{"id":18752,"date":"2026-05-15T08:21:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T08:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=18752"},"modified":"2026-05-15T08:21:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T08:21:46","slug":"a-false-post-circulating-claims-a-thai-journalist-made-a-statement-regarding-the-controversial-323-containers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/a-false-post-circulating-claims-a-thai-journalist-made-a-statement-regarding-the-controversial-323-containers\/","title":{"rendered":"Has a Thai journalist made a statement regarding the controversial Container 323?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A social media post claimed that a Thai journalist had made a statement about the controversial 323 containers apparently released by Sri Lankan Customs without physical inspection in 2025. Many social media users shared the post believing it to be true. However, Fact Crescendo investigated the claim and found no evidence to support it, deeming it false and misleading. The fact-check is given below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Media Posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA popular Thai journalist made a debatable statement about the 323 containers which arrived in Sri Lanka. A post circulating on social media stating that Pravit Rojanaphruk, a well-known journalist in Thailand, said that 323 containers were released by Sri Lankan customs and that they were transported from Thailand to Sri Lanka, and the containers had weapons belonging to the terrorist organization LTTE…\u201d etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since Container 323 has been the subject of significant debate in Sri Lanka for some time, we conducted a search to confirm whether a Thai journalist had actually made such a statement about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Check:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various parties claimed that Sri Lanka Customs released 323 containers without physical inspection, with approval from a special committee, in January 2025 to reduce congestion and delays of priority goods at the Colombo Port. In response to these claims regarding the uninspected release of the 323 containers, a broad investigation is currently underway through a parliamentary select committee. Additional information on this is available here <\/a> and here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thai journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk has made no statement or note regarding the Container 323 incident in Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our investigation, which included a review of all of Thailand’s mainstream media, international news services, and the official social media accounts of journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk, found no evidence that he has made any statements or posts regarding the Container 323 incident in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There has been no confirmed news or official report from international media, Thai media, or Sri Lankan mainstream media indicating that these 323 containers contained weapons belonging to the terrorist organization LTTE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Furthermore, a broader investigation into the Thai context for any relevant statements by Rojanaphruk concerning Sri Lanka or related events also yielded no information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A view from the 2017 CPJ International Press Freedom Awards ceremony<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The video clip of Thai journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk being shared with the relevant post is from the 2017 CPJ International Press Freedom Awards, held in New York on November 15, 2017, where he received an award from the Committee to Protect Journalists in recognition of his commitment to press freedom and addresses the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that complete speech, he does not say anything about Sri Lankan containers or Sri Lanka in any way. The complete speech is here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in June 2025, Jaffna District Member of Parliament Ramanathan Archuna, while addressing Parliament, said that these containers had weapons that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had attempted to import from Thailand before 2009. The statement is available here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ministry of Public Security and the police started an investigation into this statement, and it was discovered that the MP had no written or scientific evidence to support it. More information on this can be found here <\/a> and here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customs strongly denies charges that the released containers had weapons that the LTTE attempted to import from Thailand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at a special media briefing held on June 8, 2025, the Customs Media Spokesperson, Seevali Arukgoda, strongly denied claims that the 323 released containers contained weapons, drugs, or gold. He said the goods, as stated by the importers, were limited to industrial items and raw materials. He further added that the containers were released only after a complete check of all relevant import documents, and that there was no evidence that any illegal substances were brought in illegally, addressing the controversy regarding the release of containers without physical check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no evidence that the containers came from Thailand<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of these containers were imported from India and China, with others arriving from Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Switzerland, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. He stated that, according to official documents submitted to Customs by the importers, these were essential raw materials and general merchandise for the country’s industries. The contents included plastics, yarn, chemicals, automotive components, animal feed, machinery, pesticides, cement, iron pipes, fertilizers, and wooden materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The press conference is below<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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