7pm, Friday, February 10, 2012 at the FCCT Clubhouse
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB  OF THAILAND NOTICE
2012 Annual General Meeting and Election of Officers


This week's specials
From January 23 - 27, 2012

David Butler, RIP 18 June 1941 - 10 January 2012


FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB OF THAILAND (FCCT) AND ONASIA ANNOUNCE RESULTS OF FIFTH-ANNUAL FCCT / ONASIA PHOTOJOURNALISM CONTEST

Events in January

8pm, Thursday Jan 26, 2012
'Into the Current: Burma's Political Prisoners'
 A documentary by Jeanne Hallacy, co-produced with the Democratic Voice of Burma.

10:30am, Friday, January 27, 2012
Press Conference: Thai Committee for Refugees Foundation


8pm, Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Human Rights Violations and the Current Political Situation in Balochistan




8pm, Thursday, February 16, 2012
The Case for 112



Political & General News Correspondent, Thailand
Thompson Reuters

More than a year in the making, King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life's Work was launched officially at the end of November just ahead of the 84th birthday celebrations for HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Published by Editions Didier Millet, this 384-page illustrated volume takes a rare non-hagiographical, unvarnished look at the world's longest-serving head of state. The press conference which announced the launch of the book was held at the FCCT on Tuesday November 29, 2011 with speakers:

Anand Panyarachun
Chairman, Editorial Advisory Board

Didier Millet
Publisher, Editions Didier Millet

Dr Dhiravat na Pombejra
Member, Editorial Advisory Board

Nicholas Grossman
Editor-in-Chief

Dominic Faulder
Senior Editor

"King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life's Work will help any reader understand Thailand and its monarchy better," says Anand Panyarachun, the former prime minister who chaired the book's Editorial Advisory Board. "Readability, balance and accuracy are what we strived for." Anand's board worked in conjunction with an editorial team that included a number of FCCT members.

Photos by Patrick Haley.

The Contemporary World Film Series re-started again, this year,with the screening of a much-talked-about French film by master film-maker Francois Truffaut , 'Woman Next Door.'

This was the film whose screening had been postponed, due to the floods last year,and was much appreciated,when it was finally screened, this year. The film-event was supported by the Embassy of France,who provided excellent wine to match the rivetting film.

The Hitchcockian love-drama kept the large audience of cinephiles glued to their seats,and many first-timers to the Series, expressed their eager interest for the next film.

PIC shows (from left), Cultural Counsellor of the French Embassy, Jeremy Opritesco , Fcct Film Coordinator Lekha Shankar, and Audio Visual Attachee Laure Demonchy.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand held a pre-launch of their "Songkran Splendours" Festival Campaign at the FCCT on Friday April 8th. The Festival lasts from the 9th to the 17th of April, and covers 12 provinces across five regions of Thailand.

As a foretaste of visitors to the various can expect, the FCCT was treated to traditional Thai crafts such as garland-making, and fruit carving; Thai snacks, desserts and herbal drinks were much enjoyed, and the highlight of the day was a "Ram Klong Yao" performance: traditional dances, featuring male and female dancers and drummers in Thai costume.


Not just mayhem in Khao San Road then!

"Heading an organisation like the FCCT opens one to face unforeseen challenges. This stems from the growing expectations of our members and the wider community of a club that has in its over 50-year existence become the premier institution of its kind in Southeast Asia. There is also the converse, of being challenged for who we are. In 2009, my first year as president, the unprecedented development of a lèse majesté complaint filed against the entire board remains a case in point."

Marwaan Macan-Markar
President,
January 28, 2011

Anxiety over the future of photojournalism has reached new levels in recent years, as newspapers and magazines slash their photo budgets, and new sources of supply - including websites that aggregate cut-rate freelance submissions - roil the marketplace. But judging from the results of the 2010 FCCT/OnAsia Photojournalism Contest, photography is alive and well in the work of the many incredible shooters still plying their trade across Asia-Pacific. The economic challenges are greater than ever. But that hasn't stopped photographers from chasing the story, wherever it takes them, to bring back images that capture - as only real photojournalism can - the countless human dramas that make up the history of our time.


There is always some worry when the FCCT and OnAsia put out the call for submissions at the beginning of the year. Will this be the year that we learn just how many photographers have put down their cameras to pursue more lucrative careers? Or maybe the region's photographers, dismayed by the flagging fortunes of the industry, will simply decide it's no longer worth the bother to enter a contest? Those concerns are increasingly being put to rest as the contest grows by leaps and bounds every year. In its first year, 2007, the FCCT received submissions of only a few hundred pictures from about 35 photographers.

