TJA warns PM's team over media harassment following border dispute questioning

The statement issued on Wednesday follows reports that the Prime Minister’s image and social media team filmed journalists while they were performing their duties by asking questions to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra regarding the resolution of the Thai-Cambodian border dispute on June 6 after a National Security Council meeting.

Subsequently, images of the journalists' faces were published on social media, leading to severe criticism from the Prime Minister’s supporters. This incident occurred just days after the Prime Minister had expressed dissatisfaction with journalists' questions on the same issue at Government House. 

In the statement, TJA expressed its discomfort with the incident and urged all parties involved to recognise the potential impact of actions that may constitute harassment against press freedom. The key points raised were as follows:

• The act of specifically filming journalists while they question national leaders, followed by the dissemination of such images to the public, may be perceived as an attempt to exert pressure or intimidate. This harms the working environment for journalists and undermines the core freedoms of news reporting and inquiry, which are fundamental to the profession in a democratic system.
   
• Such behaviour creates an atmosphere of fear for journalists, particularly when addressing sensitive issues that the public is keen to understand, and for which they expect clarification from the government.
   
• The association calls for the Prime Minister’s team and relevant authorities to cease actions that may be interpreted as harassment of the media. Furthermore, it urges the government to foster media freedom by creating a safe and independent environment for journalists to carry out their work.

TJA strongly hopes that the government will recognise the role of the media as a check on power and a voice for the people. The association calls on all parties to respect the freedom of information and to work together to create an atmosphere conducive to high-quality, independent journalism.