Thai police arrest CNN reporters who filmed in nursery school | Abroad

A Thai reporter posted on social media a photo of CNN reporters leaving a nursery and climbing a wall, a fence and police tape. Local authorities launched an investigation. “The legal process must now continue, and I don’t want to reveal all the details,” city spokesman Danaichok Boonsom said. “Let the police investigate.”

The Thai Journalists Association describes the behavior of CNN reporters as “immoral” and “insensitive”. The Foreign Correspondents Association of Thailand (FCCT) is also “shocked”. “This was unprofessional and a serious violation of journalistic ethics in covering the crimes,” the association said.

In a statement on Twitter, CNN denied that the reporters had acted illegally. According to the news channel, they did not enter the building until after the police barrier was lifted. Three officials would have told them they could shoot inside. “The team collected the photos in the nursery for 15 minutes and then left,” the station wrote in a tweet. “By that time, the barrier had been put back in place, so the team had to climb over the fence to leave.”

Mike McCarthy, director of CNN International, later added that reporters only now understand that the three officials are not authorized to give consent. “It was never their intention to break any rules.” CNN also promptly removed the report from its website. The station apologizes for the suffering caused by the act.

Tourist visas for journalists have been cancelled. According to a police spokesperson, they will remain in detention until they are deported. The spokesperson acknowledges that there may be a misunderstanding. The two could only get off with a fine, because they worked on a tourist visa.

See also: What do we know about the shooting in Thailand?