Democratization

 

August 15, 2013 - At present, Thailand’s right to freedom of expression is subjected to numerous regulations. It should be noted that all of the applicable laws to regulate freedom of expression in Thailand have been drafted and enacted by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) installed after the 19 September 2006 military coup. Click here for the report

 

 

The Spirit of 1992 May Crisis and Media Reform in the NBTC time

- June 4, 2013 - On Friday, May 17 the Commission of Relatives of May 1992 Heroes in cooperation with hbs held a roundtable seminar in memory of the 21st anniversary of the Black May incident in 1992. In this context the role of the relatively young National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) was discussed, as well as the general development of the media in Thailand since 1992. more»

 

 

Community Radio Fund: the Proposal to the Broadcasting and Telecommunication Research and Development Fund of Thailand (2012)

- April 29, 2013 - Nowadays, the committee of broadcasting and telecommunication research and development fund, under National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), does not clearly set up the pattern and method for supporting community broadcasting. Therefore, this article collects the opinion of community radio operators, who are member of the National Federation of Community Radio of Thailand (NFCR), about supporting role of the fund. And these opinions will be proposed to the committee of broadcasting and telecommunication research and development fund. more»

 

Computercrime? Impact of the Computer-related Crime Act 2007 and State Policies on the Right to Freedom of Expression

- January 15, 2013 - The new publication by Sawatree Suksri, Siriphon Kusonsinwut and Orapin Yingyongpathana  from iLaw aims to explore implications of the enforcement of the Computer Crime Act (CCA) since it came into force in July 2007 until December 2011 vis-a-vis sate policies as well as public reaction towards he law and its enforcement in comparison to the situation abroad. It includes key findings and recommendations.
»full publication in Thai (3,88 KB 714 pages) with English abstract

 

 

Thai Media Forum “A broad societal coalition for a democratic media framework”

- In Thailand external and internal deficits challenge the media sector to perform its vital functions in the democratic process, namely to provide orientation to enable deliberation, and to blame and shame wrongdoers to control decision-makers. Challenges such as (self-) censorship, political and economic pressure, physical threats to and poor education of journalists, hate speech and character assassinations need to be addressed and discussed. The legal framework of the media sector needs to strike a balance between freedom of expression, consumer rights, and social responsibility. The seminar took place on May 24, 2012 in collaboration between Heinrich Boell Stiftung SEA and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. 

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Claiming their Space

- April 10, 2012 -

The people of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) have held their 8th Peoples Forum (APF) /ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC) in Cambodia from March 29-31, 2012 in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia where the ASEAN Summit took place beginning of April.

Elaine Haller more»

 

 

New Media and Political Mobilization

- Under the circumstance of political conflicts in Thailand, new media (e.g. online media, cable TV, satellite TV, community radio) have been widely used as tools in public discussion and many have faced censorship. Questions have been raised about the provision and protection of freedom of expression. The report summarizes the three main debates from a public forum with various stakeholders, organized before Thailands recent general elections. More information on the seminar (in Thai)

Download report in English

Download report in Thai

 

 

 

Three years of the Computer Crime-related Act: Rule of Law and the Accountability of the Government

- July 21, 2010 - Last July marked the third year after the Computer Crime-related Act has come into force. An activity that drew wide coverage from the press was the seminar to mark the “Third years of Computer Crime-related Act: Rule of Law and the Accountability of the Government”, supported by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung. more»

 

 

Report on Community Radio Intervention under Emergency Decree

- July 14, 2010 - The Emergency Decree on Government Administration in States of Emergency has been enforced since April 2010 and a number of community radio stations have been shut down by invoking the law. Campaign for Popular Media Reform (CPMR) more»

 

February 3, 2011 - The meaning of the term ‘new media’ is still elusive. However, it can be said that new media is associated with information technology or the internet, and is an interactive form of communication. This book tries to explore the role of new media in social movements in Thailand, and how it will develop, through interviews with academics, journalists and activists. It is found that, among other things, new media has taken an increasingly important role in communication, challenging the conventional means of news consumption. Chuwat Lerksirisuk (Prachatai bookclub) more»

 

 

Situational Report on Control and Censorship of Online Media, through the Use of Laws and the Imposition of Thai State Policies

- December 9, 2010 -

"Considering the sketchy data on the 74,686 URLs blocked by the MICT,and the CRES casting a net to block ranges of IP addresses, no one can deny that the Thai people's right to freedom of expression and opinion in the online world is in crisis"

The Situational Report on Control and Censorship of online Media, through the Use of Laws and the Imposition of the Thai State Policies is part of a research project on the effects of the Computer Crime Act 2007 and state policies on the right to freedom of expression by iLaw Project and the research team supported by Heinrich Boell Stiftung Southeast Asia.

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Community Radio Baseline Study

- 158 Community Radio stations were surveyed through questionnaires, based on quantitative methodology, to analyze the situation of community radio stations in Thailand. The four main issues are:  the profile of community radio stations; contents of community radio programs and productions, accessibility and participation - also regarding gender; the obstacles from state policy and other factors causing community radio stations' insecurity; concluding policy recommendations. By the Heinrich Böll Foundation - Southeast Asia Regional Office and others more»