ThaiPBS and the Thai Journalists Association have requested an ethics investigation of Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, Palang Pracharat Party leader and MP, after he slapped a ThaiPBS reporter last Friday (16 August).

ThaiPBS reported that on Wednesday (21 August), it submitted a petition to House Speaker Wan Muhammad Noor Matha, requesting an ethics investigation of Gen Prawit on the grounds that he may have violated a Parliamentary code of ethics in an incident last Friday (16 August) when he slapped a ThaiPBS reporter after she asked him if he had been following the morning’s parliamentary vote for a new Prime Minister.

Prawit did not attend the PM vote that day as he was at the office of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, hosting a reception for Thai athletes returning from the Paris Olympics. After he slapped the reporter, others asked the same question, to which he responded angrily “What the hell are you asking?” before getting in his car.

Noppadol Srihatai, ThaiPBS’s editor-in-chief, said ThaiPBS could not neglect the incident as intimidation and assault infringe upon reporters’ rights. He stated that the petition would set a new ethical standard and serve as a model for media operations.

As for pursuing criminal proceedings, he stated that it falls to the Thai Journalists Association as individuals journalists need to maintain relations with their sources. The reporter who suffered the injury did not wish to pursue legal proceedings against Prawit.

Noppadol contends that ThaiPBS’s request for an ethics review of Prawit is in line with its duty as a public media outlet. He believes that Prawit’s action was threatening, rather than friendly teasing as claimed.

The Thai Broadcasting Journalist Association and the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand (NBCT) also filed a petition requesting an ethics investigation into Prawit for the same incident.

Supan Rakchuea, NBCT’s president, stated that Prawit’s action was not playful but rather an effort to intimidate a reporter. He added that this was not the first time Prawit committed such an act.

He asserted that the petition was not politically motivated.  Instead, it was about the ethics of politicians and the need to protect media freedoms.

“This will establish a standard for how politicians can behave towards journalists. It will help them to understand that we are not their enemies but instead perform our duty to report news and events. If a source or politician is unwilling or unprepared to answer, they should simply say no,” said Supan.

Previously, Senator Tewarit Maneechai on Tuesday (20 August) had also conveyed his message during a parliamentary session, requesting an ethics probe be conducted into Prawit.