Capitalists SLAPP down critics

The Bangkok Post reports on the jail sentence meted out to Pirongrong Ramasoota, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. The “Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, said Ms Pirongrong had shown an intention to cause damage to the telecom conglomerate. That amounted to dereliction of duty under Section 157 of the Criminal Code., has been sentenced to two years in jail for dereliction of duty arising from a complaint filed by True Digital Group.”

True belongs to the massive Sino-Thai conglomerate Charoen Phokpand or CP.

Back in 2023, in responding to “complaints from people that TrueID was carrying advertisements on digital TV channels on its platform,” the NBTC responded.

Pirongrong, “who chaired the regulator’s broadcasting subcommittee, ordered the acting NBTC deputy secretary-general to notify 127 radio and TV broadcast licence holders that True Digital was not permitted to operate the over-the-top (OTT) service…. The notification also reminded them of the must-carry principle that requires all platforms to carry free-to-air channels with no advertising disruptions.”

In March 2024, True lodged “a complaint against the NBTC and Ms Pirongrong,” claiming the “notification might have led broadcasters to believe that the company was illegally operating an OTT service the warning had harmed its reputation and partnerships with TV channel providers.” It argued that when the notification was issued, “the regulator had yet to issue any rules regarding OTT platforms, so TrueID did not have to apply for permission to operate an OTT service.”

Pirongrong argued “that she had performed her duty in fairness to protect consumers…”. She said “she was simply doing her duty by issuing a warning about digital platform operators inserting commercials into free-to-air television broadcasts.”

In mid 2024, xxperts said the NBTC “case could be part of a strategic lawsuit against public participation (Slapp), which are lawsuits designed to intimidate and silence critics.

Kanpirom Komalarajun, a Chulalongkorn University lecturer, said “People said Section 157 [of the Criminal Code: law on dereliction of duty] would be a refuge for the people. It turned out to be a channel for private companies to threaten government officials forcing them to decide the way they [private companies] want…”.

In recent years, vindictive capitalists have generally targeted environmental activists and journalists.

Some see these “arrangements” as being a part of a deep relationship between top levels of state and administration and the capitalist class.