A third issue of The Economist magazine has be banned in Thailand in the space of 2 months. This came hot on the heels of the ban of the previous edition which contained an article about the jailed Australian writer and the kingdom's strict lese majeste law. The January 31 issue features an article titled "A Sad Slide Backwards," which criticizes the Thai army's alleged mishandling of hundreds of Rohingya refugees, and the army-backed government's reluctance to investigate the matter fully. The article claims that the same army colonel behind the refugee abuse allegations was also responsible for the torture of Muslim detainees in Thailand's strife-torn southern region. The plight of the refugees who claimed they were left adrift in the sea with inadequate supplies by the Thai military has gained much international attention. However, it has received little interest from the local media, which tends to focus more on the mounting political tension.
Reuters
Reuters