Article 19 “Access to information provides people with a strong tool to increase their participation in public affairs” Commentary Mr. Kavi Chongkittavorn, Assistant Group Editor of The Nation Multimedia Group, agrees that the Official Information Act has proven to be a crucial element in Thailand’s democratic progress. Access to information provides people with a strong tool to increase their participation in public affairs, and it is also a tool that can be used to counter corruption. “Ms. Rosana Tositrakul made proper use of the Act in demanding the disclosure of all information that could be related to the suspected corruption in the Public Health Ministry,” he explains. However, Mr. Chongkittavorn also points out that despite these developments, several laws in the country are believed to jeopardize the right to freedom of expression and the right to access to information. This includes, for example, the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations (2005) and the Thai Computer-Related Offenses Act (2007), in which the freedom of expression and access to information on the internet has been curtailed through filtering measures taken by government agencies. Mr. Chongkittavorn proposes that to fully achieve the rights enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is necessary to lift restrictions on the freedom of expression of the press and of the public that are currently imposed by criminal laws as well as 27 other laws. It is also important to promote the status and professionalism of the media. The government should respect press freedom, he says. Mr. Kavi Chongkittavorn He believes that the State is duty bound to provide people with the opportunity to express their opinions and give them access to information, especially on the policies that would directly affect people’s livelihoods. Disclosure or hindrance of the public right to information often leads to other violations of public rights in different aspects. Ensuring the public’s right to information and freedom of expression would also empower the public to make more progress towards the realization of all the fundamental human rights. Our Voices are Heard in Thailand 89