• Threats vs insults/defamation are completely different.
• For the US case, as the law as well as the newspaper comments about the jail sentence makes clear, it relates to a threat and not merely an insult or defamation. » The detailed comparison in the Asian Correspondent article - By Bangkok Pundit December 26, 2011

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• Earlier today (9th December 2011), the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated in a press conferencein Geneva, Switzerland:
• “We are concerned about the ongoing trials and harsh sentencing of people convicted of lèse majesté in Thailand and the chilling effect that this is having on freedom of expression in the country.
• Such harsh criminal sanctions are neither necessary nor proportionate and violate the country’s international human rights obligations.

• We urge the Thai authorities to amend the laws on lèse majesté.
• In the meantime, guidelines should be issued to the police and public prosecutors to stop arresting and charging individuals under these vaguely worded laws.
• In addition to the disproportionate prison sentences being handed down by the Courts, we are also concerned about the extended periods that accused persons are being held in pre-trialdetention.”

• Some may argue that the lese-majeste laws are necessary to protect “national security”, and hence they abide by the Covenant.
• But the UN Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression has made clear that the Thai lese-majeste laws “do not meet these criteria”.
• “The laws”, the UN Rapporteur said, “are vague and overly broad, and the harsh criminal sanctions are neither necessary nor proportionate to protect the monarchy or national security”. » The full Asian Correspondent - By - Prach Panchakunathorn who received his B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from Oxford University. He is now a graduate student in Philosophy at Cambridge University, UK.

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Lèse-majesté trial: Circumstantial evidence enough to jail Thai grandfather

• Prachatai, in an article questioning how solid the evidence against the 61-year-old grandfather sentenced yesterday to 20 years for sending four SMS messages deemed insulting to the Queen,
• Prachatai has released a summary translation of the trial judge’s comments.
  • "The judge said that the prosecution could not clearly prove that the defendant was the person who sent the offensive text messages to the mobile phone of the Secretary to the then Prime Minister.
  • But even so, because it is difficult for the prosecution to present compelling evidence, as the defendant who committed this offense would naturally conceal his actions so that others could not observe them, it is necessary to rely on circumstantial evidence which the prosecution presented to indicate the intentions of the defendant."
• Of course the judge’s comments only muddy the issue further.
• Amphon, also known as Ar Kong, has always maintained his innocence and claimed that he didn’t own the SIM card used to send the messages.
• An eyewitness who I have spoken to who visited Ampon in prison before the trial told me in a harrowing testimony that Ampon looked “terrified” and was continually tearful throughout their meeting. They also described him as an “ordinary Thai grandfather”.
• When such people become the target of legal pogroms one can only fear the worse for Thailand. » The full Asian Correspondent article - By Andrew Spooner - November 23, 2011.
Update: I hope that the present Pheu Thai government also understand the terrible human cost of sentencing people to horrific prison terms for such acts and work hard to reform lèse-majesté. They should be continually reminded that such harsh sentencing undermines Thailand’s standing as a responsible member of the international community, painting it as little more than a North Korea with spas and temples. » The full Asian Correspondent Update - By Andrew Spooner - November 23, 2011.

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November 17, 2011 - Letter to UN Secretary General:
• A Red Shirt prisoner support group led by trade unionist and political activist, Jittra Kotchadet, delivered a letter to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, in Bangkok today. The group also staged a small protest of 200 people outside the Government House in Bangkok and called for the immediate release on bail of all lèse-majesté and political prisoners. » The full Asian Correspondent article - By Andrew Spooner November 16, 2011.

• Related article: David Streckfuss, a Khon Kean-based academic and expert on lèse-majesté, said the number of cases that go to court has risen sharply since the 2006 coup that ousted then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. While before 2006 there were only five to six cases a year that reached the courts, the figure for 2010 was 478. » The full University World News article - By Suluck Lamubol - Published: August 13, 2011.

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Distortions, half-truths and the Bangkok Post

selling "the news" - image source.
• Bangkok Post are running a story on their website today titled Fiscal Fiasco. The lead for the story states:

  The Office of the Auditor General is scathing on how government agencies have handled the floods – confused and not worth the 160 billion baht spent.

• Of course, when you click on this story you expect a condemnation of the present Yingluck government’s efforts to combat the terrible floods. That is the clear implication of this headline.
• I have to confess when I first saw this story my initial reaction was: “How can the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) condemn the spending regarding the floods when they are nowhere near to being over?”

• Yet the Bangkok Post’s lead appears to be a deliberate misrepresentation and distortion as the OAG is actually referring to the handling by the government of flood defenses from 2005 to 2009. In fact, the OAG’s report doesn’t even mention the present government’s handling of the floods.
• Far be it for me to accuse the Bangkok Post of putting out deliberately distorted messages in an attempt to undermine a democratically elected government, especially when this government is handling the worst floods in decades, but the Post‘s one-eyed reporting is markedly obvious. » The full Asian Correspondent article - By Andrew Spooner -October 26, 2011.

