Junta records ambassadors at FCCT film screening

PLAIN-CLOTHES military personnel monitored and recorded a film-screening event, which included four ambassadors among the audience, held at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) on Monday, The Nation was told yesterday. 

The FCCT’s former president, Jonathan Head, voiced concerns over the recent military interference in “every single event of the club” including this event, even though the film screening was not related to Thailand or its politics. 

The spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), Colonel Winthai Suvaree, said the action was legal and aimed at ensuring the event was not part of a political movement.

The annual event called “ Contemporary World Film Series of 2016” this year was sponsored by the South African Embassy, and four high-level diplomats – Ambassador Robina P Marks from South Africa, Ambassador Peter Prugel from Germany, Ambassador Sohail Khan from Pakistan and Ambassador Joaquim Amaral from East Timor – attended the film screening, according to Head. They were invited to discuss the movie, which was about the media’s role and social justice. 

The film “Drum” won the Best South African Film Award. The “story of a journalist’s guts, courage and belief that he has the voice to change the world” has won international acclaim, according to the FCCT.

This month, plain-clothes military personnel came to inspect and record two events, including a Northeastern music event last Thursday, current FCCT president Nirmal Ghosh said. 

The club does not have the power to bar the military from monitoring events, Head said.

“[The club officials can] only complain and protest.” he said.

On Monday, two plain-clothes military authorities attempted to record the event and the audience, including South African Ambassador Marks who opened the event, Head said.

“It is intimidating and unacceptable,” the veteran BBC correspondent said. 

Head talked to authorities in a bid to stop them from recording the ambassadors, saying the action might become a diplomatic issue.

The authorities phoned their superior and had the FCCT manager explain what the event was about, Head said. 

Winthai said authorities visited many events and had asked the club to inform them before hosting events. 

“Sometimes, previous events [held by the club] gave incorrect information, “ said the spokesman. 

“But this time, they [the club] felt uncomfortable to let the authorities visit.”

Regarding the appropriateness of filming the audience, including the serving ambassadors, the spokesman said it was fine because people could share what was happening in the country, adding that authorities would have stopped filming if the ambassadors had objected.

The Nation tried to reach the South African ambassador but an official at the embassy said it was not convenient for her to comment.