Chalerm rejects motion moved by opposition over press intimidation
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung rebutted a motion against intimidation of the press during the House meeting yesterday.
"I searched the dictionary and found nowhere an inference that 'Please remember her face. If you see her anywhere, give her what she deserves' is intimidation," Chalerm said.
It was the reporter, who was the target of the message, who failed to do her job professionally as she asked the prime minister questions as if she were the opposition leader, said Chalerm on behalf of PM Yingluck Shinawatra.
Although Yingluck was supposed to respond to queries from the floor, House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont cited precedents to argue that she could designate a Cabinet member to take up questions from MPs.
Bhum Jai Thai MP Supachai Jaisamut, who filed the motion, had said he suspected the government had condoned the menacing chain e-mail from the red shirts to the Channel 7 reporter.
Chalerm said the government was not involved and that the alleged source of the e-mail was already scheduled to report to police by next week.
"This government will definitely not interfere with the press," he claimed.
Last week, some members of the media received a forwarded message showing a picture and giving the name of the Channel 7 reporter. The note read: "Please remember her face. If you see her anywhere, give her what she deserves."
The reporter had last week asked Yingluck what she would do for the people besides doing favours for former premier Thaksin, her brother. Yingluck was reportedly upset by the question and walked away from reporters. The reporter told police complaint that she had received several threatening phone calls after this message came out.
Chalerm said during the House meeting that the reporter should give him the phone numbers of the callers as he could check who they were within two hours.
Supachai also asked if the government had a clear plan to solve the conflicts and violence in society as well as to realise reconciliation. He referred to the reported red-shirt attack on two students protesting outside Parliament against the House Speaker during the policy debate.
Yingluck last week assigned Chalerm to look into the case.
After a war of words broke out between Chalerm and opposition MPs over the e-mail episode, Deputy House Speaker Charoen Chankomol said the House Speaker had assigned Deputy House Speaker Visuth Chaina-roon to look into the investigation.
