The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is calling on all sides in the ongoing protests in Bangkok to desist from attacking members of the press. Journalists have become either collateral victims or outright targets of both government forces and rioting protesters in the past weeks, even prior to the outbreak of violence this weekend.

That violence has culminated so far in the death of a Reuters journalist and the reported injuring of a handful of local and foreign correspondents in Bangkok. On Sunday, Red Shirt demonstrators seized broadcasting vans belonging to two stations, TV Thai, the first Thai public television and Channel 9, the Bangkok Post reported.

As SEAPA has stated in past episodes of Thai demonstrations and skirmishes, the role of journalists must be respected, defended, and protected. Media persons have been harassed, intimidated, and physically assaulted -- spat on, hit, verbally abused, stoned, their stations shot at -- in many instances over various protests over the past three years. This Sunday media reports said Red Shirt protesters surrounded Channel 3's broadcasting van and told the news staff to leave. A brick was thrown through a side window of the van.

These actions are inexcusable and must be condemned. The perpetrators as well as their leaders must be held responsible and to account for these assaults on the media.

SEAPA reasserts its position in past episodes that have seen similar assaults on journalists in Thailand: The attacks serve no purpose but to intimidate all media practitioners, and will ultimately deprive Thais the information, news, and commentary they need to understand and navigate these perilous days.

From all sides of the unfolding crisis, there must be, as the Thai Journalists Association (TJA), a SEAPA member, asserted in another statement, a deeper and continuing understanding of the ultimate role of journalists to deliver news and information without fear or threat of reprisal.

The violence directed against the media in Thailand are indefensible. They will victimize not just the press, but the Thai public in general, which needs free media, unitimidated journalists, and a healthy environment for news, commentary, and information to help understand and determine their options especially in days of crisis.