Mass media must exercise press freedom responsibly : PM
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Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told the World Newspaper Congress in Bangkok today that mass media must exercise press freedom responsibly.
Freedom without responsibility can lead to confusion and even turmoil,” the prime minister said.
She pointed out that on the Internet, when damage has been done, “it is impossible to reverse the damage”.
“Freedom is not unlimited even in an advanced democracy,” said the premier, during a special address at Centara Grand Hotel, citing such issues as national security. On Monday, outgoing President of World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WANIFRA) Jacob Matthew expressed deep concerns about the “misuse” of the lese majeste law in Thailand. One editor, Somyos Prueksakasemsuk, of the nowdefunct “Voice of Taksin” news magazine, was sentenced to 10 years in prison earlier this year for publishing two articles, which he testified had been written by exiled former proThaksin politician Jakraphob Penkae, deemed defamatory to the monarchy by the court.
Yingluck made no mention of the lese majeste law, which contributes to the low ranking of the Thai press in freedom indexes, such as one published by Freedom House, however, but stressed that editors and journalists must strike a balance between freedom of the press and media responsibility.
The premier also said that Thailand is embarking on major infrastructure projects such as highspeed trains that would link Thailand with its neighbours, Laos among them, and that the infrastructure link would eventually extend to China, Russia and Europe.
She said the mass media had a crucial role to play in providing information that would create common ground and understanding amongst people of different nations.
