The Royal Thai Navy will file suit against an international news agency for a Pulitzer Prize-winning report on the abuse of Rohingya refugees.
Saying allegations of possible military complicity in the trafficking of the vulnerable minority group was a matter of national security, a navy official told the Bangkok Post a lawsuit was being prepared against London-based Reuters.
The comments from Vice Adm. Tharathorn Kajitsuwan of the 3rd Navy Fleet came in response to calls the navy drop a defamation suit already filed against two Phuket reporters who helped Reuters with its reporting and republished a paragraph from the story.
“This involves national security,” Tharathorn told the Post. “We cannot allow anyone to go around freely making false accusations.”
Tharathorn refused calls to drop the suit from the United Nations, Thailand’s National Human Rights Commisison and other international rights groups. Reuters has publicly distanced itself from Phuketwan and made no statement of support.
If the navy moves forward with legal action against Reuters, one of the world’s largest news services, it could draw more attention to and reporting on the issue.
Australian Alan Morison and his colleague Chutima Sidasathian of Phuketwan were formally charged on April 17.
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