Community radio stations under siege

BangkokPost.com, dpa
Authorities moved on Friday to silence every broadcaster found to be criticising the government, in the biggest censorship blitz since last September's military coup.
The crackdown on the country's hundreds of illegal community radio stations came less than two days after exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra called three of the stations to air his political grievances.

"We will be listening to these illegal radio stations to see whether they are attacking the government and if they do we will send authorities to shut them down," said Borworn Thecha-in, director of the radio and television division at the Public Relations Department.

Mr Borworn said Thailand had more than 1,000 small radio stations that have operating in a legal limbo for years, pending legislation to cover the media sector.

"In the past we've ignored them, partly because they are so difficult to monitor," said Mr Borworn. "Sometimes these stations just play music all day."

On Thursday, the PRD closed down the FM 87.75 station after it aired a live interview with Mr Thaksin from his home in London in which the ousted premier called for speedy elections in Thailand and criticised the current government for not solving the country's problems.

The station has been charged with operating without a licence, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail and/or a 100,000 baht ($2,860) fine.

"We were acting on a complaint," said Mr Borworn, explaining the closure of FM 87.75 - but did not say who complained.

Thailand has been under an military-appointed government since army officers overthrew the Thaksin government and tore up the constitution in a bloodless coup last Sept 19. Mr Thaksin was attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

Mr Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon whose family fortune is estimated at $3 billion, has been living in exile since the coup, but he continues to be a thorn in the thigh of the current appointed government.

Thai authorities attempted to block the airing of an interview Mr Thaksin had with CNN on March 20 and weres irked by another Thaksin interview that appeared the same month in Time Magazine.

Mr Thaksin's foray into Thailand's community radio stations on Wednesday was his first interview with the Thai media since his fall from power.

A video version of the interview was also posted on the popular YouTube.Com, already banned by the government last month for hosting images deemed insulting to His Majesty the King.

Thai authorities, however, have not yet attacked YouTube.Com for posting the Thaksin footage.

"Lese majeste is a sensitive issue for our country, but if it is just about politics we won't intervene," said spokesman Visanu Meeyoo of the Information Communciations and Technology Ministry, the official Thai censorship ministry.

Thai Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said on Friday that Mr Thaksin's latest publicity effort was in response to the escalating problems he faces in the country.

Mr Thaksin's family has been charged with tax evasion and abuse of power, and similar charges are pending against the former premier.

It is also likely that his Thai Rak Thai political party will be dissolved by a constitutional tribunal on May 30 for committing fraud during the April 2, 2006, general elections.