For this year’s World Press Freedom Day, Prachatai and UNESCO invite you to attend a seminar on “Media freedom in Thailand post-election amidst environmental crisis and the path towards anti-SLAPP law” at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) on 3 May 2024, 13.00 – 16.00. 

The panel will discuss the current situation of press freedom and threats against journalists, including the threat of legal prosecution. We believe that public participation is important for a sustainable development. However, an information ecosystem is required so that the public can make informed decisions. Journalists therefore, whether professional, independent, or citizen reporters, play an important role in providing the public with information. 

Whether journalists can do their job depends on the right to access information without harassment and the ability to access enough facts to communicate to the public for them to be informed before participating in decision-making about development projects, especially as Thailand is facing issues with inflation and the environment, like air pollution, which need urgent solutions. 

Despite the massive voter turnout during the May 2023 general election, Thailand’s parliament still has 250 unelected senators, who make up 33% of parliament. With this large number of votes, the Senate has dominated decisions made by the executive branch, regarding both the economy and the environment, even though they do not represent the will of the people. This situation exacerbated existing problems and made it ever more important to ensure that rights and freedom are guaranteed.

“Media freedom in Thailand post-election amidst environmental crisis and the path towards anti-SLAPP law” Seminar

• 3 May 2024
• Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT), Penthouse floor, Maneeya Center
• 13.00 – 16.00
• Register now: https://forms.gle/xQkPHBmRcNuwzn7D6
• No entry fee. 
• Thai-English interpretation available
• The event will be live-streamed with simultaneous interpretation on Facebook at UNESCO Bangkok (in English) and ประชาไท prachatai.com (in Thai)

Programme

13.15 – 13.25 Opening remarks

• Jo Hiranaka, Programme Coordinator, UNESCO Bangkok
• Georgina Lloyd, Regional Coordinator (Asia and the Pacific) of Environmental Law and Governance, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

13.25 – 13.45 Keynote speech

• Aleksandra Bielakowska, Advocacy Officer, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Asia-Pacific Bureau

13.45 – 15.30 “Media freedom in Thailand post-election amidst environmental crisis and the path towards anti-SLAPP law” seminar

• Anna Lawattanatrakul, Editor, Prachatai English, Press Freedom Monitoring in Southeast Asia project (PFMSEA)
• Thitipan Pattanamongkol, Editor, the Public Dreams of Anti Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP)
• Sanhawan Srisod, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
• Pukkamon Nunarnan, Member of Parliament and House Standing Committee on Political Development, Mass Communications and Public Participation
• Moderator: Nuttaphol Meksobhon, Prachatai Reporter

15.30 – 16.00 Q&A and closing address