BANGKOK, Nov 29 – Thailand’s press associations on Thursday asked the Senate rights committee to probe the alleged police violations of media rights and liberty in their operations during last weekend’s anti-government rally which injured three cameramen.
Chavarong Limpattamapanee, president of the Thai Journalists Association, and Visut Komwatcharapong, president of the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association submitted a letter of complaint to Tuang Unthachai, chairman of the Senate Committee on Human Rights, Rights and Liberties and Consumer Protection, urging the committee to investigate police operations which they claimed had violated the media’s rights while they were on duty to report the rally of the Pitak Siam group last Saturday.
Three cameramen were injured and detained by police during the operations, the media association presidents said, adding that the action is considered as obstructing and threatening the media crew who are duty-bound to report facts to the public.
Mr Tuang said the committee will invite concerned officials to clarify the issue.
He also noted that the Internal Security Act should not have been used to maintain law and order during Saturday’s rally as the Constitution Court had ruled that the Pitak Siam rally was not aiming to topple the constitutional monarchy.