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Thai media misquote sparks outrage by UN

• The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has issued quite an angry press release on Friday over what seems to be a misquotation in a Thai media outlet:

• The United Nations has demanded an immediate retraction from the Thai ASEAN News Network for the serious misquotes of Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in a story that ran this week
• The story, which revolved around the flood situation in Thailand, falsely attributed quotes to Dr. Heyzer that criticized the government.
• The reality: the United Nations has issued no statement criticizing the government, and has only offered support and assistance as Thailand faces the worse floods in more than six decades.
• “These quotes are completely contrary to the solidarity and support that the United Nations is giving in Thailand,” said Dr. Heyzer. “The quotes are totally wrong and a poor reflection of journalist standards that are meant to reflect the truth.”

• “United Nations Demands Retraction from Thai ASEAN News Network” (PDF), UNESCAP press release, October 21, 2011 » The full Asian Correspondent article - By Siam Voices - October 24, 2011.

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Thailand's censorship gets worse each day

• In January 2010, Mr. Somsak posted eight proposals to change the Thai monarchy on a Thai Web site. Among his suggestions were removing an article from the Constitution that speaks of the king as “enthroned in a position of revered worship” and abolishing the “one-sided public relations and educational activities related to the monarchy.”
• He advocated the abolition of the privy council, which advises the king, as well as the Crown Property Bureau, which manages the king’s vast business holdings. He also called for the abolition of Article 112 of the criminal code, the lèse-majesté law.
• Mr. Somsak says he is frustrated that people cannot talk openly about the monarchy. “It’s against the principles of democracy and even against common sense,” Mr. Somsak said in an interview. “You cannot regard the monarchy as always right all the time.” » The full New York Times article - By Thomas Fuller - Published: May 11, 2011.

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• The New York Times - Learning Network - Keeping It Quiet -
  Overview | Students consider ways in which countries use censorship to control information. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - "Is the Thai Constitution credible?" -
  Overview | Students consider what makes a law good. Go to this Updated Law and Society Lesson.

Image source

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• The New York Times - Learning Network - Writing Funny -
  Overview | Students will consider what makes something funny, and then craft original humorous pieces based on their own experiences. » Go to this ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Fighting Fire With Satire" -
  Overview | Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of “fake news,” and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.Students consider what makes a law good.n » Go to this ESL Lesson.

Exposing the new ‘Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism"

Image source.

• The following article has been republished with the knowledge of its author, Giles Ji Ungpakorn.
• Today Suchada Jakpisut announced a new “investigative” website named the “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” which claims to expose wrong-doing in Thai society.
• But before you get excited, just consider a few hidden facts about this site.
• “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” is fully funded by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, a Thai Government organisation which gives money to NGOs.
• Try searching for key issues in Thailand’s political crisis in the “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” » website. You will find NOTHING on, state murders of unarmed demonstrators last year, the secret military budget or corruption in the Democrat Party. But you will find an article “exposing” Yinglak Shinawat, leader of the Peua Thai Party… and there is about to be an election….
• ... So the “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” is just another “GNGO” (Government-backed Non-Government Organisation), or in other words a Government media site pretending to be an NGO. » The full Asia Correspondent article -By Shayoni Sarkar - Published: May 30, 2011.
Giles is a Red Shirt activist living in the UK after having fled from Thailand facing lèse majesté charges for his book, A Coup for the Rich.

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• The New York Times - Learning Network - News or Propaganda? -
  Overview | Students discuss objectivity and press responsibility. They work in small groups to explore the article in depth, guided by reading comprehension and critical thinking questions, then jigsaw to share what they have learned with each other. Go to this Media,Law and Society, and ESL Lesson.
• World Wise School - Worksheet - Distinguishing between facts and opinions -
  Overview | Understanding the difference between fact and opinion is critical to our ability to examine our reactions to events and people. Stereotypes and prejudices are often based on opinions that are perceived as facts. Go to this Building Society Lesson.
• World Wise School - Worksheet - Generalizations: How accurate are they? -
  Overview | This activity introduces students to the difficult concept of generalization so that they will challenge generalizations made about people. Go to this Building Society Lesson.
]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:39:00 +0700 Building A Healthy Society Law and Society Media and Society ESL http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?page_id=1152 FF0CC869-55AF-4D6F-A07E-E9711A018898 http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=1666 Crackdown on Local Stations Undercuts Media Freedom
• (New York) - The Thai government has shut down community radio stations associated with the anti-government "Red Shirt" movement, Human Rights Watch said today. The crackdown followed the government's announcement that it would dissolve parliament on May 6, 2011, in preparation for national elections.
• "The upcoming elections can hardly be credible if the government closes down opposition radio stations and websites," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "This government came into office saying it was committed to protecting rights, but it has become the most prolific censor in recent Thai history."

