Concerns over media interference have risen anew after the military sued the editor of Manager Online over a story the website carried regarding the alleged torture of a suspect at a military camp.
It is not the first time the military has pressed charges against the media over its reporting of violence in the restive south.
News agencies in the region are worried that there may be underlying motives behind the move, such as seeking to intimidate them, according to Chaiyong Maneerungsakul, president of the Newspaper Association of Southern Thailand.
“The reason we have not yet taken a stance on the matter is because we are still in the process of gathering information about the report of abuse,” Mr Chaiyong said.
“We have already found evidence that certain sources have reached out to the press about alleged mistreatment, but I still need time to investigate the matter fully,” he said, while also praising Manager Online for its “impartial report”.
Manager Online recently published the interview with an individual who claimed he had been detained and tortured at a military base in Pattani. He alleged he had a plastic bag put over his head and was hit repeatedly with the butt of a rifle.
The reports incensed the military and the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 pressed charges against the editor of Manager Online, demanding 10 million baht in compensation.
Despite asking Isoc to drop the charges and engage in dialogue over the incident, Mr Chaiyong said the lawsuit may be a blessing in disguise as it necessitates details of the abuse being aired in court.
National Human Rights Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit said the military should not perceive the media’s report as a criminal act.
“We must realise that torture and enforced disappearances in the southern provinces really do happen,” she said.
“Instead of using lawsuits to silence the media, the government should focus on preventing these abuses by creating an impartial committee to investigate them.”
