By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
BANGKOK, Thailand – Jaruek Rangcharoen, a journalist who reported on government corruption was shot last week. Rangcharoen was a regional reporter for the Bangkok-based newspaper, Matichon. Police reported that Rangcharoen was shot several times in the head when he was on his way home from a local market. The Thai Journalists Association (TJA) believes the murder of Rangcharoen was an attempt at silencing the media.
Rangcharoen was reporting on the corruption of local government officials in the central province of Suphanburi. Previously, the governor of Suphanburi has said that Rangcharoen’s articles have brought him in direct opposition with local politicians and businessmen.
Media safety has been a problem in Thailand. In 2005, Santi Lammaninin, a Thai journalist was shot dead near a beach resort. Police said that Lammaninin’s murder was possibly linked to his journalist work.
In August, another Matichon reporter, Athiwat Chainurat, was shot dead in his home. Like Rangcharoen, Chainurat was reporting on local corruption of high-ranking officials. Police suspected Chainurat’s murder was related to news reports written by the victim, which caused conflicts with a high-ranking government officer in the district. The perpetrator for Chainurat’s case has not been found yet.
Due to the danger to journalists in Bangkok, the Press Freedom Association has said, “The current political crisis should not be used as an excuse for allowing impunity to take hold in cases of crimes of violence against the press. Otherwise Thailand could end up in the same tragic situation as the Philippines, where many journalists are murdered each year.”
In addition, Reporters without Borders commented that they “urge the police chief and other competent authorities to move quickly to ensure that both the perpetrators and the masterminds are brought to justice.”
For more information, please see:
APF – Thailand: Journalist Shot Dead Near Beach Resort – 2 November 2005
Bangkok Post – Matichon Reporter Shot Dead at Home – 3 August 2008
Reporters without Borders – Another Provincial Correspondent of Bangkok Daily Gunned Down – 30 September 2008
