New Delhi: The axe was expected, but it was still surprising. After a difficult meeting with the board of one of Thailand’s most respected papers, its top editorial executive was removed. This after being told that the top officials from the office of the Thai prime minister had complained about recent critical reporting.
The oldest English language newspaper in Thailand, the Bangkok Post, has outsized influence in the country, and therefore when its editor, Umesh Pandey was removed, it made waves. The main shareholder in the newspaper is the Chirathivat family, which owns the Thai conglomerate Central Group.
After his removal as editor, Pandey, a Thai citizen of Indian origin, confirmed the move in a Facebook post on May 14. He wrote about being asked to ‘tone down’ coverage of the military junta, which he described as “hard-hitting”.
A day later, another Thai paper published a report which included allegations of mismanagement against Pandey levied by a Bangkok Post executive and some former colleagues who remained anonymous.
Thailand has been ruled by a military-backed government, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), following a bloodless coup in 2014. There have been reports of an increase in media restrictions over the last four years.
Umesh Pandey. Credit: Facebook
The region as a whole has seen greater media control from the government in recent times. In Cambodia, one English newspaper changed hands and went to a businessman close to the regime, while another closed down after being presented with a large tax bill.
In an interview to The Wire, Pandey outlines the meeting with the board where he was told that his position would be reconsidered, since he could not ‘control’ content which was critical of the government. He confirmed that the board’s unhappiness was triggered by a report which warned that government could be defeated in the election due to corruption, on the lines of Najib Razak’s surprising loss in neighbouring Malaysia.
Pandey claimed that there had been frequent interference from the board on the editorial content in the paper, starting from the first fortnight after he took over as editor in August 2016. “I knew this (firing) was coming. So, this was expected, but I didn’t expect it to come two months before my term expired.”
The Wire also reached out to the Bangkok Post for a response to the claims made by Pandey in the interview.
In a reply, Chiratas Nivatpumin, assistant chief operating officer of the Bangkok Post said that Pandey “was not sacked”.
“His two-year term as editor was nearing its completion, and it is my understanding that there was mutual agreement to not extend the contract. In order to facilitate the transition process, Mr Pandey was transferred to a management position as a search for his successor is made. He has since submitted his resignation from the company,” he said in an email.
On other questions based on Pandey’s interview, he responded, “I would prefer not to comment on hearsay.”
In answer to a question on the role of the company’s main stockholders in determining content, Nivatpumin stated, “With regards to editorial policy, the newspaper editors are responsible for the content of the paper.”
“Stakeholders, whether it be readers, advertisers, corporate management, politicians, business leaders, civil society or others, can and do offer their opinion. Such criticism is encouraged and welcome. But to what extent those opinions play in shaping the content of the paper is at the editor’s discretion,” he added.
Excerpts from the interview with Umesh Pandey, former editor of the Bangkok Post follow. The excerpts have been edited for clarity.
It has been reported that your firing was precipitated by an article criticising NCPO. Was that the trigger?
This was the trigger for part of the crisis on Monday. After Mahathir (Mohamad) won the elections, I instructed my reporters that similar to Najib (Razak), the military government controls all the mechanism for elections to be held and that it is a warning signal for the military government.
I have to say that the reporters did a good job with the story. We also had an editorial commentary. At least eight stories were locally produced on that day – because we are part of the ASEAN. We are also part of the similar status where the situation is very controlled by certain groups of people.
Bangkok Post is celebrating its 72nd anniversary on August 3. Somebody at the (board) meeting said that prime minister was not very keen on coming for the event because the Bangkok Post has been very critical.
On Friday (May 11), we had that story and then Saturday (May 12), there were some others because there was continuous coverage… the military was not very happy.
The board member asked me at the meeting, in front of 10-12 people, ‘Khun Umesh, can you not control yourself and calm down? I am getting mad at you’, he told me. I said that ‘As an editor, I cannot control the content the way that you want it to be to make somebody happy’.
He said that ‘If you cannot control the content, then I will have to reconsider your position’. My answer: ‘That it is your decision, sir’. That is all that I said.
This was a working lunch meeting at around 12-12:45 pm. By 3:30, the orders were out basically to move me to an inactive position.
What were those orders?
These were orders stating that Umesh has been effectively removed from the position of editor and made an assistant CEO – and assistant CEO has no job description, nothing basically. It is an inactive position.
Before this meeting, did you have any inkling that the board was dissatisfied with the stories that had been published?
We do not ever give the board the opportunity to read the story beforehand. I had never allowed that to happen in the 20 months.
Was this then the first time that the board had spoken to you about editorial content?
Let me be very frank here. I became the editor on August 1 in 2016, and on August 12, there was a spate of bombings which took place around Hua Hin, a resort town south of Bangkok. I had got a call at that point saying, ‘Khun Umesh, I don’t want that story on the front page’. And I said, ‘Why?’ – and the reason was that it will destroy the economy. I said ‘No, I cannot do that. That is the biggest story… people have been injured and died. This is the biggest story’. Then I was asked, ‘Can you not have a picture?’ I said that I have to have it. So that was 12 days into my job.
And I was threatened even at that point, when the person said that you are just 12 days into the job, you had better be careful of how you are taking such steps. I didn’t listen to him. Ever since that day, I can swear to anybody on anyone on Earth, I have never listened to the board.