This year, more than 7,000 photos from 350+ shooters flooded into the FCCT offices - a staggering number that creates significant administrative challenges for a contest that still is largely run through the volunteer work of a number of photography devotees and our dedicated FCCT staff. It's a problem we're thrilled to have, of course, because it means photographers are still finding stories to tell - and are still taking the time, effort, and sometimes, a great deal of financial risk, to do so.


This year's submissions came from all over Asia. We had hundreds of photos from Thailand's political unrest in April and May, of course; given the incredible quality of many of those images, it would have been possible to hold a contest on the Thai Red Shirt drama alone. But there were also wonderful submissions from Afghanistan, Mongolia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and everywhere in between.

Paula Bronstein, our photographer of the year, exemplified the wandering spirit - and extraordinary versatility - of our best photographers. Like so many others, she spent weeks covering the Thai political crisis, putting herself on the front lines to capture photos filled with passion and, at times, horror. But she also found time to report nuanced tales of human struggle elsewhere, taking viewers inside a heroin addicts' lair in Kabul, military hospitals in southern Afghanistan, and the homes of acid-attack victims in Cambodia.

Other winning photographers found the story behind the story of sulfur miners in Indonesia; a Manila bar girl whose son was dying; and even the underground sex industry in Tokyo. There were so many other images that didn't win but could have, including stunning shots of workers atop a Bangkok skyscraper and discarded tanks strewn across a desolate Afghan landscape. Many of the best submissions came from young photographers, including some who are just starting out, providing hope that new blood will help carry photojournalism through what could be difficult years ahead.


It is also heartening to know that support for photography from our many sponsors continues to grow. Special thanks go out to Pfizer (Thailand) Ltd., a longtime supporter of the FCCT and the principal sponsor of this year's contest, providing critical financial assistance without which it would not have been possible to hold the event. Likewise, the European Union came through with sizable financial backing for a special category - "human rights" - that drew some of the most powerful submissions in the contest. We also continue to draw key support from Star Alliance, which provides free air travel to winners; Bloom Digital Pro Lab and Studio; which prints the photos for our exhibition; TQPR, a leading public relations firm that provides marketing support; and a number of our friends in Thailand's hospitality community, including Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, the Amari Emerald Cove resort in Koh Chang, and the InterContinental Bangkok and the Holiday Inn Bangkok. The FCCT and OnAsia are proud to present this year's winners - we hope you enjoy.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) hosted a memorial Thursday to mark the 25th anniversary of the deaths of NBC cameraman correspondent Neil Davis and soundman Bill Latch. The two journalists were killed by military fire on September 9, 1985, while covering a failed coup attempt in the Thai capital.

Davis, who covered the Vietnam War for more than a decade beginning in 1964, was one of the most storied war correspondents of his generation. "Frontline," a critically acclaimed 1979 documentary shown at the FCCT event, chronicled the extraordinary risks Davis took while reporting from the battlefield, including his historic footage of North Vietnamese tanks breaking through the gates of Saigon's Independence Palace, the iconic image of the end of the war.

Veteran journalists Jim Pringle, a former Reuters and Newsweek correspondent, and Derek Williams, a former CBS cameraman and current director of Asiaworks Television, spoke about their fallen colleagues. Pringle described his time in Saigon with Davis, whom he called "the greatest overall journalist of the Vietnam War." "It is said the first casualty of war is truth," said Pringle, "but that was not the case with Neil."

Williams spoke about the circumstances surrounding the deaths, recounting that Davis turned his camera on himself after being hit by shrapnel. He noted that the soldiers responsible for the attack that took their lives went unpunished. Indeed, none of the coup's plotters--including Col. Manoon Rupekachorn, Lt. Col. Prajark Sawangjit, and Gen. Serm Na Nakorn--were ever sentenced. All were granted parliamentary amnesty in 1988.

Manoon, who later changed his name to Manoonkrit, was elected a senator in 2000, a development the FCCT protested in a letter at the time. Prajark committed suicide in 2003, on the same date that Davis and Latch were killed in 1985, according to Williams, who speculated that the former soldier's death was related "more to cognac than karma."

