After a picture of a Thai female reporter standing next to a line of soldiers with an ‘X’ taped over her lips was circulated on the Internet, the reporter was fired by the media company for which she works.
The photo was taken on May 22, shortly after the coup d’etat was announced. Some have called it the first act of defiance against the military junta.
Pornthip Mongyai with X mark on her lips in front of the line of soldiers
Mono Group, which runs Channel 29 digital TV, on Friday published a letter to the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) stating that Pornthip is “no longer an employee” and that the company did not approve of her action.
Pornthip released her own statement saying that she did not intend to defy the martial law, nor to send any political message as was interpreted by social media users, adding that the action was purely personal.
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