Murray Hunter
Murray Hunter is an Australian journalist and retired academic, specializing in Southeast Asia.
Career
2025 arrest in Thailand
Hunter was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok as he was boarding a flight to Hong Kong on charges of defamation by publication under section 328 of Thailand’s criminal code. Hunter was subsequently jailed overnight and released on 20,000 Baht bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on 17 November 2025. Hunter faces a maximum prison term of two years.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) made police complaints against Hunter in Malaysia and Thailand.
Hunter claims the charges stem from 2024 articles about Malaysia published on his Substack newsletter. He characterized his arrest as a form of transnational repression by Malaysia, in the form of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
In December 2025, a four-hour Senate of Thailand committee hearing urged local prosectors to drop the defamation case.
Reaction
Hunter's arrest by Thai police on behalf of MCMC was widely criticized. It was described as an "extraordinary step". On 1 October 2025, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and PEN Malaysia issued a statement condemning the arrest. On 19 November 2025, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand issued a statement writing Hunter's arrest "highlights the ease with which Thailand’s criminal defamation can be misused."
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