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Journalists accused of defaming Thai navy go on trial
Testimony has begun in a criminal defamation lawsuit the Thai navy has filed against a small news website over a report it posted alleging naval forces accepted money to abet or turn a blind eye to the trafficking of refugees from Burma.
The Australian editor of the Phuketwan website, Alan Morison, and his Thai colleague Chutima Sidasathian could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty of defamation and violating the Computer Crime Act by publishing the article online.
The paragraph said to defame the navy, which was taken directly from a Pulitzer Prize-winning article by Reuters, stated:
“The Thai naval forces usually earn about 2000 baht per Rohingya for spotting a boat or turning a blind eye,” said the smuggler, who works in the southern Thai region of Phang Nga and deals directly with the navy and police."
http://asiancorrespondent.com/134149/journalists-accused-of-defaming-thai-navy-go-on-trial/