BANGKOK -- Tesco Lotus, one of the biggest retailers in Thailand, has filed another defamation case against a Thai columnist, following through on a trend that has got the country's journalists and media on edge.

Tesco's newest case is seeking 100 million baht (around US$3.3 million) in damages from Ms. Nongnart Harnwilai, who writes a column for Krungthep Turakit, a Thai-language business daily, and a sisterpublication of the English-language The Nation. Ms. Nongnart received a copy of the charges last week though Tesco Lotus reportedly filed the civil defamation charges against her last 19 March 2008.

This is the third defamation suit filed by Tesco Lotus in Thailand since the start of March. Earlier, the giant international retailer filed two staggering defamation cases against a Thai columnist and a former member of Parliament.

Tesco Lotus had sued columnist/academic Kamol Kamoltrakul and former Thai National Legislative Assembly(NLA) member Jit Siratranont for 100 million baht and one billion baht(around US$3.3 million and US$33 million), respectively, after they also criticised and questioned the aggressive expansion strategies of Tesco Lotus in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Tesco Lotus' mother company, the UK-based Tesco, earlier this month also began legal proceedings against the British newspaper The Guardian and its editor, Alan Rusbridger, for libel and malicious falsehood. Tesco said it was taking the action over suggestions that the company had been avoiding paying some of its taxes.

The new charges against Ms Nongnart revolves around continuing commentary about its expansion plans in Thailand. The columnist said that Tesco's aggressive expansion has disturbed the livelihood of local residents. She concluded her column by saying that  "Tesco Lotus doesn't love Thai people." Tesco Lotus said in its charges that the column defamed its reputation in Thailand.

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) strongly condemns the Tesco Lotus suits as acts of intimidation against its critics and the press in general.  As demonstrated by Tesco Lotus - and in recent years by other civil and criminal defamation suits filed against journalists and activists by such Thai business giants as Shin Corporation - threats to press freedom come not only from government and political figures, but also from powerful lobbies of private entities. SEAPA sees the Tesco Lotus suits as harassment, pure and simple, not only of consumer advocates and Thai civil society actors, but of journalists and commentators in general.