday, 20 July 2015, the majority of the Thai National Reform Council (NRC) members voted to approve the bill to protect media freedom. 167 NRC members voted in favor of the bill while 20 voted against it. 27 members abstained from voting.
Most NRC members voted for the bill after the council accepted a report from the committee on media reform and mass communication technology, which proposed the bill.
According to Wasan Paileaklee, the deputy chief of the media reform committee, the bill will improve media freedom and ethics and will enhance people’s role in observing the role of media.
He pointed out that in Article 5 of the proposed bill, the national media council will be established as an independent agency under the media reform committee.
The funding of the media council will be from the state’s revenue from tax on vice, 5 per cent of the budget for National Broadcasting Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) which is about 50 million baht, including, donations.
Although the bill is meant to improve media freedom and ethics, some believe that it will likely to result in the opposite.
Tawinwadee Burikul, one of the NRC members, pointed out that by forming a media council which receives most of its budget from the state, it might pave the way for the state to have more control over the organisation.
Vorawit Sriananraksa, another NRC member, mentioned that the media can already observe and monitor themselves to maintain ethics and standards. Therefore, there is no need for such a council.
He agreed with Tawinwadee that the establishment of the national media council might allow the state to have more control over the media.
The bill will be sent to the cabinet and then to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) for further deliberation.