Call for Shin Corp to Drop Criminal Proceedings Against Thai Freedom of Speech Campaigner
In late 2003, Shin Corp (Thailand) filed a criminal libel suit against Ms Supinya Klangnarong, Secretary General of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform, and then a civil suit for approximately $10 million. The trial has a start date of 19th July 2005.
In late 2003, Shin Corp (Thailand) filed a criminal libel suit against Ms Supinya Klangnarong, Secretary General of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform, and then a civil suit for approximately $10 million. The trial has a start date of 19th July 2005.
Supinya had noted, in an interview published in the Thai Post, that Shin Corp profits had soared since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had come to power and had questioned the relationships between politics and commercial interests. Shin Corp was founded by the Prime Minister and is now owned by his family.
A former WACC media policy scholar, Supinya is now facing serious charges, that could result in a severe custodial sentence, for voicing her concerns about government and corporate accountability and transparency.
Freedom of expression is a universal right. Such rights are marginalised by corporate media networks whenever shareholder interests are given priority over and above public interests—especially when those public interests are entrenched in law, as is the case in this situation.
The undersigned condemn the charges against Supinya and call on Shin Corp to drop both the criminal and civil suits against her.
This petition is initially signed by Noam Chomsky, Ariel Dorfman, Bob McChesney and Bernard Cassen. Please support Supinya by signing up to this statement online and encouraging your friends and colleagues to do the same. Thank you.