Showing 21 - 30 of 66
Speech curbs hold back nation
News, Editorial, Published on 05/07/2020
» Last week's final acquittal of rights activist Andy Hall by the Supreme Court, whilst certainly welcome and the correct verdict, was also a stark reminder of just how damaging to free speech Thailand's laws are.
White bows pose no harm
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/06/2020
» The police arrest of student activists for their white bows campaign was an unnecessary attempt to enforce the city's cleanliness law and could be seen as a veiled threat to freedom of expression.
Muzzle on free speech persists
News, Editorial, Published on 26/04/2020
» The erosion of free expression continues in Thailand. In Reporters Without Borders (RSF)'s annual 2020 World Press Freedom Index, Thailand dropped four spots, ranking 140th out of 180 countries on the open media barometer, placing it one spot below Myanmar.
Student voices must be heard
News, Editorial, Published on 28/02/2020
» Discontented and resentful. Frustrated and angry. Students from at least 30 universities and schools across the country have taken part in rallies in the past week to protest what they describe as injustice and the disenfranchisement of their political rights amid dysfunctional democracy and the "broken" rule of law.
Don't worsen political woes
News, Editorial, Published on 22/01/2020
» The Constitutional Court's decision to acquit the Future Forward Party (FFP) of seeking to overthrow the monarchy on Tuesday offered a reprieve not just for the party but also for a boiling political climate. However, the slew of legal hurdles awaiting the FFP, its leaders and political activists in the coming months are a reminder to the international community that political turbulence in Thailand is here to stay.
Protect right to protest
News, Editorial, Published on 20/12/2019
» The "flash mob" organised last week by the opposition Future Forward Party (FFP) may have lasted for just an hour, but there is no sign that the escalating political tension, which has catalysed calls for this and future rallies, will evaporate anytime soon. And this is mostly due to a series of charges members of the opposition and some dissidents face or will soon face.
No country for dissidents
News, Editorial, Published on 14/09/2019
» Despite some restrictions on freedom of expression, Thailand was once a place where government dissent was tolerated. It was seen as a safe haven for dissidents in the region, many of whom arrived seeking asylum in a third country under UN Human Rights Commission rules. Od Sayavong, a 34-year-old Lao political activist, was one of them. But that hope was extinguished when he went missing in Bangkok on Aug 26.
Time to set the press free
News, Editorial, Published on 03/05/2019
» A warning has been given. Thailand is inching closer towards becoming a new China when it comes to press freedom. The 2019 report by Reporters Without Borders indicates that the military regime has increasingly adopted the Chinese style of total news control. It speaks volumes about the dire situation here.
NCPO pulls out old cards
News, Editorial, Published on 30/03/2019
» After general elections last Sunday, the country should have been moving to embrace a democratic environment and leave behind a culture of heavy-handed suppression of free speech and political activity, which has been rampant under the military regime over the past years. However, reactions from a number of the regime's key figures and authorities towards the emerging political scene seem to suggest otherwise.
A step in the right direction
News, Editorial, Published on 23/03/2019
» After almost five years under military rule, the electorate will tomorrow cast their votes in the first general election in eight years. It won't be a vote that will transform the country into genuine civilian-led democratic rule, but the start of a process that can help pave the way for the rebuilding of a true democracy.