• "Freedom for all Thais has suffered badly because the government and military have cast aside the rule of law to clamp down on critical speech," Adams said. » The full Human Rights Watch article - Published: April 27. 2011.

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Thai coup sponsored government still controls the message and the messenger:

• Thai webmaster facing 50 years for lèse majesté postings:
  The charges persist despite the fact that Chiranuch made none of the comments herself and apparently attempted to cooperate with Thailand's censors, according to testimony by the country's chief censor last Friday.
• Defense cross-examination by three human rights lawyers elicited some surprising testimony from the government's witness.
• When questions were posed about who in government exactly decides content is illegal and what criteria are used to judge such content as lèse majesté, the witness Jivorarak,Thailand's chief censor, became increasingly vague. (He) said such decisions were made in committee from various ministries and the Royal Thai Police. However, he was unable to name the committee members or their specific agencies. » The full Asia Sentinel article - Published February 6, 2011

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Image source

Prachatai.com editor Chiranuch Premchaiporn in the holding cell at the Criminal Court

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• The New York Times - Learning Network - Keeping It Quiet -
  Overview | Students consider ways in which countries use censorship to control information. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - "Is the Thai Constitution credible?" -
  Overview | Students consider what makes a law good. Go to this Updated Law and Society Lesson.
]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Mon, 09 May 2011 19:58:23 +0700 Law and Society Media and Society Building A Healthy Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=1669 609A481D-C5FD-4D5E-B25D-3F17A6D21D2B http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=1621 Abhisit Feels The Love - Image source

(Abhisit and Libya's Gaddafi share similar thoughts ...) and strongly denied his regime was falling, saying: “No demonstrations at all in the streets. No one is against us. Against me for what? Because I am not president. They love me, all my people with me. They love me all. They will die to protect me, my people.” » From this Telepraph UK article.

Council Investigates Doomsayer Monk For Using Non-Approved Bullshit

• LOEI – The Sangha Supreme Council will send investigators to look into reports that a popular upcountry monk has violated Council rules by using bullshit in his sermons that it had not pre-approved.
• “Buddhism must operate under strict rules if it is to maintain its highly marketable illusion of offering people a path to happiness and prosperity,” said Amnart Buasiri, director of the Secretariat of the Sangha Supreme Council. “For that reason, monks must adhere to Sangha- approved bullshit only.”
• “But if Phra Somchai insists on selling obvious bullshit to Thais, he could always try politics.” » The full Not the Nation article. - Published March 25, 2011.

Newly-appointed Minister of Humor Purachai Piumsombun. - Image source

Thai Government Unveils Ministry Of Humor

Most controversial is the Ministry proposal to criminalize anything that makes other people laugh but which the Ministry’s own Humor Committee doesn’t find funny.
Human rights activists and Thailand’s political cartoonists have unanimously denounced the law as “absurdly subjective,” with Abhisit defending it as a necessary way to maintain the borders of Thailand’s comic consciousness.
“It’s an issue of sovereignty,” said the PM. “If we can’t define what Thais laugh at, we can’t define what is Thai at all. Do you really want that?” » Read the full Not the Nation article - Published December 5, 2010

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• The New York Times - Learning Network - A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words -
  Overview | Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating Political Cartoons that Show and Tell -
  Overview | Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. They then create their own original artwork to submit to an appropriate publication. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson
• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Second Draft of History -
  Overview | Students draft entries about a recent historical event for a history textbook using two specific sources of information. They then compare their entries and examine the differences. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Sun, 27 Mar 2011 16:27:10 +0700 Media and Society ESL http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=1621 new-thai-cabinet-position-to-strictly-regulate-and http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/resources-on-bullying-and-cyberbullying/
Cellphone cameras and text messages, as well as social networking Web sites, e-mail and instant messaging, all give teenagers a wider range of ways to play tricks on one another, to tease and to intimidate their peers. » Image source ltscotland.org
• TYLER CLEMENTI may have died from exposure in cyberspace. » The full New York Times article - By John Schwartz -
  Published: October 2, 2010

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• New York Times Resources on Bullying and Cyberbullying » Building A Healthy Society Resources.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - No Place for Bullies -
  Overview | Students reflect on the bullying in their community, hold an anonymous discussion about bullying and suggest solutions to the problem. Go to this Building Society and Internet Lesson.

