[WSIS CS-Plenary] SHIN in the Media: Libel Case September 06, 2004

Fri Jul 23 14:33:48 BST 2004

Dear all,

This letter was sent out this morning. Please feel free to distribute
widely to your networks and publish on your websites or send similar
emails and faxes.

This letter was sent out to the Prime Minister's offices, the Thai Rack
Thai Party, the Human Rights Commissioner for Thailand and the UN
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Geneva (cc'd in email below).

For your information I have also copied at the end of this email some
background information on the case as published originally by Asia Human
Rights Watch.

The case will start up again on 6th September 2004 when bail will be
set.

Thank you

Myriam Horngren
WACC Network and Advocacy Coordinator (CRIS)
357 Kennington Lane
London SE11 5QY
United Kingdom
Tel: 44 (0) 207 582 9139
Fax: 44 (0) 207 735 0340
web: www.crisinfo.org 
email: mh at wacc.org.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: Myriam Horngren
Sent: 23 July 2004 12:07
To: 'investor at shincorp.com'
Cc: 'thaksin at thaigov.go.th'; 'govspkman at mozart.inet.co.th';
'sudarat at sudarat.com'; 'spokesman at thairakthai.or.th';
'commission at nhrc.or.th'
Subject: SHIN in the Media: Libel Case September 06, 2004

Mr Bonklee Plangsiri
Chairman of the Group Executive Committee
SHIN Corporation Plc
414 Phaholyothin Road
Samsennai, Phayathai
Bangkok 10400
Thailand

Dear Mr Plangsiri,

The World Association for Christian Communication is a global
association comprising more than 900 communication institutions and
communication professionals in more than 90 countries.

As an association concerned with freedom of speech and the strengthening
of democratic institutions in Thailand and the whole world, we strongly
urge you to drop the libel suit filed against Ms Supinya Klangnarong,
Secretary General of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform.

In Ms Klangnarong's case, support for media reform is built upon the
noble principles expressed in the new Constitution of Thailand
introduced in 1997, which set in place provisions for the
democratisation of the media. The libel suit pursued by the SHIN
Corporation goes against these provisions as it aims to punish the
defendant for simply voicing an opinion on the relationship between the
corporation and the current Thai government. This goes against the basic
foundation of freedom of expression enshrined in Article 19 of the
United Nations Human Rights Charter.

SHIN Corporation's decision to pursue the case against Ms Klangnarong
has serious implications not only for Ms Klangnarong personally, but
also for Thailand's standing in the community of nations.

Therefore we, the World Association for Christian Communication,
strongly urge the SHIN Corp. to drop the suit against Ms Supinya
Klangnarong.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Musimbi Kanyoro	Rev Dr Randy Naylor
President			General Secretary

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FURTHER INFORMATION: Information released originally by Asia Human
Rights Watch:
The television and radio media in Thailand have been under a government
and military monopoly since their introduction to the country. Although
the new Constitution of Thailand introduced in 1997 set in place
provisions for the democratization of these media, these provisions have
not been realized. The only television station not controlled by the
government or military is owned by Shin Corp. There is what the CPMR has
identified as a new media monopoly emerging between the commercial and
government sectors, as media concessions are issued to Shin Corp and
other businesses close to senior politicians, thereby defeating the
purpose of the constitutional reforms. Shin Corp in particular has
totally dominated all sectors of the commercial media in Thailand, as it
owns 24 companies running telecommunications, television, radio,
internet, satellite and other communications throughout the country, and
even into neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Burma. The result is that
outside a limited number of newspapers and low distribution journals,
there remains virtually no independent media in Thailand, thereby
greatly damaging the prospects for opening discussion on serious
violations of human rights and other concerns currently faced by the
people there. In particular, there are no avenues for the expression of
popular concerns from the local level in Thailand. 

Ms Supinya set up the CPMR (Campaign for Popular Media Reform) to
advocate media reform and counter these trends on the basis of
provisions in the new Constitution intended to liberalise and
democratize electronic media in Thailand. 

THE LIBEL CASE:
On 16 July 2003, the Thai Post newspaper published an article in which
Ms Supinya Klangnarong, Secretary General of CPMR, observed that the
profits of Shin Corp had increased enormously since its founder, Mr
Thaksin Shinawatra, had become Prime Minister of Thailand. In the
article, Ms Supinya pointed out that since Mr Thaksin founded his Thai
Rak Thai political party five years earlier, his company's profits had
increased four times over, and were projected to increase many times
still. She gave details-based upon sound research-of how Mr Thaksin had
used the political system to manipulate business in favour of Shin Corp.
She also noted that Shin Corp's business interests were all in public
communications-mobile phones, satellite transmissions and television-and
therefore matters over which there should be public debate as matters of
national concern. Additionally, she pointed out that the profits from
Shin Corp were being channelled back into the Thai Rak Thai company,
effectively integrating Mr Thaksin's political and commercial interests
into a single highly powerful enterprise. 

After the report was released, Shin Corp filed a libel suit for about
ten million Thai Baht (US2,000). The case has been in preliminary
hearings since 1 December 2003, and the court has now decided, on 22
June 2004, that the case can proceed to full court. BAIL FOR MS SUPINYA
WILL BE SET BY THE COURT ON 6TH SEPTEMBER 2004.

For other reports on the case and background, see the following sites:
ABC (Australia) News:
http://www.abcnews.net.au/asiapacific/location/asia/GAPLocAsiaStories_10
06728.htm 
Asia Media: http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=5363 
Committee to Protect Journalists:
http://www.cpj.org/attacks03/asia03/thai.html 
CorpWatch: http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=9333 
WACC: http://www.wacc.org.uk/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1412
Herald Tribune: http://www.iht.com/ihtsearch.php?key=BANGKOK 

Myriam Horngren
WACC Network and Advocacy Coordinator (CRIS)
357 Kennington Lane
London SE11 5QY
United Kingdom
Tel: 44 (0) 207 582 9139
Fax: 44 (0) 207 735 0340
web: www.crisinfo.org 
email: mh at wacc.org.uk