Thailand: two land activists summoned with libel and computer crime charges
Event- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 17, 2016
- Event Description
Two land activists summoned by Chum Phae police after posting about the visits to their home by military officials prior to the Constitutional Referendum in August On 17 October 2016, two land activists Mr. Sarayuth Ritthipin, reporter of the E-san Land Reform News and Mr. Chadet Kaewsing, villager of Ban Sam Phak Nam, have been summoned by the Chum Phae Police Station in Khon Kaen dated 3 October 2016, to report themselves on a criminal suit. It turned out that the 2nd Infantry Division, the 8th Infantry Regiment by 1LT Lertchaijrung Witthisan, had alleged that Mr. Sarayuth, alleged offender no.1, and Mr. Chadet, alleged offender no.2, had committed a libel offence and bringing into a computer system false or forged information, partly or as a whole. They were asked to report themselves to the Deputy Superintendent (investigation) of the Chum Phae police station on 25 October 2016 at 13.00. The charges could have stemmed from their posting the information about the incidence in which at least eight officials led by the military had come to meet the villagers on 4 and 5 August, prior to the 7 August Constitutional Referendum in Ban Sam Phak Nam. The news post was headlined "Military raided home asking to meet Phu Pha Man land activists". There has been an increase in prosecutions against human rights defenders based on libel and computer crime charges. From human rights perspective, it is a judicial harassment aiming to incur more burden on the HRDs as they have to seek help from lawyers to defend themselves. It has also created fear among the HRDs and villagers affected by land issues. Previously, authorities had been cooperating well with the local community to manage the land right issue regarding the land in the Phu Pha Man National Park under the collaboration known as "Chom Pah Project". The recently launched Forest Reclamation Policy has reignited a land dispute in Ban Sam Phak Nam. The latest legal action against the two land activists will not help to solve land issues among the destitute villagers but it will unnecessarily make the conflict more complicated and create more burdens for persons involved in the justice process including the police, public prosecutor, and the court.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom
- Online
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 16.4321938
Longitude: 102.8236214
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 17 October 2016, two land activists, Mr. Sarayuth Ritthipin and Mr. Chadet Kaewsing, were summoned by the Chum Phae police Station in Khon Kaen, Thailand, with libel and computer crime charges after posting about the visits to their home by military officials prior to the Constitutional Referendum in August.