The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong

These times of the new political turmoil in Bangkok with the resurrection of the PAD are a déjà vu in many ways: Old wounds are torn open again and newer ones won’t heal. We remember people who fought back then and who today are forgotten.

Abducted and most probably killed lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit is one of the forgotten heros. And Thailand’s very own Iron Lady: Supinya Klangnarong, who feared no Thaksin, as powerful as he was – while many back then feared for the life of graceful Supinya.

As if the current turmoil needs some more explanation, the documentary “The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong” just hit the Bangok screen. Not to be missed. Daily @ SF World Cinema Central World Plaza, 7 pm, until June 25th. What you’re about to see?

The movie features the as delicate as strong Supinya Klangnarong chronicling her own life as the Secretary General of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform CPMR, who in 2004 faced a huge defamation lawsuit from Shin Corporation – at the time belonging to the family of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The film takes a deep look at the recent changes and development in Thai politics and society over the past few years, from the Thaksin administration to the 2006 coup d’état, as well as its aftermath.




As if Thailand was ever short of power women, Khun Supinya is quietly revealed a powerful example of how much Thai society owes to its women. Wise Kwai’s Film Journal had an in-depth take on the chronicle of Supinya and her crucial movement. Read it right here:

The spirits of pre-coup Thailand are revisited in the new documentary film The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong. Directed by Pimpaka Towira, it’s an epic piece of filmmaking, following media rights activist Supinya on her three-year legal odyssey. It also chronicles Thailand at a turbulent time in its history, from the growing dissatisfaction with prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the aftermath of the 2006 coup.

Supinya, an NGO worker, was forced into the glaring spotlights of media celebrity, after she made some comments in 2003 to the Thai Post, saying that the Shinawatra family’s Shin Corporation benefitted from the policies of the Thaksin administration. Her opinions must’ve hit too close to the mark for officers of the telecommunications conglomerate, for they filed both a criminal and civil lawsuits against Supinya and the Thai Post.

Supinya faced a jail term for her statements. In fact, on the night of the film’s premiere at the Thai Film Foundation’s Digital Forum, Supinya said September 6th, 2007, was the four-year anniversary of her being bailed out. The company also sought 400 million baht in damages, because it said Supinya’s comments adversely affected Shin’s stock value and credit rating.

But what the company hoped to gain from suing an activist who earns a 14,000-baht monthly salary is unknown. If Shin officials had ignored the statements, they would have been largely forgotten. Now there’s no chance of that happening.

Through the lens of the documentary, the man at the centre of the controversy, Thaksin, is virtually invisible. He’s seen for perhaps ten seconds in some footage shot at a rally, before his beatific smile and square-faced visage disappears behind a wall of dark-suited supporters. But his name is heard. Repeatedly. “Thaksin! Get out! Thaksin! Get out!” Shouted over and over again by marchers and political rally attendees. There are crude caricatures, even a Chinese opera performance devoted to him. He is everywhere, but never seen.

The focus is on Supinya, and in looking at her, people and issues that have been forgotten are suddenly remembered. The spectre of missing civil rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit hangs over the proceedings. And there’s a chance meeting with some Electricity Generating Authority Workers, who have been fighting privatization of the state-owned utility.

And there’s Supinya’s family, chiefly her mother, who was genuinely fearful that her daughter was going to disappear, after all, Supinya was going up against the most powerful man in Thailand. At times, Supinya’s mother steals the show. I sometimes wonder what it would be like if things were run by concerned mothers, aunties and grannies, rather than men with big-business connections.

The films of Apichatpong Weerasethkul feature striking women like this, too. With more character, backbone and charisma than just about any of the latest one-shot, 18-year-old actresses-of-the-week, they give real meaning to the term “leading lady”. I think all the Klangnarongs show up at some point, putting a genuine and heartfelt human face on this story. They’re all really lovely people, and I had to wonder why a big company like the Shin Corp. thought they were so threatening.

In March 2006, Shin, by then controlled by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings after a still-controversial stock divestiture by the Shinawatra family, offered to drop the civil suit, if Supinya would apologize for her remarks. But she remained steadfast, to the horror of her mother and others around her – even herself – leaving the case in the hands of the court. Anyway, the criminal court threw out the lawsuit, saying, in effect, Supinya was just doing her job, and that her comments were fair. The civil suit, a moot point, was withdrawn.

But, as anyone who has not been hiding under a rock in Thailand would know, the story didn’t end there. The documentary might’ve been completed sooner, but on September 19th, 2006, the Thai military took over while Thaksin was out of the country.

