PHUKET: As many readers know, I have been an intern at Phuketwan for the past five weeks.
As part of my Master of Journalism studies at the University of Melbourne, students can elect to complete a month-long internship at a news agency of their choice.
I chose to come to Thailand and complete my internship at Phuketwan.
I had never met Alan Morison or Chutima Sidasathian before. They weren't my friends, my colleagues or my family.
I paid my own way: flights, accommodation, food and a hire car. The internship was unpaid.
Why would I do this when I could have taken a much easier path and stayed in my home town of Melbourne?
Well, it's quite simple really.
I wanted to work with a team of journalists who, through adversity and challenge, had already shown themselves to be the type of journalist that I aspire to be.
I wanted to learn about journalism, as it should be, not what it is often today.
For more than two years I have followed the Royal Thai Navy's prosecution of Alan and Chutima for criminal defamation and computer crimes offences.
As a former Australian Federal Police officer for almost 20 years, a police anti-corruption investigator for six years and an officer in the Australian Army Reserve for over 10 years, to say I was appalled by the actions of Thai Navy, police and Prosecutor's office, would be an understatement.
I was equally stunned by most of the Thai media's lack of interest in a case that clearly went to the heart of press freedom in this country.
In my time at Phuketwan I watched Alan and Chutima work relentlessly and passionately at least 14 hour days, every single day of the week, chasing and verifying stories, interviewing and challenging officials and writing stories that most of Phuket's other media outlets ignored, or refused to follow.
Both Alan and Chutima remained focused and dedicated to their work, never letting the uncertainty of the Navy's extended appeal period dampen their desire to report the news.
Then last Friday, when the Navy rang to tell Alan and Chutima they wouldn't be appealing the case, I watched as they looked at each other and smiled.
My words can never adequately describe the look of relief and joy on their faces.
Then yesterday, Alan and Chutima were told that the police had attended at their office and that the Prosecutor was seeking another extension to appeal their case.
I was confused and asked Alan if this was the same Prosecutor's office that hadn't bothered to turn up for two of the three days of their trial?
Yes, apparently so.
I don't know much about the Thai justice system. But in any country that professes a belief in justice, this case was wrong in the first instance, now it's just simply press persecution and abuse of the judicial process.
For the readers of Phuketwan this is, yet again, time to show your support for these two incredible journalists.
For the Thai media, especially the Phuket media: When will you finally show some courage, stand by your colleagues and actually start defending freedom of the press in this country?
*And for the cynical people out there that may be questioning my motives in writing this story: I've already passed my internship and nothing I write here changes that.
As part of my Master of Journalism studies at the University of Melbourne, students can elect to complete a month-long internship at a news agency of their choice.
I chose to come to Thailand and complete my internship at Phuketwan.
I had never met Alan Morison or Chutima Sidasathian before. They weren't my friends, my colleagues or my family.
I paid my own way: flights, accommodation, food and a hire car. The internship was unpaid.
Why would I do this when I could have taken a much easier path and stayed in my home town of Melbourne?
Well, it's quite simple really.
I wanted to work with a team of journalists who, through adversity and challenge, had already shown themselves to be the type of journalist that I aspire to be.
I wanted to learn about journalism, as it should be, not what it is often today.
For more than two years I have followed the Royal Thai Navy's prosecution of Alan and Chutima for criminal defamation and computer crimes offences.
As a former Australian Federal Police officer for almost 20 years, a police anti-corruption investigator for six years and an officer in the Australian Army Reserve for over 10 years, to say I was appalled by the actions of Thai Navy, police and Prosecutor's office, would be an understatement.
I was equally stunned by most of the Thai media's lack of interest in a case that clearly went to the heart of press freedom in this country.
In my time at Phuketwan I watched Alan and Chutima work relentlessly and passionately at least 14 hour days, every single day of the week, chasing and verifying stories, interviewing and challenging officials and writing stories that most of Phuket's other media outlets ignored, or refused to follow.
Both Alan and Chutima remained focused and dedicated to their work, never letting the uncertainty of the Navy's extended appeal period dampen their desire to report the news.
Then last Friday, when the Navy rang to tell Alan and Chutima they wouldn't be appealing the case, I watched as they looked at each other and smiled.
My words can never adequately describe the look of relief and joy on their faces.
Then yesterday, Alan and Chutima were told that the police had attended at their office and that the Prosecutor was seeking another extension to appeal their case.
I was confused and asked Alan if this was the same Prosecutor's office that hadn't bothered to turn up for two of the three days of their trial?
Yes, apparently so.
I don't know much about the Thai justice system. But in any country that professes a belief in justice, this case was wrong in the first instance, now it's just simply press persecution and abuse of the judicial process.
For the readers of Phuketwan this is, yet again, time to show your support for these two incredible journalists.
For the Thai media, especially the Phuket media: When will you finally show some courage, stand by your colleagues and actually start defending freedom of the press in this country?
*And for the cynical people out there that may be questioning my motives in writing this story: I've already passed my internship and nothing I write here changes that.
Excellent ..., Nice Words....
Posted by Robert on November 4, 2015 13:20