THAILAND: TWO EUROPEAN JOURNALISTS RECENTLY SETENCED TO 15 YEARS IN A LAOTIAN JAIL SPEAK ABOUT THEIR RELEASE
Record ID:
648887
THAILAND: TWO EUROPEAN JOURNALISTS RECENTLY SETENCED TO 15 YEARS IN A LAOTIAN JAIL SPEAK ABOUT THEIR RELEASE
- Title: THAILAND: TWO EUROPEAN JOURNALISTS RECENTLY SETENCED TO 15 YEARS IN A LAOTIAN JAIL SPEAK ABOUT THEIR RELEASE
- Date: 9th July 2003
- Summary: (W5) BANGKOK, THAILAND (JULY 9, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. WS: INTERIOR OF BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 0.04 2. CU: FLIGHT DETAILS 0.09 3. MV: TWO EUROPEAN JOURNALISTS WALKING OUT OF CUSTOMS AT BANGKOK AIRPORT 0.16 4. SCU: CAMERA OPERATOR 0.19 5. SV: TWO JOURNALISTS WALKING PAST MEDIA 0.36 6. SV: THAI SECURITY LOOKING ON 0.40 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RELEASED BELGIAN JOURNALIST THIERRY FALISE SAYING: "It was a mockery of justice, it was not a trial, everything was decided in advance. When you see the conclusion and the verdict everything was prepared totally in advance, so it was a total mockery of justice." 0.57 8. SV: FRENCH JOURNALIST VINCENT REYNAUD SURROUNDED BY REPORTERS 1.00 9. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RELEASED FRENCH JOURNALIST VINCENT REYNAUD SAYING: "It was not an easy feeling, but at the same time we had some insurance from our diplomats that the sentence was just symbolic you know and they could solve the case in diplomatic ways, so we did not take it that seriously you know." 1.21 10. SV: THAI POLICE 1.24 11. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RELEASED BELGIAN JOURNALIST THIERRY FALISE SAYING: "The main thing is that we have very little information for the first 10 days, because we were put in secrecy we were put in a place where we could not contact anybody, neither family or embassy. We did not know what were the charges against us, after that we met diplomats, but it was about 10 minutes two or three times. We could meet our wives although it was a very short meeting all the time with officials, so psychologically it was sometimes very hard." 1.57 12. SV: PRESS LOOKING ON 2.02 13. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN AMBASSADOR IN THAILAND PIERRE VAESEN SAYING: "I am the Belgian ambassador in Thailand and I have nothing to declare apart from saying that I am very happy today that we found a diplomatic solution and that we were able to bring back Mr. Falise and their two friends back to Bangkok free and in good condition." 2.22 14. SV: REPORTERS 2.25 15. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN JOURNALIST THIERRY FALISE SAYING: "The main wrong thing we have done -- and we were aware of that -- was to make our report without having our press accreditation - and on the top of that there is a war as well. Then, they made us sign a lot of documents. We had to acknowledge that we were in a place where an incident happened and a man died. But what happened is unclear because I thought somebody was shooting at us. "We will come back on to that later, so that's why were spotted. But after that the accusations changed every two days, it was totally irrational." 3.01 16. SV: THIERRY CLIMBING INTO A CAR 3.20 17. PAN: CONVOY LEAVING 3.30 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 24th July 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVA25VBTZE78JOGRMGO96FGAJA0O
- Story Text: Two European journalists and a U.S. citizen sentenced
last week to 15 years' jail, in a case that triggered an
international outcry, have been released.
The journalists arrived on a Lao Aviation flight in the
capital of neighbouring Thailand on Wednesday (July 9)
looking tired but unhurt and describing their ordeal as
"terrifying".
Belgian Thierry Falise, Frenchman Vincent Reynaud and
their translator Naw Karl Mua, an American pastor of Laotian
origin, were arrested last month while reporting on an ethnic
rebellion in northern Laos.
"We were arrested in the land of the guerrillas and that
was their motive," Falise told reporters at Bangkok's
international airport.
He described the trial as "a farce. It was a mockery of
justice," he said.
"It was not an easy feeling, but at the same time we had
some insurance from our diplomats that the sentence was just
symbolic you know and they could solve the case in diplomatic
ways," he said.
The American embassy in Vientiane said Naw Karl Mua, the
U.S. citizen, was also aboard the Lao Aviation flight, but
reporters in Thailand did not spot him.
The men were arrested at the beginning of June after a
firefight between Hmong rebels and villagers during which one
man was believed to have been killed.
All six were charged with involvement in the man's death,
possession of explosives, obstructing an official in the
course of his duties, and possession of drugs and war weapons.
The three Laotians were jailed for 20 years.
The two-hour trial last week prompted a wave of
condemnation from governments around the world.
The Laotian foreign ministry told Reuters Vientiane had
decided to release the men after negotiations with their home
countries. It said the three paid a fine of $1,000 US dollars
each and a combined $8,000 U.S dollars in compensation to the
family of the dead man.
The announcement of the men's release was met with relief
by their relatives and home governments.
Belgian ambassador in Thailand was at the airport to greet
the journalists.
"I am very happy today that we found a diplomatic solution
and that we were able to bring back Mr. Falise and their two
friends back to Bangkok free and in good condition," he said.
Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel also welcomed the
release.
"I am very happy because it is a victory for freedom...it
is a victory for the freedom of the press, it is also a
victory for Belgian diplomacy," he told a radio station.
French foreign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said:
"France rejoices at the liberation of Vincent Reynaud, Thierry
Falise and Naw Karl Mua. We are glad that a diplomatic
solution could be found with the Laotian authorities,"
"We are very happy," said Guy Deschuyteneer, Falise's
brother-in-law and part of a support group lobbying for his
release.
"I really heard his voice, he seemed to be in good
health," Falise's sister, Beatrice, told Belgian RTBF
television at her home in the southern Belgian city of
Charleroi after talking to her brother.
Falise and Reynaud were working on an article about a
conflict in the north of the country between a group of ethnic
among fighters and soldiers from the Laotian and Vietnamese
armies. Laos denies the fighting and has been highly sensitive
about media coverage of the issue.
Falise described the circumstances in which they were
caught and acknowledged they did not have an official
authorisation to operate in the area.
"The main wrong thing we have done -- and we were aware
of that -- was to make our report without having our press
accreditation - and on the top of that there is a war as
well," he said.
The Belgian journalist added: "They made us sign a lot of
documents. We had to acknowledge that we were in a place where
an incident happened and a man died. But what happened is
unclear because I thought somebody was shooting at us.
We will come back on to that later, so that's why were
spotted. But after that the accusations changed every two
days, it was totally irrational."
Recent articles by Western journalists say the Laotian
government wants to wipe out the Hmong group, which sided with
the United States in the 1960s and 1970s to fight communist
rebels who eventually took control of the country in 1975.
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