Critics such as Human Rights Watch say these types of libel cases are meant to deter lawsuits filed in the public interest, such as by labour activists and environmentalists. I never thought that it would be such a very harsh verdict,” Suchanee, who now works for a Thai television station, told The Associated Press. The case began in 2016, when workers at the Thammakaset farm filed a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand. The latest lawsuit was launched by Thammakaset in October, when it charged Angkhana Neelapaijit, a Magsaysay Award winner and former Thailand Human Rights Commissioner, with criminal defamation. It claimed that she defamed the company with two posts on Twitter offering support for other human rights defenders facing lawsuits by the company.

Source: thestar December 24, 2019 11:03 UTC