Court dismisses “pork vendor” slur case against outspoken senator

The Criminal Court has dismissed a defamation charge against an outspoken senator who referred to a fellow senator as a “pork vendor.”

In a ruling on Monday, the court held that the reference was factual and not intended to belittle or humiliate.

The case stemmed from the appointment of members to the Senate standing committee on political development, human rights and civil liberties last year, in which Senator Nantana Nantavaropas was passed over.

Nantana, often described by Thai media as a Senate whistleblower, argued that, as an academic specializing in political communication, she was qualified to sit on the committee.

In a subsequent interview, she said the position instead went to “a pork vendor,” referring to Senator Daeng Kongma of Amnat Charoen, whose family is involved in the pork-vending business in the northeastern province.

Nantana maintains she has been the target of a political vendetta for her open criticism of senators with links to a particular political party. She is one of the prime movers behind the petition that prompted the Department of Special Investigation to probe alleged collusion in last year’s Senate election.

She also claimed there was a conspiracy among some senators to deny her a seat on the committee.

Senator Daeng took issue with the remark, saying she felt bullied by the “pork vendor” label, and later filed a defamation complaint.

The court ruled that Nantana was merely suggesting that Daeng’s background did not match the qualifications required of members of the committee and that the comment did not belittle Daeng’s profession or human dignity.

While the court threw out the case, a majority of senators have taken a different stance. In a much-publicized vote late last month, they overwhelmingly agreed to penalize Nantana for what they deemed an insulting remark toward Daeng. The case will be forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to decide whether legal action is warranted. If the commission finds sufficient grounds, the case will be sent to the Supreme Court, which would determine whether she should be disqualified as a senator.

In her defence, Nantana insisted she had no intention of insulting or bullying Daeng. She said she meant only to explain that senators should be assigned to committees based on their background and experience. Nantana added that the action against her is intended to silence critics of senators, especially those under investigation over the alleged collusion, but vowed to continue performing her duties despite the setback.