• Three related Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trial cases -
  ‣ "I can say what I want!"
  ‣ "I was just protecting my kid"
  ‣ "News vs Gossip"
]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Sun, 03 Oct 2010 21:34:13 +0700 Building a Healthy Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?page_id=1152 no-place-for-bullies http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=1058 Image source - By Barry Blitt

• Under Thailand’s tightening campaign of censorship,

  Ms. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, 32, had already been charged in March with Internet crimes for political postings on her Web site’s open forum. She is scheduled to go to court in February to hear charges in that case, which could bring her as many as 50 years in prison.
  “Press freedom, some might say, is heading down farther and we don’t yet see how deep it will sink,” said Ubonrat Siriyuwasak, a scholar of the media who is retired from the faculty of communications at Chulalongkorn University. » The full New York Times article - By Seth Mydans - Published: November 1, 2010

• Rights groups denounce arrest of Thai webmaster

  "We call for Chiranuch's immediate release and the withdrawal of the charges against her so that we do not have to witness another attempt to exploit the Computer Crimes Act to silence the regime's critics," the Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said in an e-mailed statement. "Prachatai is a reliable source of news and information that has managed in recent months to keep the public informed about what is going on in Thailand."
  The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists and human rights group Amnesty International both called for Chiranuch's immediate and unconditional release.
  "The government should stop using anti-crown charges to suppress legitimate criticism," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's representative in Southeast Asia. » The full Associated Press article - By Thanyarat Doksone - Published - Sep 25,2010

• Thai Academics Shut Down

  Thai academics are being intimidated out of speaking
  out on a large scale, according to University World
  News, a London-based publication for academics. In
  an article by Yojana Sharma, published on July 11, the
  publication said that "broadcasting freely is no longer a
  simple and safe matter since the government
  crackdown against Red Shirt protesters in May."
  "When Thai newspapers quote English-language newspapers they distort the news. I explained to my listeners that
  Thai newspapers don't give the right translations," said Suda Rangkupan, a lecturer in linguistics at Bangkok's
  Chulalongkorn University.
  "Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn described Red Shirt broadcasters as a "threat to national security". But Suda said only the radio stations that supported the democracy movements were closed whereas those run by the pro-government Yellow Shirts were still open even though they were also community radio
  stations. » The full Asia Sentinel article - Written by Yojana Sharma - Published July 12,2010

• Bangkok: International Media under Fire

  Although nearly a month has passed since the Thai
  government forcefully ended the Bangkok protests by
  the Red Shirt followers of deposed Premier Thaksin
  Shinawatra, the conflict persists. Now the Thai
  authorities and segments of Thai society have opened
  up a new flank. They are on a collision course with the
  foreign media.» The full Asia Sentinel article -
  Written by Haseenah Koyakutty - Published June 15,2010
  




• Protest by disabled vendors dispersed
  A protesting group of 200 disabled lottery vendors - including a number of blind sellers - gathering yesterday near the Government House were dispersed by police under the state of emergency, although their demonstration was peaceful. » The full Nation article - Published on June 9, 2010
  Image source
• May 18 | Thai Media joins government in spreading hate -
  (International Herald Tribune) - A constant crawl at the bottom of television screens, which started running in March on two government-owned stations, makes the case that “malevolent” protesters are hurting the country and should go home. And an advertisement implores, “Thais should love each other because we all live in the same country.”
  “The Thai people love peace but when we go to war, we are not fearful,” read one of the dozens of messages exhorting people to oppose the protest movement that has paralyzed parts of Bangkok for more than seven weeks.
  At the same time the government has shut down an opposition television station and at least 420 Web sites affiliated with the red shirt movement.
  Officials are also accusing red shirts of trying to overthrow the monarchy, an incendiary charge that protest leaders reject. » The full International Herald Tribune article By By Thomas Fuller.

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image source Tolerance.org


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• The New York Times - Learning Network - When the News Ignites a Fuse -
  Overview | Students examine news stories and images that have incited violence in the past to put into historical context recent news coverage. Go to this Media and Building a Healthy Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - News or Propaganda? -
  Overview | Students discuss objectivity and press responsibility. Go to this Media and Building a Healthy Society Lesson.
• World Wise School - "How Accurate is It?"
  Overview | This activity introduces students to the difficult concept of generalization so that they will challenge generalizations made about people...Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring Bias in the News -
  Overview | Students look for biased words in news articles, suggest synonyms, then rewrite the sentences to demonstrate how word choice can alter meaning. Go to this Media and Building a Healthy Society Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Keeping It Quiet -
  Overview | Students consider ways in which countries use censorship to control information. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.
]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:13:56 +0700 Building a Healthy Society Media and Society Law and Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=1058 manipulated-laws-continues-to-undermine-trust-in-t http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2004/04/21/keeping-it-quiet/ The government said the cartoons in two books and a magazine posed a security threat.

"All three publications have been banned for their contents that can influence the people to revolt against the leaders and government policies," said a statement by Home Ministry Secretary General Mahmood Adam on the official news agency Bernama. "The contents are not suitable and detrimental to public order," he said without elaborating.
The works are mainly collections of comics by Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, known as Zunar, and other local cartoonists, questioning current events, such as police shootings and the sodomy trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. » continued below cartoon...