The memorial event had special poignancy given the recent deaths of Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto and freelance photographer Fabio Polenghi, both killed while covering armed exchanges between Thai troops and protestors in April and May. A CPJ special report found numerous indications that those responsible will not be held accountable--just as the perpetrators in Davis' and Latch's killings escaped accountability 25 years ago.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate this year's protest-related deaths, but its leader, former Attorney General Khanit Na Nakorn, said in June that his panel is more concerned with promoting forgiveness than assigning blame. CPJ research found that authorities refused to make foot soldiers available for interviews with private investigators looking into the circumstances of Muramoto's death. The government has also declined to release closed circuit footage of the area where Muramoto was shot and killed.

Williams noted that the circumstances surrounding Muramoto's and Polenghi's shooting deaths were less clear-cut than with Davis and Latch, but from his perspective it appears that they were killed by Thai soldiers. Pringle recalled how Davis' and Latch's deaths had a divisive impact on the Bangkok-based press corps, including a sharp debate among reporters about whether enough had been done to pursue justice for their fallen colleagues.

Judging by the robust turnouts and impassioned presentations at recent press freedom-related events at the FCCT, including Thursday's commemorative event for Davis and Latch, there is strong media consensus today on the need for justice.

(Reporting from Bangkok)

CPJ Senior Southeast Asia Representative Shawn W. Crispin is based in Bangkok, where he is an editor for Asia Times Online. He has led CPJ missions throughout the region, including the Philippines and Indonesia

For press conferences, book and motion picture launches, corporate meetings and more. The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand's penthouse Clubhouse is the perfect venue. We are:

• Centrally located in the Maneeya Center, in the heart of Ratchaprasong, home to the greatest concentration of news bureaus and media organizations in Thailand.
• Adjacent to and easily accessible directly from the Chidlom BTS Skytrain station.

We offer our customers a wide range of services, custom tailored to your specific needs. We have: Complete audio-visual capability with three video cameras and fixed and wireless microphones for live presentations.

• Multi-disk record and playback equipment for standard-definition and Blu-Ray high-definition DVD, audio and video CD and most other popular formats.
• LCD projector with direct and oblique screens for motion picture and computer presentations.
• Complete kitchen providing a myriad of delicious food-service options, from coffee-break sweets to quick meals to sit-down or buffet lunches and dinners featuring eastern, western and vegetarian cuisine.
• Full bar offering a wide range of soft drinks, beers on tap and in bottle, wine, and a selection of spirits and popular cocktails.
• Smoker's balcony with picnic seating, greenery and a fine view of central Bangkok.

Rates are among the most reasonable in town, starting at only Baht 5,000 for a half-day's use of the Clubhouse, including our audio-visual equipment and a skilled operator. Catering services are priced to your specific requirement.

And for that special private party, the fully staffed Clubhouse can be exclusively yours on almost any Saturday or Sunday for little more than a weekday event.

For bookings or for more information, please contact the FCCT at 02 652-0580 or by e-mail to info@fccthai.com.

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has developed a new online registration system for journalists, which went live on Monday, August 16, 2010.

All journalists already accredited in Thailand, must register online. Anyone seeking accreditation should also do it online.

The MFA in a briefing to some foreign journalists, also emphasized that those seeking renewal of their accreditation, should apply online at least one month before the expiry of their credentials.

The MFA Media Online Service page can already be seen at http://mmos.mfa.go.th

The FCCT's sell-out publishing success, The King of Thailand in World Focus, a 280-page collection of articles and images from the international press on the life and reign of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, is now available in a new, popularly priced soft-cover edition. In addition to making for fascinating reading, the book is the only comprehensive reference work on the current reign as reported over the years by correspondents, journalists and photographers in magazines and newspapers around the world

This large-format, full-color book is identical to the hard-bound third edition which sold out late last year, but with a stiff, varnished art-card cover, and priced to be easy on the wallet. It's available through the FCCT office and at Asia Books around town for the cover price of only Baht 300. FCCT members can get a copy through the FCCT office only for just Baht 270, on presentation of your current membership card.

Don't miss out. Get your copy of this unique publication today!

How do you keep up with all the great FCCT programs?

Join FCCT and receive e-mails whenever new programs are added. Because news changes fast, FCCT sometimes schedules timely programs on short notice.

FCCT members receive e-mails with "late-breaking news" about programs.

The FCCT is not just for correspondents-in fact, most of our members are not news people.

A past FCCT president even came up with the slogan, "You don't have to be foreign and you don't have to be a correspondent". We are a very diverse club and welcome all.

For more information, call 02-652-0580-1 or click here to e-mail info@fccthai.com