PPT posted earlier this week about the censoring of Red Power magazine, edited by Somyos Prueksakasemsuk. On 8 September, using the broad powers granted to him by the Emergency Decree, the governor of Nonthaburi ordered copies of the magazine to be seized and a current print run to be stopped.
On 15 September, as reported by Prachatai, Somyos took action by filing a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission and asked them “to look into the case urgently to allow the companies to continue their business, to stop the government’s political bullying and media intimidation, and to protect democratic rights and freedoms.”
As PPT has blogged previously here and here, the NHRC has unevenly upheld human rights in recent months. We hope that Amara Pongsapich and her fellow commissioners will do the right thing this time. In other words, we hope that they will investigate censorship, stop the arbitrary harassment of publishers and uphold free speech. If they choose not to do so, we suggest a name change to the National Human Rights (of a select few) Commission.
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