Schoolgirl summoned for police interrogation
Lawyer to seek postponement of interview, mine urged to drop lawsuit.
POLICE ISSUED summons for a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Loei’s Wang Saphung district after a gold-mining firm decided to file a libel suit against her in response to her televised “citizen reporting” piece.
A gold mining company reportedly decided to take legal action against the girl after her report was aired that mining operations allegedly contaminated Huai River and affected the health of villagers.
On Tuesday, the girl’s family received the summons asking the youngster to report to Min Buri Police Station on December 30 for interrogation. The summons was issued on December 14.
Sor Rattamanee Phonkla, Community Resources Centre coordinator and a lawyer, explained that the summons did not signify prosecution and that the lawyer had already spoken to the police officer in charge of the case.
She also said the decision on whether the lawsuit would go ahead lay in the hands of the Juvenile Observation and Protection Centre.
“We have told police that we have spoken to the Loei Juvenile Observation and Protection Centre and requested that it not approve the firm’s lawsuit against the girl. The police have said that they |will speak to the complainant,” she said.
Sor also said that the defendant could not travel to Bangkok on the date specified and that her team of lawyers would issue an official letter asking for the appointment to be postponed.
She said the girl and her family were confident but they were concerned they were directly affected by the mining operation.
“The girl herself has suffered from the pollution. When she was younger, she could swim and play in the river, but since the gold mine began operating, she was no longer able to jump in the river.
“Also, her grandmother is sick because of high levels of heavy metal in her body,” she said.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) released a statement on Wednesday urging the company to drop the lawsuit as it would not benefit anybody but would instead hamper young people’s freedom of expression.
The NHRC said this right was protected by constitutions and by the Child Protection Act and Convention on the Rights of the Child, which require member states to ensure children’s freedom of expression.
