"Thai PBS and Journalists Back on Trial for Criminal-Defamation Complaint", 20 Mar 2018 

Thailand’s Appeal Court decided...to overturn...earlier decision by the Criminal Court to dismiss a criminal-defamation complaint brought by a Thai mining company against Thai Public Broadcast Services (Thai PBS) and four journalists [Ms. Wirada Saelim, Mr. Somchai Suwanbun, Mr. Korkhet Chanthalerdlaks, and Mr. Yothin Sitthibordeekul]. Controversial mining company Tungkum Limited filed the original complaint against Thai PBS and its journalists in response to a news report that alleged that the company’s open-pit gold mine caused adverse environmental impacts in Loei Province, northeast Thailand. Sutharee Wannasiri... [of] Fortify Rights, said: “This is a dark day for press freedom in Thailand. The court’s decision demonstrates the Thai Government is not fully committed to upholding its obligations under international law to protect freedom of expression. The complaint should never have been brought in the first place. Journalists shouldn’t be criminally prosecuted for carrying out their duty to report on matters of public interest, including on potential environmental and health impacts of business activities...Thai authorities and business enterprises should immediately drop all criminal complaints against journalists and others for doing their job. Until the Thai government takes concrete steps to decriminalize defamation, it’s commitment to uphold human rights is otherwise nothing but empty rhetoric.”