Image source

Cartoonist Zunar, who has published the other two works, told the AP he was still waiting for an official letter from the ministry but vowed not to stop drawing.
"In Malaysia the government is like this. They won't allow alternative views. You can do cartoons, you can do whatever art work you want, but it must be in line with the government (view)," said the 47-year-old, who has been a professional cartoonist for more than 20 years. » The full ABC News Associated Press article - By Julia Zappei


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• The New York Times - Learning Network - Keeping It Quiet -
  Overview | Students consider ways in which countries use censorship to control information. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.
  Compare to Thailand's use of censorship and a nation-wide propaganda campaign to label those against the Abhisit military-backed government as "Terrorists".
• World Wise School - Looking at ourselves and others -
  | Students will recognize that their classmates hold a variety of opinions. Students will see how personal tastes and experiences - in addition to culture - influence our perspectives. Go to this Building Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.
  
]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:11:51 +0700 Building a Healthy Society Law and Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ keeping-it-quiet-malaysia-bans-political-cartoon http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2003/10/02/the-second-draft-of-history/

Image source

• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Second Draft of History -
  Overview | Students draft entries about a recent historical event for a history textbook using two specific sources of information. They then compare their entries and examine the differences. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words -
  Overview | Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:34:45 +0700 Media and Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ picturing-history http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-thai-protest21-2010mar21,0,7512669.story Up to 100,000 join a rally seeking new elections in Thailand.

Bangkok, Thailand
Crimson-clad protesters snaked their way through the Thai capital Saturday, with thousands of cars, trucks and motorbikes tangling up traffic as demonstrators sought to drum up support for ousting the government.
The caravan of as many as 100,000 "Red Shirt" protesters is seeking to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and call new elections.
The raucous procession, which wound its way over 40 miles, met with curious and often sympathetic crowds. The full LA Times » article.




Abhisit rallies the troops » Image source




• The New York Times - Learning Network - Fighting Fire with Satire -
  Overview | Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of “fake news,” and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words -
  Overview | Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Fishing for Red Herrings -
  Overview | Students examine the tendency for the public and media to focus on microcosmic, “red herring” issues, then create ways to “sell” large, important issues to the public. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:53:52 +0700 Media and Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ protest-winds-through-bangkok http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/google-vs-china-considering-threats-to-internet-freedom/
Image source Philippe Lopez/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images

A cafe in Shanghai.
Some say the government mostly trains its efforts on prominent dissidents who publish information about forbidden topics online. Go to related article - Scaling the Digital Wall in China - By Brad Stone and David Barboza.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Google vs. China: Considering Threats to Internet Freedom-
  Overview | What threats exist to Internet freedom, and how can people and democratic governments combat them? In this lesson, students imagine how they might communicate, and evade censors, if they were anti-government activists. They then look more closely at the issues involved in the dispute between Google and China and develop ideas for how Google or the U.S. government should respond. Finally, they do independent research to learn more about the types of information that the Chinese government has sought to block online. Go to this Media and Society Lesson.
• World Wise School - Worksheet - Students will learn to identify and modify generalizations. -
  This activity introduces students to the difficult concept of generalization so that they will challenge generalizations made about people... Go to this Building Society Lesson.
]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:01:45 +0700 Media and Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ google-vs-china-considering-threats-to-internet http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/survey-says-evaluating-polling-methods-and-results/ The original image source.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Opinions, Please! -
  Overview | Students will consider the purpose of surveys and polls and learn how to create them effectively. After they examine a poll by The New York Times, they create, administer, and tally surveys of their own design. Go to this Media Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - ‘Survey Says … ‘: Evaluating Polling Methods and Results -
  Overview | What basic skills are needed to read a poll? How are scientifically sound polls conducted? How can one gauge the reliability of poll data? In this lesson, students learn terms associated with polling as well as how to read and evaluate poll methodologies and results. They then practice administering and interpreting polls. Go to this Media Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Freedom of the Press and around the World -
  Students examine the concepts of freedom of the press and free speech in countries around the world and analyze how useful and trustworthy media outlets are to their citizens. Go to this Media Lesson.
]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:43:31 +0700 Media and Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ evaluating-polling-methods-and-results http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ituzWkFAm2ZHY05fhSE2xV9VJb0wD9A2S5580 The original image source.

"The amount of frenzy or hysteria is totally disproportionate to the overall reality of the disease," Dr. Jai Narain, the head of the regional communicable disease office for the World Health Organization, said Friday.
Breathless reports of swine flu have dominated India's 24-hour news channels desperate for stories amid the August doldrums. That in turn has helped whip the public into a frenzy, even in cities with relatively few cases of flu. The full AP article » By Ravi Nessman.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring the Importance of Journalism Rights and Ethics -
  Students will consider how free speech applies to journalistic practices .... then participate in a fishbowl discussion about journalism codes of ethics and write response papers. Go to this Media Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Freedom of the Press and People's Faith in the Media Around the World -
  Students examine the concepts of freedom of the press and free speech in countries around the world and analyze how useful and trustworthy media outlets are to their citizens. Go to this Media Lesson.
]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:22:59 +0700 http://www.lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ in-india-swine-flu-panic-spreads-faster-than-virus http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/rumors/article4.html


Why do people gossip and spread rumors? We've all had that kind of urge. But why? Here are some possible reasons:
- To feel superior
When people are feeling bad aboutthemselves, they sometimes thinkthey’ll feel better if there weresomeone worse off than they are.
- To feel like part of the group
If everybody else is gossiping or spreading rumors, you might feelyou have to do the same thing in order to fit in.
- For attention
When you know a secret that nobody knows, or are the first personin your group to hear a rumor, it can make you the center ofattention.
- For control or power
Certain people always want to be in control and at the top of theladder.
- Boredom
Did you know in many studies, boredom was the number 1 reason why young people say they spread rumors? ... Read more about Gossip and Rumors - PBS kids Its my Life.


