Kamnoon Sidhisamarn, secretary and spokesman of the NRSA coordination committee, said at a press conference that the whips decided to return two draft laws to the media reform panel for review.

The spokesman said the controversial issues regarding the bill on media reform, such as the composition and the authority of the proposed “media professional council”, would be reviewed by taking into consideration complaints made by media organisations. It remained unclear when the revision would be completed, but Kamnoon said it “should not take long”.

One bill involves the protection of media rights and liberties and the promotion of occupational values and standards, while another bill involves the registration of media organisations. The former point has been strongly opposed by 30 media organisations nationwide, which issued two statements denouncing the bill as opening the door for state interference in the media sector.

However, NRSA whips agreed during their meeting at Parliament that the proposed media professional council should remain in the draft legislation with the legal authority to ensure better self-regulation mechanisms within the sector, Kamnoon said. The highly controversial proposal for a media regulatory council has faced much criticism from media groups, which have described it as a veiled attempt to control the media.

In response to concerns over the composition of the proposed media council, which would include four ministry permanent secretaries, the whips advised that the council be made up of members from related and diverse fields, according to the spokesman.

Additionally, the whips said the bill must be in line with the constitution that was approved in the referendum last year, Kamnoon said. Media organisations have complained that the bill was against the new charter, which ensures the independence of the media.

Leading figures in the media industry, such as Wanchai Wongmeechai, Thepchai Yong and Chavarong Limpattama-panee, yesterday submitted an open letter endorsed by 30 media organisations that called on the NRSA to review the draft bill and replace the head of the media reform committee, Kanit Suwannet. They said Kanit had conceded he was not familiar with journalism and should be replaced by someone who was.

In addition, the media organisations said Kanit’s claim that media representatives had accepted the draft bill and that it was backed by academic research were inaccurate.

Media representatives emphasised that the regulatory bill posed threats to media freedom as well as the public’s freedom to access information.

They said that instead of protecting the rights and freedom of the media, the bill would allow control of and interference in the media by the state through the professional council, which would include permanent secretaries appointed by politicians. The media representatives also said the media were currently subject to self-regulation and regulation by members of public, making further regulation by a professional council unnecessary.

In a related development, veteran journalists who were members of the NRSA’s media reform panel, such as Pradit Ruangdit, Suwanna Sombatraksasuk and Amornrat Mahimmathiruk, yesterday resigned from the panel to express opposition against the contentious bill, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Meanwhile, Constitution Drafting Commission chairman Meechai Ruchupan yesterday called on media groups and the NRSA media reform panel to debate amicably in order to settle the differences between them.

Meechai said he did not think this issue would ignite a conflict between the media and the government.