Andy Hall can face up to seven years in prison if found guilty of defamation over his research on tinned fruit industry.
Hall’s interviews with migrant workers found evidence of labour trafficking, child labour, and other abuses [EPA] |
Mark Fenn | 24 Aug 2015
A
Bangkok court has indicted a British human rights worker for criminal
defamation after he exposed alleged labour abuses in Thailand’s tinned
fruit industry.
Andy
Hall, 35, could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty of
criminal defamation by publication and offences under the country’s
Computer Crimes Act.
The
case is one of four criminal and civil cases brought by the Natural
Fruit Company following Hall’s research into the firm. The civil cases
carry fines of up to $12.5m.
Hall’s
interviews with migrant workers from neighbouring Myanmar found
evidence of labour trafficking, child labour, violence against workers,
and other abuses at its plant in the central province of Prachuap Khiri
Khan.
The
research was carried out on behalf of the Finnish NGO Finnwatch. Its
executive director Sonja Vartiala said the charges against Hall were
unfounded and called on Thailand to abolish its criminal defamation
laws, "as they infringe on freedom of expression".
"At this point, the prospects for Andy Hall to receive a fair trial are looking grim," she added.
The Bangkok South Criminal Court ordered Hall to enter a plea on October 19, when he faces detention but can request bail.
Hall
is backed by international human rights groups, trade unions, and the
Thai seafood industry, which has itself come under fire for alleged
human rights abuses.
"They
are all against it. These people [Natural Fruit] are just stubborn,"
Hall told Al Jazeera. "I respect the decision of the court, but I will
fight the case and hopefully win it."
Previous case dismissed
The
other criminal case against Hall was dismissed by a court in October
last year, but the company and Thailand’s attorney-general have appealed
against that decision. The outcome of the appeal will be announced next
month.
Critics
say the ongoing cases against Hall show the difficulties for human
rights activists of working in Thailand, and how the laws on criminal
defamation are used to bully and silence critics of the rich and
powerful.
Two
journalists for news website Phuketwan - Thai national Chutima
Sidasathian and Australian Alan Morison - are being sued by the Thai
navy for republishing part of a Pulitzer-winning story about Myanmar’s
Rohingya boatpeople from the Reuters news agency. The verdict in that
case is due on September 1.
"By
prosecuting Andy Hall for his involvement in a report on the Natural
Fruit Company, the Thai government has declared open season on NGOs
involved in protecting migrant workers and stopping human trafficking,”
Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia Division at Human Rights
Watch, told Al Jazeera.
“Companies
around the world seeking to ensure their supply chains are free of
rights abuses need to ask hard questions to Bangkok’s leaders about why
they are gagging this independent researcher and rights advocate."
Source: Al Jazeera
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