Related article: "But rumours sell. People tend to believe in a rumour if it is against the party they hate. This is worrying because people cannot make an informed decision based on rumours." The full article - The Bangkok Post Friday March 3,2006

• The New York Times- Learning Network - Not Just the Facts
Overview: Students explore the difference between hard news, news analysis and (rumors and gossip) ... They then endeavor to write an analysis ... using local sources and drawing their own conclusions. Go to this Media Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - "News vs Gossip" - Simplified Mock Trial.

]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:54:23 +0700 http://www.lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ gossip-and-rumors--why-do-people-do-it http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=2083 Inquiry Into Press Tactics Turns the Tables on Tabloids
• The high court judge leading the inquiry, Sir Brian Leveson, has called the sessions that began this week, relayed live on the inquiry’s Web site, a “right of reply” for victims of tabloid excesses.
• Beyond the wolf-pack excesses of paparazzi, beyond the phone hacking that has been news here for months, witnesses have told of practices that they described as bullying and intimidation.
• Now it is commonplace, at the hearings and beyond, to describe the tabloids as a mafia, and to demand steps to bring them back within the scope of the law.
• Sir Brian Leveson has refused requests by the newspapers’ lawyers for the right to cross-examine the witnesses, and issued a formal warning to the mass-circulation papers not to strike back against those testifying with new articles that invade their privacy or damage their reputations. » The full New York Times article - By John F. Burns Published: November 25, 2011.

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Related Lessons:
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Talking Trash -
  Overview | Students will consider their own experiences with online message boards and chat rooms, discover how teens are using the Web to talk about people in their lives. » Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - A Snapshot of Fame -
  Overview | Students debate the limits to celebrity privacy and to paparazzi rights after reading the above article. » Go to this Building Society, Media and Law Lesson.

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"News Vs Gossip" - Simplified Mock Trial - Fact Summary »

Chat room image Florida online reading - selling newspapers image source newscopy.org

A Newspaper that looks for possible stories from Thai web site bulletin boards, blogs, and chat-rooms picked up the story spreading about Lek who had claimed her teacher had stolen her hand phone.

The newspaper called her mother for an interview.
Lek’s mother told the Newspaper that Ms Lawson hated her daughter and took her hand phone to punish her.

The Thai Newspaper printed a story: Headline News - "Teacher abuses kid"
The story added that the school in which the teacher taught was very bad and should be closed until the government investigates.

The same day, a parent of a student from the school sent the newspaper article to the head of the school.
He translated the article for Lek's teacher, Ms lawson, who became very upset.
"That's not true!" She said. "They lied!"
"Don’t they need any evidence to show what they print is true?"

The Newspaper said it was just passing along stories that interested readers and the damage to Ms Lawson and the school were their own fault not the Newspapers.


This is the third of three related Learning Foundation Simplified Mock Trial cases:
- "I can say what I want!"
- "I was just protecting my kid"
- "News vs Gossip"

]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:09:05 +0700 Building A Healthy Society Media and Society Law and Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=2083 news-vs-gossip-simplified-mock-trial http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/science/12angi.html Librado Romero/The New York Times (Original image source)
UNEARTHING CLUES A squirrel carcass was among the items placed on the grounds at New Rochelle High School for students to dig up and examine in their forensic class. Any squeamish reactions? Not allowed.


For the final exam, the students have an hour to make sense of a crime scene mocked up in the woods with the help of the New Rochelle police. Here the core message of the semester is brutally distilled: that science, like life and its end, can be messy and uncertain, that you must notice what others overlook, and that if you collect and bag your evidence but fail to seal it, your teacher will dump your hard work in the trash. Remember, you’re a forensic scientist. You’re not just playing one on TV. From this New York Times Article » By Natalie Angier.


• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining the "Science" in Forensic Science -
  Overview: Students reflect on forensic science and its popularity and then act as forensic experts investigating photographs of Frances Glessner Lee's miniature crime-scene dioramas. Go to this Science and Media Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Analyzing Media Coverage of Crime -
  Overview: Students will compare the coverage of two crime stories, analyzing both for objectivity, language, emotional impact, and local and national dissemination. Go to this Media and Law Lesson.

]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:11:56 +0700 http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ a-hit-in-school-maggots-and-all http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSLF510908._CH_.2400 The original image source.