To not address the coup, which changed everything, would have been unsatisfying. So Pimpaka and her crew kept at it, making for a compelling and informative view of Thailand’s political landscape. There are no gimmicks, nor manipulation. No rousing rock music to create atmosphere. This makes the rhythmic cries of “Thaksin! Get out!” that much more powerful. It’s bone-dry at times, yet refreshing, and it jumps around in a non-linear fashion, making things a bit unpredictable, which is a good thing.

For Supinya and the wearied anti-Thaksin protesters, the coup has left many discouraged about the democratic process in Thailand. To oppose the coup is to appear pro-Thaksin. Even though there are many colors when it comes to political stripes, in post-coup Thailand, with the military still in charge, there’s only black and white.

Thank goodness for The Truth Be Told, to add back some color.

Via Wise Kwai’s Film Journal




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June 2, 2008 | Filed Under Bangkok Sirens, Books & Movies, Culture & Arts, Politics 

Comments

13 Responses to “The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong”

  1. wisekwai on June 2nd, 2008 7.08 pm

    I was reading that and thought, “gosh that looks familiar.” And then it struck me: It’s what I wrote last year. That’s the problem with the Nation Weblog — what I wrote has just been reduced to the “Nation Weblog”.

    I have since mirrored the review to my own blog.

    It’d be refreshing to see some substantial reviews from the political writers in Thailand’s English-language blogging community. But given their predominant viewpoints, I get the feeling they are dismissing this film, thus forgoing an opportunity to see one of the rare political films produced in Thailand in recent years.

    If they find fault with it, then that’s more grist for the mill, and if it’s deemed to be fair, well then what can they say?

  2. BangkokDan on June 2nd, 2008 7.19 pm

    Sorry ’bout that C., if I’d have known …

    Redirected the story to your site and hope to soon add my own little take on this fascinating Supinya.

    BangkokDan

  3. wisekwai on June 2nd, 2008 7.37 pm

    No worries Bangkok Dan. Thanks for the redirect.

    I’ll be interested to see your take on it.

  4. Dave on June 3rd, 2008 10.12 pm

    I just saw this movie, an inspirational David vs. Goliath tale of morality triumphing over money and force for once in this wicked world of ours.

  5. BangkokDan on June 4th, 2008 8.22 am

    “Inspirational” – the keyword.

    Fear though that most daily showings @ SF World cinema are without an audience …

    BangkokDan

  6. Dave on June 4th, 2008 6.11 pm

    Sadly. I was there last night and there were a total of 11 people! The message in the movie is so beautiful, the people vs. the machine, and for a small time there was hope and the people were winning. If only people, here and everywhere, could gain consciousness of their shared position the world could be a better place …

  7. wisekwai on June 4th, 2008 8.50 pm

    Actually 11 people on a rainy Tuesday night in Bangkok is not too bad.

    Other nights, like weekends, there might be more, or there could be less. Either way, people are seeing it, and hopefully getting the same message you got Dave.

  8. Dave on June 4th, 2008 10.48 pm

    Are you guys based in Bangkok? What is your take on the current situation? I would love to be involved, but expect serious violence to take place soon with farangs being considered to be interfering “in things we don’t understand.”

  9. BangkokDan on June 4th, 2008 11.33 pm

    No worries Dave.

    Thailand’s elites are too busy with themselves to even notice the presence of foreigners.

    BangkokDan

  10. Nong on June 11th, 2008 10.20 am

    Saw the film yesterday. Amazed by this strong woman who was fighting against Thaksin and Shin Corp. by telling the truth about Thaksin’s corruptions. Thaksin sued her but she won the court fight after three years. So did the message of her fight: “Never stop telling the truth and don’t be scared of doing so!”

    But Thaksin is still at large and not attending current court rulings as apparently someone in Thailand wants to kill him (his excuse to skip justice).

    Thaksin will get his verdict one day. We are patiently waiting.

    Good film, but quite noisy. Bring along some ear protection. Good documentary.

  11. Supinya Klangnarong, Graceful Voice Of Freedom on August 26th, 2009 10.31 am

    [...] board member of the Thai Netizen Network. For a backgrounder on Khun Supinya read our earlier story The Truth Be Told. You can get further information about Thailand’s Iron Girl on her website http://www.supinya.com or [...]

  12. Elephants in the room – Part 3 on February 10th, 2010 3.28 am

    [...] and Goliath battle against the Thaksin government’s attempt to stifle her through a libel suit, (here and here) has said that 60 percent of the Thai population are “silent because of fear” and that [...]

  13. Now we live by code words-New Mandala « FACT – Freedom Against Censorship Thailand on February 10th, 2010 9.23 pm

    [...] and Goliath battle against the Thaksin government’s attempt to stifle her through a libel suit, (here and here) has said that 60 percent of the Thai population are “silent because of fear” and that [...]

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