BANGKOK (AP) — Australian independent scholar and writer Murray Hunter, 66, claims he was improperly arrested in Thailand on a criminal defamation charge initiated by the Malaysian government, calling the case an example of transnational repression in Southeast Asia.
Hunter, who lives in southern Thailand, was detained on Monday at Suvarnabhumi Airport while preparing to board a flight to Hong Kong. He spent a night in jail before being released on 20,000 baht ($620) bail, pending a November 17 court appearance. The charge, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a 200,000 baht fine, stems from articles he published in 2024 on his Substack newsletter criticizing Malaysian institutions.
According to his charge sheet, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is listed as the victim. The complaint, however, was filed by an unnamed person staying at a Bangkok hotel. The MCMC stated it had lodged reports in both Malaysia and Thailand in 2024, alleging Hunter’s writings were defamatory and filing a civil suit in Malaysia. It added that Thai authorities acted after Hunter failed to respond to summonses.
Hunter insists one summons delivered to his home appeared to be a scam, and local police where he was staying confirmed his suspicions.
Rights groups and the UN have raised alarm over growing cross-border repression in Southeast Asia, where governments have cooperated to detain critics or dissidents on behalf of other nations. A July UN Human Rights Council report cited serious concerns, including allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam — claims denied by all four countries.
Malaysia’s Centre for Independent Journalism and PEN Malaysia condemned the arrest, stating that using Thai authorities to silence political criticism would violate Malaysia’s constitutional protections for free speech.