Thepchai Yong (with microphone) and other media representatives have strengthened their opposition to any new body to oversee the free press. (Bangkok Post file photo)Five media organisations reaffirmed their opposition Tuesday to a bill aimed at setting up a new body to regulate the media, saying this is unnecessary as the mainstream media has refrained from taking sides in times of political conflict. After about three hours of talks, Mr Thepchai said the media groups had made clear to the sub-committee that they have never served as political pawns. The five media groups also submitted a five-point statement to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon in his capacity as deputy chairman of a committee tasked with paving the way for reconciliation, said Mongkol Bangprapa, secretary-general of the Thai Journalists Association. The media already have their own professional code of ethics and are also subject to Thai defamation, criminal, computer crime and other laws, he said.

Source: Bangkok Post March 28, 2017 22:07 UTC