“European firms decry Thai trial of British activist”, 27 August 2014

A group of major European companies has voiced alarm at the trial of a British activist who could be imprisoned in Thailand for his investigation into alleged labour abuses in the kingdom's food industry. Andy Hall faces several civil and criminal lawsuits submitted by Thai fruit processor Natural Fruit in response to accusations of forced and child labour, unlawfully low wages and long hours. "We are greatly worried and concerned about this negative development," United Nordic, an alliance of food companies from northern Europe, said in a letter to the Thai Food Processors Association…United Nordic CEO Steinar Halvorsen told AFP that the group "will not accept such legal actions against journalists or other individuals that investigate and publish reports about human rights in Thai factories or any other factory worldwide. We consider the right way to handle such criticism to be presenting facts and engaging in constructive dialogue with all parties involved,"…