The Thai National Human Rights Commission and the National Foundation of Consumers today held a joint seminar on Tesco's negative impact on communities and the media's freedom to report and criticise. Not sure if they also issued a statement but it keeps the story running so good stuff. Reported in today's Nation newspaper.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the Guardian has reportedly expressed its bewilderment with Tesco's decision to pursue its case against the newspaper despite last week's apology (which wasn't quite that, though, as I reported a few days ago).
Frankly I share their bewilderment and I also wonder why Tesco are persisting with the Thai cases. Not only do they not have a very strong legal case, you would have thought Tesco had learned from past mistakes of others. The McLibel case springs to mind: back in 1990, McDonalds sued two campaigners for libel after they had made allegations about the environmental impact of McDonalds food as well as about health risks. While McDonalds eventually won the suit in the UK, it cost them dearly in terms of PR - the allegations were hotly debated in court and received broad media exposure - and the decision was declared a violation of the campaigners' right to freedom of expression by the European Court of Human Rights. Are Tesco's PR people not aware of this? Nevermind its legal and CSR teams?
Thursday, May 08, 2008
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