Thai PM to review new media bill

BANGKOK, May 2 (TNA) - Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has pledged to review a new media draft bill, following a strong opposition by journalists in the country. The prime minister made the pledge prior to the Cabinet's weekly meeting on Tuesday, after receiving an open letter from President of the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) Pramed Lekpetch, who submitted the letter to the prime minister at Bangkok's Government House on behalf of all Thai journalists' organizations. The Thai journalists' organizations have demanded that the prime minister, who is also Chief of the Thai army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), revoke the new media draft bill, under which each journalist is required to acquire a professional certificate from his/her media firm or agency. The local journalists have opposed the regulation, claiming that it implies legal registrations of all journalists, which affect their journalistic rights and freedom. The prime minister told representatives of Thai journalists' organizations that he is ready to talk with both journalists and the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), cautioning that local journalists' organizations must efficiently control their members if they dismiss the new regulation. NRSA initally endorsed the new media draft bill on May 1, sparking the strong opposition from journalists in the country who want to be under the supervision of local journalists' organizations, rather than the government. (TNA)