Thai media protest proposed licenses for journalists
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Thai media organizations are protesting a bill that would require journalists to be licensed and would establish a council that can penalize news outlets for violating professional standards.
The bill was submitted Thursday to a military-appointed body tasked with reforming the Thai government.
Journalists delivered a protest letter to the body and four former journalists resigned from the group that authored the bill.
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The government says the legislation is needed to clean up corruption and prevent false reporting. But critics say it is a way for officials to avoid scrutiny.
The media in Thailand already face heavy restrictions, with strict lese majeste laws governing reporting on the monarchy plus monitoring of online activity.