Witoon Lianchamroon of Biothai will appear in court for the first time on October 22, 2025, as part of a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF). The case stems from a public conference held by BioThai on July 26, 2024, during which Witoon presented evidence allegedly linking CPF’s Yisan fish farm in Samut Songkhram province to the outbreak of Blackchin tilapia in Thailand, and called for the company to take responsibility for the resulting loss to farmers and the ecological impacts.
Thailand’s Rights and Liberties Protection Department (RLPD) described the case as a SLAPP lawsuit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), which are lawsuits filed by companies with the sole goal of intimidating and silencing their critics. In September 2025, Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders, expressed concern over the case, stating that the charges against Witoon were baseless and a reprisal for his work on community rights and food security.
The Blackchin tilapia is a fish native to West Africa, notable for its prolific capacity and ability to adapt to high salinity habitats. In 2010, CPF reportedly imported 2,000 Blackchin tilapia fish from Ghana for breeding trials, resulting in an outbreak of this exotic fish in over 19 Thai provinces. Farmers impacted by the outbreak then brought their grievances to the National Human Rights Commission in September 2017. The Commission found that CPF failed to comply with national biosafety procedures, while the Department of Fisheries rejected the company's claim that all imported fish died within 16 days. A special parliamentary committee subsequently reached the same conclusions.
In the ensuing years, the outbreak has devastated the livelihoods of thousands of farmers who raise shrimp, crabs, and native fish. Some affected farmers have fallen into severe debt, with tragic suicides reported. The impacted communities have formed a network that is strongly in support of Witoon and Biothai. They believe Witoon's efforts to reveal the truth are for the good of all Thais, the environment and their children’s futures.
Rather than take responsibility for this outbreak that has caused tremendous damage in Thailand, CP is using the lawsuit to disrupt Witoon’s efforts to support communities fighting for their rights and food sovereignty.
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