I was like a rebel all the way through. I have always said that I am going to be axed soon as I didn’t listen to them, as much as others may have listened. I knew this was coming. So, this was expected, but I didn’t expect it to come two months before my term expired.
When you initially joined as editor, how were you explained your editorial responsibilities? Given the media environment in Thailand and the corporate ownership of the Bangkok Post, wasn’t a certain level of editorial oversight expected?
There was. I had expected it. I had heard of such a thing. I did not expect it to be as bad, but I expected it. I also thought I could manage it. Again, I will be very frank here. I took the job up just because I wanted to be the first non-Thai-looking editor of any Thai media house.
I wanted the job. When the board had interviewed me, they had asked me how long I wanted to stay on the job. My answer was ‘one day’. So, I went in with the aim of doing the best that I can, being as free as possible. They made fun of me before they fired me. They said that you managed to get one year from one day.
Was there any clause in the contract which was related to the editorial policy or oversight of board?
No. The one clause in the contract was that the board had the right to move you to any position that they deemed appropriate.
Were you already in the process of negotiating your contract?
So, on Monday (May 14), they fired me. Four days before, on Thursday (May 10), I had a lunch meeting with some of the board members and they had asked me, ‘Khun Umesh, would you like to continue your contract?’ My answer to them was I am really tired. It was 24*7, 365 days and that I would be able respond when I am back from my holiday.
So, they kind of wanted me to stay. I think the trigger point was the story. So, Thursday was okay, but Friday they got a little mad at me.
Did you have other ‘run-ins’ with the board over editorial content?
Lots of them.
What kind of stories were they objecting to?
Both economic and political. Mostly political to be frank.
Can you give some examples?
These two are the ones that I can openly say. There were many interviews that I had set up with politicians who are out of the country. And as an editor, my job was to meet anybody who is a decision-maker in the country. It is the only way to know what is happening, what could be happening going forward.
I asked some (board) members to go and see these people, some politicians who have been exiled. They said, no they are bad people. You should not go and see them.
What was the motivation for the board to stop certain types of stories. Is it business interests or closeness to the government?
I don’t think they are not close to any political leadership. I think they are close to anybody who is in power. When the previous government was in power, they were close to them. When the coup happened, they tried to become close to the coup-makers. I think it is a global phenomenon. I understand where they are coming from. I don’t blame them for that. It is normal. Every business group that owns a media house, they tend to be pro-establishment.
Do you really believe that the Thai prime minister would take the trouble to express displeasure at the Post articles?
I cannot comment on that. I do not know…because somebody at the board meeting said that this was conveyed by the PM’s people. So, did the PM call me directly? No. Did anybody from PM’s office call me directly? No.
The Bangkok Post statement published in the paper said that your transfer was due to ‘several factors’ not related to content or journalistic autonomy. Do you know what are these factors?
When I went to the human resources director, I asked him why I was not called to explain. If you are removing me from a position, the courteous thing is to call me and say that is the problem that we are facing, these are things that we asked you to do or did not do. Whatever, you know. ‘Khun Umesh we asked you to fire 50 or 60 or 70 or 100 people – I am making this number up – and you didn’t do it.’ Again, some kind of explanation should have been undertaken.
I did not even know till a reporter sent me a screenshot and said, ‘Congratulations on being appointed as CEO on the board’. I didn’t get the orders directly from the management. It came as a shock to me. There was no mention of any reason for the change.
Since the change and the media reports about your firing as editor, how has the board reacted?
I handed over my resignation on Thursday. But can you believe it, they actually re-wrote my resignation saying that this is how you should write your resignation letter. They said that there is a clause in there that I will not sue the company or.…saying that I apologise for posting on social media. This is surprising because I wrote that I am resigning as I was not consulted, not given an opportunity to defend myself… and it was effective immediately.
I said that I am not signing it. I went to the office and signed the letter that I drafted and handed that in.
Protests in Thailand. Credit: Reuters
What happens now?
I am still awaiting the approval of my resignation. I am not asking for any money. I am out of it.
I have loved this company from day one. I have been reading this paper since the sixth grade. I never went to a competitor.
I feel sorry for the company – in terms of the revenue structure and overall industry, it is not in the best of health.
A report in Khaosod, which anonymously quoted some of your former colleagues, accused you of ethical breaches and mismanagement. How do you respond to it?
On the issue of biometrics for attendance, this was a company policy.
In Thailand, one can legally take 14 days of vacation. Some sub-editors had 14 days and 38 additional lieu days. How can you accumulate so many lieu days, without showing that you were in office?
These are the issues that as a manager you have to come up with solutions to make sure that people who were there were not taking advantage of the system.
Before I came in, it was made clear that the company will not pay for any international trips. When I started the ‘Asia Focus’ section, I had set aside a certain budget every month for our reporters to go without having to take a sponsored trip. I said that I do not want our reporters to go on a junket, so that they can return and write whatever they wanted to.
But in 2014, the board had made a decision that there will no international travel for anybody, unless it was sponsored.
What are your views about the general atmosphere in which media operates in Thailand?
It depends on each editor. You can ask about any editorial meeting. I used to say that do what is right. I will be the buffer. I used to get calls left right and centre…I even had a call in 2016 saying that if you write that story, don’t blame me if your head is chopped off tomorrow.
I always had a standing alternate job offer, which would have paid me more. I had a fallback. Maybe that was the reason that I had the guts to do what I did. Nobody can work continuously with no bonus or raise in salary for four years.
