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Lawyers Council & 6 Media Orgs Unite to Defend Journalists from Lawsuits

Lawyers Council & 6 Media Orgs Unite to Defend Journalists from Lawsuits

Prachachat•General•17d ago

Reader Briefing

The Lawyers Council of Thailand has officially partnered with six media organizations to provide legal assistance and enhance knowledge for journalists facing lawsuits aimed at silencing reporting.

  • •The Lawyers Council of Thailand signed an MOU with six media professional organizations.
  • •The agreement aims to provide legal aid and promote legal knowledge to protect media freedom.
  • •The partnership is intended to counter threats and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) targeting journalists.
  • •The initiative was formalized on May 7, 2026, by Dr. Thanapol Kongjien, President of the Lawyers Council, and Mr. Charuvong Limpattanamaphan, Chairman of the National Press Council.

Overview

  • •On May 7, 2026, The Lawyers Council of Thailand and six media professional organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to establish a cooperative framework.
  • •The Lawyers Council of Thailand and six media professional organizations formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide legal assistance and promote knowledge for journalists.
  • •The MOU was signed due to the heightened risk of journalists facing threats, interference, or legal actions used to suppress their reporting, in order to protect media freedom.
  • •Dr. Thanapol Kongjien stated that the collaboration aims to be a support network that elevates international standards for media freedom concretely, as journalists need to reflect societal issues without fear of litigation.
  • •Journalists will receive legal support for criminal, civil, labor, and administrative cases where their rights are violated by reporting facts, resulting in freer reporting.
  • •The partnership will foster academic cooperation through the exchange of legal and media professional knowledge, aiming to enhance operational skills within legal and ethical frameworks for media practitioners.
  • •The initiative is a direct response to concerns about media intimidation and the use of the justice system to silence journalists, highlighting the importance of safeguarding independent journalism.
  • •Key figures including Dr. Thanapol Kongjien and Mr. Charuvong Limpattanamaphan participated in the signing ceremony as representatives of their respective organizations.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Prachachat (Original)

Key Quotes

Dr. Thanapol Kongjien
"“Journalists have a duty to reflect society's problems. If they must work under the anxiety of legal burdens, society will lack truth-tellers. The Lawyers Council therefore acts as a support network to elevate international standards for media freedom concretely.”"
“สื่อมวลชนมีหน้าที่สะท้อนปัญหาของสังคม หากเขาต้องทำงานภายใต้ความวิตกกังวลเรื่องภาระทางคดีความ สังคมก็จะขาดคนนำเสนอความจริง สภาทนายความจึงเข้ามาเป็นเครือข่ายสนับสนุน เพื่อยกระดับมาตรฐานสากลในการคุ้มครองเสรีภาพสื่ออย่างเป็นรูปธรรม”

Key Entities

Organization

The Lawyers Council of Thailand(สภาทนายความ)ℹ️
An organization that has entered into an MOU to provide legal aid to journalists.
6 Media Professional Organizations(6 องค์กรสื่อ)
A collective of six media organizations that signed an MOU with the Lawyers Council to aid journalists.
National Press Council(สภาการสื่อมวลชนแห่งชาติ)
An organization, represented by its chairman, that co-signed the MOU with the Lawyers Council.
President of the Thai Newspapers Association(นายกสมาคมหนังสือพิมพ์แห่งประเทศไทย)
An organization whose president attended the MOU signing as a witness.
President of the Thai Association of Radio and Television Journalists(นายกสมาคมนักข่าววิทยุและโทรทัศน์ไทย)
An organization whose president attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Executive Committee Member of the Isara Institute, Development of Media Professionals Foundation, and Online News Producers Association(กรรมการบริหารสถาบันอิศรา มูลนิธิพัฒนาสื่อมวลชนแห่งประเทศไทยและสมาคมผู้ผลิตข่าวออนไลน์)
An organization whose executive committee member attended the MOU signing as a witness.
President of the National Press Council of Thailand(ประธานสภาการสื่อมวลชนแห่งประเทศไทย)
An organization whose president attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Vice President of Freedom and Media Reform of the Thai Journalists Association(อุปนายกฝ่ายสิทธิเสรีภาพและการปฎิรูปสื่อ สมาคมนักข่าวนักหนังสือพิมพ์แห่งประเทศไทย)
An organization whose vice president of freedom and media reform attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Deputy Secretary-General of Freedom and Media Reform(รองเลขาธิการสิทธิเสรีภาพและการปฎิรูปสื่อ)
An organization whose deputy secretary-general of freedom and media reform attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Secretary-General of the National Press Council(เลขาธิการสภาการสื่อมวลชนแห่งชาติ)
An organization whose secretary-general attended the MOU signing as a witness.
President of the Online News Producers Association(นายกสมาคมผู้ผลิตข่าวออนไลน์)
An organization whose president attended the MOU signing as a witness.

Person

Journalists(นักข่าว)
Professionals who are the beneficiaries of legal and academic support from the MOU.
Dr. Thanapol Kongjien(ดร.ธนพล คงเจี้ยง)
President of The Lawyers Council of Thailand who co-signed the MOU.
Mr. Charuvong Limpattanamaphan(นายชวรงค์ ลิมป์ปัทมปาณี)
Chairman of the National Press Council who co-signed the MOU.
Mr. Saralcha Srichalawatna(นายสรัลชา ศรีชลวัฒนา)
Vice President of Legal Aid and Executive Committee Member of The Lawyers Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Wichan Thongrak(นายวิชาญ ทองรัก)
Vice President of Operations of The Lawyers Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Dr. Peeraphat Foidtong(ดร.พีรภัทร ฝอยทอง)
Vice President of Academic Affairs of The Lawyers Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Narongrat Phutroyata(นายณรงค์รัฐ ภูติรถยา)
Vice President of Administration of The Lawyers Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Wisut Puttapong(นายวิสุทธิ์ พุฒพวง)
Academic Committee Member of The Lawyers Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Jirapan Yanareuang(นายจิระพันธ์ ยานะเรือง)
Legal Research and Development Committee Member of The Lawyers Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Sakda Silparathit(นายศักดา ศิลปะระสิทธิ์)
Executive Committee Member of The Lawyers Council of Thailand (Region 5), who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Dr. Somporn Damprik(ดร. สมพร ดำพริก)
Director of the Training Institute of Lawyers of The Lawyers Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Panit Boonsamoy(นายพนิต บุญชะม้อย)
Advisor to the President of The Lawyers Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Ms. N. Rinee Ruengnu(นางสาว น.รินี เรืองหนู)
President of the Thai Newspapers Association, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Peerawat Chotithammano(นายพีระวัฒน์ โชติธรรมโน)
President of the Thai Association of Radio and Television Journalists, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Ms. Suwanna Sombatruksuk(นางสาวสุวรรณา สมบัติรักษาสุข)
Executive Committee Member of the Isara Institute, Development of Media Professionals Foundation, and Online News Producers Association, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Ms. Nipawan Kaewra-muk(นางสาวนิภาวรรณ แก้วรากมุกข์)
President of the National Press Council of Thailand, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Chairit Yonpiam(นายชัยฤทธิ์ ยนเปี่ยม)
Vice President of Freedom and Media Reform of the Thai Journalists Association, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Sakda Sernpop(นายศักดา เสมอภพ)
Deputy Secretary-General of Freedom and Media Reform, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Noppadol Rattanaphan(นายนพปฎล รัตนพันธ์)
Secretary-General of the National Press Council, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.
Mr. Nuntasit Nitmetha(นันทสิทธิ์ นิตย์เมธา)
President of the Online News Producers Association, who attended the MOU signing as a witness.