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UN critical of Thai verdict on UK activist
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A British activist was found guilty of criminal defamation yesterday and given a suspended jail sentence over a report alleging abuses in Thailand’s lucrative fruit industry — a verdict the United Nations described as “very disturbing.”
Andy Hall, who lives in Thailand, has faced a series of legal actions for contributing to a 2013 report on a Natural Fruit factory in southern Thailand, alleging poor working conditions, low wages and child labor.
He was found guilty yesterday of defamation and breaching computer crime laws in a private prosecution filed by Natural Fruit, which denies the claims made against it. The company has launched a civil case seeking US$10 million in damages.
Hall was given a three-year suspended sentence and fined 150,000 baht (US$4,300), said his lawyer Nakhon Chomphuchat.
The country’s reputation as a major supplier to global food chains has been tarnished by allegations of labor abuses, especially against cheap and vulnerable migrant workers.
Both Natural Fruit, a major supplier to the European drink market, and Thai prosecutors have brought separate actions against Hall.
The UN’s Human Rights Office for South-East Asia said the ruling was very disturbing. “It would have been more appropriate to conduct an independent and thorough investigation into the serious allegations raised in the Finnwatch report,” acting regional representative Laurent Meillan said.
The contentious report — “Cheap Has a High Price” — was published by the Finnish civil rights group Finnwatch.
It heaped pressure on Thailand’s food industry.
Western companies have faced increased pressure to vet their supply chains, but scandals keep emerging, while those who document abuses often face a backlash.
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