Child rights advocates on Friday called on the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to investigate two digital television channels over their coverage of the death of a three-year-old girl in Mukdahan's Dong Luang district.
Led by Choowit Chantaros, secretary-general of the Children, Youth and Family Foundation, and Natthapong Sampaokaew, coordinator of Active Youth, the activists said the two television stations violated the victim's rights and privacy and went as far as spreading superstition.
According to the child rights groups, the girl's death was disturbing and it drew wide public attention, but "Their coverage went on for almost two months and was represented in a manner similar to a reality show to increase ratings. They pandered to superstition and went as far as presenting a medium and hinting at lottery numbers. All of this was unnecessary and irrelevant in news coverage," said Mr Natthapong.
The two stations, which were unnamed by the activists, were covering the death of a toddler who disappeared from her home on May 11. Her body was found in a forest around 2km from her home on May 14. No suspect has so far been arrested.