Committee to submit media reform proposal
The media reform committee will on Tuesday submit its media reform proposal, which includes the controversial media regulation bill, to the government via the National Reform Steering Assembly chair Tinnapan Nakata.
The committee’s chairman, Kanit Suwannet, said the committee has revised only one point of the proposal.
He said the point concerns the accreditation and certification of media professionals.
The change was made following strong oppositions by media groups against a licensing system previously proposed in the bill.
The media reform proposal was endorsed at the NRSA meeting on May 1, paving the way for the possible legal enactment of the bill.
Media groups strongly oppose the bill, which they say would infringe on press freedom.
Meanwhile, Kanit downplayed concerns about the cybersecurity bill his committee is working on with the Digital Economy and Society Ministry.
He insisted that people still have freedom of expression and websites could not be blocked without court permission first being received.
The proposed cybersecurity committee would need to obtain permission before accessing the information of private entities as the law should be applied to all equally, he said, adding that cyber threats could happen anywhere.
If any authority was found to have exercise excessive power in regards to the issue, they would be punished in accordance to the law, he said.