WHO chief says too early to relax about flu outbreaks

GENEVA, May 15 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation warned on Friday against a false sense of security from waning and apparently mild outbreaks of H1N1 flu, saying the worst may not be over. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, who raised the United Nations agency's pandemic alert to the second-highest level, said there remained "great uncertainty" about the strain that could pose particular threats in Southeast Asia.Read the full Reuters article - By Stephanie Nebehay.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Researching the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic -
  Overview: Students engage in an inquiry into influenza A (H1N1), considering the virus and the pandemic from multiple perspectives and acting as advisers to share factual information they learn with their classmates and school communities. Go to this Health, Science and Media Lesson.

Related background lesson: - Blaming ‘Media Hype’ for Swine Flu Fears -
No one has been shocked that many anchors on 24-hour-a-day cable news channels, which have a lot of time to fill, have spent a good deal of it hyperventilating. These days, that is to be expected — after all, Jon Stewart makes a very good living pointing out night after night that those channels tend to overreact at some stage to almost every crisis they report. That’s what they do. Read this New York Times blog - By Robert Mackey.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring the Importance of Journalism Rights and Ethics -
  Students will consider how free speech applies to journalistic practices .... then participate in a fishbowl discussion about journalism codes of ethics and write response papers. Go to this Media Lesson.
]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Fri, 15 May 2009 20:31:24 +0700 http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ no-signs-of-sustained-global-spread-of-swine-flu http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/11/america/letter.php

How many of us remember that in 1917, Congress passed an "Espionage Act" that gave broad powers to local postmen to decide what newspapers, magazines and other literature Americans were allowed to read, or that any number of such publications were effectively banned in that way? Read this New York Times "Letter from America" - By Richard Bernstein

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Fighting Fire with Satire -
Overview: Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of “fake news,” and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating Political Cartoons that Show and Tell -
Overview: Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. They then create their own original artwork to submit to an appropriate publication. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson

]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:59:21 +0700 http://www.lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/ lampooning-leaders-wasnt-always-so-easy http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/12/technology/kstar.php?page=1
Yonhap/The Associated Press
Choi Jin Sil, known as South Korea's "national actress." Her suicide this month followed that of other celebrities, and officials have blamed anonymous Internet slanderers for the deaths.

Most South Korean Web portals and online news sites have discussion boards where users can post uncensored, anonymous comments. Some news articles attract hundreds of feedback entries, ranging from thoughtful comments to raving obscenities.
The police reported 10,028 cases of online libel last year, up from 3,667 reported in 2004. "Yellow journalism" spread through the Internet and picked up by newspapers (is pervasive).
So many teenagers are addicted to online games that the government runs "Internet rescue" boot camps to help them rehabilitate.
Under a new edict from the Education Ministry, teachers must spend more time teaching online ethics, starting in primary school. Read the IHT Article » By Choe Sang-Hun

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Talking Trash -
  Overview | In this lesson, students will consider their own experiences with online message boards and chat rooms, discover how teens are using the Web to talk about people in their lives, discuss the issues surrounding online conversations, and write opinion pieces on the future of teenage bulletin boards and chat rooms. Go to this Media, Law and Health Lesson.

• Three related Learning Foundation Simplified Mock Trial cases.
  ‣ "I can say what I want!"
  ‣ "I was just protecting my kid"
  ‣ "News vs Gossip"
]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:36:41 +0700 Law and Society http://www.lfslessonsasia.com/contactform.html the-price-of-yellow-journalism-spread-through-th Media and Society http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/05/asia/mirza.php Image source

Sania Mirza, the most successful tennis star in India, has announced that she has no desire to play in her country any more, distressed by a string of controversies that have exposed her to months of negative publicity.

Barkha Dutt, managing editor of NDTV, one of India's most popular news channels said that Mirza had "every reason to feel fed up."
"She is young, pretty, with attitude, and as a result she is hounded," she said, "and gets caught up in these controversies which range from the fabricated to the ridiculous." Read Article »

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring the Shaping of Tolerance and Intolerance -
Overview: Students examine the meanings of tolerance and intolerance and participate in a "town hall meeting" in which they represent different perspectives in order to explore how tolerance is shaped by various beliefs and contexts.  Go to this Building Society Lesson.
• World Wise School - "How Accureate is It?"
This activity introduces students to the difficult concept of generalization so that they will challenge generalizations made about people... Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring Bias in the News -
Overview: Students look for biased words in news articles, suggest synonyms, then rewrite the sentences to demonstrate how word choice can alter meaning. Go to this Media and Society Lesson.

]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:21:18 +0700 http://lfslessonsasia.com/contactform.html india-shunned-by-tennis-star-reflects-on-intoler http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20070802thursday.html Chat room image Florida online reading - selling newspapers image source newscopy.org

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Analyzing the Substance and Credibility of Newspapers -
Students share opinions about the factors that influence their decisions about which newspapers to read. They then analyze the tone, content and perspective of major newspapers and rank them based on personal criteria. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.

