News Forum - US says free press integral to democracy, pledges support for Thai journalists

[Thaiger]

The Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Bangkok says the United States pledges to support a free press and independent journalism in Thailand. Michael Heath has described a free press as a vital component of democracy and freedom of expression. The Bangkok Post reports that he was addressing reporters who were attending a seminar at the embassy. The event was organised by the Thai Journalists Association. “This seminar marks the first collaborative effort of its kind between the US embassy and TJA. Like we do across the world, the United States will continue to support a vibrant, free press […]

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[JackIsAGoodBoy]

Old Joe&Hoe Regime saying stuff.

[HolyCowCm]

Article quote: Heath points out that Thailand has managed to keep its supply chains intact during the Covid-19 pandemic, something many neighbouring nations and other countries around the world struggled to do. The US is currently Thailand’s largest export market.

Yes to a point, but when over on the USA side it is china and their products fouling and stinking up the system. Americans need to become less dependent on Chinese products. Let most of the USA companies move out of China and then the world will be a better place and china can go peddle their products some where else.

Now for the main topic point, just a bunch of hot air released and they know it is only as free as the draconian laws in place, and now the latest judgment allow. 

[Buttaxe]

Julian Assange, guilty of committing journalism critical of the US regime - imprisoned and tortured without trial. Nobody does hypocrisy better than the US.

Edited November 18, 2021 by Buttaxe

[riclag]

Depends on who’s side the owners of the media are on !

There is a power struggle here and  its forbidden to talk about it!

Its like the  symbolic apple  from the garden of Eden ! Obey or else

 

[Jason]

I wonder what the CCP make of this?

[HiuMak]

5 hours ago, Thaiger said:

The Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Bangkok says the United States pledges to support a free press and independent journalism in Thailand. Michael Heath has described a free press as a vital component of democracy and freedom of expression. The Bangkok Post reports that he was addressing reporters who were attending a seminar at the embassy. The event was organised by the Thai Journalists Association. “This seminar marks the first collaborative effort of its kind between the US embassy and TJA. Like we do across the world, the United States will continue to support a vibrant, free press […]

The story US says free press integral to democracy, pledges support for Thai journalists as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Is this part of a stand up comedy

[JohninDublin]

2 hours ago, Buttaxe said:

Julian Assange, guilty of committing journalism critical of the US regime - imprisoned and tortured without trial. Nobody does hypocrisy better than the US.

Where is the evidence that Assange has been tortured?

As for having been imprisoned without trial, that is just about as disingenuous a statement as I am ever likely to read on this forum. 

Assange was originally granted bail pending extradition proceedings brought by Sweden alleging rape. He was required to produce an unusually high numbers of sureties. Bail in the UK is usually by way of written undertaking. Assange skipped bail, and now those sureties are subject to forfeiture. Some of the sureties were elderly or retired and have said that these forfeitures will wipe them out financially.

Assange then spent 7 years holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Eventually, Sweden dropped the charges citing the delay caused by Assange, hampered the likelihood of a fair trial being possible. However, in jumping bail, Assange committed a crime under The Bail Act. Though he was no longer wanted by Sweden, he remained holed up in the Embassy, until after 7 years, he wore out his welcome due to some anti-social behaviour on his own part. This led to his being expelled from the Embassy. He refused to leave, and had to be dragged out by the Police in London.

He was immediately arrested for breaching the Bail Act, and subsequently sentenced to 50 weeks in prison. Normal practice in the UK, is that prisoners are released after serving half their sentence. While doing his time in Belmarsh Prison, the US applied for his extradition, and he resisted the application as he is entitled to do. While contesting these proceedings, he completed the necessary half of his sentence. Had he not jumped bail, he may have been granted bail again. Instead, he was transferred to the Remand Section of Belmarsh where he enjoys the enhanced privileges of being an un-convicted prisoner. This transfer is common practice where someone is facing further charges or deportation, and it is considered that they may be a flight risk, poses a risk to others, or may interfere with witnesses.

He successfully contested the extradition, but the US exercised their right to appeal the decision, which again led to the question of whether he should be granted bail. In all the circumstances, the courts decided that he was still a serious flight risk and said "no bail".

The evidence of Psychological Torture is dubious. It was first introduced by a UN rapporteur, who said it had been going in for "10 years". Really? So who was torturing him for the seven years he was in the Embassy? The rapporteur also stated https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/2/28/how-assange-case-highlights-crime-of-psychological-torture (extract) "...his report primarily analyses conceptual questions on torture". Later on the author says, "Speaking to Al Jazeera, Melzer said the writing of the report was necessary because of “the absence of a clear definition of psychological torture”. We all know that one mans freedom fighter, is another man's terrorist, so it seems that we have a similar situation here, especially as "psychlogical torture" remains undefined. Then of course, I personally would question whether malingering is not part of a strategy being indulged in by a man that has done his best to avoid any attempt to put him before a court for the best part of 10 years.

I can well imagine that Assange may be psychologically damaged at the uncertainty of his future, but his own actions have led him to where he is today. He has never been denied the benefit of a trial. In fact the opposite is true. There are two women in Sweden who never got their day in court, because Assange skipped bail.

[LoongFred]

Free press shouldn't be biased pro or anti anything. Major USA newspapers such as NYT or Washington post are very left oriented along with MSNBC and CNN.  Free but biased.