FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

‘Prachatai’ - still rubbing the powers-that-be the wrong way

‘Prachatai’ - still rubbing the powers-that-be the wrong way

PRACHATAI is a not-for-profit, daily online newspaper published in both Thai and English that aims to provide alternative news and commentary on politics, social movements and human-rights issues.

Former senator and rights advocate Jon Ungphakorn founded the paper in July 2004 with the aim of creating an independent media outlet. In January 2006, Prachatai was registered as a non-profit organisation called the Foundation for Community Educational Media (FCEM). 
Director Chiranuch Premchaiporn told The Sunday Nation that some 80 per cent of Prachatai’s funding comes from domestic and international organisations with each contributing no more than 25 per cent of the share. The remainder came from the sale of online ads, merchandise and membership fees, she said. 
Prachatai’s pro-democracy stance has landed it in trouble several times, due mostly to its articles that question undemocratic practices.
One of the early incidents was the forced closure of its web board in July 2010. Chiranuch explained that many web-board users faced charges of “damaging nation?al security” by violating the 2007 Computer Crime Law, the 2005 emergency decree and the lese majeste law.
Moves to suppress Prachatai intensified after the 2014 coup as the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) monitors actions it deems as dangerous to national security. 
Chiranuch said suppression has come in different forms. 
They included threats from military officers against reporters last year as they tracked student activists from Dao Din group in the Northeast. These students were charged with defying an NCPO order. 
Officers also came to observe and record events and seminars organised by Prachatai, even though the agenda was in no way related to politics, Chiranuch said. The events usually focused on other topics such as press freedom. 
Last October, the NCPO called on Prachatai reporter Thaweeporn Kummetha and the editorial team to question them about certain reports deemed to be in violation of the lese majeste law. 
Officers also visited Thaweeporn’s parents, urging them to talk their daughter into turning herself in before she faced an arrest warrant. 
NCPO officers also blocked reporter Taweesak Kerdpoka from covering news about the eviction of local villagers, Chiranuch said. 
Taweesak was also charged on July 10 for allegedly violating the Referendum Act’s Article 61, which prohibits the spreading of “false”, “rude”, “inciting” or “intimidating” messages regarding the August 7 referendum on the draft charter. 
Taweesak was arrested along with three anti-junta activists who were riding in a pickup truck that carried leaflets containing anti-draft charter messages. The reporter had been travelling with activists to report on their activities. The four were released on a Bt140,000 bail each the following day. 
On July 12, police raided Prachatai’s office in Bangkok to hunt for evidence against Taweesak, but nothing was found. Military officers have also been keeping an eye on the building Prachatai operates from, Chiranuch said. 
 
RELATED
nationthailand