• Related Thai stories - Rumor Nation - The Asian Sentinel and "But rumours sell." - The Bangkok Post
• The Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trials
- The Case of Slanted News
- "News vs Gossip"

]]> Editor@www.lfslessonsasia.com Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:02:14 +0700 http://www.lfslessonsasia.com/contactform.html when-the-news-is-the-news http://www.lfslessonsasia.com/itsmycountrylesson.html "It's my country/I can do what I want!" - Simplified Mock Trail Facts. - Editors note: this case is based on the conflicting opinions about who chooses the way a country is governed.

Update: The military leaders of Myanmar seized a shipment of United Nations food aid on Friday intended for victims of a devastating cyclone... “All the food aid and equipment that we managed to get in has been confiscated,” said Paul Risley, a spokesman for the United Nations World Food Program in Bangkok.
“It is one of the best examples of the disregard for the people by the military,” said Josef Silverstein an expert on Myanmar at Rutgers University. Read this New York Times » article - By Seth Mydans

(AFP)
Wicha Mahakhun, a former Thai judge and (military coup sponsored) constitution drafter, stated:

"People, especially academics who want to see the constitution lead to genuine democracy, are naïve. We all know elections are evil. Even HM the King places trust in the judges; would you condemn them?" From the article: Charter drafter pans 'evil' elections - The Nation.


Giles Ungpakorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University charges:

"The drafters will claim they are following the policies of the palace, but it's much more complicated than that, .... Moreover, the monarchy is just one institution. There are 65 million other people in Thailand who deserve an equal say in how the country is run."
"The (18th Thai Constitution) has a problem right from the start,... Giving power to unelected civil servants who tend to be very conservative is a step backwards." From the article: The Rise of Thailand’s Third Branch - By Daniel Ten Kate   - The Asia Sentinel.

• The Learning Foundation - "It's my country/I can do what I want!" - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson Plan.

• The Learning Foundation - "The 18th Thai constitution?" - What makes a law good lesson plan.

]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com Sat, 10 May 2008 15:44:20 +0700 http://www.lfslessonsasia.com/contactform.html who-decides-compare-and-contrast-the-rule-of-law http://lfslessonsasia.com/pcfirstimpressions.html

"Socrates...the consummate inquiring mind in history wrote nothing, accomplished nothing, and made his mark by standing around a rock, questioning people ... When an audience is interested in questioning the world, then nonsense blows away like a morning mist .... Read more

• World Wise School - Worksheet - Students will learn to identify and modify generalizations. This activity introduces students to the difficult concept of generalization so that they will challenge generalizations made about people... Go to this Building Society Lesson. 

]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:09:12 +0700 http://lfslessonsasia.com/contactform.html the-emperors-clothes-a-first-impressions-lesson http://nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060210friday.html

The main Buddha in the Bamiyan valley, 240 kilometers northwest of the Afghan capital Kabul, before total destruction by the Taliban. - The Book, the Word and the Sword By: John Heathcote



• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating Political Cartoons (and actions with a message) that Show and Tell -
  Overview: Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons (and other acts) particularly in light of the Danish caricatures of Muhammad that have incited violence around the world. Go to this Media Lesson.
• Extend the lesson by having students read the account of the Buddha icon destruction in: The Book, the Word and the Sword By John Heathcote then: Compare and Contrast similarities and differences of these events.
]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:04:29 +0700 http://lfslessonsasia.com/contactform.html a-picture-speaks-a-thousand-words http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=42285 by Parker and Hart


"Members of the (Thai) media will apply self-control and monitor themselves, and will press on with media reform based on a foundation of firm, professional ethics." Journalist organizations said.- The full article - Asia Media daily first published April 6, 2006

"Thai Newspapers today are big business, with many of them listed on the stock market. Severe if not cut-throat competition is the order of the day, and partisanship with big business (the military) and political parties is not unheard of." The full article. - By Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation
• The New York Times - Learning Network -  Exploring Bias in the News
Overview: Students look for biased words in news articles, suggest synonyms, then rewrite the sentences to demonstrate how word choice can alter meaning. Go to this Media Lesson.
• Related stories: Rumor Nation - The Asian Sentinel and "But rumours sell." - The Bangkok Post

]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:29:00 +0700 http://lfslessonsasia.com/contactform.html thai-media-wants-to-monitor-itself http://lfslessonsasia.com/pcgeneralizations.html "Identify intolerance (stereotypes and cultural misinformation depicted in news reports,movies,TV shows,computer games and other media) when children are exposed to it" - Tolerance.org

The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring Bias in the News
Overview: Students look for biased words in news articles, suggest synonyms, then rewrite the sentences to demonstrate how word choice can alter meaning.   Go to this Media Lesson.
Extend the lesson with 10 Ways to Nurture Tolerance   

]]> Editor@lfslessonsasia.com Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:53:05 +0700 http://lfslessonsasia.com/contactform.html slanted-sentences