It's the media's job to ask the hard questions

Around July 2006 there was a story involving two pre-teen twin boys believed to have magical powers, who had helped “direct” Karen rebel soldiers in their fight against the Burmese army. When the game was finally up for the twins, local and foreign journalists, including the Burmese-language service of the BBC, flocked to Ratchaburi’s Suang Pheung district to cover the “surrender” of the brothers, Johnny and Luther Htoo. It seemed that everybody and anybody was permitted to take part in a press conference that included the then prime minister, Chuan Leekpai, and the then Army chief, General Surayud Chulanont.

A BBC reporter working for the Burmese service was briefly detained by Thai police at the scene. When a police officer was asked by other journalists what was the charge against the Burmese reporter, the reply was simple: “He’s Burmese.”

When asked what being Burmese had to do with anything, the officer struggled for answer: “He will write bad stuff about Burma.”

“But the Thai media, and the entire world for that matter, write negative things about Burma,” retorted one Thai journalist.

The officer went back to his stock answer: “He’s Burmese.”

The low-key confrontation ended abruptly when the Thai reporter informed the officer that he would contact the BBC’s office in Bangkok and perhaps they could clear up the matter with the police officer’s superior in the capital.

Desperate for an exit, the officer looked at the reporters and said, “Well, since you all vouch for him, take him then.”

Moments later, just as embarrassing, was the then Ratchaburi governor insisting that reporters not make any reference to Burma, for fear that it would offend the neighbouring country.

Most of the reporters present looked at him and went on with their questions about the conflict and insurgency in Burma, now known as Myanmar.

No questions about Myanmar at a press conference held to announce the surrender of two “rebel leaders” supposedly with magical powers? Reporters couldn’t believe the audacity of the authorities in trying to prevent or dissuade them from asking the most obvious questions about the most obvious issue.

Today, Thailand has not progressed any further in terms of how government officials deal with the media, either local or foreign. Similar absurdity was witnessed this past Tuesday at a press conference during which a police spokesman, Piya Uthayo, tried hard to pacify the press after it was discovered that riot police had slapped and kicked photographers covering the Pitak Siam anti-government protest last Saturday.

Tosarit Wattanarat, a cameraman for T-News, lodged a complaint at the Nanlerng Police Station on Tuesday. He accused the police of assaulting him and destroying his camera.

ASTV Manager photographer Santi Tehpia and Thai PBS cameraman Pattanasak Woradet said they were beaten by officers who mistook them for Pitak Siam protesters. The reporters said they tried to show their press ID cards after being locked up in a truck, but police paid no attention. The two were released later, after fellow reporters looked for them and confirmed their identities.

Piya denied ever saying the cameramen were detained “because they were shooting a violent incident and in doing so violated people’s rights”. But media groups on Saturday claimed that Piya had indeed defended the arrests with such a statement. 

Putting on a brave face, although not brave enough to justify the beating of the journalists, Piya tried hard to turn the tables. Essentially he called the detention of the journalists a “misunderstanding” and instructed them, in future, to make sure that they have their credentials handy. No apology or remorse whatsoever.

It’s reasonable, although not justifiable, to assume that riot police on the scene may have got carried away with their work and let emotion get the better of them. But Piya and the police brass had plenty of time to sleep on the case – at least for two days – before they responded publicly. And when they did, they refused to give any credence to the suggestion that the ugly scenes may have had to do with a lack of discipline and training on the part of the riot police.