A Thai fruit processing company has dropped a US$9.6 million civil defamation lawsuit this week against British labor rights activist Andy Hall.
In 2013, Hall alleged in a report that workers at the company in Thailand were exploited and abused at one of the firm’s factories.
Court records show that the lawyer for the prosecution has submitted a request to withdraw the case because of a related criminal case.
On Oct. 28, the company dropped the lawsuit on the second day of what was to be a three-day trial, reported RFA.
In an RFA interview, Hall said the company “unilaterally withdrew its civil prosecution case against” him at Thailand’s Nakhon Pathom Court.
“But after years of ongoing judicial harassment that has taken a heavy toll on me, my family and my colleagues, this withdrawal of one case against me is not a victory,” he added.
In 2012, Hall conducted research for Finnwatch, a Finnish civic organization, for its 2013 report, titled “Cheap Has A High Price”.
- Executive Summary of Finnwatch’s 2013 report, “Cheap Has A High Price”. The full report is available in Finnish only and can be downloaded at www.finnwatch.org
At one of the company’s factories in south Thailand, Hall claimed in his report that the company had abused about 800 of its employees most of whom were from Myanmar.
Separate criminal defamation charges were later filed against Hall after the report was released.
While the complaint in Nakhon Pathom court was withdrawn this week, another one filed with the Phra Khanong Court demanded 10 million baht (US$320,000) in damages.
The Phra Khanong case stems from Hall’s 2013 interview with Al Jazeera and is based on the company’s allegation that he intentionally harmed the company’s reputation.
The ruling on this case is scheduled for Dec. 23.
Hall fled Thailand in November 2016, two months after he was convicted of defaming the company and violating the nation’s Computer Crimes Act.
The Bangkok South Criminal Court had sentenced Hall to three years in prison and fined him 150,000 baht (US$4,800).
“I never intended to harm any legitimate business interests through my work and remain genuinely open to reconciliation with all those who may feel aggrieved by my campaigning style, to put an end once and for all to this continued irrational cycle of litigation against me and my colleagues,” Hall said in a statement.
In a statement, Finnwatch said “there is an urgent need for Thailand to reform its defamation laws and step up human rights protections.”
Hall lived in Thailand and Myanmar for over a decade from 2005 and worked on migration policy issues.
He served as the Global Affairs Advisor to the Migrant Worker Rights Network, a Myanmar migrant worker membership based organization with over 2,500 members.
Since 2007, Hall has voluntarily advised and assisted Thailand’s largest independent union confederation, the State Enterprise Workers Relations Confederation of Thailand.
