Joint statement on the World Press Freedom Day 2023

Joint statement on the World Press Freedom Day 2023

By the Thai Journalists Association, 

the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association of Thailand,

and the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand

On May 3, the global community celebrates World Press Freedom Day. As professional media associations, we welcome the theme set by UNESCO for the 2023 event: ‘freedom of expression as a drive for all other human rights.’ We firmly believe that freedom of expression should be enjoyed by all, including the public and the press. 

With the general election approaching on May 14, we urge the political parties who will assume roles in the government and opposition in the next parliament to take note of the following proposals:

  1. Uphold and safeguard the freedom of expression in all aspects, including freedom of the press, speech, and peaceful assembly, as protected by the Constitution.
  • Reform the enforcement of legislations related to the freedom of expression to ensure that they are not used to silence the public or the press, and end the endemic practice of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).
  • Create a reliable mechanism to investigate acts of violence or intimidation against media workers and hold the perpetrators accountable to eliminate the culture of impunity. 
  • Refrain from any further deliberation on the draft media ethics bill. 
  • Support an independent and effective mechanism of self-regulation in the media industry and encourage the dual advancement in press freedom and journalistic ethics. 

We also call on all media outlets, regardless of platform or ideology, to conduct their work with professionalism, defend the public interest, and oppose any attempt to attack or subvert the freedom of the press.

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2 พฤษภาคม 2566