BANGKOK: For Murray Hunter, the past few months have been a whirlwind of disbelief and fear. The Australian journalist, who has spent years reporting critically on Malaysia from his quiet base in the Thai border city of Hatyai, now faces the possibility of prison simply for writing about a government agency.
A Bangkok criminal court has indicted Hunter on a rare criminal defamation charge at the request of Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). If convicted, he could be jailed for up to two years and fined THB200,000 (around US$6,160). Hunter, who has chronicled the MCMC’s actions on his Substack blog, was released on bail after his Sept 29 arrest at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. His passport was confiscated, grounding him in Thailand as he waits for a Dec 21 trial.
The case is highly unusual. Thailand has long cooperated with neighbouring countries to take action against dissidents, but this is the first time a foreign journalist is reportedly being prosecuted for reporting critically on another government. Three years ago, the MCMC blocked his blog after he accused it of acting beyond its authority and being politically influenced.
This is a clear attempt to weaponise Thai law to punish a journalist for reporting on another country, according to Shawn Crispin, senior Southeast Asia representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, as quoted by Asia Sentinel. “Thai authorities should drop these charges immediately and restore Hunter’s travel documents.”
Hunter’s story has struck a chord with journalists and human rights advocates across Southeast Asia. Thailand has long served as a hub for reporting on neighbouring countries, including Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. But his prosecution represents a troubling new front: a foreign government leveraging Thailand’s legal system to silence a critic.
Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights & Labor Advocates, called it “a dangerous precedent that threatens Thailand’s reputation for media freedom and endangers journalists across the region.”
Hunter himself has described his arrest as surreal. “I have not done anything wrong in Thailand. The police forces are working together to suppress free speech,” he told reporters. “It’s a warning that journalists in Thailand are not safe if third countries want to target them.”
An academic and former lecturer at Universiti Malaysia in Perlis, Hunter has spent years documenting corruption and government overreach in Malaysia. He has written for numerous publications, including Asia Sentinel, Eurasia Review, and New Mandela, and now runs his own Substack blog. Notwithstanding his judgmental and discerning method of reporting, Hunter asserts that his work is accurate, truthful, and in the interest of the public.
The case demonstrates an escalating concern articulated by the Media Freedom Coalition — governments are more and more attempting to suppress reporters and media personalities beyond their borders, deflating democracy, transparency, and human rights. Hunter’s torment is more than just a personal combat; it is a blunt threat about the dwindling space for unrestricted expression in Southeast Asia and the dangers newsmen face just for doing their work.
