• 
• 
• 

At first, when the minister came out to deal with this matter, I doubted it could be successful.

There have always been rumours in the world of stock trading and so many channels for such rumours, making them very difficult to trace.

However, I was wrong.

The officials were very capable and identified two persons suspected of distributing such rumours through the Internet in a few days, with evidence of distributed messages, their sources and destinations, making it easy to track them down further.

Even though the original source has not been identified, the success so far has increased public confidence in the ability of government officials and in the seriousness of the government in finding the culprit of this act of ill will.

The intention of the two people allegedly involved in disseminating such rumours is beyond my imagination.

Some sympathisers said that they might not have bad intentions and did it out of recklessness.

Then again, it might not be so.

In one case, a woman intentionally translated the incoming news in English into Thai, posting it on a website of a certain media generally accessible to the public.

This action was absolutely beyond recklessness.

In another case, where the written unfounded news was forwarded through the Internet to stock investors, it can be seen easily that the incoming rumours contradicted statements to the public from the Royal Household Bureau.

These clearly explained the gradually improved conditions without distorting the facts.

Both suspected persons studied in the western world and worked in businesses which fully exposed them to western culture, possibly wrongly absorbing the western way of thinking regarding one's freedom of speech.

However, if they understood it correctly, they would know that in speaking or writing or expressing opinion about any person, they have to make sure they do not contradict the facts and will not cause any damage to that person.

The rumour this time was clearly contrary to the content of the Royal Household Bureau's statements. Under such a circumstance, persons in their right mind would have checked the accuracy of the rumour thoroughly before sending it out.

As reported in the newspapers, the two did not - a negligence that should not have happened.

Government officials are now searching for more scaremongers. I hope they will not concentrate only on distributors down the line, but also trace the original source of the rumour.

That now leaves me with a question: as this unfounded news came in English - while a lot of people witnessed it first on one of the foreign mass media networks - why haven't officials traced or sought the cooperation of that media network in identifying the sources of the original rumour?

I have limited knowledge about international law as to the responsibility of the media.

But simple common sense tells me that media outlets in any civilised country must be responsible for the accuracy of news they broadcast or publish and must recheck this accuracy with due care so that individuals and organisations are not hurt.

If so, the network that started distributing this rumour and realised it was wrong, should have had enough conscious guilt to cooperate with our authorities in tracing the original source.

Such cooperation could save them from a possible legal suit and public condemnation for protecting the ill-willed culprit.

If officials could trace the original source and not stop at only distributors down the line, the accused would find they are not treated as scapegoats and the public at large would be satisfied the real culprit had been found and identified.

Authorities must make sure they convict each and every accused with a charge suitable to the cause and each intention in order to give a good public impression about the fair treatment for everyone involved.

It would also help prevent |misunderstanding that the |authorities are overdoing their |authority, and save undue |resentment being brought upon the Institution.

Until Next Monday.