AN Australian journalist, increasingly anxious over law suits brought against his Thai-based website by the Royal Thai Navy, has lodged an appeal with a provincial governor to try to persuade the navy to drop the charges.
Alan Morison, formerly of Melbourne and editor of online news website Phuketwan, based in southern Thai resort island of Phuket, and journalist, Chutima Sidasathiam, face up to seven years jail if convicted on charges of criminal defamation and breaches of the Computer Crimes Act.
The charges followed publication in July of a news story by the Reuters news agency of an investigation into allegations of Royal Thai Navy personal involvement in the trafficking of Myanmar (Burma) Rohingya refugees whose vessels sail into Thai waters on their way to Malaysia.
Morison says the Royal Thai Navy immediately pressed charges against Phuketwan in July but only recently made them aware of the charges. Earlier this week the two were summoned for questioning by Thai Police for three hours then allowed home.
On Wednesday Morison lodged a letter of appeal with the Phuket Governor Maitree Intrusud as the governor was preparing to meet with senior Thai Navy and Army personnel to discuss security.
"It's impossible for us to know with absolute certainty what might happen." Morison told AAP.
"This whole action was brought to defend the reputation of the navy and in fact, if anything, the action itself has been extremely damaging for the navy and will continue to be damaging for the navy as long as (the action) exists," he said.
Burma's Rohingya, especially from Western Arakine State, are largely stateless, with hundreds fleeing each year by boat to try to reach the Muslim states of Malaysia and Indonesia.
But many craft fall short of their destination and are sighted in Thai waters north of Malaysia.
Thailand's official policy has been to assist boats by providing water and food, but there have ben allegations about human rights abuses and links between naval personnel and human trafficking gangs.
Morison says it appears to be the first time the Thai military has used the Computer Crimes Act against a media outlet.
"In principle we think these two laws are onerous. The principle of criminal defamation in itself is quite wrong and the use of the Computer Crimes Act is very contentious in every possible way, and for the military to sue the media anywhere in a democracy is an extreme measure," he said.
Morison, who launched the website five years ago, says he has been planning to sell or close the website as it is largely funded from personal savings from working as a journalist in Australia.
But the navy's action has changed the outlook.
"Now that the navy has acted against us we have no intention of shutting it down unless we're forced to."
Morison says freedom of the media in this case is "so obviously at risk that we'd be prepared to go to jail if necessary to prove this point."
Morison and Chutima were told by Thai police this week to appear in court in early January.
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