A criminal court has dismissed criminal defamation and computer crime charges against anti-mine activists.
On 29 November 2016, the Southern Criminal Court of Bangkok read the verdict on a lawsuit filed by Akara Resources Public Company Limited against Somlak Hutanuwatr and Smit (surname withheld due to privacy concerns), according to iLaw.
The mining company which operated mines in the northern provinces of Phichit and Phetchabun accused the two environmental activists of offences under Article 14 of the Computer Crime Act, law against the importation of illegal computer content, and Article 326 and 328 of the Criminal Code, laws on criminal defamation.
The two were accused under such offences for reporting in April 2016 on Facebook that the mining operations of the company might have caused damages to the local environment and health of people living in communities around the mines.
The court, however, ruled in favour of the two activists, reasoning that the information which the two posted and shared on Facebook was based on the findings of the committee set up to assess the impacts of the mine in which the two are members of.
The court added that although the finding based on the collection of blood and urine samples of 1,000 people living close to the mines point out that the locals have been contaminated by excessive level of heavy metals, it does not conclude that the contamination is caused by the mines.
Akara Resources have filed three lawsuits in total against anti-mine activists. Two, including this one were already dismissed by Phichit Provincial Court and the criminal court.
As for the third lawsuit, the company accused anti-mine activists of defamation for posting on Facebook that the mining activities are ‘dangerous’. The trial on the case will be held at Phichit Provincial Court next year.